Why are playing cards not so popular?

stargazed

I'm always so disappointed in cartomancy books :-(

I've never seen a resource I really liked for it, either. I think part of the problem is that it's SO up for interpretation and playing cards are common in so many cultures. I haven't found much agreement in how best to do it or solid meanings. There's some general agreements (similar to tarot- each suit is associated with an element, each number has an association), but that's it.

Most people can look at the 10 of Swords and get a good idea of its meaning. Or it could have symbolism that's personal to you. But that's not true for playing cards at all.

I think playing cards really demand the time to get to know them. I have a deck that I designed myself, unfortunately I made it incredibly complex to read, and occasionally I've tried to do a reading. I can tell it's trying to say something, I'll get similar suits/etc as in my tarot spreads for the same questions, but it's murky at best.
 

Darkmage

It is called "It's in the Cards" by Marthy Jones:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/08...&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

You can see the calendar chart on p6 that cardlady mentioned via the Look Inside feature.

And that book is extensively plagarized from this: http://www.amazon.com/How-Tell-Fortunes-With-Cards/dp/0517126338

He adds some material, but the overwhelming majority is a word for word copy of Brown's book. I have both. I prefer Brown's book as it's hardback and my copy of Jones' book is paperback and it looks like the spine is beginning to crack.

These books are fairly good resources for looking up individual playing cards. They make it quite clear that PCs are NOT the same as Tarot. The only issue with this is that Brown's book has illustrations from the 1JJ throughout? Okay, whatever.

I think PCs aren't as popular as Tarot because they don't have the mystique around them that Tarot cards do. A lot of people don't realize they can be used for fortune-telling, too.
 

San Sebastian

I really don't mind that pc are not that popular and it is a great thing to offer a service that few people offer. When you look at the Tarot market it is overly saturated to the point that it has become disgusting. All those so called people who think that they can read cards.

Besides, pc are tougher than Tarot or Lenormand because you can't rely on pictures. By themselves, pc don't tell anything and that is where you show your skills.

I love pc, they are so accurate and powerful, they really give great informations.

The only drawback of pc not being popular is the lack of sources. I love to read about pc and it is hard to find good ones.
 

Metafizzypop

I think the reason playing cards aren't so popular is because they aren't illustrated. There's nothing to look at on the number cards. Some people would like to have something to look at, because it just makes things more interesting. Tarot cards, even when the Minors aren't illustrated, at least have the Manor Arcana. But playing cards have no Majors. It's just club, spade, heart, diamond, and the occasional face card. Pretty dull. And with so many tarot decks available, there wouldn't be a need to use playing cards anyway.
 

EmpyreanKnight

I guess because you see playing cards everywhere and it's so common, it's hard to associate anything as occult as divination with it. Something along the line of "Familiarity breeds contempt", though not as derogatory.

It's hard to argue with results though. My mom consulted a reader who uses ordinary playing cards, and swears by the results. At that time, the readings seemed so far-fetched, but it came true in a spectacularly nice way for her. That is why, though I'm focusing on the Tarot right now, I eventually plan to study PC cartomancy. Am already planning to purchase some rare and very exquisite playing cards next week.
 

Morwenna

I shouldn't even look at any more playing card sites. :)

But playing cards can be scarily accurate. My friend/rune mentor/maid of honor taught me the Scandinavian system she learned, which uses a stripped deck (24--nines up through aces) and the German idea of clubs as the trouble suit, and I well remember the reading she gave me when I was just getting to know the man who became my husband of 25 years and counting. I even remember most of the cards. It was so spot-on it was one for the books!! She says she almost never remembers a reading after doing it, but that one she remembers to this day, without prompting! Of course she had a front-row seat to see it all played out.

But think about recent history, I mean 19th and 20th century; almost everyone had a deck of playing cards, while very few had Tarot cards, either for divination or for games. And divination has always been around, sometimes underground, but often using everyday things. So the use of playing cards is only less popular now because of the glut of Tarot cards out there! And then, of course, there are different systems, none of which are publicized as heavily as Tarot systems. Availability is a big factor. I wish I could have learned my grandmother's system, but my mother only absorbed a little; I wish she could have learned more, so she could have taught me. I suspect that a lot of people are in my shoes here.