Readings using Playing Cards?

In one of Umbrae's long threads at http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8718&goto=lastpost I noticed that MeeWah and AllIsOne both mentioned that they had at one time done readings with regular playing cards. I was interested in how this is done. Anyone care to share their own methods of doing this?

Hearts = Cups
Spades = Swords
Clubs = Wands
Diamonds = Pentacles

King = King
Queen = Queen
Jack = Knight
Ace = Ace
Joker's if using 1 would be The Fool
Joker's if using 4 would be the Page's in the suits

i also read by using numerology+ the suits, pretty much like i do with pips in a non-pictoral pip tarot deck. i find that the hearts, tend to lean more toward interpretations regarding love, than cups do. i read the jack as a knight, so there are no pages. i don't use the joker.

I've dug a site that has divinatory meanings for each card in a standard playing card deck:
http://groups.msn.com/Covenstead/cartomancy.msnw

It was not until I tried using regular playing cards for divination purposes that I realized it helps to know basic numerology; that is, to read the pip cards from a numerological point of view. (This applies to reading Tarot cards with illustrated or non-illustrated minor arcana, too.)

At the time I first read with regular playing cards & for many years after, I had no knowledge of Tarot & only some knowledge of numbers & of astrology. I loosely based the reading of the playing cards on card meanings provided by Maurice Woodruff in his first book which I think was "You and Your World" (long out of print but a later book, "The Secrets of Fortunetelling Your Own Future", can be found via the secondary market).

Also gleaned possible meanings from a couple of very old fortune telling books (unfortunately literally crumbling from age now & from a friend's grandmother & already old whence she acquired them). I do not know the source of Woodruff's meanings; possibly to be derived from that referred to as the traditional &/or gypsy fortune-telling methods but I am not really familiar with either sources.

Utilizing suit associations also helps though Woodruff's books do not mention specific qualities for all the suits. Most of the meanings of pip cards are puzzling in that they do not correspond to anything actually intelligible except perhaps by their numbers & suits. Even with those attributes, the correlation between some cards & their meanings are not clear.

Examples of his meanings follow:

As a suit, Hearts "the luckiest suit in the whole pack" (which I could see since Hearts seem related to the emotional realm).

Ace-Hearts = "a house or residence..."

Ace-Diamonds = "money".

Ace-Clubs = "Nighttime...any time from noon onward."

Ace-Spades = "The unlucky card...right side up indicates sickness. Upside down indicates a death."

9-Hearts = "...most important card in the whole pack...the 'wish' card."

9-Diamonds = "...second best card...another 'wish' card."

10 cards = two of them pertain to security; the other two to business.

A few of the cards represent initials; others specific occasions or events.

Jack, Queen & King = people or individuals based on their colouring.

King-Diamonds = In addition, this also represents "...a doctor or something medical".

King-Spades = "...dentist or a visit to a dentist".

Queen-Swords = "...can sometimes indicate a widow or divorcee".

Since I became involved with Tarot, I also tend to see the cards as quite flexible; to be an inspiration for information as the meanings are not static but to be considered within the context of any throw.

I think this is an interesting website, more comprehensive than others I have seen & forgotten:

http://www.geocities.com/twelveofhearts/intro.html

thank you for the site meewah, i found the timing to be especially interesting (although i would have to try it using my own seasonal correspondances).

some of the examples given in woodruff's books, are those we have read verbatum in lwb's for the tarot, such as the 9 of cups as the wish card, king, queen and jack as individuals based on colouring, and the queen of swords being a widow or divorcee. i am curious as to where these interpretations began, was it with cartomancy, tarot or a fortune telling deck?

Thanks MeeWah and Hedgecub for the links. They look to be very helpful on this subject.

In the case of numeralogy, for those who use it, do you look for a symbolic meaning in the number or do you add up all the numbers for some other meaning?

For example, I took a regular deck of playing cards (I'd forgotten how small playing cards are compared to tarot cards) and did a 3 card spread:

5-Clubs, 9-Diamond, 10-diamonds

I'll leave out the question for now. Anybody care to interpret?

It seems to me that many of these systems for playing cards are very unique to individual people. I beleive it was Atelliar(sp?) who first collected these meanings from French cartomancers and created his "Book of Thoth" which had the first illustrated pips.

I approach the suits in this manner:

Hearts: matters of the heart; relationships; the home or domestic matters.

Clubs: life, life energy or life path; work of a creative nature (not work to pay the bills); responsibilities; burdens; struggles.

Diamonds: money; security; work of a business nature; wheeling & dealing; real property; gains.

Spades: challenges or the problematic; struggles; negative influences; losses; health conditions. (Whilst I see Pentacles/Coins in Tarot which is the equivalent of Diamonds as related to health matters, I tend to see Spades in regular playing cards as related to health or medical matters.)

Court cards as people, actions, situations.

The Joker as the Wild Card, which means an unpredictability is associated with whatever card is next to it or near it & modifies the result or outcome.

All of the meanings from my list are those I use on occasion & originally from my use of playing cards.

I tend to think that at least some of the origins of those meanings derive from gypsy fortune-telling.

Wehman's Fortune Telling by Cards published by Wehman Bros, New York, no date available but suspect it to be at turn of 20th century to early 1900's (one of my crumbling books) provides detailed discussions of cards upright & reversed; also combinations & includes the following:

King-Spades, R: "...a widower..."

Knave-Spades, R: "...betrayal..."

10-Spades: "...jealousy particularly when accompanied by Knave of Clubs..."

I would recommend this book highly but doubt its availability.

augersWell: I do not add the card numbers but derive possible meanings or associations from the numbers & their shapes. Also look at the relationship of the cards to each other.

I do not recall what spreads I used with regular playing cards or if I even used any, but the readings seemed to pertain mostly to the mundane, not particularly spiritual per se in nature. For the benefit of this throw I am including numerological associations.

I warn ye, I am rusty with playing cards.

5-Clubs: 5 the number of man. That is, fallen man (horizontal line) upheld by the soul (half circle). Of conflict, imperfection but also of freedom. 'Tis through strife that one determines one's mettle or that to which one would align. Endurance.

On one level, akin to a spiritual crisis or challenge. Seeking a new direction or goal, perhaps in the face of a developing perception &/or due to outside forces.

On another, the passing of stability brings changing or uncertain conditions such as in the market place. Could entail or refer to travel or a move. May be as complex as taking a risk or as simplistic as a weekend trip. Could involve both, such as gambling on something.

9-Diamonds: 9 the number of man upright (horizontal line) & upholding spiritual principle (circle). Completion; fulfillment; the initiate; wisdom or truth.

On one level, achieving an intimate understanding with self & in relation to the environment &/or others.

On another, in seeking one's "fortune" or having sought same & finding confirmation of the efforts, there is time for pleasure. The risk-taking (5-Clubs) pays off.

Aside from being the second best wish card, it refers to success in enterprise.

10-Diamonds: 10 the combination of upright man (1) joined with perfection (0) or I AM with GOD. Of perfection; purpose accomplished.

Success or gains in an endeavour that could be a group-related endeavour.

Travel indicated here also, especially to the unfamiliar or foreign parts.

There is a curious sense of attempting to make peace with family through a family reunion.