How to do psychic reading with playing cards (not tarot)

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Very practical guide on “how to do psychic reading with playing cards,” so you can start using playing cards right now for divination and without having tarot cards.

Although the classic tarot card deck is recommended, the simple deck of playing cards is perfect for psychic reading, and it can open the gate for spirituality and grow your intuition. It can also be an amazing opportunity to develop psychic abilities for beginners.

Symbolism of each card: the first step is to know what the meaning of each card is. Don’t worry because you don’t have to memorize it. In the next section of this guide, you will get a brief meaning of each one of the 52 playing cards so you can start right now!

Playing cards are divided into four suits: Spades, Clubs, Hearts, and Diamonds. Each series symbolizes an angle related to our life: obstacle, action, feelings, and wealth. The psychic process is all about the combination of these aspects with numbers and the colors red or black that appear on them. In the tarot deck, it is a bit different as there are an additional 22 divination cards called “Major Arcana.”

Create sacred space: before every fortune-telling with playing cards, you need to create the best conditions to connect with your higher self, energies, and spirits. Therefore, psychic reading has to be done in a comfortable place, without too many distractions. For better results, I highly suggest using crystals, incense, candles, and maybe soft sounds as well.

Shuffling the deck: during the shuffling, you are required to clear the mind and focus. The only thing you need to think about is the question or what kind of guidance you are asking from the spirits or guardian angels. This is the exact time when you really connect to the spiritual beings, as the energies from your mind and soul are flowing through the hands and to the playing cards.

Drawing cards: when your intuition is telling you that this is the time to draw the cards – do so. The common practice is to draw 3 cards: the first one represents the past, the second portrays the present, and the third depicts the future. Put them on the table in a row side by side and try to feel what kind of feelings they are radiating.

Interpretation: it is very important to note that tarot and playing cards interpretation doesn’t come from memorizing the meaning; they are just symbols that talk to our intuition. Therefore, it will take you time to handle it, you will have to practice a lot, maybe every day, in order to have expertise in decoding the secrets of the divine world.

Additionally, every card has more than one meaning, sometimes even seven or eight. The cartomancy analysis is depending on the combination and interaction between them. For example, the Ten of Spades might denote a new start after a negative event, and the Ace of Hearts might imply new beginnings. Although the interpretation sounds similar, there are small innuendos between them. Learning to recognize them is what differentiates beginners from professional psychic readers.

Practice: Sometimes you will stare at the cards for a few minutes, and nothing will come to you. Give it time even if you don’t get the answer or the visions quickly. Always remember that divination is not about the cards; it is about you. Once you manage to understand how to do psychic reading with playing cards, you can move to much more complicated spreads, read to your family and friends, and learn other cartomancy and divinations like tarot and oracle cards.

Playing cards psychic meaning chart (cheat sheet)

Spades Suit

Ace of Spades: A significant change, sometimes a difficult one, transformation.

2 of Spades: Separation, deceit, a need for balance in decisions.

3 of Spades: Heartbreak, betrayal, loss.

4 of Spades: Recovery, rest, needing to regroup or retreat.

5 of Spades: Defeat, conflict, facing opposition.

6 of Spades: Improvement, moving away from difficulties, travel.

7 of Spades: Deception, advice to proceed with caution.

8 of Spades: A challenging situation, feeling trapped, need for a new perspective.

9 of Spades: Worry, anxiety, facing fears.

10 of Spades: Endings, significant loss, the need for a new beginning.

Page of Spades: A young person or rival, someone challenging or sneaky.

Queen of Spades: A sharp, intelligent, but potentially manipulative woman.

King of Spades: A powerful, ambitious, authoritative figure, potentially harsh.

Diamonds Suit

Ace of Diamonds: A new venture or financial beginning, a message about money.

2 of Diamonds: A balanced approach to finances, possible partnership.

3 of Diamonds: Collaboration in business, a warning against indecision.

4 of Diamonds: Financial stability, material security, conservatism.

5 of Diamonds: Financial instability, changes in position.

6 of Diamonds: Giving and receiving financial help, balance.

7 of Diamonds: Challenges in work or business, perseverance needed.

8 of Diamonds: A reward for hard work, improvement in finances.

9 of Diamonds: Independence, self-reliance, financial gain.

10 of Diamonds: Wealth, financial success, material abundance.

Page of Diamonds: A young person or message about finances, a risk-taker.

Queen of Diamonds: A practical, organized woman, financial independence.

King of Diamonds: A successful, authoritative figure in business or finance.

Clubs Suit

Ace of Clubs: A new idea or inspiration, an opportunity for growth.

2 of Clubs: A decision needing to be made, minor challenges.

3 of Clubs: Growth, creativity, branching out.

