Cartomancy is one of the many means available for fortune telling and divination, but it is unique in the fact that the tool is a standard deck of playing cards. The most commonly used deck of playing cards has 52 cards. Some forms of cartomancy make use of other types of card decks like pinochle or skat decks. The art of cartomancy is several hundred years old, and although Tarot readings now play an important role in metasymbology there are still many people all over the world who prefer to do readings with standard card decks.
Many experts believe that standard playing cards are actually related to or derived from the Minor Arcana cards in a Tarot deck. 
The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, whereas standard playing cards used in cartomancy have decks of only 52. However, there are many similarities between the decks and that makes it possible to use them for fortune telling, insight and divination.
Just as in a Tarot deck of cards, standard playing card decks have four suits. Each of these suits corresponds to one of the elements that play a role in astrology, and knowledge of the influence this has is required in order to understand how the cards are to be interpreted in a spread. In cartomancy, the clubs correspond to fire, spades represent air, hearts stand for water and diamonds are for the earth.
In addition to the suits having a meaning and representing an element, the number of cards in each of the suits is important. There are a total of thirteen cards for a suit and that number also is the same as the number of annual lunar cycles. Not including the ace, there are twelve number and face cards and in cartomancy that correlates directly to the astrological zodiac signs.
Due to the similarities regular playing cards have with Tarot cards, it is possible to use many of the same spreads for a cartomancy reading. In any spread, the numbered cards are referred to as pips, and these are indicators of events or circumstances that are affecting the life of the person receiving a reading. They all have a meaning and when combined with other influences the meaning can change. The only way to interpret the cards is to practice and look up the meaning from reliable sources whenever in doubt.
When standard cards are used for Tarot spreads, the suits and their meanings have to be adapted. For example, when using regular cards for a Celtic Cross spread, the diamonds will be coins, spades will be swords, clubs will be wands and hearts will be cups. The face cards replace the major arcana cards in Tarot readings. Just as with any spread, though, the reader will have to concentrate on a subject that they would like insight, advice or divination on.
Once a spread has been laid out, the cartomancer has to determine what the spread ‘says’. Understanding a tarot or cartomancy spread is where the art of ‘reading’ begins. The meaning of each card can vary from one style of spread to another. This makes it important to know the general meaning of the cards before performing a reading for others.
Even though practitioners of cartomancy use standard playing cards that are available in most stores as their tool of choice for divination, there are some guidelines that have to be followed. The most important rule to follow is that any deck of playing cards meant to be used for cartomancy readings should not be used for other purposes. This means that once used for readings, the cards should not be used for card games. It is also important that the cards be well cared for and protected from being handled by people other than the reader.
Anyone interested in cartomancy can easily find the tools they need to start practicing it. Playing cards are readily. If you want to really get involved in cartomancy it is worth investing in a good, tarot cartomancy deck. Good quality tarot cards not only last longer but it is helpful if the reader has some sort of connection to the deck.
There are many ways to learn cartomancy. If you are going to invest in a dedicated cartomancy tarot deck, check out a good, online tarot bookstore where you can buy cards new and used. Since there are many possible spreads available for the reader to choose from (and some are geared towards answering very specific problems or for certain situations) then make sure to do some homework on tarot spreads and card meanings when starting out.
For a personal, detailed cartomancy reading, give Psychic Cory a call. You can also try a free online cartomancy reading.
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