Cartomancy with Playing Cards: Read Them Like The Tarot by Psychic Shannon

Have you ever had your cards read with regular playing cards?  Delving into cartomancy meaning is a very old way of predicting the future or tuning into your spiritual side.  One of the most interesting ways of reading playing cards is using them to correspond with a tarot reading. First, some background.

Cartomancy Uses a Standard 52-Card Deck

Before poker, gin rummy, and bridge, decks of cards were used for cartomancy. This surfaced as early as the 14th century. That deck of cards consists today of four suits, including hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs, each with 13 cards. Experts in some countries use different cards, though. In France, cartomancers use a 32-card piquet deck, while others like to include blank cards and jokers. 

Cartomancers Get Divine Answers Through Playing Cards

Just like with tarot readings, there are cartomancy meanings associated with each card. Cartomancers lay the cards out in a spread, depending on what question is asked. Through training and skill, cartomancers can help you find answers by knowing which spread to use and what the cards mean together as a group.

Cartomancy Can Answer Your Questions

Playing cards tarot is very flexible, which means all questions can be answered, no matter how they are posed. This is done through the spreads that a cartomancer uses to help you understand the situation better. While the cartomancer is shuffling, he or she will ponder your question. This will bring to the surface the cards necessary to answer your query. Results can include a brief yes or no answer or something quite in-depth.

Learning Cartomancy Meaning

You may find that playing cards tarot is easier to learn than using tarot cards, particularly for a beginner. With only 52 cards in a standard deck as opposed to 73 in a tarot deck, a standard card deck has less to learn and is easier to read!  Both types of cards have four suits, each with an Ace, King, and Queen.  These suits are called by different names in playing cards and in tarot cards.  Once you understand the similarities with both decks you are well on your way to doing a playing cards tarot reading!

The court cards in a playing card deck are very similar to the tarot deck.  For example,

• Aces of all four suits can represent new beginnings and new starts. 
• The Kings show the male energy, while the Queens represent the female energy. 
• Playing cards have a Jack of each suit while tarot cards have both Knights and Pages.  I see the Jacks as corresponding with Knights and Pages and view them as young people. 

If you see a King, Queen, and Jack of one suit together in a playing card layout you may be reading about a particular family situation. If the Ace is with them the whole family may be making a new start!

If you have studied the tarot, you have foundational knowledge of cartomancy meaning simply by mapping the standard playing cards to their corresponding counterparts.

Different Spreads Work for Different Questions

Common spreads include the 3x3, seven fates, five card, and three-card spread. The 3x3 spread is a great option if you just need some insight into a person or matter that you've been considering. The seven fates give an overview of your life in the future, including family, career, wealth, happiness, and romance. A three-card cartomancy spread allows flexibility. Depending on the question you ask, the answer could be past, present, and future, or it could be you, the other person, or the relationship. It's great for open-ended questions.

A Simple Yes No Reading

The easiest tarot reading with playing cards is a simple yes or no question.  In this case you may use the black cards in the playing card deck versus the red cards.  Shuffle the deck and focus on your question.  Draw one card from the deck.  This card is your answer.  If it is a red card, your answer is yes.  If it is a black card your answer is no.  

Need a little more information with your answer?  Look at the suit of the card you have drawn.  If it is a heart or diamond, traditionally the answer is more favorable.  If it is a spade, things may be on the negative side.  Drawing a club is usually more positive than negative, but there could be problems.  Consider drawing one last card to be sure!

High number cards can have more dramatic meanings than some of the lower number cards.  Always look at the number of the card. For example, if you have drawn the ten of hearts, this is a strong yes answer to your question. This card corresponds with the ten of cups in a tarot deck, showing the height of happiness.  If your question was about love, expect a new romantic change soon.

A 3-Card Playing Cards Tarot Spread

You can get a bigger overview of a question with a three-card layout.  Playing cards work just as well as tarot cards with this spread.

As an example, let's say your question concerns your career.  Will you receive a promotion, or must you stay in your current position?  Shuffle the cards, focus on your question, then choose three cards.  Put the first card to the left.  It represents the past.  The second card goes in the middle and shows your current situation.  The third card goes to the right and represents the outcome of your question.

Now look at the colors of the cards.  Are there more red or black cards?  Red would be a more positive outcome while more black cards would represent some problems or issues to overcome regarding your question.

Let's say you have two red cards and one black.  Good news is likely!  The card representing your past is black, the eight of spades, corresponding to the eight of Swords in the tarot deck. This card can mean being stuck, not being able to move forward.  In the past, you may have felt stuck in your job, but didn't know how to change the situation.  The second card is the King of Hearts, corresponding with the King of Cups in the tarot deck.  This is someone affecting your current job, most likely in a positive way.  This person may help you move into a new position at work.

The last card is the Ace of Diamonds, corresponding with the Ace of Pentacles in the tarot Deck. Both cards can represent a new job beginning.  

Get ready, you are moving ahead with your job and career.  Success is yours!

You can even try your hand at a free cartomancy reading using this online interactive.

How to Do A Love Reading Using Playing Cards

Now we are ready for an exciting part of learning how to do a tarot reading with playing cards.  We are going to do a layout called Love Pyramid!  This layout should be used if you have questions regarding an existing relationship.  As an example, let us say your questions is, “Where is my relationship going?"  This is just the playing card layout you need!

As before, shuffle your cards and focus on your question.  Choose four cards and lay them left to right as the foundation of your pyramid.  This row shows the beginning and base of your relationship. 

From left to right, you have drawn the two of hearts, the four of diamonds, the four of clubs, and the two of spades. Two red cards and two black cards indicate your relationship has been in balance in the past.  The two of hearts corresponding with the two of cups in the tarot deck, shows you began the relationship with a strong attraction. The four of diamonds corresponding with the four of pentacles in the tarot deck shows you built a solid foundation for the relationship.  Next in your foundation is the four of clubs, corresponding to the four of wands.  This is a pleasant card in the tarot deck, showing a smooth, happy relationship.  The last card in the foundation is a little different.

It is the two of spades, corresponding to the two of swords in the tarot deck.  Both cards represent a standstill or nothing moving ahead in the relationship.  After a good beginning the relationship has slowed down or isn't moving ahead.

Now choose three more cards and place them above your foundation cards.  They will go left to right for your next row in the Love Pyramid. These cards show the current situation in your relationship. 

You have chosen the eight of diamonds, the ten of clubs, and the five of diamonds.  Reading from left to right, the eight of diamonds corresponds with the eight of pentacles in the tarot deck.  This card represents new work, new classes, new responsibilities.  Either you or your romantic partner may have taken on a new job recently.  It could be great for financial stability but how is it affecting your relationship?  The answer is in the next two cards.  The middle card on this row is the ten of clubs, corresponding with the ten of wands in the tarot deck.  This card shows a heavy burden or a problem one of you is feeling from the new work.  Our last card is the five of diamonds, corresponding to the five of pentacles in the tarot.  This is a card of worries, stress, and unhappiness.   Adding this row of cards together you see problems in the relationship caused by job stress and too much work.  With the five of diamonds in this row, you may both be worried about too little time together due to the new job.

The next two cards in our Love Pyramid are very important.  They will suggest ways to improve or resolve the issues in your relationship.   Choose two cards and place them above the three-card line, left to right.  Think of these two cards as your solution line.  By now you should see the pyramid shape of your layout.  We are building towards your final answer!

The cards you have chosen, from left to right, are the six of hearts and the eight of clubs.  The six of hearts corresponds with the six of cups in the tarot.  This card shows the past and the happy memories the two of you shared.   The answer to improving your relationship and moving ahead for the two of you lies in your past.  Both of you may need to reflect and consider what made the relationship happy in the past.  The next card in the layout is the eight of clubs, corresponding with the eight of wands in the tarot deck.  This card shows movement, advancement, and progress.  Sometimes a trip is indicated.  Did the two of you travel together more frequently in the past? Did you go on romantic adventures together that have stopped because you are too busy working?  Look to the past and bring those exciting times into your current lives together.  With the eight of clubs in your reading you can move together quickly to a wonderful new future! 

We have reached the top of our Love Pyramid now.  Choose one final card and place it above the two-card line and on top of your pyramid.  This is the resolution of your question and the final result. 

You have drawn the three of hearts, corresponding with the three of cups in the tarot.  This is a happy, joyful, creative card.

It shows your relationship moving ahead to a playful and happy time.  You have resolved your relationship issues by looking to the past for answers.  It is a time for enjoyment and spending more time together.  You and your person of interest will find happiness and pleasure together again.  It is time to celebrate the two of you!

As a tarot reader and cartomancer, I enjoy helping you explore new possibilities and perspectives as we look into the cards. Whether you’re new to cartomancy or are yourself a seasoned card reader, I welcome the opportunity to explore cartomancy meaning and how to apply it to answer your questions and live your best life.