A FRENCH METHOD OF
                     FORTUNE-TELLING BY CARDS

THE methods of divination by cards are sufficiently numerous in
France, as they are in other countries, induding England. Our own,
however, are chiefly of continental origin, while, so far as it is
possible to speak with any positive opinion upon so dubious and
involved a question, it would appear that the French systems are
largely particular to themselves, subject of course to the fact that
proceeding in all cases on certain general principles, to that extent
they may be said to derive from one another, or at least from a common
root. I have selected for inclusion one system which- although it
first came into notice at the beginning of the nineteenth century- is
likely to be new to my readers. It is worked with a piquet set of
ordinary playing cards, which, as most people will know, consists of
the usual picture-pieces and the ace, 10, 9, 8 and 7 of each suit,
excluding the lower numbers. The method has appeared, I believe, under
more than one auspice, but the imputed author termed himself an
Egyptian and claimed to publish his little treatise at Memphis, which,
however, stands for Paris. It is not a very full method and is not
free from confusions as it was first issued. In the form which here
follows it has been so far rectified and extended from other French
sources that it will, I think, serve the purpose as an alternative to
the English system given in the previous section. I must explain,
however, that those who intend to make use of it should obtain, if
possible, a set of French or Swiss cards, in which the picture-pieces
appear at full length, instead of with a head at either end, and all
the numbers are marked <I>Droit</I> and <I>Renverse</I> at their
opposing poles, meaning <I>right side up</I> and <I>reversed</I>.
Otherwise, an English set may be so marked by the student. Important
differences attach to the variations in question, so far as the
trump-cards are concerned, as they do indeed in the English method.
   It may not be impertinent to mention before proceeding that the
origin of card-playing has been referred by some French writers to one
Jacquemin Gringonneur, from whom two sets were purchased in 1392 to
amuse Charles VI, King of France, during his days of distraction. It
is at most obvious that the simple historical fact can be only an
episode in the French history of cards; the evidence is concerning
sale and purchase, and it would be fantasy to assume that the vendor
in the specific instance was also the inventing artist. Spain and
Italy are sometimes said to have been in possession of cards prior to
the French people; it has been even speculated that they were brought
to Italy by Greek emigrants from Constantinople, that they drifted
from Italy into Spain and thence to our Gallic neighbours. It is
certain, in any case, that they were in Italy at the very time when
their existence is first on record in France, for they are mentioned
in a Florentine chronicle written towards the close of the fourteenth
century, while so early as 1332 it is said that they were prohibited
in Spain by an edict of Alphonsus XI. If the latter statement rests on
authority, it leaves the reason doubtful, and I mention this point to
add that we have little opportunity of deciding when cards were first
used as a game of hazard; it has been thought that at their inception
they were designed for instruction or amusement, and contained no
combinations of nnmbers, so essential for gambling arts. The earliest
records which I have cited offer no indication of the cards that
composed the sets, either as to design or quantity; therefore the
symbols and numbers may or may not have corresponded when first we
hear concerning them to the Tarot packs, which- either independently
or otherwise- were certainly in existence about the same period. It is
indubitable, as I have stated already, that these were the precursors
of our playing cards, but there are wide differences in most of the
archaic sets. It can only be said that the scheme of symbolism which
is comprised in the major trumps is unquestionably old, as it is
indubitably of great importance, though nearly all that has been
written heretofore upon the subject is referable to the realms of
reverie. A separate section is devoted, however, to the Tarot
elements, the higher construction of their meaning and its application
in an exalted sense. It remains only to say that French cartomancy in
the eighteenth and nine-teenth centuries set the fashion to the whole
English-speaking world, if not to Europe itself- that Alliette, or
Etteilla, Mlle. Lenormand, Madame Clement and Julia Orsini were the
prophets of all divination with all varieties of cards- and that,
except in certain secret circles, where there is supposed to be a
special tradition, we have done little more than follow them.
    I will give, in the first place, the general signification of
piquet cards according to various authorities, and these may be
compared with the alternative renderings which have been enumerated
already in connexion with the shorter English method. It will be
understood, as in other cases, that everything depends upon the
insight, intuition, divining gift, or- as it is called somewhat
conventionally- the clairvoyant faculty of the operator.

