Telling fortunes by cards : $b a symposium of the several ancient and modern methods as practiced by Arab seers and sibyls and the Romany GypsiesAli, Mohammed
Religion
Telling fortunes by cards : $b a symposium of the several ancient and modern methods as practiced by Arab seers and sibyls and the Romany Gypsies
Ali, Mohammed
Card games; Fortune-telling; Fortune-telling by cards
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.
LOVE'S LOTTERY.
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 supposed to 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.
MATRIMONY.
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.
CUPID'S PASTIME.
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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