Category: Entertainment
CARDOLOGY: THE SCIENCE IN PLAYING CARDS
Magic, games and cardistry. These are just three ways we use playing cards. But there’s actually more to a deck than meets the eye, and it’s a mystical eye at that.
Cardology is a science that connects playing cards and astrology to guide us through life. This ancient magical method is called many names including the Cards of Life. Regardless of whether you use a custom-designed deck from Shuffled Ink or an ordinary one off the shelf, the science is present and will uncover your purpose (if you wish to divulge).
In one of our previous articles, Which Game Are You Based on Your Astrological Sign, we don’t venture into the realm of Cardology but rather relate your zodiac sign to a well-known card or board game. If you’re unfamiliar with astrology, then give it a quick read for an entertaining insight into the study.
Now, let’s explore Cardology as well as its origins, the birthday card chart and more.
The Mystic Test Book
Olney H. Richmond captured the true meaning of playing cards – Cardology – in his book The Mystic Test Book or the Magic of the Cards. Unfortunately, it’s not exactly easy to comprehend from start-to-finish, and there’s a clear reason why. When it was published in 1893, it was written for Order of the Magi members, a secret occult society revitalized by Richmond in the late 19th century.
Card Calendar Illustrated in the Test Book
A pack of playing cards is anything but standard. Each card represents our world in its entirety. Want to see for yourself? Take out any deck you can find and follow along!
1 deck = a year
52 cards in a deck = weeks in a year
4 suits = seasons in a year
12 court cards = months in a year
13 cards per suit = lunar cycles
red & black colors = day/night
A Deeper Look:
These excerpts from The Mystic Test Book further describe the relationship between the four suit cards and the Earth’s seasons:
Hearts as Spring: “In the Spring of the year, the birds mate. In the springtime of life or the first quarter, love is the master passion. The heart was therefore chosen as the emblem of the first quarter and the first season.”
Clubs as Summer: “Knowledge is best gained and retained in the summer of life…therefore the shamrock, or ‘club,’ became the emblem.”
Diamonds as Fall: “The third season, autumn, has for its emblem the diamond, representative of wealth. The third period of man’s life is the one in which he is best able to gain wealth…the crops are sold and the wealth of the harvest realized.”
Spades as Winter: Winter or the fourth quarter of the Zodiac is represented by the spade or acorn. By a strange and yet natural transformation, the acorn, which represented the symbolism of the death and burial of the physical form was changed … to the spade.”
Card Chart
With the Cardology Birthday Chart below, you can discover a lot about your past, present and future. Based on the Cards of Life, there’s a deep connection between your birthday/astrology sign and a deck of playing cards.
Based on your birth card, each component should resemble you personally. The suit cards have personality traits of their own while also making up the Earth’s seasons. The numbers further identify your attributes and the court cards carry their own set of inner rulings about your life. For example, if your birthday is June 24, then your birth card is the 6 of clubs. To see how the cards interact with your disposition, check out this article on Cafe Astrology.
Coincidence or not?
Now, it’s up to your discretion to accept the destiny shown in Cardology. In this article, we only scratched the surface on how playing cards reveal our character. There’s much more to the concept that even involves a bit of math, but we won’t dive too deep.
Let’s wrap this introduction to Cardology with a quote by Richmond:
“When we find a certain invention claimed by a large number of Nations, scattered over our globe, in widely separated locations, we must conclude that none of them were the inventors, but on the contrary, obtained the inventions of some nation proceeding them by many years.”
To receive complimentary samples of our card products, include your delivery address and phone number on your custom request a quote form.
