TELLING FORTUNES
BY CARDS

A SYMPOSIUM OF THE SEVERAL ANCIENT AND MODERN
METHODS AS PRACTICED BY ARAB SEERS AND SIBYLS
AND THE ROMANY GYPSIES, WITH PLAIN EXAMPLES AND
SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS TO ENABLE ANYONE TO ACQUIRE
THE ART WITH EASE

Gathered From Authentic Sources By
MOHAMMED ALI

(EDITED BY CARLETON B. CASE)

NEW YORK
SHREWESBURY PUBLISHING CO.
PUBLISHERS

COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY
CHARLES SHREWESBURY

CONTENTS

TELLING FORTUNES BY CARDS

Always treasuring the memory of this prediction, Josephine, when the widow of Gen. Beauharnais, during the bitter days of the Reign of Terror, was induced to consult a distinguished seeress of the Faubourg St. Germain, who relied upon cartomancy as a means for elucidating the mysteries of the past, present, and future. Although her visitor was disguised as a waiting woman, the seeress, through a simple resort to her pack of cards, read most correctly the entire past existence of her consultant. Then, by the same means, she laid bare the gloomy picture of Josephine's present situation; how the prison doors of the Luxembourg stood ready to receive her; how the guillotine thirsted for her life's blood; how, nevertheless, she would be saved from all these impending dangers through intercession of a young soldier, to her at the time personally a stranger. Subsequently, by a fresh appeal to her cards, the seeress threw aside the veil obscuring Josephine's future destiny, predicting her marriage, the onward march of her husband towards fame and power, until finally, after a studious observation of the cards, the cartomancian announced to her skeptical consultant that on a given day, within the cathedral church of Notre Dame, the unknown man she was destined to marry would place upon her head an imperial diadem, and furthermore that she would be hailed, in the presence of the highest ecclesiastical potentate on earth, as "Empress of the French," and as such would be respected until her death.

The remarkably rapid and literal fulfillment of the predictions made by a professional seeress to an unknown lady, to whom she promised the most exalted of mortal positions, not only astonished the crowd of courtiers, wonder-stricken at realization of this indisputable and well-authenticated augury of miraculous events; but elicited the attention of men of intellect and of science, hundreds of whom visited the remarkable prophetess, and in every instance testified to the accuracy of her predictions, although at a loss to comprehend the source from whence she attained apparently super-human knowledge. It appeared wonderful to these men of science that the mere combination of a series of cards, which they had been accustomed to look upon as a mere species of diversion, could be employed as well to read the past as to penetrate the mysteries of the future; still they were compelled, in an elaborate report made to the Emperor, whose comprehensive mind yearned after explanation of all secrets, mental as well as physical, to state that, while unable to account for the cause for this prophetic knowledge, there could be no rational doubt of its existence.

RESEARCHING GYPSY LORE.

This present treatise on the subject of divination by cards is a gathering together in handy form of the best authenticated methods of its ancient practice as handed down from the Romany gypsies and the seeresses that antedate them. As different nations and different times had their varying interpretations of the values of the cards and separate and distinct methods of laying the cards for readings, as well as fundamental differences in their interpretations of the many possible combinations of the various cards, we have decided to lay before you in this work a complete symposium of each, that the reader and student of the art may see before him all the approved methods of the past and choose intelligently that which best pleases or suits his convenience.

All the old and many of the recent authors that have been consulted in the preparation of this book have been found to insist that divination through playing-cards is to be relied upon as a truthful exposition of the past and future and a veritable portent of the future. They desire to be taken seriously. The present editor has no desire to detract from this position if it be a fact, nor does he know that it is not a fact. His part in this work is that of editor, and there ends. Here he presents you with the results of centuries of effort on the part of those who profess to believe sincerely in what they practice and teach, and leaves the reader to place as much or as little credence in the truthfulness of their divinations as he chooses.

Certainly there is a wonderful fascination in the mastering of Cartomancy, in the being able to tell fortunes by the chance falling of the cards into this or that position, and in knowing what each card and grouping is believed to signify in their relations to the person consulting.

HOW TO ACQUIRE THE ART.

The would-be adept is advised to study in detail every word in this book, as he would any other lesson he desired to master. Learn the various methods of dealing and of reading the layout; consult the several interpretations of the meanings and learn to apply them, first in reading your own fortune and later that of friends,—this only after you have memorized many of the meanings and acquired a degree of fluency in elaborating the "talk" or "patter" that goes with a successful "reading."

No prophet or seer ever professed that divination by cards is a natural gift. It is universally recognized as being solely the result of study and practice, and can be mastered by anyone who has this book and gives the subject a little thought and sufficient experimental, practical test to acquire proficiency.

CARDS TO BE USED IN TELLING FORTUNES.

While any ordinary pack of playing cards sold in the usual stores can be used, it is best to secure, if possible, a pack whose face cards have only a single head, inasmuch as when, in dealing, cards come out reversed they bear a different signification in some cases, than when upright. When, however, the usual double-headed cards are used it is only necessary to make a distinctive mark on the top end of the faces of certain ones to secure the same result as though the special fortune-telling pack were employed. This mark may be a simple dot or cross with pencil or pen, and should be made at one end of the card only, which will then become the top of the card in all cases, and cards coming out in the deal with this mark at their tops will be considered as upright, and with the marked end down, as reversed. The only cards that need to be thus distinguished are: The face cards of each suit; the ace, eight, nine and ten of diamonds. (The spot cards below the seven in any suit are, in most cases, not used. Where they are employed, their reversal has no significance.) The top of the seven of diamonds, and the other suits, is considered to be the end that has the extra central pip. Spot cards of the three suits other than diamonds usually require no mark to determine their top or bottom. The "handles" of all spades and clubs, and the sharp points of all hearts, point downward when those cards are upright; hence when they point upward the cards are considered as reversed. If, however, any other cards than those here mentioned are so printed as to make it difficult to distinguish the top from the base, you should mark them at the top.

