A very simple method, especially when there are many fortunes to be
told, which is often used by the Romany folks, is the following.
In this method the meanings are somewhat different from those
given in previous chapters. These new meanings may better suit the
characteristics of the inquirer, and in connection with the readings
already given they add many facts of importance.
Thirty-two cards are taken, the numbers under 7 being thrown out. The
cards are shuffled and cut into three packs by the inquirer, each pack
being turned face up. The center pack is taken first, then the one to
the right, finally the one to the left, and placed upon each other in
this position. The fortune-teller holds this newly arranged pack in his
left hand and takes off 3 cards facing upwards, selecting the highest
card of any suit that may appear. He retains this one and lays the
others aside for the next deal. Continue doing this until the pack is
finished. Then shuffle all the discarded cards together, until you have
21 cards or more on the table. If 3 cards of any suit appear, or 3
cards of the same value, they must all be taken.
A card must now be selected to represent the inquirer. If she be fair
of complexion she selects Diamonds; if medium fair, Hearts; if of brown
hair, she selects Clubs; and if very dark, Spades. A man selects the
King and a woman the Queen. This representative card is shuffled with
the others and taken out when it is the highest of its suit. Should
there be 21 or more cards selected before it appears, then it must be
taken from the remainder and placed last of all.
The cards are read from left to right, and are placed in horseshoe
shape as they are drawn out. Picture cards represent people, and the
number of spots relates to money or events. Diamonds concern themselves
with money and interest; Hearts, with love affairs and affection;
Clubs, with business events; and Spades, with the more serious affairs
of life.
The following gives the significance of each card:
_Hearts_
King A fair man
Queen A woman of similar complexion
Knave An honest friend
Ten A wedding
Nine A wish
Eight Love
Seven Friendship
Ace Home.
_Diamonds_
King A fair man
Queen A fair woman
Knave A companion
Ten A wealthy marriage
Nine Rise in social position
Eight Success thru speculation
Seven A good income
Ace A present.
_Clubs_
King A man of medium complexion
Queen A woman
Knave A successful friend
Ten A trip by water
Nine Successful business
Eight Social pleasure
Seven A business affair
Ace A letter or legal document.
_Spades_
King A dark man
Queen A dark woman (or widow)
Knave Thoughts of personal matters
Ten A journey by land
Nine Sorrow or sickness
Eight A loss of money or friends
Seven A quarrel.
Three Kings coming together indicate a new friend; a Knave and 2 Kings,
meeting an old friend; 3 Knaves, business at law; 3 Queens, a quarrel
with a woman; 3 Tens, a lucky deal. If the Ten of Hearts, Ten of Clubs
and Ten of Diamonds come together, it means that a wealthy marriage
will follow a journey across the sea. Three Nines indicate good news;
3 Eights, a removal; 3 Sevens, unsatisfactory news; 3 Aces, very good
luck. An Ace of Clubs and of Diamonds together, a letter which will
bring an offer of marriage. The Ace and Nine of Hearts indicate that a
desire will be realized at home; the Ace and Nine of Spades foretell
death and sorrow in your family; the King, Queen and Ten of any suit
mean that you will hear of a marriage soon.
_Reading the Cards_
Let us now take a typical example of this method. Let the inquirer be
represented by the Queen of Hearts. Shuffle and divide the pack into
3, giving the King, Knave and Seven of Hearts, indicating that the
inquirer has a male friend of medium complexion and good intentions.
Lay these 3 cards in order beginning with the left hand. The
fortune-teller now proceeds to draw off 3 cards, making his selection
as above explained. Having finished the pack, he repeats the process
twice more. We will suppose that in these deals the following cards
have been selected:
King, Knave, Seven of Hearts, Ace of Clubs, King of Spades, Queen of
Clubs, Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Spades, King of Clubs, Knave of
Diamonds, Ace of Hearts, Knave of Spades, King of Diamonds, Knave of
Clubs, Queen of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds, Ten of Hearts, Eight of Clubs,
Seven of Spades, Ace of Spades, Ten of Clubs, Ten of Spades and Ten of
Diamonds.
Beginning from the Queen of Hearts, as the starting-point, we proceed
to count 7 to the left. The seventh card being the Queen of Spades,
the seventh from this is the King of Hearts, and again counting to the
seventh we get the Ten of Hearts.
This is to be read as follows:
The inquirer has many good friends, but the Queen of Spades represents
a woman who will interpose difficulties to her marriage, but without
effect. The next card is the Knave of Diamonds followed by the Seven
of Hearts and the Seven of Spades; which combination represents news
coming soon, but which may not be advantageous to the inquirer. The
Knave of Spades is followed by the King and Ten of Clubs, which denotes
that a dark man is separated from the inquirer, but thinks of her and
hopes to be with her soon.