Cartomancy 101 ~ Part 3
Card Meanings and the Square of Nine Spread
This is the last part of the Cartomancy 101 article. I found learning the cards in groups of four with the same number for each of the suits the easiest method instead of slowly learning by the suit. The face or court cards have a meaning that is not people-related and one with being a person. I added a brief bit about using Jokers.
The pdf for the all of Cartomancy 101 is 16 pages long. The only thing that is not included is the pdf for the 1st and 2nd Steps worksheets. I was making each section as separate pdfs. Since one can print out one page or all, I found that a bit silly. Go to ~ Cartomancy 101 – All pdf to download the full articles, minus my beginning input or intros to various areas that have no need to be included.
After a while of practicing by giving “readings” to imaginary Seekers in a notebook, you will notice how the meanings work with certain cards near them and you will also discover combinations. Let things flow as you learn. You will intuit these things as you read the playing cards. If you try to memorize too many things at once, it leads to confusion. This all will go much quicker than you think.
I have my personal copy of the cards meanings rearranged and some removed. My life is rather different to many, and I have few social interactions. Think “hermit” with a husband and cranky little dog, and you have Me. laughing… You may end up changing them as time passes, too.
Needless to say, this article is very long. To “shorten” it somewhat, I put the card meanings into what is called Tab Text Blocks to greatly shorten the article visually. You click on the Tab and the meanings are revealed. They are grouped by card numbers with the number meanings on top of the Tabs block, with 4 sections, one for each suit.
I hope all I have presented for you is helpful for those looking to preserve this tradition I am presenting here on my website.
Cartomancy 101 ~ Part 3 ~ Card Meanings
All of the meanings are suggestions. Pick one meaning as you learn and add another when you are comfortable to do so. Trying to memorize two or more meanings tends to overwhelm one sometimes. Remember! Relax and have fun while learning!
Note ~ * before a meaning designates a traditional, and usually very old, meaning for that particular card. You may find them useful when reading the cards.
Aces · A · beginnings, the start and the new. The primary direction of a suit.
♦ Ace of Diamonds
♥ Ace of Hearts
♣ Ace of Clubs
♠ Ace of Spades
Something new that is connected with money or finances, but not always. It can be a new possession or new goods. A new idea comes to you, that spark or “ah-ha”. Money being available if needed. A new way of thinking. New knowledge or information. *A letter. Look at surrounding cards for an idea of the content of the letter . A new crystal, stone or a *diamond ring.
*Home, family and friends are the main focus in some way. Look at the nearby cards to see why. A new love or friendship. A long-time relationship takes on new life. Going into your heart-space. If supported by nearby cards:: a letter, visitor, trouble, marriage, etc. may come to the home; or a birth, family addition or a change of residence.
A new *opportunity, task, project, *goal or job. Starting a new physical activity or hobby. Learning a new skill or way of doing something.
*An important decision. A big change. An ending that usually brings in something new. *A death. (I do not use that one.) Usually, the decision brings the change and it will bring a needed end and the ability to start anew.
Twos · 2 · exchanges, partnership, and relationships, the one-on-one type of exchanges.. Sometimes ~ the doubling or repeating of something.
♦ 2 of Diamonds
♥ 2 of Hearts
♣ 2 of Clubs
♠ 2 of Spades
Getting paid, a loan or paying for something; an exchange of money, funds and similar things of value. Sending or receiving a gift or invitation. A telephone call or message. A profitable agreement. Contracts. An exchange of thoughts and ideas with someone. Tutoring or private classes.
A romantic relationship. A good friendship. Going out dancing. Enjoying the arts or creating some art yourself. A harmonious time. Dance or hum to bring yourself into harmony. Marriage.
*A helping hand: you are offered help or you help another. A practical or business-type partnership. Trust. A doubling of something, a repeated action or activity, like: someone coming back into your life, a 2nd marriage or honeymoon, another child, and so on.
Conflict, the butting of heads. It can go from being irritated with each other, to full-blown arguments. Separation. An inability to get along with another person. If things are really bad, it can even come down to hating each other.
