A divinatory form of "Roll call patience"

Some years ago I made assertion that there is only one form patience that has a use as a fortune telling method. https://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2013/08/oracle-patience-two-descriptions.html 

I am evidently wrong. 

This unusual form of card divination that I feature here can be found on p 30 of Muhammed Ali's "Telling fortunes by cards" [Cartlon B Case] as method D. It is a curious cross between a game of patience and a divination method, specifically, the very simple form of patience  sometimes called "Roll call" or "Hit or miss". Here is a video showing how you play it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMTJtLrH6WE (I recall reading a book saying that this form of patience, without the divinatory function, is the most efficient waster of time after television--)

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Below is shown the original text of the work, taken from https://archive.org/details/tellingfortunesb00case/page/30/mode/2up . Another version can be found here https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42008/42008-h/42008-h.htm#Page_30

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The instructions, are in summary: 

1. - Shuffle the 52-card pack
   
   
2. - Turn out cards, saying  " Ace , 2 [...] 10, jack, queen, king" and back to Ace. 
   
   
3. - Whenever the value of the card turned up matches that of the count, it is set aside as a "hit". 
   
   
4. - if 2 or 3 cards of the same value are also turned out, they too are set aside, even if they do not match the count.
   
   
5. - "Runs"  [e.g. 2, 3, 4] are also set aside as hits , even if they do not match the count, 
   
   
6. - the misses are reformed into a pack, and steps 1-5 are repeated with them twice more.
   
   
7. - The hits are collected (presumably without shuffling), and dealt out in 4 piles, two cards at a time. 
   
   
8. - The book shows the piles as arranged in the form of a cross, each pile named after a cardinal direction, like this: 

North
West    East
South. 

Interpretation: 

- each  pile is read is an indication of the future. North represents the most immediate future, followed by South, then East, then west,

- Carter provides two sets of meanings, one "ancient' and another  "modern" for each card of the 52 card pack. 

- Of the two the modern seems to be suited to this method; most of the ancient meanings are directly related to marriage. 

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Astute readers would note that this method does not answer specific questions (eg "will i get a job"?) , but rather general open ended readings about what would happen in the future, probably about a week or so. 

Regarding the ancient and modern meanings of the cards,  (pp 12 and 20, respectively) they too are worth commenting upon. Consider the auspiciousness of the suits: In the ancient system, the suits are ranked thus: 

Clubs: Most Auspicious suit signify happiness
Hearts: "lovemaking, invitations and good friends"
Diamonds: Money,
Spades : Least auspicious suit, annoyance, loss. 

But, in the modern system, Case reverses the auspiciousness of clubs and diamonds,  so diamonds (representing wealth) are more auspicious than clubs, which are reinterpreted as "business matters". Those with a marxist bent would clearly see the stamp of capitalism on this matter-- wealth literally trumping relatonships... 

Oracle patience-- two descriptions

This game of patience( or solitare, if you prefer), is perhaps unique amongst all it's relatives, as it is the only one that propounds to be of a oracular nature. I have so far only came across descriptions of it in 2 books, Basil Dalton's games of patience ( first printed 1924, Richards press limited. this edition sept.1941), and games of patience for one or more players by Miss Whitmore Jones ( second edition, L . Upcott Gill, no date*). I reproduce here scans of the relevant pages from the two texts.
* I guess the late 19th, early 20th century?

 Basil Dalton's "Games of patience" . Despite the fact that it is dated 1941( in the middle of WWII), the book is printed on surprisingly good laid paper

Miss Whitmore Jones' Games of patience for one or more players .

 Note that the cards in the illustration are actually of the Paris pattern, despite the book being printed in England. I suspect that the reason is that only people who had ready made playing card type were the French. The English printer, who could not be bothered to have English playing card type made for him, decided to use what was already in existence

"Jie mi pu ke"

"Jie mi pu ke" ( 解密撲克)[ mystery solving poker"] -- "卡之王" ( "kazhiwang" , "king of cards") 54c.

 The following children's deck is a testament to Chinese ingenuity. Aldough the deck is printed on poor quality cardboard, and the printing is much off register, the maker managed to squeze six seperate decks into the space of a patience sized one .

as you may see, the majority of the card is taken up by a depiction of a superhero . however, notice that, beside the index signs, there are a pair of dice values.  there is also a circle, in which contains one ofthe symbols for "rock-paper-scissors".

to illustrate these features [and more] more clearly, I have labelled them bellow:

1- the standard index-signs

2- a pair of dice-values. evidently used as a substitute for dice

3- "rock paper scissors" symbols. - as above

4-"defence power"  - evidently used for a sort of comparing game

5- "attack power" - see above

6- a series of stars, each card hsving a diffrent number. Perhaps used for a comparing game?

The box that contains the cards, bears the legend:

" Jie mi pu ke must not be used for gambling"

This is all for a very good reason, as the cards come supplied with a little plastic sheet. if you place the backs of the cards to the plastic sheet, their value may be discerned.

note the faint "3 ❤"

Paris pattern , single faced

theese charming cards are from a divination set called "votre destin par les cartes"
 it comes with a bored, with instruction for spreading the cards, & a pair of miniature  decks of cards.
the cards are single faced, and nowhere on them is the mark of any maker, aldough it is printed by Dusserre of paris.

things to note:
I- the fan held on the queen of clubs. this feature disappeared when the pattern became double faced.
II- the little dog on the jack of spades. as above.
III-the king of diamonds is shown in profile, and has a medallion on him with the head of a cock.
IV- this feature is the most interesting one of this pattern, namely, the picture cards are named after,  historical personalities ( viz: david as the king of spades, caesar as that of diamonds, and lancelot as jack of clubs.

see also: http://anthonylesq.blogspot.com/2011/10/paris-pattern-cards.html