The Fortune Teller's Secret

 
Individual playing cards may each be assigned a specific meaning by a 'fortune teller' and after being shuffled show how what today is sometimes called 'synchronicity' is involved with the cards in the sequence of being uncovered.  Providing an example of such a technique in this article, I've selected for presentation a chapter from The Red Fortune Book (1924) by Nell St. John Montague, who also is the author of the autobiography Revelations of a Society Clairvoyante (1926).
 
In a book instructing readers to consider the motivations of information providers concerning supernormal phenomena, trance medium Eileen Garrett mentioned Nell as a crystal gazer who had an impressive reputation.  Harry Price is another author who mentioned Nell.  He wrote in Fifty Years of Psychical Research (1939) —

The best modern scryer is Miss Nell St. John Montague, of South Kensington.  To my personal knowledge, she has scored some remarkable successes.

. . . I have to record the remarkable cryptaesthesia of Miss Nell St.John Montague (Mrs. Standish-Barry), of South Kensington.  Miss Montague uses a crystal and has scored many successes.  I have not sat with her myself, but several persons (including the late Hon. Everard Feilding) have reported to me favourably concerning her.  Dr. R. F. Korte, of Hameln-am-Weser, wrote me on March 29, 1936, that his cousin had visited Miss Montague, who accurately described his (Dr. Korte’s) house and household; had mentioned many true details of his cousin’s husband, an incident that occurred to him in Portugal, and other intimate information.  Dr. Korte concludes: "To my cousin’s conviction everything Miss Montague has told her corresponds absolutely with the facts of the past and coincides with happenings of the future."  This was an excellent result obtained by a complete stranger . . .

I've one comment concerning Nell's perspective of circumstances of luck and prosperity among those consulting a fortune teller.  It is not material success that should be an individual's main concern but instead spiritual knowledge as this will serve one for far longer a time.  Beyond 'synchronicity,' psychic abilities may also be a factor in the reading of cards.

Nell St. John Montague (1875-1944) and The Red Fortune Book

CHAPTER XII

Fortune-Telling from Playing Cards

ONE of the most popular of all methods of telling fortunes is by the cards, and young and old of both sexes are never averse to take a hand, and "cut" for a peep into the future.  The many ways of reading the cards are legion, but to read them really effectively requires a more intimate knowledge than is perhaps supposed, for the position of each card in relation to another is full of a significance only learnt from careful study and experience.  Wonderful results can be got from the cards, and the art of reading them is always full of interest, while they provide boundless possibilities for entertainment at an afternoon or evening party.

If three people happen to be interested in cards, they can tell their fortunes together, by the following method, which French gipsies use.

A pack of ordinary playing cards must first of all be well shuffled by each person in turn, with the dealer, after three times cutting the pack, will deal out the cards equally.

The player on the left then shows her hand, and the others lay their cards face upwards on the table.

The one who possesses the most Kings may be sure that she of the three present will have the greatest number of admirers, while whoever finds the King of Hearts will make a sudden marriage, and if she is already married will marry again.

The Red Knaves are lovers, but the Knave of Spades signifies an unfaithful admirer or fiancé, while the Knave of Clubs shows that a proposal of marriage is coming to the one who holds him.  If a red card is beside him, she will marry, but if a black card is on either side, she may make up her mind for a broken engagement, or if married, many matrimonial quarrels.

The player who holds the greatest number of diamonds will have a successful career and inherit money, and the one who has the most Hearts will be lucky in love.

Many black cards together may be taken as a warning that the holder will be mixed up in scandal and talk, and if the Queen of Spades is near, she may be sure a dark woman is the instigator.  If, however, the black cards are much separated by red, it is a sign that slander and scandal will not harm the player.

Seven of hearts is a lucky card and prophesies for the holder the longest life, the most successful career, and the greatest amount of travelling of the three.

She who holds the Seven of Clubs will have the greatest number of dresses, but she who owns the Ace of Diamonds will not want for money or jewels.

The Seven of Hearts tells the holder that she, out of the three, will alone get her wish, and the Ace of Spades, if next to a Spades card, is an indication that the holder will be an old maid if unmarried, or if already married, that she will never secure a second husband.

The Ace of Hearts, next to a Black Knave, promises a ring from a dark man.  The player who finds she holds the Nine of Clubs next to the Three of Diamonds will have a far more varied and exciting life than the other two players.

