Playing Card Readings

diane drizzy

I have really become more interested in the simplicity of playing cards. So, I'm learning the meanings and feel comfortable with this part. What I seem to have a problem with is the "flow" of the readings. I guess I'm thinking in terms of the story flow you get when reading tarot, but have a harder time with playing cards. Any suggestions? :confused:
 

blackroseivy

I think that the most difficult part of all are the pips, & when they are unillustrated, I am utterly at sea - or almost! However, once you get so you "know" certain cards, you can see the image of what the illustrated version is for that number of whatever suit, & it comes back to you from other decks. That's how I remember, for example, the 5 of cups - in your case, hearts: "Nostalgia & childhood." 3 of swords - or spades - is something like "heartrending difficulty"... and like that. But the difficulty is in memorizing all 52! The face-cards have their own difficulty, because they are supposedly people. That's hard with *any* deck! I need to look at this book I saw, "Learning the Court Cards" - I'm *pretty* sure that's the title, it's at Amazon. Just rambling here, hope it's useful! BTW, kudos for going into a very difficult place with your reading skills! ;)
 

diane drizzy

Hi danhubhe!
Thanks for your thoughts. Actually I have heard some readers simply apply the meanings of the lesser arcana to reading cards and go about their business. And yes, I know what you mean about unillustrated pips-I bypassed decks because I found this too intimidating. :D
 

Phoenix Rising

Hi diane

what you can do and it's how I learnt was to have 2 different decks and write the keyword on each, and just practise with those for a while, it doesn't take long to remember them. Then I just kept drawing 3 cards and told a story with them. It was easy if there was a court card. The middle card of the 3 was normally the central issue. What ever way the face card was facing say if the King of Diamonds was looking at 10 Diamonds(business or large amount of money) then he was coming into money or focusing on Business. Or Queen clubs(Female friend-my meanings) facing 2 of hearts(romantic relationship), then a female friend had a relationship issues on her mind.

I have always had a interest in playing cards, because it was my first readings that I ever went to, they were always accurate too. And it's cheaper to buy a pack of playing cards, and less intimidating, especially if you were out in public.
 

Umbrae

If one reads books on how to read cards, you will find that each author has their own ‘meanings’ for playing cards…so you could memorize nine different ‘meanings’ for each card…

Or, if you think similar to the way I do, that the Majors and Knights were ‘added’ to the 52 card Mamluk deck (which corresponds to the modern 52 deck), then you are justified in transferring the meanings of the minors to the standard deck.

For myself, I was okay with Tarot until I began to read with standard playing cards in the 80’s…I learned to open up more, and listen…listen to the spaces between the cards, rely upon information that came not from the cards themselves – but from wherever it comes from…

Then in the 90’s when I pulled out my old Tarot, I found I was a much better reader. I relied less on memorized, parroted ‘meanings’…

I still read with playing cards. I find them very frank, and less cluttered.