THE ONE SPECIAL CARD—THE CONSULTANT.

In some of the methods of fortune-telling by cards it is essential to have a special card as the representative of the party seeking the response of the oracle. This is commonly called the "Consultant." If there is a joker in your pack, or an extra blank card, as is the case in many packs, use one of them as the Consultant, marking this card to show which is its top, as its reversal has its own signification. If there is neither joker nor blank card, use the discarded deuce of either suit in the pack, with a mark at its top end.

THE ANCIENT ORACLE

Diamonds.

Hearts.

Spades.

METHOD A.

Using 52 Cards and the Foregoing Interpretations.

Take a pack of fifty-two cards and shuffle them three times well over, and making the significator whichever queen you please (if a lady performs the operation for herself; or king, if a gentleman), then proceed to lay them on the table, nine in a row, and wherever the operator finds himself placed, count nine cards every way, not forgetting the said significator, then it will be seen what card the significator comes in company with, and read from that.

When several diamonds come together, the interpretation is that some money will soon be received; several hearts, love; several clubs, drink and noisy troublesome company; several spades, trouble and vexation.

If two red tens come next to the significator marriage or prosperity, the ace of hearts is the house, the ace of clubs a letter, the ace of spades death, spite, or quarreling (for this is supposed to be the worst card in the pack), the ten of diamonds a journey, the three of hearts a salute, the three of spades tears, the ten of spades sickness, the nine of spades sad disappointment or trouble, to the nine of clubs is ascribed a jovial entertainment or reveling, the nine of hearts feasting, the ten of clubs traveling by water, the ten of hearts some place of amusement, the five of hearts a present, the five of clubs a bundle, the six of spades a child, the seven of spades a removal, the three of clubs fighting, the eight of clubs confusion, the eight of spades a roadway, the four of clubs a strange bed, the nine of diamonds business, the five of spades a surprise, the two red eights new clothes, the three of diamonds speaking with a friend, the four of spades a sick bed, the seven of clubs a prison, the two of spades a false friend, the four of hearts the marriage bed.

If a married lady doth lay the cards, she must then make her husband the king of the same suit she is queen of; but if a single lady, she must make her lover what king she may think proper. The jacks of the same suits are supposed to be men's thoughts, so that they may know what they are thinking of, counting nine cards from where they are placed, and it is said if any lady should wish to know whether she shall obtain her desires in any particular subject, matter, or thing whatsoever, let her shuffle the cards well, most seriously and earnestly wishing all the time for one thing; she must then cut them once, particularly observing at the same time what card that is which she cuts, then shuffle them and deal them out in three parcels, and if that said particular card which she has cut doth come next herself, or next the ace of hearts, it is taken that she will have her wish, but if the nine of spades is next to her she judges the contrary, as that is supposed to be a disappointment; however, she may try it three times, taking the major number of testimonies as a ground whereon to place her judgment. This method of using the cards is both innocent and will afford amusement.

MODERN USE OF 52 CARDS

Hearts.

Clubs.

Spades.

The following is a résumé of most of the cards and some curious combinations:

METHOD B.

METHOD C.

A pack of fifty-two cards is taken, shuffled and cut in three, each meaning being read as it turns up. The cards are then turned up one by one till a spade is found, which is not withdrawn, but the following card, which lay face uppermost on the table. If three spades are found in succession the first is missed, but the two next are taken out, as well as the following card, whether diamonds, clubs or hearts; this is continued to the end of the pack, then re-commenced without shuffling or cutting. Should the final card have been a spade, on beginning the pack afresh the first card should be taken out. The same operation is gone through twice more, in all three times. This having been done, they are laid in the form of a horseshoe in front of the dealer in the order in which they came, being careful to note that the significator is amongst them. Should it not appear naturally, it must be taken out and placed at the end. Seven are now counted from the one that represents the person consulting the oracle. When they have been read, and the relative meanings ascribed to them explained, one is taken from each end and paired, their various significations being interpreted as they turn up. These prognostications are supposed to come to pass within two months. A shorter way can be done by taking out thirty-two selected cards, viz:—ace, king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight and seven of each suit; they are read in precisely the same way. This is taken to allow a shorter period to elapse, from ten days to a fortnight, but the former is supposed to be the better method.

METHOD D.

A pack of fifty-two cards is taken, and after being well shuffled they are turned up one by one, counting one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king (here the ace counts as one). If any card should fall on the number counted—thus, supposing a five comes when five is counted, or a king when that card turns up, it must be taken out and placed on the table, face uppermost, before the dealer. After counting to a king the counting is re-commenced at one. Should two cards follow, such as three and four, eight and nine, etc., these must be abstracted, also three of a kind, such as three tens, three kings, etc., they must also be taken out; but if three of the same suit they may be passed by. When the pack has been carefully gone through, shuffled and cut, the process is gone through twice more, in all three times. They are now all laid out in rows of four and read. When this is done they are gathered together and laid two by two, thus:—