DIVIDING NAPOLEON’S BOOK OF FATE CARDS INTO SUITS
The cards seemed to break down into five suits, which I termed the Greater Fortunes, the Lesser Fortunes, the Neutrals, the Lesser Misfortunes and the Greater Misfortunes.
The Greater Fortunes Suit incorporates the sort of cards one would consider highly-desirable in a reading, with life-changingly good news. Acquisitio Major, Champagne Flute, Double Diamond, Major Fortuna Major, and Major Fortuna Minor are the cards which I placed in this happy category. I gave the cards in this suit a value of 4, the card of order, structure and foundation.
The Lesser Fortunes Suit includes the sort of cards which are fundamentally-positive, a small gift or kiss from Universe; a a-filled-in-number-on-the-Cosmic-Bingo-Card. Some of these cards indicate that the potential for gain is there, if not its actual manifestation. The Book of Fate cards I place in this suit are Acquisitio Ambitio, Acquisitio Meagre, Albus Major, Caput Draconis Major, Minor Fortuna Major, and Minor Fortuna Minor. I gave the cards in this suit a value of 3, the number of creativity, expression and joy.
The Neutrals Suit is just what the name suggests. These cards are neither good nor bad, they just are. Whether they’re good or bad depends on the cards closest to them in a reading. The Cards I filed under this suit are Man, Woman, Hermaphrodite, Via Major, Conjunctio Major, Populus Major, Standing Barbell, Umbrella Stand, and the Standard. I gave the cards in this suit the value of 2, the number of relationships, receptivity, cooperation, and all cooperative agreements.
The Lesser Misfortunes Suit is populated by cards which aren’t really misfortunes, unless you see them as such. The potential for misfortune is there, if not its actual manifestation. The cards I included in this suit are Amissio Conjunctio, Amissio Minor, Puer Major, Puella Major, Rubeus Major, and the Decanter. In the Lesser Misfortunes Suit, I see a lot of cards where attitude is everything. The Lesser Misfortunes Suit cards I have assigned the value of 1, the I-stand-alone, it-all-depends-on-me number.
A digression about this suit, because I think my choices need explaining. Amissio Conjunctio and Amissio Minor are a classic example of the glass-half-empty/glass-half-full outlook on life. Amissio Conjunctio is, ‘Dammit, I don’t have much to spare and I have to part with some or all of what little I have.’ Amissio Minor is thinking, ‘Well, if I have to lose or give up what little I have, at least I’m not losing as much as I could have lost if I had more to lose.’ I lump The Decanter in this category, because it could also be seen as the Champagne Flute reversed, meaning, ‘not time for a celebration yet.’ The Decanter is also symbolic of negotiation, a spirit of ‘let’s sit down and discuss this over drinks.’ Nothing has been decided yet, and likely neither side will get everything they want. For the uncompromising sorts, the Decanter is indeed a misfortune. Rubeus Major is absolute, uncontrolled rage, which can bring on a resulting-misfortune. Puer Major and Puella Major I see as representing a teenage boy and a teenage girl respectively, which is not an inherently bad thing. But teenagers can be moody, often thinking with their feelings, and their brains are not completely developed. Thus, they will sometimes do thoughtless, cruel, dangerous, or rash things with no thought as to the long-time consequences.
The Greater Misfortunes Suit I also think of as the ‘Act of God’ suit, because these cards represent the kind of substantial misfortune which is often inflicted on the subject by powerful outside forces, and the only recourse the sufferer has is to bear it and grow stronger from it. The cards I assigned to this suit are Amissio Major, Carcer Major, Cauda Draconis Major, and Tristitia Major. I gave the cards in this suit the value of 0, which is also known as the God number.
You will have noticed there are not an equal number of cards in each suit. Given the categories which I perceived the cards broke-down into, they would’ve been uneven anyway. There are slightly more Fortunes cards than there are Misfortunes, but the largest suit are the Neutrals. This is part of the in-built challenge of the game, which it’s time to discuss.