The more I work with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards, the more I enjoy them.
I mentioned in Part 2 of this series that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards do not follow the rules. While all 52 playing cards (plus 3 Jokers) are in the deck and they can be read as such, the cards also depict 35 of the 36 Lenormand images, causing one to assume they can be read that way as well. Until you discover the card numbers assigned are not the same and the playing card insets are different as well. What’s with that?
Gypsy Witch 27 Dog (4 of Diamonds) vs Lenormand 18 Dog (10 of Hearts)
And then you might notice, if you make Gypsy Witch #43 Lightning (6 of Clubs) equal Lenormand 36 Cross (6 of Clubs) which works for me, there are still 16 additional images that are not contained in a regular Lenormand deck. Hmmmm. And on top of that, there are “fortunes” or “prophecies” written on each of the 52 cards. (There are no “fortunes” or “prophecies” written on the three Joker cards.)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards 45 Order (Jack of Clubs) – 49 Eye (4 of Spades) – 24 Hand in Hand (King of Hearts) – 38 Flames (7 of Diamonds)
So, what gives? Do you read them as playing cards? Lenormand cards? Oracle cards? Do you have to choose one system or another? Can you blend them together and, if so, how? “Everybody” knows playing cards are read differently from Lenormand cards. And Oracle cards seem to have their own sets of rules, depending on the deck.
Since there isn’t much of anything online (that I’ve been able to find) about how to read / work with this deck, I can only share with you my own experiences and encourage you to “take what works and leave the rest behind” as you develop your own personal relationship with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards.
As this series continues, I’ll examine different aspects of the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards and share my insights as we go along. Here and there, I’ll throw in a reading I’ve done to illustrate or clarify whatever it is I’m discussing. If you have questions or comments, please jump in 🙂
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Note: If you’d like to read the previous parts of this series, click the links below or select ‘Gypsy Witch’ in the Category tab to your right:
Reading with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards
In Part 1 of this series, I described the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards as quirky and strange. In Part 2, I told you that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards do not follow the rules.
Despite this, the cards seem to possess a curious ability to get under one’s skin, so to speak, possibly because of their ability to convince you (don’t ask me how!) that they are capable of imparting a depth of information not readily available from other divination decks.
If you let yourself work with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards, you may be surprised at their uncanny ability to bring forth information in provocative ways, like they did in a recent spread I performed with them — using Tarot clarification cards per their “instruction”!!
I had been thinking and thinking about a certain heart’s desire that on one hand, is growing stronger by the day and on the other hand, appears to be impossible to manifest in 3D reality. Your not knowing exactly what it is won’t affect the integrity of this post and as you read on, if you want, you can go ahead and substitute any strongly held heart’s desire of your own that appears to be “impossible” for you to achieve in your own 3D reality.
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So there I was, thinking away about my heart’s desire, when the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards‘ garish orange box came to mind, calling my name from the storage container in which I had last stuffed them. On the spur of the moment, I decided to give them a whirl, using the 5 Pointed Star with Significator spread, which seemed as good as any.
My exact question was:
Q: If I Continue Focusing on My Heart’s Desire, How Likely Am I to Manifest It?
Five Pointed Star Spread using the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 9 of Clubs, Queen of Spades, 8 of Clubs, 7 of Clubs, Queen of Hearts, 8 of Spades
A quick assessment of the card suits suggested a considerable amount of work or action needed (three clubs) and some problems or delays (two spades). Seeing the Snake (8 of Clubs) in Position #2 (Expectations, Mindset, Beliefs) and the Mountain (8 of Spades) in Position #5 (Probable Outcome) did not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling, but I decided to press forward, regardless.
Later in this post I’ll show you how rearranging the cards into an Answer Spread gave additional clarity and insight, but first I’ll start by reading the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards as Lenormand cards.
Significator or Theme Card: The Park (9 of Clubs)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Park – 9 of Clubs
As the Significator or Theme card, The Park (a.k.a. The Garden) symbolized my heart’s desire. It brought to mind the sense of an actual garden, or growth. Suppose, for example, your heart’s desire was to plant a beautiful rose bush in your garden so that you could ultimately enjoy its luxurious blooms and scents. First, you would have to decide you wanted to plant it. Then, you’d have to select a good spot to put it, where it would get the correct amount of sun. You’d have to make sure it got watered on schedule, and maybe you’d need to sprinkle it with plant food every now and again. If nasty little weeds cropped up around it, you’d have to pull them out, ideally, as soon as you saw them sprouting. If you did all this, in time, your rose bush would bloom.
