How To Plan A Fantastic Halloween Party - Fortune Teller Theme

by Rose Smith, © 2007

The Gypsy Background
The Tools of Divining – A Brief History
I See An Invitation Coming In The Near Future!
Costume Suggestions
Play Gypsy Music
Creating Ambience With Your Decor
Fortune Teller Party Games
Halloween Party Favors
Refreshments
Learn More About Fortune Telling

All Hallows Eve is the night when people develop the desire to have séances, possibly speak with the dead, and, most importantly, they long to know what is in their future.

So, let's see what the stars hold for your guests this Halloween. Below is a bit of background on gypsies and the origins of various fortune telling techniques. Following that, you will find links to party ideas, decorations, games and activities, plus refreshments to serve.

The Gypsy Background

People have long held a fascination with gypsies and their ability to foretell the future. Enjoying a nomadic lifestyle, gypsies traveled the land earning much of their living by working as magicians, basket makers, furniture makers, musicians, horse dealers and exhibitors of animals, as well as through their gifts of fortune telling.

As far as we know, according to historic records, the gypsies originated from India. However, they claimed that their ancestral home was in fact, Egypt. Because of this they were known as "little Egypt" and eventually received the title of Gypsies.

The Gypsies began to journey away from India around 1000 A.D. and had migrated to eastern Europe by the 1400's, where they soon became known for their fortune telling abilities.

To date, there are anywhere from 1 million to 6 million Gypsies that continue to roam the world, bringing with them their fascinating and unchanged customs and beliefs.

To learn more about the Gypsies, visit these informative sites:

The history of Gypsy Travellers in Britain

Wikipedia - Romani people

Stories & Lore & History

The Tools of Divining - A Brief History

There are many tools that psychics call upon to help them foretell the future. These tools range from regular playing cards to the well-known tarot deck, crystal balls, palmistry, numerology, pendulums and other "mystical" items.

You'll definitely want a few of these divining tools on hand at your party (regardless of whether you know how to use them or not). At the very least, make up a simulation of a crystal ball (instructions are included on how to make your own later in the book), and have a few decks of playing cards lying around (with simple instructions on how to read them) so people can try their hands at telling fortunes. You will find a chapter at the end of this e-book to help you with resources, recommended books and information as needed, along with what's recommended within this chapter.

Here is a quick rundown on some of the more popular methods used by fortune tellers and gypsies over the years.

The Crystal Ball

Who hasn't seen a picture or movie with a gypsy woman sitting behind a fabric covered table peering into a large, luminous globe in front of her. The crystal ball is perhaps one of the best known methods of predicting the future and one of the most widely used tools among the Gypsies. Most of us mistakenly assume that "images" appear within the crystal ball and that those images foretell future events. Not so. Gifted psychics first must reach a deep calm, almost meditative state before peering into the smokey glass and wait for abstract visual shapes to form. It is from these shapes that interpret future events.

Palmistry

Palmistry originated in India over 3000 years ago. Using the lines, marks, shapes and size of a person's palm, a gifted palm reader can tell you many things about your health, your attitudes, your lifestyle and more.

As we move through life, different events and experiences affect our thinking and our way of doing things. Palmistry is a way of seeing the patterns within our lives and showing you which ones are negatively or positively impacting you at the present time. Think of it as a way of receiving a personal assessment of your life.

Habitual ways of thinking often cause us to repeat patterns of behavior. These patterns will show up within the palms of your hands. Palmistry cannot predict the future for you, but it can help you assess your current position and attitudes in life. This in turn can help impact your destiny by showing you what areas should be addressed in order to draw more positive changes into your future.

Click Here To Learn Palm Reading
Palm reading is an easy divining technique to learn since it requires no equipment except the other person's hand. It can tell you a lot about your life and what the lines on your hand reveal about your soul and your life destiny.

The Tarot Cards

The most familiar way to predict the future is with the use of Tarot Cards. These colorful cards seem to hold a mystical fascination for most people. There are many different sets of Tarot cards available, but the most widely known and used is the Rider-Waite deck. You will find most general Tarot instruction books will focus on readings using this deck.

