Playing Cards

Phoenix

Mystique, a Chita book refers to the book "It's All In The Cards" by Chita St. Lawrence.
 

MystiqueMoonlight

Thanks Phoenix, I think I glanced through that book a while ago at my local bookstore. Is this the large hardcover one? It had a lot of information in it and a very comprehensive table at back which married up birth dates to card numbers and all.

I thought at the time that cartomancy would take up a lot of time to learn and it just seemed a little too acedemic to me at that moment.
 

Phoenix

Actually it is a small paperback book.
 

aeonx

MystiqueMoonlight: I would like to know what book you're talking about, if it isn't the one already mentioned. :)

~aeonx~
 

catboxer

I believe MM is referring to "Destiny Cards" by Robert Camp. It's widely available.
 

MystiqueMoonlight

To be honest I am not too sure what the title of this book was as I was only glancing through it. However next time I am in that book store I will take a look at it and let you know.
 

Lee

"Destiny Cards" outlines a system for reading playing cards which is really very different from what we're used to. In other words, it's not laying out cards in a pattern and using intuition and/or memorized meanings to develop an interpretation. Instead, it's a very complicated system based on one's birthday. Basically, every birthdate is assigned a card, and not only a card but a whole series of cards taking you through your whole life year by year. So, for example, if you are a Five of Swords, you look in the back of the book and it gives you a set of around 17 cards for each year of your life, so if you want to find out about this year, you look up Five of Swords, age 42 (or whatever) and you have your 17 cards. Then you look up the meanings of each of those 17 cards.

The meanings have nothing to do with standard Tarot or playing card meanings. They're derived from some complicated astrological process. The author does have a chapter where he discusses choosing the cards at random and laying them out in a pattern, and then interpreting them according to the book, but I think the main thrust of this system is the idea that you just look up your cards for the year.

As I say, this is a complex system. The author really gives you something to sink your teeth into. There's another book about the system, "Love Cards," and plus he has a website with lots of material on it, plus he sells computer programs to go along with the system. One could really spend a lot of time getting into it. I started to get into it but then it all began to seem a little silly -- so much easier to just pick some cards at random than go through all this rigamarole! :)

I'd be interested in hearing about anyone else's experience with it.

-- Lee

P.S. If you like, you can read some stuff I wrote about reading with playing cards here.
 

catboxer

Lee:

I liked your essay re: reading with playing cards. It's scholarly and perceptive, and you write well.

Interestingly enough, Camp's basic meanings are the ones I use for my suit cards, as my deck uses French suit signs and has only three court cards per suit (making a deck of 74 rather than 78).
I find his basic meanings concise, systematic, and consistent. Close reading shows that he has to some extent appropriated the traditional, individualistic and unique meanings for many of the cards, but without sacrificing his astrological/systematic approach.

My interpretations of the trumps are based on many years of reading numerous authors, and are probably a blend and refinement of influences from a multitude of sources.

(catboxer)
 

Lee

Thanks, Dave!

I went and dug up my copy of "Destiny Cards," and you're quite right, I was mistaken -- the basic meanings for the cards are derived from combining meanings of numbers with suits, and not astrologically. My memory had been confused by the rest of his system, which relies heavily on planetary symbology.

The meanings of the numbers are indeed similar to those which most Tarot readers are used to, but the meanings of the suits are based more on traditional playing card suits than Tarot suits. There's a nice balance in his meanings between psychologically-oriented meanings and more predictive material. If someone was looking for a good system with which to read playing cards or non-illustrated-pip Tarot decks, this would probably be a good source.

If I might ask, besides his card meanings, have you worked with the whole system? If so, how did you find it?

-- Lee
 

Moose

Hi Phoenix,

I have Fortune Telling with Playing Cards by Sophia-ISBN 0-7607-2356-7. It was published in 2001 by Barnes&Noble, Inc., by arrangement with Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.

I haven't opened it yet, but now you have whetted my interest and I just might look at it this week-end.

By the way, it's hardcover and 240 pages and the selling price was $6.98US.

Take care and Blessings.....................Moose