Cartomancy

You might be familiar with cartomancy already. It is the practice of divining the future using cards. It’s most popular today using tarot cards, which are now associated with cartomancy. But did you know that originally tarot cards were used for games while the playing cards we know today were used for divination? Each playing card has its own meaning. Here’s a list of the basic interpretations.

Hearts

Ace of Hearts: New relationships, friendship
2 of Hearts: Good fortune in love and relationships
3 of Hearts: Be cautious in your relationships
4 of Hearts: Change or travel is on the horizon
5 of Hearts: Someone in your life is jealous
6 of Hearts: Surprise new love interest
7 of Hearts: Improved connections with friends
8 of Hearts: Visitors and invitations
9 of Hearts: The “wish” card—which may come true
10 of Hearts: Good fortune is coming
Jack of Hearts: Can represent a good friend or a young, blond person
Queen of Hearts: A kind blond woman
King of Hearts: A helpful blond man, good advice

Spades

Ace of Spades: Endings, misfortune
2 of Spades: Tough decisions, deceit, change
3 of Spades: Trouble in relationships, infidelity
4 of Spades: Illness, broken promises
5 of Spades: Obstacles and difficulty, eventual success
6 of Spades: Improvement, small wins, upswing
7 of Spades: Bad advice, grief, loss
8 of Spades: Deceit, danger, caution is advised
9 of Spades: Bad luck, depression, anxiety
10 of Spades: Bad news, worry, imprisonment
Jack of Spades: An unpleasant or immature young person with black hair
Queen of Spades: A dark-haired woman or widow
King of Spades: A dark-haired selfish but ambitious older man

Clubs

Ace of Clubs: financial fortune, wealth, good news
2 of Clubs: Challenges, gossip
3 of Clubs: A wealthy partner and successful marriage
4 of Clubs: Deceit or betrayal, potentially by a friend
5 of Clubs: New friends and support
6 of Clubs: Success and prosperity, financial help
7 of Clubs: Success in business with potential trouble from a romantic partner
8 of Clubs: Difficulty in business and in love
9 of Clubs: New admirer or opportunities, warning against stubbornness
10 of Clubs: Unexpected money, travel
Jack of Clubs: A reliable and trusted dark-haired friend
Queen of Clubs: A dark-haired, helpful, and confident woman
King of Clubs: A dark-haired, strong older man

Diamonds

Ace of Diamonds: A gift of jewelry, a letter or message, improvement
2 of Diamonds: Disapproval of a relationship or affair
3 of Diamonds: Legal trouble, domestic arguments
4 of Diamonds: Unexpected money, inheritance
5 of Diamonds: Improvements and success in business, happy home life
6 of Diamonds: Relationship troubles, problems in a second marriage
7 of Diamonds: Challenges at work
8 of Diamonds: Surprise romance or travel later in life
9 of Diamonds: New business opportunities, unexpected money
10 of Diamonds: Financial property, good fortune
Jack of Diamonds: An unreliable or dishonest young person with light hair
Queen of Diamonds: An outgoing, flirtatious woman with light hair
King of Diamonds: An accomplished older man of influence with light hair

The Layout

There are many popular ways to layout the cards for a reading, but the best one is the Quad Cut Fortune Telling Procedure. Some sources even claim that it is the most accurate of any type of fortune telling or divination. This procedure has been around longer than almost every other layout and has had more research into its interpretations than any other layout. It’s a very simple procedure where the deck is shuffled and cut four times by the participant and the top card of each pile is turned over. The revealed cards and their order the readings regularly receives a 98% accuracy rating.

With four cuts from a ruffled deck, there are 6,497,400 possible outcomes (52 possibilities x 51 possibilities x 50 possibilities x 49 possibilities). It took over 3 centuries to research and categorize each possibility by 1000s of readers across the globe. To to the myriad outcomes, readers must consult the results in the 12 volume set, On the Four Card Divination Technique, which lists the meaning for every possible layout. This series of books is now online as well at otfcdt.com/layouts.

Applied Cartomancy

With such a huge number of possibilities you’ll need to consult the above mentioned books or web site to do an accurate reading. Below are two examples that represent the best and worst possible potential fortunes. The first listed is The Transcendent Ideal Layout, which indicates a life of sustained good fortune and happiness, regardless of the sitter’s experiences prior to the reading. The second is known as The Painful Life/Impending Death Layout. That combination indicates a short life to come, filled with the darkest of miseries. It should be noted that neither layout has ever been documented in a recorded session, but anecdotes suggest they have appeared a few times since the 1500s.