Category Archives: Playing Cards

Card Reading 101: Predictions and Probable Outcomes Part 2

In my previous post I discussed the correlation between predictions and probable outcomes and cautioned against inadvertently creating self-fulfilling prophecies for yourself.

Despite what I said, the ability to predict with the cards is a valuable skill and one well worth learning. If you’d like to explore that path, you may find the following guidelines useful:

Draw cards every day.

A time-tested way to learn how a particular card system speaks to you is to perform and record a daily draw in the morning, interpret it, then record feedback at the end of the day. If you make this daily ritual part of your routine, your ability to read cards correctly will greatly improve.

Record your daily card draws!

What is the point of pulling some cards, making an awesome, intuitive connection that actually pans out correctly in real life, only to “forget” how the card combination spoke to you? Make it a habit to record your daily card draws!

Record your daily card draws in a dedicated journal

The easiest way to record daily draws (especially if you’re short on time in the morning) is to use one of those weekly planners that has spaces for each day of the week in a two-page spread. All you need to do is jot down your daily cards in the space for the day and add your interpretations or predictions. Because a years’ worth of dates are already printed in the book, you get the extra bonus of being able to record a years’ worth of daily draws all in one book, making it easy to go back and see how things played out. Pick a planner that “speaks” to you; one you will enjoy using.

(If time is not an issue, or if you prefer, you could purchase and use a lined journal or notebook dedicated to recording your daily draws.)

Consider using a weekly planner to record your daily tarot card or Lenormand card predictions - http://livingwithcards.com
Consider using a weekly planner to record your daily tarot card or Lenormand card predictions

At-A-Glance Vienna Weekly and Monthly Planner 2015, Wirebound, 5.5 x 8.5 Inch Page Size (622-200)

Only pull 2 or 3 cards for your daily draw.

One card is hard to interpret and more than 3 is overkill. Record the cards and jot down a brief interpretation and 1 or 2 predictions. At day’s end, review your entry. What actually happened during your day? How did the cards play out? Was your prediction accurate or were you way off base?

Add your card combinations or interpretations to your favorite reference books.

Jot down card combinations or interpretations that prove accurate into the margins of favorite reference books and place your initials and the date in parentheses. That way, over time, you will have developed rich, personalized and customized, master reference books of your own. (I write in the margins of Sylvie Steinbach’s Secrets of the Lenormand Oracle and Trish MacGregor & Phyllis Vega’s Power Tarot.)

Practice, practice, practice!

The key to improving your ability to predict correctly is consistent, daily practice. Don’t let early failures or faulty predictions deter you. Over time you will find your “hit rate” improving. As with any other skill you may be trying to develop, daily, consistent practice is essential.

Consider recording your card combination interpretations in the margins of a favorite reference book. http://livingwithcards.com
Consider recording your card combination interpretations in the margins of a favorite reference book.

Predictions and Probable Outcomes

You may also find, much to your amazement and delight, that your improved ability to predict with tarot cards, Lenormand cards, playing cards or oracle decks helps enormously in tracking your own subconscious or unconscious motives, beliefs and thoughts, making it easier to practice conscious creation as you attempt to manifest good things into your life. Because you already know that a probable outcome is just that: a probable outcome, you will develop the ability to catch yourself in a negative mindset, question your motives, thoughts and beliefs and make another (hopefully more positive) choice for yourself.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

Card Reading 101: Predictions and Probable Outcomes Part 1

It’s natural to be attracted to, or intrigued by, the uncanny ability Tarot Cards, Lenormand Cards, Playing Cards and Oracle decks seem to possess. Logical or not, cards appear to be able to predict the future. That’s what draws many people to card divination in the first place. We want to know what’s going to happen today, whether he or she likes us, will we get the job, what if the money doesn’t come through in time, etc., etc.

If you are even semi-serious about card reading, that particular  mindset can be less than helpful. This is because any card draw, using any deck, for any question, at any given moment in time, is simply reflecting the prevailing energies in motion at the time of the question.

In other words, 9 times out of 10, what you are seeing is a probable future and not one that is set in stone.

Furthermore, if you don’t monitor them, your own thoughts, beliefs and feelings about the message(s) you got from the cards will influence what actually transpires. Sometimes, without even realizing it, you wind up setting a “self-fulfilling prophecy” into motion. This can have either good or bad results depending on whether your thoughts, beliefs and feelings about the question asked and answer received are predominantly positive or negative.

If up until now you’ve been reading cards from a basically predictive mindset, you don’t need to stop. But you might want to consider exploring a different layer of information the cards may be suggesting. Are they really answering your question as you stated it or could they be answering another, underlying, question?