The Park as Significator or Theme card accurately paralleled the process involved in manifesting a heart’s desire, and I thought it was an interesting and appropriate card selection, confirming that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck was attuned to my question.
Position 1 – Basis, Reason, Cause : Amor (Queen of Spades)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – Amor – Queen of Spades
Amor does not exist as a Lenormand card. Based on the “fortune” inscribed on the card, ‘Amor is a sign that someone is looking at you with great love and longing,’ it seemed it might be alluding to the love and longing one might feel when focusing on a heart’s desire. It suggested that my desire (which I thought was purely positive, by the way) might be tinged with longing, which actually is a feeling of lack. So the card made me question myself. Was I focusing on what I wanted (which is what I thought I was doing) or upon not having what I wanted?
Position 2 – Expectations, Mindset, Beliefs: The Snake (8 of Clubs)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Snake – 8 of Clubs
Ouch, ouch, and further ouch! The Snake is deceit, problems, complications, a long and winding road, snarl-ups and manipulations. It certainly indicated my expectations and beliefs were way out of whack with my heart’s desire, and gave further emphasis to the probability that whether I knew it or not, I was focusing more on the lack of what I wanted. As painful as it was to “hear” this, I appreciated that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards had pointed it out.
Position 3 – Additional Information or Factors to Be Considered: The Lilies (7 of Clubs)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Lilies – 7 of Clubs
As additional information or factors to be considered, The Lilies gave the connotation of maturation. Just as a newly planted rose bush does not transform into its blooming glory overnight, the fulfillment of my heart’s desire would require time to develop and mature from a seedling idea into a full-blown manifestation. The “fortune” on the card, ‘the Lilies forecast a happy life,’ hinted at success, but later rather than sooner. Still, I sensed encouragement and eventual success was possible.
Position 4 – Answer, Solution, Advice: The Ring (Queen of Hearts)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Ring – Queen of Hearts
In general, the Lenormand Ring indicates contracts, commitments or chronic conditions that tend to repeat themselves. Surrounded by negative cards, it can suggest “going round and round,” or finding oneself stuck in a rut. If I consider the cards in the order in which I drew them, The Ring is flanked by The Lilies on its left and The Mountain on its right. While maturation (Lilies) and delays (Mountain) seem to be indicated, The Ring itself as the Answer, Solution or Advice suggested commitment and steadfastness would be required if I were to have any chance at manifesting my goal. The “fortune” on the card reads in part, ‘The Ring…is an unerring indication of a rich and happy marriage;’which suggested to me that a “marriage” of my thoughts, expectations and beliefs regarding my desire was an essential component of fulfillment. Because The Ring fell in the Answer, Solution or Advice position, I felt it was possible I could “catch the brass ring” so to speak, and prevail.
Position 5 – Probable Outcome: The Mountain (8 of Spades)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Mountain – 8 of Spades
Recall my question: If I Continue Focusing on My Heart’s Desire, How Likely Am I to Manifest It? With The Mountain as the Probable Outcome, I could only conclude that at this time, there are obstacles to overcome and delays should be expected. Perhaps my commitment (The Ring) will waiver due to the length of time it will seemingly take to get from seed idea to fulfillment (The Lilies).
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Additional Notes:
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If I lay the six cards out in a straight line in the order in which I pulled them, I see Clubs – Spades – Clubs – Clubs – Hearts – Spades which gives the sense of fruitless work. Five BLACK cards and one RED card (with a BLACK card in the final position) suggests ‘probably not.’
If I re-position the six cards in the order in which I pulled them into an Answer Spread*, I get additional valuable information:
Answer Spread: 9 of Clubs – Queen of Spades – 8 of Clubs – 7 of Clubs – Queen of Hearts – 8 of Spades
Column 1 is the Recent Past or Current Influences. In essence, the cards confirmed I was working (7 of Clubs) on success (9 of Clubs). They could also signify working (7 of Clubs) on something that will take a long time to accomplish, especially because a Spade sits to the right of the 9 of Clubs. (This certainly seemed accurate.)
Column 2 is The Answer. I could only conclude that the two Queens must be aspects of myself, since the fulfillment of my heart’s desire is in no one’s hands but my own. Perhaps clarity (Spades) will be instrumental in getting what I desire (Hearts). And while I noted a RED Queen topping a BLACK Queen was positive, the 8 of Spades to the right of the Queen of Hearts suggested a disappointment.
