An interesting historical fact is that the traditional Romany, who originated in northern India and became misnamed “gypsies” because they were thought to have descended from the ancient Egyptians, told fortunes for gorgios (non-gypsies) to earn money but rarely, if ever, told fortunes for each other because an outstanding belief among all gypsy tribes was predomination of the present over the future. In fact, a word meaning “tomorrow” did not even exist in many of the dialectic languages of gypsies.
Fortune-teller, Fortune-maker: The Double-edged Sword
That map of life that gypsies see
As mortal lines in palmistry
And tea leaf patterns telling all
From cups and questions very small . . .
Tarot trumps and planets crossing,
Dreams as omens,
Coins for tossing . . .
Any answer so divined is still its question too defined;
For the sword of truth cuts two ways
Through expectation born of days:
Days of past and days to come,
The present being their gifted sum.
Hence, take the sword without question,
No worry, no wonder, no prepossession;
Free potential to hone its blade,
And there you have a fortune made.
– Mary Jo Magar –