In Fortune-Telling by Cards as in all games at which they are employed the Ace ranks highest in value. Then comes the King, followed by the Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight and Seven, with the other numbers in their order. The comparative value of the different suits is as follows :

First on the list stand Clubs, as they mostly portend happiness, and, no matter how numerous or how accompanied, they are rarely or never of bad augury.

Next come Hearts, which usually signify joy, liberality, or good temper.

Diamonds, on the contrary, denote delay, quarrels and annoyance, while

Spades, the worst of all, signify grief, sickness and loss of money.

I am, of course, speaking generally, as, in many cases, the position of cards changes their signification entirely, their individual and relative meaning being often widely different.

For example, the King of Hearts, the Nine of Hearts and the Nine of Clubs signify respectively a liberal man, joy, and success in love; but change their position by placing the King between the two nines, and you would read that a man, then rich and happy, would be ere long consigned to a prison.

I will, in the first place, give a complete list of the cards, together with their precise significance, and then briefly describe the manner of their arrangement by English seers, with a view to the successful disclosure of their mystic oracles.

  • ♣️ Clubs
    • ♣️ Ace of Clubs.—Wealth, happiness and peace of mind.
    • ♣️ King of Clubs.—A dark man, upright, faithful and affectionate in disposition.
    • ♣️ Queen of Clubs.—A dark woman, gentle and pleasing.
    • ♣️ Jack of Clubs.—A sincere but hasty friend. Also a dark man’s thoughts.
    • ♣️ Ten of Clubs.—Unexpected riches, and loss of a dear friend.
    • ♣️ Nine of Clubs.—Disobedience to friends’ wishes.
    • ♣️ Eight of Clubs.—A covetous man. It also warns against speculations.
    • ♣️ Seven of Clubs.—Promises good fortune and happiness, but bids a person beware of the opposite sex.
    • ♣️ Six of Clubs.—Predicts a lucrative business.
    • ♣️ Five of Clubs.—A prudent marriage.
    • ♣️ Four of Clubs.—Cautiousness against inconstancy or change of object for the sake of money.
    • ♣️ Three of Clubs.—Shows that a person will be more than once married.
    • ♣️ Two of Clubs.—A disappointment.
  • ♦️ Diamonds
    • ♦️ Ace of Diamonds.—A letter—but from whom and what about must be judged by the neighboring cards.
    • ♦️ King of Diamonds.—A fair man, hot tempered, obstinate and revengeful.
    • ♦️ Queen of Diamonds.—A fair woman, fond of company and a coquette.
    • ♦️ Jack of Diamonds.—A near relation who considers only his own interests. Also a fair person’s thoughts.
    • ♦️ Ten of Diamonds.—Money.
    • ♦️ Nine of Diamonds.—Shows that a person is fond of roving.
    • ♦️ Eight of Diamonds.—A marriage late in life.
    • ♦️ Seven of Diamonds.—Satire, evil speaking.
    • ♦️ Six of Diamonds.—Early marriage and widowhood.
    • ♦️ Five of Diamonds.—Unexpected news.
    • ♦️ Four of Diamonds.—Trouble arising from unfaithful friends ; also a betrayed secret.
    • ♦️ Three of Diamonds.—Quarrels, law-suits and domestic disagreements.
    • ♦️ Two of Diamonds.—An engagement against the wishes of friends.
  • ♥️ Hearts
    • ♥️ Ace of Hearts.—The house. If attended by Spades, it foretells quarrelling—if by Hearts, affection and friendship—if by Diamonds, money and distant friends—if by Glubs, feasting and merrymaking.
    • ♥️ King of Hearts.—A fair man, of good-natured disposition, but hasty and rash.
    • ♥️ Queen of Hearts.— A fair woman, faithful, prudent and affectionate.
    • ♥️ Jack of Hearts.—The dearest friend of the consulting party. Also a fair person’s thoughts.
    • ♥️ Ten of Hearts.—Is prophetic of happiness and many children ; is corrective of the bad tidings of cards next to it, and confirms their good tidings.
    • ♥️ Nine of Hearts.—Wealth and high esteem. Also the wish card.
    • ♥️ Eight of Hearts.—Pleasure, company.
    • ♥️ Seven of Hearts.—A fickle and false friend, against whom be on your guard.
    • ♥️ Six of Hearts.—A generous but credulous person.
    • ♥️ Five of Hearts.—Troubles caused by unfounded jealousy.
    • ♥️ Four of Hearts.—A person not easily won.
    • ♥️ Three of Hearts.—Sorrow caused by a person’s own imprudence.
    • ♥️ Two of Hearts.—Great success, but equal care and attention needed to secure it.
  • ♠️ Spades
    • ♠️ Ace of Spades.—Great misfortune, spite.
    • ♠️ King of Spades.—A dark, ambitious man.
    • ♠️ Queen of Spades.—A malicious, dark woman, generally a widow.
    • ♠️ Jack of Spades.—An indolent, envious person ; a dark man’s thoughts.
    • ♠️ Ten of Spades.—Grief, imprisonment.
    • ♠️ Nine of Spades.—A card of very bad import, foretelling sickness and misfortune.
    • ♠️ Eight of Spades.—Warns a person to be cautious in his undertakings.
    • ♠️ Seven of Spades.—Loss of a friend, attended with much trouble.
    • ♠️ Six of Spades.—Wealth through industry.
    • ♠️ Five of Spades.—Shows that a bad temper requires correcting.
    • ♠️ Four of Spades.—Sickness.
    • ♠️ Three of Spades.—A journey.
    • ♠️ Two of Spades.—A removal.

The Court cards of Hearts and Diamonds usually represent people with lighter featureswhile Clubs and Spades darker features.

Any picture-card between two others of equal value, as two tens, two aces, etc., denotes that the person represented by that card runs the risk of imprisonment.

Signification of Different Cards of the same Denomination Four Aces, coming together, or following each other, announce danger, failure in business and sometimes imprisonment. If one or more of them be reversed, the danger will be lessened, but that is all.

Three Aces coming in the same manner, signify good tidings ; if reversed, folly.

Four Kings.—A consultation on important business,the result of which will be highly satisfactory ; if reversed, success will be doubtful.

Two Kings.—A partnership in business ; if reversed, a dissolution of the same. Sometimes this only denotes friendly projects.

Four Queens.—Company, society ; one or more reversed denotes that the entertainment will not go off well.

Three Queens.—Friendly calls ; reversed—chattering and scandal, or deceit.

Two Queens.—A meeting between friends ; reversed—poverty, and troubles in which one will involve the other.

Four Jacks.—A noisy party, mostly young people ; reversed—a drinking bout.

Three Jacks.—False friends ; reversed—a quarrel with some low person.

Two Jacks.—Evil intentions ; reversed—danger.

Four Tens.—Great success in projected enterprises ; reversed—the success will not be so brilliant, but still it will be sure.

Three Tens.—Improper conduct ; reversed— failure.

Two Tens.—Change of trade or profession ; reversed— denotes that the prospect is only a distant one.

Four Nines.—A great surprise ; reversed—a public dinner.

Three Nines.—Joy, fortune, health ; reversed wealth lost by imprudence.

Two Nines.—A little gain ; reversed—trifling losses at cards.

Four Eights.—A short journey ; reversed—the return of a friend or relative.

Three Eights.—Thoughts of marriage; reversed folly, flirtation.

Two Eights.—A brief love-dream ; reversed small pleasures and trifling pains.

Four Sevens.—Intrigues among servants or low people, threats, snares and disputes ; reversed—that their malice will be impotent to harm, for the punishment will fall on themselves.

Three Sevens.—Sickness, premature old age ; reversed— slight and brief indispositon.

Two Sevens.—Levity ; reversed—regret.