How Cartomancy Keeps Your Spiritual Connection Alive in Difficult Times
Listen, things are weird, to put it mildly. The separation between church and state went from a standard to wishful thinking. We have to prepare for the possible announcement that alternative forms of spirituality will be outlawed, including divination.
This would not be the first time people of different faiths have moved underground.
Practitioners of the past had limited access to spiritual tools, books, or mentors. They relied solely on oral history and the wisdom embedded in superstitions about everyday objects and their environment.
The ability to practice divination discreetly is a survival skill — not just for personal safety, but for the preservation of an entire culture.
Enter cartomancy with regular playing cards.
Unlike tarot or oracle decks, which can be easily recognized, a simple deck of playing cards blends into everyday life, allowing practitioners to maintain their spiritual connection in secret.
A deck of playing cards can be found in nearly every household, carried anywhere, and used without drawing suspicion. I mean, who doesn’t like a game of solitaire when they’re bored and by themselves, right? Maybe you carry around a deck of cards to give yourself something to do other than doomscroll.
Learning how to read with playing cards and comparing their meanings to tarot is a great way preserve wisdom in a way that cannot be easily censored or destroyed.
With that said, copy and/or memorize the information below.
Playing Card Meanings in Cartomancy
♥ Hearts — Love, emotions, family, relationships.
♦ Diamonds — Money, career, success, material matters.
♣ Clubs — Work, business, organizations, challenges, action, obstacles, social activity, physical activity, sports
♠ Spades — Conflict, loss, transformation, fate.
Ace Meanings
Ace of Hearts (♥) — Love, home, happiness, new relationships, home, friendship.
Ace of Diamonds (♦) — Wealth, business opportunity, important message, new beginnings, an engagement
Ace of Clubs (♣) — Success, new job, lucky break, new business, important documents, an institution, a home belonging to someone else.
Ace of Spades (♠) — Endings, transformation, major life change, death and rebirth, worry and anxiety.
Two Meanings
Two of Hearts (♥) — Partnership, union, romantic connection, a child, pregnancy, a pet, emotional excitement, talent, artistic ability.
Two of Diamonds (♦) — Balance in finances, choices in career, intellectual conversation, payments made or received, financial documents, financial assistance.
Two of Clubs (♣) — Discussion, agreement, teamwork, an invitation, a gift, time.
Two of Spades (♠) — Separation, indecision, betrayal, conflict, disagreement, resentment, violence, bad news.
Three Meanings
Three of Hearts (♥) — Celebration, joy, social events, beauty, new relationship, artistic ability, fertility.
Three of Diamonds (♦) — Financial growth, creativity, scattered energy, payments, partial success, partial effort.
Three of Clubs (♣) — Progress, collaboration, effort paying off, common sense, expanding knowledge
Three of Spades (♠) — Heartache, third-party interference, loss, deception, lies, misunderstanding, a worsening situation, infection, third-party interference, a test.
Four Meanings
Four of Hearts (♥) — Stability in love, boredom, missed opportunities, marriage, sex.
Four of Diamonds (♦) — Budgeting, financial caution, saving money, financial documents, rented property.
Four of Clubs (♣) — Foundation, security, strong support system, stability, reliability, a home, a vehicle
Four of Spades (♠) — Rest, delay, illness, stress, caution needed, confinement, toxic situation
Five Meanings
Five of Hearts (♥) — Emotional conflict, change in love, sadness, feminine energy, intimacy, tenderness, fairness.
Five of Diamonds (♦) — Unexpected expenses, changes in income, karma, consequences, charisma, magnetism, sexuality, property, speech.
Five of Clubs (♣) — Competition, arguments, struggles at work, action and change, working with your hands, exercise, competition, sports.
Five of Spades (♠) — Breakup, loss, walking away from a situation, anger, surgical procedure, quitting, left hand or left hand path.
Six Meanings
Six of Hearts (♥) — Nostalgia, past relationships, childhood memories, past life connections, emotion connection.
Six of Diamonds (♦) — A gift, generosity, financial assistance, adrenaline, psychology, lack of community, possessiveness, vitality.
Six of Clubs (♣) — Progress, recognition, moving forward, resolving problems, forms of communication, media, reading, learning.
Six of Spades (♠) — Leaving something behind, travel, healing, completion, letting go, parting ways, mode of transportation.
Seven Meanings
Seven of Hearts (♥) — Dreams, fantasies, deception, emotional choices, peaceful surroundings, steady improvement, second chance.
Seven of Diamonds (♦) — Financial decisions, unexpected expenses, karma, financial achievement, rewards and recognition, pay raise, improved prospects.
