It is not within my province to offer either theoretical or practical suggestions on this subject, in which I have no part, but the following additamenta have been contributed by one who has more titles to speak than all the cartomancists of Europe, if they could shuffle with a single pair of hands and divine with one tongue.
Notes On The Practice Of Divination
- 1. Before beginning the operation, formulate your question definitely, and repeat it aloud.
- 2. Make your mind as blank as possible while shuffling the cards.
- 3. Put out of the mind personal bias and preconceived ideas as far as possible, or your judgment will be tinctured thereby.
- 4. On this account it is more easy to divine correctly for a stranger than for yourself or a friend.
Section 9
THE METHOD OF READING BY MEANS OF THIRTY-FIVE CARDS
When the reading is over, according to the scheme set forth in the last method, it may happen—as in the previous case—that something remains doubtful, or it may be desired to carry the question further, which is done as follows:
Take up the undealt cards which remain over, not having been used in the first operation with 42 cards. The latter are set aside in a heap, with the Querent, face upwards, on the top. The thirty-five cards, being shuffled and cut as before, are divided by dealing into six packets thus:—
Packet I consists of the first Seven Cards; Packet II consists of the Six Cards next following in order; Packet III consists of the Five Cards following; Packet IV contains the next Four Cards; Packet V contains Two Cards; and Packet VI contains the last Eleven Cards. The arrangement will then be as follows:—
Take up these packets successively; deal out the cards which they contain in six lines, which will be necessarily of unequal length.
- The First Line stands for the house, the environment and so forth.
- The Second Line stands for the person or subject of the divination.
- The Third Line stands for what is passing outside, events, persons, etc.
- The Fourth Line stands for a surprise, the unexpected, etc.
- The Fifth Line stands for consolation, and may moderate all that is unfavorable in the preceding lines.
- The Sixth Line is that which must be consulted to elucidate the enigmatic oracles of the others; apart from them it has no importance.