Transcriber’s Notes:
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).
Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end.
* * * * *
HOW TO TELL FORTUNES
CONTAINING Napoleon’s Oraculum, and the Key to Work It
ALSO Tells Fortunes by Cards, LUCKY AND UNLUCKY DAYS, SIGNS AND OMENS.
* * * * *
COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY
FRANK TOUSEY, PUBLISHER
168 West 23d St., New York City
HOW TO TELL FORTUNES BY CARDS.
In telling Fortunes by Cards--as in all games in which they are
employed--the Ace ranks highest in value. Then comes the King, followed
by the Queen, Knave, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven; these being generally
the only cards used.
The order, and comparative value of the different suits, is as
follows:--First on the list stand “Clubs,” as they mostly portend
happiness; and--no matter how numerous, or how accompanied--are rarely
or never of bad augury. Next come “Hearts,” which usually signify joy,
liberality, or good temper; “Diamonds,” on the contrary, denote delay,
quarrels, and annoyance; and “Spades”--the worst suit of all--grief,
sickness, and loss of money.
We are of course speaking generally, as, in many cases, the position
of cards entirely changes their signification; their individual and
relative meaning being often widely different. Thus, for example, the
King of Hearts, the Nine of Hearts, and the Nine of Clubs, respectively
signify, a liberal man, joy, and success in love, but change their
position, by placing the King _between_ the two nines, and you would
read that a man, then rich and happy, would be ere long consigned to a
prison!
SIGNIFICATION OF THE CARDS.
The individual meaning attached to the thirty-two cards employed is as
follows:--
THE EIGHT CLUBS.
_Ace of Clubs._--Signifies joy, money, or good news; if reversed, the
joy will be of brief duration.
_King of Clubs._--A frank, liberal man, fond of serving his friends; if
reversed, he will meet with a disappointment.
_Queen of Clubs._--An affectionate woman, but quick-tempered and
touchy; if reversed, jealous and malicious.
_Knave of Clubs._--A clever and enterprising young man; reversed, a
harmless flirt and flatterer.
_Ten of Clubs._--Fortune, success, or grandeur; reversed, want of
success in some small matter.
_Nine of Clubs._--Unexpected gain, or a legacy; reversed, some trifling
present.
_Eight of Clubs._--A dark person’s affections, which, if returned,
will be the cause of great prosperity; reversed, those of a fool, and
attendant unhappiness, if reciprocated.
_Seven of Clubs._--A small sum of money, or unexpectedly recovered
debt; reversed, a yet smaller amount.
THE EIGHT HEARTS.
_Ace of Hearts._--A love-letter, or some pleasant news; reversed, a
friend’s visit.
_King of Hearts._--A fair, liberal man; reversed, will meet with
disappointment.
_Queen of Hearts._--A mild, amiable woman; reversed, has been crossed
in love.
_Knave of Hearts._--A gay young bachelor, who dreams only of pleasure;
reversed, a discontented military man.
_Ten of Hearts._--Happiness, triumph; if reversed, some slight anxiety.
_Nine of Hearts._--Joy, satisfaction, success; reversed, a passing
chagrin.
_Eight of Hearts._--A fair person’s affections; reversed, indifference
on his or her part.
_Seven of Hearts._--Pleasant thoughts, tranquillity; reversed, ennui,
weariness.
THE EIGHT DIAMONDS.
_Ace of Diamonds._--A letter, soon to be received; and, if the card be
reversed, containing bad news.
_King of Diamonds._--A fair man--generally in the army--but both
cunning and dangerous; if reversed, a threatened danger, caused by
machinations on his part.
_Queen of Diamonds._--An ill-bred, scandal-loving woman; if reversed,
she is to be greatly feared.
_Knave of Diamonds._--A tale-bearing servant, or unfaithful friend; if
reversed, will be the cause of mischief.
_Ten of Diamonds._--Journey, or change of residence; if reversed, it
will not prove fortunate.
_Nine of Diamonds._--Annoyance, delay; if reversed, either a family or
a love quarrel.
_Eight of Diamonds._--Love-making; if reversed, unsuccessful.
_Seven of Diamonds._--Satire, mockery; reversed, a foolish scandal.
N. B.--In order to know whether the Ace, Ten, Nine, Eight and Seven
of Diamonds are reversed, it is better to make a small pencil-mark on
each, to show which is the top of the card.
THE EIGHT SPADES.
_Ace of Spades._--Pleasure; reversed, grief, bad news.
_King of Spades._--The envious man, an enemy, or a dishonest lawyer,
who is to be feared; reversed, impotent malice.
_Queen of Spades._--A widow; reversed, a dangerous and malicious woman.
_Knave of Spades._--A dark, ill-bred young man; reversed, he is
plotting some mischief.
_Ten of Spades._--Tears, a prison; reversed, brief affliction.
_Nine of Spades._--Tidings of a death; reversed, it will be some near
relative.
_Eight of Spades._--Approaching illness; reversed, a marriage broken
off, or offer refused.
_Seven of Spades._--Slight annoyances; reversed, a foolish intrigue.
The Court cards of Hearts and Diamonds usually represent persons of
fair complexion; Clubs and Spades, the opposite.
SIGNIFICATION OF DIFFERENT CARDS OF THE SAME DENOMINATION.
_Four Aces_, coming together, or following each other, announce danger,
failure in business, and sometimes imprisonment. If one or more of them
be reversed, the danger will be lessened, but that is all.
_Three Aces_, coming in the same manner.--Good tidings; if reversed,
folly.
