Cartomancy (Playing Cards): Index

Phoenix Rising

The tradition of the cards info from our other reading circle thread:

Days, Weeks, Seasons and Years
Traditionally, the 52 cards symbolize 52 weeks in a year and the 4 suits represent the 4 seasons. Therefore 1 card for each week of the year and 1 suit for each season. The year is Divided into 4 seasons, so too is a day and a lifetime. Each of these quarters is ruled over by one of the 4 suits.

Four Elements
The 4 elements of nature, air, water, fire, earth. Also with the 4 natures within man. Choleric, Sanuine, phlegmatic and melancholic, collectively called the 4 humors. Better known as intuition, intelliegence, compassion and depression

Four suits
Ok we have 4 seasons, 4 elements, 4 weeks in a lunar month, 4 parts of the day, 4 stages in a lifetime-infancy, adolescence, adulthood and old age. The 4 humors.

Duality-Red and Black cards
Duality plays a vital role in our lives as indeed it does thru out the entire universe. So this principle of duality is reflected in the cards, by the colors RED and BLACK. Red is the feminine aspect, black the masculine and have correspondingly opposite attributes.
Duality is a question of balance, Night and day, North and south, positive and negative, winter and hummer, hot and cold, yin and yang just a few examples we take for granted. Therefore everthing in the universe has duality, and cannot have harmony without the opposite.

The 365 Days in a Year
the 365 days in a year are not forgotten either for they are found in the cards in at least 2 numerically disguised ways.
7 of course is the number of days in a week and when this number is multiplied by 52 number of weeks in a year, the figure reached is 364. Add to this one further unit representing the whole pack as a whole and the significant total is 365.
Another instance in which the magic number of 365 is produced is by adding the total number of pips on all the numbered cards to the number of court cards, plus their total value, on the basis of 10 for each such card, and then finally adding 13, the number of cards in each suit. The calculation show, the result is 365

The number of pips on the 40 numbered cards=220
...the number of court cards..............................=.12
...the 12 court cards counted as ten each...........=120
...the 13 cards in each suit................................=.13
.....................................................total......=365


The numbers Twelve and Thirteen
13 cards in each suit symbolize the 13 lunar months in a year, 13 weekds in each quarter and 12 Calendar months plus the year as a whole. Also Jesus and his 12 apostles, Jacob and the 12 tribes of Israel, King Arthur and his 12 Knights, robin Hood and his 12 merry men, 12 signs of the zodiac around the heavens, 12 gods on Mount Olympus and last but not least, the solar system. According to ancient tradition, this originally had 12 planets, one of which was the moon, orbiting the sun.

The 12 court cards in a pack represent the 12 followers or supporters found in all religious and mythological heirachies throughout the ages. The number 13, 12 plus one, plays an important role in astrology and astronomy, as well as in religion and mythology and, whilst there are some who regard 13 as unlucky, the ancients see it as very lucky, "He who understands how to use number 13 will be given power and dominion"
13 is neither fortunate nor unfortunate, it is nevertheless of great importance, signifying a completion of one cycle and the beginning of the next. In the cards this special number is represented by the ace in eac suit, ranking high when it follows the King. it is the first and the last, Alpha and Omega

The Trinity
All sacred and religious text recognized the Holy trinity, Known as the 3 faces of gods. Egyptians worshipped Isis, Osiris and Horus, Celtic Belinas, Taranis and Hesus, Mary, Joseph and Jesus, Mum, Dad and Baby. In the cards this trinity pattern is King, Queen and Jack in each suit.

The Number forty
The 40 numbered cards in a pack remind us of events in the old testatment. Israelites wandered for 40 years in the wiilderness. Moses remained 40 days on Mount Sinai, and Elijah was 40 days in solitued. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert. He preached for 40 months and was forty hours in the tomb. Jerusalem was destroyed 40 years after the Ascension.
There are 40 weeks to have a baby, and is said that 40 winks is as good as a full night's sleep. the great flood of Noah, it rained 40 days and 40 nights.

