How To Read Tarot Cards With Playing Cards?

Cartomancy is a method of reading the Tarot using a regular deck of playing cards. This method involves choosing a deck that resonates with you, familiarizing yourself with the card meanings, setting your intention, and shuffleing the cards. The Tarot has 78 cards, while a playing deck only has 52 cards. Court cards and numbered cards can be used to read the Tarot.

To do a Tarot reading with playing cards, choose a deck that speaks to you, read through the accompanying booklet to familiarize yourself with the card meanings, and set your intention. For quick, straightforward answers, use a 3 card spread instead of a full Tarot deck.

In Practical Magic, Lisa Stardust explains reading tarot with playing cards, or cartomancy. Lay the cards in positions 1-3 or one at a time, and let the associations come to you. To take a reading, cleanse the tarot deck and space, sit in a comfortable position, meditate along with the cards, and shuffle them.

Real-life examples of cartomancy include Lisa Stardust’s “Practical Magic” episode, where she explains how to read tarot with playing cards. The numbered cards, from ten down to the Aces, share the same meanings as a tarot deck, with hearts representing love, relationships, and creativity. In cartomancy, you present your question to the cards, make a pull, and allow your subconscious to guide the way.

What can playing cards be used for?

Western playing cards are rectangular layers of paper or thin cardboard, forming a flat, semirigid material. They are uniform in shape and size, small enough for several to be held together in one hand. The front side is marked to make it identifiable, while the reverse is either blank or bears a pattern common to all. The corners are slightly rounded to prevent fraying. In the second half of the 20th century, plastic coatings were added to resist wear and produce all-plastic cards.

Card games typically exploit the fact that each player can only identify the cards they hold, not those of their opponents. This same characteristic applies to dominoes and mah-jongg gaming tiles. In China, there is no clear-cut dividing line between cards and dominoes, as they are made of lacquered paper. The earliest reference to playing cards or dominoes dates back to Chinese literature of the 10th century.

Should you knock on your tarot cards?

Before pulling tarot cards, it is recommended to cleanse your deck by knocking on it to clear previous energy and rearranging the cards in their order. Other ways to cleanse your deck include bathing it under a full moon, using smoke-clearing sage, or placing Selenite wands around it. Before pulling a tarot card, it is crucial to ask yourself the intention, whether it is to inspire a next step, make a decision, or validate your feelings. Clearing your deck helps the cards make sense and provide a clear understanding of what you are hoping to gain from the reading.

How many cards to pull for tarot reading?

Howe recommends two basic spreads for beginners: a three-card pull and the Celtic Cross. The former involves drawing three cards from the deck to represent the past, present, and future, while the Celtic Cross is a classic starting point with 10 cards each. However, there is no “right” spread; it’s more about the connections between the cards, as the cards around a certain card influence the meaning.

Dyan suggests focusing on the quality of each message instead of the quantity of cards pulled, as the connections between cards are influenced by each other and sometimes amplified by each other. The Celtic Cross spread is a classic starting point, but there is no one “right” spread.

Can we read tarot during periods?

It is permissible to engage in the practice of tarot reading during periods of time, and such actions do not impact the reliability of the reading. The practitioner has been engaged in the practice of tarot for two decades and has developed a reputation for professionalism and expertise. Their clientele is carefully selected to ensure a high level of satisfaction.

Is it OK to pull tarot cards for yourself?

Tarot readings can be done by beginners, providing insight into current situations, honoring intuition, and forecasting potential outcomes. To begin, clean the energy of your space by burning herbs, ringing bells or chimes, taking a bath, or using crystals. A Selenite wand is a popular energy refresher that aids clarity.

Sit comfortably and close your eyes, focusing on the protective energy surrounding you. Take deep breaths, think about your question or needing guidance, and keep your mind and heart open to the answers that may come through the cards. Shuffle the deck, focusing on your desired query, and shuffle the cards in front of you. The pattern laid out is called a “spread”, and the meaning of each card in combinations builds up to the overall answer to your query.

Before beginning to shuffle, know which spread you will be working with. As answers come through, it’s important to draw additional cards for further clarity or start with a new question from a different perspective. Tarot readings can be a powerful tool for personal growth and understanding.

Are playing cards related to tarot cards?

In 1938, George Coffin wrote an article in Games Digest titled “Taro: Ancestor of Whist”, explaining the struggle he faced while researching divination cards, which were originally used for games. He found someone from Italy to talk to and learned not only about il tarocchi cards still used for games but how to play a game with them that was not too different from Whist.

Playing cards have four suits: Spades, Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, each made up of numbers 1 (ace) to 10, then the “Court” cards of the Jack, Queen, and King. Tarot cards in the Minor Arcana also have their four suits with ace to ten as well, then the Page, the Cavalier, the Queen, and the King. S. R. Kaplan in Tarot Cards for Fun and Fortune Telling states that the ordinary pack of playing cards is a direct descendent from the fourteenth century tarot deck.

The exact origin of tarot cards is often debated, but there is plenty of written evidence dating the use of tarot cards from well before the 15th century. Historians generally refer to the 1440s and the Italian cities of Venice, Milan, Florence, and Urbino when providing a starting point. The Visconti-Sforza Tarot Cards, believed to be the earliest surviving tarot cards, date back around 1442 and are believed to be the strongest historical analytical evidence.

The original game, now usually referred to as ill tarocchi, involved bidding, melding of points, and taking of tricks. Although tarot games have varied through the centuries and are still played in some parts of Europe, the rules always vary depending on who is playing.

How to pull cards for Tarot?

Tarot card pulls are a popular practice among those who enjoy the energy and power of the cards. Some prefer to spread the cards out after shuffling, while others feel drawn to them. Once a card radiates with energy, it can be pulled one or three at a time. All products are independently selected by editors, and if purchased, the company may earn an affiliate commission. Lisa Stardust, in her Practical Magic column, explains how to conduct daily tarot card pulls for oneself, focusing on getting in touch with oneself, whether magically or not. With the increasing popularity of collective daily tarot pulls on Instagram and TikTok, this guide aims to help users get the most out of their pulls.

Can you do tarot reading with playing cards?

Cartomancy is a method of reading tarot cards with playing cards, dating back to the 14th century. It uses 52 playing cards instead of the 78 tarot cards and doesn’t include the major arcana or all royal cards. It’s a great way to read your fate or karma on the go, and some people prefer it because it’s more concise and direct than tarot. Cartomancy is a great alternative to tarot cards, as it doesn’t consist of the major arcana or all royal cards.

Can playing cards be used for divination?

Cartomancy is a form of fortune-telling or divination that emerged in Europe in the 14th century. Practitioners, known as cartomancers or card readers, use standard 52-card decks for fortune-telling readings in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. In France, the 32-card piquet stripped deck is most commonly used, although the 52-card deck can also be used. In English-speaking countries, the most common form of cartomancy is tarot card reading, with tarot cards being almost exclusively used for this purpose. Cartomancers, card readers, or simply readers are all professionals involved in cartomancy.

How to do a love reading using playing cards?

The practitioner should then lay the cards into piles, with each pile representing a different letter of the alphabet (e. g., L, O, etc.). As each letter is thought of individually, the practitioner should tap each pile in turn, thinking of the corresponding letter in the lover’s name or the person being read about.