_Two Aces._--A plot; if reversed, will not succeed.
_Four Kings._--Rewards, dignities, honors; reversed, they will be less,
but sooner received.
_Three Kings._--A consultation on important business, the result
of which will be highly satisfactory; if reversed, success will be
doubtful.
_Two Kings._--A partnership in business; if reversed, a dissolution of
the same. Sometimes this only denotes friendly projects.
_Four Queens._--Company, society; one or more reversed, denotes that
the entertainment will not go off well.
_Three Queens._--Friendly calls; reversed, chattering and scandal or
deceit.
_Two Queens._--A meeting between friends; reversed, poverty, troubles,
in which one will involve the other.
_Four Knaves._--A noisy party--mostly young people; reversed, a
drinking bout.
_Three Knaves._--False friends; reversed, a quarrel with some low
person.
_Two Knaves._--Evil intentions; reversed, danger.
_Four tens._--Great success in projected enterprises; reversed, the
success will not be so brilliant, but still it will be sure.
_Three tens._--Improper conduct; reversed, failure.
_Two tens._--Change of trade or profession; reversed, denotes that the
prospect is only a distant one.
_Four nines._--A great surprise; reversed, a public dinner.
_Three nines._--Joy, fortune, health; reversed, wealth lost by
imprudence.
_Two nines._--A little gain; reversed, trifling losses at cards.
_Four eights._--A short journey; reversed, the return of a friend or
relative.
_Three eights._--Thoughts of marriage; reversed, folly, flirtation.
_Two eights._--A brief love-dream; reversed, small pleasures and
trifling pains.
_Four Sevens._--Intrigues among servants or low people, threats,
snares, and disputes; reversed, that their malice will be impotent to
harm, and that the punishment will fall on themselves.
_Three sevens._--Sickness, premature old age; reversed, slight and
brief indisposition.
_Two sevens._--Levity; reversed, regret.
Any picture-card between two others of equal value--as two tens, two
Aces, etc.--denotes that the person represented by that card runs the
risk of a prison.
It requires no great efforts to commit these significations to memory,
but it must be remembered that they are but what the alphabet is to
the printed book: a little attention and practice, however, will soon
enable the learner to form these mystic letters into words, and words
into phrases; in other language, to assemble these cards together, and
read the events, past and to come, their pictured faces pretend to
reveal.
There are several ways of doing this; but we will give them all, one
after another, so as to afford our readers an ample choice of methods
of prying into futurity.
DEALING THE CARDS BY THREES.
Take the pack of thirty-two selected cards (viz., the Ace, King, Queen,
Knave, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven of each suit), having before fixed
upon the one you intend to represent yourself, supposing always you
are making the essay on your own behalf. If not, it must represent
the person for whom you are acting. In doing this, it is necessary to
remember that the card chosen should be according to the complexion
of the chooser, King or Queen of Diamonds for a very fair person,
ditto of Hearts for one rather darker, Clubs for one darker still, and
Spades only for one very dark indeed. The card chosen also loses its
signification, and simply becomes the representative of a dark or fair
man, or woman, as the case may be.
This point having been settled, shuffle the cards, and either cut
them or have them cut for you (according to whether you are acting
for yourself or another person), taking care to use the _left_ hand.
That done, turn them up by _threes_, and every time you find in these
triplets _two of the same suit_, such as two Hearts, two Clubs, etc.,
withdraw the highest card and place it on the table before you. If the
triplet should chance to be all of the same suit, the _highest_ card
is still to be the only one withdrawn; but should it consist of three
of the _same value_ but _different suits_, such as three Kings, etc.,
they are to be all appropriated. We will suppose that, after having
turned up the cards three by three, you have been able to withdraw
six, leaving twenty-six, which you shuffle and cut, and again turn up
by threes, acting precisely as you did before, until you have obtained
either _thirteen_, _fifteen_, or _seventeen_ cards. Recollect that
the number must always be uneven, and that the card representing the
person for whom the essay is made must make one of it. Even if the
requisite thirteen, fifteen, or seventeen have been obtained, and this
one has not made its appearance, the operation must be recommenced.
Let us suppose the person whose fortune is being read to be a lady,
represented by the Queen of Hearts, and that fifteen cards have been
obtained and laid out--in the form of a half circle--in the order they
were drawn, viz., the Seven of Clubs, the Ten of Diamonds, the Seven of
Hearts, the Knave of Clubs, the King of Diamonds, the Nine of Diamonds,
the Ten of Hearts, the Queen of Spades, the Eight of Hearts, the Knave
of Diamonds, the Queen of Hearts, the Nine of Clubs, the Seven of
Spades, the Ace of Clubs, the Eight of Spades. Having considered your
cards, you will find among them two Queens, two Knaves, two tens, three
sevens, two eights, and two nines; you are, therefore, able to announce:
“The two Queens before me signify the reunion of friends; the two
Knaves, that there is mischief being made between them. These two tens
denote a change of profession, which, from one of them being between
two sevens, I see will not be effected without some difficulty; the
cause of which, according to these _three_ sevens, will be illness.
However, these two nines promise some small gain, resulting--so say
these two eights--from a love affair.”
You now begin to count _seven cards, from right to left_, beginning
with the Queen of Hearts, who represents the lady you are acting for.
The seventh being the King of Diamonds, you may say:
“You often think of a fair man in uniform.”
The next seventh card (counting the King of Diamonds as _one_) proves
to be the Ace of Clubs; you add:
“You will receive from him some very joyful tidings; he, besides,
intends making you a present.”