Conversation and the cards
Someone somewhere will always have a phrase that will relates to the cards. When we call someone a 'card' we are paying them a compliment for it shows they have a hidden mystique which is both amusing and intriquing. The Ace is chosen to describe a person, then their ability and expertise is established as a 'ace pilot' or an 'ace driver'.
the 'jack' of all trades maybe master on none, but atleast his is more suitable than a 'knave'. What better advice can be given than to encourage someone to 'play their cards right'? or If we feel we have a few 'aces up their sleeve' or even 'hold all the aces', so much the better for this will certainly help them to 'follow suit' when the time is right and, who knows, they may even 'win hands down'.
to say 'it's on the cards' sums it all up but often in life as with the cards, it is not alsways advisable to 'show your hand' or 'lay all your cards on the table' at once. try to keep a 'poker-face' then especially if you want to 'come up trumps'!

Game of Life
It is said the ancient sages gave the cards a 2-fold attraction. One aspect ws to appeal to man's nobler quality, his search for knowledge and wisdom, whilst the other was to pander to his lesser virtue, a pursuit of greed and amusement. Because card games, especially those played for money, are as popular todya as they were in the days of the French court.
When remembering that the other purpose of the cards was to reveal our mysterious relationship with our surrounding, it is not surprising that even a game of cards symbolizes the game of life itself. this aspect is the opposite side of the coin from that of gambling and amusement, but is always present.

The Game of life is indeed is to "Play your cards right" with whatever hand you've been dealt. If you play the game badly, then you will lose. But if you play it extremely well, thrugh your efforts and determination then you can surely 'turn your hand around and "win hands down. The lesson to be learned from this is that by making the best of what we have been dealt, whatever they are cards in a pretend game or opportunities in the real game of life, we can still win in the end.

NB: firstly i don't want to take credit for the above information as it was from other sources. Nerys Dee in particular. I'm just the messenger. But I thought it important that we could all see how more than a deck of "Ordinary cards these are, and that it contains so much more than we have given them credit for. so well universally designed don't you think?
 

Phoenix Rising

These are the dates that each of the cards represent for each day of the year, they also represent your birth card.

KING SPADE
Jan 1
QUEEN SPADE
Jan 2
JACK SPADE
Jan 3, Feb 1
10 SPADE
Jan 4, Feb 2
9 SPADE
Jan 5, Feb 3, Mar 1
8 SPADE
Jan 6, Feb 4, Mar 2
7 SPADE
Jan 7, Feb 5, Mar 3, Apr 1
6 SPADE
Jan 8, Feb 6, Mar 4, Apr 2
5 SPADE
Jan 9, Feb 7, Mar 5, Apr 3, May 1
4 SPADE
Jan 10, Feb 8, Mar 6, Apr 4, May 2
3 SPADE
Jan 11, Feb 9, Mar 7, Apr 5, May 3, June 1
2 SPADE
Jan 12, Feb 10, Mar 8, Apr 6, May 4, June 2
ACE SPADE
Jan 13, Feb 11, Mar 9, Apr 7, May 5, June 3, July 1.

See the pattern? Each new month starts with every second card descending from the King to Ace. King and Queen of spades only governs 1 day of the year.

KING DIAMONDS
Jan 14, Feb 12, Mar 10, Apr 8, May 6, June 4, July 2
QUEEN DIAMONDS
Jan 15, Feb 13, Mar 11, Apr 9, May 7, June 5, July 3, Aug 1
JACK DIAMONDS
Jan 16, Feb 14, Mar 12, Apr 10, May 8, June 6, July 4 , Aug 2,
10 DIAMONDS
Jan 17, Feb 15, Mar 13, Apr 11, May 9, June 7, July 5,
Aug 3, Sept 1
9 DIAMONDS
Jan 18, Feb 16, Mar 14, Apr 12, May 10, June 8, July 6,
Aug 4, Sept 2
8 DIAMONDS
Jan 19, Feb 17, Mar 15, Apr 13, May 11, June 9, July 7
Aug 5, Sept 3, Oct 1
7 DIAMONDS
Jan 20, Feb 18, Mar 16, Apr 14, May 12, June 10, July 8
Aug 6, Sept 4, Oct 2
6 DIAMONDS
Jan 21, Feb 19, Mar 17, Apr 15, May 13, June 11, July 9
Aug 7, Sept 5, Oct 3, Nov 1
5 DIAMONDS
Jan 22, Feb 20, Mar 18, Apr 16, May 14, June 12, July 10
Aug 8, Sept 6, Oct 4, Nov 2
4 DIAMONDS
Jan 23, Feb 21, Mar 19, Apr 17, May 15, June 13, July 11
Aug 9, Sept 7, Oct 5, Nov 3, Dec 1
3 DIAMONDS
Jan 24, Feb 22, Mar 20, Apr 18, May 16, June 14, July 12
Aug 10, Sept 8, Oct 6, Nov 4, Dec 2
2 DIAMONDS
Jan 25, Feb 23, Mar 21, Apr 19, May 17, June 15, July 13
Aug 11, Sept 9, Oct 7, Nov 5, Dec 3
ACE DIAMOND
Jan 26, Feb 24, Mar 22, Apr 20, May 18, June 16, July 14
Aug 12, Sept 10, Oct 8, Nov 6, Dec 4