The following table will be useful to all keen on card divination, and I have translated it from the strange patois in which it was written for me by an old Gipsy Queen—a weird and terrible-looking woman whom we met in a great forest in France.

She was a great-grandmother, but she and her wild-looking husband still remained leaders of the wild gang who inhabited the forest, and who originally hailed from Spain.

HEARTS

Ace of Hearts promises pleasure and excitement.  If it is beside Spades, look out for a quarrel.  If Hearts are close, you will meet an old lover.  If Diamonds, there will be rejoicing.  If, however, a Club is near, you will cross the sea.  The King of Hearts promises to a female player a lover, or a husband.

The Queen of Hearts, to a man, is an indication that he will meet his great romance.

The Knave of Hearts is a useful admirer, rather looked upon as a "poodle-faker".

Ten of Hearts, a large family of children to married folk.

Nine of Hearts, success in love affairs, and a certain amount of wealth.  If, however, a club card is next, look out for a robbery.

Eight of Hearts promises many festivities.

Seven of Hearts, a very lucky and important card, prophesies long life, success in professions and careers, and a great deal of travelling.

Six of Hearts is a warning not to lend money.

Five of Hearts foretells many flirtations and a broken engagement.

Four of Hearts shows a faddy disposition and much change in love affairs.

Three of Hearts, that the eternal Triangle will rather interfere with your married life unless you are on your guard.

Two of Hearts, a happy married life, unless it is placed near the Four of Clubs, when you will meet with hostile criticism from your husband's relations.

DIAMONDS

The Ace of Diamonds promises a proposal by letter.

The King of Diamonds is a signal that an elderly man with money will want to interfere with your life.

The Queen of Diamonds, to a man, prophesies a fair woman with money will be an ardent admirer.

The Knave of Diamonds is someone who will try to "do" you, at business.

The Ten of Diamonds promises wealth, and success, unless near the Ten of Spades, when it means a bank failure.

The Nine of Diamonds foretells that many journeys and changes lies before the holder.

The Eight of Diamonds shows that the holder will never be domesticated, or content with an uneventful life.

Nomads of many countries adopt this card as their own emblem.

The Seven of Diamonds foretells fame by the sword.

The Six of Diamonds is a signal of two marriages.

The Five of Diamonds promises good friends and a clever husband.

The Four of Diamonds, quarreling in married life.

The Three of Diamonds, a law suit and much disappointment with money.

The Two of Diamonds, a marriage against all the wishes of relatives.

CLUBS

The Ace of Clubs, prosperity in big business ventures.

The King of Clubs, success in law.  As a husband he will be exacting and erratic.

The Queen of Clubs, to a man, indicates a partner with a most affectionate disposition, inclined to jealousy.

The Knave of Clubs, a true man friend.

The Ten of Clubs, riches at the expense of friendship.

The Nine of Clubs shows you should follow your own ideas.

The Eight of Clubs is a card lucky to misers.

The Seven of Clubs promises wonderful success in business, and if near the Ace of Hearts indicates love and happiness.

The Six of Clubs indicates a change of houses, and moving about.

The Five of Clubs indicates a good financial change through a wealthy marriage.

The Four of Clubs, deceit and disappointment about you through a false friend.

The Three of Clubs, that you will be engaged three times.

The Two of Clubs, a partnership with an undesirable person.

SPADES

Ace of Spades shows you will hear of illness, but not death.

King of Spades, to a woman, promises a powerful lover or husband, and much social brilliance.

The Queen of Spades, to a man, a handsome wife, who will be divorced.

The Knave of Spades is a lazy partner, unlucky to both sexes.

The Ten of Spades is an unlucky card, denoting failures, but if next to a Heart card, shows out of evil, good will come.

The Nine of Spades is the most disastrous in all the pack.  It foretells illness, disappointments and tragedies, but if next to a Diamond the ill omen is altered to indicate a change for the better.

The Eight of Spades is a change of all your plans.

The Seven of Spades is a warning you will lose a friend.

The Six of Spades, the failure of some undertaking, and if near the Knave of Cups indicates a quarrel with a relative.

The Five of Spades warns you to be careful of red-haired people.

The Four of Spades indicates that if you will lend money you will never get it back.  It is also a bad card to all gamblers.

The Three of Spades, that in your married life you will meet with much disappointment.

The Two of Spades is only lucky if it is situated near a red card on either side.  Then it shows you will inherit money.  Alone it is an indication of deceit and loss.

