A hundred years ago, this method of reading what the Fates were likely
to provide for us in the coming week was resorted to in almost every
house where a pack of cards existed.
The first step is to pick out your matching card from the pack, as
explained under the heading "The Three-Card Divination." This card is
set out on the table, face up. Then you shuffle the remainder of the
pack and cut it with your left hand. That done, you form a ring round
the matching card, using the first seven cards from the pack for the
purpose. All the cards in the ring should be face down and none should
overlap.
The next thing is to discard the three top cards from what remains of
the pack and then to take the third, sixth, ninth, twelfth, fifteenth,
eighteenth and twenty-first cards, placing them one each on the seven
cards already set out in a circle. These cards must not be looked at
while this is being done, and they may be set on the original seven
in any order thought fit. But this should be noted, whichever card is
paired first must be taken to represent the coming Sunday and the other
days follow in a clockwise arrangement.
Thus, the arrangement now consists of a circle, formed of seven heaps
each consisting of two cards. Read them thus:
(a) Two hearts in the same heap represent a day of exceedingly good
fortune.
(b) One heart and one club, a day of very good fortune.
(c) One heart and one diamond, a day of good fortune.
(d) One heart and one spade, a day of moderate fortunes.
(e) Two clubs, a day as (c).
(f) One club and one diamond, a day as (d).
(g) One club and one spade, a day of fair luck.
(h) Two diamonds, a day neither lucky nor unlucky.
(i) One diamond and one spade, a day much as (h).
(j) Two spades, a day of no luck.