Hearts = tarot's Cups · Water
Home, love, relationships with people
Matters of the heart. Love, family, friends, and what you care about.
Tarot study room · Playing card divination
Playing card divination series
The playing cards at home can be used to practise divination too. This system borrows suits, numbers and combinations to help you remember, and isn't quite the same as tarot. Five lessons, from the suits to layouts, finishing with drawing three cards yourself.
- Lesson 1The four suitsHearts, diamonds, clubs and spades, each matched to a tarot suit.
- Lesson 2Numbers and face cardsAce to 10 are stages; J, Q and K are people.
- Lesson 352-card quick referenceOne line per card; tap a suit to switch.
- Lesson 4Combinations and proportionsMatching numbers, the red-black ratio, which suit appears most.
- Lesson 5Three layoutsThree cards, a five-card cross, a nine-card grid.
Lesson 1
The four suits
Here the four tarot suits are borrowed as a comparison, to help people who've learned tarot remember. This is the reading system used in this unit, not an account of the two decks' historical origins.
Diamonds = tarot's Pentacles · Earth
Money, work, paperwork
Things you can see. Income, contracts, business, moving house.
Clubs = tarot's Wands · Fire
Plans, career, social circles
What you're pushing forward. New plans, partnerships, the energy to climb.
Spades = tarot's Swords · Air
Obstacles, change, endings
The hard things. Conflict, pressure, what has to be let go.
This is the most common correspondence. Some people match clubs to Swords and spades to Wands; just pick one and stick with it.
Lesson 2
Numbers and face cards
As with the tarot minor cards, the number is the stage a matter has reached. J, Q and K are mostly people, or the attitude you bring to the matter.
- AA beginning, a piece of news, a seed
- 2Two sides, cooperation or tug of war
- 3Growing, one more person or option
- 4Holding steady, stopping
- 5Change, discomfort
- 6Easing, slowly adjusting
- 7Testing, uncertainty
- 8Getting going, moving
- 9Amplified: the good gets better, the hard gets harder
- 10The peak, the end of a chapter
- JA young person, an idea, a piece of news
- QSomeone who receives, cares and sees clearly
- KSomeone who decides, takes responsibility, holds power
Some methods treat red cards as smoother and black cards as meeting more resistance. Here the red-black ratio is only a practice hint; you still need to read each card with the question.
Lesson 3
52-card quick reference
One line per card. Every book gives playing card meanings a little differently; this is my version, arranged to be easier to remember.
- AA
News from home, or the start of a romance
- 22
Two people click, cooperation goes well
- 33
Hesitation, or one more person in the relationship
- 44
Love moves slowly, some changes at home
- 55
Emotional ups and downs; watch for jealousy and misunderstanding
- 66
Old friends, old memories, warm kindness
- 77
Expectations too high; promises may not be kept
- 88
Gatherings, invitations, being remembered
- 99
The wish card: what you want has a chance
- 1010
Harmony at home, a full heart
- JJJ
A warm-hearted friend, or news about love
- QQQ
Someone gentle who looks after others
- KKK
Someone generous and ready with advice
- AA
A document, a sum of money, some good news
- 22
A deal goes through, cooperation makes progress
- 33
Read contracts and documents carefully
- 44
Stable finances, saving bit by bit
- 55
Effort pays off, business goes well
- 66
Loans or money between people: make it clear first
- 77
Gossip, or a small loss
- 88
A change of scene, learning a new skill, a short trip
- 99
A windfall, or wanting to change track
- 1010
A financial high point, or a move
- JJJ
Someone bringing news; take what they say with a pinch of salt
- QQQ
Someone shrewd and sociable
- KKK
Someone careful with money and practical
- AA
The start of a new plan, a good sign for your career
- 22
A small obstacle that needs working out
- 33
A second chance, a partnership getting started
- 44
Plans change; watch for untrue words
- 55
New friends, new allies
- 66
Someone helps; support for your career
- 77
Things go well, but keep your boundaries
- 88
Rushing a decision; slow down
- 99
Persistence pays off, but can turn stubborn
- 1010
Good luck, a long journey, a step up in your career
- JJJ
A reliable and warm-hearted young person
- QQQ
Someone confident, capable and willing to help
- KKK
Someone loyal who keeps their word
- AA
A major change, something ends
- 22
A dilemma, or a temporary separation
- 33
Heartache, or a third party in a relationship
- 44
You need rest; pause for now
- 55
Obstacles and conflict, but you'll get through
- 66
Slowly getting better, heading somewhere calmer
- 77
A small loss; don't fight head on
- 88
A hard patch; think it through before moving
- 99
Anxiety and sleeplessness, the heaviest card in the deck
- 1010
Pressure at its peak, a stage coming to an end
- JJJ
An immature person, or worrying news
- QQQ
Someone calm and sharp who has been through things
- KKK
Someone with authority who goes by the rules
Lesson 4
Combinations and proportions
Playing cards have no Major Arcana, so the overall picture matters even more: which suit appears most, the red-black ratio, whether matching numbers turn up together.
- Four aces
The start of a big change. Whether good or bad depends on the cards around them, but it won't be small.
- Three or more face cards
Lots of people. Gatherings, meetings, many opinions, or gossip.
- Four tens
Many things reaching the end of a chapter at once.
- The Nine of Hearts next to a spade
The wish has a chance, but there's a hurdle to clear first.
- Far more red than black
Look at the smoother parts first, then check them against the other cards.
- Spades make up half or more
This system pays attention to pressure and resistance, but you still need to check the real situation.
Lesson 5
Three layouts
Start with three cards. The nine-card grid is one of the most used larger layouts for playing cards: nine cards read together, across for time and down for layers.
- 1Past
- 2Present
- 3Next
Three in a row3 cards
The quickest. You can also use "situation / obstacle / advice".
- 1Present
- 2Recent past
- 3Next
- 4What helps
- 5What blocks
Five-card cross5 cards
The centre card matters most; the other four explain it.
- 1Past · thoughts
- 2Present · thoughts
- 3Next · thoughts
- 4Past · feelings
- 5Present · feelings
- 6Next · feelings
- 7Past · practical
- 8Present · practical
- 9Next · practical
Nine-card grid9 cards
Read across for time, down for layers. The centre card is your present feelings, and it's most often the key.
Draw three cards
Past, present, next. You can practise without a deck.
Past
Present
Next
Press the button to draw three from the 52 cards.