Reading with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards Part 2

If you own the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck or are thinking of purchasing it, there are a few things you might want to consider:

1. While the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards are not Tarot cards, you can use your favorite tarot layouts and spreads and get useful information.

2. Because all 52 playing cards are represented (along with 3 Jokers), you can substitute this deck for any normal playing cards deck and read it accordingly.

3. Since 35 of the 36 Lenormand card titles are included — and with a little creative license, you can substitute GWFTPC #43 Lightning for Lenormand 36 Cross — you can pull these 36 cards out of the deck and substitute them for a regular Lenormand deck. That is, as long as you don’t mind the fact that for the most part, the playing card insets for the GWFTPC are different from those on the Lenormand, as are the numbers assigned to each card. For example, the Lenormand Scythe features the Jack of Diamonds and is numbered as card 10 while the GWFTPC Scythe features the 10 of Diamonds and  is numbered as card 8.

4. You can use the cards as an Oracle Deck since “fortunes” or “prophecies” are written on each of the cards.

5. If you’re up for the challenge and enjoy flexing your intuitive muscles, you can “mix things up” so to speak and read the cards on more than one level.

6. Be prepared to toss the LWB (Little White Book) that comes with the deck into a drawer. It is beyond useless…

 

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards http://livingwithcards.com
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards

 

By now you are probably getting the idea that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards do not follow the rules, a fact that can make using them frustrating or perplexing to say the least. Despite this, the cards have a curious draw. They seem to possess a palpable soul that wants to engage with you. If you take the time to get to know them, you might be amazed at the depth of information they are willing to impart.

In Part 1, I promised I’d show you an Overview Spread I did with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards concerning Male X’s ongoing employment saga. You can read his back story here.

*******************************

Several months after the situation that prompted the first reading, Male X (who wound up not pursuing educational courses that could have  resulted in a career change) was once again feeling disenchanted with his job. Once again, he decided to apply for a similar position at yet another company for slightly more pay and assurances that he would not have to perform certain onerous tasks he was obligated to perform at his present job. Mrs. X told Mr. X that she just wanted him to be happy and if he wanted to take the new job that was fine with her. To her surprise, a week went by and Mr. X still hadn’t made up his mind, leaving her wondering what was really going on with him. Since Mrs. X contacted me at the exact same time the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards had nagged themselves back into my life, I decided to cast an Overview Spread using this deck for more insight.

********************************

The Overview Spread consists of 7 cards laid out as follows:

 

Tarot spread, overview spread, card positions, livingwithcards.com
The Overview Spread – card positions

 

******************************************

Here are the cards I pulled for Male X’s situation using the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck:

 

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards Overview Spread - Job Situation, http://livingwithcards.com
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards Overview Spread – Job Situation

 

The Significator or Theme Card – Card 1: The Gentleman

 

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards - 2 of Hearts
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – 2 of Hearts

Notice the Significator or Theme Card is the 2 of Hearts, the card in the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck that is assigned to “the gentleman whose fortune is being told.” I did not preselect this card. The GWFTPC deck picked it for me. I took this as confirmation that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards were indeed addressing Male X’s situation.

What Is Above You (On Your Mind) – Card 3: The Lion

 

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 6 of Diamonds
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 6 of Diamonds

Four of the seven cards in the spread were Diamonds, giving a sense of restless, scattered energy. Diamonds also refer to money. Diamonds in the Above position (Card 3) suggested that money was on Male X’s mind, and the 6 of Diamonds in particular suggested “not enough money.” The image on this card is The Lion and the “fortune” reads: The lion presages a sudden shock from bad news. I got the sense that Male X was worried that if he took this job, he’d come to realize the small gain in hourly wage would not offset the bonuses he now enjoyed with his current job.

The Recent Past – Cards 6 + 2: The Money Safe and the Scythe

 

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 3 of Diamonds - 10 of Diamonds
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 3 of Diamonds – 10 of Diamonds

Cards 6 + 2 in the Recent Past position showed a small amount (3 of Diamonds) vs a large amount (10 of Diamonds) of money. In the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck, the 3 of Diamonds is The Money Safe and the 10 of Diamonds is The Scythe. The “fortune” for The Money Safe reads: The money safe indicates riches; if shut side is toward the person, it denotes loss by speculation. The “fortune” for The Scythe reads: The scythe presages disappointment… Because The Money Safe‘s shut side was closest to the Gentleman (Card 1), I surmised that Mr. X feared “loss by speculation,” which seemed to be confirmed by The Scythe, which foreshadowed “disappointment.”

