by Hali Morag
Three of a kind - Problems with the family
and at home.
Reverse - Trouble with close acquaintances.
Four of a kind - Conflicts.
Reverse - A bitter quarrel.
10
Pair - Good luck. Unexpected success.
Reverse - Lack of funds.
Three of a kind - A financial problem.
Reverse - Financial disaster.
Four of a kind - Luck, ascending the ladder of success.
Reverse - A lengthy period of difficulty.
9
Pair - Monetary profit.
Reverse - Anger endangering one’s health.
Three of a kind - Wealth, property, good health.
Reverse - A temporary financial difficulty.
Four of a kind - A happy surprise.
Reverse - Good news will be delayed by about a month.
8
Pair - A love affair.
Reverse - A break in communications
with the environment.
Three of a kind - A good love affair, marriage.
Reverse - Family problems.
Four of a kind - Success following many difficulties.
Reverse - Deep frustration.
7
Pair - A successful love affair is expected.
Reverse - Fraud. An old enemy returns.
Three of a kind - Pregnancy, birth,
a new opportunity.
Reverse - Health problems.
Four of a kind - Troubles.
Reverse - A highly influential enemy is acting against you.
As stated above, when using the English Method, only the direct position is taken into consideration. However, it is given less importance than when applied in the Italian Method. In the Italian Method, the interpretation - direct or reverse - receives full validity.
The Star Spread
The most commonly used spread in the Italian Method is the Star Spread. This is quite a complicated spread which takes a long time to interpret.
First, the reader chooses a Significator Card according to the character of the querent, as described in the English Method and using the same principles. The Significator Card, marked with an X in the diagram, is placed in the center of the table.
Next, the querent takes the remaining 31 cards, shuffles them and gives them to the reader, who then cuts the deck into three equal piles and takes the first card in each pile and places them at the side of the table, face up. These cards are known as “Indicator Cards”, and they provide the general prediction regarding the person in question.
The remaining 28 cards are returned to the querent, who shuffles them and hands them to the reader. The latter picks eight cards and places them around the Significator Card, according to the diagram and in the same order. The cards are marked with numbers 1 to 8. In the second round, the reader places an additional card on each card, numbers 9 to 16; and in the final round, he places cards 17 to 24. Altogether, he will use 24 cards to encircle the Significator Card.
Now the interpretation begins. First, the three “Indicator Cards” on the side are interpreted. Next, the star is considered. Each group of three are interpreted on their own, in relation to the Significator Card. After eight interpretations of groups of three are given, the overall interpretation is summarized.
Each group of three has an area of meaning, according to the following order:
A. Future opportunities which are worthwhile for the querent to pursue, with quite a good possibility of success.
B. Obstacles that might prevent taking advantage of the opportunities mentioned in Section A.
C. What is stopping the querent from fulfilling his potential?
D. The burden of the past which the querent carries around with him, particularly a burden that weighs him down.
E. The querent’s past, or what he has acquired in his past, including life experience and knowledge.
F. Past accomplishments and their influence on the present and future.
G. What will help the querent to reach his or her goals?
H. Factors that assist the querent to attain his or her goals.
This spread is comprehensive and is also used for reading Tarot cards. It is important to read it according to the order presented here. In particular, when using the Italian Method, pay attention to: the position of the cards, direct or reverse, in each group of three, and in combinations of a pair of cards, three of a kind, or four of a kind (including the Significator Card).
The Fan Spread
This spread is also used in the Italian Method. A bit tricky, it is based in most part on the reader’s intuition. It is particularly appropriate for people blessed with a high level of intuition, and who are very experienced in reading cards. At the outset, this spread seems a bit complicated, but after learning and mastering it, it is the easiest and simplest of all.
Thirty-two cards are chosen from the deck. The querent shuffles them, spreads them face down on the table in the shape of a fan, and randomly chooses 13 cards which he hands to the reader. The reader spreads the 13 cards, face up, as an open fan. The reader looks for the Significator Card from among the 13 cards (according to the querent’s characteristics). If he has not found the Significator Card, he should choose a 7; if there is more than one 7, he selects the 7 furthest to the left.
If there is neither a Significator Card nor a 7 among the 13 cards, the cards are reshuffled and the procedure is repeated. The procedure may be repeated three times. If after three tries there is no Significator Card or 7, the reading is canceled!
When the Significator Card or the 7 is located - marked by an X in the diagram - this card opens the spread. From this card, we count four cards to the left and pick out the fifth card, to be read. And again, we count four cards and choose the fifth. If necessary, we move from the left end of the fan to the right end, without interrupting the count. In this manner, three cards are chosen, removed from the fan, and spread as the first group of three.
Following the interpretation of the first group of three, the procedure is repeated, and three additional cards are chosen. The count begins, as previously, from the Significator Card, and when one reaches this card again during the fifth round, it is not taken into account. After having interpreted the second group of three, the final group of three is chosen.
At this point, the reader asks the querent to pick five additional cards, and they are spread on the table below the fan. Card number 1 is interpreted with card number 5, card 2 with card 4, and card 3 on its own. In the end, all the separate interpretations are joined together to create one all-encompassing, collective interpretation.