Tarot cards became widely used during the 1300's although their history is said to date back to the ancient Egyptians. Where they came from is still not completely known. What is known is that the Hebrews developed the Kabbalah using the numbers from 1 to 22 which corresponded to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, which may also relate to the 22 Major Arcana cards in the Tarot deck.

These cards are often used to help a person understand their past and present events that could directly affect their future. They are also a source of inspirational guidance for naturally gifted psychics. The cards often foretell of people and events that will come into your life to help you resolve conflicts and encourage you in new adventures. Learning to read the Tarot is a great way to seek guidance on what course of action you should take whenever you are contemplating a major change or if there has been much upheaval in your life. But remember the answers are only guides, not definite outcomes. Only you can decide your future.

The cards are very similar to a regular playing deck of cards in that they have 4 suits (wands, cups, swords and coins). The four suits consist of an Ace to the King, with one additional card in each suit…that of the Page. This totals 56 Minor Arcana cards. The rest of the deck consists of the 22 Major Arcana cards, which contain more complex meanings. The total deck consists of 78 cards.

Want to learn how to read the Tarot the easy way and understand how it can work for you?

The Complete Beginners Guide To Tarot
How to use Tarot cards to connect to your higher self and receive information and guidance from the cards.

Empress Tarot - The Easiest Way To Learn
A complete, easy guide to Tarot cards and their meanings. Discover some remarkable spreads to use in your readings for friends and family.

Numerology

A fun and interesting way to learn more about yourself is through numerology. This form of divination is used world-wide and has been around for centuries. Modern numerology is based on the teachings of Pythagoras, a philosopher of Ancient Greece in the 6th century BC, who used the numbers 1 to 9 (as zero wasn't a concept known or used by the ancient Greeks at that time in history.)

Basically, each of the numbers has its own meaning. In turn, we take the letters of the alphabet and apply them to the relating number. The numbers are then singularly added together… and the resulting number (if it is more than one digit) is again added until one finally has a single digit number. The meaning of that number is then given. However, there are certain 2 digit numbers that also have specific meanings, so usually both meanings (the double-digit number and the single resulting digit) are included in a reading.

Using numerology you can find out information on your name number, your birth number, your current year number, inner and outer personality numbers, your fate number, your house and street number, and so much more. These numbers show a great deal about character, purpose in life, what motivates you, and where talents may lie. Many people use numerology before undertaking a move, a career change or any other major activity in their life.

Power Numerology
Are numbers ruling your life? Discover the hidden meanings behind everyday numbers and how you can use numerology to improve your love life, and even find your soul mate.

Joyful Numerology
Learn Spiritual Numerology with this study course and discover the process for making Spiritual Numerology charts. Nine Easy Lessons that teaches you how to be a professional numerologist.

Now that we've explored some of the different divining techniques that are popular, let's begin to put our Fortune Teller Halloween party into action.

I See An Invitation Coming In The Near Future!

Before you do anything, you'll need to decide on the date and time of your party.If it's a children's party, consider having it late afternoon or very early in the evening a day or two before Halloween.

In some cases, parents would actually prefer to have their kids attend a party rather than go out trick or treating. If you feel this is the case, then by all means, plan for your party to begin around the same time that most children are heading out for trick or treating. Don't go longer than two hours, as that's usually more than enough stimulation for most children.

For an adult party, obviously it will start later in the evening. Eight o'clock is the most popular time.

You will need to design invitations or purchase some that reflects the theme of this party. Invitations with a fortune teller, stars & moon, or a crystal ball, for example, will work perfectly. A couple of invitation samples are given a bit further below.

Pre-packaged invitations will already contain matching envelopes. If you're designing and printing your own, you will need to find envelopes to fit your invitations. If you'd like to make your own envelopes as well, here is a template that you can use:

About.com: Family Crafts - 4.5 x 6 inch envelope

Be sure to obtain the full name, address and phone number of all of your guests. When addressing the envelopes, try to use colored ink that matches the primary color of your invitation. In this case, for a Fortune Teller party, I would suggest you use royal or midnight blue, deep purple or an emerald green.

