The art of tarot reading is not uncommon at the moment, you might have even come across a deck of oracle cards. It’s an exciting art that keeps you on your toes and allows you to self-reflect on various kinds of situations. But were you aware that regular playing cards can also be used for tarot reading?
This is known as the art of cartomancy, the fortune-telling practice using an old deck of cards instead of oracle cards. All that you need to know is in this article—what the different suits mean and even the benefits of using playing cards instead of tarot cards. So, dive right in and we’ll find out!
What is Cartomancy?
Are you short of a tarot deck but still want to do a tarot reading? No worries, the world of cartomancy allows you to read tarot with the help of the regular playing cards. This practice originated in Italy and has been applied for years since the 14th century.
The difference between a tarot deck and playing cards is not much, apart from the total number of cards. Cartomancy includes 52 cards usually, while tarot has 78 cards. While they bear many similarities, the playing cards lack the major arcana as well as the royal cards. However, the playing deck is still a handy tool to make use of if you’re looking for a quick fix due to its concise nature compared to tarot cards.
The deck is much more direct than tarot, many experts believe that it’s quite common due to its ‘black or white’ tone. While tarot cards allow you to be more intuitive and spiritual, these playing cards work for those who are trying it out for the first time, somewhat dipping their toes before a big swim. They work efficiently as a circumstantial fortune-telling practice and can guide you straight to your desired answer.
What do the suits in Playing Deck mean?
You must be familiar with the traditional tarot deck, despite it being a hassle to navigate. But if you’re a new venturer, we have got you covered! Below is a gist of the various suits in a playing card deck and what you may understand through them.
Spades
The spades can be compared to the tarot cards’ sword suit. The suit is quite mysterious and powerful as it contains many answers that are good advice. The cards signify challenges and communication. They can tell you tales of betrayal and truth, they are unafraid to be negative in the face of honesty.
Clubs
Clubs are compared to the tarot cards’ wand suit. This suit is mostly related to spirituality, motivation, and inner strength. It also directly relates to life changes and movements that will happen in the immediate future. These cards warn you of upcoming events that can alter your life and the struggles you may have to overcome. This can include aspects such as relationship troubles, disagreements with friends, and even a stressful job situation.
Hearts
The heart suit can be looked at similarly to the cups of a tarot deck. They are known as destiny cards and represent common aspects such as family or home, emotions, as well as relationships. If one were to choose the suit of hearts from a spread, they are likely an individual with idealistic love views, and emotionally sensitive. It corresponds most with the childhood aspect of our life span and deals with our closest bonds.
Diamonds
Diamonds are closely linked to the pentacles or disks suits of tarot cards. As diamonds are expensive, they signify money, career, confidence, as well as business. This suit can bring in good news in relation to your job, significant financial gain, and even success. However, they also have “bad cards” that can correspond with monetary loss and debt.
How are playing cards used in a spread?
The question “Can You Read Tarot With Playing Cards?” has now been answered, but it is necessary that you know how to read them. So, you can try experimenting with these spreads and examine what works best for you.
When you want a brief answer:
Just as how you pull a card from a tarot spread, the same can be done with a playing deck. For this, you think of a matter that you need brief advice for. Pick one card from the collection and whatever the card may be, the interpretation can easily be made. For example, if you pick the 10 of clubs, this means that there is a travel venture or financial gain that will soon approach you.
When you want ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers:
These types of questions can be answered by using the color of the suit. So, you can find the answer by picking a batch of 5 cards. Have a look and examine which color is the majority among the cards. In case the majority of your spread is black, your answer is “no”. It is the opposite with red, as your answer will be “yes”.
When you’re looking for the full truth:
Pull a set of 12 cards from your spread in a counter-clockwise motion. This will help you narrate the progression of your situation. Cards in the 6 & 12 o’clock directions will signify the possible results you’re eager to find out so focus closely on those. On the other hand, the 9 & 3 o’clock cards represent your past situations and present that relate to the question you have asked. This type of spread assists you in understanding your current issue and planning the next move forward carefully.
Playing with a deck of cards is easily accessible compared to a tarot deck which is usually hard to obtain, so this is why the art of cartomancy is highly popular. With no stigma attached, this non-traditional form of tarot can be used as a fortune-telling tool without being worried about its destructive effects on faiths like Christianity. So, the next time you’re up for a tarot reading but only have a deck of playing cards, you can whip up a spread and find your answer directly!