HOW TO MAKE AN IMPOSSIBLE BOTTLE: A TOP SECRET REVEALED
ALTERNATIVE USES FOR PLAYING CARDS
1. Magic
If you have an interest or background in magic, then you already know this, and it may even be the main reason you own a deck of playing cards in the first place! Every kid growing up should learn at least a few good card tricks, and all you need for that is a decent quality deck of cards, and the help of your public library, or of course the internet and youtube. Any set of playing cards will work, but ideally you want cards that handle well.2. Cardistry
Cardistry has been defined as “the performance art of card flourishing”, although “juggling with playing cards” is an equally apt description. Many readers have probably heard of cardistry before, but for the doubters, I can assure you that it is a real thing, and it even has a Wikipedia page on the subject here! Cardistry is about doing things like fanning and cutting cards in a creative way and with a high level of skill, thereby turning it into a performance art. Instead of doing ordinary cuts and shuffles, expert cardists are able to do one-handed cuts, complicated shuffles, turnovers, tosses, and catches, in a way that is a beauty to watch. You can even buy decks of playing cards that particularly lend themselves well to cardistry. A good example is the Virtoso deck, which was specifically designed for cardistry, and has a real visual appeal when fanned and flourished. Search for “cardistry” on youtube and you’ll find lots of tutorials to get you going with any deck.3. Card games
There are many wonderful card games that can be played with a deck of cards, including popular traditional favourites like Bridge, Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Rummy, and Cribbage. And if you like the excitement of gambling style games, there’s Poker, Blackjack, and many more. Besides the traditional favourites you might already know, there are many excellent card games, and in most cases you can learn the rules for free online. The best website on games with playing cards is easily Pagat.com here. Some easy games that I highly recommend trying include Knock Out Whist, Blitz, Scopa, and President, while games like Oh Hell give room for more skill. If you need more suggestions for great card games, check out this list of my personal favourites here. There are some great books on the subject too, with David Parlett’s Penguin Book of Card Games being the most comprehensive – it’s a great resource, and will help put those arguments about rules to rest once and for all!4. Solitaire games
There’s some terrific solitaire games that you can play on your own with a deck of cards, and it can be a good way to pass the time, or even to enjoy your favourite custom deck of cards. Personal computers have popularized solitaire games like Canfield, Klondike, Freecell, and Spider, but there are many other excellent solitaire games out there. A good place to get started is the Wikipedia page on the subject here. If you’re new to this kind of thing and want to begin with something fairly easy, I’d suggest Golf, Pyramid, or Monte Carlo. For something more challenging, try a fan game like La Belle Lucie, or one of its easier variants (e.g. The Fan, Bristol).5. Artwork
Many crowdfunding projects for playing cards offer an add-on option to purchase an “uncut sheet”. This is a complete printed sheet showing all the cards in a deck prior to them being cut into playing cards. I never really saw the value of this, but a family member recently bought one of these uncut sheets and put it into a glass frame, and it looks absolutely amazing! Or try making your own with your favourite custom deck. Especially with a creative and artistic deck, putting playing cards on display in this way can turn them into beautiful works of art. These works of art make great decorations to hang on the wall, while also giving a tribute to your passion for playing cards and magic.6. Bookmarks
A deck of playing cards can make a great supply of bookmarks! Especially if it’s a special custom deck with nice artwork, but is a little too worn for continued official use, why not re-purpose the cards and use them as bookmarks? I’ve often done this, and my playing cards have often found themselves doing wonderful service to keep track of which effect I’m working on in my magic books, or even as a handy marker in a fiction novel I’m reading at the beach or beside the pool. Any custom deck will work, but cards with metallic ink or foil backs make especially classy looking bookmarks!7. House of Cards
Building a house of cards, or a “card tower”, is not as easy as it looks! Also called “card-stacking”, there’s a Wikipedia page here devoted to this subject too. Bryan Berg (USA) created a world record 72 stories in 1992, and since then has kept and broken this and numerous other related records, including the tallest house of cards, and largest house of cards. In 2010 he built a replica of a hotel, which took 44 days and 218,792 cards (more than 4,000 decks) – it weighed over 250kg, and was 3 metres tall and 10.5 metres long. See a video profile about Bryan here. Some googling will help you find some techniques to improve your card stacking abilities.8. Polyhedrals
