Nile Fortune Telling Cards (1904)

The box says "The Nile Fortune Telling Cards Made By the U.S. Playing Card Co. Cincinnati Ohio." The instruction sheet says they are copyright 1897-1904. There are 54 cards in the deck; the standard 52 of a playing card deck, plus a Life Card, plus an advertising card for the company that isn't used as part of a reading (it functions as a joker if you're using the deck for playing cards; evidently the Life Card would be the other joker). Nearby is a scan of a few of the cards, plus the box (upper right), the Life Card (lower left), and the design on the back of the cards (upper left).

Instructions for use are two-part. The first gives you a quick overview, and the second gives you an in-depth reading.

First part: Take the Life Card from the pack and lay to one side. The person whose fortune is being told then shuffles the pack and cuts into three piles, face up, at the same time making any reasonable wish. The fortunate wish cards are the Ace, Three, Five, Seven, Nine, Jack, Queen, and King. In case a majority of fortunate cards are cut, the wish will be granted. The larger the number of fortunate cards cut, the more likely is the wish to come true. The color of the cards cut also has much influence on the wish; red being the lucky color. If the 9 of hearts shows on the cut, the wish will be granted, no matter what cards accompany it. [Note: there are 8 fortunate cards, and 5 unfortunate cards in each suit. Odds are you'll get a fortunate outcome. I'm not too happy about the deck being slanted that way.]

Second part: The Life Card, indicating the person whose fortune is being told, is laid, face up, in the center of the table. Shuffle the deck, deal, three cards at a time, each packet of three cards being turned face up as dealt, and laid in the positions indicated by the diagram shown nearby.

Thus, the first three cards in position 1, the second three in position 2, etc. The top card of each packet of three will show, the other two cards being concealed under it. There are four cards in pile 17.

The eight exposed cards which surround the Life Card exert the greatest influence over it, #1 being most powerful, #2 next, etc. The outer row of eight cards represent the minor or secondary influences, acting on the inner row of cards. Thus if a lucky secondary card is next to a lucky inner card, it denotes that good luck will be augmented, and greater happiness will ensue. The influenceof each secondary card is divided between the two inner cards adjoining it; thus #10 exerts influence on #1 and #2, and so forth.

In interpreting the cards, only the sentence printed on the upper edge (as the cards lie) is considered.

In reading the cards, the relations of #1 and #2 should first be noted, then the relation of #10 to them; then the relation of #2 and #3, and of #11 to them, etc until the complete circuit of the Life Card has been made, and all the cards read.

The Court Cards (JQK) represent associates, friends, or companions of the person whose fortune is being told. In the layout, their closeness to the Life Card denotes the warmth of the friendship. Alongside the Life Card denotes love; above or below, close friendship; at corners of the inner row, ordinary friendship; in the secondary row, mere acquaintances.

If the upper face of the Court Card is looking toward the Life Card, it denotes influence at work on the person whose fortune is being told. If looking away, they are at work on another. If looking toward another Court Card, its influence is at work on the person indicated by the other Court Card.

Interpret Court Cards in connection with the cards adjoining them.

I did a reading with the cards tonight for a friend. The wish had something to do with love relationships; I don't know the exact wording of the wish. It was interesting in that the cards to the sides of the Life Card made the most sense; the cards above and below were kind of murky or ominous. So I interpreted that to mean that the love relationships will bring happiness, but the friends would not be unanimously supportive. Based on experiences that have already taken place, this appeared to be spot on. We both enjoyed exploring the reading.