Tarot decks vs. Playing cards

[tarotcardrose]

Roma

I wanted to add some interesting insight that may help. I am a Tarot reader. But, I also read playing cards. I have found a key difference. To me that Tarot are more spiritual, advice. The playing cards are mainly about predicting events.

They are helpful to this point, if you can learn them. Any true tarot enthusiasts as reached a point where they are so used to the meanings, they just sit and stare and wonder if they are seeing what the truth is, or what they just want to see. Or a day where the cards seem like they are asleep.

The playing cards only have one meaning. That's it. No, interpretation.

So, when you do a reading, it is straight forward.

Ace of cups- a letter next to the king of spades a doctor + 4 of spades -a bill

You are getting a letter , a bill from your last doctor's visit.

But, if you were reading the Tarot and are having an off day.

You may see, the Ace of cups, that can mean , true love, a new home, a new love coming in. So, you really have to be up on your game psychically to interpret the meanings right.

The playing cards are easy, when learned. They are more fortune telling, less spiritual advice. Sometimes, I do tarot. But since I am a reader and know my own life, I see what I want in the cards. With playing, you can't do it.

I just finished my book on Tarot, which is currently in agreements with a large publishing house. In the median , I wrote a pamphlet on how to read and consecrate playing cards, I have to fine tune it, but when it is available, I would be happy to e-mail it for free to anyone who wants to learn. I am not publishing it. Then write the meanings on the playing cards til you learn. A deck is only $2 bucks. Some Roma used this technique to avoid persecution and because cards are cheaper than Tarot (were).

 

[SunChariot]

I do read with playing cards too. I have to say I never "learnt" them but have to look up the meanings each time. But they do work well for me all the same. I have one regular playing card deck and three fancier decks. With fancier ones, I read them as usual for a playing card deck, but then add in whatever else I feel the images saying to me.

I have:
The Key to the Kingdom Transformation Playing Card Deck
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/barbdian/Decks/key.jpg

The Nippon deck of Japanese photography cards (Japanese playing card deck)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/barbdian/Decks/Nippon.jpg

and the Colors of the Four Seasons Playing Card Art Deck
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/barbdian/Decks/Colours.jpg

(excuse the photos of my bedsheets, LOL I did not expect to be sharing the photos when I took them. But what the heck, we're all family here )

Babs

 

[theora]

what cool playing card decks those are!

I have a set of playing cards that was created by my burning man village. the suits are fire, booze, pie and dead horse. fire and booze are red, pie and dead horse are black. I map fire to wands, booze to cups, pie to pentacles and dead horse to swords. works pretty well!

other than that there is no organizing principle whatsoever - each card was created by the individual depicted on it to be whatever they liked. most of the cards feature portraits of people, some of them are very creative and funny. some can be reversed, others are designed so that either way is up.

I read them based on who the person is (if I and/or the sitter knows that person) and simply looking at the image and seeing what it appears to be saying. I also consider suit and number. it's very nonstandard - but this deck gives great readings nevertheless! I've even drawn my own card in a reading... and hey, it's easy to figure out my signifier in this deck! (BTW I am the two of booze, interpret that however you like.) ;-)

 

[starshine81]

so has anyone of you tried predicting time with this method? i can't wait to , see if it works for me

 

[Cerulean]

Here is a seasonal timing for fun using a 'gaming deck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanafuda

You can use the chart printed there, make your own.

Incidently, the flower-month attribution is Japanese, so your seasonal attributions of course vary with your environment.

For instance if you do not have a peony and butterflies in June, what is a common seasonal flower or bird or animal motif in your local region during that particular month?

I've been thinking of using this style of small gaming cards (which are pretty small) that come in two sets of 40 for timing after doing a spread for 'wishes come true'. I'd usually do the tarot spread for wishes come true around the last or first of the month and then I was thinking of using Hana Fuda for 'timing' or planning for such a wish.

I have never known who does divination with these cards, but I heard it was done.

 

[Cerulean]

...oh in terms of choosing cards...first was...

my oft-repeated story, loved Ukiyoe art, found some pretty playing card decks, then the beautiful U.S. Games Ukiyoe Tarot...stayed with tarot and played with other decks--including European, American and Japanese or Chinese cards or games with hopes of doing something similar...

But other than the seasonal motifs on Hana Fuda and very few I-Ching sets, it's usually tarot for me. Although I've enjoyed seashell shapes, colors in rocks and runes and a few attempts at tossing and reading random pretty objects.

Oops--forgot the Sibilla Oracles and Lenormands...they are interesting for a quick look...but I like Nisaba's focus on choosing one deck for timing. I think I could do timing with floral motifs and Hana Fuda based decks for a within 'one-year' timing!

But because I used the Ukiyoe Tarot for 'tarot-reading' the decorative prettiness of some of the seasonal motifs (willow, bamboo, etc) in that deck might add a literary reference or poetic theme, but I rarely would say, "Oh this is an early Spring motif, you answer would be best for Spring." Instead I would say, "You feel the effects of a Springlike feeling, such as the green-growing bamboo...etc."

Best

Cerulean

 

[yirabeth]

I was pretty "in" to playing cards while growing up and for a good portion of being an adult -- I used them for entertainment, playing games. I liked getting "different" decks, but never really "took care" of them, in that my kids played with them too...(and I don't have them any more anyway, I walked out of my marriage with my kid and my animals and considered myself lucky)

I didn't know you could read with them. I can see me collecting these...GAH!! I can't afford the collections I'm already working on...LOL

~Yira

 

[SunChariot]

They actually read very well. They can be quite precise and accurate. And if you have some with imagery to them, you can add that in as an extra element of the reading.

Babs

 

[Ronia]

I first learned to read with playing cards. In my home country almost everyone knows it. The Gypsies taught us. I knew many meanings of a card and it did depend on the surrounding cards. Also, it depended on which card faces ahich one, who is on top or at the bottom, how are the cards located in the whole spread, etc. The difference was we used much fewer spreads and mostly the Gypsy Past-Present-Future which is still one of my preferred spreads with Tarot as well. The playing cards are just as accurate. Sometimes they are easier but sometimes even tougher for me than Tarot, considering there are no images to help me and I have to push my brain harder. I did a reading just a couple of weeks ago to refresh my memory how it was supposed to be done and it was spot on.

 

[Umbrae]

So there I am reading along, reading threads old and new - and run across this one and post some drivel.

Then I take the time to go back and read the four pages preceding my lovely post (guaranteed to rock yer werld) and I'm going back and...there's my post! I'd already posted. Said dang near the same thing as this second post...
Which I've subsequently removed…

Reading with playing cards…yum…

Oh and someone said that when reading with playing cards, their meanings are not open to interpretation – pish posh. They seem less flexible, more rigid and less subtle than Tarot. Less subtle yes – less flexible – no.