A king-high straight flush might win you the pot in poker, but what might the “9 through king of spades” mean for your love life or career? Or do you perhaps need help with a love spell?
Cartomancy—commonly referred to as playing card divination—has existed since the 14th century. We’d like to show you how it rivals the tarot when it comes to answering life’s most important questions.
If you want to learn about cartomancy meanings, we’ll show you the different interpretations when playing cards for fortune telling, spiritual readings, and more. So, start practicing your shuffling!
We’ll also explore top psychic sites like Purple Garden, where you can get cartomancy readings.
What Is Cartomancy?
Sometime after the game of playing cards first appeared in Europe during the 14th century, the art of using them in fortune telling was born [1]. This practice is known as cartomancy. Sensitive, perceptive individuals who perform it are usually called cartomancers, card readers, or readers.
The Origin and History of Cartomancy
For the first two and a half centuries, cartomancy existed in Europe; there wasn’t a formal name for it. What’s more, those who employed it in fortune-telling did so on the sly.
It wasn’t until 1770 that a Frenchman named Jean-Baptiste Alliette—using the magical name of Etteilla (his surname backward)—coined the term cartomancy in a published treatise [2]. After that, cartomancy divination became a popular form of divination in the Western world in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.
How Cartomancy Works as a Divination Practice
The original form of cartomancy that Etteilla wrote about used a 32-card abbreviated version of the 52-card French piquet deck.
Modern cartomancy uses the full 52-card deck (or 54 if you’re using jokers in cartomancy readings). In cartomancy, each card has a suit and number symbolism, with picture cards usually representing a specific type of individual.
The card reader will then use this information, along with his or her psychic abilities, to answer whatever question has been posed.
You can also do a cartomancy yes or no reading. This involves shuffling and then pulling five cards. If the red suits are in the majority, the answer is yes. If there are more black cards, the answer is no.
How Is Cartomancy Different From Tarot?
There are several huge differences between tarot and cartomancy. First, a traditional tarot deck has 78 cards. On the other hand, the common deck used for divination with playing cards contains only 52 (or 54 with the two jokers).
Another difference between cartomancy and tarot card readings is that each suit of the tarot has four court cards. In contrast, playing card decks have only three per suit. The names of the suits in each deck are also different.
The biggest difference, though, is that the tarot deck contains a group of 22 cards known as the Major Arcana. These individually named cards are unique to tarot and contain a wealth of occult and spiritual symbolism.
Despite the differences between a cartomancy deck and a tarot deck, both fortune-teller tools can offer guidance in navigating one’s life path and predicting the future with cards, and sometimes tarot cards may be used in cartomancy readings by gifted psychics.
Types of Cartomancy
Over the centuries, cartomancy meanings haven’t been limited to just one type of card. Below, we discuss some of the different kinds of decks used for divination.
Tarot Cards
The tarot deck is perhaps the most famous oracle of divination used for fortune-telling. It contains 78 picture cards, and the symbolism of these traditional fortune-telling cards is similar to that of astrology and the Hebrew Kabbalah form of the Western esoteric system (a.k.a. Rosicrucianism).
Lenormand Cards
The deck was originally conceived as a game of chance by Johann Kaspar Hechtel of Nuremburg. It was named after the famous French occultist Marie Anne Lenormand after her death in 1843.
The Lenormand deck, which contains 36 illustrated cards, has become a popular form of fortune-telling. It is still used today in Russia and other parts of Europe, South America, and North America.
Playing Cards
The common playing cards used today in the U.S. come from the 52-card French-suited deck. This deck groups the cards under four symbols: hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds.
Each suit is numbered from ace to ten with three additional court cards, which consist of the king, queen, and jack. When used for fortune telling, each number has a spiritual card meaning, while each court card represents a type of person in your life.
Oracle Cards
Oracle cards are specifically designed for divination and fortune-telling. Generally inspired by tarot cards, such decks often depart from the traditional symbolism and structure of the tarot. Instead, they present their own unique systems of imagery and spiritual interpretation.
How to Read Cartomancy Cards
Want to get the best cartomancy meanings from your deck? Here are some steps you can take to prepare and learn how to read playing cards for divination:
Cleanse Your Deck
Every time you do a reading with your cartomancy cards, they absorb some of the negative energy that’s involved when you work through the answer to your question. To counteract this, cleanse your cards regularly with some sage or sacred incense.
