The spiritual side of playing cards?

Phoenix Rising

I have done alot of research on playing cards and found that they are deeper than what other people realise..probably because of the simplicity of it's design and that it is a perfect solar/lunar calendar. Although, in most books and methods the main emphasis of the cards are for the divination side to it, predicting the everyday mundane matters.

I think the only other book I have read on the spiritual aspect was Nerys Dees book, where she had 4 aspects to the cards. mundane, psychological, spiritual and physical...something like that.

I can only assume that the spiritual side to the mundane or fortune telling side of it will show itself...I have had correspondence with Deborah Leigh author of Personal Prophecy:Creating your destiny, she wrote saying that the spiritual side comes into it...as she has had numerous occasions over the 25 years, when doing readings that passed loved ones will appear to her.
Although she never had this ability before reading the cards...She said that the use of interpreting the cards and giving your own intuitive thoughts to what she has given only as stepping stones(as in her meanings) it opens a door way. I guess this would be the same as in Tarot.

So my point is...The prophecy side of the cards being the Mundane like just reading for everyday matters..and then the spiritual side is your intuition or perception heightened. I hope I've made myself clear.

I think why i bought this up... having done a few readings with the cards, it only indicates mundane stuff...so I wondered when or where does the spiritual side to it come in...I know tarot can go into the deeper issues as well as the predictive...but too other cartomancers what have been your experiences on the "spiritual side" or if you've had any at all. Maybe i should understand what "spiritual" actually means..

What are your opinions on this?
 

Joermit

This is a very interesting concept... I started reading tarot before I even knew one could do readings with playing cards... I took a very 'spiritual' approach to my tarot readings, looking into deeper matters rather than just offering predictions... Now that I've switched to playing cards, I find I take the same approach... I find that playing cards allow me to do this more clearly... they are a wonderful tool to allow a connection with your own psychic abilities...

I can do psychometry readings, just holding onto an item from a person and saying what comes to mind... however, at times the information is all over the place... using a card system gives a focus to my intuition/psychicism... basically allowing me to hone in on specific areas that a client most needs.... when I do a reading I prepare my cards and then hand them over to my client and ask them to slowly shuffle, thinking about any areas where they'd like some guidance, insights, or clarity... when they feel they're done I ask them to hand the cards back and then I begin... I don't ask them a question or if they have a specific area they'd like to look at... I simply lay the cards out and begin to tell them what I'm seeing/feeling, etc as it related to the cards and my intuition... I feel that laying the cards out like this, I'm providing what God/Spirit/angels are wanting me to focus on... I talk until I complete what I feel I've been given, occasionally asking a question for my own clarity... and then once I'm done, I ask if my client has any specific questions or would like me to go into any more depth on any of the areas I've hit... most times, I've pretty much covered everything they wanted to know... occasionally, they'll have me go into a little more depth on what I've hit on... sometimes, they'll ask additional questions... it's really quite profound how I use the cards to connect...

I take a spiritual approach to all my card meanings and readings... I look at my cards as energies that the client is experiencing or has a posssibility to experience... I present them with their challenges, make them aware of possible difficult situations... give them some suggestions on how they might approach things... and I always do this in the most spiritual light that I can... I try to instill hope and empower my clients to make positive changes in their life so that they can get what they want... I've tried many, many spreads, and I've finally settled on a modified celtic cross that uses 18 cards... I feel this looks at many different areas and provides a complete snapshot of what's going on and what may likely occur...

On how I break from the mundane... I just do that by what I've made the cards to mean to me... for example... the 10 of diamonds is my card of wealth... when it presents itself in a spread it may not always be about financial wealth though.... it may be about things that make the client feel 'wealthy' like good friends and family, support and love... Another example, I look at the Ace of Clubs as my card of light... When it appears it shows light coming into a situation... this can manifest as a new opportunity... a light at the end of the tunnel... a new goal, passion, or amibition... vitality, clarity, exuberance... I see it as a bright, fiery torch, dispelling darkness and leading the way to new areas... it all depends on where it falls and what falls with it.. and what I feel...

I look at my cards as sorta an agreement with my guides/God/angels... they know what they cards mean to me.. and we agree that when certian things appear in certain places or with another card, that my guides will sorta tell me how to read it/interpret it... it's hard to explain...