It's also a nice touch to put a sticker on the back, reflecting the theme of the party.

The following is the information that needs to be included on each invitation:

What the theme of the party is
Where it is being held (address)
Who's the host/hostess
Suggestions on what to wear for costumes (optional)
Directions and map if needed
R.S.V.P. - A request for people to call you as to whether they are coming or not by a certain date (usually 3 or 4 days before the party)

Here are a couple of sample invitations that you may print out, copy and use.

Look Into Your Future - Party Invitations

Use a purple, blue or gold felt-tipped marker to write your information on the invitation in keeping with the Fortune Teller theme.

For invitations that will not be folded (such as the one below) make sure to print them on a heavier paper or card stock so that they don't bend or crinkle easy. (Regular paper is okay for folded invitations).

Fortune Teller Invitation

Click Here For Full Size Print Version

The second invitation is one that is designed to fold and uses one sheet of 8 1/2 " x 11" paper.

Gypsy Invitation

Click Here For Full Size Print Version

Here's a haunted castle full of free Halloween fonts: http://www.halloweenfonts.com/

Costume Suggestions

Dress up as gypsies. Wear brightly colored skirts, layered if possible. Flowery blouses with ruffles or blouses with elastic necklines that you can pull down over your shoulders.

For males, wear black pants and colorful shirts with ruffles. A buccaneer's (pirate) shirt will work as well. Brightly colored vests would also be appropriate. Wear a black leather string tie around your neck.

Everyone should wear lots of jewelry and medallions. Tie a scarf around your head and a red sash around your waist. Wear large, dangling earrings and many bracelets.

You can find some great gypsy style costumes and accessories at

www.buycostumes.com

Play Gypsy Music

There are many different forms of the gypsy music, most of which is based on the tradition of Romany music, with influences from Hungary, Turkey and other such cultures within the Middle Eastern countries.

Fiddles and violins were widely used, as well as clarinets, kanun (a zither), darbuka (drums), and occasionally the lute. Today, you'll often find gypsies playing the accordion, fiddle and clarinet as well. The following links will introduce you to a variety of gypsy music that would be suitable for this theme party:

A Collection of Gypsy Music (Amazon.com)

Romanian Music (Amazon.com)

Romanian Gypsy Music and Musicians

Creating Ambience With Your Decor

Let's not start throwing up orange and black streamers as you would with a typical Halloween party. Not for this special shindig. You want to create an mystical, mysterious atmosphere for your fortune teller party.

Fortune telling, superstitions and the mystical world seem to go hand and hand. So let's set the mood with these gypsy-like decorations.

You can find some great supplies and decorations at Shindigz.com under their Stars Party Theme and Mardis Gras Theme sections.

The Twinkle of Gold Stars and Glowing Moons

Materials Needed:

Gold tin foil or gold wrapping paper
Scissors
Black Thread or Clear Fishing Line
Piece of cardboard

Instructions:

1. Copy and cut out from cardboard, the moon and star shapes below to use as templates.

2. Cut several stars and moons. Tape or tie thread to the ends of the shapes and hang them from the ceilings. You can enlarge or shrink these templates using a photocopier as needed.

Magical Tablecloths

Materials Needed:

Black material or black tablecloths
Gold sparkle fabric pens
Scissors (if needed to cut material)

Instructions:

Cut material if needed to fit over tables. Make sure the front hangs down to the floor. Draw stars, moons and suns all over the material using a gold fabric pen. Cover all your tables with you magical tablecloths. If desired, use gold star confetti and sprinkle it on top each table.

Another quick way of creating a "magical table" is to drape gossamer material in a black, dark blue or deep purple color over a round table. String white twinkle lights under the table so that they shine through the material.

