How to tell fortunes : $b containing Napoleon's Oraculum and the key to work it; also tells fortunes by cards, lucky and unlucky days, signs and omens.Warford, Aaron A.
Religion
How to tell fortunes : $b containing Napoleon's Oraculum and the key to work it; also tells fortunes by cards, lucky and unlucky days, signs and omens.
Warford, Aaron A.
Fortune-telling; Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 -- Relations with fortune-tellers
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account