We have seen this fortunetelling game played at many parties and other
gatherings, and it has always caused a good deal of innocent amusement.
First of all, an ordinary pack is taken and the court cards are
withdrawn from it. They alone are used, while the numeral cards are put
on one side. These court cards are shuffled and the players sit around
the table.
One of the players is appointed as the seer. He or she takes the twelve
cards, spreads them out in a fan, face down, and the first player
selects one. When this card is withdrawn from the fan, it is turned up.
While everybody looks at the chosen card, the seer asks the player the
date of his or her birth. On hearing the date, the seer notes whether
it comes under the heading, spring, summer, autumn or winter. Then he
reckons:
(a) Any date in March, April or May as spring.
(b) Any in June, July or August as summer.
(c) Any in September, October or November as autumn.
(d) Any in December, January or February as winter.
Next, he looks down the appropriate section, given below, and reads out
the message, according to the card which the player has withdrawn from
the fan.
That completes the business for the first player and the performance is
gone through afresh, in exactly the same way, for the second and all
subsequent people taking part in the game.
Here are the messages provided by each card: