Playing Cards

by Hali Morag

  10 of Clubs

  This card repeats the message of card number 1 and testifies to good fortune leading to economic security - by way of a legacy, a wedding, a lottery or a successful investment. The exact meaning of this card is derived from the adjacent cards. When a couple have spreads done in parallel, and this card appears in both, it promises success!

  Jack of Clubs

  This card testifies to youth, unusual power and energy, a restless character, and a high level of initiative. The excess of energy contained in this card may hint at the nature of the querent, or at the nature of those around him. Pay attention to the entire spread. For example, this card may indicate a mistress who is financially draining her married lover... or an energetic partner who is pushing the cart forwards. Difficult to interpret.

  Queen of Clubs

  This signifies a very feminine, strong, dark-haired woman, who radiates a positive sexuality and has many ambitions and skills which contribute to success in business. This card connects the series of “Queen” cards to the financial aspect of human relations. Usually, the appearance of this card attests to a good and stable relationship between husband and wife.

  King of Clubs

  This card indicates a generous person, usually a mature, black-haired, quite good-looking, self-assured, popular individual, who has a respectable reputation. In a spread that refers to a couple’s relationship, this card indicates a healthy sexuality. The card’s meaning for each individual is determined by its location in the spread. If the card is in the center of a spread, it means that a man is at the center of his extended family.

  Hearts

  The suit of Hearts is, to a great extent, the most interesting of all the playing card suits. As you may have already guessed, this suit deals with matters of the heart, emotions. This is where we find love and jealousy, marriage and divorce and all matters of romance. It also pertains to family matters and relationships with close friends. Clearly, both betrayals and problems associated with sexual and emotional life are also found here.

  In addition to these areas, the Hearts inform us about many other aspects of life. A Hearts card may, for example, indicate if a person is pursuing a certain issue wholeheartedly - an issue brought up in an adjacent card in the spread. Does the person like or dislike the path which has been delineated for him? Does he involve others in his joy and sorrow? There are other examples connected to the overall spread.

  The suit of Hearts is compared to the autumn, as it involves rain and wind following a dry spell, emotions in a transitional season. However, when finding a Hearts card in a spread, it is important to interpret the location of the cards cautiously. Take note of the following chapters which speak of special combinations of cards in a spread. In the Hearts suit, the emphasis on combinations such as three Hearts in a row or a pair of royal cards is much more important and decisive than in the other suits.

  1 (or Ace) of Hearts

  This is a good card. It presents, first and foremost, the family unit of the querent. The precise interpretation will emerge from the adjacent cards in the spread. In any case, this card teaches us the importance of the home, the family, and love in its “institutionalized” forms. The neighboring cards in a spread are interpreted as hints for the meaning of the Ace of Hearts, and not as cards in their own right. In principle, this card generally indicates a positive direction (and the neighboring cards point to the area, time-period or place). This card is particularly important and significant to an individual who is in an emotional crisis; it is a ray of light in the person’s life, a ray that penetrates the darkness and brings a positive change to his life.

  2 of Hearts

  This is a good card which points out that it takes two to tango, as defined by the Italian Method of reading playing cards. It refers to couples’ relationships and indicates a new love, a wedding, a romantic meeting or even a good business partnership. In a time of crisis, this card attests to the fact that the wounds of the crisis will heal as if they had never been. Furthermore, when this card appears in a bad spread, predicting bad times, it will mean that it would be possible to overcome these difficulties if only the querent were to find a loving and faithful partner.

  3 of Hearts

  This card indicates that the querent does not know how to channel his feelings. Sometimes it refers to a person with an excess of emotional energy, or the ability to fall in love with anyone (a romantic triangle). It indicates people who fall head over heels in love, and are at a loss. In a good spread, this is a great card, since it indicates the blossoming of love - a first love or a renewed love. In a bad spread, it indicates emotional or sexual problems. Incidentally, this card also points out problems and their solutions in the area of sexuality.

  4 of Hearts

  This is a card that brings everything to a halt. Although it is a Hearts card, it is interpreted as the card of stagnation. To a great extent, the querent loses his ability to love and to forge an emotional connection. (The reasons for this phenomenon become clear when the adjacent cards are examined.) The problem is that no solution can be seen in the immediate future. Actually, the only solution is to begin a new relationship, or to revitalize the previous, stagnant connection fundamentally. One might say that the 4 of Hearts (particularly if next to another Hearts card) indicates a later period in life, one in which the querent has already experienced a “great love”, has been burnt and has survived.

  It is an excellent card if it appears prior to a second marriage. Problematic in the case of sexual difficulties. A card which raises questions whenever it appears in the spread of a young man or woman!

  5 of Hearts

  This card is like an alarm, a red light at an emotional crossroads. This is the time to pull yourself together, hide emotional troubles and move forward. The querent alone can extricate himself from the morass of jealousy, stagnation and depression to which this card attests. Now is the time to review the past - erase it - and look hopefully towards the future! The card indicates that the querent has a great number of emotional problems. However, it also points out that the opportunity exists for him to solve his problems. In a good spread, the adjacent cards will show the querent which direction he must take. It is a dangerous card when surrounded by Diamonds.

  In an odd-numbered spread, when this card is exactly in the middle, it may indicate jealousy which is liable to lead to extreme violence.

  6 of Hearts

  This card is mainly a “general” card; it indicates the degree to which the querent is integrated into broader frameworks in society, his extended family and circle of friends. It is also the card that indicates a person who can be described as “good” or “kind” in the same way that a girl can be described as a “good girl”. While this is not serious praise, the direction is positive. It is most important to understand that the center of this card is “compromise” - a person who will do anything to compromise rather than quarrel or come into conflict. In a bad spread, the card is likely to indicate an emotionally dependent person. In a good spread, it testifies to a person who sticks to the middle path, without ups or downs.

  It is an important card for a woman who wants to know about the men who are interested in her.

  7 of Hearts

  This card may be described as the card of the emotions in dreams. It attests to a person’s ambitions, dreams, fantasies, heroes, etc. One might add that this card is the most romantic in the whole deck. It turns every real issue into a dream come true! However, this card may have its disadvantages too. At times, the card indicates a tendency to ignore reality and sink into romantic fantasies. Thus, the individual will display real mystical romanticism, or have a tendency to be “love-sick”. It is particularly dangerous for women who have suffered a broken heart in the past.

  8 of Hearts

  This card is a warning. The querent is so heavily entrenched in his emotions that he does not see what is happening before his eyes! This card also ind
icates that he knows no bounds and does not differentiate between what he desires and what is actually available to him, or between what is revealed and what is concealed. As a rule, it is a positive card (since it warns against danger) and in a good spread it becomes more positive. In a bad spread, the card is still basically positive. However, the warning “Don’t go too far!” is far more important.

  9 of Hearts

  This card sums up the querent’s ambitions or heart’s desire in his present stage of life. By looking at the neighboring cards we can determine his ambitions - love, money, success, a good reputation and honor - or negative emotions, such as lust for revenge, self-destruction, etc. The degree to which these desires will be fulfilled is determined by the cards that follow this one in the spread. If it is the final card in the spread, it indicates a negative direction.

  10 of Hearts

  This is a good card which testifies to happiness and wealth, love and friendship, romance and good feelings... In other words, it is similar to the Ace in the suit. However, as opposed to the first card, the 10 of Hearts appears after crises or difficult situations, and indicates that the querent will overcome the troubles he experienced in the past. The cards preceding this card in a spread indicate the source of the problems, while the cards following this card will suggest how to surmount them. This is an important card in any spread.

  Jack of Hearts

  This card speaks of a person who is admired by a younger acquaintance, and must be interpreted accordingly. If the querent is a man, it might refer to a young, innocent female partner; if it is a woman, it might refer to a young son, etc. By examining the adjacent cards, we may attempt to understand the direction or the subject to which the card alludes. When we have identified the figure, this card acts as “Eros” - sending arrows of love into the heart of the beloved.

  Queen of Hearts

  This card signifies motherhood, stability, the home and the security of having emotional support which one seeks, and receives, from one’s mother. It is important to grasp that this card represents the ideal of motherhood. It appears, for example, in a man’s spread, especially if he is searching for a woman with his mother’s character. The card is important on its own, but it is also important to note that its significance derives not just from the neighboring cards, nor from itself. It does have significance on its own with regard to problems of infertility or pregnancy.

  King of Hearts

  This card represents established, stable emotions, and romance “as it appears in books”. The entire spread is overshadowed by the love of a respectable, solid man (or woman) who acts in accordance with social norms and with the demands of his or her status. It is a difficult card to interpret. Some readers make their work easy by interpreting it as concerning a relationship with a widow or widower (or someone who is divorced). But this is not always the case. It is important to consider the other royal cards in the spread and judge this card within the context of the overall combination of all the royal cards, without reference to their suit.

  Spades

  The suit of Spades is, to some extent, a negative suit. It speaks of trouble, problems and mishaps. However, on the other hand, that is precisely the goal of predicting the future with cards...to warn against trouble, problems and mishaps!

  In other words, the Spades Suit is the warning signal of the deck and issues these warnings, regarding divorce, illness, separation, etc., in a direct manner. It says, “Be Careful!” or “Danger Ahead!” regarding the entire spread, or adjacent cards in the spread.

  Spades correspond to the cold and bleak winter. And before discussing these “cold” cards, it is worth noting once again that that is their precise objective: to warn against possible trouble and problems! In this way, the querent knows what is awaiting in the future and can plan his steps and actions in a manner which will allow him to prevent, confront or soften the blows coming his way.

  Remember to take this into account when analyzing the Spades cards in a spread. In addition, don’t forget to include the numerological interpretation of each card - which will usually prove to be rather bleak!

  1 (or Ace) of Spades

  This indicates the end - a bad end. Death. Permanent separation. It is a bad card, which signifies the end of a process, an irreversible ending. Many readers call this card the “payment” card: the querent is paying for the many bad deeds he committed during the course of his lifetime. In order to identify the source of an ominous fate or the reason why he is paying for his actions, the adjacent cards must be examined. Only with their aid can the situation be interpreted.

  This is a very bad card when it appears at the end of a spread. When it appears at the beginning of a spread, some readers collect the cards, reshuffle the deck and spread the cards again. This latter spread is never changed.

  When the querent is interested in learning about his spiritual make-up, this card serves as the card of “fate” - it draws a person’s karma from one generation to another.

  2 of Spades

  This card speaks of separation or distancing, and warns of a break in an important life process. Usually this refers to a separation of a married couple, divorce, betrayal, etc. However, this card may also allude to corruption, embezzlement or bribery. In any case, regarding the querent, this card warns of an ominous situation. When inquiring about a business partner, and this card appears - beware! When a husband asks about his wife, or a wife about her husband, it indicates infidelity which will end in an irreversible separation. When examining matters of health, this card alludes to a serious operation or the removal of an organ. A difficult card.

  3 of Spades

  In Italy this card is known as “The Love Triangle”. It signifies that a third party has intervened in the couple’s relationship, particularly in the area of sex, and is disrupting their lives. It is important to remember that this is not always a matter of a lover. A family member - even a child - may be the cause of the disruption. Remember too that this card indicates that “someone close to you” will come between you and your beloved. The spread may hint at who it might be. Incidentally, in a good spread, the card may allude to a new romantic connection or a journey.

  4 of Spades

  Life isn’t fair! This card indicates that the querent is stuck, to all intents and purposes. He feels at a low point in life and cannot extricate himself: financial difficulties, conflict, problems with government administration, bureaucracy and the law. It is difficult to find under- standing and assistance. The spread can enlighten us as to the cause of the situation, but not as to how to remedy it.

  5 of Spades

  Brakes. Inhibitions. This card blocks a person, particularly in the spiritual realm, preventing success. This card speaks of illness, listlessness, “behavioral anemia”. In a bad spread, it indicates a malignant disease! If this card appears in a spread, it is important for the querent to identify the source of his depression and try to distance himself from it. If the inquiry concerns a third person, this card indicates that that person has a negative personality.

  6 of Spades

  Tomorrow will be a better day! This card brings a weak ray of light to the gloomy Spades. Although it means that the querent is caught in an unpleasant situation (this can be seen in the surrounding cards), this card predicts that the situation will eventually change, and allows him to hope. We must take note that this card is a “pusher”; when it is in a spread, it pushes good cards out. For example, if it appears in the spread of a single woman, she will not marry until she has eradicated the factor that is causing her harm at present (and then the card will disappear from the spread). The problem lies in whether this factor is actually her very state of being single - and she cannot marry until she eradicates it!

  In this case, the card prevails and takes control of the person’s life.

  7 of Spades

  This card is like a stumbling block in the path of a blind man. However, it is the quere
nt himself who is the blind man. In other words, he is causing himself to stumble because of one of his character traits. One might say that his problems are his own fault. This card stands alone with no connection to neighboring cards. It warns the querent about himself alone.

  8 of Spades

  This is a difficult card, which hints of future social problems and trouble from the establishment or the legal system. The spread does not always reveal the exact cause, but the card warns of difficult problems. It also attests to a closed person, a “loner”, even if the other cards in the spread do not point in that direction.