Threes · 3 · things growing. They show gradual growth, bit-by-bit, and “a little” or “small”. They can also show conflict or harmony from a 3rd object joining the 2.
♦ 3 of Diamonds
♥ 3 of Hearts
♣ 3 of Clubs
♠ 3 of Spades
Being scatterbrained. You are thinking about too many little things, scattering thoughts in all directions, and little is getting done or mistakes are made because you are not focused. A small raise in pay; growth in financial security; or profits. A small amount of money is obtained or needed.
Someone or something is growing on you emotionally in a positive way. Decorating or adding beauty to something. A fertile time. Child or children are a focus. An emotional or love triangle may bring problems to a relationship, along with jealousy and hurt.
A small practical development. A little move forward. Small challenges or obstacles that you can usually work through. A little extra work or duties.
Small aggravations. Little problems are adding up. Interference from a 3rd party – someone meddling in your life and/or business. *Loss and things are lost.
Fours · 4 · the stable and unchanging. They are also the unmovable, stagnation, or being boxed-in. They are squarish things, like papers, buildings and fields. Their stability can represent justice and legal matters. Some see the 4’s pips as bed posts and beds.
♦ 4 of Diamonds
♥ 4 of Hearts
♣ 4 of Clubs
♠ 4 of Spades
A stable and secure financial situation, but without growth. Relaxing and calm forms of thought are more valuable than ingenuity. Monetary, financial or official papers and paperwork.
Emotional stability. A calm and stable emotional state, being in your bliss. Do not allow yourself to devolve into emotional boredom, which can occur when in this state at times. A time of fairness and justice.
Goals are on firm footing. Job security. Boredom at work or with activities, you are just plodding along. If you like what you are doing, find a way to make it less boring.
Doubt and confusion. There seems to be no exit from the problems or solving them. You feel boxed-in and the pressure is getting to you. Exhaustion. A time of unfairness and injustice. A call to jury duty, summons, or lawsuit involving the court, depending on what is going on for you.
Fives · 5 · the body; we have 5 appendages. Fives are about suit-based interactions relating to the body.
♦ Five of Diamonds
♥ Five of Hearts
♣ Five of Clubs
♠ Five of Spades
Spending money for yourself and needs or for your own pleasure ~ shopping for food, clothing and other material goods, eating out, jewelry, furniture or even appliances.
Enjoyment and pleasurable amusements. Good health. Friendship. Fun and loving sex.
Exercise. Sports. Hobbies. Craftsmanship by hand. Practical work. Working hard with strong determination.
Taking on more than you can handle. Stress. Illness. Dis-ease. Injury. Drugs, alcoholism, and other addictions that adversely effect your health.
Sixes · 6 · a path or the steps that you are currently following or taking, depending on the suit.
♦ Six of Diamonds
♥ Six of Hearts
♣ Six of Clubs
♠ Six of Spades
You are heading in the right direction, but it may be a bit further away than thought. Distance; something or someone is at a distance. Taking steps towards a financial goal; saving or making investments. You are heading towards an expenditure. The funds will be available to deal with it if you use your head. A car.
Going in a positive direction, making good progress and moving ahead. A pleasant trip or vacation, usually with family or friends. A deepening emotional bond.
Taking steps towards a goal, completing a task, or learning something you are interested in. A work or business trip. Taking an education-based pathway of learning or teaching. Reading and books.
Wrong choice or direction; or even abandoning something and walking away. Cleaning up your life and getting rid of things. Difficulties while traveling; it will not be worth all of the trouble that occurs. You may be running with bad company that is leading you in the wrong direction.
Sevens · 7 · troubles, problems, blockages and challenges. Or ~ Secrets, mysteries and the hidden. Magic and religion – things used to cope with the problems.
♦ Seven of Diamonds
♥ Seven of Hearts
♣ Seven of Clubs
♠ Seven of Spades
Anxiety. A financial problem of some kind. A lack of knowledge will bring trouble.