I basically feel each card has a specific energetic essence... and that essence can manifest itself in many ways... I personally, just work more from a spiritual point of view...

I hope I've made some sense here...lol... I sure did ramble long enough! I'm very interested to see what others think of the 'spiritual side of playing cards'... and I would like more to consider the power of playing cards... many readers feel they're too concise... they don't pull they're punches... can be too negative... or, are simply only a tool for prediction... a fortune-telling device... but I've found they're oh so much more...

Thanks, PR for starting this thread... I look forward to other's feedback...

Joey
 

Phoenix Rising

Hi Joey

As always thanks for your insights..yes I'm looking forward to others feedback as well...although we're a little outnumbered by all the Tarotists here.

Your interpretation on the 10:diamond: is the same as mine as well, because diamonds is actually the "Earth" element to me, because of the material aspect that the diamond suit seems to portray...that card is also environment/land.

A:club: is that of communication..in a sense it would bring in news of opportunities. The 7's I find would be considered a spiritual card in it's deeper meanings..being the middle card of the deck and it's number association to that of spiritual or the unknown, I think it's astrological link is that of "Neptune"

I've had the 7:club: show up alot in my recent readings..the interpretation I have for that card is "sexual attraction" and nothing more...but I'm wondering if there is something more to it...it can be a little embarassing sometimes, when it comes up...as it is prying into the Sex lives of others...although the ones concerned have taken it graciously and chuckled with it. But sex is just a normal part of life.

All the ones I know who have read for many years with PC's all state that the cards just become a part of them..they just instantly know...the advantage I guess of having to rely on ones intuition or imaginative thought, since there are not pictorial clues to help them.

cheers
PR
 

Joermit

Hey, PR..

You're welcome... thanks for starting this thread and your inputs as well!

Diamonds are my earth cards as well...
Spades Air
Hearts Water
Clubs Fire

I've combined so many systems in my PC readings... some tarot, some cartomancy, some astrology, some of my own... and I think you're right when you said eventually the cards just become part of you.. they certainly do.. and extension of sorts...

as far as your 7 of Clubs dilemma... this is why I have made up my own system and sorta assigned my own meanings to the cards... why not think of relooking at that card as, for example, "Passion" this could still speak about sexual attraction, excitement, etc... but could also speak about something a person is passionate about... just a thought... that's more what I do with my card meanings...

thanks and take care!

Joey
 

Phoenix Rising

The suit correspondences have always been a debate in many circles.

Mine(not PP)
Hearts/water
clubs/air
diamonds/earth
spade/fire

The reason I came to this was the natural order of the suits in the deck is Heart, club, diamond and spade...you will always see in a new deck this order, as well as the Grandmaster Richmond Olney saying this is it's natural order. Because in the Southern Hemisphere and to Maori our New Year is in Winter under the sign of Cancer(water) following winter is spring in Libra(air) Summer in Capricorn(Earth) and Autumn in Aries(fire) I think it would be different in the Northern Hemisphere...but I always following Nature.

I keep reminding myself and others that PC's are a separate entity to Tarot, and they compare the suit of Sword with that of spade....but I think in all the suits have a bit of each element. the interesting thing to is that when I assigned the first card Ace of Heart to the first week of Winter June 20-26 June(cancer/winter) the next change over of the constellation will always land on the 5's and 10's of each suit, taking on the element of the next constellation..therefore 5:heart: would be leo..Water/fire..10:heart: would be virgo water/earth..you see where I'm getting at?

I will also incorporate passion or determination into 7:club: The beauty of it as that the meanings are not always fixed..as Deborah strongly states, to find other intuitive meanings with the foundation meanings she has given(hers are only stepping stones)
 

Joermit

I've read lots on the elemental associations too and noticed they all differ greatly... one interesting concept was Spades as Earth because a spade digs into the earth... I even read something somewhere that assigned two elements to each suit... hearts being fire/water (that's the only one I remember...lol) PCs have so many systems! it can become a very personal oracle in this regard... which is why I like it so much... thanks again, PR

Joey
 

Phoenix Rising

I also read Spade as Water and hearts as fire....Water seems to be the strongest element..we can't live without it, we are made up of it, oxygen is in it, we live our first 9 months in it, it is the only element that can transform from water/ice/condensation and makes steam with fire. Water can wear away at Earth, can put out fire, with air it combines with oxygen. Spade is such an enigma to me a real mystery out of all the suits...it has been give such a bad reputation over the years.