4 of Clubs: Stability and security in work or social situations, stubbornness.

5 of Clubs: Competition, conflicts in interests, overcoming challenges.

6 of Clubs: Progress and success, assistance from friends.

7 of Clubs: Courage in the face of difficulties, perseverance.

8 of Clubs: Quick action, movement, a journey.

9 of Clubs: Achievement, recognition, fulfillment of desires.

10 of Clubs: Burden, responsibility, but also eventual success.

Page of Clubs: A young person or friend, often bringing news or ideas.

Queen of Clubs: An energetic, confident woman, supportive friend.

King of Clubs: A strong, authoritative figure, offering advice or leadership.

Hearts Suit

Ace of Hearts: New beginnings in love or emotion, joy, and happiness.

2 of Hearts: A strong partnership or relationship, possibly a romantic one.

3 of Hearts: Celebration in love, friendship, or social gatherings.

4 of Hearts: Stability and security in home or emotional matters.

5 of Hearts: Loss or disappointment in love, a need for self-reflection.

6 of Hearts: Reconciliation, enjoying the past, nostalgia.

7 of Hearts: An unrealistic or confused emotional situation, wishful thinking.

8 of Hearts: Leaving troubles behind, moving on emotionally.

9 of Hearts: Wishes coming true, satisfaction, and happiness.

10 of Hearts: Emotional fulfillment, happiness in relationships and family.

Page of Hearts: A young person or lover, someone who is emotionally open.

Queen of Hearts: A nurturing figure, offering love and support, emotional depth.

King of Hearts: A mature, warm-hearted person, offering guidance in love.

The role of numbers 1 – 10 in playing cards

Did you know that the numbers from Ace to Ten exhibit the cycle of nature and our life as well? Each card from 1 through 10 symbolizes the timeline of our journey, from the start, to the problems and obstacles we have to endure, along with the lessons we learn, spiritual growth, and finally when we reach the destination and successfully close the circle.

Let’s talk about the Ace card which represents the starting point. It denotes the wonderful possibilities and skills we own, that will be very useful in our personal development. When you get this card in a psychic reading it means that you are going to have a new opportunity, you need to act and begin something new. Moreover it suggests you will have good ideas you should evolve into something more substantial – now is the perfect time to make the dreams come true.

Number two is all about duality which manifests in relationships, partnerships, and balance. The key lesson is to combine forces together in the most harmonic way, even if there are conflicting energies and different choices or opinions.

Number three symbolizes skills like vision, imagination, and innovation. It tells us to cooperate with the world and the people around us. A time to spread out thoughts, wishes, and ideas all over, expand and reach out to new highs.

Number four is when we have to be grounded and stable, sometimes to wait a little bit to build solid foundations. It is also time to reflect on the next steps in the spiritual journey. It is also a time to rest and enjoy the first accomplishments we had until now. It is a safe phase, one step before the difficult tasks we will confront in the nearest future.

Numbers five to eight is where the main activity takes place, therefore in these crucial situations you must calibrate everything and be on your best performance.

Six appears for finding the best solution and brings peaceful vibes for every situation.

Seven is about changing our point of view, to think differently and to reinvent ourselves from scratch.

Eight symbolizes the urge to never stop moving onward. It emphasizes your inner power and ability to make it until the end.

Numbers nine and ten are the Completion of the loop, the last phase you are going to have, where it will be finished on a good or bad note – it depends on you only.

Nine signifies the wisdom you acquired during the road, you have to be aware and assimilate everything you learned.

Ten is the definite ending of the current cycle; it can be a huge achievement, a small success, or complete failure. But more importantly, it means that a new journey is about to start, so whatever results you gained this time, everything can be changed in the next round!

The meaning of the court cards (Jack, Queen, King)

What do playing cards symbolize? The court cards: Jack, Queen, and King represent types of personalities that we might find in our own identity. Moreover, they declare a certain path to overcome difficulties.

The Jack has the most vibrant and energetic persona. He likes adventures and isn’t afraid of the uncertainty unfolding during the expedition. It also denotes new thoughts and inspiration. It is the fresh energy of the start. But don’t get it wrong; usually, the first steps are the hardest to take.

So if you are doing a psychic reading with playing cards and all of a sudden it comes upon, it means you need to be curious, especially with the following cards you pulled out from the deck.

For each suit of Jack, there is a different kind of energy associated:

The Clubs are about going after your dreams at all costs and taking big steps no matter what.

The Hearts manifest feelings, love, and relationships.

The Spades are about the mind, thoughts, and solving complicated situations.

The Diamonds bring you money, wealth, and any other sort of material success.

