Jack 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.
Jack 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, asit were, a phrase, from an assemblage of which nothing but a little practice is required to form complete sentences. Of this a further example will be given by interpreting the signification of the three other packs.
"For the house" is supposed to consist of the queen of hearts, the jack of spades reversed, the ace of clubs and the nine of diamonds, which are supposed to read thus: "The queen of hearts—a fair woman, mild and amiable in disposition—jack 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 this news may be delayed."
The pack "for those who do not expect it," consists of the queen of diamonds, the king of spades, the ace of hearts reversed, and the seven of spades: "The queen of diamonds—a mischief-making woman—the king of spades—in league with a dishonest lawyer—-ace of hearts reversed—they will hold a consultation—seven of spades—but the harm they will do will soon be repaired."
Last comes "the surprise," formed by, it is supposed, the jack of clubs, the ten of diamonds, the queen of spades and the nine of spades, of which the supposed interpretation is: "The jack of clubs—a clever, enterprising young man—ten of diamonds—about to undertake a journey—queenof spades—for the purpose of visiting a widow—nine of spades—but one or both their lives will be endangered."
After the thirty-two cards have been shuffled and cut with the left hand, the first eleven are withdrawn from the pack and laid on one side. The remainder—twenty-one in all—are to be again shuffled and cut, that being done, the topmost card is laid on one side to form "the surprise," and the remaining twenty are ranged before the dealer in the order in which they come to hand. If the card representing the person consulting be not among them, one must be withdrawn from the eleven useless ones placed at the right extremity of the row, where it represents the missing card, no matter what it may really be. Let us suppose that the person wishing to make the essay is an officer in the army, and consequently represented by the king of diamonds, and that the twenty cards ranged in front of you are: Queen of diamonds, king of clubs, ten of hearts, ace of spades, queen of hearts reversed, seven of spades, jack of diamonds, ten of clubs, king of spades, eight of diamonds, king of hearts, nine of clubs, jack of spades reversed, seven of hearts, ten of spades, king of diamonds, ace of diamonds, seven of clubs, nine of hearts, ace of clubs. Younow proceed to examine the cards as they lay, and perceiving that all the four kings are there, you can predict that great rewards await the person consulting you, and that he will gain great dignity and honor. The two queens, one of them reversed, announce the reunion of two sorrowful friends; the three aces, foretell good news; the two jacks, one of them reversed, danger; the three tens, improper conduct.
You now begin to explain the cards, commencing with the first on the left hand: "The queen of diamonds is a mischief-making, under-bred woman—the king of clubs—endeavoring to win the affections of a worthy and estimable man—ten of hearts—over whose scruples she will triumph—ace of spades—the affair will make some noise—queen of hearts reversed—and greatly distress a charming fair woman who loves him—seven of spades—but her grief will not be of long duration. Jack of diamonds—an unfaithful servant—ten of clubs—will make away with a considerable sum of money—king of spades—and will be brought to trial—eight of diamonds—but saved from punishment through a woman's agency. King of hearts—a fair man of liberal disposition—nine of clubs—will receive a large sum of money—jack of spades reversed—which will expose him to the malice of a dark youth of coarse manners. Seven of hearts—pleasant thoughts, followed by—ten of spades—great chagrin—king of diamonds—await a man in uniform, who is the person consulting me—ace of diamonds—but a letter he will speedily receive—seven of clubs—containing a small sum of money—nine of hearts—will restore his good spirits—ace of clubs—which will be further augmented by some good news." Now turn up "the surprise" which it is supposed will prove the ace of hearts, "a card that is taken to predict great happiness, caused by a love letter, but which, making up the four aces, is said to show that this sudden joy will be followed by great misfortunes."
The cards are now gathered up, shuffled, cut, and formed into three packs, at the first deal one being laid aside to form "the surprise." By the time they are all dealt out it will be found that the two first packets are each composed of seven cards, whilst the third contains only six. The person consulting is desired to select one of these, which is taken up and spread out from left to right, being explained as before described. The cards are again gathered up, shuffled, cut, formed into three packs, one card being dealt to "the surprise," and then proceeding as before. The whole operation is once more repeated, then the three cards forming "the surprise" are taken up and their interpretation given.
