Some time ago, I posted a reading I did with Kipper cards, and the question I posed was about coming back to working with the cards more regularly, after having put them aside for a while.
Another card system I hadn’t worked with in a while has been playing cards. As you might recall, I had a dream in which I was reading for myself using playing cards that set me on the path to discovering Tarot (I had never used playing cards in that manner in waking life, and I knew nothing about Tarot either, prior to the dream).
And shortly after getting that first deck, I had a follow-up dream in which I was in a school classroom, and next to me, on the floor, was a house of cards. I walked over to them and began picking up the cards, and discovered the cards were a mix of Tarot and playing cards.
I took that dream as a message to learn (the school classroom) both systems (Tarot and playing cards) and work on blending them together (cards being mixed together).
After some time, though, Tarot took front and center stage, and the playing cards got put to the side.
Many years later, I got back into working with the playing cards when I picked up Lenormand (again, as a result of a dream), thanks to the playing card inserts found within the more traditional decks on the market.
But, since recently changing the format of the weekly readings I post (which, it seems, is becoming an organic, ever-evolving thing itself), I hadn’t been working with the playing card inserts when I post a Lenormand reading.
As a result, I found myself, at the end of last year, feeling like I wanted to get back into working with playing cards.
And just like I did with the Kipper, I turned to the playing cards themselves to see what they had to say about the prospect.
My Reading with the Playing Cards
Taking my cards in hand, and shuffling the deck, I asked the question, “What do I need to know about coming back to working with playing cards at this time?”
After shuffling, cutting, and fanning out the cards, I drew three: 6 of Clubs, 9 of Hearts, and 8 of Diamonds.
When I read with three cards, the first represents something about the situation. The 6 of Clubs, occupying this space, is a card of support and assistance.
This says to me that the cards want to support me in working with them once again; the 6 of Clubs is noting that, in the past, my working with the playing cards has been rewarding.
And, the 6 of Clubs is also hinting at the possibility of being of service to others; this could mean the cards are suggesting they could be used in the service of reading for others, if I were the make that choice (the 6 is also a number of help and advice).
Moving to the next position, which represents the primary focus, or guidance and advice, there’s the 9 of Hearts.
The 9 of Hearts is known as the wish card, so the cards could be telling me this situation is like “a wish come true” for them, in that I’m picking them up once again.
The 9 of Hearts, being a card of happiness, says they’re happy to have me back!
As a focus, or guidance and advice, the 9 of Hearts is a card of celebration, and having fun, so the cards are saying for me to focus on having fun with them.
The 9 of Hearts is also about taking it easy, about “going with the flow” in a way, as the suit of Hearts is associated with the element of water.
It was at this point I knew why the 9 of Hearts was offering this piece of advice: The suits each have an emotional outlook associated with them, and the suit of Hearts has an emotional outlook of happiness and optimism.
And it’s interesting that this would come on the heels of the 6 of Clubs, as the suit of Clubs can suggest being frustrated and impatient; as the first card, it might suggest that kind of emotional energy being present at the beginning of working with the cards again more regularly.
Coming to the last card, which represents a possible outcome, there’s the 8 of Diamonds.
The 8 of Diamonds can indicate a change in status, and I read this as the relationship between me and the playing cards becoming stronger (the 8 is a number of power and strength).
The 8 of Diamonds, much like the 6 of Clubs, can be a card associated with work and career, reinforcing the possibility of using the playing cards more in my work in the future, as the 8 of Diamonds can suggest making money from some form of work.
The 8 of Diamonds is also a card of study and learning, and suggests there’s more to learn about reading with playing cards in the future.
The cards are also saying to work with them, as I read the 8 of Diamonds to mean perfecting a technique, and that “practice makes perfect.”
And, along those lines, the emotional outlook of the suit of Diamonds is patience and persistence, which makes sense when it comes to perfecting a technique and sharpening your skills.
Adding a Layer of Lenormand
It struck me that the cards in the reading each have Lenormand associations, so I referred to those, as another layer to add to the reading.
Cross is associated with the 6 of Clubs; Rider with the 9 of Hearts; and Key with the 8 of Diamonds.
Cards are from the New York Lenormand by Robert M. Place.
Here’s what this aspect brought to the table:
- Cross + Rider = difficulty (Cross) with the messages being delivered (Rider)
- Rider + Key = important (Key) messages (Rider); messages (Rider) are revealing (Key); messages (Rider) deliver (Rider) answers and solutions (Key)
- Cross + Key = faith (Cross) is important (Key) and vital (Key)
Integrating the Messages
So, integrating the combinations from the Lenormand aspect of the cards with the messages from the pips (playing cards), this was my summation:
It would be good for me to return to the playing cards (Hearts and Diamonds mean “yes,” and so does Key).
In the beginning, there might be a bit of difficulty (Cross) with the cards, prompting some frustration and impatience (Clubs), but keeping things light and fun (9 of Hearts)—as well as keeping the faith (Cross) and being both patient and persistent (Diamonds)—will lead to receiving some important messages (Rider + Key) and learning (8 of Diamonds) some valuable lessons (8 of Diamonds) along the way.
And, in time, I might consider offering playing card readings as a service to others (6 of Clubs, 8 of Diamonds being work and business cards).
Wrapping Up
And that’s how I wrapped up my reading with the playing cards.
Since then, I’ve been working with the cards daily–and I recently bought a new deck of playing cards that I’m super-excited to work with.
More on that in the near future…
♣ ♥ ♠ ♦
life of HIMM 