This table will help you to tell fortunes by a method which I have always found successful.

Make your companion sit opposite to you, and tell her to shuffle well the pack.  You then extract the Queen of Hearts and place her at the top of the table.

Ask your vis-à-vis to draw out two cards from the pack, one of each you place on either side of the Queen.

These cards are the keynote to the whole of the following fortune.  If they are both Hearts, then no matter what the rest of the cards will forbode, she will at least be successful in love.

If Diamonds are drawn, she will never want for worldly goods.

If one card is Hearts and the other Diamonds, she will be lucky in love, and also with money.

If, however, two Clubs are drawn, they foretell much struggling and many difficulties in a career.

If Clubs and Spades turn up, she must be prepared for some treachery, and will be mixed up in a law suit.

Two Spades cards will prophesy enemies, and slander will endeavour to prevent her from gaining her wish.

The rest of the fortune can be told by playing out the cards face upwards in lines of SEVEN beneath the Queen and her "Keynote," from the Gipsy Table I have quoted, always bearing in mind that any unlucky card which is placed between two Hearts cards loses its ill omen.

Also if the Black cards are found in the fourth, fifth or sixth lines, they only foretell disappointments in the far future.

The cards in the first three lines show events in the immediate future.

If you want to know which of two men will become your husband, take two Kings to suit their colouring, and, placing a sprig of thyme between them, lay them beneath your pillow as the clock strikes the first stroke of midnight.  When you sleep you will dream of the man you will marry.

Here is another method of fortune-telling by cards which I have found to be very successful.

By this particular way you can either read your fortune for yourself or tell the future for your friends.  The first thing to do is to procure a pack of ordinary playing cards, but do not get cards with green backs, as green is unlucky, and often spoils all occult readings.  If you are going to read for yourself, take the full pack, shuffle well, and then, laying it on the table, cut three times from left to right.

Pick up the pack again, and, if you are fair, take out the Queen of Hearts, or the Queen of Spades if your colouring is dark.  (Of course, if a man tries this method, he must necessarily extract either the King of Hearts or of Spades.)

Lay the cards representing yourself on your left hand.

Shuffle once more, and cut seven times, laying the cards, as you cut, face upwards.

If cards of your own colouring predominate, you will know that your fate will be much improved within the next seven months.  If, however, cards of the opposite colour to yours are in greater number, then take it as a warning that some treachery is near.  If the Two of Spades appears you may expect to lose a small sum of money.

When you have cut seven times, shuffle once more, and play face downwards until you reach the seventh card.  When you reach this, turn it up, and lay it on the table.

If it is a King of either colour, you will surely meet a new lover and, if unmarried, will get a proposal of marriage within three months.  If married already, it is a sign that you will marry again and will be rich.

If you are doubtful at any time about the faithfulness of your lover, play out seventeen cards, and if the seventeenth happens to be one of the four Kings, you may rest content that you will never be deceived in love.

When you want to tell the future by cards for more than one friend, place them always on your left, and make each one in turn cut seven times.  The one who cuts the greatest number of cards of her own colouring will be the luckiest in life, and will always prosper in love.

If anyone wants to know if there is any treachery against them they must play out five cards.  If the fifth turned up is the Five of Spades it is a warning that an untrue friend will try to make mischief in business, and in love affairs.  If the Ten of Spades, as well as the Five, turns up, then you must be warned to look out for scandal and slander against you.

Once the eldest son of a ruling Prince in India asked me to tell his fortune by the cards, and each time I read for him the Five of Spades, closely followed by the Ten of Spades, turned up.  I warned him to make inquiries, as some wrong-doing and treachery against him was on foot, but he smiled and shook his head, assuring me that that was impossible, as he had no enemies powerful enough to injure him.

A week later that same Prince rode to our house and told me that his father had died suddenly and he found he had been disinherited, and passed over for a younger brother, as, unknown to him, he had been slandered to his father, who was a rather impulsive man, easily influenced by others.

As Prince S----- said himself, as he strode up and down, a tragic figure in his crimson and gold, if only he had taken the warning of the cards he might have found out about the treachery against him in time.

There is a special time which is lucky for fortune-telling by cards, and Saturday evening of all times is best.  Sunday evening, too, is quite lucky.

Never tell fortunes by card on a Tuesday, except the first Tuesday in June or July.