The Near Future – Cards 4 + 7: The Rapiers and The Broken Glass

 

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: Ace of Spades - 8 of Diamonds
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: Ace of Spades – 8 of Diamonds

These cards suggested that a decision (Ace of Spades) based on money (Diamonds) would come up in the near future. Ace of Spades is The Rapier in the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck, warning of assaults which threaten and will occur sooner or later, according to the distance from the person. Since this card was immediately preceded by The Gentleman, I sensed the “assaults,” or decision, would come sooner rather than later. The 8 of Diamonds, known as The Broken Glass in this deck, foretells ill luck for long years if near… Together, these two cards suggested to me that Male X was very worried (Spades) he might make the wrong decision, thus his hesitation.

What is Below You (Fear, Dread or Avoid) – Card 5: The Clover Leaf

 

Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 5 of Clubs
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 5 of Clubs

When I looked at the Below position (Card 5) to see what Male X might have been avoiding, fearing or dreading, or simply not wanting to think about, I couldn’t help but think The Clover Leafbearer of good tidings, was the job offer itself! Because he was obviously worried about potentially making a bad decision / bad financial decision (Cards 3, 4 and 7), Male X was delaying (avoiding) responding to the job offer (Card 5).

Overall, I got the sense Male X was worried (Ace of Spades) that the small increase in pay (3 of Diamonds + 10 of Diamonds with 6 of Diamonds and 8 of Diamonds in the spread) would not justify (Ace of Spades) his acceptance of the job offer (5 of Clubs).

A few days after the reading, I found out that Male X had decided not to take the new job.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

Tarot Clarification Cards Address Relationship Issue

You can almost always glean additional and helpful information from a Tarot spread by pulling clarification cards. While there are many ways to select clarification cards, below I will outline my preferred method.

First, let’s take a look at a simple 7 card Overview Spread* that reads fairly straightforwardly. Later, we’ll add the clarification cards.

 

Tarot spread, overview spread, card positions, livingwithcards.com
The Overview Spread – card positions

Card 1: Significator or Theme Card (Represents the Querent or describes an important aspect about the topic under consideration)

Cards 2 & 6: The Recent Past / Current Influences

Card 3: What is Above You (Describes what’s weighing on the Querent’s mind at the time of the reading)

Cards 4 & 7: Near Future/ What Happens Next

Card 5: What is Below You (Describes what the Querent dreads, doesn’t want to think about or wants to avoid)

*************************************

The template above shows how to lay out the spread once you’re done shuffling the cards in your usual manner while thinking about the topic you’d like the cards to discuss. You can preselect Card 1 if you like (for example, choose the King or Queen who normally represents you, or choose VI-The Lovers for a relationship overview), or let the deck choose for you. I usually let the deck pick the Significator or Theme Card, but please do whatever feels comfortable to you. You’ll still get a valid reading.

***************************************

 

In the following example, the Querent (person asking the question) was a single female who found herself unexpectedly pregnant. She wanted to know if marriage (which she and the man had discussed as an option) was a good idea. I drew the following cards:

Overview tarot spread Universal Waite tarot deck
Overview Spread – Universal Waite Tarot Deck

Universal Waite Tarot Deck

Card 1 – Significator or Theme Card: III-The Empress

Cards 2 & 6 – The Recent Past / Current Influences: 10 of Wands + 2 of Wands

Card 3 – What is Above You (What’s Weighing on Your Mind at the Time of the Reading): 8 of Swords

Cards 4 & 7 – Near Future/ What Happens Next: 3 of Pentacles + 4 of Swords

Card 5: What is Below You (What You Are Avoiding, Dreading or Don’t Want to Think About): 7 of Wands

 

Since the Querent was indeed pregnant, III-Empress as the Significator or Theme Card was certainly appropriate. I quickly noted, however, a lack of cards in the spread suggesting marriage and/or happiness.

10 of Wands and 2 of Wands in the Recent Past position (Cards 2 + 6) suggested feelings of overwhelm and off-centeredness. 8 of Swords in the Above position (Card 3) suggested a sense of entrapment, awkwardly countered by the independent, go-it-alone vibe presented by 7 of Wands in the Below “Don’t Want to Think About It” position (Card 5).

I noted that the Wands cards, which in general can indicate hope and inspiration, were in the Recent Past and Below positions (Cards 2, 6 and 5) while cards from the suit of Swords (indicating fear and worry) showed up in the Above position (Card 3) and as the last card of the Near Future (Card 7).

The child itself did not seem to factor in (no Pages), and once again I’ll mention the lack of cards indicating love, marriage, cooperation and/or happiness.

