Telling fortunes, by means of playing cards, is one of the oldest
amusements indulged in by civilized people. The ancients of the Far
East used their Tarot packs for this purpose long before the birth of
Christ, and, ever since, it has been recognized that cards can be made
to give a surprisingly accurate reading of future events.
It is interesting to note that, until modern times, it was a common
practice of men who had to make great and far-reaching decisions for
them to consult a pack of cards and to be guided by what was revealed.
Napoleon, it may be recalled, never made an important move unless the
cards advised him to take the step. Julius Caesar was another great
leader who placed his trust in card readings, and even Shakespeare, the
shrewdest of all English writers, shows by a number of passages in his
plays that he recognized the use of cards for purposes of divination.
As for the noted men and women of today, it is rumored that several
derive guidance from their packs when they are in doubt.
Whether the science of cartomancy, the name given to telling fortunes
by the aid of cards, is taken seriously or not, there is no doubt that
it will afford a good deal of merriment when indulged in by a number of
pleasure-seeking friends and relations.
There are few rules governing this science, but those there are must be
strictly observed. First, it is absolutely imperative that the person
who is consulting the cards should set his or her mind on the matter.
Thus, when a definite question is requiring an answer, the question
itself must fill the mind. To let the mind wander to outside things
or things that are not involved must lessen the psychic effect. Next,
every consultant must cut the pack with the left hand, in order to set
his or her seal on the order of the cards. Finally, to obtain the most
accurate results, it is necessary that the consultant or person seeking
the information should shuffle the pack.