Divination with Loteria (mexican bingo) cards?

Okay, heres the deal....
I was working with my current favorite obbession (going to 99 cent stores and looking at the odd stuff they have). When I saw it.. A pack of Mexican Bingo cards. 54 cards in total, played in the style of bingo.
I thought about it and I said, I bet I could read with these cards!
So, I was considering getting them, but desided I had too much to do right then and I didnt need any more divertions. So I put that idea on the back-burner...

Then, today, I was making my usual rounds at the 99 cent stores, and I saw the cards again, and I said, what the heck... So I went ahead and bought them.. I was actualy suprised at the varity of the cards and thier, simple, yet, interesting symbolism...

Anyway, googled some stuff on these cards and while I do find a few mensions of people reading with these cards I cant come up with any specific definitions at all...
So, what the heck, ill make up my own (thats what im all about anyway)

Here is a list of all the cards, along with pictures..
http://egoiste.edb.utexas.edu/loteria/cartas.html

Some of them are easy to come up with definitions for, since they have Tarot counterparts
(like, the sun, moon, devil, death) but others are well.. a little more difficult... Like.. The Shrimp, The Melon, and the Umbrella!

Anyway, I dont have enough time right now to write down all my refelections on them, but Do any of you have thoughts or ideas on what they all mean?

what a cool deck!

I really have no idea about what the meanings could be though. All i can think of were some things like -

umbrella - it never rains but it pours
barrel - like shooting fish in a barrel, [also the story about people going over the niagra falls in barrels]
melon - dont be fooled by outward appearance...it looks like a rock, but its really a tasty fruit!

great idea steve!

umbrella; things are coming down on you, that you cannot control. better 'get out of the rain' and protect yourself.

barrel; some things take a long time to reach perfection. put it away for now, and wait.

shrimp; don't underestimate the little things, lol.

or.....it takes a lot of small things (details?) to make a meal (complete the job).

the tree; look to your roots (ancestors) and think ahead to your descendents. you are all part of one.

the pitcher; share and give to others, for without pouring something out, you will have no room left to gain anything.

the cactus; may seem painful at first, but the fruits of your labor will be sweet!

Been thinking that myself for a while...

As SteveGlick mentioned many of the Loteria cards can be easily associated with Tarot cards as many of the loteria cards show archetypical images, many of them represent ancient mottos.

In traditional carnivals where Loteria is played, there is a funny phrase for each one of the cards, it means, you have to be a Loteria "initiated" otherwise you won't be able to guess which card is at play at that moment, those phrases are well known by mature people as many young people are playing Bingo instead of Loteria in the big cities, for example, the Sun is "the blanket of the poor people", the Rooster is "the one who sang to St. Peter", the Fish is "the one who found death by its mouth", the Bells is "the old lady with only one teeth, when she speaks everyone runs"

For the Shrimp there is a little motto "sleeping shrimp is drag by the current" you have to be always alert otherwise the situation will take over you, I can't remember phrases for the Umbrella and the Melon.

I'd be happy to help if you want to develope an Oracle based on the Loteria cards, that seems like a funny idea!

Edited to add: I just remembered some old (about 20 years ago) loteria sets had card backs similar to the original RWS!

I found the little phrases for each of the Loteria cards! (in spanish)

You can find them here! based on it the Umbrella is "for the sun or for the rain" and the Melon has a game of words unable to be translated to the english a rough traslation will be something like: "will you give it to me or will you take it from me" in spanish is: ME LOdas o MEL O quitas.

Hope it can help you

These cards look quite interesting. I think it would be quite neat to try divination with them. I've noticed there are several sets for sale on eBay. I think I'll pick one up and give it a try. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

I actualy did a reading for a friend with the cards and what I did was I looked at the symbolism and what the card was trying to tell me, and honestly, it worked really well...

Later on today im gunna sit down and do some meditations on the cards and write up a little bit about each and what I think they mean and how to apply them... a few of you also did the same but I think ill go all the way and get something for all them.. I also came up with a really neat way to read them using the bingo cards themselves which ill get working..
If anyone is interested in getting a cheap copy of the cards, over here in the Los Angeles area some of the 99 cent stores have them.. if anyone cant find them localy, PM me, and I could help try to get ya some from there.. Only problem with them is the cards are really flimsy and seem like will go "bad" after much use, but.. eh.. ill look for higher quality ones later..

Just for kicks, for now...

THE SHRIMP!
Interpritation 1: Whatever is coming up for you, will be tastey and will go good with cocktail sauce.
Interpritation 2: Jewish people will avoid you.

(As far as the jew joke goes, Hey! I can make fun of my own people )

I just picked up a set on eBay... looks like the ones in your link, Steve. I'm going to give reading them a try, just based on the intuition of the moment... I'm not going to give them any set meanings. Anyone interested in getting a reading?

Okay, I'm so happy to find this thread -- I've been seeing the mexican lottery cards around on sale and wondered what their history is and how to read with them. It seems impossible to me that these would not have originated from some form of fortune telling cards. I like how whimsical they are. It's great to see this thread with Flavio's and Vilyariel's memories about the phrases for each one, and Zorya's creative reading ideas.

A fascinating topic. I am sorely temped to do something with this.

firemaiden said:

It seems impossible to me that these would not have originated from some form of fortune telling cards. I like how whimsical they are.

Click to expand...

You know, even Freud said once "sometimes a fork is only a fork" refgering to the fact that not everything seen in dreams really have some symbolism hidden, I think same applies to Loteria cards, it has always been a game, the fact it is illustrated is because 100 years or so, few people can read, it was easier to show pictures, so everyone can play, unlike the "Bingo" cards that have numbers and only numbers.

Anyway is great to see people taking a chance to look this game and developing their own Oracle out of this cards, being "new" to you, it is possible to see them with fresh eyes, enjoy them and let us know how are you doing.