Or ~ a time to work on your spirituality and psychic abilities.
Upset. An emotional problem is cropping up. A troubled heart. Lies, false friends and betrayal. Ending of trouble if at the end of a spread.
Or ~ a time to work on your empathic talents and intuition.
A practical problem. Plans going awry. Trouble reaching your goals. Trouble at work. Muddling up a project..
Or ~ this is a time when chance, serendipity and luck are happening. A charm.
Double trouble. Obstacles and challenges; nearby cards show what the trouble is. *Tears.
Or ~ something is hidden and needs investigation. Very rarely, some twit or twits are sending you bad juju that needs to be rebuffed in your preferred manner.
Eights · 8 · ideas, thoughts and things related to the mind. Communication between groups of people.
♦ Eight of Diamonds
♥ Eight of Hearts
♣ Eight of Clubs
♠ Eight of Spades
You may be thinking about your financial situation at this time and it may be a good time to look at your budget or financial situation. Communicating with groups using tech devices may be helpful for working on new ideas or learning about something you are interested in; or the devices in general.
Thinking about love. Emotional musings. A group having a celebration. A happy mind and atmosphere. A party, sometimes a wedding. Social drinking. Flirty chat.
Thoughts about work and getting it done. Practical plans. Work, in general. Business talk or meeting with similar interests when it comes to your work or hobbies. Sometimes, a job interview
A negative attitude that devolves into negative thoughts. A poisoned atmosphere. Depression. Negative gossip and rumors. Conflict involving groups of people. Abused or feeling abused. A gang; organized crime. A mob.
Nines · 9 · changes.
♦ Nine of Diamonds
♥ Nine of Hearts
♣ Nine of Clubs
♠ Nine of Spades
A change in finances, usually for the better. A positive change in plans. A change in your material comfort level, usually for the better; fancy clothing and accessories.. Very rarely, fame.
A general change for the better. *Your wish will come true. A change of heart for the better.
A general change in your life. A change in goals or priorities. A change of job or business methods. A change taking place at work or changing jobs. A change in the way you work. Going back to work after an absence or going back to working on something you have not tackled for a bit.
Disappointment. A change for the worse. Injury. *Your wish will not come true.
Tens · 10 · endings, completion. Great, much or a lot. Journey and travel.
♦ Ten of Diamonds
♥ Ten of Hearts
♣ Ten of Clubs
♠ Ten of Spades
Success. Enough money to get things done and for what you need. A financially secure time. A large sum of money may come your way. Completing a financial agreement.
Happiness. Emotional security. A pleasant and stable family life. A solid marriage bond. The spouse, partner. Journey by or over water. Bodies of water. Water vehicles.
Achievement. Completion of a practical project. A lot of work to do. Work piling up. Journey by air.
Failure in some way and it may bring problems to deal with. A lot of troubles. *Worry. Grief. Journey by land.
The Court Cards
∙ Please note that a Court card does not always represent a person.
A Note on Describing the Characteristics of Court Cards ~
∙ When you see a Court Card in a spread, you can identify it in two ways – by the characteristics of its suit and the surrounding cards. The cards near the Court card can give a form of description ~ A K♣ with a A♥, he wants a family and/or family is important. A Q♥ with a 8♠ she has a negative attitude. A J♠ with a 5♣ is into sports or exercising or with a 2♣ he is very helpful; and so on. You will usually be able to tell any of that from the surrounding cards. The careers and work are ones they may tend to have that goes with the nature of their suits and are not fixed.
Jacks
∙ A Jack is a message.
∙ As a person, they are often under the age of 30, or younger than you. They can be children, peers, and younger family members of either sex.
∙ Below are their tendencies by suit of the personalities, attitudes, activities and actions.
♦ Jack of Diamonds
♥ Jack of Hearts
♣ Jack of Clubs
♠ Jack of Spades
∙ A message concerning money, finances, about something you value or intellectual pursuits.
∙ An intelligent and quick-witted youth. A student and may be the studious-type. A advantaged youth.