                            A. -DIAMONDS

    The Ace. -Letters, or news at hand otherwise.
    King. -Friendship ; if followed by the Queen, marriage; if
reversed, impediments, difficulties and the vexations thereto
belonging.
    Queen. -A woman from the country, who is fair but evil-speaking;
reversed, more directly inimical to the Querent in word and also in
deed.
    Knave. -A postman, valet, postillion, soldier, or messenger
bearing news. The news are good if the card is right side up and bad
if it appears reversed.
    Ten. -Great joy, change of place, a party from the country.
    Nine. -Delay and postponement, but not result-ing in failure.
    Eight. -A man of business or young merchant, who is commercially
related to the Querent.
    Seven. -Good news, above all if accompanied by the Ace.

                            B. -HEARTS

    The Ace. -Joy, contetitment, and-if it is accompanied by several
picture-cards- marriages, feasts, etc;, in pleasant company.
    King. -A rich man, banker, or financier, well disposed, and may
promote the interests of the Querent. If reversed, the person is
miserly and to deal with him will prove difficult.
    Queen. -An honest, frank and obliging woman; if reversed, there
will be some obstacle to a projected marriage.
    Knave. -A soldier or young man, who is anxious to promote the
Querent's welfare, will play some part in his life and will be allied
with him after one or another manner.
    Ten. -A surprise, but often one of a kind which will be
advantageous as well as agreeable to the consulting party.
    Nine. -Concord.
    Eight. -Domestic and private happiness, attended by success in
undertakings; exceedingly felicitous for the destinies of the middle
path, the amenities of the quiet life.
    Seven. -Marriage, if the Querent is a lady, and the issue will be
daughters only; if a man, it is destined that he will make a rich and
happy marriage.

                            C. -SPADES

    The Ace. -In company with the ten and nine, this card signifies
death, grief, more especially from bereavement, but also sorrow from
many sources; it includes further the idea of treason and possibly of
loss by theft or robbery.
    King. -A magistrate or lawyer, whose intervention may prove
disagreeable; the card reversed signifies loss in a lawsuit or
general derangement of affairs.
    Queen. -A disappointed woman- possibly a widow in dejection; if
reversed, one who is anxious to remarry, unknown to or in spite of her
family.
    Knave. -Some kind of disgrace which will be inimical to tbe peace
of mind and perhaps even the liberty of the Querent; reversed, serious
complications for the person concerned; also betrayal in love, if the
Querent is a woman.
    Ten. -Imprisonment for a man, if followed by thc Ace and King of
the same suit; for a woman, disease, illness.
    Nine. -Protraction and difficulties in business; followed by the
Nine of Diamonds and the Ace of Clubs, delay in the receipt of
expected money.
    Eight.-Arrival of a person who will carry bad news if followed by
the Seven of Diamonds and near to a picture card- whether King, Queen
or Knave- tears, discord, destitution or loss of employment.
    Seven. -Quarrels, inquietude; if ameliorated by the vicinity of
some Hearts, it promises safety, independence and moral consolation.

                              D. CLUBS

    Ace. -Advantages, commercial and industrial benefits of every
kind, easy collection of dues, unmixed prosperity- but these more
especially when followed by the Seven of Diamonds and the Seven of
Clubs.
    King. -An influential, powerful person, who is equitable and
benevolent towards the Querent, to whom he will render signal
services; but reversed, this personage will experience some difficulty
in his proceedings and may be even in danger of failure.
    Queen. -A dark woman, rivalry, competitive spirit; in the
neighbourhood of a card which stands for a man, she will have
preference for the man in question; on the contrary, in proximity to a
feminine card, she will be in sympathy with the Querent; reversed, she
is very covetous, jealous and disposed to infidelity.
    Knave. -One who is in love, a proper young man, who pays court to
a young lady; placed next to a feminine card, his chances of success
are very good; side by side with a man, there is reason to hope that
the latter will come actively to his assistance and will contribute to
his success, unless the said man should be signified by the Knave of
Hearts, which presages a dangerous rivalry; reversed, there is reason
to fear opposition to marriage on the part of the person's parents.
    Ten. -Prosperity and good fortune of every kind; at the same time,
if followed by the Nine of Diamonds a delay is foreshadowed in the
return of money; contrary to all, if this card is side by side with
the Nine of Spades- which everywhere signifies disappointment-
complete failure is promised; so also if the question at stake is a
lawsuit, loss is probable.
    Nine. -Success in love; for a bachelor or spinster, approaching
marriage; for a widow, her second nuptials.
    Eight. -A favourable conclusion which may be anticipated by the
Querent in financial and business matters.
    Seven. -Anxieties occasioned by love-intrigues; followed by the
Seven of Diamonds and the Nine of Spades, abundance of good things and
rich family inheritances.