George Hart has some great ideas for using playing cards to create complex polyhedral shapes. You can find out more at his website here, which includes full instructions. A great idea for math class perhaps?9. Impossible Bottles
Put a deck of cards into a bottle! Wait a moment, you say, that’s impossible! Well, isn’t that why they call it an impossible bottle?! But there are ways to do this, although you may have to dig a little to find the secret. Some Kickstarters offer these as add-on options for purchase with a new deck of cards. Jamie Grant is a well known creator of these, and his impossible bottles typically cost $100-200. So unless you’re really keen, perhaps this is something to the experts. I’m certain there’s only one way to get something into a glass bottle, and that’s through the neck, and it’s a very time-consuming, difficult, and near-impossible job. I know someone who makes these as a hobby, and they are impressive and mystifying to see firsthand, but they do require a lot of effort to create.10. Card Throwing
Have you ever tried throwing a card? It’s much harder than it sounds, but there are techniques you can learn to throw playing cards long distances and at high speeds. It’s not that difficult to learn the proper grip and method for throwing a card. To get some idea of the basics, head to Wikipedia again here. If you get real good, maybe you can start competing with Rick Smith Jr, who is the world record holder for throwing a playing card 216 feet and 4 inches at a top speed of 92 miles per hour. Seriously! When you’re as good as him, you actually can slice fruit with a playing card! There are several instructional DVDs available that will teach you how to do this kind of thing, but for now you can check out Rick Smith Jr’s tutorial on youtube here. But even if you aren’t ready to start destroying fruit, it’s a lot of fun to try, so I definitely recommend giving card throwing a shot! You can even buy special cards designed for the purpose, like the Banshees deck, which add a “sonic scream” when the cards whip through the air.11. Fortune telling
One of the oldest forms of fortune-telling is called cartomancy, and uses playing cards. Personally I don’t give it any more credibility than reading palms, tea-leaves, stomach rumbles, or cloud shapes, but it certainly uses playing cards. Many specialty Tarot and Oracle decks exist. But cartomancy can also be done with a standard deck of 52 cards and Jokers as well. While any deck will work, some decks like the KADAR Fortune Playing Cards are especially geared to this purpose, and they work great for magic too.12. Bicycle Noisemaker
How do you make a bicycle sound like a motorbike? By affixing a playing card to your bike frame with a peg, and having the card flap loudly on the spokes as the wheel turns. Using playing cards to soup up bikes and make them sound like an engine is something that kids have been doing for years – certainly I did it many times in my childhood! Nowadays you can even buy an official product (Turbospoke Classic) to do this. But using a playing card works just as great for kids today as it always has! If you need help figuring out how to do this, head to Instructables here for directions.13. Emergency Kit
When you’re really stuck, you never know how a playing card might come in handy. Do you have a wobbly table that needs levelling out due to an uneven table leg? Playing cards are perfect to use when you need just a few layers underneath that one table leg to get things straight. Has that steak dinner left something between your teeth at a fancy restaurant? In a pinch, you could even use a playing card as a toothpick, and while it wouldn’t be my first choice for re-purposing a deck of cards, in an emergency it might work! Playing cards to the rescue!TAROT READINGS IN FILMS
Touch of Evil (1958)
When a card is drawn, the tarot reader connects the card’s meaning to the recipient. This practice, whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, creates a riveting cinematic moment.“Your future’s all used up,” the fortune-teller (Marlene Dietrich) says to the anti-hero in Touch of Evil. There are a few important moments in this scene that must be analyzed. The reading is brief but nonetheless daunting, and the ambiance is shadowed. Every detail, from the psychic’s eerie dialogue to the way the man sloppily disassembles the deck, leaves a pit in the audience’s stomach.Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965)
Every tarot reader has his/her personal signature. Perhaps it’s the manner that they lay out the cards or how they explain a card’s meaning. In this case, Dr. Terror asks the recipients to tap the cards three times prior to the reading. He uses his tarot cards, which he calls the House of Horrors, to predict the death of five men aboard the train.Upon explaining that the first four tarot cards chosen will predict their destiny, the men are clearly skeptical. While they crack jokes about past experiences with gypsies, Dr. Terror interjects. “The tarot deck is a serious matter. The cards predict the truth, the supernatural truth. Always.”(Reading begins at 5:27. Full movie available below).Dead Alive (1992)