Starry Night Candles

Materials:

Dark colored votive holders or small glasses in varying heights
Gold colored glass paint
Small paint brush
Votive candles or tea lights

Instructions:

1. Clean the votive holders and/or glasses and dry thoroughly.

2. Follow the directions on the gold colored glass paint and paint stars, moons and spiral swirls on the glass holders.

3. Place the votive candles or tea lights within the holders and place in groupings around the room.

Mystical Crystal Ball

Materials Needed:

Very large globe light bulb (frosted or clear)
Acrylic paints: light blue, purple, gold
Large bowl or small bucket
Cardboard
Black paint
Paint brush
Glue
Stapler or tape

Instructions:

1. Fill the bowl or bucket about ½ full with water. Dribble a string of paint around the surface of the water with the blue, purple and gold paints.

2. Hold the end of the light bulb, and carefully dip it into the water. Slowly twirl it around so the paint swirls around the light bulb. Remove from the water. Place the light bulb in a glass or some other container to hold it off the counter until it dries.

3. Cut out the cardboard to make a base (about 3" wide and 8" in length depending on the size of your bulb). Staple or tape the 2 short ends together. Paint the outside of the base black. Decorate in gold if you wish.

4. Once the bulb is dry, put a thin line of glue along the top edge of the base and place the bulb on it (part of the bulb should slip down inside to "cradle" the bulb). Let glue dry. Voila! A crystal ball to impress your guests with your "gazing" powers.

Midnight Mural

Materials Needed:

Black material, enough to cover a wall or black garbage bags cut open
Gold sparkle fabric pen or gold sparkle glue pen
Gold star and moon stickers (or glow-in-the-dark pieces) (optional)
Astronomy book showing the constellations
Thumbtacks

Instructions:

1. Sew strips of material together to make an 8' x 8' square or larger if you wish. (Alternatively, tape the garbage bags together on one side only.

2. Using the book as a reference, draw various constellations on the material using the gold fabric pen/sparkle glue pen. If desired, use the stickers/glow-in-the-dark stars/moons instead.

3. Hang the mural on a wall. Have guests see if they can guess the different constellations in the "midnight sky". Another option is to tack this up to the ceiling.

General Decorating Ideas

Lay scarves over lampshades (be careful with this…make sure the scarf is not flammable and does not touch the light bulb.
Hang beads to the entrances of all rooms, including the front door. (Use the string beads sold during Christmas to decorate trees). Stick to gold, silver, deep blues, purples and greens.
Buy an ice cube tray in the shape of stars. Add yellow food coloring to water before freezing. Put in the punch just before serving.
Get several candelabras and use orange and black candles. Stick some gold stars on the candles for decoration near the bottom.

Fortune Teller Party Games

Have some fun at your next Halloween party with these interesting divination games and activities. As a quick reference, here is how I've divided up the party games:

Candle Divining

Materials Needed:

1 pink candle, 1 green candle and 1 orange candle
Blindfold

Instructions:

1. Place the 3 candles in a row on a table and light them. Leave a fair amount of space between each one.

2. Blindfold the player.

3. Shuffle the candles around so that they are not in their original positions.

4. Turn the blindfolded player around 3 times and face them toward the table.

5. The player is then instructed to blow out one of the candles.

Depending on which candle they've blown out, this will be their fortune:

Pink candle means romance ahead.
Green candle means money is coming to them.
Orange candle means they are going on a trip.

Bobbing for Apples

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

1. Fill the bucket or pot with water about ¾ full. Put in several apples.

2. Guests must hold their hands behind their backs and try to grab an apple with their teeth.

3. The apples that they grab should be eaten at midnight to ensure good luck in the future.

Bobbing For Apples

Fate's Fortune

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

1. Hide the 3 items in the main party room.

2. The guest who finds the penny is promised wealth.

3. The guest who finds the ring will be married soon.

4. The guest who finds the feather will have good health.

Tossing the Apple Peel

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

1. Give your guests an apple and a knife. Instruct them to begin peeling the apple from the top in a continuous circle until the bottom (if they can).