No matter how the cards are dealt, whether by threes, fives, sevens, fifteens or twenty-one, when those lower than the jack predominate it is considered to foretell success. If clubs are the mostnumerous, they are supposed to predict gain, considerable fortune, etc. If picture cards, dignity and honor; hearts, gladness, good news; spades, death or sickness.
Illustrating the 21-card deal and the expert fortune-teller's method of constructing a complete and connected reading of the same, which you are advised to carefully consider, as a guide for your own use in delivering an intelligent, interesting and coherent oracle in all cases where you are rendering an interpretation for others.
A man asks the question:
Shall I Marry the Woman I Love?
The fortune-teller turns the cards by the 21-card method, with the resultant layout as shown in the picture, and proceeds to read the gentleman's answer in the following language:
You desire to learn, sir, whether you will marry the young lady to whom you are now paying your addresses? You inform me that the lady is a blonde; still it is necessary for me to inform you that in order to be able to foresee whether or not the marriage be accomplished according to your wishes, I am compelled to select as a representative card of your future wife, a lady of your own color, for such a one is necessary for the oracle, otherwise our labors go for nothing. You, sir, are amiddling dark man, and therefore would come up as aclub; as a representative card of your beloved we will take thequeen of clubs, as of your own complexion.
Now, sir, having performed our deal and arranged the oracle, permit me, in the first place, to call your attention to the fact that you stand represented by theknave of clubs, and in the next to observe your position in the oracle.
Theeight of heartscoming as it does in company with theeight of clubs, gives me satisfactory information that you entertain for the young lady a most profound and honorable sentiment of affection, which it appears to me she reciprocates with a no less degree of intensity. I have chosen to designate your beloved by thequeen of clubs, and she is doubtlessly a personage well worthy of your love, as theeight of diamonds, coming before her in conjunction with theace of hearts, demonstrates her to be a lady of wisdom, intelligence and prudence. Observe, moreover, that thenine of heartsintervenes between you both, but is placed nearest the lady. This card predicts a union, which is much desired by her, while on your part you regard your intended with a spirit of admiration bordering almost upon adoration. Such a union will assuredly be followed by domestic happiness, by peace and concord in your domestic circle, by a reign of harmony within your household.
I assure you, sir, that, scrutinizing this oraclefrom every aspect, I fail to perceive any obstacle which can interpose to prevent your contemplated marriage. On the other hand, the prognostications are decidedly in its favor, for you will be pleased to notice that theeight of heartsand theeight of clubs, coming up side by side, and between you and your intended, predict a success. Remark more, that there arethree tensat your back, which denotes a change in your estate or an alteration in your manner of life and social position.
The presence of thequeen of heartsin immediate vicinity to theseven of diamonds, indicates not only the receipt of pleasant intelligence from a relative able to give you assistance, but permanent prosperity should you continue in her good graces. I perceive, likewise, from theseven of hearts, that you are at this moment thinking of visiting your intended father-in-law, formally to demand the hand of his daughter.
Do not hesitate, my dear sir, to do so, for you will risk nothing by such an act of courtesy, as it will be crowned with the most happy results. There can be no doubt on that head, as the presence of theking,queenandknave of hearts, coming almost together, and blended with your new estate, assure you of the respect and esteem of the family. True, the young lady entertains such affection (seven of spades) for her parent that when she comes to be separated (nine of diamonds) from him upon marriage (king of diamonds) the native impulse of herheart will cause her to shed tears (ten of spades) at the thought (seven of hearts) of leaving her paternal roof (ace of hearts).
And now, sir, your surprise. It is a letter (ace of diamonds), which, placed upon the last card to the left, which is theking of clubs, announces to you that you will be surprised through receipt of a most gratifying epistle from your intended father-in-law in relation to your approaching marriage.
