Card-Based Divination Systems

Ever since I had my first Tarot Card Reading about 10 years ago, I’ve been in love with the Tarot cards. The images, the colors, the art, the swirling magic of the stories that the images seem to tell me — all of it has in turn enthralled, intrigued, befriended, taught and guided me for all these years. However, my curiousity and some really happy coincidences have led to to discover that apart from the Tarot, there are a few more card-based divination systems out there.

Naturally, I have explored them — liking some for one reason or the other, and not really connecting with some. Today, I would like to share with you the different card-based divination systems that I’ve encountered and explored.

A Quick Disclaimer…

Just Because…

1. This list is by no means complete. These are just the systems that I’ve encountered. If you know of any others, please share — put in a comment below the article! Thank You in Advance for that! ?
2. I am aware that there are card-based versions of systems such as I-Ching and Runes. Since they are a migration of the original system, they haven’t been included in this list.

FYI..

I’ve also made a video about this, where I talk about these systems. You can have a quick look at the different decks that I have from these different systems and see what I’m talking about.. 🙂 I’ve embedded the video towards the end of this post, so just scroll down…

Let’s Begin…

Without any further ado, here’s the list:

Playing Cards / Cartomancy

Cartomancy is defined as “fortune telling by interpreting a random selection of playing cards”.

This is how it all began, I think. The deck of of 52 cards divided into four groups (hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs) was used for divination purposes. A random draw of a certain number of cards from a well shuffled deck would be arranged in a specific layout and interpreted based on certain rules and ‘meanings’.

Personally, I haven’t explored this system — mostly because there aren’t images on the cards which will stir up my imagination and intuition — which seem to be a requirement for me.

However, it does remain quite a popular system of divination. A quick Google search will lead you to some really interesting websites where you can learn more about this topic.

In Summary…

• Images: None. Just the suit symbols. Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) have images.
• Card Order:Four suits (clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds) of 13 cards each. Cards are numbered 1 through to 10, plus 3 face cards (Jack, Queen, King). Additionally 2 or 3 Joker cards.
• Storytelling: A number of spreads can be used. Interpretation has a very logical approach and can include counting the numbers and positions of the cards.
• Playing With Others: Personally haven’t explored this. But this system ought to play well with other systems like Tarot and Lenormand.
• Guidance Value: No idea since I haven’t explored this system, but based on what I’ve read so far, it could very well be logical and systematic, and practical.
• Availability of Deck: Easily Available anywhere.
• To Learn: Books (on Amazon), Websites, and Videos (You Tube).

Lenormand Cards

The next evolutionary step for Cartomancy was when the 52-card deck was reduced to a 32-card Piquet deck by removing the cards 2s through the 6s.

This ‘Piquet’ deck was then later enhanced into a 36-card Deck, and the playing card symbols were substituted with actual symbols that was also loosely based on the popular ‘Game of Hope’ card game. This deck was then named after Mlle. Lenormand (1772-1843), a popular fortune teller based in France during the time of Napoleon. The system of divination using cards seems to have gained much renown due to her notoriously famous client-list and number of books she authored.

In my observation, the system of interpreting these cards is very logical and linear, while also incorporating intution. It is very unlike the Tarot in several respects. For instance, while reading with these cards, only the symbol on the card is important for the purposes of divining the meaning — contents of the card’s imagery bear no importance to the interpretation. However, just like in the Tarot spreads, the placement of the card in the ‘line’ or spread is important for the purposes of interpreting the message, and it always comes back to the context of the question that was asked of the cards. Also, the message that these cards give is very lucid and precise, compared to the very ‘feelings oriented’ and ‘deeply internal’ messages that the Tarot cards give.

It can be quite a shift for a very intuitive Tarot Card Reader to pick up these cards and read with them. However, when combined with a Tarot Card Reading, both these card systems play awesomely with each other — giving the reader both the deeper and the more practical messages. This can be advantageous for the client, who ends up benefitting the most from a very informational reading.

I recently found myself drawn to learn more about this system while I was working with the Dreaming Way Tarot for my Learn This Deck video series. I discovered that Kwon Shina, the artist illustrator who had drawn the images of the Dreaming Way Tarot had also illustrated a Lenormand Deck called the Dreaming Way Lenormand. Since I was in love with the quriky and cute artwork style of the illustrator I ended up purchasing the deck, and my journey of exploration began.

{I will write an article about the Lenormand Cards and include more details and links to resources in that article, and then link that article here. Promise.}

The Lenormand cards are a set of 36 cards in no particular order — there is absolutely no significance of why a particular symbol has a particular number like in the Tarot. Each card has the one main symbol on it. The background and other additional imagery carries no weight in the meaning and interpretation of that card. For a very basic spread, the cards are laid out in a single line and read linearly. The card to the right adds value or meaning to the card to its left, and so on. Each card can represent a single word (noun or adjective or verb or adverb) and you string them up to form a sentence which conveys the message. Plus, there is no concept of ‘Reversed Cards’ like with the Tarot. And unlike the Tarot, specific cards are decidedly positive or negative in their impact.

Although, it sounds pretty simple in theory, it is quite challenging to do this type of reading. For me, the challenge is in not letting my intuition get into the card’s imagery. This is why I have ended up looking for cards which have a very stark imagery style — just the symbol and nothing else extra on it. And the second challenge is in allowing only that much intuition to come into play which will let me know which of the meanings of that symbol apply in the reading. In short, I find myself running free but within a specifed area.

Of course, when I feel like I have ‘practiced’ enough, I plan to add these cards into my reading process so I can be of more help to my clients. For now, I have started with putting up a ‘card-a-day’ reading with this card on my Instagram and on FaceBook.

In Summary…

• Images: Usually just a single symbol. May contain additional background imagery depending on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Also may contain the playing card suit insert or name.
• Card Order:36 Cards with no specific meaning or reason for their order.
• Storytelling: Linear. Logical. Each card makes up a word (noun / adjective / verb / adverb) and you join them to make a sentence. Several interesting spreads which have their own very systematic and linear interpretation methods.
• Playing With Others: Yes. Plays well with Tarot Cards.
• Guidance Value: Very practical. Hones in on the main point of the reading / question. Adds value to the Tarot Card Reading.
• Availability of Deck: Easily available on Amazon.
• To Learn: Books (on Amazon), Websites, and Videos (on You Tube)
• Resource Links:
  • Buy: Essential Lenormand by Rana George on Amazon [affiliate link] available as a paperback and Kindle eBook.
  • Watch: Donnaleigh LaRose’s You Tube Channel

Tarot

My first love. My best love. The Tarot Cards have been the doorway to exploring my intuition. However, they were also a great synthesis of my love for mythology, psychology, art, and symbolism, and the process of interpretation.

This is a complete system in and of itself. Typically, it has 78 cards, divided into 22 cards called the Major Arcana, and 56 cards called the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are then further sub-divided into 14-Card Suits. The Major Arcana talk of a deeper truth filled with Arcana and Archetypal symbols and imagery. The Minor Arcana (through the four Suits of the Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles) talk of the everyday things that people go through in their lives. The Suits also contain a total of 16 Court Cards or People Cards which are a composite of the 16 different Personality Types.

In short, the cards cover all aspects of a person’s life — spiritual, energetic, mind, feelings, and practical.

The cards are randomly pulled from a well-shuffled deck, and laid out in a ’spread’ where the spread positions correspond with the question asked to the cards, and give the cards their context. Intuition and storytelling plays a huge role in interpreting these images, and they offer all levels of guidance and prediction.

In Summary…

• Images: Deeply evocative imagery based on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Full of symbols and hidden meanings. Every aspect of imagery may strike the intuitive-imaginative processes.
• Card Order:Two big divisions — 22 cards in Major Arcana, and 56 cards in Minor Arcana. Minor Arcana cards further divided into 4 Suits (Wands, Swords, Cups, Pentacles) that include cards 1 through to 10, and 4 Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King) in each suit. Each suit sequence and even the Major Arcana sequence has a logical and meaningful order.
• Storytelling: Deeply engaging and very subjective. Imaginative, intuitive process of interptetation. Images evoke feelings which are then translated into messages. A large variety of Spreads are available.
• Playing With Others: Plays really well with most systems. Can form the base system upon which other systems can add value, or vice-versa.
• Guidance Value: Deeply insightful. Feelings, emotions, situations, circumstances – lots of details to interpret.
• Availability of Deck: Easily available on Amazon.
• To Learn: Books (Amazon), Websites, Videos (You Tube).
• Resource Links:
  • Learn Tarot on a Shoestring Budget [a blog post I wrote which is a whole entire list of resources arranged in a step-by-step manner].

Oracle Decks

For some reason, I could never find myself drawn to these decks — probably because these cards usually have a message printed on them which tends to distract me from getting into the intuitive flow.

However, that doesn’t mean that this system doesn’t have it’s adherants and followers.

In theory, this is also a worthwhile system to explore. And many Tarot Card Readers often use Oracle Cards to add more value, meaning, and guidance into their readings.

Nowadays though, I’ve discovered Oracle Decks which don’t have much in the way of messages printed on them — maybe just a keyword. The White Rabbit Oracle and the Sacred Symbols Divination and Meditation Cards are two such decks that have drawn me to them.

Typically, you will find a good number of Angel based Oracle Decks out there in the market. But there are others as well — and just like the Tarot, they are often based around a certain central theme or belief system.

Readers may use these in a ‘spread’-type layout just like the Tarot, or they often pull out a random card or two to add value or additional messages to an existing Tarot Card Reading. However, these aren’t really suited for prediction-based questions. By their very nature, they are meant for guidance and encouragement.

In Summary…

• Images: Depend on Deck Theme, and Artistic Style. Usually have an insightful or encouraging message printed on the image. Sometimes, its just a keyword.
• Card Order:Cards usually won’t have any specific number-based order, or any other meaningful order to their sequence.
• Storytelling: Messages usually offer encouragement and guidance. Limited use in predictive readings. A number of spreads available.
• Playing With Others: Plays truly well with other systems. Especially if you want to add a bit of guidance and encouragement during the spread.
• Guidance Value: Insightful, encouraging messages that offer a lot of guidance. Usually not very predictive.
• Availability of Deck: Easily available on Amazon.
• To Learn: Books (Amazon), Websites, Videos (You Tube).

OH Cards

I discovered these cards through a friend who had seen them when she went for a Reading. I ended up exploring the website and ordering this deck and three more later on. Of course, there are more decks based on different themes, which are totally on my wish list.

These cards, to quote directly from their website, “simulate creativity and communication”. The best part is that these decks can be mixed up with each other and still be fluidly used as a single deck.

The Original OH Deck was a unique creation, designed and painted by Canadian artist Ely Raman. There are 88 cards with pictures painted on them. These are complemented with 88 cards which have keywords on them. Randomly pull out a picture card and put it upon a randomly pulled word card, and see what comes up in your heart and mind.

Subsequently, several artists have created picture cards of their own, based on different themes, and added to this ‘image library’ and enhanced this deck.

I mix them up, and use them to plan / plot my story, or get to know my ‘characters’, both with and without the ‘word cards’. Sometimes, I also use them to gain a deeper understanding of my inner self and inner processes. Depending on how I feel during a reading, I may even add them into the mix for a client reading.

These cards come in real handy when the reading involves going deep into the client’s psyche to find root causes of fears, phobia, and other issues which have troubled them and left them in stuck positions in their lives. Of course, it requires a lot of trust between you and your client, and a lot of interactivity in your reading process. In my experience, these cards work especially brilliantly in readings when the client is willing to give the process a genuine shot — after all, he / she may have to sit and talk about what feelings and associations the image card + word card combo is stirring up within his / her psyche.

The accompanying booklet also describes how these cards can be used in a group setting in a ‘game’. These cards have found their use with counsellors and psychotherapists, as also with divination practioners.

In Summary…

• Images: A number of paintings based on the Deck Theme. Different decks can be combined with each other to create a wider theme-palette of images to dive into.
• Card Order: No specific numbers. Random order to their sequence.
• Storytelling: Very intuitive and imaginative. Can be paired with the OH Word Cards to add value, or can be used by themselves. Can be used in spreads, or just laid out in a line.
• Playing With Others: Plays really well with all the systems.
• Guidance Value: Very playful and insightful, full of imagination and intuition. Can include deeper psychological aspects as well.
• Availability of Deck: From the OH Websites.
• To Learn: Guidebook (with the Deck), Imagination, Articles on the OH Website.

Watch The Video

If you’d like a bit of a visual treat while I talk about the stuff that I’ve written in this blog post, then just click play and watch the video!

And if you would like to be notified every time I upload a new video, just head on over to my You Tube Channel and subscribe!

In Conclusion…

There are all kinds of different ways in which to access the intuition, the imagination — essentially the subconscious mind — using these card-based systems. Of course, these cards may or may not have all kinds of evocative images and artwork. Shuffling, then choosing random cards, and laying these cards out in a layout / Spread for the purposes of divination is a multi-layered system full of variety and innovative methods and tools.

Even though there may be a number of Tarot Card Decks out there to whet your appetite, these systems are also well worth looking into. Plus, they play really well with the Tarot.

Not only do they exercise your psychic muscles in different ways, but they also help you get more information, and put you in a position where you can help your clients better.

Of course, if you know of any other card-based divination system that I haven’t covered here, please just drop a line in the comments section below. Also, if you have anything else to add or say, please tell me. I would love to hear all your thoughts.