                 MODE OF OPERATION IN SPECIFIED CASES
                                  I
              <I>For a Marriage and Similar Subjects</I>

Shuffle the cards of a piquet set and cut three times. If an actual
marriage is in question, remove two cards, representing the lover and
the lady whose fortunes are at issue. Place these cards, face upwards,
on the table before you. As usual, fair people are represented by
Hearts and Diamonds but those of dark complexion by Clubs and Spades.
The attribution, between these lines, seems to be usually at
predilection or discretion, but Diamonds are sometimes taken to
signify very fair people and blondes, while Spades are for actual
brunettes and very dusky complexions.
    Lay out the rest of the cards three by three; in every triplicity
which produces two of the same suit, select the higher card of that
suit and place it by the side of the other card which stands for the
Querent. Throw out the rest for the moment, but they will be required
later. When any triplicity produces entirely different suits, put
aside all three in the rejected pile. When the entire cards of the set
have thus been dealt with in succession, take up the rejected lot, and
after shuffling and cutting as before, proceed in the same manner
until you have drawn fifteen cards and placed them by the side of the
Querent.
    If the Querent is a dark man, he will not have his wish regarding
the marriage contemplated unless a tierce to the King in Clubs be
among the fifteen cards. It may of course happen that the King has
been drawn to represent him. If, however; he be a Spade, then
alternatively there must be a tierce in Spades.
    The same rule obtains if the Querent is a dark young lady, but in
addition to a tierce in the suit there must be the Ace of the suit
also.
    If the Querent is a fair man or woman, then a tierce in the one
case and a tierce and the Ace in the other must be found in Hearts or
Diamonds according to the grade of their fairness.
    If the question concerns a marriage to take place in the country,
it has been held by the expositors of the system that a tierce to the
King in Diamonds is indispensable. This seems to involve the system in
respect of fair people, but it is only a confusion of expression. If
Diamonds correspond to the Querent, that tierce must obviously be
present, or <I>ex hypothesi</I> there will be no marriage; but if
present the inference is that the Querent will get his wish in respect
of locality as well as of the fact of marriage. On the other hand, if
the Querent is referable to any other of the three remaining suits,
then <I>ex hypothesi</I>, to attain his presumed wish for a country
wedding, he must have the tierce in Diamonds as well as in his own
suit. It is not very probable that the alternative between town and
country will arise as a subsidiary question, and if it does, it might
be better to determine it separately by the help of some other system.
It serves no purpose to ignore the shades of complexion in fair people
and represent them indifferently by Diamonds, as this would be forcing
the oracles and would make the reading void.
    Finally, if the marriage question concerns a widower or widow, it
is equally essential that the cards drawn should furnish a tierce to
the King in Spades and the Ace of Hearts- which again is very hard
upon all persons who are not represented by Spades. The inference is
that second marriages are rare.

                                 II
                 <I>For Questions ol Inheritance</I>

    Shuffle and cut as before, and place on the table a card which is
held to typify the Querent. The presence of the Ace of Spades,
manifesting right side up, indicates profit in consequence of a death-
that is to say, an inheritance or legacy. If the Ace is accompanied by
the Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten of Clubs, there will be a large
increment of money. The combination may be difficult to secure, but
very large inheritances are rarer than second marriages.

                                III
                <I>For Lawsuits and Similar Matters</I>

    No judginent can be given on the chances of a lawsuit, actual or
pending, nor generally on things of this nature, unless the King of
Spades comes out in the dealing. If that card is held usually to
represent the Querent, then it only follows automatically that a
judgment is possible, and it is so much the easier for him in such
case. The shuffling, cutting and dealing proceed as before, and if the
Ace in question serves to complete the quint major in Spades- that is,
the Ace, King, Queen, Knave and Ten- it is to be feared that the suit
will prove good for nothing, either by going against the Querent or
bringing him no profit in the opposite case. But if the Ace is
accompanied by the four Tens, the chances are excellent. They are said
also to be more than good in another event of the dealing which I
forbear from dwelling on, as it is practically, if not otherwise,
impossible for the fifteen cards- which the dealing proposes to
extract- to be all of the red sults. It is well known that compilers
of works on cartomancy sometimes forget the limits prescribed by their
systems and get consequently into ridiculous plights.

                                 IV
                          <I>For a Theft</I>

    For the discovery of a thief, the presence of the four Knaves is
indispensable to any reading, and, as it happens, it is not utterly
difficult- though it is none too easy- that the chances of the cards
should produce them. The procedure is throughout as before. If the
King and the Eight of Spades turn up among the fffteen cards, this
means that the thief is already in prison; if the Ace of Spades is
among them, the prisoner will be in danger of death; the presence of
the Ace of Clubs, the King of Clubs and the Queen of Hearts will
afford some hope that the person who stole will himself make
restitution; lastly, the predominance of Diamonds offers ground for
believing that the thief has been arrested, but on another charge than
that which would be preferred by the Querent on his own part.

