As an aside it's interesting to see how very misfortunate the Spades were. Having read playing card meanings myself, I'm sure they were the unluckiest of cards and the Ace I think meant Death in some circles.
There is certainly a lot of myth and history around the Ace of Spades.
Check these out:
http://www.psywarrior.com/DeathCardsAce.html
There's also Dead Man's Hand in Poker with the two black Aces and the 8s.
In the PKT however it becomes the best card of the minors and from personal experience has always been very fortuitous.
I also did some digging into traditional Cartomancy methods and came across this:
Aces - The beginning of a situation.
Twos - Direction the matter will take. May be a 1st meeting point.
Threes - The point at which details grow and the matter solidifies.
Fours - Foundation has begun. Roots are put down in order to build.
Fives - The first challenge or glitch in the situation.
Sixes - Issue changes & grows;If it stagnates, it will not continue
Sevens - Variety added, Scope of the idea/project may be expanded.
Eights - Evaluation period. People & ideas may be put to the test.
Nines - Moving forward. The issue is nearly completed.
Tens - Completion of the cycle, project, or issue.
Pages - Signify risks and messages.
Knights - Indicate movement and direction.
http://www.secondhand-souls-4occult.com/cartomancy.html
Very similar to the Tarot stages of the cards.
Meanings for Spades:
Ace- A difficult love affair. Emotional conflict, obsession, death. Things coming to a head.
King- A very dark-haired man, Ambitious, usually successful and an authoritative man.
Queen- A very dark-haired woman, can be seductive or unscrupulous. A widow.
Jack- A very dark-haired young person, a well-meaning person but immature, an unreliable youth.
10- Worry, misfortune. Imprisonment. Unwelcome news.
9- Bad luck in all things. Depression and low energy. Destruction, deaths. Extreme anxiety. Can mean delays or quarrels.
8- Trouble and disappointment. Plans go awry. Friends let you down. Cancellations.
7- A warning against possible loss of friendship. An unexpected burden. A warning against losses and sorrow.
6- A small improvement in the person's life.
5- Anxiety, setbacks, interferences. Happy home but interference from other people. Reversals and opposition but eventual success.
4- Business troubles, worries. Jealousy, illness, broken promises.
3- Partings, possible due to faithlessness. Be wary in partnerships.
2- Scandal, gossip, danger of deceit, separation. Difficult changes.
All very difficult and unlucky cards which I think is traditional.
It's really interesting stuff. I love the Cartomancy meanings and the traditional associations.
eta on further examination they also look like traditional Sword meanings don't they
Hmmm seems Spades are Swords so that would make a lot of sense and it would be the Ace of Swords as the traditional 'Death' card.
It seems to me as though Waite based the Minors and stages on traditional Cartomancy meanings such as Queen of Spades or Swords as the traditional Widow. That is reflected in the image of the RWS deck. I didn't realise how historical they are in that sense, I thought the deck was based on Golden Dawn meanings. Traditional Thoth books though give instructions for a Significator and various piles for readings which are traditionally from Cartomancy as well.
When you look deep into it, its shocking. He does to some extend follow traditional cartomancy, he doesnt really follow the Golend Dawn. In the Epilogue, he says " I do not here mean that I am acquainted with orders and fraternities in which such docterines reposes and is there found to be part of higher Tarot Knowledge." and then says " But there are also things in reserve which are not in orders or societies, but are transmitted after another manner." last words " If he does, he will see also why I have concerned myself with the subject, even at the risk of writting about divination by cards." Pages 212 - 213
I have found he seems to lean towards Etteilla, Mathers, Traditional cartomancy, but with his own twist. It looks like in some ways he went off on his own tangent. He kind of created new meanings from what I can see, Why, I dont know
but looking into it. This is why I posted this Thread to begin with.
Then its really shocking, when you look at the cards today, that are RWS based. Sorry but from what I am seeing, Tarot has changed, thanks Waite.
, IMO
IE: 7 of cup / 7 of hearts
Book of Fate, Zolars, Foli
A faithless, inconstant friend who may prove an enemy
Waite PKT page 188.
Fair child, idea, design, resolve, movement
Waite PKT page 145
Fairy favours, images of reflection, sentiment, imagination, things seen in the glass of contemplation.