Take the pack of thirty-two selected cards, 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 higher 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, queenof clubs, eight of hearts, ace of diamonds, ten of hearts, seven of clubs, king of spades, nine of hearts, jack of spades, ace of clubs, seven of spades, ten of spades, seven of diamonds, ace of spades, jack 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 been always strictly correct. The two jacks 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 jack of hearts—will soon console her for what she has suffered. The ace of diamonds tells thatshe 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—jack 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 jack 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. Jack 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 jack of spades:
"The person consulting the cards will receive a visit—king of spades—from a lawyer—nine of hearts—which will greatly delight—jack 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 jack of hearts, and the ace of clubs, would read:
"Ace of spades—pleasure in store for—jack of hearts—a gay young bachelor—ace of clubs—by means of money; but as the jack 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."
A pack is taken of thirty-two selected cards, shuffled well and cut in three, then laid out in four rows of eight cards each. Significator is made any king or queen that may be preferred; then seven are counted from that significator from left to right, and from right to left, also crossways, always starting from the king or queen that represents the person consulting. The thoughts, which are supposed to be indicated by the jacks, may then be counted from, or the house, or a letter; in fact, anything about which information is desired; when this is explained, the cards are paired from each extremity, each pair being explained as arrived at till the pack is finished. They are now gathered up, shuffled and cut in three; then turned up by threes, the highest of each suit being taken out.
When three of equal value come together, such as three aces, three kings, etc., they must all be taken out; the same is to be done should three of a suit come together; this is to be repeated three times, shuffling and cutting between each, and when the pack has been gone through, any that are remaining over must be put on one side and not used. Seven cards are counted again from significator, and paired as before.
The meanings ascribed to some of the cards being different from those already given, are here stated:
Ten of Clubs—A journey or big building.Eight of Clubs—Drink or vexation.Ten of Spades—At night-time.Nine of Spades—Disappointment or sickness.Ten of Diamonds—Money.Seven of Diamonds—Check or paper money; sometimes an article of jewelry.Three Sevens—A loss.Four Tens—A great social rise through powerful friends.Two Jacks—Treachery.Ten of Hearts—An entertainment.Seven of Hearts—Delay or slight anxiety.Seven of Spades—Speedily.Seven of Diamonds and Ace of Spades—News read in the newspaper.Ace of Spades and any Court Card—Photograph.Two Red Tens with Ace of Diamonds—A wedding.Two Black Tens with Ace of Spades—A funeral.Eight and Nine of Clubs—Dinner or supper party.Seven of Clubs—A present.Three Eights—Good business transactions.Three Nines—A removal.Three Tens—A rise, either of money or social.
Ten of Clubs—A journey or big building.
Eight of Clubs—Drink or vexation.
Ten of Spades—At night-time.
Nine of Spades—Disappointment or sickness.
Ten of Diamonds—Money.
Seven of Diamonds—Check or paper money; sometimes an article of jewelry.
Three Sevens—A loss.
Four Tens—A great social rise through powerful friends.
Two Jacks—Treachery.
Ten of Hearts—An entertainment.
Seven of Hearts—Delay or slight anxiety.
Seven of Spades—Speedily.
Seven of Diamonds and Ace of Spades—News read in the newspaper.
Ace of Spades and any Court Card—Photograph.
Two Red Tens with Ace of Diamonds—A wedding.
Two Black Tens with Ace of Spades—A funeral.
Eight and Nine of Clubs—Dinner or supper party.
Seven of Clubs—A present.
Three Eights—Good business transactions.
Three Nines—A removal.
Three Tens—A rise, either of money or social.
