How to Do Tarot Readings With Playing Cards

Don't have a set of tarot cards? No problem! I'll bet you have a deck of playing cards. And estimate what? You tin can read playing cards just every bit well equally tarot. In fact, playing cards have been used by fortune tellers and conjurors for centuries. This is a great grade of divination for those who desire to keep their practices hugger-mugger or discreet, equally well. Learn how to do a tarot reading with playing cards hither.

The Magical History of Tarot Reading with Playing Cards

Tarot cards and playing cards today are considered 2 different things. But the origins of both are basically one-in-the-same. History dates the origin of playing cards to the late fourteenth century in Italia. These playing cards, called Triumph and Trump cards, were used as a simple parlor game and were a game for the wealthy. Dignity commissioned artists to paint elaborate playing card decks for them. I example, nonetheless in beingness today, is the Visconti-Sforza deck.

The Italian Triumph Cards

Some sources claim these Italian playing cards initially consisted of just the 4 suits (in Tarot called the Minor Arcana): swords, staves, coins and cups. And afterwards, artists expanded on the deck by adding cards like The Emperor, The Hanged Man, The Tower, etc. These Triumph cards would come to be called Tarrochi (in French – Tarot). By the eighteenth century they were being widely "read" as a form of divination or fortune telling throughout Europe including in Germany and France.

Another Theory: Tarot'due south Far Due east and Centre Eastern Origins

Nevertheless, in PRS Foli's book Fortune Telling by Cards, written in 1915, he claims the Major Arcana of the Tarot was in existence long before the four suits were added. And that the Tarot or triumph cards weren't the first cards to be used for divination purposes. That "in past ages many eastern peoples, notably those of India, China, and Chaldea, possessed cards which differed materially both in use and design from those known in the West at a later appointment. It is impossible to trace these prehistoric ancestry of card-lore" (Foli, pg. xvi). He goes on to say these mystical cards made their way into Europe via the Arabs, Moors and Romany people. And may have besides originated in ancient Egypt with the Book of Thoth.

The Romani Gypsies and Playing Cards

Although reading playing cards as tarot was a common practice in Italia and French republic, the Romani gypsies are often credited with the practice. This may be because the Romany people are believed to have come from Republic of india, making their way through Egypt, and then into Europe in antiquity. They brought their fortune telling community with them, maybe picking upward new methods along the way including cartomancy. It's interesting to note, the Romani fortune tellers reserved their abilities for people exterior of their ain culture. Did they originally use cards from India or arrange the do after traveling through Egypt and Europe?

Tarot Reading with Playing Cards: How-To

We've covered the mysterious origins of Tarot and cartomancy, now let'southward dive into tarot reading with playing cards. At first glance, a pack of playing cards looks rather different than a deck of Tarot cards. But wait closer – they have much of the same symbolism. The four suits of playing cards are equivalent to the four suits of the Tarot small arcana. There are 52 cards in a regular playing deck and 13 cards in each suit. At that place are no cards in a regular playing deck to correspond to the tarot Major Arcana, which is the biggest difference between the two.

The Iv Suits = The Modest Arcana (+Their Meanings)

Hearts = Cups. Main symbolism: love, friendship, wedlock, matters of the heart, emotion, intuition, family unit (h2o chemical element and feminine). Besides relates to the flavor Spring.
Spades = Swords. Main symbolism: matters of the mind, intellect, power, action, change, courage, conflict, communication (air element and masculine). Season Winter.
Clubs = Wands/Staves. Main symbolism: spiritual matters, cadre consciousness, personal values and goals, beliefs, passions, energy, enthusiasm, sexuality (fire element and masculine). Flavor is Summertime.
Diamonds = Coins/Pentacles. Main symbolism: finances, prosperity, inheritance, career success, creativity, livelihood (earth element and feminine). Flavor is Fall.

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Kings, Queens, Jacks and The Joker

Within each adjust of playing cards are the court cards: King, Queen, and Jack. Each of these courtroom cards correspond to the King, Queen and Folio in the tarot minor arcana. The Male monarch generally represents an older developed male person, wise and strong. The Queen represents an older developed female person, female parent or matriarch. And the Jack (Folio) represents a younger male or female person, who is in the process of learning and growing. Easy enough, right?

Just what about the Joker? The Joker is the simply card in the deck that corresponds to ane of the tarot Major Arcana cards – The Fool. You can remove this card, or keep it in – the selection is yours. When the Joker pops up in a reading, information technology symbolizes adventure, the commencement to a new journeying, an inexperienced but curious youth, and beginner'south luck. Just as The Fool in the Tarot.

The Numbered Cards: Ace – Ten Symbolism & Numerology

Tarot reading with playing cards takes a deep look at the numbers and their symbolism (i.e. numerology). Offset, it's interesting to notation, there are 52 cards in a deck (minus the Joker) which corresponds to the 52 weeks in a yr. Then there are xiii cards in each suit, which corresponds to 13 lunar cycles in a twelvemonth. Coincidence? I don't think so. But if you gain a bones understanding of the meaning of each number, you can build onto your reading skills from there applying the colors, suits, etc. to the numbers and courtroom cards.

Ace – X Carte du jour Symbolism (A Quick Breakdown):

Ace: private, new journey, start of something new
Two: union, balance, polarity, partnership
3: creativity, rebirth cycle, team
Four: organization, practicality, foundation
Five: liberty, change, conflict
Six: harmony, communication, compassion
Seven: wisdom, reflection, spirituality
Eight: action, say-so, self mastery
Nine: manifestation, prosperity, fulfillment
Ten: end of a journeying/bicycle, completion, renewal

Playing Card Color Symbolism: Black and Red

Everything in a deck of playing cards symbolizes something deeper. The apply of colors, namely black and red correlate to dark and day. In improver, when you lot read i or more than playing cards to answer a yeah or no question, red means yes and black means no (though I've seen some people use the reverse.) It'south truly up to you whether red is yeah or no and vice versa with black.

This is i of the easiest means of tarot reading with playing cards using colour:

Shuffle your cards.
Ask your deck a yep or no question.
Flip over the summit bill of fare.
If it'south carmine, the answer is yes. If it's black, the answer is no.

The reply co-ordinate to color would be No in this ane-card pull.

How to Read Tarot With Playing Cards: Shuffling and Spreads

The way you do a tarot reading with playing cards is ultimately dependent on your practice and preferences. The more than you practice this form of divination, the better yous'll get. Y'all'll find your own unique way of shuffling, creating spreads, and reading the cards for yourself and possibly others likewise. Play around with dissimilar spreads; there are literally hundreds of tarot carte du jour spread ideas on Pinterest! Hither we dig into shuffling and some basic card spreads.

Shuffling Your Cards

There are different ways to shuffle cards including: hand over hand method or the riffle shuffle. I was taught the riffle shuffle as a kid for lath games then that's the method I e'er use. But practise what feels comfortable to you. A video showing ways of shuffling cards is posted below for your convenience.

In improver to shuffling the cards, depending on the spread, you'll too consider cutting the deck in sure means. Some readers cut the deck exactly 3 times and shuffle again. Or they cut the deck every bit many times every bit they need for the spread. As mentioned in the video above, you can besides do the ribbon spread and wave and cull as many cards as you lot need. In that location are Then many ways to shuffle and cutting the deck!

Playing Card Spreads

The easiest and (I call up) nigh effective spreads are ane-card pulls and three-card spreads. A one-menu pull is simply that – pulling one menu from the deck to reply your question or gain a message. Iii carte du jour spreads include:

Past/Present/Future
Problem/Factors/Solution
Maiden/Mother/Crone

3 Card Example

Allow's take a await at a real life case of a three card spread with playing cards. The person who we're reading for is a young woman who has merely graduated with a Bachelor's Caste and acquired a new job.

Tarot reading with playing cards: 3 card spread

Past (left): The Queen of Spades confirms this woman was very much focused on education and attained a caste (Spades being the suit of the Mind).

Present (eye): The seven of hearts shows this young woman has been dreaming of a new lover, at present that she has time to focus on her personal life (her schooling is over).

Futurity (right): The Jack of Hearts indicates a new young human/love interest might be coming into her life very soon.

One-Card Pull Example

Another easy spread to use is the ribbon spread. Fan out the cards. Wave your mitt over the unabridged spread from left to correct and allow the energy of the cards to pull on your paw. And so pull the bill of fare that your hand feels fatigued to. For this instance, our reader is drawing a card for herself. She wants to know what area of life she should focus on now.

Tarot Reading with Playing Cards: One Card Pull

The 4 of clubs indicate she should focus on building a foundation of spiritual beliefs. Perhaps she's gotten abroad from her spirituality or had a alter of faith.

Use Your Intuition!

Aye, the cards each accept a meaning, in their colors, suits, and numbers. Nevertheless, the virtually important office of tarot reading with playing cards is your INTUITION. Mind to that first idea that pops up in your listen, allow yourself to experience that first feeling. Or hear that get-go word. The cards and all forms of divination are simply tools to help you connect with the otherworld and access divine data. Trust your intuition over the cards' meanings.

Tarot Reading with Playing Cards: How To