2. As they are peeling the apple they should say: "By the paring let me discover the initial letter of my true lover."

3. Once peeled, they throw the apple peal over their shoulder. The initial it makes will be the initial of someone important in his or her life.

Telling Fortunes With Cards

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

1. Read the books to familiarize yourself on what the cards mean.

2. Using a simple 3 card spread, have the guest shuffle the deck of cards while thinking of question that they want answered.

3. When they are finished shuffling, have them cut the deck three times and pick one of the three piles.

4. Gather up the piles, putting the chosen pile on top of the pack.

5. Deal out 3 cards from the top of the pile in a line, from left to right.

6. The first card to your left reflects the past, the card in the middle reflects the present and the card on the right reflects the future.

7. Read the card meanings for the person with help from a book, and relate it to the past, present or future according to the position of the card.

A quick Fortune Telling alternative:

Have the person shuffle the cards while thinking of a question. When they are finished shuffling, take back the cards and fan them out in your hand. Have the guest choose a card. Tell the guest what that card means.

Twirling Apple

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

1. Have all the unmarried women stand around the fire.

2. Tie the string to the apple stem and give each woman an apple. Instruct them to twirl the apple over the hot fire.

3. The woman who holds the apple that breaks off first into the fire, will be the first to be married.

Freaky Fortunes

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

1. Go through the old horoscope book and copy down short astrological fortunes on the paper. Make sure you get quite a few.

2. Cut the fortunes into small strips of paper (2" x 6"). Fold them in half and put them into a deep bowl or box.

3. Cut some more strips of paper the same size to make the categories. On these, write down the following (make 2 to 3 of each category) and then place them in the second bowl:

4. Have the guests pick one paper from the category bowl and one from the fortune's bowl. That is their fortune for that category.

Zany Zodiac

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

1. On each piece of paper, write a list of the 12 Zodiac signs, leaving 3 to 4 lines in between each sign.

Astrology Signs and Symbols of the Zodiac

2. Once most of the guests have arrived, give them each the Zodiac list and a pen. Tell them they must go around the room and find out everyone's Zodiac sign. They must also get each person to sign their name beside their sign.

3. Specify a time limit of about 10 minutes (if you have a small number of guests, keep the time limit to under 5 minutes.)

4. Once that time limit is up, the person with the most signatures wins.

Halloween Party Favors

Present your party guests with favors and game prizes in keeping with a Fortune Teller Halloween party. Anything related to stars, moons, the zodiac, or items decorated in a magical, mystical way would be appropriate. Here are some craft ideas that are simple to put together.

Star Bright Candles

Materials Needed:

Instructions:

Glue the stickers or cutouts along the bottom 1/3 of each candle. Tie two candles together with the ribbon.

Zodiac Constellations

Materials Needed:

Instructions: 1. You will need to find out the Zodiac sign of each of your guests before the party. You can also pick up a book on the constellations at the library.

2. lace the stars on the black paper according to the picture in the book related to each guest's zodiac sign.

3. Write the name of the zodiac sign along the bottom with the gold marker.

4. If desired, also right the person's name below it and draw the zodiac symbol for the sign on either side of the name (see Zany Zodiac game for symbols.) Your guests can take these personalized constellations home and frame them if they wish.

Star Candle Pots

Materials:

Instructions:

1. Paint the pots inside and out with paint. Glue on stickers or graphics around the outside of the pots.

2. Seal inside and out with acrylic sealer. Let dry.

3. Place votive candle inside and hand out as favors or prizes.

Refreshments

Conjure up some futuristic food and drinks to coordinate with your gypsy-style Halloween party. Hear are some recipes that you can easily prepare to serve your guests. Of course, Fortune Cookies are a must have for this party!

Mystical Punch

Ingredients:

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together except the ginger ale and ice cubes. Chill punch. Just before serving add ginger ale and ice cubes.

Celestial Dip

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Combine eggs, sugar, and vinegar. Cook over hot water, stirring constantly until thickened.

