Cartomancy: how to read the cards

The life of a cartomancy practitioner is no walk in the park, because her friends the cards can « call out » to her at any time of the day or night.

In fact, a cartomancer always thinks about her cards and everything she does in her daily life is closely connected to what they have told her during a reading.

We can therefore say that, ultimately, after long years of learning to read and study each of the cards in what they represent and symbolise, a good cartomancer becomes one with her favourite deck of cards.

She will of course have free time like everyone else, when she can read a book or go for a walk for example, but even in these little moments of relaxation she cannot help but think about her cards, just as others constantly think about their dog or their car.

Whether a querent is a man or a woman matters little to the cartomancer, because the cards drawn during a divinatory session can reveal the future to both sexes.

As for a traditional deck of 54 cards, its reading during a draw will generally be done with only 32 of them. Indeed, the cartomancer will prefer to set aside all the numbered cards from 2 to 6, because in the end they are of little interest.

There are 2 colours in this traditional deck of cards: red and black.

• The colour red represents the values of energy and effective action ; it is associated with the motivations put to work to carry out a project.
• As for the colour black, it symbolises the unexpected events that arise on a life path. It is also linked to the emotions and various feelings of the person concerned.

There are also 4 suits within the cards of a traditional deck.

• The Hearts suit is linked to the element of water and symbolises everything related to love and friendship, but also expresses all the sensitivities we can all feel along our journeys.
• The Diamonds suit is linked to the element of fire and represents the result of a certain action, taking into account all our initiatives to reach our goal.
• The Clubs suit is linked to the natural element of earth and symbolises the riches as well as the assets acquired over a lifetime. Clubs are always there to reward our hard work; they are also a sign of luck.
• As for the Spades suit, it is linked to the element of air and is a sign of blockage or obstacles to come on our path.

While each of the 32 cards has its own meaning, it is indeed those of the King, the Queen and the Jack that hold the most value during a draw, much like the major arcana of the tarot.

• The Kings embody action and authority,
• the Queens represent the spirit of determination
• the Jacks are messengers who lead us towards more communication,
• As for the Aces, their reading is always synonymous with very positive changes.

While it is true that the tarot cards are somewhat more complex, their reading does not differ that much from those of a traditional deck. It is in fact rather the same principle, except that each of the 78 cards contained in the Tarot of Marseille will have far more to say.

Among these 78 cards, we first find :

• the 22 major arcana called trumps. They have many revelations to make during their readings and interpretations, because they all represent a strong-charactered figure or a sacred object that symbolise a fragment of human nature.
• Of these 22 cards, 21 are found which, placed end to end, embody the initiatory journey of a life. As for the last card without a number, it is that of the Mat or the Fool depending on the deck, and it is the one that travels through all the others to find the culmination of a life path.
• Among the other 21 cards, we will find for example those of the Lovers, which symbolises the emotions that we can feel.
• That of the Wheel of Fortune, which speaks to us of the arrival of certain opportunities on our journey.
• That of the Tower, which represents the open-mindedness of each person and the experiences fulfilled in a life.
• That of the Devil, which reveals the pleasures and hidden desires deep within each one of us.
• And that of the Empress, which represents feminine sensitivity and all that it can bring to help move tangled situations forward.

The reading of these cards belongs to psychology, presenting us with principles and life values to lead us to reflection.

The reading continues with the 56 minor arcana which, although less important than the major ones, still have plenty of revelations to make about the personality of the querent during their interpretations. These 56 minor cards break down into 4 suits:

• The Cups, which are linked to the element of water and relate to all our feelings.
• The Coins, which are linked to the element earth and embody strength and persuasion.
• The Wands, which are linked to fire and represent the capacities for action.
• And the Swords, which are linked to air and symbolise justice.  

Each of these suits is made up of 14 cards ranging from the Ace to the King, noting that there is therefore one Knight card added compared to the traditional deck of cards.

These 56 minor cards bring us more details about our personalities and our behaviours in a social setting. They are the reflection of who we truly are in our daily lives.