How To Read Playing Cards For Tarot

Jacy Nova, an intuitive astrologer, claims that centuries ago, royals in European courts enjoyed the ancient practice of cartomancy. However, she says, “cartomancy really gained to prominence between the 18th and 20th centuries. It may be traced back to Europe as far as 1360.”

Every card in a typical playing deck has a specific meaning, just like the cards in a tarot deck. In cartomancy, you ask the cards your inquiry, pull one, and then let your subconscious lead the way. You can use your intuition to determine what the card(s) is/are attempting to tell you when you pull it.

Can playing cards be used to read tarot?

You may have used an oracle deck or heard of tarot cards, but did you realize you could perform a reading with a standard deck of playing cards for a friend or yourself? Anyone is welcome to try this method of divination, known as cartomancy.

How do you make a fortune using cards?

Hearts Ace

Love and contentment. A love letter from the house. This card, which is especially opportune, portends relief from difficulties.

Hearts 2

a friendly collaboration or interaction. This card, which is extremely favorable, denotes strength and assistance from a romantic relationship.

three hearts

When the entire spread is usually favorable, it brings love and pleasure. This may represent emotional issues and the difficulty to choose someone to love if the spread is challenging.

7 of Swords

An unexpected burst of luck. Someone looks out for you and shows genuine interest in you.

7 of Cups

Someone whose affection for you is erratic; someone with unpredictable interest in you. Lovesickness may be indicated by this card.

7 of Swords

The wishes card. a wish or dream realized. To find out what the questioner wants, look at the card that comes just after this one.

Hearts 10

Cheers to your achievement. This significant card denotes success following adversity.

The Jack of Hearts

a kind-hearted companion. A young individual with fair hair, or one whose horoscope is dominated by Water signs. This frequently indicates a younger admirer.

Princess of Hearts

A woman with fair hair and a pleasant disposition, or one whose horoscope is dominated by Water signs. kind counsel kind and considerate woman. This card may occasionally represent a mother or mother figure.

Royal Hearts

A man with light hair and a pleasant disposition; alternatively a man whose chart is dominated by Water signs. Fair and beneficial advice loving and considerate dude. This dude assists you without much conversation. His deeds show his concern and caring.

Clubs Ace

wealth, success, unanticipated financial gain. This money could, however, vanish nearly as rapidly as it appears in a complex spread.

3. Clubs

A successful marriage, love and happiness, and a long-term investment are all desirable. a second chance, especially financially speaking.

Four of Clubs

Avoid lying or deceit at this period, and be wary of accepting people without question.

a 7 of Clubs

Business success, despite potential issues with the other sex. a change in the workplace that might have been anticipated or earned, like a promotion.

8 of ClubsWork/business issues that might be caused by envy. This is typically regarded as being very unfavorable.

Ten of Clubs Commercial success. Happy financial luck. A trip taken now can lead to the meeting of a new love interest or buddy.

The Jack of Clubs

a fiery or dark-haired young person. a well-liked young person who is also lively and kind. can also be used to denote a fan.

King of Clubs

a woman with dark hair and confidence; or a woman whose astrological chart is dominated by Fire. She might provide you wise counsel.

Crown of Clubs

Man with dark hair and a kind heart; or a person whose astrological chart is dominated by Fire. a kind and courageous man.

Ace of SpadesBad luck; frequently signifies a rocky conclusion; occasionally linked to death.

The two spades

Relationship ruptures and dishonesty a lapse in a crucial process in the asker’s life. When a query is asked about a specific love interest, it is regarded as a red flag that infidelity or separation is very possible.

3 of Swords

Relationship breakdowns. Sometimes a sign that a third party is somehow intruding into a relationship.

7 of Swords

Temporary opposition and hurdles can actually be a blessing. describes a person who is occasionally pessimistic or depressed.

7 of Swords

loss; advice that is best ignored. Success is hampered in some way, and this suggests that the respondent may be the source of those difficulties.

Spades Nine

Illness, misfortune, and accidents The respondent is experiencing a personal low.

King of Diamonds

woman who is widowed or divorced, or whose chart shows that air rules her.

The Ace of Spades

a man with dark hair; or a man whose astrological chart is dominated by Air. A man with ambition who could be self-serving.

three diamonds

an official letter. Use tact when dealing with others to prevent conflicts.

