Gypsy Culture and The Tools of Divination

People have long held a fascination with gypsies and their ability to foretell the future. For a Halloween Fortune Teller party theme, it may help you to know a little bit more about the gypsy culture (good for trivia games), as well as get an idea on different divination techniques (so you can plan out how to entertain your guests.)

The Gypsies
At the age of twelve, Jan Yoors ran away from his privileged, cultured Belgian family and home to join a wandering band, a kumpania, of Gypsies. For ten years, he lived as one of them, traveled with them from country to country, shared both their pleasures and their hardships--and came to know them as no one, no outsider, ever has. Here, in this firsthand and highly personal account of an extraordinary people, Yoors tells the real story of the Gypsies' fascinating customs and their neverending struggle to survive as free nomads in a hostile world.

Enjoying a nomadic lifestyle, gypsies traveled the land earning much of their living by working as magicians, basket makers, furniture makers, musicians, horse dealers and exhibitors of animals, as well as through their gifts of fortune telling.

As far as we know, according to historic records, the gypsies originated from India. However, they claimed that their ancestral home was in fact, Egypt. Because of this they were known as "little Egypt" and eventually received the title of Gypsies.

The Gypsies began to journey away from India around 1000 A.D. and had migrated to eastern Europe by the 1400's, where they soon became known for their fortune telling abilities.

To date, there are anywhere from 1 million to 6 million Gypsies that continue to roam the world, bringing with them their fascinating and unchanged customs and beliefs.

To learn more about the Gypsies, visit these informative sites:

The history of Gypsy Travellers in Britain
Wikipedia - Romani people
Stories & Lore & History

The Tools of Divining - A Brief History

There are many tools that psychics call upon to help them foretell the future. These tools range from regular playing cards to the well-known tarot deck, crystal balls, palmistry, numerology, pendulums and other "mystical" items.

You'll definitely want a few of these divining tools on hand at your party (regardless of whether you know how to use them or not). At the very least, make up a simulation of a crystal ball (instructions are included on how to make your own later in the book), and have a few decks of playing cards lying around (with simple instructions on how to read them) so people can try their hands at telling fortunes. You will find a chapter at the end of this e-book to help you with resources, recommended books and information as needed, along with what's recommended within this chapter.

Here is a quick rundown on some of the more popular methods used by fortune tellers and gypsies over the years.

The Crystal Ball

Who hasn't seen a picture or movie with a gypsy woman sitting behind a fabric covered table peering into a large, luminous globe in front of her. The crystal ball is perhaps one of the best known methods of predicting the future and one of the most widely used tools among the Gypsies. Most of us mistakenly assume that "images" appear within the crystal ball and that those images foretell future events. Not so. Gifted psychics first must reach a deep calm, almost meditative state before peering into the smokey glass and wait for abstract visual shapes to form. It is from these shapes that interpret future events.

Palmistry

Palmistry originated in India over 3000 years ago. Using the lines, marks, shapes and size of a person's palm, a gifted palm reader can tell you many things about your health, your attitudes, your lifestyle and more.

As we move through life, different events and experiences affect our thinking and our way of doing things. Palmistry is a way of seeing the patterns within our lives and showing you which ones are negatively or positively impacting you at the present time. Think of it as a way of receiving a personal assessment of your life.

Habitual ways of thinking often cause us to repeat patterns of behavior. These patterns will show up within the palms of your hands. Palmistry cannot predict the future for you, but it can help you assess your current position and attitudes in life. This in turn can help impact your destiny by showing you what areas should be addressed in order to draw more positive changes into your future.

Guide To Palmistry

Palm reading is an easy divining technique to learn since it requires no equipment except the other person's hand. It can tell you a lot about your life and what the lines on your hand reveal about your soul and your life destiny.

The Tarot Cards

The most familiar way to predict the future is with the use of Tarot Cards. These colorful cards seem to hold a mystical fascination for most people. There are many different sets of Tarot cards available, but the most widely known and used is the Rider-Waite deck. You will find most general Tarot instruction books will focus on readings using this deck.

Tarot cards became widely used during the 1300's although their history is said to date back to the ancient Egyptians. Where they came from is still not completely known. What is known is that the Hebrews developed the Kabbalah using the numbers from 1 to 22 which corresponded to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which may also relate to the 22 Major Arcana cards in the Tarot deck.

These cards are often used to help a person understand their past and present events that could directly affect their future. They are also a source of inspirational guidance for naturally gifted psychics. The cards often foretell of people and events that will come into your life to help you resolve conflicts and encourage you in new adventures. Learning to read the Tarot is a great way to seek guidance on what course of action you should take whenever you are contemplating a major change or if there has been much upheaval in your life. But remember the answers are only guides, not definite outcomes. Only you can decide your future.

The cards are very similar to a regular playing deck of cards in that they have 4 suits (wands, cups, swords and coins). The four suits consist of an Ace to the King, with one additional card in each suit…that of the Page. This totals 56 Minor Arcana cards. The rest of the deck consists of the 22 Major Arcana cards, which contain more complex meanings. The total deck consists of 78 cards.

Want to learn how to read the Tarot the easy way and understand how it can work for you?

The Complete Beginners Guide To Tarot
How to use Tarot cards to connect to your higher self and receive information and guidance from the cards.

Empress Tarot - The Easiest Way To Learn
A complete, easy guide to Tarot cards and their meanings. Discover some remarkable spreads to use in your readings for friends and family.

Numerology

A fun and interesting way to learn more about yourself is through numerology. This form of divination is used world-wide and has been around for centuries. Modern numerology is based on the teachings of Pythagoras, a philosopher of Ancient Greece in the 6th century BC, who used the numbers 1 to 9 (as zero wasn't a concept known or used by the ancient Greeks at that time in history.)

Basically, each of the numbers has its own meaning. In turn, we take the letters of the alphabet and apply them to the relating number. The numbers are then singularly added together… and the resulting number (if it is more than one digit) is again added until one finally has a single digit number. The meaning of that number is then given. However, there are certain 2 digit numbers that also have specific meanings, so usually both meanings (the double-digit number and the single resulting digit) are included in a reading.

Using numerology you can find out information on your name number, your birth number, your current year number, inner and outer personality numbers, your fate number, your house and street number, and so much more. These numbers show a great deal about character, purpose in life, what motivates you, and where talents may lie. Many people use numerology before undertaking a move, a career change or any other major activity in their life.

Power Numerology
Are numbers ruling your life? Discover the hidden meanings behind everyday numbers and how you can use numerology to improve your love life, and even find your soul mate.

Joyful Numerology
Learn Spiritual Numerology with this study course and discover the process for making Spiritual Numerology charts. Nine Easy Lessons that teaches you how to be a professional numerologist.

Return to the top: Gypsy Culture and the Tools of Divination

Back To: Fortune Teller Party Theme | Halloween Party Ideas

Spooktacular Fun!

About This Site