Best Methods/Books/Formulas for Learning Playing Card Reading

Satori

Hi everyone,

Well I once again am doing what I said I wasn't gonna do...and I am beginning the study of Playing Card reading. (Some of you might remember that I said, many years ago, that I would never learn to read Tarot...hah!...look where that got me 60-100 Tarot and oracle decks later.)

I'm trying to find threads about Playing Cards, I've done searches and the search feature will not work for me. I've sent PM's to the mods in Oracles and Divination, and now I turn to all of you.

The one system that I do own is the Playing Card Oracles, and I pulled that out again and have begun looking at it once more. I do remember that there was an active playing card group here at one time, and I seem to remember that Barbaras Ahajust was part of that. I'll have to track her down and spell her name right to boot...But, Playing Card Oracles is not the Playing Card system people were using here.

If someone could point me in the right direction I would very much appreciate that. I know we have information on the forum about this...I must be blind not being able to find it....thanks for the help.

I have to tell you that I had the Playing card oracles set with me today at a lunch place, Mexican you know. And these women were talking, loudly about their very bad love lives. And one woman said, "I just don't know what kind of man I want." My immediate thought: Great, how are you going to find him lady?

So yes, I pulled 4 cards on it. And then I sat there dying to tell her what I had discovered. Her friend went to the bathroom and so I said, "Look, don't think I'm eavesdropping, but I suppose I am, but I asked what you want in a man and here it is...."

She was astounded, because the reading nailed it. She was blinking like she had just surfaced from diving for pearls...she was hooked.

Then the other one gets back and wants hers done...and there I am with the book looking stuff up like some amateur, and I told them, if you ever pay for a reading I don't use the book....and we all laugh...and the other one gets a very accurate reading too. they took my name and number and want to have party! (New way to market your reading skills: eaves drop in restaurants, listen for problems, do little readings at your table on the problem, then go tell them a piece of the solution, leave your card, pray they don't smack you down!)

So now I'm hooked. What have you got AT?
 

celticnoodle

I can refer you to a few websites that are good for cartomancy. I do have some books too, but not handy at the moment.

www.hedgewytchery.com

www.geocities.com

http://cartomancy.darkbb.com

the one above, I haven't checked out fully--but I put here as you may find it helpful.

at any rate, these websites may prove helpful to you. if you still want to know of some books, I'll get mine tomorrow and update here--there are quite a few out there--almost as plentiful as tarot! :D
 

Satori

[size=+3]Duh!!![/size] Cartomancy! Who would have thought of that word....not me apparently! LOL, thank you rabid!

Wow, thanks you guys. See this is what I'm talking about!
 

Satori

OK, now that I have some of you to rub elbows with, what are the differences with the Playing Card Oracles and other playing card systems.

Some I think I notice right away. Like the 10s being turned into different kinds of ladies/women and the Jacks being all men... or knights. It makes sense to me, because then the numbers of men to women are more evenly placed. The Kings and Queens have their consorts, now the Knights do as well-they get the 10s, but how does that change/impact the original system of playing card reading.

Also, the idea that the 4's are all Winds...is this in any way typical of the historical playing card meanings, and if not where did they come up with them from? (I actually like the idea of the energy of the winds, the idea of a force pushing you or something that is sort of unknowable acting upon you...something unseen.)

One other thing about the PLaying Card Oracles set is that it is illustrated. It does take the deck and personify it using their own deities, which again, I'm wondering if this totally their own creation or if there is other evidence that certain Queens were personified as mythical goddesses or women.

I did find a playing card system on the net that seems to have taken the meanings of the minors of the tarot and sort of put them onto the cards...but I don't know if this is really what I want to do. It seems...too easy. If I wanted to do that I'd pick a deck, pull the majors and use it.

I have not done many searches on the net yet, because I thought I would start here with the input of my tribe.

I really appreciate your help. :heart:

Also, what about the reading threads that were happening here some time ago...what was up with that? Were they using a particular system or was everyone using their own playing card system, the one they were taught?
 