Enjoyng this thread with you Joey...
 

Joermit

Yeah...

Spades certainly do have a crap reputation... I look at them are our challenges... things we must overcome... for example the 4 of Spades I call my rest card... rest is necessary when it comes up... take a step back from something... it's funny how simply allowing one's self to rest is a challenge for many... it also indicates illness... many times when someone doesn't get the required rest they become ill... sorta like God saying... okay... you won't rest.. well I'll make ya sick and force ya to... I read somewhere that an old interpretation for the 4 of Spades was a 'sick bed' the 4 of Clubs 'the devil's bedposts" meaning your aligning with the wrong people, the 4 of Hearts was a 'lover's bed' someplace warm and comforting, and I forget what the 4 of Diamonds was... I thought this an interesting sorta metaphor for the energies of these cards, comparing them to bed... I don't use that... but did think it cool... I look at my 8s sorta as 'journey' cards... the 8 of Hearts is about journey away from something, an emotional journey, walking away from an unhappy situation, etc... the 8 of Clubs is my quickness card... business, lotsa movement, flight, travels.... the 8 of Pentacles is a hard work/study card, saying there is work to be done so you aren't exactly going anywhere, you gotta buckle down, work hard, learn new things, etc... and the 8 of Spades is my restriction card... you're too stressed to go anywhere... feeling restricted, like you're not moving, incarcerated, stuck, etc... as you can see.. I do lean on tarot for some of my meanings... but not all... and it's constantly shifting and changing... sorta like the cards end up telling me what they should mean...

I too am enjoying this, PR.. it's very interesting to share thoughts... thanks

Joey
 

Phoenix Rising

Yes the 4:spade: is my illness card...4:club: the devils bedpost or misfortune as in a major setback...likened to going on a trip and there is a detour sign so having to take another route making one late for an appointment..that sort of thing. 4:heart: is jeolousy/hurt feelings..basically insecurity. 4:diamond: lies and deception..the 4's indicate the crisis cards..not sure why, probably because 4's can be "stuck" and unmoving..therefore one most move to get out of it.

Noticed your 8's a simillar to that of tarot..but sweetas it works for you!! 8:spade: is tears 8:heart: groups of people/invitations 8:club: frustration and 8:diamond: has a neutral meaning as in a "existing relationship/situation" same as the 6:diamond:

Only by doing daily readings do I find subtle changes..but they're still in line with the meanings assigned to them at the moment.

The timing card I use 3:club: therefore it represents "creation" 1+2=creation, so when it appears it is saying that something is being created in this present time that has the potential to fulfill itself within a time frame of "3" hours,days, weeks. It is generally very quick as in hours or days.

Since I've assigned the different weeks to each of the cards, I'm just waiting to see how those timings work out..I have not yet seen it, as there are 3 cards in a trio normally with my spread...I can only assume that the last card my indicate the timing.

Being in the Northern Hemisphere how would you see your suits and elements with the seasons?

As for the spades...they are heavy emotional cards I agree....maybe more are the emotions concerned with "Will" rather than the "Heart" as in the heart suit, that's what made me wonder about some emotions especially that of anger(5:spade:) being of a "Fire" element.
 

Joermit

It's funny... I use my 5 of Spades as anger as well... is that the PP definition, cause that's one I came up with on my own...lol... at least I thought! As far as the seasons... If you're looking at the cardinal signs of the zodiac and their references you would get:

Aries = Fire = Spring
Cancer = Water = Summer
Libra = Air = Autumn
Capircorn = Earth = Winter

so, that's just opposite of yours, in a way, I think...

also astrologically... Jacks are mutable signs (Pisces, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius)... Queens are fixed (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), and Kings are Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn... I don't necessarily use this more generally go with general cups could be all waters signs, clubs all fire, etc... and there are times when I don't look at court cards as people, they're more like archetype energies... I absolutly hate it when I see the 7 of Spades (my deceit card) with the Jack of Spades (an epitome of a liar, manipulator, cheater to me, he has to have some really good cards round him to make him just clever)... I also look at the Jack of Spades an an impatient energy, and advize to slow down and quit being impulsive...

interesting stuffs...

Joey