It’s in the cards
Cartomancy is the practice of using cards as a form of divination. The term comes from the Latin word carta, meaning “paper,” and manteia, meaning “divination.” It’s an ancient art that’s been around for centuries.
Cartomancy is a form of divination. It is the practice of telling fortunes through cards.
The term cartomancy comes from the Greek words kartōs (card) and manteia (divination). The word may have been invented by French occultist Étienne-Gaspard Robert, who published a book on cartomancy in 1791.
When people think of card reading they of course think of Tarot, though there are many other methods and different types of cards for this purpose. I have a vintage Alice in Wonderland deck that is one of many alternative decks I use for readings if the sitter does not wish to use Tarot. I have a zodiac based deck also that is particularly popular for Astrological tarot Readings The normal 52 card playing card deck is the most recognised, my first encounter with this method was with my mothers favourite reader, The magical Madam Tamar in Weston Super Mare. She was as far removed from the image of ‘The Fortune Teller‘ as you could get. I remember a gentle little old lady with a snoozing dog & her battered deck in various different locations. the reading though was always extraordinary, this lady didn’t need anything to tune in, the decl of cards was mostly a prop.
Fortune-telling cards have been around for centuries, and they are still popular today.
Fortune-telling cards are usually divided into two categories: tarot cards and playing cards. Tarot readings are often used to predict the future, whereas playing card readings are often used for divination purposes.
Tarot cards can be found in many different types of decks, but the most popular are the Rider Waite deck and the Thoth deck. Playing card decks can be found in a variety of forms, but they all have 52 cards with four suits: spades, hearts, clubs and diamonds.
- Spades represent challenges or approaching events.
- Hearts are about love, relationships & family.
- Clubs represent unexpected positive events.
- Diamonds are all about material things, money, career.
Deeper meanings
Taking the suit of hearts as an example, the hearts are the suit of love and romance. It is also a symbol for the heart in human anatomy. In occult lore, the suit represents the element of water and emotions like love and joy. ‘Tarot reading with playing cards free‘ is the number one keyword that brings people to my free Tarot readings, I don’t actually have a free playing card reading set up on my sites, I will add that to my never ending to do list.
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There are many different interpretations of the meaning of each card in the deck. Some people believe that the cards can predict future events, and others think that they are simply a form of entertainment.
The heart suit is symbolic for love, joy, and happiness. The Ace card represents new beginnings or new ideas. The Two card stands for joy and happiness in relationships. The Three stands for creativity and accomplishment with projects. The Four card symbolizes a need to be more cautious in life while the Five stands for personal growth or a blossoming relationship. Of course these meanings continue through the rest of the suit & are open to interpretation. Playing cards are harder to read than Tarot as there are no images to interpret or use as a memory aid. Tarot card decks with no images for the numbers or ‘pips’ of each card in the suit are equally as difficult to interpret which is why many readers focus on learning just the main images or ‘Major Arcana‘ cards that are considered to be the Greater Secrets of the Tarot experience.
Can playing cards be used for psychic readings?
A psychic reading with playing cards is a type of divination where the reader interprets messages from the cards, just as they would in a Tarot reading. The playing card deck can be used to answer questions, predict future events, and give advice on personal matters. Many people imagine a ‘gypsy’ type fortune teller complete with hoop earrings & messages about ‘tall dark strangers’ & ‘journeys over water’ when they think about playing card psychic readings.
Playing cards are popular when beginning readings for yourself or others, and you don’t need any special equipment to do so, playing cards are available at any corner shop. Therefore if you decide cartomancy is for you & you decide to commit the 52 meanings to memory you will have a skill that will entertain you & anyone you meet for the rest of your life.