Count the Ace of Clubs as “one,” and proceeding to the next seventh
card, the Queen of Spades, you resume:
“A widow is endeavoring to injure you on this very account; and” (the
seventh card, counting the Queen as one, being the Ten of Diamonds)
“the annoyance she gives you will oblige you to either take a journey
or change your residence; but” (this Ten of Diamonds being imprisoned
between two sevens) “your journey or removal will meet with some
obstacle.”
On proceeding to count as before, calling the Ten of Diamonds one, you
will find the seventh card proves to be the Queen of Hearts herself,
the person for whom you are acting, and may therefore safely conclude
by saying:
“But this you will overcome of yourself, without needing any one’s aid
or assistance.”
Now take the two cards at either extremity of the half circle, which
are, respectively, the Eight of Spades and the Seven of Clubs, unite
them, and continue:--
“A sickness, which will lead to your receiving a small sum of money.”
Repeat the same maneuver, which brings together the Ace of Clubs and
the Ten of Diamonds:--
“Good news, which will make you decide on taking a journey, destined to
prove a very happy one, and which will occasion you to receive a sum of
money.”
The next cards united, being the Seven of Spades and the Seven of
Hearts, you say:--
“Tranquility and peace of mind, followed by slight anxiety, quickly
succeeded by love and happiness.”
Then come the Nine of Clubs and the Knave of Clubs, foretelling: “You
will certainly receive money through the exertions of a clever dark
young man--Queen of Hearts and King of Diamonds--which comes from a
fair man in uniform; this rencounter announces some great happiness
in store for you, and complete fulfillment of your wishes. Knave of
Diamonds and Nine of Diamonds--Although this happy result may be
delayed for a time, through some fair young man, not famed for his
delicacy--Eight of Hearts and Ten of Hearts--love, joy, and triumph.
The Queen of Spades, who remains alone, is the widow who is endeavoring
to injure you, and who finds herself abandoned by all her friends!”
Now gather up the cards you have been using, shuffle and cut them with
the left hand, and proceed to make them into three packs by dealing one
to the left, one in the middle, and one to the right; a fourth is laid
aside to form “a surprise.” Then continue to deal the cards to each of
the three packs in turn, until their number is exhausted, when it will
be found that the left-hand and middle packs contain each five cards,
whilst the one on the right hand consists of only four.
Now ask the person consulting you to select one of the three packs. We
will suppose this to be the middle one, and that the cards comprising
it are, the Knave of Diamonds, the King of Diamonds, the Seven of
Spades, the Queen of Spades, and the Seven of Clubs. These, by
recollecting our previous instructions regarding the individual and
relative signification of the cards, are easily interpreted, as follows:
“The Knave of Clubs--a fair young man, possessed of no delicacy
of feeling, who seeks to injure--the King of Diamonds--a fair man
in uniform--Seven of Spades--and will succeed in causing him some
annoyance--the Queen of Spades--at the instigation of a spiteful
woman--Seven of Clubs--but, by means of a small sum of money, matters
will be finally easily arranged.”
Next take up the left-hand pack, which is “for the house”--the former
one having been for the lady herself. Supposing it to consist of the
Queen of Hearts, the Knave of Clubs, the Eight of Hearts, the Nine of
Diamonds, and the Ace of Clubs, they would read thus:
“Queen of Hearts--the lady whose fortune is being told is, or soon will
be, in a house--Knave of Clubs--where she will meet with a dark young
man, who--Eight of Hearts--will entreat her assistance to forward his
interests with a fair girl--Nine of Diamonds--he having met with delays
and disappointment--Ace of Clubs--but a letter will arrive announcing
the possession of money, which will remove all difficulties.”
The third pack is “for those who did not expect it,” and will be
composed of four cards, let us say the Ten of Hearts, Nine of Clubs,
Eight of Spades, and Ten of Diamonds, signifying:
“The Ten of Hearts--An unexpected piece of good fortune and great
happiness--Nine of Clubs--caused by an unlooked-for legacy--Eight of
Spades--which joy may perhaps be followed by a slight sickness--Ten of
Diamonds--the result of a fatiguing journey.”
There now remains on the table only the card intended for the
“surprise.” This, however, must be left untouched, the other cards
gathered up, shuffled, cut, and again laid out in three packs, not
forgetting at the first deal to add a card to “the surprise.” After
the different packs have been duly examined and explained, as before
described, they must again be gathered up, shuffled, etc., indeed, the
whole operation repeated, after which the three cards forming “the
surprise” are examined; and supposing them to be the Seven of Hearts,
the Knave of Clubs, and the Queen of Spades, are to be thus interpreted:
“Seven of Hearts--pleasant thoughts and friendly intentions--Knave of
Clubs--of a dark young man--relative to a malicious dark woman, or
widow, who will cause him much unhappiness.”
DEALING THE CARDS BY SEVENS.
