How to Read Tarot with Playing Cards
How to Read Tarot with Playing Cards
How to Read Tarot with Playing Cards
Tarot cards and playing cards may seem like entirely different tools, but they share a common history. In fact, playing cards can be used just like tarot cards for intuitive and meaningful readings. If you don’t have access to a traditional tarot deck—or you’re curious about alternative methods—you can still explore deep insights using an ordinary 52-card deck.
The practice of cartomancy (fortune-telling with playing cards) dates back centuries. Each suit, number, and court card has symbolic meanings that align closely with the Minor Arcana of tarot. With a little guidance and intuition, you can begin reading playing cards with confidence.
Here’s how to get started.
The Basics: Suit Correspondences
Each playing card suit corresponds to one of the four suits in the tarot Minor Arcana. The meanings align with elemental energies and life themes:
- Hearts = Cups (Emotions, relationships, intuition)
- Diamonds = Pentacles (Money, work, material life)
- Clubs = Wands (Creativity, action, passion)
- Spades = Swords (Thoughts, conflict, communication)
By understanding these parallels, you can begin to translate the language of tarot into familiar playing cards.
Number Meanings
Number symbolism is the same in both systems. Here’s a simplified breakdown:
- Aces: New beginnings, potential
- 2s: Balance, choices, duality
- 3s: Growth, connection, creativity
- 4s: Stability, structure
- 5s: Conflict, challenge, change
- 6s: Harmony, support, progress
- 7s: Reflection, strategy, inner work
- 8s: Movement, mastery, power
- 9s: Attainment, insight, nearing completion
- 10s: Endings, transformation, transition
With these basics, you can interpret cards just like a tarot reader would.
Court Cards and Personalities
The court cards in playing decks correspond to tarot court cards:
- Jacks = Pages or Knights (Youthful energy, messengers, learning)
- Queens = Queens (Intuition, nurturing, wisdom)
- Kings = Kings (Authority, leadership, maturity)
Some readers combine Jack as both Page and Knight, while others decide based on context. Either way, these cards often represent people, roles, or energies in your life.
Simple Spread to Begin With
A basic three-card spread works beautifully with playing cards:
- Past – Present – Future
or - Situation – Challenge – Guidance
Shuffle your deck while thinking about a question or area of focus. Pull three cards and interpret them based on their suit, number, and position. Don’t overthink—go with your first impressions and build the meaning intuitively.
For example, pulling the 3 of Hearts, 7 of Spades, and Queen of Diamonds might suggest:
- A past emotional connection or creative bond
- A present mental conflict or uncertainty
- Future guidance from a grounded, practical woman or energy
Over time, you’ll learn to feel the cards more than analyze them.
Practice with Questions and Journaling
To deepen your understanding, use daily questions and track your interpretations. Ask:
- “What energy is influencing me today?”
- “What should I be mindful of?”
- “What’s my best move in this situation?”
Record your card, your initial interpretation, and how the day unfolds. This practice strengthens your intuition and builds trust in your insights.
Using AI to Assist Your Interpretations
If you're ever stuck or want support interpreting your spread, tools like the AI Tarot Card Reading app can help. While designed for tarot decks, the app's interpretations of card meanings and energetic themes can still provide guidance and clarity—even if you're using a regular deck.
You can input your spread into a journaling tool or match your playing card with its tarot equivalent and read the insight from the app. The AI offers detailed, emotionally intelligent feedback based on your query, making it a useful companion on your journey.
Tips for Reading Playing Cards as Tarot
- Trust your instincts: Your gut feeling often says more than the textbook meaning.
- Read the flow: How do the cards relate to each other? Look for movement, contrast, and story.
- Practice regularly: The more you read, the stronger your connection with the cards becomes.
- Start small: Don’t feel pressure to master everything at once. One-card draws are powerful too.
- Be open: Let the card meanings evolve with your experience.
Conclusion
You don’t need a formal tarot deck to gain insight and guidance. With a standard deck of playing cards and a basic understanding of their symbolic meanings, you can tap into a deep and intuitive form of reading. This simple, accessible approach to tarot-style reflection works just as well—and might even help you see the cards in a whole new light.
When paired with tools like the AI Tarot Card Reading app, your practice becomes even more enriched, blending ancient symbolism with modern clarity. Whether you're drawing a single card or doing a full spread, playing card tarot is a powerful way to tune into your inner voice—anytime, anywhere.