I’ve found that’s often the case and if I dig around a little, and/or revise my question based on fresh insights I’ve gotten from the spread, I can ferret out information and advice that’s inordinately more helpful than the “answer” to the question I originally asked.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

 

Answer Spread Using Bicycle Club Tattoo Playing Cards

Over the weekend I found myself at Target searching for a birthday present for Grandson #2 when I spotted this playing card deck in one of the toys & games aisles:

Bicycle Club Tattoo Playing Cards (c) 2013 The United States Playing Card Company
Bicycle Club Tattoo Playing Cards (c) 2013 The United States Playing Card Company

Bicycle Club Tattoo Playing Cards

Do I have to tell you how long it took me to grab it off the shelf and toss it in my shopping cart?!

Yep. About two & a half seconds.

Despite a busy day, I just had to give these cards a try. I decided to throw an Answer Spread*, which can give a quick yes or no answer to a simple question. I was most curious to learn how these cards would respond to my energies.

Background

My son is away at graduate school in a different state. A couple weeks ago he mentioned the possibility of coming home for a visit later this month. I’ve been trying not to think about it because I don’t want to stoke my expectations and then be disappointed.

But with this brand new (not to mention very cool) card deck sitting on my kitchen table, I couldn’t help myself. I just had to ask!

The Question

“Will my son come home for a visit by or before the end of October?”

The Answer

The Answer Spread using Bicycle Club Tattoo playing cards 7 of Diamonds - 10 of Diamonds - 6 of Diamonds - 6 of Hearts - King of Hearts - 8 of Diamonds
7 of Diamonds – 10 of Diamonds – 6 of Diamonds – 6 of Hearts – King of Hearts – 8 of Diamonds

Bicycle Club Tattoo Playing Cards

The first thing I note is all the cards are red. This in itself is an excellent indication of a “yes” answer.

I also note there are two sixes in the spread which can indicate that all works out in a satisfactory manner. This is another indication of a “yes” answer.

Out of six cards, four are diamonds. This suggests money is a major factor in whether or not the trip back home will take place, information that certainly resonates with me, since my son’s funds are limited. In fact, the pivot card (8 of Diamonds) is a card of budgeting and in that position shows finances are a key factor in his decision.

Column #1 – Recent Past or Current Situation

The Answer Spread Column 1 - 7 of Diamonds - 6 of Hearts
7 of Diamonds – 6 of Hearts

The Answer Spread is read in columns. The left-most column shows the recent past or current situation. Here we have the 7 of Diamonds topped by the 6 of Hearts.

The 6 of Hearts, a young male who is much loved, refers to my son. I see he has the 7 of Diamonds, a lucky money card above him, which makes me think this column shows his hopes or thoughts that he’ll have the money to make this trip.

 

Column #2 -The Answer

The Answer Spread Column 2 The Answer 10 of Diamonds King of Hearts
10 of Diamonds – King of Hearts

The 10 of Diamonds, among other things, symbolizes a trip by air or an airplane. In general, Diamonds topped by Hearts suggests a happy conclusion. I am not sure why the King of Hearts in particular showed up in this spot. I don’t think it refers to my son (he would be the Jack of Hearts). Perhaps some kindly man who has my son’s best interests at heart will be instrumental in seeing that he gets an airplane ticket home.

 

 

 Column #3 – Additional Information

Answer Spread Column 3 Additional Information 6 of Diamonds 8 of Diamonds
6 of Diamonds – 8 of Diamonds

6 of Diamonds + 8 of Diamonds suggests to me that my son will not be talking about any budgeting or financial difficulties he may have. No matter how much he’d like to make this trip, he’s not going to ask his mother for money. The cards in this column hint that if I really want to see him, perhaps I should consider sending some money to fund the cause.

 

Conclusion

The cards certainly seem to give a positive answer. Obviously, I won’t know for sure if this trip is a go until later in the month, and I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to send a little cash his way to hedge my bets.

On another note, I really enjoyed working with the Bicycle Club Tattoo playing card deck and plan to use it again. If you see this deck in your travels, scoop it up! If you can’t find it, you can order it at the link below.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

*I learned the Answer Spread from The Art of Cartomancy blog by Kapherus. Sadly, this excellent site that teaches how to read playing cards is no longer available to the public. If I hear any news about Kapherus rejoining the internet community, I’ll let you know.

Playing Cards Answer Spread: Will the Yarn Come In by Friday?

In addition to living with cards, cats, and my soon-to-be-elsewhere son, I live with yarn.

Lots of it.

The most usual thing I do with yarn is crochet afghans. Nothing too complicated, just a simple double crochet zigzag pattern I found on the internet a few years ago. It’s a pleasant, relaxing, mindless, sit-in-front-of-the-television activity I enjoy doing.