6 of Cups / 6 of hearts
Book of fate, Zolars, Foli
A confiding nature, liberal, open-handed, and an easy prey for swindlers, courtship, possible proposal. IMO this fits the card better.
Waite PKT page 188.
Pleasant memories
Waite PKT page 146
A card of the past and of memories, looking back as on child hood, happiness, enjoyment from the past, things have vanished.
Another meaning ( ? ) giving new relations, new knowledge, new environment, " and the children are disporting in an unfamiliar precinct." Where did this come from?
Spades = Swords
Clubs = Wands
Hearts = Cups
Diamonds = Pentacles
The Spades and Swords are the easiest to figure out, but when it comes to the Clubs/Wands becomes another story, and the other suits, thats when Waite goes off on his own with most of those cards
WAITE meanings page 188 - 190.
SWORDS
ACE - Great prosperty or great misery.
King - A lawyer, senator, doctor
Queen - A widow
Knight - A soldier, man of arms, satellite, stipendiary, heroic action predicted for soldier
Jack/Page - An indiscreet person will pry into the querents secrets
10 - followed by Ace and King, imprisonment, for girl or wife, treason on the part of friends
9 - An ecclesiastic, a priest, generally a card of bad omen
8 - For a woman, scandal spread in her respect
7 - Dark girl, a good card, it promises a country life after a competence has been secured
6 - The voyage will be pleasant
5 - An attack on the fortune of the querent
4 - A bad card
3 - For woman, the flight of her lover
2 - Gifts for a lady, influential protection for a man in search of help
SPADES (Book of Fate, Zolar and Foli)
ACE - It may concern love affairs, or convey a warning that troubles await the inquirer, or convey a warning that troubles awaite the inquirer through bad speculations or ill chosen friends
King - A dark man. Ambitious and successful in the higher walks of life.
Queen - A widow, of malicious and unscrupulous nature, fond of scandal and open to bribes
Knave/Jack/Page - A well meaning, inert person, unready in action through kindly thought.
10 - An evil omen, grief imprisonment.
9 - An ill-fated card, sickness, losses, troubles, and family dissensions
8 - A warning with regard to any enterprise in hand, opposition from friends
7 - Sorrow caused by loss of a dear friend
6 - Hard work brings wealth and rest after toil
5 - Bad temper and a tendency to interfere in the inquirer, but happiness to be found in the chosen wife or husband.
4 - Illness and need for great attention to business
3 - A marriage that will be marred by the inconstancy of inquirers wife or husband, or a journey.
2 - A removal, or possibly death
WAITE - Tarot meanings, pages 152 - 165
ACE - Triump, the excessive degree in everything, conquest, truimph of force
King - (Whatsoever arises out of the Idea of Judgement and all its connexions-power) command, authority, militant intelligence, law, offices of the crown.
Queen - Widowhood, female sadness and embarrassment, absence, sterility, mourning, privation, separation.
Knight - Skill, bravery, capacity, defence, address, enmity, wrath, war, destruction, opposition, resistance, ruin. ( There is therefore a sense in which the card signifies Death, only in proximity to other cards of fatality.)
Jack/Page - Authority, overseeing, secret service, vigilance, spying
10 - pain, affiction, tears, sadness, desolation. It is not especially a card of violent death
9 - Death, failure, miscarriage, delay, deception, disappointment, dispair
8 - Bad news, violent chagrin, crisis, censure, power in trammels, conflict, calumny, sickness
7 - ( The design is uncertain in its import, because the significations are widely at variance with each other) design, attempt, wish, hope, confidence, quarrelling, annoyance, a plan that may fail.
6 - Journey by water, route, way, envoy, commissionary, expedient
5 - Degradation, destruction, revocation, infamy, dishonour, loss
4 - Vigilance, retreat, solitude, exile, tomb and coffin
3 - Removal, absence, delay, division, rupture, dispersion
2 - Conformity and the equipose which it suggests, courage, friendship, concord in state of arms; NOTE: ( Etteilla - 1785 - 1807) another reading gives tenderness, affection, intimacy. The suggestion of harmony and other favourable readings must be considered in a qualified manner.