2. Add softened cream cheese. Beat until smooth.

3. Add Tabasco sauce, onion and green pepper. Stir.

4. Chill and serve with fresh cut veggies and/or shaped canapés (recipe follows).

Constellation Canapés

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Remove crusts from bread. Cut into celestial shapes with cookie cutters (use small cutters).

2. Melt butter in a fry pan. Lightly brown bread shapes on both sides. Remove and set on plate.

3. Spread with desired toppings.

Bambinos

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine tomato paste, garlic powder and oregano.

2. Spoon small amounts of paste on crackers. Top with salami/pepperoni. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

3. Bake 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately. (Yield: 5 to 6 dozen)

Sparkling Raspberry Tea

Ingredients:

Directions:

Mix all ingredients. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices.

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Sift flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a large bowl.

2. Mix egg whites, oil, water and vanilla in a small bowl and stir into flour mixture until blended.

3. Roll very thin 4 inch circles of dough and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 300F for 15 minutes.

4. Working quickly, remove one cookie at a time from the baking sheet with a wide spatula flipping the cookie onto a gloved hand.

5. Place a thin paper fortune on cookie and fold the cookie in half. Grasp the ends of the cookie and crease it into a crescent shape. You may wish to use the edge of a pan or pot to do this.

6. Place on wire rack to cool. Store in an air tight container.

Note: If the cookie cools too fast while you're trying to shape it, put it back into the oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute to soften. It's best to bake and work with only a few cookies at a time.

Learn More About Fortune Telling

Recommended books:

Discover more information on how to use Tarot cards, do crystal ball gazing, read tea leaves, decipher your numbers for numerology, and read palms.

Tarot Card Decks:

In order to learn how to read the Tarot cards, you obviously need your own card deck. The following are selections featuring a gypsy theme, as well as a couple with a Halloween theme design.

Tarot Card Decks
Browse through some of these amazing Tarot card decks featuring beautiful artwork and meaningful illustrations. Each deck comes with it's own instructions and often a well-written book to guide you on your way to telling the future.

Web Sites To Explore:

Wikipedia - Fortune Telling
Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting the future, usually of an individual, through mystical or supernatural means and often for commercial gain. It often conflates with the religious practice known as divination.

How They Tell Fortunes in Italy
Only thirty-two cards are used for the Italian method of fortune-telling, all the numbers under seven, except the ace, being taken out of each suit. Various experiments with this plan of fortune-telling will give rise to curious combinations, and perhaps startling developments, as the one acting for the inquirer gains in knowledge and confidence.

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How To Plan A Halloween Party: Gypsy Fortune Teller

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Back To Halloween Party Ideas

Halloween Costumes

Decorating For Halloween

More Halloween Fun

About This Site

Best Halloween Shopping!

How To Plan A Fantastic Halloween Party - Fortune Teller Theme

The Gypsy Background

The Tools of Divining - A Brief History

The Crystal Ball

Palmistry

The Tarot Cards

Numerology

I See An Invitation Coming In The Near Future!

Look Into Your Future - Party Invitations

Costume Suggestions

Play Gypsy Music

Creating Ambience With Your Decor

The Twinkle of Gold Stars and Glowing Moons

Magical Tablecloths

Starry Night Candles

Mystical Crystal Ball

Midnight Mural

General Decorating Ideas

Fortune Teller Party Games

Candle Divining

Bobbing for Apples

Fate's Fortune

Tossing the Apple Peel

Telling Fortunes With Cards

Twirling Apple

Freaky Fortunes

Zany Zodiac

Halloween Party Favors

Star Bright Candles

Zodiac Constellations

Star Candle Pots

Refreshments

Mystical Punch

Celestial Dip

Constellation Canapés

Bambinos

Sparkling Raspberry Tea

Fortune Cookies

Learn More About Fortune Telling

Recommended books:

Tarot Card Decks:

Web Sites To Explore:

Would You Like a Copy of This Halloween Party Theme?