The Overview Spread confirmed the Querent’s sense of feeling conflicted. With 3 of Pentacles and 4 of Swords in the Near Future position (Cards 4 + 7), it seemed likely that any potential growth of the relationship between her and the baby’s father would come to a halt. Perhaps they would agree to take a break from each other. This interpretation seemed to be supported by 7 of Wands in the “Don’t Want to Think About It” Below position (Card 5) which speaks to what one is avoiding, dreading or not wanting to consider. I got the sense the querent didn’t want to admit to herself (let alone the baby’s father) that she would prefer to remain independent.

Before I went any further, I wanted to see the clarification cards, knowing they would either support or refute my intuitions.

*****************************

How I Use Numerology to Calculate Tarot Clarification Cards

Each Major Arcana card has its own value, 0 – 22.

Each Minor Arcana card 1 – 10 has its own value.

In my system, Kings = 11, Queens = 12, Knights =13 and Pages = 14. Some readers do the reverse. Either way it’s up to you, just be consistent.

*******************************

In this reading there were no court cards so the math was easy enough. I added up the numerical values of the cards in the layout and reduced the total to a number equaling 22 or below. Here, the cards added up to 37, which equals 3 + 7 = 10 = X-Wheel of Fortune.

The next step was to find X-Wheel of Fortune in the remaining deck and pull it out, along with the card before and the card after, giving me a three-card clarification:

Tarot clarification cards VII-Chariot, X-Wheel of Fortune, 5 of Pentacles
Tarot Clarification Cards

 

VII-The Chariot continued with the theme of independence and wanting to do one’s own thing while 5 of Pentacles suggested hardship and more restriction. X-Wheel of Fortune in the middle suggested to me the course had not yet been set. While I felt the fate of this relationship was in the querent’s hands (Chariot), that didn’t guarantee the change would be positive (especially with 5 of Pentacles following the Wheel). “Sleeping on it” (4 of Swords) was not bad advice. She owed it to herself to carefully consider her options and desires in light of what would ultimately prove best for all parties.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

*I learned the Overview Spread from The Art of Cartomancy website by Kapherus, which is now back online, I’m happy to say 🙂

Reversed Lenormand Cards: What Do They Mean? 31 Sun, 10 Scythe, 33 Key, 26 Book, 11 Whip, 17 Storks

Unlike Tarot cards, Lenormand cards are not meant to be read in the reversed position. You are supposed to make sure all the cards in your deck face one way before you shuffle and draw. If despite this, one or more cards show up in the reversed position, you are supposed to disregard this and read the card(s) in the upright position.

At the risk of horrifying the Lenormand experts, I have actually found the information gained from analyzing reversed Lenormand cards to be amazingly useful. I’ll show you why in a minute…

As I’ve probably mentioned before, I like to use the Lenormand cards when I need or want a “second opinion.” Unlike a friend, family member or co-worker, the Lenormand cards have no hidden agenda or bias concerning their answer. They won’t try to spare your feelings. If they “tell” you your idea/ decision/ direction/ plan is unrealistic or ill-advised, they’ll almost always tell you why. And in my experience, they will almost always be spot on.

A couple days ago, I asked the Lenormand cards for insight on how to get started with some ideas I had. I wanted to know specifically how I could put my ideas into action. I drew the following cards:

Q: How Can I Get Started?

Piatnik Lenormand 31 Sun - 10 Scythe Rx - 33 Key - 26 Book Rx - 11 Whip - 17 Storks Rx
31 Sun – 10 Scythe Rx – 33 Key – 26 Book Rx – 11 Whip – 17 Storks Rx

Piatnik Jeu du destin Mlle Lenormand Cartomancy Deck of 36 Cards

I was surprised to see the reversed cards. I always mix my cards a certain way and they rarely change direction. My first impulse was to read the reversals but knowing “the rule,” I decided to begin by reading the cards straight as if they were all upright.

Sun + Scythe suggested positive decisions leading to success (Key) and improved circumstances (Stork). Book + Whip suggested repetitive projects, or “whipping out projects,” one after the other. So the cards (read as if they were all upright) seemed to be saying that I should begin by making positive decisions and whipping out my projects one after the other to achieve success and a positive change in circumstances.

But that interpretation left me a little flat.

I kept staring at those three reversed cards and suddenly it hit me. The reversed cards were highlighting the facts that I was not making decisions, let along good ones (reversed ScytheSun), and that I was not cranking out projects one after the other (reversed BookWhip). And as long as I was not making positive decisions nor cranking out projects, I would not achieve a successful change of circumstances (Key + reversed Storks).

The reversed Lenormand cards clearly revealed what I needed to do in a way I might have missed had all the cards been in their upright positions.

Once again, I couldn’t help but shake my head in amazement at how helpful (not to mention literal) Lenormand cards can be.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins