L’Art de Tirer les Cartes, Lenormand & Etteilla, 1900s

A captivating early-20th-century manual on the art of divination, offering one of the most accessible and influential introductions to French cartomancy of its time.
Published by the Parisian editor A.-L. Guyot, this rare booklet belongs to the inexpensive esoteric collections sold at newsstands and bookshops at the turn of the century—yet very few copies survived in collectible condition.

Richly illustrated on the cover, the book explores the origins and methods of fortune telling with cards, blending practical instruction with occult tradition. It examines the teachings of Etteilla, the legacy of Mademoiselle Lenormand, the symbolic structures of Egyptian Tarot, and the mystical narratives that shaped modern divination in France.

Divided into thematic chapters, it covers subjects such as the history of card reading, the interpretation of suits and spreads, the role of intuition, biographies of famous seers, and the connection between Tarot, the Book of Thoth, and the Bohemian (Romani) esoteric tradition.

🔹 Title: L’Art de Tirer les Cartes
🔹 Author: (Attributed) — Collection A.-L. Guyot
🔹 Publisher: A.-L. Guyot, 20 Rue des Petits-Champs, Paris
🔹 Year: Early 1900s (c.1900–1910)
🔹 Dimensions: approx. 18 × 12 cm
🔹 Pages: Complete
🔹 Language: French
🔹 Binding: Original softcover with illustrated chromolithographed wrapper
🔹 Condition: Adhesive marks and wear to the cover margins; light foxing on some pages; overall solid and remarkably well-preserved for a booklet of 120+ years (as pictured)

All my books are extremely rare and out of print, a great opportunity to own ancient occult wisdom which is hard to find these days.

🪶 Collector’s Note

A beautiful survivor from the early 1900s, this rare Guyot edition captures the birth of modern cartomancy through Lenormand, Etteilla, and the Egyptian Tarot revival. A charming, fragile, and culturally important manual—nearly impossible to find today in complete condition. A treasure for any Tarot or esoteric library.