History of Cards

 

It's not known exacly when or where cards for divination originated, though there has been much speculation, with claims for their having come from Egypt, China, Persia or India. Certainly there were playing cards in China and India before they were known in Europe, but they differed from the earliest European divination cards, and there is no evidence of a direct influence.

One theory is the Gypsies were
responsible for their popularity because of their constant travels to many countries around the world.

An entry dated as far back as 1392 in the ledger of King Charles VI of France records that a painter made three packs of colored and gilded playing cards for the king. It is not clear whether this early reference was made to Divination cards as we know them today or to some other kind of playing cards. But, in the fifteenth century, several packs of Divination cards were painted for a prominant family in Milan, one of which is a standard 78 deck of which 74 cards have survived and are now in museums and private collections. It is evident that many of the traditional Divination images have changed very little from then until the present day.

Divination cards were probably originally used for playing games, but many of the early references show that the Church tended to disapprove of the Cards and suspected it of containing some anti-Christian or subversive message; so even from the earliest times the cards may have been used for divination, and were certainly thought by some people to bear pagan images.

In the eighteenth century a serious attempt was made to connect the Divination Cards systematically with ancient pagan esoteric beliefs. Antoine Court de Gebelin was the first to suggest there was a connection between the cards of Divination and the letters of the Hebrew alphabet - an idea taken up by many subsequentcommentators on Divination.

 

Divination Cards are used to predict events or receive guidance in both inner (spiritual) and outer (manifest) world. The Minor Arcana is divided into suits consisting of Wands (Clubs), Cups (Hearts), Swords (Spades) , and Pentacles (Diamonds). The suits are divided into numbered cards from Ace to 10, followed by four Court
cards. The collective Court cards in all four suits are commonly referred to as the Court Arcana.

Each card begins with a focus or meaning and predicts an outcome.

 

History of Reiki

Reiki, also known as the Usui Shiko Ryoho System of Healing, is described as the art of applying the universal life energy (ki) to promote healing and wholeness. Reiki began in the late nineteenth century through the discoveries of Mikao Usui (a Christian teacher) in Kyoto, Japan. Usui was challenged by his students on his knowledge of the Bible's admonitions about conducting healing miracles. Frustrated at his ignorance, he went to the United States and worked on a Ph.D. While in the U.S., he found the teachings of Buddha which contained reflections of healing.

After returning to Japan, Usui learned Chinese and Sanskrit to read the sutras (Buddhist religious writings) in their original languages. There he found a clue regarding healing and its' use. For the next seven years, Usui worked in Kyoto perfecting the technique and principles of practice.

Usui decided that as part of the healing of body and spirit reiki would have to be part of a reciprocal flow. Hence the five principles of reiki: Just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings; Just for today I will not worry; Just for today I will not be angry; Just for today I will do my work honestly; Just for today I will be kind to my neighbor and every living thing.

Reiki attempts to apply natural vital energy in a systematic treatment. The techniques are taught in a series of workshops that admit persons to the first-, second-, and third-degree levels of reiki knowledge. According to reiki practice, the body is approached in three parts (head, front, and back), each of which has four points for direct hand placement. Healing is done on degree one as activating universal energy at will. Degree two includes special techniques for use with deep-seated emotional and mental conditions as well as absent healing (where the person who is ill is spatially separated from the healer). Degree three is for those who wish to become reiki masters and includes advanced growth and enlightenment techniques. Beyond the third-degree, a grand master may teach a reiki master how to initiate another master.

 

Aura Healing

This contemporary manifestation of idealism is clearly in the philosophy of Plato and continued with further refinement and clarification through the theology of Origin (185 - 254), to St. Anselm of Cantebury (1103 - 1109), and to the rationalization of Rene Descartes (1596 - 1650).

The idea behind Aura healing includes the following beliefs: (1) The natural world is ensouled, and all beings and elements of the cosmos have sacred meanings and vital powers; (2) God(s) and/or spiritual powers rule the Earth, communicate with people, and are manifested in natural phenomena such as rivers, mountains, storms, and minerals; (3) Deceased persons remain accessible to and can communicate with the living; (4) Certain persons can give revelatory reports and predictions. With the above four beliefs, natural healing may take place.

Aura healing transforms the person being healed into a vessel of joy and peace.

 

 

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