I’ve been reading through different playing card divination systems lately and I keep fidning myself back at using playing cards for Tarot readings. Each reader seems to have their own approach, which… makes sense considering how the Tarot is supposed to work.
Without the Major Arcana, the pip cards have to carry more meaning. The court cards especially seem to take on deeper roles when you’re working with just 52 cards. Playing card readings feel more grounded in everyday stuff. Makes sense when you think about their history in parlors and kitchens rather than occult circles. Different readers assign meanings based on numerology, suits and even the visual patterns on the cards. My grandmother used to read with an old Bicycle deck, and her interpretations were nothing like what you’d find in books, but she was always right about things.
There’s something nice about being able to grab a deck from any store and use it for readings.
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This is cool, I like Cartomancy but mostly just because it’s easier to find playing cards than a Tarot if you need one in a pinch. Overall, I think Tarot cards give you a lot more flexibility and you can mix different types of decks for signifiers.
I’ve been using playing cards for tarot readings for a while now. Yeah, they don’t have all the fancy imagery of regular tarot decks, but that’s kind of the point. When you don’t have those visual cues, you have to learn what each card really means.
You can’t just look at a picture and guess, you need to know your stuff. It definitely takes more work at first, but once you get it, you really get it. Some people say it helps with memory and concentration too. I guess that makes sense since you’re working harder to remember everything.
My grandma always said you shouldn’t use a deck that’s been in card games because the gambling vibes mess with clear readings. She believed in dedicating a new deck and keeping it under your pillow for three nights to connect it to your energy. Wrapping it in silk after readings helps keep the vibes pure, especially since playing cards lack the protective symbols found in tarot cards.
In various cultures, playing cards have been used for divination in their own unique ways.
For example, in parts of Eastern Europe, people often read playing cards along with tea leaves. This combination of practices brings more meaning and tradition into everyday readings. Exploring these traditions can offer fresh perspectives and insights into your readings.
Anyone else keep the jokers in their deck? I’ve been experimenting with using them as wildcards recently. I treat them like portable fool cards that can pop up anywhere in the reading. Good for when you need to represent trickster energy or just something unexpected that doesn’t fit the other cards.
Found out recently that our 52-card deck descended from tarot, not vice versa. Kind of interesting. I suppose that’s why playing card divination has always been a thing. The connection was there all along.
Jung had this idea about synchronicity that connects pretty well with playing card numerology.
The four suits kind of form a mandala pattern. I’ve been thinking about how the number cards might relate to individuation. Like the Ace could represent potential, then you move through ego development with cards 2-9, and the Ten is where things complete before starting over.
Without the Major Arcana from tarot, regular playing cards push you to work with personal unconscious stuff instead of the big collective archetypes. The red and black split is good for looking at shadow material though.
Playing cards handle reversals differently since there’s no illustrated imagery to flip upside down. You need a different system for reading blocked or shadow energy. I’ve been trying out using red suits as upright energy and black suits as having that reversed quality.
The court cards get interesting personalities this way, Kings and Queens show both light and shadow aspects. Been working with this technique where the card’s orientation to the querent determines reversal meaning instead of the physical position.
Each pip has more depth when you see how every card contains its own reversal through its suit and number symbolism.