                                 V
                    <I>For a Person in Prison</I>

    The question at issue is whether the captive has any chance of
speedy liberation. The procedure is throughout as before, except that
the card selected is held to represent the person in durance instead
of the Querent. The fifteen cards having been produced as the result
of the working, they should be examined in the usual way. The presence
of the Queen of Hearts, Knave of Clubs, Nine of Clubs and the four
Aces will give ground for hope that liberation will be easy and at
hand. In proportion as these cards are absent, there will be delay in
the desired event, and if none are found, it is likely to be rather
remote. On the other hand, the appearance of the Eight and Nine of
Spades, the King of Spades, and the Knave and Nine of Diamonds, will
signify that liberty shall be scarcely obtained, except after many
obstacles and much consequent ~ostponement.

                                 VI
                        <I>For Travellers</I>

    It is assumed that the Querent is not himself on a journey but is
consulting the oracles for one in whose fortunes he is for some reason
interested, by ties of friendship or otherwise. Proceed as before,
selecting a card to represent the absent person. When the dealing is
finished, the resulting cards should be consulted to ascertain whether
they include the Ace of Hearts, the Ace of Diamonds and the Ten of
Diamonds, the presence of which will foreshadow probable news.
Probability will be raised into certainty by the appearance of the
Seven of Diamonds. If, however, the Ten of Spades is found in
proximity to the card representing the person who is away on his
travels, there will be reason to fear that he is ill; so also the Ace
of Spades reversed will mean that he is in other danger than sickness.
If he is to succeed in the enterprise that has called him abroad, he
will be escorted by the Nine of Hearts, the Ace and the King of Clubs.
Finally, if the Eight of Diamonds is found in relation to his own
card, this means that he is on the point of returning.
    There is a variation of procedure in all the above cases, which
consists in protracting the dealing till twenty-one cards have been
drawn instead of fifteen. It is put on record by the so-called
Egyptian, speaking from the seat of knowledge, that the predominance
of red cards as the result of operation in any given instance
foretells great success for the person on whose behalf the
consultation is made. The Ace, Ten, Nine, Eight and Seven of Hearts
are premonitory of news on which the Querent may be congratulated. The
same cards in the suit of Clubs promise success in a lawsuit, or a
lucky number in a lottery. The same in the suit of Spades
prognosticate news of a relative's death, or that of a friend, but
whether there will be profit to the Querent is not so certain, having
regard to the generally fatal nature of this suit, the constituents of
which may be said almost to constitute the greater misfortunes in
cartomancy. The particular numbers in the suit of Diamonds carry with
them the same kind of prevision as Hearts.
    So far the Egyptian and those who have followed in his footsteps
and have extended his method. There are probably several other systems
of fortune-telling by means of piquet cards; but as there is no
particular authority, so also, and certainly, there is no advantage in
thus reducing the elements on which divinatory calculations can be
made. The cards below seven in an ordinary pack have their special
meanings and therefore their special use. It is obvious that a fuller
reading can be obtained with a fuller set, and this is one reason-
apart from their incalculably superior symbolism- why Tarot cards,
with so many additional numbers, are richer than ordinary cards for
the purposes of cartomancy. It should be understood, therefore, that
in presenting the French method I am not concerned with recommending
it, except in respect of simplicity, to those who are interested in
such matters, and although, outside the modes of dealing, I have
included from another source only the separate short signification of
the two-and-thirty cards, there is no reason why the student or reader
should not take advantage of the full pack. Both within and without
the present collection, there are ample opportunities to ascertain the
significance of the smaller cards; their presence will not stultify
the system for those who care to follow it; and, as I have indicated,
they help the reading. When the eye of the intuitive mind is open, it
is well in things of this kind that the materials on which it can work
should not be unreasonably restricted. The thirty-two piquet cards are
not the two-and-thirty paths of the absolute according to Kabalism,
and so there is no special magic in the lesser number, or if it
resides anywhere deeply <I>perdu</I>, it has not been given me to find
it, a deficiency which I share apparently with those who invented the
system, for they have certainly failed to adduce it.

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    Scanned from "Manual of Cartomancy and Occult Divination", by
Grand Orient [A. E. Waite], Rider, 1912. Corrected and formatted by
hand.