New Playing Card System... Constructive Criticism, please!

Joermit

Hello, all!!

As I posted previously... I have a divination based website in the works which will offer resources for learning various systems... I've been working on a playing card oracle that will be easy to use, enlightening, and more uplifting and spiritual in its approach...

well... I've been tinkering away and working on the system and it's pretty darn tricky! but this is what I've got so far... please offer your thoughts and constructive criticism as to your thoughts thus far... I've cut the cards down to 40 by eliminating face cards... and making two of the aces representative of a male of female... sorta lenormandy I guess.... so... here is a breakdown of suits and their numerological correspondences, and then how that might manifest in each card...

Diamonds - are the rock-solid element of earth and the season of winter... these cards reflect things which we value, both ethically and materially... they are a fairly neutral suit... and when looking at timing, this suit is slowest in manifesting...

Hearts - the most favorable cards in the deck... they are the element of water and as such flow with ease... they are the season of summer… they represent our emotions and spirituality

Clubs - this neutral suit represents the element of fire and the season of spring... quicker than hearts and diamonds, clubs portray our energy, actions, and creative ventures--our goals, passions, and ambitions...

Spades - the quickest of the suits is assigned the element of air and the season of fall... here you'll find thoughts, ideas, challenges, and obstacles.... though not necessarily "bad" cards, spades are somewhat difficult to experience, but through this difficulty we learn much!



Aces - are unique individuals and new beginnings

diamonds - a valuable opportunity
hearts - female (intuition, feelings, love, passivity)
clubs - male (knowledge, skill, action, creation, passion, exuberance)
spades – a major decision, great clarity and understanding, new
Beginning, elimination

Twos - deal with decisions and partnerships

diamonds – agreement, compromise, documents, correspondences
hearts - a relationship, love shared
clubs - potential, expansion
spades – indecision, confusion, separation

Threes - emphasize the three c's: creation, cooperation, and communication

diamonds - support, teamwork, communication
hearts - friendships, creativity
clubs - manifestation, ingenuity, karma
spades - arguments, disagreements

Fours - are the solid and sturdy things in life which keep us grounded and calm

diamonds – nature, work, security, practicality, common sense
hearts – home, tranquility, church, spirituality
clubs - solid foundations
spades – truth, integrity, law, and order

Fives - are unstable and unpredictable and emphasize the need for freedom

diamonds - financial setbacks, health concerns
hearts - anger, jealousy, depression, sadness
clubs - hassles and delays, exhaustion
spades – impulsiveness, restrictions, stress, anxiety

Sixes - offer harmony and movement/direction along our paths

diamonds - generosity, gifts, blessings
hearts – improvements, hope, inspiration, movement toward happiness
clubs - good news, movement toward a goal, vitality
spades - difficult news, heading in the wrong direction

Sevens - caution us to learn to shed light on secrets and mysteries

diamonds - study and learning, diligence
hearts – retreat, introspection, intuition
clubs - cautiousness, deliberateness
spades - deceit, lies, and/or manipulation

Eights - speak of power and inner-strength

diamonds – hard work, perseverance, priorities
hearts – compassion, patience, healing
clubs – determination, resolve, defense
spades – fears, doubts, over-thinking

Nines - are attainment and reflection on what we've attained

diamonds – luxury, abundance, wealth, charity
hearts – fulfillment, happiness, and joy
clubs – recognition, reward, accomplishment, pride
spades – regret, disappointment, reevaluation, worry

Tens - represent completion and transformation

diamonds – travel, journeys
hearts – family, children
clubs – rest, recuperation, planning for what’s next
spades – death and endings


please lemme know what you think... how I might improve it... ideas... etc... I greatly appreciate it! thanks! take care...

Joey
 

Lee

Great job, Joermit! Excellent! I'm going to try it!

My only suggestion would be to see if you can find something to do with the court cards. My own preference would be to see them not representing actual people in our lives, but rather, qualities of experience... or something else! Personally I generally see them as acting (Jack), encouraging (Queen), and controlling (King), but I'm sure you could come up with something more interesting.

-- Lee
 

Joermit

THanks, Lee! (love your work btw!)

Yes... the court/face cards are somewhat of a dilemma... with what I've got planned, I'm trying to keep things as simple and accessable as possible, hence the idea not to include court cards at all... I personally, rarely look at them as people... they're always situational and guiding cards... I even thought about the face cards being actual guide-like energies with specific messages that are brought forth to be considered... for example...

Knight of Cups... would be the energy of the Romantic.. and his message would be something like:

Love, sentiments, and kindness should be the root of your actions at this moment... being kind, to yourself, first and foremost, then to others will result in reward and kindness in turn... now is a time to go with the flow... think like a river, when it encounters a rock it simply flows around it... do not hesitate or become too analytical... do not become a stagnant, murky pond... flowing leaves us fresh and open to new emotions... and at the same time, watch to not overinduldge in romantic thought and idealism... do not be shy or a wallflower... go with your gut instincts and dream big... etc...


I just didn't think this a practical approach that could be understood and utilized easily... so I thought.. .hey... maybe no face cards... but I dunno... would love to hear other's ideas and thoughts... I appreciate the help... please throw more concerns my way... I want this system to be used... and I want it to be useful... something you could read for yourself with, first and foremost, and other too...

thanks, all! the more ideas the better I can hone this! I appreciate it...