7 of Swords

Success and happiness. A better transformation. wonderful news for a child, such as a birth. New projects should be started now.

8 of Hearts

a disagreement about money or at work. Usually anticipated to end happily.

Diamond Eight

A new job; a shift in employment. On a vacation, people of any age may find love.

7 of Swords

a fresh business transaction, travel, unrest, or a move.

Jack of Diamonds 11

A young person who might be in uniform or a jealous person who might not be trustworthy. a carrier of news, typically unfavorable but not major.

a dozen Queen of Diamonds

a woman with fair hair, or a woman whose astrological chart is dominated by Earth. a rumor.

King of Diamonds 13

a man with graying or fair hair, or whose natal chart has a strong Earth element. a powerful, influential, or eminent guy.

The only Tarot trump card still in play is the Joker. He shares some of the same meanings as The Fool in the Tarot and the standard playing card decks. He is a true “wild card,” as his number is zero. When the Joker shows up in a reading, it suggests that something unforeseen and unpredictable may happen. If you decide to utilize the Joker in your readings and your deck of cards has two Jokers, you just need to add one.

The focus placed on card combinations when reading playing cards is one notable distinction between reading the Tarot and reading playing cards. Large numbers of multiples are less possible due to the card spreads employed and the addition of the Trumps (Major Arcana), even if the notion is applicable to the Tarot and is undoubtedly used. Both decks have some combinations in common, particularly when it comes to the occurrence of numerous court cards. The interpretation of multiples of the same card in the same spread with various suits is shown in the accompanying chart.

There are numerous card combinations that different readers may find significant. A succinct list of some of the more typical pairings is provided below:

Do not cause rumors to circulate or proliferate; Seven and Eight of Diamonds will get back to you.

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Regular-sized Tarot cards with annotations:

Oversized Tarot cards with annotations:

What each card in a deck means?

Each of the four major pillars of the Middle Ages’ economy is supposed to be symbolized by one of the card game’s suits: Hearts stood for the Church, Spades for the military, Clubs for agriculture, and Diamonds for the merchant class.

How should I maintain my Tarot deck?

While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.

You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:

  • beginning with a fresh deck
  • readings for other people
  • You think you need to recharge.
  • Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
  • Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
  • Your deck has been handled by others
  • You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content

Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?

Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.

How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?

This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.

If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.

There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.

Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck

Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.

On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.

Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.

Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.

Unorderly shuffle. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.

the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.

What should you do initially while using a tarot deck?

What to Do First:

  • Get out your tarot deck.
  • The cards are in your hand.
  • “Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
  • Shuffle the cards completely.
  • The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.

After a breakup

Draw one card for each of the following inquiries if you’ve recently broken up with someone and want to know more about the reason or determine whether you’ll get back together:

  • How energetic is the partnership right now?
  • What caused the divide in the first place?
  • What do they really think of me right now?
  • What do they intend for me right now?
  • What kind of relationship will this be in the future?
  • Which action is ideal for me to take right now?

When job searching

You can use this spread to explore what kind of career guidance the tarot can offer if you’re feeling uncertain about your career path or thinking about a new employment. Draw one card once more for each query.

  • How active am I in my career right now?
  • What challenge must I overcome?
  • What is my calling in life?
  • How can I follow this calling more closely?
  • What should I do to prepare for the upcoming month?

When deciding between two options

This spread can highlight the benefits and drawbacks of each option, guiding you toward the best decision if you’re using tarot to pick between two possibilities (two job offers, two apartments, perhaps a love triangle???). Getting the deal Per card, ask one question.

  • What is the fundamental cause of this fork in the road?
  • What is the likely result of choosing option A?
  • What is the most likely result for option B?
  • What more should I take into account that was overlooked?
  • What’s the best thing I can do right now?

When something is off with a friend

If you’re concerned about the state of a friendship or feel like something is wrong but are unable to pinpoint the cause, you might be interested in seeing what conclusions and solutions this spread offers. Ask one question per card, once more, I repeat.

  • What makes this friendship so crucial?
  • What led to this sudden change in tone, and why?
  • What has changed, in my friend’s opinion?
  • What can I do to make this matter more urgent?
  • What is the future of this friendship?
  • What should I do at this moment?