THE TAROT OR DIVINATION CARDS
151
You would count the
and note the values of the cards in each.
Indeed, it is a good plan to do this privately before beginning a general reading of the future, as it gives you a firm
foundation upon which to build many vague points can
then be more clearly read, because you know roughly
whether the immediate future is to be smooth or unother of the recognised methods.
various suits,
—
fortunate.
The simplest method of arranging the Tarot cards is the
one handed down by :Monsieur Etteila. The full pack of
seventy-eight cards must be shuffled
then counts
seer picks
off
up the centre pack and
Then the enquirer
are
now only
by the
enquirer,
three packs of twenty-six cards each.
places
it
on the
who
The
right.
repeats the operation, but as there
fifty-two cards, he counts off three packs of
seventeen cards each.
This leaves an odd card, which is
pack later on. The seer again removes
the centre heap, but does not add to it the first heap
shuffled with the
reserved, but places
them
side
by
side.
For a third time the enquirer shuffles the pack, including
the odd card, of course, and then counts off three packs
of eleven cards each as before. There will be two odd cards,
which are returned to the main pack after the seer has
removed the centre heap of the third set of three.
Now the seer takes up the first heap removed and places
each card, face upwards, in a straight line, going from right
to left. There are, of course, twenty-six cards. In the same
way the second heap is arranged below the displayed line,
and as there are, of course, only seventeen cards, you begin
somewhat more to the left. The final heap is similarly displayed below the second, and again it forms a shorter line.
The reading is given by the general run of suits and
values in each line, and also by the special meaning of the
individual cards. The bottom row will control the material