Satori

Just sifted through about 20 pages of a search done using the word Cartomancy, thank you rabid. Forever grateful for you reminding me of this most great multiple syllable word....:bugeyed:

Finally hit pay dirt with the index that was created by PheonixRising once upon a time, in a time far away, or at least a couple of years ago. Wow. We need an index of the cartomancy threads, and we need it soon. This is a start, and my contribution to the effort. These threads range across the board, and perhaps this is part of why it was hard to find the info. It is here and there...everywhere.

The Hedgewitch site pops up the most in all the threads, with at least one reference to her site on multiple threads. Also, the Personal Prophecy info is fairly popular, tho to hear our Bee talk about it the book wanders quite a bit.

Well this is a good start, these links if they all work, ought to keep me busy for a while. Now I just have to keep the thread near the top of the forum...don't want to lose this one!
 

Le Fanu

I love playing cards reading and love the Playing Card Oracle by Ana Cortez, but if you're looking for a book (which isn't the Ana Cortez system) then I quite like this one. It is also interesting as it gives an interesting background on the different systems...
 

rif

Incidentally, if you try a search for "playing" or "poker" and restrict it to the Oracles section, you'll find threads that don't turn up with cartomancy. (I've probably been through every PC-related thread on this forum over the last 2-3 weeks.)

You probably weren't getting results with your first search because cards is such a ubiquitous word, there were too many results for the system. That happens to me; I get a fatal error, or even just a blank, empty page!

Like you, I've decided to work with PCs, and what I've found that there is a bewildering array of "systems" to choose from. :eek: I know that it comes down to personal preference, and I've been seeing what's out there, what feels traditional, which books are well-written, and so on. I know that some people, including our own Umbrae, recommend just reading PCs as tarot minors. But that feels like cheating to me. :) And with PCs having some of their own reading methods that can be quite sophisticated, I think that's given PCs the short end of the stick.

I rather like the Playing Card Oracles book. It's extremely well-written and produced; a very polished piece of work that feels like a labor of love. The cards I find hit-or-miss. The method relies heavily on the use of western geomancy, and argues that PCs are a calculator of sorts for producing it. This is unique in any card reading system. I think it would be a great way to add geomancy to my repertoire (I've dabbled with it a bit in the past, and it was fairly accurate on its own.). However, I couldn't quite accept the card meanings and attributions. Of course the geomancy could be adapted on its own to however one works with the cards.

Somebody referred you to the cartomancy forums of Kapherus, and I highly recommend that you consider stopping by there. Most people base their use of PCs on Kapherus' method, which builds on his years of experience and research. Frankly, I've spent a lot of time looking at books that I probably should have spent just studying his writing; it really does look that good.

Hedgewytchery, IMO, is good if you want to get started quickly. The full system didn't quite gel with me personally, but you may like it.

I currently have John Dee's book from the library. I like it, because it does include the 52 card deck, the 32 card deck, and a bit about (petit) Lenormand and the master method. He links PCs (in the 52 card deck) to the GD astrological attributions, so there is some overlap with the GD (and therefore RWS) tradition, but it's not identical.

I also have Richard Webster's book -- he goes more into the reading process than John Dee, I think. Some different meanings (of course!), and focuses on one spread. This book is also rather pricey to buy on the used market, as with many out-of-print titles. So let me recommend that if you can obtain any of these books from your library, it's a good idea.

Finally, I just received Chita Lawrence's book. Also recommended by a couple people here. Great little family history section starts the book, and I rather like the reading method. My only concern is working with another unique-ish system that is different from the majority (or so it seems to me).

Based on all this, I hope you have enough to make a decision. If you want to stick with a traditional (if there is such a thing!) approach, I recommend Hedgewytchery part 1 just to get a feel for things, but then work with Kapherus' system. Yes, it's really that well thought out.

If you want to stay closer to tarot, and get a nice survey of three main styles of cards (52, 32, Lenormand) then the John Dee book is an inexpensive way to go.

If I stick with Chita's method (for me, it's her or Kapherus at this point) I'll be more qualified to say how it is. I've heard good things though.

Good luck!