Fortune Telling with Cards

Excerpt from The History of Playing Cards by Ed. S. Taylor (1865)

 The mode of fortune-telling used by the English "card-cutters" as they are familiarly termed [will] now be described. A man of a very fair complexion is represented by the King of diamonds; a woman by the queen of the same suit. Persons of less fair complexion, according to sex, by the king and queen of hearts. A man and woman of very dark complexion, by the king and queen of spades; while those not quite so dark are represented by clubs. If a married woman consults the cards, the king of her own colour represents her husband, whether he be fair or dark, and vice versa if the cards are consulted by a married man. Lovers, whither in esse or posse, are always represented by cards of their peculiar colours; and all cards when representing persons, lose their normal significations. There are exceptions, however, to all general rules. A widow, no matter how fair she may be, can be represented only by the queen of spades; while a man wearing uniform, even, if a Negro cymbal-player in a regimental band, may be represented by the king of diamonds--the dress of a policeman is not considered as uniform. The ace of hearts denotes the house of the person consulting the decrees of fate. The ace of clubs, a letter. The ace of diamonds, a wedding ring. The ace of spades, sickness and death. The knave of diamonds is a selfish and deceitful friend. The knave of hearts, an unselfish and sincere friend. The knave of spades is a lawyer, a person to be avoided. The nave of clubs is a sincere friend, but of very touchy temper. In all instances, however, the knaves signify the thoughts of their respective kings and queens; and, consequently, the thoughts of the persons whom the kings and queens represent, in accordance with their complexion; and when doing so, lose their normal signification. Generally speaking, diamonds and hearts are more fortunate than spades and clubs. Several diamonds coming together, signify the receipt of money; several hearts denote love. A concourse of clubs foretells drunkenness and debauchery, with their consequent ill-health; and a number of spades together, indicate disappointment, with its accompanying vexation.

 The kings and queens, besides representing persons according to their colour, have private significations of their own, that may be of interest to the physiognomist.  Thus, the king of diamonds is quick to anger, but easily appeased; while the queen is fond of gaiety, and of rather a coquettish disposition. The king of hearts is slow to anger, but when put in a passion, is appeased with great difficulty; he is good-natured, but particularly obstinate; his queen, however, is a model of sincere affection, devotion, and prudence. The king of spades is so ambitious, that in matters of either love or business, he is much less scrupulous than he ought to be; while his queen, is a person not to be provoked with impunity, never forgetting an injury, and having a considerable spice of malice in her composition. The king and queen of clubs are everything that can be desired; he is honourable, true, and affectionate; she is agreeable, genteel and witty.

 The interpretations of the minor cards are as follows:--

 Diamonds.

 Ten.-- Wealth. Honourable success in business.

Nine. -- A roving disposition, combined with successful adventures in foreign lands.

Eight.-- A happy marriage, though perhaps late in life.

Seven.-- Satire, Scandal

Six.-- Early marriage, succeeded by widowhood.

Five.-- Unexpected, though generally good news.

Four.-- An unfaithful friend. A secret betrayed.

Trey.-- Domestic quarrels, trouble, unhappiness.

Deuce.-- A clandestine engagement. A card of caution.

 

Hearts.

Ten.-- Health and happiness, with many children

Nine.--Wealth, and good position in society

Eight.--Fine clothes. Mixing in good society. Invitations to balls,

theatres, parties.

Seven.--Good friends.

Six.-- Honourable courtship.

Five.-- A present.

Four. -- Domestic troubles caused by jealousy

Trey.--Poverty, shame and sorrow,, the result of imprudence. A card of caution.

Deuce.-- Success in life, and a happy marriage attained by virtuous discretion.

 

Spades.

Ten.-- Disgrace, crime, imprisonment. Death on the scaffold. A card of caution.

Nine.-- Grief, ruin, sickness, death.

Eight.-- Great danger from imprudence. A card of caution.

Seven.-- Unexpected poverty, through the death of a relative

Six.--A child. To the Unmarried, a card of caution.

Five.--Great danger from giving way to bad temper. A card of caution.

Four.-- Sickness.

Trey.--Tears. A journey by land.

Deux.-- A removal.

 

Clubs.

Ten.--Unexpected wealth through the death of a relative

Nine.--Danger through drunkenness. A card of caution.

Eight.--Danger from covetousness. A card of caution.

Seven.--A prison. Danger from the opposite sex. A card of caution.

Six.-- Competence by honourable industry.

Five.-- A happy, though not wealthy marriage.

Four.--Misfortune through caprice or inconstancy. A card of caution.

Trey.-- Quarrels. It also has a reference to time, signifying three years, three months, three weeks or three days; and denotes that a person will be married more than once.

Deux.-- Disappointment, vexation.

The general mode of operation is simple enough. The person consulting fortune, after shuffling the cards, cuts them into three parts. The seeress, then, taking up the parts, lays them out one by one, face upwards, on the table, in rows, nine cards in each row, save the last. Nine, in fact, is a mystical number. Each ninth card bearing a portentous import, while each nine consecutive cards forms a separate combination, complete in itself; yet like a word in a sentence, no more than a fractional part of the grand scroll of fate. Moreover, every card, something like the octaves in music, has a peculiar bearing on the ninth card from it, and these ninth cards form in themselves peculiar combinations of nines, though parts of the general whole.

. . . .

The nine of hearts is known as "the wish card," for there is always a secret something, an aspiration of some kind or another, lying in the lowest depth of the human heart, that even general good fortune, health, and happiness, cannot gratify. So, after the fortune has been told, . . . the grand question arises, will this particular wish be granted? To solve this important problem, the cards are well shuffled, and cut, the cut card being particularly remembered. The pack is again well shuffled, and cut into three heaps, each of which are taken up and examined separately. If the wish card, the nine of hearts, be found in any of these heaps near the representative card of the person, whose fortune is being told, the wish will be gratified, sooner or later, according to the relative positions of the cards. If the nine of spades, deuce of clubs, or other very unlucky card be in the same heap, the gratification of the wish, according to the number of unlucky cards is doubtful, or will be greatly delayed. But mark, if the card first cut be in the same heap, the evil effect of the opposing unlucky cards, will be greatly, if not entirely modified.

Card-cutting, as practised among the lower classes in England, not only foretells the certain future, but also warns against dangers that may be avoided. In an able article on this subject, in that valuable compilation, Chamber's Book of Days, the author says: "Unlike the witches of the olden time, the fortune-tellers are generally esteemed and respected in the districts in which they live and practice. And it will not be difficult to discover sufficient reasons for this respect and esteem. The most ignorant and depraved have ever a lurking respect for morality and virtue; and the fortune-tellers are shrewd enough to know and act upon this feeling. They always take care to point out what they term "the cards of caution' and impressively warn their clients from falling into the dangers those cards foreshadow, but do not positively foretell, for the dangers to be avoided by prudence and circumspection. By referring to the preceding significations of the cards, it will be seen that there are cards of caution arising from drunkenness, covetousness, inconstancy, caprice, evil temper, illicit love, clandestine engagements." Consequently, the "card-cutters" really exercise a considerable effect of a most beneficial kind, on the moral conduct of the poorer and more ignorant classes dwelling in the crowded unhealthy houses of our large towns and cities.