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, ace of spades, jack of diamonds, nine of diamonds, ace of hearts, jack of hearts, queen of hearts, king of spades, jack 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 proves that powerful persons were interesting themselves in her affairs; the three jacks, however, are supposed to warn her to beware of false friends; the nine of diamonds, some great annoyance overcome by some good and amiable person, represented by the queen of hearts; the two aces, notice of a plot. Taking the cards in the order they lay: "The king of clubs—a frank, open hearted man—ace of spades—fond of gayety and pleasure, is disliked by—jack of diamonds—an unfaithful friend—nine of diamonds—who seeks to injure him. The ace of hearts—a love letter—jack 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 the clever—jack of clubs—enterprising young man, who is saved from him by—the king of hearts—a good and powerful man. Nevertheless, as the jack 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, nine of spades, eight of spades, queen of diamonds, queen of clubs, eight of hearts, seven of spades, ten of spades, queen of spades, 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 someone—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 ofspades—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, ten of clubs, seven of diamonds, ten of hearts, seven of clubs, nine of hearts, ace of diamonds, jack of spades, seven of hearts, and 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—jack of spades—a wild young man—seven of hearts—will be over joyed 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."
In the case of consultation upon the subject of marriages in general, the Consultant should be withdrawn from the pack, inasmuch as it is necessary that the couple should be of the same color, in order that a marriage be formed.
Should the young lady be a blonde who consults the oracle upon questions of marriage, she should pick out the jack of hearts and the queen of hearts, and taking these two cards from out of the pack, place them aside; then, let her shuffle the cards well and again pick out eleven, which are in like manner set aside. Then take up the jack and queen of hearts and replace them among the remaining cards in the pack, shuffle them again, place them in succession in a line from right to left. It is necessary so that the marriage be an accomplished fact, that a quint, or five cards in hearts, appear in the lay-out, and, if it be found at the end of the deal at your left, the marriage will be a certainty; but, should the nine of diamonds or the seven of spades be placed in front, the marriage will be most certainly delayed; should the nine of diamonds alone appear, the delay will be not over serious; but should, in place of these cards,there be found the king of spades inverted, or three tens, the marriage will never come off.
If the lady be a brunette she will take the jack of clubs, and, if very dark, the jack of spades as her representative husband, and represent herself by a queen of corresponding color, always taking care that the card ordinarily used as the Consultant be retired from the pack.
Should a widow desire to contract a second marriage, she represents herself as the queen of clubs and her future husband as the king of clubs, which cards should be retired and placed aside. Then the pack is shuffled well and dealt upon the table, face downward, in five rows; take these up again in a reversed manner, shuffle them well and cause the consultant to cut, and to select eleven from the pack, which are to be put aside. Then retake the king and queen of clubs, and place them among the remainder of the pack, whence the eleven have been withdrawn; shuffle well and again let them be cut, and then deal, placing the first one dealt upon the table directly in front of you in an isolated position—this is the surprise. Deal the others and place them in a single line below the surprise card on the table, ranging from right to left, one by one. Turn over all the cards except the surprise, which is only to be consulted after the rest. Read the cards thus placed likewise from right to left, and study their significations well. It is necessary, in order that the widow's desire for a second marriage besuccessful, that the queen of spades come out inverted, that the king of the same color likewise appear, and that the jack of spades be at the side of the ace of spades or of hearts, and under this combination her second marriage is an assured fact. Should the ace of spades emerge near the jack, it will also be necessary that the ace of hearts come out to effect an alliance; but, if the consultant have three tens before her, the marriage will not occur; and, should the nine of spades come out, it denotes absolute failure. Again, if instead of these cards the eight of clubs and the eight of hearts appear, the marriage will be a great success. Great care should be observed in noticing whether three eights appear behind the Consultant, for in that instance the marriage will not be a happy one.
The Star Method.The Star Method.
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. (See engraving.) We will suppose the fourteenth card to be the queen of spades, which represents the person making the essay; then—1. Ace of hearts; 2. King of clubs; 3. Ten of clubs; 4. Nine of diamonds; 5. Queen ofclubs; 6. Eight of hearts; 7. Ten of spades; 8. Jack of clubs; 9. Seven of clubs; 10. Ten of hearts; 11. Jack of diamonds; 12. Eight of diamonds; 13. 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 jack of diamonds, read—"Overtures will be made—jack 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 jack 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."
