Fortunes and Dreams

Part 1

Transcriber's Notes:

Underscores "" before and after a word or phrase indicate italics_ in the original text. Equal signs "=" before and after a word or phrase indicate =bold= in the original text. Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals. Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs. Typographical errors have been silently corrected but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered.

FORTUNES AND DREAMS

FORTUNES AND DREAMS

A PRACTICAL MANUAL OF FORTUNE TELLING, DIVINATION AND THE INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS, SIGNS AND OMENS

BY ASTRA CIELO

NEW YORK GEORGE SULLY AND COMPANY

COPYRIGHT, 1917 BY SULLY AND KLEINTEICH

Printed in U. S. A.

CONTENTS

PAGE INTRODUCTION vii

ASTROLOGY 1 Historical Review—Astrological Readings—The Astrological Guide to Fortune—Horoscope and Tables—Character as Told by Astrology—How to Determine the Lucky and Unlucky Days of Any Month—Derivations of the Names of the Months—Derivations of the German and English Days of the Week.

THE ANCIENT ORACLES 30 Napoleon’s Oraculum—Oraculum Table.

FORTUNE-TELLING BY CARDS 52 The Origin and History of Playing Cards—Suits and Symbols—Mystic Meaning—The Charm and Power of Cards—What the Cards Signify—Meaning of the Various Cards—Telling One’s Fortune with Twenty-one Cards—Italian Method—The French System—English System—The Gypsy Method—Creole Method—Card Oracles.

FORTUNE-TELLING WITH DICE AND DOMINOES 92

THE SCIENCE OF PALMISTRY 119 Principal Lines of the Palm and Their Meaning—The Shape and Length of the Phalanges—Form of the Hand—Character from the Shape of a Hand and Fingers—The Mountains—A Reading of the Lines and Other Characteristics.

THE SCIENCE OF PHRENOLOGY 136

THE SCIENCE OF PHYSIOGNOMY 141 What Different Eyes Indicate—Reading Character by the Color of the Eyes—Disposition by the Shape of the Nose—Reading Character by the Form of the Lips—Reading Character by the Shape of the Ear.

FORTUNE-TELLING BY GROUNDS IN A TEACUP 147

DREAMS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION 150 Do Dreams Foretell the Future?—How Dreams Should Be Interpreted—A Dictionary of Dreams.

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS 191

POPULAR BELIEFS AMONG THE ANCIENTS AS TO THE INFLUENCE OF PRECIOUS STONES 205 The Language of Precious Stones.

THE LANGUAGE OF POSTAGE STAMPS 211

THE MEANING OF MOLES 213

WEATHER PROPHECIES FROM AN OLD ALMANAC 215

HOW TO TELL ONE’S AGE 218

HOW TO BE BEAUTIFUL 220

MEMORY RHYMES 222

Part 2

INTRODUCTION

There is a Latin saying that “Fortune frustrates, single-handed, the plans of learned men.” There are moments in the lives of each of us when we do not seem to be masters of our actions, but are led by blind chance into paths which bring success or failure in spite of our own individual efforts. We stand in awe before a power which seems inimical to us, or rejoice over a series of coincidences that boost us into fame and fortune.

It is easy to understand, therefore, why men of all ages have had a restless striving to search out the Unknown and the Unknowable, and to endeavor to foretell the future and its mysterious dispensations. In all ages, men have endeavored in various ways to penetrate the mysteries of the future. They have consulted the stars, the oracles, deities of their own manufacture, cards of various devices, etc., in an effort to solve the problems about them.

There is a vein of superstition in every human being, and some of the world’s greatest geniuses, statesmen, scientists and warriors have not been ashamed to seek information from prophets and seers, when the tangle of life seemed too difficult for them to unravel thru their own efforts. The pages of history as well as the Holy Bible are full of instances where the power of divination was invoked to settle important decisions.

This book has been compiled for the use of intelligent people who desire to know the various ways in which events have been prophesied by occultists the world over, and who wish to test their own faculties and consult the Book of Fate in their own behalf. The various methods and tables are offered to the reader at their own value, without any special claim for their accuracy or efficacy. Each inquirer must determine for himself how far he may trust the oracle that he has consulted. Some of the material is new and is not to be found in modern books of this nature. Most of the tables have been gleaned from very old authorities.