After having shuffled the pack of thirty-two selected cards--which, as
we before stated, consist of the Ace, King, Queen, Knave, Ten, Nine,
Eight, and Seven of each suit--either cut them yourself, or, if acting
for another person, let that person cut them, taking care to use the
_left_ hand. Then count seven cards, beginning with the one lying on
the top of the pack. The first six are useless, so put them aside, and
retain only the seventh, which is to be placed face uppermost on the
table before you. Repeat this three times more, then shuffle and cut
the cards you have thrown on one side, together with those remaining
in your hand, and tell them out in sevens as before, until you have
thus obtained twelve cards. It is, however, indispensable that the one
representing the person whose fortune is being told should be among the
number; therefore, the whole operation must be recommenced in case of
it not having made its appearance. Your twelve cards being now spread
out before you in the order in which they have come to hand, you may
begin to explain them as described in the manner of dealing the cards
in threes--always bearing in mind both their individual and relative
signification. Thus, you first count the cards by sevens, beginning
with the one representing the person for whom you are acting, going
from _right_ to _left_. Then take the two cards at either extremity
of the line or half-circle, and unite them, and afterwards form the
three heaps or packs and “the surprise” precisely as we have before
described. Indeed, the only difference between the two methods is the
manner in which the cards are obtained.
DEALING THE CARDS BY FIFTEENS.
After having well shuffled and cut the cards, or, as we have before
said, had them cut, deal them out in two packs, containing sixteen
cards in each. Desire the person consulting you to choose one of them;
lay aside the first card, to form “the surprise;” turn up the other
fifteen, and range them in a half-circle before you, going from left
to right, placing them in the order in which they come to hand, and
taking care to remark whether the one representing the person for whom
you are acting be among them. If not, the cards must be all gathered
up, shuffled, cut, and dealt as before, and this must be repeated until
the missing card makes its appearance in the pack chosen by the person
it represents. Now proceed to explain them--first, by interpreting
the meaning of any pairs, triplets, or quartettes among them; then by
counting them in sevens, going from right to left, and beginning with
the card representing the person consulting you; and lastly, by taking
the cards at either extremity of the line and pairing them. This being
done, gather up the fifteen cards, shuffle, cut, and deal them so as
to form three packs of each five cards. From each of these three packs
withdraw the topmost card, and place them on the one laid aside to form
“the surprise,” thus forming four packs of four cards each.
Desire the person for whom you are acting to choose one of these packs,
“for herself” or “himself,” as the case may be. Turn it up, and spread
out the four cards it contains, from left to right, explaining their
individual and relative signification. Next proceed in like manner with
the pack on your left hand, which will be “for the house;” then the
third one, “for those who do not expect it;” and lastly, “the surprise.”
In order to render our meaning perfectly clear, we will give another
example. Let us suppose that the pack for the person consulting you
is composed of the Knave of Hearts, the Ace of Diamonds, the Queen of
Clubs, and the Eight of Spades _reversed_. By the aid of the list of
meanings we have given, it will be easy to interpret them as follows:
“The Knave of Hearts is a gay young bachelor--the Ace of Diamonds--who
has written, or will very soon write, a letter--the Queen of Clubs--to
a dark woman--Eight of Spades reversed--to make proposals to her, which
will not be accepted.”
On looking back to the list of significations, it will be found to run
thus:
_Knave of Hearts._--A gay young bachelor, who thinks only of pleasure.
_Ace of Diamonds._--A letter soon to be received.
_Queen of Clubs._--An affectionate woman, but quick-tempered and touchy.
_Eight of Spades._--If reversed, a marriage broken off, or offer
refused.
It will thus be seen that each card forms, as it were, a phrase from
an assemblage of which nothing but a little practice is required to
form complete sentences. Of this we will give a further example, by
interpreting the signification of the three other packs--“for the
house,” “for those who do not expect it,” and “the surprise.” The first
of these, “for the house,” we will suppose to consist of the Queen of
Hearts, the Knave of Spades _reversed_, the Ace of Clubs, and the Nine
of Diamonds, which reads thus:
“The Queen of Hearts is a fair woman, mild and amiable in disposition,
who--Knave of Spades reversed--will be deceived by a dark, ill-bred
young man--the Ace of Clubs--but she will receive some good news, which
will console her--Nine of Diamonds--although it is probable that the
news may be delayed.”
The pack “for those who do not expect it,” consisting of the Queen of
Diamonds, the King of Spades, the Ace of Hearts _reversed_, and the
Seven of Spades, would signify:
“The Queen of Diamonds is a mischief-making woman--the King of
Spades--who is in league with a dishonest lawyer--Ace of Hearts
reversed--they will hold a consultation together--Seven of Spades--but
the harm they will do will soon be repaired.”
Last comes “the surprise,” formed by, we will suppose, the Knave of
Clubs, the Ten of Diamonds, the Queen of Spades, and the Nine of
Spades, of which the interpretation is:
“The Knave of Clubs is a clever, enterprising young man--Ten of
Diamonds--about to undertake a journey--Queen of Spades--for the
purpose of visiting a widow--Nine of Spades--but one or both of their
lives will be endangered.”
THE ITALIAN METHOD.
Take a pack composed of thirty-two selected cards, viz., the Ace,
King, Queen, Knave, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven of each suit. Shuffle
them well, and either cut or have them cut for you, according to
whether you are acting for yourself or another person. Turn up the
cards by threes, and when the triplet is composed of cards of the same
suit, lay it aside; when of three different suits, pass it by without
withdrawing any of the three; but when composed of two of one suit and
one of another, withdraw the highest card of the two. When you have
come to the end of the pack, gather up all the cards except those you
have withdrawn; shuffle, cut, and again turn up by threes. Repeat this
operation until you have obtained fifteen cards, which must then be
spread out before you, from _left_ to _right_, in the order in which
they come to hand.