Column 3 Clarifies the Answer. The bottom card in this column is called the Pivot Card because the Answer seen in Column 2 can “pivot” on whatever this card signifies. 8 of Spades is a card of disappointment and restriction and further suggests that something is out of balance. With 8 of Clubs above it, I got the sense that I needed to re-evaluate my mindset, expectations and beliefs (8 of Clubs in Position 2 of the Five Pointed Star Spread). Apparently they are not in alignment with my heart’s desire and that is what is likely causing the problems (Snake) and delays (Mountain) I am seeing in the cards.
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*I learned The Answer Spread from Kapherus, The Art of Cartomancy. Please see my blogroll for a link to his website.
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As I mentioned above, the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards “instructed” me to pull Tarot clarification cards.Per my usual method, I counted up the numerical values and reduced them to a number equaling 22 or below:
I then shuffled my Tarot cards, found XI-JUSTICE in the deck and selected it along with the card before and the card after, giving me a three-card clarification:
Tarot Clarification Cards: Ace of Pentacles – XI-Justice – 4 of Swords
The information seemed clear to me: I could focus on bringing my heart’s desire into manifestation (Ace of Pentacles) or “cancel my order” (4 of Swords) through non-alignment of thoughts, expectations and beliefs. The Major Arcana XI-Justice reminded me that harmony and balance are a requirement and that for all intents and purposes, we get what we expect to get, whether we want it or not.
Even though I combined two entirely different card divination systems, I was impressed at how seamlessly they interacted with each other. And while the reading along with its clarification showed a negative outcome for now, it also clearly illuminated the probable reasons for the negative outcome and suggested an action plan that, if followed, could lead to another, more desirable, probable outcome in the future.
All in all, I was favorably impressed with the quality of information elicited from this unusual card combination and felt pleased that I had allowed myself to follow the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards’ quirky instruction to mix it up with Tarot cards.
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…
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.
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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.
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The Overview Spread consists of 7 cards laid out as follows:
The Overview Spread – card positions
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Here are the cards I pulled for Male X’s situation using the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck:
The Significator or Theme Card – Card 1: The Gentleman
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
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
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
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
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 Leaf, bearer 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.
The Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards is a strange little deck. It’s been described elsewhere as “deviant.” “Quirky” might be another accurate description. I purchased this deck back in 2009, threw a handful of spreads with it and promptly relegated it to some storage container or another.
Curiously, earlier this week, out of nowhere, an image of this deck’s garish orange box popped into my mind. I brushed it off and went about my business. As the day progressed, however, I kept seeing images of the cards — or least what I could remember of them — and that stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb orange box. The cards seemed to be begging me to locate them and throw a spread or two. Finally, tired of being nagged, I started looking for them.
Do I really need to tell you how much time I spent annoying myself half to death searching all the usual places I stash cards before I finally found them, buried beneath and behind various other decks on a shelf I normally don’t pay much attention to?
Let’s just say it was more than a minute…
After finding them and then browsing through and tossing aside the lamest excuse for a LWB (Little White Book) that I’ve ever seen, I decided to ease back into a relationship with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards by asking a simple question: “Can I Substitute You for Regular Playing Cards?” My underlying and unspoken question was “Do You Want to Work with Me?”
“Can I Substitute You for Regular Playing Cards? (Do You Want to Work with Me?)”
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: Hand-in-Hand (King of Hearts), Tree (3 of Clubs), House (6 of Hearts), Dog (4 of Diamonds)
Just from looking at the pictures, even a beginning card reader can see it looks like the start of a happy and fruitful relationship. 🙂
The spread consists of three cards, color sequence RED-BLACK-RED and a RED base card. The preponderance of RED cards augers a “yes” answer to the question(s). To summarize, I can expect that working with the cards will be satisfying and rewarding (Heart – Club – Heart – Diamond).
Specifically, the cards read, “YES, you can read us as playing cards and YES, we will work with you (Hand in Hand). The relationship between us will grow and flourish (Tree) and be successful (House).” The base card, Dog, shows the cards will be friendly and supportive, as well as rewarding (Diamond).
I was delighted at the reading and wanted to use the cards again as soon as possible. I didn’t have to wait long. Male X’s wife gave me an update on his ongoing employment saga and I decided to cast an Overview Spread using the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards to gain insight into this recent development.