It’s unsurprising that horror films and thrillers often feature tarot. The unsettling feeling before a reading does add a nice touch on the big screen. Discussions about one’s future, particularly when it relates to death and misfortune, is anything but delightful.In the film Dead Alive, a young woman is seeking clarity on her love life. An interesting bit to mention is that once the cards are drawn, they take the form of both the woman herself as the Queen of Swords and her future love as the Knight of Swords. But this is nowhere near a fairytale story.“The One with the Hypnosis Tape” (1994 to 2004)
To ease the terrifying tarot tension portrayed in the previous films, here’s an episode of Friends that shows Phoebe shuffling and placing tarot cards on the table. Now, she doesn’t actually give a reading during this episode but simply having the cards in the background while Rachel is discussing hypnosis methods for Chandler to stop smoking is enough to draw accurate conclusions. This adds to Phoebe’s spiritual personality and pushes along the narrative that with the presence of tarot cards and the use of a hypnosis tape, Chandler’s bad habit will end.https://youtu.be/MldH09kaSoQThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
This action and fantasy film, which is based on the first book in the series The Mortal Instruments, uses tarot cards in both a comedic and dramatic way to drive the plot. This reading unlocks the protagonist’s past, which was stolen from her memories. Clearly a non-believer, she reminds the tarot reader that she doesn’t believe in psychic readings. But this wariness soon dissipates. The scene uses tarot as a tool for self-discovery and even implements magic as well, showing the tarot card lift into the woman’s palm without any manipulation.(Reading begins at 18:49. Full movie available below).https://youtu.be/gMyCfg8MZw8In the Palm of Your Hand
The art of tarot is specific to its creator. No deck is entirely the same, which is why we offer complete customization options. From custom card sizes to your personal artwork, we produce quality tarot cards and related accessories that reflect all of your individual styles and desired preferences. Here’s a look into our process.- Select your own artwork or photography, or use pre-existing images.
- Choose from top-quality paper, PVC or plastic card stocks with smooth, linen or matte finishes.
- Use your unique card size or shape.
- Apply your design to both sides of every card.
- Pick the custom-printed packaging (tuck or setup boxes, cases, tins, etc.) that’s right for you.
PROMOTE YOUR ART USING CUSTOM CARDS
Playing Card Art
1. Personal Branding Your Art
Every creator must establish his/her brand. A personal brand is how an individual’s business is perceived based on actions taken to market product(s) within an industry or a community.This means that your artwork should exemplify what you stand for as an artist. Luckily, the possibilities to create are endless. Your 54-card poker-sized deck comes with two jokers, all of which are customizable.Your card project can feature 54 different art designs, 4 consistent artwork sets for each suit, one illustration set to the card backs and faces, etc. With any idea that comes to mind, we will ensure that your vision comes to fruition.Now, there are more card options to choose from when promoting your artwork. If your art fits well in the spiritual realm, market using tarot or oracle cards. These decks include 78 cards, which allows for an endless supply of art concepts to dabble in.Tarot Card Art
2. Custom Packaging
Presentation is equally as important as the art you choose to showcase. After all, the card packaging will catch the consumer’s eye first. Just like the card backs and faces, the packaging is completely customizable. Here are our specialty box options:Custom Two-Part Box
Custom Tuck Box
Post-Consumer Custom Tuck Box
Hard Clear Plastic Case Classic
White Window Tuck Box
Plastic Banding
3. Social Media Exposure
Nowadays, social media is among the main tools used in business and personal marketing. If you don’t have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account, we highly suggest that you create at least one. These platforms are perfect for publicizing your exclusive illustrations and products.We recommend that you include your social media handle(s) or website(s) on the deck of cards. This directs future and current consumers to your supplementary art pieces and collections. Gaining followers on these media sites will only increase website traffic and engagement.4. E-Commerce Site
Once your art is printed on any of our custom cards, consider establishing an online store to support your product(s). Setting up an e-commerce site makes it easier for clients to purchase your designs, whether they are featured on a deck of cards or canvas.If you aren’t interested in creating your own online platform, Shuffled Ink will lessen the load by selling your card products in our Client Product Shop on Shopify. Even if we didn’t manufacture your product, you’re still able to sell in our shop!Alternative online marketplaces charge significant referral and percent of the sale fees, but this is not our approach. We achieve our greatest success by directly partnering and investing in your success. After all, our motto since 1999 has always been “Your success is our success”.How It Works?