Seven of Clubs (♣) — Perseverance, standing your ground, obstacles, making an effort, busy work, attention to detail, overwork, repairs, negotiation, arguments, restlessness.
Seven of Spades (♠) — Lies, deceit, secrets, hidden truths, bad luck, loss, unexpected issues, a setback, stagnation, addiction, co-dependency.
Eight Meanings
Eight of Hearts (♥) — Emotional transition, moving on, love journey, mutual feeling, comfort, a couple, warmth, protection.
Eight of Diamonds (♦) — Financial planning, investments, work-related changes, represents the eyes.
Eight of Clubs (♣) — Fast movement, action, travel, quick decisions, working either at a job or something out, conversations, meetings, or conferences.
Eight of Spades (♠) — Anxiety, restriction, feeling trapped, illness, unrequited love, one-sided situations, imbalance.
Nine Meanings
Nine of Hearts (♥) (“The Wish Card”) — Wish fulfillment, joy, emotional satisfaction, aspiration, accomplishment, positive outcome.
Nine of Diamonds (♦) — Financial independence, success, rewards, bonus, psychic ability, electricity, fame, public office.
Nine of Clubs (♣) — Persistence, near success, last challenge before victory, a good luck card, an emotional or spiritual journey.
Nine of Spades (♠) — Grief, loss, endings, nightmares, adversity, failure, emotional or physical pain, warns of a tragic event, loss of control, karma.
Ten Meanings
Ten of Hearts (♥) — Happiness, emotional fulfillment, family harmony, victory, amusement, marriage, compatibility.
Ten of Diamonds (♦) — Long-term wealth, success, inheritance, airplane, speed, wind, spiritual energy, physical energy.
Ten of Clubs (♣) — Ambition, business success, leadership, social prominence, a specific business, travel or movement, a change in the business, travel by water.
Ten of Spades (♠) — Ruin, betrayal, disaster, harsh ending, misfortune, grief, tragedy, fear, anxiety, the unconscious, large body of water.
Face Cards (Court Cards)
Face cards usually represent people in the querent’s life but can also symbolize personal traits or energies.
Jacks (Young Person, Messenger, Action)
Jack of Hearts (♥) — Romantic interest, admirer, someone kind and loving, close friend, brother, son, boyfriend, a young male, student of the arts, immaturity, insecurity.
Jack of Diamonds (♦) — A message, good news about money or business, young person, family by marriage, a university or research facility.
Jack of Clubs (♣) — Hardworking young person, someone ambitious, young person, often male, clever, athletic, an employee or young co-worker.
Jack of Spades (♠) — Trickster, someone deceitful, gossip, skillful, clever, male, military personnel or law enforcement, young, possibly a foreigner, troubled youth, juvenile delinquent, detached, dark thoughts.
Queens (Feminine Energy, Intuition, Guidance)
Queen of Hearts (♥) — Loving, nurturing woman, mother figure, family oriented, female family member, trustworthy, romantic, artistic, sensitive.
Queen of Diamonds (♦) — Practical woman, financially stable, businesswoman, celebrity, politician, public-facing career.
Queen of Clubs (♣) — Charismatic leader, social butterfly, confident woman, female co-worker, an adviser, female friend.
Queen of Spades (♠) — Mysterious, independent, widow, or secretive woman, ambitious, divorced or widowed woman, older, foreigner, a leader, spiteful, deceptive, detached, a rival.
Kings (Masculine Energy, Authority, Protection)
King of Hearts (♥) — Kind, generous, fatherly man, protective energy, family man, affectionate, male family member, artistic, moody.
King of Diamonds (♦) — Wealthy, business-savvy man, investor, real estate broker, financial expert, workaholic.
King of Clubs (♣) — Ambitious, social, leader, entrepreneur, professor, athlete, male colleague, business associate, advisor. Sometimes a married man.
King of Spades (♠) — Serious, powerful, a leader, a judge, lawyer, or military figure, divorced or widowed, foreigner, arrogant, deceptive, detached, a rival
Special Card Combinations
Ace of Hearts + Ten of Hearts → Marriage or long-term commitment.
Nine of Hearts + Any Face Card → Someone’s wish will come true.
Ace of Spades + Ten of Spades → A serious ending, possibly bad luck.
Two of Spades + Seven of Spades → A betrayal or hidden enemy.
Six of Clubs + Eight of Clubs → Rapid career success, unexpected promotion.
Thank you for making it this far. If you use this tarot spread, share your spread on Instagram or TikTok and tag @gemblackthorn. I have a new download available: What every tarot card means in a money reading. Perfect for tarot readings regarding business, workplace, or personal finances (for entertainment purposes only, obviously).
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