KING CLUB
Jan 27, Feb 25, Mar 23, Apr 21, May 19, June 17, July 15
Aug 13, Sept 11, Oct 9, Nov 7, Dec 5
QUEEN CLUB
Jan 28, Feb 26, Mar 24, Apr 22, May 20, June 18, July 16
Aug 14, Sept 12, Oct 10, Nov 8, Dec 6
JACK CLUB
Jan 29, Feb 27, Mar 25, Apr 23, May 21, June 19, July 17
Aug 15, Sept 13, Oct 11, Nov 9, Dec 7
10 CLUB
Jan 30, Feb 28, Mar 26, Apr 24, May 22, June 20, Jul 18
Aug 16, Sept 14, Oct 12, Nov 10, Dec 8
9 CLUB
Jan 31, Feb 29, Mar 27, Apr 25, May 23, June 21, Jul 19
Aug 17, Sept 15, Oct 13, Nov 11, Dec 9
8 CLUB
Mar 28, Apr 26, May 24, June 22, Jul 20, Aug 18, Sept 16
Oct 14, Nov 12, Dec 10
7 CLUB
Mar 29, Apr 27, May 25, June 23, Jul 21, Aug 19, Sept 17
Oct 15, Nov 13, Dec 11
6 CLUB
Mar 30, Apr 28, May 26, June 24, Jul 22, Aug 20, Sept 18
Oct 16, Nov 14, Dec 12
5 CLUB
Mar 31, Apr 29, May 27, June 25, Jul 23, Aug 21, Sept 19
Oct 17, Nov 15, Dec13
4 CLUB
Apr 30, May 28, June 26, Jul 24, Aug 22, Sept 20, Oct 18
Nov 16, Dec 14
3 CLUB
May 29, June 27, Jul 25, Aug 23, Sept 21, Oct 19, Nov 17
Dec 15
2 CLUB
May 30, June 28, July 26, Aug 24, Sept 22, Oct 20, Nov18
Dec 16
ACE CLUB
May 31, June 29, July 27, Aug 25, Sept 23, Oct 21,
Nov 19, Dec 17
KING HEART
June 30, Jul 28, Aug 26, Sept 24, Oct 22, Nov 20, Dec 18
QUEEN HEART
July 29, Aug 27, Sept 25, Oct 23, Nov 21, Dec 19
JACK HEART
July 30, Aug 28, Sept 26, Oct 24, Nov 22, Dec 20
10 HEART
July 31, Aug 29, Sept 27, Oct 25, Nov 23, Dec 21
9 HEART
Aug 30, Sept 28, Oct 26, Nov 23, Dec 22
8 HEART
Aug 31, Sept 29, Oct 27, Nov 24, Dec 23
7 HEART
Sept 30, Oct 28, Nov 25, Dec 24
6 HEART
Oct 29, Nov 26, Dec 25
5 HEART
Oct 30, Nov 27, Dec 26
4 HEART
Oct 31, Nov 28, Dec 27
3 HEART
Nov 29, Dec 28
2 HEART
Nov 30, Dec 29
ACE HEART
Dec 30

JOKER
Dec 31

Well I saw some interesting patterns descending and ascending etc, you might be able to see some other patterns too. These cards and dates might be indicative of outcome cards, that will give actual dates, although there are some cards that are in every month. King Spade and Queen spade and Ace Hearts and 2 hearts, the Joker the only 5 cards that Govern 1 day.