Care must, however, be taken that the card representing the person
making the essay is among them; if not, the whole operation must be
recommenced until the desired result is obtained. We will suppose it to
be some dark lady--represented by the Queen of Clubs--who is anxious
to make the attempt for herself, and that the cards are laid out in
the following order, from left to right:--Ten of Diamonds, Queen of
Clubs, Eight of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds, Ten of Hearts, Seven of Clubs,
King of Spades, Nine of Hearts, Knave of Spades, Ace of Clubs, Seven
of Spades, Ten of Spades, Seven of Diamonds, Ace of Spades, Knave of
Hearts.
On examining them, you will find that there are three Aces among them,
announcing good news; but, as they are at some distance from each
other, that the tidings may be some time before they arrive.
The three tens denote that the conduct of the person consulting the
cards has not always been strictly correct. The two Knaves are enemies,
and the three Sevens predict an illness, caused by them.
You now begin to count _five_ cards, beginning with the Queen of Clubs,
who represents the person consulting you. The fifth card, being the
Seven of Clubs, announces that the lady will soon receive a small sum
of money. The next fifth card proving to be the Ace of Clubs, signifies
that this money will be accompanied by some very joyful tidings. Next,
comes the Ace of Spades, promising complete success to any projects
undertaken by the person consulting the cards; then the Eight of
Hearts, followed at the proper interval by the King of Spades, showing
that the good news will excite the malice of a dishonest lawyer; but
the Seven of Spades coming next announces that the annoyance he can
cause will be of short duration, and that a gay fair young man--the
Knave of Hearts--will soon console her for what she has suffered. The
Ace of Diamonds tells that she will soon receive a letter from this
fair young man--the Nine of Hearts--announcing a great success--Ten
of Spades--but this will be followed by some slight chagrin--Ten of
Diamonds--caused by a journey--Ten of Hearts--but it will soon pass,
although--Knave of Spades--a bad, dark young man will endeavor--Seven
of Diamonds--to turn her into ridicule. The Queen of Clubs, being
representative of herself, shows that it is towards _her_ that the
dark young man’s malice will be directed. Now take the cards at either
extremity of the line, and pair them together. The two first being the
Knave of Hearts and the Ten of Diamonds, you may say: “A gay young
bachelor is preparing to take a journey--Ace of Spades and Queen of
Clubs--which will bring him to the presence of the lady consulting
the cards, and cause her great joy. Seven of Diamonds and Eight of
Hearts--Scandal talked about a fair young girl. Ten of Spades and Ace
of Diamonds--tears shed upon receipt of a letter. Seven of Spades and
Ten of Hearts--great joy, mingled with slight sorrow. Seven of Clubs
and Ace of Clubs--A letter promising money. Knave of Spades and King
of Spades--the winning of a lawsuit. The Nine of Hearts, being the one
card left, promises complete success.”
Now gather up the cards, shuffle, cut, and deal them out in five
packs--one for the lady herself, one for the house, one for “those who
do not expect it,” one for “those who do expect it,” and one for “the
surprise,” in the first deal, laying one card aside for “consolation.”
The rest are then equally distributed among the other five packs, which
will four of them contain three cards, whilst the last only consists of
two.
We will suppose the first packet for the lady herself to be composed
of the Ace of Diamonds, the Seven of Clubs, and the Ten of Hearts. The
interpretation would run thus:
“Ace of Diamonds--a letter will be shortly received--Seven of
Clubs--announcing the arrival of a small sum of money--Ten of
Hearts--and containing some very joyful tidings.”
The second pack, “for the house,” containing the King of Spades, the
Nine of Hearts, and the Knave of Spades:
“The person consulting the cards will receive a visit--King
of Spades--from a lawyer--Nine of Hearts--which will greatly
delight--Knave of Spades--a dark, ill-disposed young man.”
The third pack, “for those who do not expect it,” composed of the Ace
of Spades, the Knave of Hearts, and the Ace of Clubs, would read:
“Ace of Spades--pleasure in store for--Knave of Hearts--a gay young
bachelor--Ace of Clubs--by means of money; but as the Knave of Hearts
is placed between two Aces, it is evident that he runs a great risk
of being imprisoned; and from the two cards signifying respectively
‘pleasure’ and ‘money,’ that it will be for having run into debt.”
The fourth pack, “for those who do expect it,” containing the Eight of
Hearts, the Queen of Clubs, and the Ten of Diamonds:
“The Eight of Hearts--the love-affairs of a fair young girl will
oblige--the Queen of Clubs--the person consulting the cards--Ten of
Diamonds--to take a journey.”
The fifth pack, “for the surprise,” consists of the Seven of Spades and
the Ten of Spades, meaning:
“Seven of Spades--slight trouble--Ten of Spades--caused by
some person’s imprisonment--The Card of Consolation--Seven of
Diamonds--which will turn out to have been a mere report.”
PRESENT, PAST, AND FUTURE.
The person wishing to try her fortune in this manner (we will suppose
her to be a young, fair person, represented by the Eight of Hearts),
must well shuffle, and cut with the left hand, the pack of thirty-two
cards; after which she must lay aside the topmost and undermost cards,
to form the surprise. There will now remain thirty cards, which must be
dealt out in three parcels--one to the left, one in the middle, and one
to the right.
The left-hand pack represents the Past; the middle, the Present; and
the one on the right hand, the Future. She must commence with the
“Past,” which we will suppose to contain these ten cards: The King of
Clubs, the Ace of Spades, the Knave of Diamonds, the Nine of Diamonds,
the Ace of Hearts, the Knave of Hearts, the Queen of Hearts, the King
of Spades, the Knave of Clubs, and the King of Hearts.
