Keeping a Relationship - A Gypsy Fortunetelling Cards Reading
Piatnik’s Gypsy Fortunetelling Cards have a rich and diverse history of practical use in Europe. It all began in the 19th Century Austro-Hungarian Empire, where they first appeared, alongside other similar oracle decks, under the name Aufschalgkarten, usually consisting of 32 cards. This coincides with the popularity of a reduced Piquet deck of 32 playing cards used for divination in Central Europe. But in contrast to Lenormand decks which relied on the comparison with the playing cards through the use of small insets, they are unnumbered and bear no references to other fortunetelling systems.
Like the Lenormand deck, the cards reflect concerns of the 19th-century bourgeois society: marriage, home affairs, financial success, etc. In the 20th century, Piatnik changed the visual style of the deck and expanded it with 4 additional cards: Love, Some Money, Loss, and Sadness. The deck gained big popularity across the empire, therefore the deck’s contemporary widespread use in the former Austro-Hungarian territories comes as no surprise. It is an inseparable part of the fortunetelling culture in Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Austria, and Germany.
It is the first fortunetelling deck that I ever got into my hands, back at the early age of 7. Back in those days, it was sold at street kiosks next to playing cards and Yahtzee dice. My mother got it as a Women’s Day gift, but it was mostly me who was fiddling with it. I was enamored with the quaint images and the idea that this little deck could provide a glimpse into the unknown. Later, at the age of 13 when my interest in cartomancy started to peak, it was the first deck I used for casting grand tableaus and doing general readings, next to the reduced 32-card deck of playing cards. Ever since then, I developed a special bond with this deck, and it remains one of my favorites, even to this day.
The cards themselves represent very clear and easily digested concepts: love, friendship, enmity, loss, and success. Still, some fortunetellers insist on “hidden” meanings, especially when they claim that their meanings were transmitted from their great-grandmother or some mysterious teacher. I on the other hand do not entertain such ‘transmissions’, as I prefer to think there is nothing wrong with acknowledging the obvious, and paying attention to what visually presents itself on the table. It may have been that the “hidden meanings” were of actual use to your grandmother or your mentor, but what does that have to do with you today, at this very moment? My own mentor spoke of something invaluable to all cartomancers and magic practitioners - the art of talking to ‘nothing’. It is this ‘nothing’ (Elias, 2025: 68) that allows us to move beyond the tradition and tap into the moment itself: “The magician that relies on tradition alone for her workings is half the magician her master is. A good magician is a magician who, when she snaps her fingers talks to nothing. She asks ‘nothing’ to assist her in her working as this working in the ‘nothing’ is unmediated by dogma, influence, or by second-guessing the master.” (Ibid.)
Let us now see the cards in action. A client is afraid that his insecurity and mental instability will inevitably chase away his partner and put an end to the relationship he fought hard to build. He wants to know if he will be able to keep himself under control and keep the relationship alive in the coming months.
Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten by Piatnik.
Right off the bat, the Marriage card at the bottom confirms the client’s intention to keep a strong union and take this relationship to the next level. But neither his nor his partner’s significators appeared in the spread, which tells us that it is the surrounding circumstances, rather than their agency, that determines the coming developments. Financial situation, or more precisely, modest funds are halting any new plans (Loss, Some Money, Child), which the client confirms, as his partner has recently lost his job, delaying the plans to start living together. There is enough chemistry between them to keep the happiness going, but the insecurities can conjure some real problems into existence - a third person who gets their fingers in the relationship. As the fidelity card ends the square in all trajectories, we see that this situation is not going to materialize, but another person might still try to raise doubts in my client by feeding false information about his partner’s trustworthiness. The financial difficulties will be bridged, but the insecurities keep looming over the trust. Until this is resolved, their relationship has a slim chance of taking the next step.
References
Elias C. (2015) The Oracle Travels Light: Principles of Magic with cards. Eyecorner Press.
Pitts R. (2014) Austrian Cartomancy Cards. Article published on The World of Playing Cards website. Article viewed on March 31st, 2024.