Ask Your Question
What is it you’d like to know? Are you having trouble in a relationship, at work, or with your family? Think about what is bothering you, and then formulate a clear question for the cards.
Shuffle Your Cards
No matter what shuffling techniques for cartomancy you use, mixing the cards is supposed to get the energy of the deck moving. As you shuffle, meditate on your question and be open to what the cards have to say about cartomancy predictions and insights.
Create a Spread
A vital part of cartomancy reading is finding the proper spread to match the nature of your question. There are several classic spreads to choose from. Alternatively, you can even design your own spread based on the specific type of help you need.
Interpret the Cards
Even though the cards have assigned cartomancy meanings, card reading interpretations should be flexible based on what your intuition is telling you. This is particularly true when cards in a spread appear either contradictory or mysterious.
Cartomancy Card Layouts and Interpretations
To get the best cartomancy meanings from your deck, you should be familiar with the different types of layouts and the interpretation of the cards.
Card Layouts
Wondering how to interpret cartomancy card spreads or or how cartomancy psychic readers do it? Remember that a good spread is designed to frame a problem logically.
For example, seeing how your energy is blocked or the real issue behind an obstacle in your path might help you think of your problem in a new, creative way.
Card Interpretations
Figuring out the meaning of cartomancy cards is always a two-fold process. First, check to see what the traditional meaning is. If the assigned meaning confuses you, then step two is to consider the surrounding cards and identify how the image in context makes you feel.
If you wish to correctly interpret cartomancy meanings, always mix the traditional wisdom of the deck and your intuition for the right answer.
Cartomancy Card Meanings
Let’s explore a cartomancy interpretation guide for the suit meanings in cartomancy. The meaning of this playing cards chart explains the significance of card suits in divination.
Spades – Challenges and Conflicts
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Ace – Major change
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Two – Conflict, separation
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Three – Stress and difficulty
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Four – The ending of bad times
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Five – Leaving a situation
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Six – A fateful warning
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Seven – Conflict and separation
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Eight – Obstacles, decisions
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Nine – Loss or death
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Ten – Worry and grief
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Jack – Someone you can’t trust
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Queen – A negative, hateful woman
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King – A negative male authority
Clubs – The Future and Possibilities
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Ace – Knowledge, talent
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Two – Communication
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Three – Creative power
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Four – Intellectual power
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Five – Learning something new
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Six – Intuition
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Seven – Feeling stuck or trapped
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Eight – Confusion and problems
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Nine – Completion
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Ten – A journey
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Jack – A trustworthy person
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Queen – A powerful, exciting woman
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King – A man of great integrity
Diamonds – Finances
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Ace – Important communication
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Two – Positive financial news
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Three – Material negligence
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Four – Fiscal responsibility
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Five – Material change
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Six – Debts
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Seven – Financial loss
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Eight – Unexpected gains
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Nine – A surprise expense
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Ten – A large windfall
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Jack – Bad news
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Queen – A social and gossipy woman
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King – A successful man
Hearts – Feelings and Emotions
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Ace – New beginnings, a relationship, or good news
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Two – Hearts joining
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Three – Indecision or lack of commitment
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Four – A stable union
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Five – Domestic changes
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Six – Peace and harmony
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Seven – Someone who will let you down
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Eight – A happy event
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Nine – Someone wanting a commitment
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Ten – Good news
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Jack – A best friend
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Queen – A female lover, marriage, or a mother
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King – The king of hearts meaning points to a male lover or father
Advanced Cartomancy Interpretation Guide
Let’s look at some tricks that psychics use to get the most insightful cartomancy meanings from their readings.
Combining Cards
Just like a painter will mix colors for greater effect in their art, cartomancy card combination meanings can help you see and understand more when working with the cards. If you need guidance, you can look for cartomancy card combination charts online.
Exploring Patterns
When you ask the cards a question, it’s only based on what you know. Discovering patterns in the spread you’ve laid out—like repeating numbers or several cards of the same suit—can introduce new cartomancy meanings (and questions) for you to consider.
Repetition
If you’re using the cards for guidance, it’s not unusual for certain ones to keep reappearing in readings. Recognizing these repetitions will help you realize the need to start doing something different in life, especially if you wish to create any meaningful change.