She would remark that picture-cards predominating was a favorable sign;
also that the presence of three Kings proved that powerful persons were
interesting themselves in her affairs. The three Knaves, however, warn
her to beware of false friends, and the Nine of Diamonds predicts some
great annoyance, overcome by some good and amiable person, represented
by the Queen of Hearts. The two Aces also give notice of a plot. Taking
the cards in the order they lay, the explanation would run thus:
“The King of Clubs--a frank, open-hearted man--Ace of Spades--fond of
gayety and pleasure, is disliked by Knave of Diamonds--an unfaithful
friend--Nine of Diamonds--who seeks to injure him. The Ace of
Hearts--a love-letter--Knave of Hearts--from a gay young bachelor to
a fair, amiable woman--Queen of Hearts--causes--King of Spades--a
lawyer to endeavor to injure a clever--Knave of Clubs--enterprising
young man, who is saved from him by--the King of Hearts--a good and
powerful man. Nevertheless, as the Knave of Clubs is placed between two
similar cards, he has run great risk of being imprisoned through the
machinations of his enemy.”
The second parcel, “the Present,” containing the Ten of Diamonds, the
Nine of Spades, the Eight of Spades, the Queen of Diamonds, the Queen
of Clubs, the Eight of Hearts, the Seven of Spades, the Ten of Spades,
Queen of Spades, the Eight of Diamonds, signifies:
“The Ten of Diamonds--a voyage or journey, at that moment taking
place--Nine of Spades--caused by the death or dangerous illness of some
one--Eight of Spades--whose state will occasion great grief--Queen of
Diamonds--to a fair woman. The Queen of Clubs--An affectionate woman
seeks to console--Eight of Hearts--a fair young girl, who is the person
making the essay--Seven of Spades--who has secret griefs--Ten of
Spades--causing her many tears--Queen of Spades--these are occasioned
by the conduct of either a dark woman or a widow, who--Eight of
Diamonds--is her rival.”
The third packet of cards, “the Future,” we will suppose to contain the
Eight of Clubs, the Ten of Clubs, the Seven of Diamonds, the Ten of
Hearts, the Seven of Clubs, the Nine of Hearts, the Ace of Diamonds,
the Knave of Spades, the Seven of Hearts, the Nine of Clubs, which
would read thus:
“In the first place, the large number of small cards foretells success
in enterprises, although the presence of three sevens predicts an
illness. The Eight of Clubs--a dark young girl--Ten of Clubs--is about
to inherit a large fortune--Seven of Diamonds--but her satirical
disposition will destroy--Ten of Hearts--all her happiness. Seven
of Clubs--A little money and--Nine of Hearts--much joy--Ace of
Hearts--will be announced to the person making the essay by a letter,
and--Knave of Spades--a wild young man--Seven of Hearts--will be
overjoyed at receiving--Nine of Clubs--some unexpected tidings.
The cards of surprise--viz., the King of Diamonds and the Ace of
Clubs--predict that a letter will be received from some military man,
and that it will contain money.”
THE STAR METHOD OF CONSULTING THE CARDS.
We will suppose the person making the essay to be a widow, and
consequently represented by the Queen of Spades. This card is,
therefore, to be withdrawn from the pack, and laid, face uppermost,
upon the table. The remaining thirty-one cards are then to be well
shuffled, cut, the topmost card withdrawn and placed lengthwise, and
face uppermost, above the head of the Queen of Spades. The cards are to
be shuffled, cut, and the topmost card withdrawn, twelve more times,
the manner of their arrangement being this: The Queen of Spades in the
center, the first card lengthwise above her head, the second ditto
at her feet, the third on her right side, the fourth on her left, the
fifth placed upright above the first, the sixth ditto below the second,
the seventh at the right of the third, the eighth at the left of the
fourth, the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth, at the four corners,
and the thirteenth across the center card--the Queen of Spades--thus
forming a star.
[Illustration]
We will suppose these fourteen cards to be the Queen of Spades, which
represents the person making the essay; then--1. The Ace of Hearts; 2.
The King of Clubs; 3. The Ten of Clubs; 4. Nine of Diamonds; 5. Queen
of Clubs; 6. The Eight of Hearts; 7. The Ten of Spades; 8. The Knave of
Clubs; 9. The Seven of Clubs; 10. The Ten of Hearts; 11. The Knave of
Diamonds; 12. The Eight of Diamonds; 13. The Nine of Clubs. These being
placed at right angles, the person consulting them takes them up two by
two, beginning with those last laid down.
The first card, 12, the Eight of Diamonds, and the one in the
_opposite_ corner, viz., 11, the Knave of Diamonds, read--“Overtures
will be made--Knave of Diamonds--by a fair young man--next two
cards, 10 and 9, Ten of Hearts--which will prove unsuccessful--Seven
of Clubs--on account of something connected with money. Next two
cards, 8 and 7, the Knave of Clubs--a clever, dark young man--Ten of
Spades--will be greatly grieved by, 6--Eight of Hearts, a fair girl to
whom he is attached. Next two cards, 5 and 4, the Queen of Clubs--A
dark woman--Nine of Diamonds--will be annoyed at not receiving,
3--Ten of Clubs--a sum of money--next two cards, 2 and 1, the King of
Clubs--which was to have been sent her by a generous dark man, who is
fond of obliging his friends--Ace of Hearts--it will at last arrive,
accompanied by a love-letter--13th card, placed across the Queen of
Spades, Nine of Clubs--and be the cause of unexpected gain to the
person consulting the cards.” There is a shorter and simpler way of
doing this, by surrounding the card representing the person trying his
or her fortune, with a less number of cards.
