Read Ebook: 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. by Warford Aaron A

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"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:

"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 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.

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.

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 , 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

"We read of an old Arabian philosopher, a man of divers rare observations, who did remark three Mundayes in a year to be most unfortunate either to let blood or begin any notable worke, viz., the first Munday of April, ye weh day Caine was borne, and his brother Abell slaine; the 2d is the first Munday of August, the which day Sodom and Gomorrha were confounded; the 3d is the last Munday of December, the which day Judas Iscariott was borne, who betrayed our Saviour Jesus Christ. These three dayes, together with the Innocents' Day, by divers of the learned are reputed to be most unfortunate of all dayes, and ought to be eschewed by all men for ye great mishaps which often do occur in them.

"And thus much concerning the opinion of our ancient of dayes. So in like manner I will repeat unto you certain dayes yt be observed by some old writers, chiefly the ancient astrologians, who did allege that there were 28 dayes in the yeare which were revealed by the Angel Gabriel to the good Joseph, which ever have been remarked to be very fortunate dayes either to purge, let bloud, cure wounds, use merchandises, sow seed, plant trees, build houses, or taking journies, in long or short voyages, in fighting or giving of battaile, or skirmishing. They also doe alledge that children who were borne in any of these dayes could never be poore; and all children who were put to schooles or colledges in those dayes should become great schollars, and those who were put to any craft or trade in such dayes should become perfect artificers and rich, and such as were put to trade in merchandise should become most wealthy. The dayes be these: the 3d and 13th of January, ye 5th and 28th of Feb., ye 3d, 22d, and 30th of March, the 5th, 22d, and 29th of April, ye 4th and 28th of May, ye 3d and 8th of June, the 12th, 18th, and 15th of July, ye 12th of August, ye 1st, 7th, 24th, and 28th of September, the 4th and 15th of October, ye 13th and 19th of Novr., ye 23d and 26th of December. And thus much concerning ye dayes which are by ye most curious part of ye learned remarked to be good and evill."

It is remarkable that among the thirty-three sovereigns who have sat on the English throne since William the Conqueror, although each of the eleven months has witnessed the accession of one or more, the month of May has not been so fortunate--none having ascended the throne within its limits.

A gift, a friend, a foe, A lover to come, a journey to go.

Sometimes the augury is expressed in positive terms; as,

A gift on the thumb is sure to come: A gift on the finger is sure to linger.

This mode of prognostication is of long standing. Melton, in his "Astrologaster," a very old work, giving a catalogue of many superstitious ceremonies, tells us that "to have yellow speckles in the nailes of one's hands is a greate signe of death." In Reed's old plays we read:

"When yellow spots do on your hands appear, Be certain then you of a corse shall hear."

It is related that an English cattle-dealer desired his wife to "trull her left shoe arter him," when he started for Norwich to buy a lottery-ticket. As he drove off on his errand, he looked round to see if she practiced the charm, and consequently he received the shoe in his face, with such force as to black his eyes. He went, and bought his ticket, which turned up a prize of ?600.

Butler, in "Hudibras," makes his conjurer chase away evil spirits by the horse-shoe; and Gay, in one of his Fables, makes a supposed witch complain:

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