The shorter and simpler star method surrounds 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 jack of clubs, representing a dark young man. The first topmost one proves to be the ace of clubs and is placed above the head of the jack. The second, the eight of hearts, is placed at his feet; the third, the jack of diamonds, at his right; the fourth, the queen of spades, at his left. These are now read: Ace of clubs—"you will soon receive a letter which will give you great pleasure"—eight of hearts—"from a fair girl"—jack of diamonds—"a man in uniform"—queen of spades—"and a malicious widow will seek to injure you on that very account."
Having finished all the different methods of laying the cards, various indications will now be given which are supposed to show whether the one who is consulting will obtain his or her wish. These are done in various methods, and each is given in order.
The pack of thirty-two selected cards having been well shuffled and cut, proceed by turning them up by threes; if an ace appears amongst the three, those three cards must be taken out; and if the nine of hearts and the significator appear, they must also be taken out with the cards that accompany them. This operation has to be repeated three times, and if in the three times the four aces, the significator and the nine of hearts come out in eleven or nine cards, then the wish is taken to be certain; if they do not appear under twelve or fifteen, it is said the wish will not come to pass. To make the meaning perfectly clear, we will suppose that a dark man, represented by the king of clubs, is making the essay. Having well shuffled and cut the cards, they must be turned up in threes.
In the first come the king of diamonds, ace ofspades, and king of clubs—the person who is making the essay; the next three are king and queen of spades and ten of diamonds—these are useless; the next three, the ten of hearts, six of diamonds and king of hearts—these are laid on one side; then the seven and eight of spades and ace of diamonds—these are withdrawn and are put over the other three, with the ace and significator; the next three—nine of diamonds, eight of clubs and ace of clubs, these come out; likewise the jack of clubs, ten of spades, and ace of hearts, and the two left are the jack of spades and nine of hearts—the other cards are useless. Fourteen cards are now left, they are shuffled and cut, and again dealt in threes.
The ace of spades, nine of hearts, king of spades remain; the next three, ten of spades, ace of hearts and nine of diamonds also remain. The following triplet: king of diamonds, king of clubs and jack of clubs all come out. The seven of spades, ace of diamonds and eight of clubs remain, as also the two last—eight of spades and ace of clubs. This makes eleven cards, so that the wish is considered to be gained; but if it is tried the third time, and more cards come out, then it is supposed that it will be very speedily accomplished.
Shuffle and cut the pack of thirty-two selected cards. Put them together, and turn up in threes.Supposing there should be two of one suit, and one of another, the highest is taken out. Should there be three of one suit, all are to be withdrawn and laid on the table in front of the dealer, in the shape of a semi-circle or horse shoe. If three of equal value, such as three kings, or three tens, they are likewise to come out. The pack is gone through, then shuffled and cut again. When the end of the pack is arrived at, this is repeated a third time, acting in the same manner. Now count from the significator, or if that should not appear naturally, use the jack (which is taken to represent the thoughts of the person consulting); seven are counted each way till it is come back to, then the cards are paired from end to end, being read as arrived at; then all the cards are shuffled together, cut in three, and dealt out in packets of four, face downward. Each packet is taken up and looked through, the cards being turned up one by one till an ace is come to. Should there be no ace in the parcel it is put on one side—it is useless. The cards are shuffled and cut again, being turned up as before, and dealt in three packets, stopping each time at the ace, as before. The third time they are shuffled butnotcut, and dealt in packets of two, and proceeded with as before. Should the four aces (in the last deal) turn up without another card, the wish is supposed to be sure, and to come at once. If they come out with hearts, or diamonds, there will be some delay, but if the nine or seven of spadesmakes its appearance with the aces, then it is said to be a sign of disappointment.
A pack is taken of thirty-two selected cards, and cut with the left hand; thirteen cards are then dealt out. If amongst these is to be found one or more aces, lay them aside. The remaining ones are shuffled and cut and thirteen again dealt; the aces are withdrawn as before, and again shuffled, cut and dealt. If in these three deals all four aces make their appearance, it is supposed that the wish will be granted. If all the aces come at the first deal, the answer is taken to be in the highest degree favorable. If in the three times only one or two appear, it is considered that the wish will not be granted.
A pack of thirty-two selected cards is shuffled and cut, the consultant wishing all the time. They are laid out in two rows of four each, face downwards. When two pairs come up, they must be covered by the cards held in the dealer's hand. Should it be possible to cover each pair—such as two kings, two queens, etc., it is supposed that the wish will be granted. If the cards do not pair easily, it is said the wish will not come to pass, or, at any rate, not for a long period.
The following is taken to show whether the wish will be granted: The cards are well shuffled, theconsultant keeping his thoughts all the time fixed upon whatever wish he may have formed; the cards are cut once, and the card cut is noted; they are shuffled again and dealt out into three parcels—each of these being examined in turn, and if it is found that the card turned up next, either the one representing the dealer or the person who is consulting him—the ace of hearts or the nine of hearts, it is said that the wish will be granted. If it be in the same parcel with any of these, without being next to them, it is supposed there is a chance of the wish coming to pass at some more distant period; but if the nine of spades makes its appearance, it is taken that a disappointment is possible.
The pack of thirty-two selected cards, as in the foregoing method, is taken, shuffled and cut; then the four aces are taken out, the significator, or the person for whom the dealer is acting, and anything he wants to know about—such as money, then the ten of diamonds would be selected; if about a man, any king; if about a woman, any queen; if about business, the ten of clubs. These are shuffled after having been withdrawn, without cutting, and the nine of spades, which is the disappointment card, is also added to the aces, etc., in all seven cards, laying them face downwards on the table. Then the remainder are taken, shuffled well, and turned up inthrees twice, the one following being the seventh. The pack is gone through like this, and when the nine of hearts appears whatever number that falls on in the twenty-five cards remaining. When one, two, three, four, five, six or seven, it must fall on the card drawn out by the seven cards abstracted thus; if it should fall on No. 1 and that happens on an ace, it is favorable, and if he should chance on an ace, or his wish, or anything but the disappointment card (nine of spades), the wish will be realized.
First of all, the four aces are taken out, and the nine of spades, (the disappointment card); then, supposing the dealer is acting for a fair man, or a soldier, who is anxious to know whether he will get his wish. We will imagine he has invested a sum of money, and he wishes to know whether it is a good one; or that he hopes for a legacy and is anxious to know if he will get it. The king of diamonds (representing the fair man), and the ten of diamonds, the money card, should therefore be taken out. These are added to the four aces and the nine of spades. These are well shuffled, but not cut, and laid face downwards on the table, like the following:—
These represent the four aces, the disappointment card and the inquirer and his wish. The remaining cards are now taken and turned up three at a time. We will suppose the first three are the nine, seven and eight of clubs; the next three the ten and jack of hearts, and eight of diamonds; and the seventh card, the queen of clubs—these are passed by. Begin again, counting one. We will suppose the next three are the eight of spades, the seven of clubs and the nine of hearts. Three are then counted from those laid face downwards on the table, and that card is turned up—we will suppose that to be the king of diamonds; the cards turned up by threes are gathered together and shuffled, and turned up by sevens as before. Should the nine of hearts fall on the fourth card the second time, that is to be turned up—we will suppose that to be the ace of diamonds. Proceed again as before, and this time we will imagine the nine of hearts to fall on the seventh—this may be the ten of diamonds—so that it could be said to the persons consulting that it is said he will get his wish; but supposing the nine of hearts to fall on the fifth card, and that turns out to be the nine of spades, he will be disappointed; and should it happen thatin the first readingthe nine of hearts should come on, we will say, the first card, which might prove the nine of spades, then it is no use continuing the three times, as it is supposed there is no chance whatever of the wish being realized.
The whole pack of fifty-two cards is taken, shuffled and cut in two packets. They are now laid out face uppermost, in three rows of four cards each, in all twelve cards. If in the first twelve cards any court cards appear, they are taken out, filling up the spaces with fresh cards; should these again be court cards, they are abstracted as before, filling in the spaces as described; if not, they are thus counted: Eleven must be made up of anytwocards, such as an ace and ten (ace counting as one), and covered, or two and nine, each card being covered as counted, three and eight, four and seven, five and six, etc. If a court card appears, it is a stop and counts as nothing. If, as the cards are covered, eleven can be made out of any of the two cards, and continued to the end, exhausting all the cards, it is taken thatthe wish will be gained; in that case all the court cards ought to be on the top, as those cast aside at first are used at the last, to cover each two cards as they count eleven. If the court cards cannot be got to come out at the end, the wish is supposed to be delayed, and if eleven cannot be made from nearly the beginning, it is said, the wish will not be realized at all. To explain the meaning more clearly, the following diagram is given. We will suppose they are as follows:—
There are now removed the three court cards, viz.:—the jack of clubs in the first row, the jack of diamonds in the second, and the king of diamonds in the third. These are replaced by the nine of clubs in the first row, five of spades in the second, and six of hearts in the third. The cards are now to be covered. In the first row, four and seven of spades, making respectively eleven covered by ten of clubs and ten of spades. Eleven is nowmade, where possible, from all three rows. In the second row will be found the six and five of spades; these are covered by two and one of clubs. In the third row, one of clubs and ten of hearts, covered by seven of diamonds and three of spades. In the same row, five of diamonds and six of hearts, covered by the two of diamonds and king of hearts. In the first and second rows, nine of clubs and two of spades, covered by the four and eight of diamonds. In the second row, three and eight of diamonds, covered by the jack of hearts and queen of clubs. In the first and second row, the one and ten of spades, covered by the three of hearts and three of spades. In the first and third rows, four of clubs and seven of diamonds, covered by the ten of diamonds and nine of hearts. In the third row, nine of hearts and two of diamonds, covered by the five of clubs and ace of diamonds. In the first and third rows, ten of clubs and ace of diamonds, covered by the seven of hearts and queen of diamonds. In the first row, four of diamonds and seven of hearts, covered by the eight and five of hearts. In the first and third rows, eight of hearts and three of clubs, covered by the seven of clubs and jack of spades. In the first and second rows, seven of clubs and four of hearts, covered by the two of clubs and eight of spades. In the first and second rows, the three of hearts and eight of spades, covered by the king and nine of spades. In the first row, two of clubs and nine of spades, covered by the ace of hearts andsix of diamonds. In the first row, again, the ace of hearts and ten of diamonds, covered by the two of hearts and six of clubs. In the first and third rows, five and six of clubs, covered by the nine of diamonds and queen of hearts. In the first row, five of hearts and six of diamonds, covered by the king and eight of clubs. Then in the first and second rows, the eight of clubs and three of spades, as there is only one card remaining, viz.:—the queen of spades, the three other cards to be covered, those put aside at first are taken up, the last two to be covered being the nine of diamonds and two of hearts, covered by the jack of diamonds and jack of clubs. In this case the wish is supposed to be realized; but in some cases it will be found that it has not made up the number eleven in the two cards, and then it is taken that the wish may be either delayed or not fulfilled.
By Which Fortunes Are Told in a Most Singular and Diverting Manner.
Four young persons, but not more, may play at this game, or three by making a dummy hand. This game is played exactly the same in every game, making the queen, which is called Venus, above the ace; the ace in this game only stands for one, and hearts must be led off by the person next the dealer. He or she who gets most tricks this way (each taking up their own and no partnership) is supposed to have most lovers, and the king and queen of hearts in one hand is said to denote matrimony at hand; but woe to the unlucky one who gets no tricks at the deal, or does not hold a heart in his or her hand; to them are ascribed misfortune in love and long tarry before they marry.
Let each one present deposit any sum agreed on, or a certain number of counters; put a complete pack of cards well shuffled in a bag, let the parties stand in a circle and the bag being handed round, each draw three; pairs of any kind are supposedto be favorable omens of some good fortune about to occur to the party and get back from the pool the sum that each agreed to pay. The king of hearts is here made the god of love, and claims double, and professes to give a faithful swain to the fair one who has the good fortune to draw him; if Venus, the queen of hearts, is with him, it is the conquering prize, and clears the pool; fives and nines are reckoned crosses and misfortunes, and pay a forfeit of the sum agreed on to the pool, besides the usual stipend at each new game; three nines at one draw is supposed to portend the lady will be an old maid, three fives, a bad husband.