The cards are shuffled and cut as before described, and the topmost one
withdrawn. We will suppose the center card to be the Knave of Clubs,
representing a dark young man--the first topmost one proves to be the
Ace of Clubs, and this is placed above the head of the Knave--the
second, the Eight of Hearts, is placed at his feet--the third, the
Knave of Diamonds, at his right side--the fourth, the Queen of Spades,
on his left. These read--“Ace of Clubs--You will soon receive a letter,
which will give you great pleasure--Eight of Hearts--from a fair
girl. Knave of Diamonds--An unfaithful friend--Queen of Spades--and a
malicious widow, will seek to injure you on that very account.”
TO KNOW IF YOU WILL GET YOUR WISH.
Shuffle the cards well, and cut, or have them cut, with the _left_
hand. Then deal out thirteen cards. If among these is to be found one
or more Aces lay them aside, shuffle and cut the remaining ones, and
again deal thirteen; withdraw the Aces as before, and again shuffle,
cut, and deal. If, in these three deals, all four aces make their
appearance, you will get your wish. If all the Aces come at the first
deal, the response is in the highest degree favorable.
THE ENGLISH METHOD OF CONSULTING THE CARDS.
Having described the French and Italian methods of consulting the
cards, we will proceed to notice the manner in which the art of
fortune-telling is generally practiced in England and Scotland.
Hitherto only thirty-two cards have been made use of, but now the whole
pack is employed. The significations also slightly differ; therefore we
shall first give a complete list of them, and then pass on to describe
how the cards are to be arranged, so as to disclose their mystic
meanings.
_Ace of Clubs._--Wealth, happiness, and peace of mind.
_King of Clubs._--A dark man, upright, faithful, and affectionate in
disposition.
_Queen of Clubs._--A dark woman, gentle and pleasing.
_Knave of Clubs._--A sincere, but hasty friend--also a dark man’s
thoughts.
_Ten of Clubs._--Unexpected riches, and loss of a dear friend.
_Nine of Clubs._--Disobedience to friends’ wishes.
_Eight of Clubs._--A covetous man--also warns against speculations.
_Seven of Clubs._--Promises good fortune and happiness; but bids a
person beware of the opposite sex.
_Six of Clubs._--Predicts a lucrative business.
_Five of Clubs._--A prudent marriage.
_Four of Clubs._--Cautions against inconstancy or change of object for
the sake of money.
_Three of Clubs._--Shows that a person will be more than once married.
_Two of Clubs._--A disappointment.
_Ace of Diamonds._--A letter--from whom, and about what, is seen by the
neighboring cards.
_King of Diamonds._--A fair man, hot-tempered, obstinate, and
revengeful.
_Queen of Diamonds._--A fair woman, fond of company, and a coquette.
_Knave of Diamonds._--A near relation, who considers only his own
interests. Also a fair person’s thoughts.
_Ten of Diamonds._--Money.
_Nine of Diamonds._--Show that a person is fond of roving.
_Eight of Diamonds._--A marriage late in life.
_Seven of Diamonds._--Satire, evil speaking.
_Six of Diamonds._--Early marriage and widowhood.
_Five of Diamonds._--Unexpected news.
_Four of Diamonds._--Trouble arising from unfaithful friends. Also a
betrayed secret.
_Three of Diamonds._--Quarrels, law-suits, and domestic disagreements.
_Two of Diamonds._--An engagement, against the wishes of friends.
_Ace of Hearts._--The house. If attended by Spades, it foretells
quarreling--if by Hearts, affection and friendship--by Diamonds, money
and distant friends--and Clubs, feasting and merry-making.
_King of Hearts._--A fair man of good-natured disposition, but hasty
and rash.
_Queen of Hearts._--A fair woman, faithful, prudent, and affectionate.
_Knave of Hearts._--The dearest friend of the consulting party. Also a
fair person’s thoughts.
_Ten of Hearts._--Is prophetic of happiness and many children--is
corrective of the bad tidings of cards next to it, and confirms good
ones.
_Nine of Hearts._--Wealth and high esteem. Also the wish card.
_Eight of Hearts._--Pleasure, company.
_Seven of Hearts._--A fickle and false friend, against whom be on your
guard.
_Six of Hearts._--A generous but credulous person.
_Five of Hearts._--Troubles caused by unfounded jealousy.
_Four of Hearts._--A person not easily won.
_Three of Hearts._--Sorrow caused by a person’s own imprudence.
_Two of Hearts._--Great success; but equal care and attention needed to
secure it.
_Ace of Spades._--Great misfortune, spite.
_King of Spades._--A dark, ambitious man.
_Queen of Spades._--A malicious, dark woman--generally a widow.
_Knave of Spades._--An indolent, envious person; a dark man’s thoughts.
_Ten of Spades._--Grief, imprisonment.
_Nine of Spades._--A card of very bad import, foretelling sickness and
misfortune.
_Eight of Spades._--Warns a person to be cautious in his undertakings.
_Seven of Spades._--Loss of a friend, attended with much trouble.
_Six of Spades._--Wealth through industry.
_Five of Spades._--Shows that a bad temper requires correcting.
_Four of Spades._--Sickness.
_Three of Spades._--A journey.
_Two of Spades._--A removal.