While crocheting my latest afghan, I realized I was running out of one of my colors and would need one more skein of yarn. I started looking for it a couple weeks ago but the color I needed was out of stock. Not only that, no other color came close enough to match it.

So last Wednesday, I went to my local Michael’s and asked an associate whether the yarn I needed was on order. She checked her inventory and told me it would either arrive that Friday, or the next Friday, she couldn’t be sure.

By Wednesday evening, I’d gotten dangerously close to the row where I’d have to switch to the needed color. Thursday morning, I decided to ask the playing cards:

 

“Will the yarn I need to finish my afghan arrive at the store this Friday?”

Here are the cards I drew:

Jack of Clubs - 6 of Hearts - 5 of Diamonds - 9 of Hearts - 8 of Hearts - 10 of Clubs
Jack of Clubs – 6 of Hearts – 5 of Diamonds – 9 of Hearts – 8 of Hearts – 10 of Clubs

Answer Spread using Playing Cards

The color pattern across the top row is B-R-R, indicating a problem will be solved.

The color pattern across the bottom row is R-R-B, suggesting a problem may be on the horizon.

Hmmmm….

With contradictory information, I needed to dig further. Further analysis showed there were no Spades, indicating there would be no major problems or delays, and since four of the six cards, including the two cards in Column 2 (the Answer) were red, there would likely be a good outcome.

I could now go on to read the columns and get my answer.

Column 1 shows the Near Past or Current Situation:

Jack of Clubs - 9 of Hearts
Jack of Clubs – 9 of Hearts

Jack of Clubs can mean practical thoughts, or thoughts about a practical matter, and 9 of Hearts is the “wish card.” This column showed I am wishing (9 of Hearts) to complete my project (Clubs), or my thoughts about finishing my project (Jack of Clubs) will be fulfilled (9 of Hearts).

 

Column 2 is The Answer:

6 of Hearts - 8 of Hearts
6 of Hearts – 8 of Hearts

I will make good progress (6 of Hearts) regarding an existing relationship (8 of Hearts). In other words, I will be able to finish my afghan because the store will have the yarn in stock.

 

Column 3 shows what might influence the answer.

5 of Diamonds - 10 of Clubs
5 of Diamonds – 10 of Clubs

10 of Clubs as the Pivot Card suggested the completion (10) of a practical project (Clubs). One of the meanings for 5 of Diamonds is shopping. Because 10 of Clubs (completion) tops 5 of Diamonds (shopping), I deduced that the project would be completed after a successful shopping trip.

The two hearts in Column 2 (The Answer) suggested that my wish (9 of Hearts) to complete my project (10 of Clubs) would be easily accomplished.

Because there were no Spades in the spread, I did not anticipate any delays. The cards clearly indicated that the yarn should arrive “this Friday” as opposed to “next Friday.”

 

What Actually Happened:

Early Friday afternoon, I went to Michael’s and, as the playing cards had predicted, the yarn I needed had indeed arrived!

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

Playing Cards Advice on Weight Loss

One of the not-so-fun things about getting older is that weight loss becomes more difficult. In the past, dropping five pounds was easily achievable. Now, it seems to be nearly impossible.

This morning I decided to ask the cards to comment on my desire to lose weight. I specifically wanted to know what might help and what wouldn’t help at all.

I decided to use the playing cards and the Hedgewytchery Cross spread, where the first three cards from left to right show the past, present and future. The card above indicates “what to do” and the card below shows “what not to do.”

I drew:

 

Queen of Hearts - 4 of Clubs - 10 of Clubs - Queen of Spades - 5 of Hearts
Queen of Hearts – 4 of Clubs – 10 of Clubs – Queen of Spades – 5 of Hearts

 

The playing cards pulled no punches.

In the past, I was a younger woman (Queen of Hearts) and losing weight was not a problem (hearts). 4 of Clubs in the present position shows I am working (clubs) on it and 10 of Clubs in the future position suggests I will have to work (clubs) a whole lot harder (10) to achieve any results. 4 of Clubs in the present position also suggests I am sedentary — sitting at a desk — which is pretty accurate. I don’t move around much these days….

At first I was confused as to why I pulled two Queens, but suddenly the light went off. Queen of Hearts in the past position refers to me as a younger woman and Queen of Spades in the “what to do” position shows that I am now an older woman, and I need to come to terms with that. What won’t work is wishful thinking (5 of Hearts)!!!

Basically, the playing cards counseled that because I am now older (Queen of Spades), inactivity (4 of Clubs) isn’t going to cut it and I am fooling myself by engaging in wishful thinking (5 of Hearts). I will have to work my butt off  (10 of Clubs) if I expect to lose any weight at this stage of the game.

<Sigh>

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins