Ultimate Guide to Cartomancy (2023) Card Meanings Revealed

When faced with uncertainty in life, you might be drawn to divination tools for guidance. If you seek answers and only have a deck of playing cards available, Cartomancy can be a valuable method for gaining insights. But, you may struggle with card interpretations and wonder if you understand the message properly.

To assist you in finding the answers you need, I’ve put together a straightforward guide on Cartomancy and the meanings of each card. It’ll walk you through the fundamentals without being overly intricate, so you don’t get overwhelmed. I suggest you keep your expectations low if you find reading the cards challenging.

If you’re struggling to get clear answers, you may want to consider reaching out to a Cartomancy expert on Keen. By doing so, you can expect to receive direct guidance on crucial situations and avoid second-guessing yourself.

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What Is Cartomancy?

Cartomancy encompasses the art of utilizing a deck of cards for divination purposes. Its main goal is to gain insights into various life aspects, such as relationships, career, and personal development. Before creating specialized decks like Tarot, people relied on ordinary playing cards for their readings.

The four suits in Cartomancy are the same as those found in a standard deck of playing cards: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. All suites have 13 cards, each with a distinctive meaning and supporting symbolism. For instance, hearts symbolize matters of the heart, while spades signify conflict and challenges.

A typical reading starts with an open-ended question, followed by shuffling the deck and drawing cards. As a beginner, you’ll want to select a spread for your reading to give context and structure to the cards you draw. From there, you can start interpreting the guidance by analyzing patterns and tapping into your intuition.

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A Guide to Cartomancy Card Meanings

Here’s a fundamental guide to understanding the symbolism of all suits in a typical deck of playing cards used for Cartomancy. It’s recommended to keeping this table handy during a reading for a smoother interpretation process. Remember, the meanings of the cards are not set in stone, allowing for flexibility in interpretation. Therefore, for an even better understanding, it could be valuable to have a chat with an experienced reader to gain their insight.

Spades — Challenges, Secrets, Conflicts, & Setbacks

Spades are often associated with challenging or transformative experiences and matters of power and authority. It’s not the most sought-after suit in a reading, but the cards don’t inherently possess negative energy. This suit corresponds to the Swords in Tarot and is connected to the air signs in Astrology (Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius).

Clubs — Communication, Creativity, & Collaboration

The Clubs suit signifies matters connected to intellect, communication, creativity, and collaboration. Coming across this suit typically good omen, though its interpretation may hinge on the context of other cards in the reading. Clubs share an affinity with the Tarot’s Wands suit and correspond to the fire signs in Astrology (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius).

Hearts — Matters of the Heart, Love, Relationships, & Intuition

Hearts pertain to matters of emotions, love and romantic and platonic relationships. While commonly associated with positive developments, the meanings may differ based on the accompanying cards. In Tarot, the Hearts suit aligns with Cups, and in Astrology, it corresponds to the water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces).

Diamonds — Finances, Success, Recognition, & Rewards

The Diamond suit covers subjects linked with the material world, such as finances and belongings. Furthermore, it explores areas like commerce, resources, and recognition. This suit correspond to the Pentacles suit in Tarot and represents the earth signs in Astrology (Capricorn, Taurus, and Virgo).

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How to Read Cartomancy Cards

Gaining clarity through Cartomancy requires you to know the basics of reading cards. The guide below will provide you with straightforward steps to read Cartomancy, but be sure to stay patient and continue practicing.

1. Cleanse Your Deck

Cleansing your Cartomancy deck before reading removes any negative energy from the cards. Additionally, there may be stagnant energy from other people on the deck that could affect the accuracy of your reading. You can cleanse your deck with visualization techniques, sacred smoke, or crystal clearing.

2. Ask Your Question

Once you cleanse your deck, you must formulate a clear and specific question. I recommend avoiding leading questions that could influence the outcome of your reading. For example, instead of asking, “Will I get a promotion?” ask, “What can I expect with career-related matters?”.

3. Shuffle Your Cards

Before shuffling your cards, take a moment to clear your mind and focus on the question you want to ask. Then, hold the deck and begin shuffling the cards in the most comfortable manner. Some shuffling techniques include the overhand, riffle, or Hindu shuffle, but do whatever feels best.

4. Create a Spread

A spread is a format that helps label and interpret the cards, giving you context when reading them. You can use many different spreads, but I suggest sticking to more simple ones to start. If you’d like a straightforward answer, use a standard three-card spread representing the situation, solution, and action.

5. Interpret the Cards

Always familiarize yourself with the specific meanings of each card before interpreting them. However, ensure you’re not overly rigid with the definitions because the meanings can fluctuate slightly during each reading. With that in mind, you should consider what your intuition tells you when interpreting.

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Best Sites for a Cartomancy Reading

Understanding the language of Cartomancy can take time to develop, so it may be best to get advice from an experienced reader. The following sites are trustworthy options for a Cartomancy reading and even offer affordable rates. You can also expect straightforward answers to any pressing matters.

1. Keen — Overall Best for Cartomancy Readings

Getting a Cartomancy reading on Keen is convenient with its modern and user-friendly app. While using it, I noticed that the app is intuitive to navigate and has no persistent glitching, which is useful when you want uninterrupted advice. You’ll enjoy using the app for your reading since it connects you to a Cartomancy reader within minutes and without hassle.

I was excited to learn that Keen has a rewards program where you can earn points on purchases. Additionally, the program lets you earn points for simple things like singing in on the app or sharing your birthday. That way, it’s possible to receive discounts without spending an outrageous amount of money on readings.

One of the benefits of using Keen for your Cartomancy session is that you can email advisors before paying. This is a perk when deciding between readers in case you’d like to ask additional questions. The email option is great for simple inquiries about reading style and experience, but it’s also helpful to determine which advisor you feel most drawn to.

Something to consider is that Keen doesn’t have a wide range of Cartomancy readers available. However, this can sometimes be better because you won’t be overwhelmed with options. Best of all, you’ll have a credible selection of advisors since most of them have a 4.8-star rating and above.

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2. Psychic Source — Connect With Experienced Cartomancy Readers

I always feel comfortable using Psychic Source because of how experienced and knowledgeable its readers are. You can find several Cartomancy readers with 30+ years under their belt and feel confident with their insights. This level of trust is imperative when inquiring about important life situations and needing level-headed advice.

The advisor profiles on Psychic Source are helpful because they include detailed interview-style questions and audio clips. I can appreciate this profile style because it helps you get to know the psychic more candidly. Also, the audio clips on advisor profiles help you learn more about a psychic without reading through plenty of text.

Psychic Source offers a lot of convenience with its vast array of reading options for a Cartomancy session. You can choose between a chat, call, or video reading and select the most comfortable method. If you want to maintain your privacy or aren’t in the right environment for a video reading, you can always get advice via chat.

A slight downfall to Psychic Source is that many of its popular psychics are often unavailable and reading for someone else. But you can avoid disappointment by scheduling your Cartomancy reading in advance. I find scheduling a session is best because you can select the time and date that work best for you.

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3. Kasamba — Stay Within Budget With Its Flexible Cartomancy Rates

Kasamba is unique because it lets you propose a cost for an email Cartomancy session. You can request a reading from your desired expert and set the price you’re willing to pay for advice. While you should always be reasonable with the rate you propose, this is a helpful way to get the insight you need while staying within budget.

I like how it’s straightforward to see if a Cartomancy reader on Kasamba is worthwhile because of its transparent review sections. You can look at the advisor’s first 6 testimonials at a glance to know if they’re mainly negative or positive. Having this information clearly displayed will save you a lot of time while browsing.

Thanks to the platform’s generous introductory offer of 3 free minutes with 3 new advisors, you can delve into the wisdom of Cartomancy without any financial commitment. This is an excellent opportunity to explore your metaphysical journey further, as it lets you receive emotional insights and spiritual guidance.

Kasamba doesn’t have a call or chat option to contact customer service, but you can email for any inquiries. I’ve also noticed its FAQ page is thorough and answers many common questions that can come up. While its email support has a decent turnaround time, accessing a well-developed FAQ can save you from waiting.

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FAQs on Cartomancy

Is Cartomancy Accurate?

Yes, Cartomancy readings can be accurate, but this can depend on other factors. Accuracy mostly has to do with the skill of the reader and their ability to interpret the message. This is why selecting a credible and experienced Cartomancy advisor from a trustworthy site that has already vetted their skills is essential.

Additionally, if you’re reading for yourself, it can sometimes be challenging to read the cards objectively. When you go into a reading with expectations, it’s possible to read into the cards with false hope and end up disappointed. This is why it’s best to chat with an experienced Cartomancy reader to get impartial advice.

How is Cartomancy different from Tarot?

The difference is that Cartomancy is the general term for using cards as a divination tool, whereas Tarot uses a specialized deck. When someone refers to Cartomancy, they often refer to the use of traditional playing cards for divination. While there’s some overlap between the two, they’re not the same.

The best way to differentiate between them is to remember that all Tarot is Cartomancy, but not all Cartomancy uses Tarot. Additionally, Cartomancy has roots in ancient divination practices, whereas Tarot was thought to be developed in the late Middle Ages. The symbolism in Tarot is also said to be more challenging.

Can Cartomancy predict the future?

Yes, Cartomancy can predict the future, but this can also depend on the reader. You should remember that the future is subject to change due to people’s free will. With that in mind, Cartomancy has predicted the future many times, which is why the practice is still so widespread thousands of years after it was invented.

Additionally, the cards used in Cartomancy are mostly interpreted in a fortune-telling fashion. So, it is obvious that the premise of the practice is to predict the future based on the types of cards that appear during a reading. But, whether the cards are accurate should be left up to your personal experience with the practice.

Bottom Line

The practice of Cartomancy is quite compelling, and the greatest benefit is that it’s pretty accessible. You can pick up a deck of cards wherever you may be and get quick advice on tricky situations. But, like with all divination practices, it can take time to trust your interpretations and feel confident acting on the guidance.

With this considered, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced Cartomancy reader if you need trustworthy guidance. Sometimes it’s best to put the cards down and chat with an expert if you’re not getting anywhere on your own. This way, you can feel at ease with the insight you get and not stress about the advice coming through.

To summarize, the best sites for Cartomancy readings are…