Having given the signification of the various cards, we will now
proceed to describe how they are to be employed. After having well
shuffled, cut them three times, and lay them out in rows of nine cards
each. Select any King or Queen you please to represent yourself;
and wherever you find that card placed, count nine cards every way,
reckoning it as one; and every ninth card will prove the prophetic one.
Before, however, beginning to count, study well the disposition of the
cards, according to their individual and relative signification. If a
married woman consult the cards, she must make her husband the King of
the same suit of which she is Queen; but if a single woman, she may
make any favorite male friend King of whatever suit she pleases. As the
Knaves of the various suits represent the _thoughts_ of the persons
represented by the picture-cards of a corresponding color, they should
also be counted from.
TO TELL WHETHER YOU WILL GET YOUR WISH.
To try whether you will get your wish, shuffle the cards well, all
the time keeping your thoughts fixed upon whatever wish you may have
formed; cut them once, and remark what card you cut; shuffle them
again, and deal out into three parcels. Examine each of these in turn,
and if you find the card you turned up next either the one representing
yourself--the Ace of Hearts or the Nine of Hearts--you will get your
wish. If it be in the same parcel with any of these, without being
next them, there is a chance of your wish coming to pass at some more
distant period; but if the Nine of Spades makes its appearance, you may
count on being disappointed.
GOOD AND BAD OMENS.
The word omen is well known to signify a sign, good or bad, or a
prognostic. It may be defined to be that indication of something
future which we get as it were by accident, and without seeking for.
A superstitious regard to omens seems anciently to have made very
considerable additions to the common load of infelicity. They are in
these enlightened days pretty generally disregarded, and we look back
with perfect security and indifference on those trivial and truly
ridiculous accidents which alternately afford matter of joy and sorrow
to our ancestors. Omens appear to have been so numerous, that we must
despair of ever being able to recover one-half of them, and to evince
that in all ages men have been self-tormentors, the bad omens fill a
catalogue infinitely more extensive than that of the good. An extensive
set of omens has been taken from what first happens to one, or what
animal or person one meets first in the morning, or at the commencement
of an undertaking--the _first-foot_, as it is called. To stumble has
been universally held to presage misfortune. Some semblance of a reason
might be found for this belief, inasmuch as stumbling may be supposed
to indicate that that self-possession and conscious courage, which
are in themselves half a victory over circumstances, are lacking--the
want of them, therefore, being half a defeat; but in most cases the
interpretation seems altogether arbitrary. The dread of a hare crossing
the path seems to be widely prevalent; while to see a wolf is a good
omen. This feeling is probably a remnant of warlike times, when the
timid hare suggested thoughts of cowardice and flight; while the bold
wolf, sacred to Odin, was emblematic of victory. The character of the
hare for being unlucky is also connected with the deep-rooted belief
that witches are in the habit of transforming themselves into hares.
That to meet an old woman is unlucky, is another very general belief,
arising, without doubt, from the same causes that led to their being
considered witches. In some places, women in general are unlucky as
first-foot, with the singular exception of women of bad reputation.
This belief prevailed as far back as the age of Chrysostom. Priests,
too, are ominous of evil. If hunters of old met a priest or friar,
they coupled up their hounds and went home in despair of any further
sport that day. This superstition seems to have died out, except in
the case of sailors, who still consider the clergy a “kittle cargo,”
as a Scotch skipper expressed it, and anticipate a storm or mischance
when they have a black coat on board. This seems as old as the prophet
Jonah. Sneezing, likewise, has long been looked upon as supernatural,
for this reason, that it is sudden, unaccountable, uncontrollable, and
therefore ominous. The person is considered as possessed for the time,
and a form of exorcism is used. A nurse would not think she had done
her duty, if, when her charge sneezes, she did not say, “Bless the
child,” just as the Greeks, more than two thousand years ago, said,
“Zeus protect thee.”
One general remark, however, it is important to make in regard to
omens. An omen is not conceived to be a mere sign of what is destined
to be--it is conceived as causing, in some mysterious way, the event
it forebodes; and the consequence, it is thought, may be prevented by
some counteracting charm. Thus the spilling of salt not only forebodes
strife, but strife is conceived as the consequence of the spilling
of the salt, and may be hindered by taking up the spilled salt, and
throwing it over the left shoulder. Perhaps half the superstitious
beliefs that yet survive among civilized and Christian communities
group themselves round the subject of love and marriage--of such
intense interest to all, yet so mysterious in its origin, and
problematic in its issue. The liking or passion for one individual
rather than any other is so unaccountable, that the God of Love has
been fabled blind; it is of the nature of fascination, magic, spell.
And then, whether happiness or the reverse shall be the result, seems
beyond the reach of ordinary calculation. All is apparently given
over to mystery, chance, fortune; and any circumstances may, for
what we know, influence or indicate what fortune’s wheel shall bring
round. Hence the innumerable ways of prognosticating which of two or
more persons shall be first married, who or what manner of person
shall be the future husband or wife, the number of children, etc. It
is generally at particular seasons, as at the Eve of St. Agnes, and
Halloween, that the veil of the future may thus be lifted.
The observation of _lucky_ and _unlucky_ days was once an important
matter, and was often the turning-point of great events. It is now
mostly confined to the one subject of marriage. In fixing the wedding
day, May among months and Friday among days are shunned by many people,
both in educated and uneducated circles; for in this matter, which
is the exclusive province of women, and in which sentiment and fancy
are in every way so much more active than reason, the educated and
uneducated are reduced to a level. We will give a large collection of
omens, with their interpretation, having selected from all the best
works on the subject, and will begin with “Good and Evil Days”: