Livre du Destin
France has issued a great number of fortune-telling packs, and these are usually identifiable by the language of the inscriptions and the presence of a miniature standard card in the corner of the design. The beginning of the fashion lay in the second half of the eighteenth century and during the the nineteenth century various types of fortune-telling, oracle, Lenormand, sybil and destiny cards became popular. Many decks such as the ones shown here were published in Paris.
The pictures on the cards readily suggest the influences of different types of people, such as young men, fair ladies, widows, soldiers, lawyers, as well as virtues such as hope, charity and so on so that the perplexed may hopefully find some consolation.
Livre du Destin
Above: “Livre du Destin” or “Book of Fate” with titles in French and English, published by Chartier-Marteau & Boudin and printed by B.P.Grimaud, Paris, c.1900. 32 cards. The tax stamp is dated Apr 12, 1890. Images courtesy Gilles Daigle. Download entire deck as large size images here →.
Le Petit Cartomancien
Above: three cards and wrapper from "Le Petit Cartomancien" manufactured by B.P. Grimaud, Paris. The miniature playing cards in the top corners depict full-length 'Paris' type courts, whilst the rest of the cards contain divinatory interpretations and images of different personalities. The personalities depicted do not correspond in sequence to those in the top set.
Some early evidence of the use of playing cards for predicting the future dates from the 1480s in Ein Loszbuch ausz der Karten - a book of fate from the cards. The cards were shuffled, one was withdrawn from the deck and then the Book of Fate was consulted to shed light on the matter in question.
See also: Argentinean Tarocco • Cartas Blancas • Cartas Gitanas • Cartomancy & Divination Cards • Edyta Gdek Tarot • 17th Century Fortune-Telling Cards • 72 Names Cards • Geistliche Karten, 1718 • German Fortune Telling cards, c.1818 • Grapho-Deck • Jason Ennis Tarot • Minchiate • Mlle Lenormand Cartomancy • Naipes Tu Destino • Picture Book of Ana Cortez • Picture Show Zodiac Fortune Telling Cards • Rameses Fortune-telling cards • Ramses II Tarot • Self-Nurturing Solitaire • Tarocco Bolognese • Tarocco Piemontesi • Taroquis Obelisco • Tarot Egipcios Kier • Welsh Tarot • Tarot