The Week’s Spread
When using this spread, the querent shuffles 32 cards and hands them to the reader. In this case, no Significator Card is chosen. The reader spreads the cards in the shape of a fan, and asks the querent to choose randomly 15 cards which are then spread face down in a straight line from left to right, according to the order in which they were selected.
Next, the cards are revealed in pairs, that is, A with A, B with B, etc. The first pair represents tomorrow, the second pair represents the day after tomorrow, and so on, until the end of the coming week. The spread always concerns the day following that on which the spread is being done. Each pair of cards carries the prediction for one of the days of the week, and the central card, alone, predicts the week in its entirety.
Note that this spread relates to the days of the week and not directly to the querent.
Yes, No...Red, Black
This is an amusing spread used for entertainment in the Italian Method. Usually, the individual asks himself a question, the answer to which is “Yes” or “No”. He then shuffles the 32 cards, cuts the deck in three, and lays each pile face down on the table.
Next, each pile is turned over - so tha
t the three bottom cards of the piles are visible. At this point, only the colors of the cards are considered.
3 red cards - Absolutely yes!
2 red cards - Yes.
3 black cards - Absolutely no!
2 black cards - No.
Indeed, an amusing spread ... and one that generally never misses the mark!
The Central Joker Spread
This spread, known as the Central Joker Spread, or in France as the “Thirteen Lucky Cards”, uses the full deck of playing cards. An additional card - the Joker - is chosen and placed in the center of the table, representing the querent. Next, 12 cards are chosen from the pack and placed in consecutive numerical order, as depicted in the diagram.
Note the letters which, when coupled, give us six pairs of cards. Each card in a pair is interpreted together with its partner. First cards “A” and “B” are interpreted, which provide us with information concerning the character traits and behavioral patterns of the querent (or alternatively, his present life). Next, cards “C” and “D” are interpreted, predicting his future, in relation to his past. (In other words, a line is drawn from the past to the anticipated future.) Finally, cards “E” and “F” are interpreted, supplementing the information obtained so far by referring to secondary influences which affect the person’s life, such as a help or hindrance in his path.
This reading does not take into consideration the position of a card - direct or reverse - but pairs, three of a kind, four of a kind, or Straights, are important.
Various Hints for Correct Interpretation
These short suggestions were accumulated from the experience of card readers. Each reader prepares a list of personal “anchors” which guide his or her reading. When you open the cards, you will accumulate experience which will be expressed in your own “personal anchors.”
♥ When using playing cards for reading and predicting the future, a number of cards and combinations of cards, have a special significance in the spread. In other words, they have an importance which goes beyond the cards on their own.
♦ Remember that when discussing the order of the cards, we always refer to the consecutive order in which they are placed on the table, according to the particular spread.
♣ When there is an error in a spread - maybe two cards stuck together or too many cards were chosen from the deck - the cards are reshuffled and re-spread.
♥ The first card in a spread following the choice of the Significator Card has a special significance, as does the last card in a spread.
♣ The playing card deck includes the royal family cards: the King, Queen and Jack. When these three cards appear consecutively - and in this case, their order is not important - the interpretation always concerns the home and the family. When all three are from the same suit, the interpretation is reinforced. In any case, the middle card of the three always indicates the center of the family.
(It is important to remember that this group must include all three cards - Jack, Queen and King. If, for example, there are four consecutive cards - King, Queen, King, Queen - the present interpretation does not apply, since the Jack is missing. And note: The three cards must appear in one single consecutive group.)
♥ When there is a Straight of numerical cards, which appear in ascending or descending order, you can interpret only the last card in the set. A set must include three cards or more.
♦ In every spread, there is a card which is parallel to the card whose meaning is being considered. While using a spread in which the third card from the beginning is examined, the parallel card will be the third card from the end, and so on. If both cards point in the same direction, the meaning derived from the card is reinforced. If the two cards point in different directions, the interpretation is weakened.
♣ The 7 may indicate a great love. Another interpretation of the 7 indicates impotence in a man, or a woman whose passion burns so fiercely that it reaches pathological proportions.
♣ By counting Kings and Queens, it is possible to determine who is the most significant person in the querent’s life. First, the Kings and Queens in a spread are counted.
Next, the gender of the querent is added - a King for a man or a Queen for a woman. If the number of Kings is higher than the number of Queens, the most important person in the querent’s life is a man, such as a father, husband, etc.
When the number of Queens is higher, the most significant person is a woman.
♥ There is a possibility of using the Joker in the deck being spread. The Joker is used in the same way as the Fool Card in the Tarot. When it turns up in a spread, the cards must be re-spread, or alternatively, the cards may be divided into two different readings, with the Joker separating the two.
Remember that many “anchors” were discussed in the chapters on the Dominant Suit, and in Pairs, Three of a Kind and Four of a Kind.
These hints will help you use playing cards to obtain a precise reading concerning a person’s character and past, but mainly to predict his future.
