cardomancy

In the introduction to W. M. Thackeray's The Virginians in his collected works his daughter included some of his letters and drawings concerning the research and writing of the novel. In a back and forth with Fred Cozzens and William Duer Robinson is included this sketch of George Washington in his favorite red waistcoat seemingly depicted as an upside down Five of Hearts. Very curious. 

Harper's Monthly Magazine , July 1858 ( enlarge ) It's been said that The Virginians by Thackeray was the worst novel ever written by a great novelist. Some critics even went so far as to call it the worst novel ever written despite every page being thoroughly interesting, as it was incongruous and forever losing its narrative. I haven't read it but own an 1858 Harper's Monthly serialization of it which has some great illustrations including a witch and, of course, a disembodied hand holding aloft three playing cards as shown above. Since I probably think about the latter more than my own child or the woman that I love, I present it here to stop me from literally gnawing it out of the book. ( enlarge ) The witch illustration was just a mere collateral visage found along the way to more card playing illustrations, but am I wrong to think that the third illustration shown resembles The Fool of Tarot lore? ( enlarge ) The other two drawings are self-explanatory. The 19t

I'm completely obsessed with cards that have fortunes written on their face. This card that I recently purchased, which is indicated to be a Ten of Diamonds, has the definition written out to be "Treachery. Subterfuge. Duplicity." on one end and the other "Confidence. Security. Honor. Good Faith." While this differs from Wenzell Brown's definition the card also looks more Tarot than playing card to me in the guise of the Ten of Swords. Other instances which I've encountered are more in line with the standard deck of cards. There's a really nice example of a cartomancy self-learner deck on Etsy but the exorbitant Canadian shipping costs are stopping me from biting on the pack. It's nothing special in the way of vintage and antique cards and realistically I could create my own from my supply of vintage decks with a fountain pen if needs be.  Though, knowing myself, I'll produce something like I did below on the spur of the moment after having

" I am not well civilized, really alien here: trust me not ." sayeth the poet and I reiterate such a rejoinder with every thing that I utter. Listen, I'm the least superstitious person and often tempt fate by saying, "I hope lightning strikes me" or "I'd sell the soul of my only beloved child to the Devil for..." and laugh it off. But there's a huge difference between a so-called sign and a warning. When lightning strikes it's not a sign. It's a warning that you are being dangerously stupid in tempting Fate. On the other hand when you wear long socks every day for years and then suddenly, on impulse, wear short ones and you get a large raise at work, that's a sign. Maybe not the exact one that you think but it's definitely a sign. I've probably put in a hundred hours cleaning up Ganong Cemetery, supposedly the most haunted place in Michigan (haha), and saw nary an orb. It's the living whom carry ghosts and terrorize each

It's 11:11 and I'm on fire with card frenzy and bored at work. These are circa 1900 playing cards with fortunes written on them. This was a normal occurrence in the Victorian Era as was sending invitations on the backs of cards. While divination is the main appeal here for me the ephemeral side of the handwritten notes on playing cards is a brilliant concept. I think I'm going to start typing proclamations on the backs of orphan cards . Cheers, witches. Hell, that'll be my first one. The cards were taken from the Instagram user The Congress Guy (as in the card brand).