Glossary
Belline: definition
The pen name of Marcel Forget, a 20th-century French clairvoyant and cartomancer known for publishing and popularizing the decks bearing his name.
Belline, whose real name was Marcel Forget, is an important figure of French clairvoyance and cartomancy in the twentieth century. His name remains attached to several divinatory decks that became famous.
He is not the original author of all the symbolic systems associated with these decks, but he played a central role in their modern diffusion, publication and reception by the general public.
From an encyclopaedic perspective, it is important to distinguish Belline as a historical figure, the Belline Oracle as an oracle, and the Great Belline Tarot as a tarot deck in its own right.
His figure embodies the popularisation of cartomancy in twentieth-century France: through publications and consultations, he helped spread divinatory decks beyond specialist circles.
He should not be credited with inventing all the symbolic material that bears his name: his role was above all that of a populariser and publisher of partly inherited systems, especially from the Mage Edmond.
For a clear understanding, it is best to keep the distinction between three realities tied to his name: Belline as a historical person, the Belline Oracle as a 53-card oracle and the Great Belline Tarot as a 78-card tarot.
His name remains today a popular reference of French cartomancy, associated for the general public with the very idea of the divinatory reading of cards.
Frequently asked questions
- Who was Belline?
- The pseudonym of Marcel Forget, a French clairvoyant and cartomancer of the twentieth century who popularised the decks that bear his name.
- Did he invent the systems that bear his name?
- Not entirely: he was above all their populariser and publisher; part of the material is attributed to the Mage Edmond.
- What distinct realities does his name designate?
- Belline (the person), the Belline Oracle (53 cards) and the Great Belline Tarot (78 cards).