∙ A message from a loved one or friend, a compliment or a thank you. It may be a small gift. Asked out on a date, if single or invited out by a relative, partner, spouse or friend.
∙ An easy-going youth. Emotional, artistic, dreamy. They like merriment and fun. They sometimes act foolishly. The J♥ could represent a dearly loved pet.
∙ A message concerning a business venture, work, or a practical matter.
∙ A youth that is practical, efficient and active. Outgoing and friendly. They like sports and exercise. Good with their hands and rather clever. An apprentice, prefers the Trades.
∙ A message containing bad news.
∙ An aloof, lonely or depressed youth. An untrustworthy youth. The bad boy or girl. A youth in trouble. A youth that does not like you or is hostile towards you.
Queens
∙ Queens represent women and truth.
∙ They tend to be mothers, family members, wives and lovers, friends and other women in your life. Occasionally, they are strangers. Queens are usually mature women over 30.
Queens as Truth ~
∙ Look at the cards near the Queen when you interpret one of them as Truth. A Queen by Red cards, for instance, will show that you are being told the truth of a matter (whether financial, emotional, etc.). If she is near ♠ Spades, you may have a falsehood to deal with. If with ♣ Clubs, you may have to dig or work in uncovering the truth.
∙ Below are their tendencies by suit of their personalities, attitudes, activities and actions.
♦ Queen of Diamonds
♥ Queen of Hearts
♣ Queen of Clubs
♠ Queen of Spades
∙ The truth of a financial or practical matter.
∙ A woman who is intelligent and resourceful. She loves new experiences and travel. A woman of wealth or financial means. She may be a socialite, somewhat superficial and a gossip. A professor, a teacher, a writer. She may be in the financial sector in some way.
∙ The truth of an emotional matter, or in general, the truth.
∙ A kind, and loving woman. She has your well-being and best interests at heart. She is intuitive, an empath and, sometimes, psychic. An artistic woman. A mother, wife or other female family member. An artist, counselor, health-giver, energy-work.
∙ The truth of a practical or business matter.
∙ She is practical, efficient and likes to be active in practical affairs. She is outgoing, active and creative. She is career-oriented and may be a business woman, boss or superior. With ♥s, she may be your grandmother.
∙ An unpleasant truth or a lie.
∙ An enemy or rival if she does not like you. She can be aloof, lonely or depressed. She prefers authority-based careers- law enforcement, judge or the military. A widow or *divorced.
Kings
∙ Kings are the symbols of power of their suit and men. They tend to be fathers, family members, husbands and lovers, friends and other men in your life. Occasionally, they are strangers. The Kings are usually mature men over 30.
Kings as Power ~
∙ If a King is read as a type of power in the reading, whether the power is used for good or ill depends on the cards around it. The K♥ flanked by two ♠s, may indicate emotional manipulation. The K♦ flanked by two ♣s, may indicate money used practically. The K♠ flanked by ♥s may show a man who is warm-hearted towards you or others.
∙ Below are their tendencies by suit of the personalities, attitudes, activities and actions.
♦ King of Diamonds
♥ King of Hearts
♣ King of Clubs
♠ King of Spades
∙ Financial power or the power to pay for things and think things through.
∙ A man who is intelligent, resourceful and usually sociable. He loves new experiences, travel and does not like having his mind idle too long, being the restless sort. A man of wealth or of financial means. A professor, a teacher, a writer. He may be in the financial sector.
∙ Emotional power or the power to inspire feelings.
∙ He is understanding and kind. He has your well-being and best interests at heart. He is an emotional man and feels securer when in a relationship. An artistic man. He can be an empath. A father, husband or other male family member. An artist, counselor, health-giver, energy-work.
∙ Practical power or the power to to get things done, to progress or accomplish a goal.
∙ He is practical, efficient and likes to be active in practical affairs. He is outgoing, active and creative. He likes sports and exercise. He is career-oriented and may be a businessman, boss or superior. With ♥s, he may be your grandfather.