Overarching Themes in a Reading
Seeing the same thing expressed by different cards in multiple readings? This might show you there are overarching themes in your life that you need to be aware of.
Tips for Practicing Cartomancy
Before consulting your cards for cartomancy meanings, let’s look at some card reading techniques you might want to do in preparation for exploring playing card symbolism.
Set the Tone
Do you want deeper cartomancy meanings from the cards? Setting the tone beforehand with crystals or incense will help ignite your intuition. As one of the basic cartomancy ritual practices, this can help connect you with the spiritual realm as well.
Reveal Your Intention
What do you want from your reading? By figuring out your intention, you can compose a better question. That way, the cartomancy meanings revealed to you will seem deeper and more relevant.
Get in Sync With the Lunar Cycle
The moon is a heavenly body that rules intuition, psychic abilities, and divination to a large degree. Being aware of new and full moons will help stimulate your intuition. Plus, it can connect you to the higher portals of wisdom that the cycles of the moon may open and close.
Best Cartomancy Fortune Telling Methods to Try at Home
From simple to complex cartomancy spreads and layouts, this cartomancy cheat sheet features four spreads you can use to find the meanings hidden in your cards.
Three-Card Spread
This is the most basic cartomancy spread, which consists of three cards positioned horizontally.
As a user-friendly tool for cartomancy for beginners, it can be used to answer questions about the past, present, or future, the interaction between two individuals, or anything involving opposing forces.
Nine-Card Spread
It’s an expansion of the three-card spread with three vertical rows of cards rather than just three horizontal cards. The nine-card spread is perfect for analyzing complex situations.
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Card 1 represents the general situation.
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Cards 2, 3, and 4 describe the positive factors.
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Cards 5, 6, and 7 are the problematic elements.
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Card 8 is what you would like to do, yet card 9 is necessary for the highest outcome.
Celtic Cross Spread
This is perhaps the most popular tarot spread among professional psychics. The Celtic Cross can be used for any type of cartomancy reading, regardless of the card being used.
Below is the layout and assigned cartomancy meanings for each position.
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Card 1 is the current situation.
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Card 2 mirrors the immediate problem.
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Card 3 reflects the past.
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Card 4 is the future.
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Card 5 represents your hopes for the situation.
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Card 6 is the hidden influences involved.
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Card 7 shows what you think your power is in the situation.
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Card 8 is your surroundings and how they’re affecting you.
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Card 9 showcases your hopes and fears.
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Card 10 is what the outcome will probably be.
Wheel of Fortune Spread
Inspired by the “Wheel of Fortune” card of the tarot, the spread below helps you understand the various levels on which change happens.
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Card 1 is the present situation you’re asking about.
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Card 2 stands for the obstacle in your way.
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Card 3 is what you would like to do.
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Card 4 suggests what must be done.
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Card 5 is the potential outcome.
Best Sites for a Cartomancy Reading
If you want to get a great psychic card reading—from cartomancy meanings to tarot and angel cards—below are five psychic sites we love.
1. Purple Garden – Most Accurate Readings on Cartomancy Meanings
The fortune tellers at Purple Garden can lay it all out for you with tarot, angel, and oracle card readings. What’s more, the cartomancy readers are available 24/7 via online chat, voice, or video call.
First-time customers will receive a free $30 credit. Many Purple Garden customers swear the readers offer accurate cartomancy meanings.
The site has numerous reviews on Trustpilot. After being satisfied on numerous occasions, one user said the platform had been her go-to for years [3]. Another user’s praise of the site was more reserved, saying that many advisors were great, but some were average [4].
If you want to know what folks think about cartomancy meanings, Reddit reviews can also be helpful. For instance, one Redditor features it on r/psychicsonline as one of the top psychic platforms [5].
2. Keen – Best Readings on Cartomancy Meanings on the Go
With a highly dependable mobile app, Keen deals in fortunes on the go whenever you need them. There’s also a dedicated cartomancy category on the menu, as well as 2,000+ available psychics. Every new customer gets the first 5 minutes for just $1.
Many customers have good things to say about Keen in r/psychics. After speaking to several advisors, one client found them genuine and very helpful [6]. A different user hesitantly agreed, saying that Keen has its ups and downs; he felt that it works one minute, but sometimes it doesn’t [7].