Let three, five, or seven young women stand in a circle, and draw a card out of a bag. It is taken that she who gets the highest card will be the first married of the company, whether she be at the present time maid, wife, or widow, and she who has the lowest has the longest time to stay ere the sun shines on her wedding day; she who draws the ace of spades will never bear the name of wife; and she who has the nine of hearts in this trial will have one lover too many to her sorrow.
Amusement may be caused by this game to all those playing, and at the same time it is supposed that some curious particulars may be learned concerning the future fates of the consultants.
Several may play at the game, it requiring no special number, only leaving out nine cards on the table not exposed to view; each person puts a trifling sum in the pool, and the dealer double. The ace of diamonds is made principal, and takes all the other aces, etc.; twos and threes in hand are said to show luck; fours, a continuance in the present state; fives, trouble; sixes, profit; sevens, worries; eights, disappointment; nines, surprises; tens, settlements; jacks, sweethearts; kings and queens, friends and acquaintances; ace of spades, death; ace of clubs, a letter; and the ace of diamonds with ten of hearts, marriage.
The ace of diamonds being played first, or should it be amongst the nine, the dealer calls for the queen of hearts, which takes next. If the ace be not out and the queen conquers, it is supposed that the person who played her will be married that year without a doubt, though it may perhaps seem unlikely at that time; but if she loses her queen, she must wait longer. The ace and queen being called, the rest go in rotation as at whist; kings taking queens, queens jacks, and so on, and the more tricks taken, the more money the winner gets off the board on the division; those who hold the nine of spades are to pay a penny to the board, and it is said they will have some trouble; but the fortunate fair one who holds the queen and jack of hearts in the same hand is supposed soon to be married, or if she is already within the pale of matrimony, a great risein life by means of her husband; those who hold the ace of diamonds and queen of hearts clear the money off the board and end that game; it also professes to betoken great prosperity.
You select the four kings from a pack, and lay them side by side in a row upon the table.
The lady who wishes to know her fortune gives to each of these cards the name of some gentleman of her acquaintance who might be likely to woo her in marriage. It is usual to pronounce these names aloud before the company. The name given to the king of hearts is, however, an exception. This secret the lady keeps to herself. To these four kings, you can also add a queen, which then denotes the old maid.
Now, take the rest of the pack, shuffle it thoroughly, let the person in question cut three times and commence. Under each of the above-named picture-cards you lay a card in turn, and as often as a spade is placed under a spade, a heart under a heart,et cetera, that is, as often as a card of the same suit is placed under one of these picture-cards, the picture-card is turned from its position.
The first time it takes a direction from left to right, the second time it lies upside down, the third time it is raised again to a position from right to left, and the fourth and last time it regains its former upright position.
That one of the four kings who, after these different changes, first resumes his upright position, is to be the happy husband. If it should happen to be the old maid, you can imagine what is in store for you.
After having learned from the cards who is to be the husband, the questions next asked are, usually: How much will he love his wife, why he marries her, and what is his profession. These questions are answered in the following manner:
Gather up the cards, shuffle them thoroughly, and let the person cut them three times. Then tell off the cards upon the table, as you recite the following sentence:
Heartily, painfully,Beyond all measure.By fits and starts.Not a bit in the world.
You repeat this sentence until the king of hearts makes his appearance. If it happens that, as you lay this upon the table, you pronounce the word "heartily" he will love his future wife heartily, and so on.
Now as to why he marries her. Count off the cards upon the table, while you repeat the following sentence:
For love, for her beauty,For his parents' command,For the bright, golden dollars,For counsel of friends.
The sentence by which you discover what is his profession is the following:
Gentleman, alderman, clergyman, doctor,Merchant, broker, professor, major,Mechanic, lawyer, shipmaster, tailor.
This method of telling fortunes is very entertaining in society, when you have not the book to find more particular answers.
GYPSY WITCH DREAM BOOKBy The Queen of the Romanies