The Queen symbolizes knowledge, responsibility, nurturing, and learning. They teach you to learn more about yourself before you even try to interact with life’s challenging situations. The interpretation is mainly about self-grounding, stability, and solid principles. For example, before you go on a date, figure for yourself what kind of person you are looking for. Before you invest money, see what you can afford to risk, before you are about to write a book – have a brief idea of how you are going to write it.

Queen of Spades: invites you to think further, gain some wisdom, and wait before you are facing a dilemma.

Queen of Hearts: urges you to trust your gut feeling, intuition, and emotions.

Queen of Clubs: means that you have a wonderful plan which will perfectly design your spiritual life; go and extend it without fears and doubts.

Queen of Diamonds: pay special attention to guard your resources whether their sources are physical or metaphysical.

The King is the leader who has control over himself as well as over the environment and other people. He uses authority fairly and only when needed as a last resort. This persona motivates you to be responsible for your destiny, don’t blame others, no matter how hard your issues are, and focus the intention on the objective. You have the chance to make a difference and transform people’s lives.

King of Spades: the need to make hard choices, you have to decide even though the odds are against you at the current moment.

King of Hearts: being smart about partnerships, family, and relationships topics, being strong emotionally and resilient.

King of Clubs: passion and artistic vision, throw away old-fashioned paradigms and embrace out-of-the-box thinking.

King of Diamonds: success in businesses and money investing, spotlight on analytical thinking.

The court playing cards are endless wisdom as they act like archetypes of advisors. If you are struggling, then you should embrace part of their personalities and traits. Adopting their strength even for a little time just to overcome a small bump in the road can make wonders!

The Joker Card

There are two jokers in the deck, and they both have the same meaning; however, they can be interpreted differently according to the combination with the other cards on the psychic spread:

Illusion: In some spreads, it can be a very dangerous card because it implies that what we see is not real; someone or something is trying to mislead us. In rare cases, it might indicate lies and trickery. So be mindful before you connect with people; they might have different motives. It is the tarot equivalent of the moon or seven of cups cards.

Surprise: This is a wildcard; it denotes unforeseen events, something that will interrupt your daily routine, and your course will have to be changed. So be on guard because it might happen any minute! In this case, the specific meaning is very similar to the Tower tarot card.

Freedom: This is a sign of being yourself; don’t care too much about other people’s opinions, do what feels good, and look beneficial to you only. Take off the chains, the burden, and the norms of society; it is time to take the leap of faith and do what the heart wants. A similar interpretation to the Fool tarot card.

Lightness: Don’t take life too seriously. Make time to relax, have fun, and forget all your troubles. Search for joy and happiness; don’t be too greedy when it comes to money matters.

Different perspective: Like the Hanged Man in the tarot deck, the Joker invites you to see things from a different angle, ponder about different approaches, and mainly for the unconventional ones and those you didn’t try before.

Yes, playing cards are related to tarot cards; they share a similar history, and some psychics say that tarot cards were developed from playing cards. They both were fun games to play during the 15th century in Europe until people noticed that they can be used as a divination tool as well.

Playing cards originated in the Far East. In the 14th century, they were introduced to Europe and became the most popular game to play, crossing all social classes and statuses.

Tarot cards appeared in Europe 100 years later and were used for entertainment and for collectors as they had many beautiful pictures on them. The first deck was hand-painted by an Italian artist, and the game was called “Tarocchi.” The images and symbols were so unique, and they impacted the people who touched them, giving them the idea that they can use them as a divination tool.

Can you do a tarot and psychic reading with playing cards? Yes! Back in the old days, people were so fascinated by the mystic world that they tried to conduct psychic readings and predict the future with anything they could find around them; it was a part of life more than it is today.

The point of any card is to mirror our life and reflect on the most common issues we might encounter: love, career, family, spirituality, thoughts, challenges, and many more other situations. The classic tarot deck named “Rider Waite” consists of 78 cards from two categories: “Major Arcana” and “Minor Arcana.” They have fabulous images on them; they describe certain energy, symbols, and help the psychics to interpret the predictions.

Playing cards have only 52 sets of cards in each deck; they represent the Minor Arcana of the tarot and offer psychic insights only on daily matters. The major Arcana of the tarot offers spiritual guidance and life lessons.

The suits are parallel, and they both represent main affairs:

Hearts – Cups – Feelings

Diamonds – Pentacles – Material

Clubs – Wands – Wealth

Spades – Swords – Action

Can playing cards be used for divination? Yes! Playing cards are a little bit older than the tarots so you can definitely practice fortune-telling with them. They are easier to read because they have very simple logic behind the symbolism and meanings. This is why many spiritual teachers recommend using them as a complete beginner.

but not only playing cards are used for divination, there are many more other methods and tools you can try:

Cloud divination.

Egyptian sand reading.

Rubiks cube.