∙ The power to teach others a lesson; to hinder; to do harm; or to play a part in life’s pattern.
∙ An enemy or rival if he does not like you. He may be aloof, lonely or depressed. He prefers authority-based careers- law enforcement, judge or the military. A widower or *divorced.
Jokers
∙ Jokers are not traditionally used in cartomancy. Some readers use them, liking the addition. There are options of using the Jokers in cartomancy. Personally, I do not use them.
∙ If you want to use the Joker, they are considered the Wild Card. When it comes up, it means to expect the unexpected. It does not mean it will be negative. It will be out of the blue, unpredictable, serendipity, and well, the unexpected.
∙ You can use both Jokers with the same meaning or not. Sometimes, one is colored and the other is black and white. The fancier one is a good or positive surprise and the plain one is a bad or negative surprise. You can give them meanings as you wish.
Learning Helps
∙ Pick a group of four cards by their numbers or courts to learn how they speak and speak to you. Do not memorize the meanings. They will come more easily if you do not go that route. Pick one meaning that jumps out at you to start, adding more when ready. Reread the meanings if drawing a blank. Reword them if you prefer the way you normally speak.
∙ I wrote down my thoughts on the meanings in my notebook for each card. I found that very helpful if a card’s meaning needed fleshing out in my mind. You can pull out a card or three and work out an interpretation when you have spare time. Play with your deck to, well, bond with the cards. A trio of cards can have several meanings or “sentences”. You will intuit which is correct as you learn.
∙ You can do practice readings with an imaginary seeker. 3 cards are a good start and then go to the 9-card spread below for in-depth readings when comfortable.
∙ I keep a notebook for my imaginary readings. I give different interpretations that are possible to help me look objectively at a trio of cards. Rereading some of them a week or three later can aid you as you learn. You will find that interpreting becomes easier and faster as you go.
∙ For more help, see my article Cartomancy or Playing Card Divination ~ Part 2, for links to all of the sources I learned from. This article is my tweaks to what is one of the most-preferred systems for cartomancy.
You can get quite a bit of information out of 9 cards. There will be eight trios to read and the little arrows on the charts show the direction of each trio. They are read in the following order ~
Rows 1-3 ~ 1•2•3 • 4•5•6 • 7•8•9
Columns 4-6 ~ 1•4•7 • 2•5•8 • 3•6•9
Diagonal rows 7-8 ~ 1•5•9 and 3•5•7
The interpretations of the trios will deal with present and future circumstances. Because you are reading each of the cards as part of more than one trio, sometimes the meanings of the trios will be linked, and sometimes they will not be. Your intuition will guide you.
The past rarely appears in a trio. If it does, it means that the past event or whatever, is still an ongoing event and has not played out fully. Look over the cards to discern what is still playing out with the “unfinished business”, so to speak.
Tips ~
∙ Look at the predominant color for a general feel. Do not get too hung up on that, though.
∙ What is the predominant suit? That gives the general context of the reading –
♦ Thinking, ♥ Emotional, ♣ Actions, or ♠ Learning (sometimes the hard way).
∙ Look for multiples of a number or court. It can strengthen that number’s meaning & multiples of the courts can mean more people are involved, though not always.
∙ Look at what suit is missing from the reading. What is missing in the reading could have a bearing. You may find more or different meanings for what is missing.
∙ ♦ Diamonds • clear thinking or funds, money.
∙ ♥ Hearts • emotions, feelings, family or friends.
∙ ♣ Clubs • actions, practicalities or work.
∙ ♠ Spades • challenges, obstacles or problems, etc.
Ta da! All done! Remember to download the pdf shown at the beginning of this article for a complete Cartomancy 101 learning “booklet” and the 1st and 2nd Rules pdf in the first article for the beginner worksheets. This series will have you reading and divining with playing cards in a very short time. I hope you enjoyed the series!
Cartomancy 101 ~ Part 2
My Garden and Life
you may also like
Cartomancy or Playing Card Divination Part 2
A Review of the Anna.K Lenormand Deck & Cartomancy Musings