Our Client Product Shop works in two easy ways:- Purchase bulk inventory for Shuffled Ink to store and sell
- On-demand production arrangements that allow you to sell your product without having to purchase bulk inventory
- % of sale or referral fees
- setup or service charges
- monthly minimums or inventory storage costs
Market Your Art
The sky is the limit when it comes to creativity and customization, which is why we don’t charge fees for extra colors. Whether you prefer a matte, smooth or linen finish, your art will remain in its truest, original form when printed onto our well-crafted card stock.The principles of marketing are constantly changing. So, take advantage of your opportunities and get your art out into the world with our playing card products. ● Official Shuffled Ink website: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Playing Cards at: ShuffledInk ● Make Your Own Custom Card Games at: ShuffledInkPOKER REPRESENTED IN FILMS
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Paul Newman has acted in numerous films that feature America’s favorite card game. This scene in the movie Cool Hand Luke is known as one of the most accurate portrayals of poker. Newman’s aloof character, Luke, starts off by betting a mere dollar. This gives off a lack of confidence, insinuating that he does not have a good hand. But that is only the beginning of his bluffing skills.The Sting (1973)
Set in Chicago during the 1930s, two con men played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford scam mob boss, Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) and acquire a generous amount of money. The showdown between Newman’s and Lonnegan’s character is filled with suspense, tension, and above all, deceit. While poker players lead their opponent astray with his/her stature and expression, Redford actually cheats to win. The deceptive switch occurs between 0:59 and 1:15.Casino Royale (2006)
If produced effectively, audiences often praise films that incorporate poker into the narrative. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the game, the scene’s atmosphere is often still captivating. Many viewers end up holding their breath in anticipation of how the scene will unfold.Casino Royale stars Daniel Craig as James Bond. The setting takes place at a high-stakes Texas Hold’em tournament. In this scene, 007’s convincing poker face leads his opponent off course.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJtzqqkC6swHoneymoon in Vegas (1992)
This comedy film sheds light on the times when poker games end poorly for the players. Nicholas Cage’s character, Jack Singer, ends up losing $65,000 to a professional gambler and con man (James Caan). Singer’s does, in fact, have a good hand but his fatal downfall is that he bets more money than he actually has. Nonetheless, this is the catalyst for the plot of the movie. To pay off his debt, he allows the con man to take his fiancée on a vacation to Hawaii.Friends: Season 1 Episode 18 (1994 – 2004)
“The One With all the Poker”Poker and its many variants are played quite seriously, which is why Hollywood likes to portray it as such. But there are shows and movies that add comedic relief to the game. In this episode of Friends, the gang sits down to play poker. The game starts with Phoebe hilariously revealing the cards she needs and Rachel offering up her own.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWsq2sJL7SMPlay Your Cards Right
Whether it’s just for fun or, as Monica Gellar calls it, “serious poker”, our 54-card poker-sized decks are suited for any poker setting. Here are a few features that put us ahead of the game in the custom playing card arena.- Print custom backs and/or faces – same price
- Choose standard bridge or poker size – same price
- Print 1 or 1 million decks
- Pricing starts at $17.60 for a deck of standard cards
- Pricing at 5,000 decks starts at $1.61 each
- Print 1-4 CMYK colors – same price
- Premium and casino cards stock available
- Custom sizes are available
HOW TO USE AFFIRMATION CARDS
Reading Affirmation Cards
Unless you are actively negating each card that you read, it is nearly impossible to use affirmations incorrectly. Let’s say you pick up a card with the affirmation “I Am Motivated”. How do you approach this message? To get the most out of your affirmation cards, here are three exercises to try.- Ask Questions: Upon reading the card “I Am Motivated,” the first thought that comes to mind may help indicate where your motivation should be directed. Perhaps explore the parts of you that need improvement in the motivation department or recognize the ways that you are motivated. No matter the route you choose, it is important to ask questions: Why did this thought enter my mind? Where else do I need to seek motivation? How can I get to a point where I proudly and truthfully say, “I am Motivated”?
- Use Your Imagination: Close your eyes. Imagine what motivation looks like. You may see the physical energy, yourself as you are or a new version of you that embodies motivation. This meditative exercise allows your thoughts to meet reality, awakening any trapped potential.
- Take Action: It is important to actively seek motivation in a healthy way. If you are able to and in the right frame of mind, channel your energy into this newfound drive and run with it. For example, try saying the phrase aloud while looking at yourself in a mirror.