Joey
 

Lee

I think that's a great idea, the court cards as guides. Perhaps you could present them as optional on your site, one can either use the 40-card deck or if one wishes to add the court cards, here's how.

-- Lee
 

Phoenix Rising

Hi Joey

I've been away from the boards, so haven't had time to comment on this thread.
Is your website "Learning about cartomancy? or, and are you doing online readings as well?
 

Joermit

Thanks, Lee... I will consider that! it won't be hard to add really... just a matter of compiling the information and thoughts and getting it to my designers... so I will give this thought... thanks for the feedback!

Hey, PR! good to see you... love to get your thoughts on this as well! I do know you've gotta lot going one though... take care and lemme know if I can help in any way... my site is not going to be based on giving readings and promoting myself... I am considering offering smaller readings via email as a way to make up for the costs of the site... I'm having it professionally constomed designed and hosted and it's a bit expensive... the purpose of the site is a learning resource though... not a for profit venture... and the readings I'd offer would be smaller, no more than 6 or so cards... just anything to offset the money I've put into the site and hosting plans... at some point it may expand from that... but right now.. I really would like a resource that I can offer my students and others interested that will be one big compiled place to learn about tarot, cartomancy, and crystal divination and collect links and recommendations for learning...

I'm really stretching myself financially on this but do believe in my goal and that in getting this info out there, a way to support it will become apparant...

my goal is a tool that will hopefully allow more ppl to utilize divination in their lives which will help them to create positive change... any contributions of information right now and help would be greatly appreciated! thanks, Lee and PR! I appreciate it...

take care...

Joey
 

Joermit

Hello, all...

I did a couple readings for myself using this new system last night, simple three card pulls, and they were right on and quite insightful! which was a big relief... I was worried once I stopped thinking about the system and tried to actually use it, I would find it didn't work... so... Have any other tried it yet... I would love more feedback... specifically on the Ace of Hearts and Ace of Clubs as the female and male cards... both of these popped up for me last night and were wonderfully appropriate...

Lee, I would love to hear and greatly appreciate your opinions on any readings you've done so far with this system.... as I know you're quite experienced and have also read quite of bit on playing card divination...

also, PR, LittleBuddha, Celticnoodle, Ros, Mystic Leo, Barbara Ahajusts, and any other pcs readers on this site... I would love your feedback as well...

thanks, all! take care...

Joey
 

Phoenix Rising

Hi Joey,

As you know that any system that you assign to our flexible playing cards, will work for that person, who sticks at it. I can see that you have used the common number associations with the cards which is good, as people are always able to find other sources for those numbers as well, so it won't confuse them.
The problem with alot of cartomancers is that we go through a number of different systems, when they see another one, and they adjust their method, I think this is where it can take a few years for someone to be totally in sync with their cards, because they are forever re-learning a new method. Experienced cartomancers have said to me "Find one system and stick to it, you will only get confused" My good friend of 25 years of reading her cards, has never changed, her readings are so accurate...she hasn't even bothered with the technical side of what elements are, what suits are what etc. She even has the Jack of spade to represent the night!

I also see that the spades are representing the more negative or learning experiences of the suits. Each suit has a duality, so therefore I think that all suits should have a duality and neutrality, otherwise the age old tradition of the spades carries on as the bad guys..not necessarily so. Are alot of the meanings based around "tarot" as well?

Just remember "intuition" goes with "feelings" more than logic, and when you have a structured system, as in numbers, elements, we tend to focus more on those things than intuiting the cards.

Apart from that, I think you have thought out this system well, and will appeal to those logically minded ones, who have to see a reason why the cards have those meanings..I can see "tarot" and the "Hedgewytchery" in this system...

I know you wouldn't want me just to say how great it is..but I offer my "constructive criticism" as a more of support than a hindrance.

Good luck with this exciting venture!!!!

cheers
PR
 

Joermit

Hello, PR...

and thank you... I greatly appreciate your insights... well... this system is as close to the way I read as I could possibly get...lol... it's not necessarily tarot based, but there are obvious elements of tarot in it... but I basically tried to go by purely on what my views on the cards are, which is based mainly in numerology and the elements/suits... and I took out the face cards to make it more accesable.... my own personal system is more intuitive and free flowing.... so last night when I did the several readings, I looked from a completely logical point of view at the cards and didn't incorporate the intuitive hodgepodge I normally do... where I consider the numerology, the tarot, some astrology, some traditional card meanings all at once... and, I found it does work and I got some really nice insights in a nice and clear fashion... which was quite refreshing as when I read for myself, I usually delve way too deep... I think I've succeeded with my goal of creating a clear (in structure) and accessable (in ease of use and how it reads) oracle for any who might be interested to try...

thanks again... anybody else with any comments or thoughts... love to hear if anyone's tried any readings with it... thanks all...

Joey
 

Mystic Leo

Joermit said:
thanks again... anybody else with any comments or thoughts... love to hear if anyone's tried any readings with it... thanks all...
Joey

Hi Joey,

No I haven't tried it as yet, though I intend too!

As you know I haven't had enough experience with playing cards to be able to give constuctive feedback. The only thing I can say is, I would have liked to see the face cards in there.........mainly because I would like to see the whole deck used. Not to be used necessarily as people, I could never work out who they were half the time anyway.

I know there are other methods that don't use the whole deck.......I have never bothered with them.

Good luck Joey with your project, I hope it goes really well for you, I will be watching and certainly intend on trying it!

Mystic Leo