3. Kasamba – Best Readings on Cartomancy Meanings in Love and Relationships
For over 25 years, Kasamba has been furnishing cartomancy meanings for the romantic and the lovelorn that are both accurate and affordable. It’s a great choice if you want to know about soulmate zodiac signs compatibility and other love life matters.
The platform also makes it easy to get started by giving you three free minutes with three different psychics, plus 50% off your first scheduled reading. Add a $50 satisfaction guarantee to back it all up, and the cards look very lucky for you at Kasamba.
On Trustpilot, several customers vouch for the accuracy of the readings. One user confirmed that she always got a detailed reading from the advisors she connected with on the platform [8]. On the other hand, another customer said their reader was hit-or-miss, but he occasionally got some really good insights [9].
FAQs on Cartomancy Meanings
Here are some relevant questions from customers in search of cartomancy meanings:
What Happens During a Card Reading?
Much like a tarot session, a cartomancy reading begins with the seeker asking the cartomancer a question. The reader will then shuffle and lay out the cards in one of several different spreads.
To provide a spiritual answer to the question, the cartomancer will then consider the detailed meanings of cartomancy cards in combination with his or her own psychic impressions.
What Is Major Arcana in Cartomancy?
The Major Arcana is a group of 22 picture cards in the tarot deck. They depict a wealth of spiritual and occult cartomancy meanings that work in tandem with astrology and the Hebrew Kabbalah.
What Do Spades Symbolize?
In a divinatory card reading, the cartomancy meanings for the suit of spades symbolize challenges and conflicts. For example, the ace of spades meaning in cartomancy speaks to a major change coming in the life of the person asking the question.
How Can I Do Cartomancy Reading?
To do a cartomancy reading, think of a question first, then shuffle the cards and lay them out in a spread. After that, look up the symbolism of each and apply them to your situation based on your Interpretation of card combinations. You can search for online PDF guides on cartomancy meanings if you need a visual chart.
What Is Cartomancy Used For?
When using cards for guidance, cartomancy meanings can provide a spiritual or metaphysical perspective on life problems that may escape more ordinary explanations. Numerology in cartomancy can also delve into the meanings of special numbers in your life.
Final Thoughts on Cartomancy Meanings
Would you like a different perspective on a problematic situation in your life? Learning the cards in cartomancy can be a fun and educational way to test your intuition. You can also visit one of the popular sites we listed, like Purple Garden.
Either way, you’ll be wiser for the experience!
References
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Auger, E. E. (2016). Cartomancy and Tarot in Film. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv36xvt95
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Home | French Playing Cards. (n.d.). Frenchplayingcards.mit.edu. https://frenchplayingcards.mit.edu/tarot/tarot-history
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KT Smalls U.S. (2024, October 8) Trustpilot review of Purple Garden https://www.trustpilot.com/users/67049bc9de4d89ff756a9d10
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Ninja Reads CA (2024, October 4) Trustpilot review of Purple Garden https://www.trustpilot.com/users/670065dfcaacfe7a754a3208
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Freakish_Ninja_9. (2023, June 22). Best Online Psychic Reading Sites. https://www.reddit.com/r/psychicsonline/comments/14g5cue/best_online_psychic_reading_sites/
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Verified Customer CA (2023, March 6) Trustpilot review of Keen https://nz.trustpilot.com/users/6406301629276c0012ae0d34
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Customer T U.S. (2024, June 25) Trustpilot review of Keen https://nz.trustpilot.com/users/667b35395fdffe66bc84d109
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Courtney Reece U.S. (2024, October 9) Trustpilot review of Kasamba https://www.trustpilot.com/users/6706fef73a5724583d33464a
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Nily Genger U.S. (2024, June 2) Trustpilot review of Kasamba https://www.trustpilot.com/users/665ca4f32ea26741568caa84
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Anonymous U.S. (2024, October 13) Trustpilot review of California Psychics https://www.trustpilot.com/users/670b6b3c743821aae01abe6a
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ASDGold U.S. (2023, October 27) Trustpilot review of California Psychics https://www.trustpilot.com/users/5796bfca0000ff000a34ebd6
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Pamela Johnson U.S. (2024, October 7) Trustpilot review of Psychic Source https://www.trustpilot.com/users/5ea082089b70583437da197d
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Customer U.S. (2024, August 4) Trustpilot review of Psychic Source https://www.trustpilot.com/users/66af769b84281a14900fddb8
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 13, 2025.