Playing the Game

The Deck

Game Preparation

Betting

Game Play

Scoring

Rules

Divination

Interpreting Common Results

Broader Readings

"Fate" Readings

Table of Correspondences (.pdf)

 

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Fortunes
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Fortunes: A Card Game

part 2: Divination
(return to Part 1)

When the game is complete, players lay out their tricks in the pattern in the illustrations for reading. Fortunes may be interpreted by each player according to his own lights. The interpretive tradition for Fortunes is long and varies from reader to reader. The winning team is considered to win--and share--their fortune, based on the cards facing their axis of play; and the losing team is considered to receive and share a doom based on theirs. Naturally some view this part of the game as whimsy, while others take it very seriously.

Interpreting Common Results

The complexity of the layout depends on the number of tricks won. Most games can be interpreted with this simple layout:

 

 

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Broader Readings

If the player and his partner accumulate enough tricks that the team's cards fall outside these zones, interpretation shifts:

 

 

The Realm (partner's Zone 2)
Card	Court	Meaning	Astronomical Correspondence	Sphere
partner 7	The Shrine of the Goddess	Understanding, Female Force: Conception	Saturn (no corresponding planet)	3
partner 6	The Father's Home	Raw Power, Male Force: Creation		2
partner 5	The Center	The Eternal		1
The Universe (partner's Zone 1)
Card	Court	Meaning	Astronomical Correspondence	Sphere
partner 4	The Abyss	Violation of Universal Law: Separation	The Bull	earth
partner 3	The Grey Realms	Inaction and Forgetfulness: Failure	The Eagle	air
partner 2	Tír inna n-Óc	Heroism and Ethics: Success	The Man (Water-Bearer)	water
partner 1	The House of Peace	Return to Balance: Union	The Sphinx	fire

 

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"Fate" Readings

Layouts beyond the above are rare and considered highly significant. Should a team win more than fourteen tricks, layouts spread into the table's central zone:

 

The Man (player's Zone 1)
Card	Court	Meaning	Astronomical Correspondence	Sphere
1	The Self	Root, Origin	The World	10
2	The Astral/Aether or Collective Unconscious	Reflection & Imagination	Moon	9
3	The House of Magic	Intellect and Logic: Structure	Mercury (Nabal)	8
4	The House of Illusion (Time)	Creativity and Sensitivity: Anarchy	Venus (Ista)	7
The Clan (player's Zone 2)
Card	Court	Meaning	Astronomical Correspondence	Sphere
5	The House of Consciousness	Center and Balance: Devotion	Sun	6
6	The House of War	Movement and Change: Destruction	Mars (Neuru)	5
7	The House of Peace	Stability and Expansion: Manifestation	Jupiter (Zenos)	4

The Fate
		Card	Meaning
		8	The Gift (given)
		9	Shared Fate
		partner 8	The Gift (received)
		10	Outcome--1; Trap avoided--2
		partner 10	Outcome--2; Trap avoided--1
The Realm (partner's Zone 2)
Card	Court	Meaning		Astronomical Correspondence	Sphere
partner 7	The Shrine of the Goddess	Understanding, Female Force: Conception		Saturn (no corresponding planet)	3
partner 6	The Father's Home	Raw Power, Male Force: Creation			2
partner 5	The Center	The Eternal			1
The Universe (partner's Zone 1)
Card	Court	Meaning		Astronomical Correspondence	Sphere
partner 4	The Abyss	Violation of Universal Law: Separation		The Bull	earth
partner 3	The Grey Realms	Inaction and Forgetfulness: Failure		The Eagle	air
partner 2	Tír inna n-Óc	Heroism and Ethics: Success		The Man (Water-Bearer)	water
partner 1	The House of Peace	Return to Balance: Union		The Sphinx	fire

 

copyright © 2011 by Barbara Friend Ish and Cliché Studio.