It must be understood that successful consultations depend in a great measure on the psychic operations in the mind of the inquirer, who must approach the subject with a desire to know the truth. There is an intuitive perception in all minds, which can be developed by practice. The inquirer should not be discouraged by lack of success at the start. It must be remembered that any attempt to force a favorable divination by cards or astrology is unfair and makes the whole operation void.

ASTROLOGY

Historical Review

Astrology, the science of the stars and their influence on the lives and destinies of human beings, is a very old and honorable subject. It was early developed in Egypt and flourished chiefly in Chaldea, whose star-gazers and prognosticators were so famous that the name “Chaldee” came to be used as having the same meaning as Astrologer, not only in the Bible but among ancient writers. In the East it still has its followers and is much practiced by the Arabs and Asiatics. Its vogue in Rome and Greece was great, but it was forbidden by the Emperor Augustus, only to be revived later. The Moors in Spain held it in great respect and made it popular among the nations of Europe.

Astrology continued to be popular until the sixteenth century. It was practiced by the European courts as late as the eighteenth century, even in England. It was considered a worthy science even by the great astronomer Kepler, and Lilly, another astronomer, was called before the House of Commons in the reign of Charles II to give his opinion of future events.

Astrology teaches us that the heavenly bodies influence not only the earth but all living creatures on the globe. Every child born is subject to the planet or star under which it came to life. When a child is born its mind is still a blank and its character unformed. The stars find a ready tablet on which to record their marks for good or evil, and the character, disposition, passions, gifts, talents, etc., which the child will show in later years are decided on thru the influence of the heavenly bodies. Thus, the planet Mercury gives wisdom and force of mind; Venus gives the power of loving; Mars, the desire to work and fight; etc.

The general method of procedure in discovering the characteristics or deciding the fate of a man is to draw a horoscope, representing the position of the stars and planets in the whole heaven or within one degree of the eastern horizon, at the time of the individual’s birth. If the horoscope is to decide the success of an undertaking the date of the same is taken as a starting-point. Significance is given to each of the heavenly bodies as they appear singly or in conjunction and the horoscope is interpreted according to these significations.

The great physician, Paracelsus, was enthusiastic in his teachings that the heavenly bodies had a great effect upon the bodies of men, especially upon their diseases, and many doctors until recent years consulted the stars in an endeavor to find the proper remedies for the suffering.

The Bible has many instances which show the esteem in which Astrology was held. In the very first part we read that God made the stars to serve as “signs, seasons and days.” We read that the “stars in their courses fought against Sisera.” This shows how the heavenly bodies were supposed to influence the deeds of men.

We all know that the tides are caused by the pulling of the moon, and that this planet would be a dreary waste were it not for the light and heat it gets from the sun. We have recently discovered that the sun’s rays also give us health, that they possess a great curative power and that the ultraviolet rays are of benefit in many diseases. It is but natural to suppose, therefore, that other planets and even distant stars influence this earth and its inhabitants. Many of the stars of which we see but dim specks are many thousands of times bigger than our sun and may exert a correspondingly great influence.

All celestial bodies probably do have some influence on our minds and our bodies. They move in their orbits just as each human being has his own circle or orbit in which he moves from birth to death. It seems rational to suppose that every individual is subject to the influence of some particular planet which was in the ascendant at the time of his or her birth, and that a knowledge of the planet may help decide the ultimate career and fortune of the child.

We may go further and claim that the planet of a child may affect the future of the parents and that there is a mysterious relation between the parents and their offspring. The orbits of the parents are often entirely changed by the coming of a child. It is not a rare occurrence to have the influence of the child completely overpower the lives of the parents. We all are acquainted with folks who date their good or bad fortune from the birth of a particular child. People who have been respected and prosperous seem suddenly hounded by misfortune after the birth of a son, and end in poverty. On the other hand, many a family can date its good fortune from the day a son or daughter was born to them.

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