Death in the Playing Cards

Most people don’t like to talk about death. In fact, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that at least 99% of the people I read for do not want to hear about death in their cards.  I can’t say I blame them-- I don’t particularly care to talk about death either.  I know it’s an uncomfortable subject, but as readers it’s only a matter of time before we encounter death in the cards.  So what do you do when you see the seeker’s death or the death of someone close to the seeker in your reading?

No reader is 100% accurate regardless of their claims to the contrary.  For this reason, I choose never to predict death in my readings.  Why frighten or worry someone needlessly?  On the other hand, I’m a firm believer in the old adage “forewarned is forearmed.”  Readings are not set in stone.  They predict the natural course of events based on the current influences at the time of the reading.

In some cases, the querent may have the ability to influence the final outcome.  Therefore, although I won’t predict death, I will offer strong warnings when appropriate.  If I see sickness connected to the death, I will advise the seeker that he or she is overdue for a health checkup.  If I see an accident or injury, I will warn the seeker to be cautious while driving or dealing with potentially dangerous equipment.

In almost every instance that I have encountered death in the cards, the seeker was already aware that someone around them was close to death.  When I mention that I see someone who is seriously ill around them, they immediately confirm that they have a friend or family member with a terminal illness.

Perhaps the most difficult, and the most spiritual, readings for me have been for people with a terminal illness who know they are dying.  They come looking for hope or comfort, or confirmation that their lives were meaningful.  These readings should be approached with love and honesty-and above all, spiritual truth.

Death in the Playing Cards:

My grandmother used the Ace of Spades in the reversed position to denote death, and that is the way I first learned to read that card.  It’s interesting to note that the Ace of Spades was the only card in the entire deck that she read both upright and reversed.  Over the years I have dropped the reversed meaning of the Ace of Spades, and instead I use combinations of Spades along with the Ace to represent physical death.

In order to predict a physical death in the playing cards, the Ace of Spades should be clustered with other spades such as the 2♠ (separation), 4♠ (illness), 3♠ (disease), 5♠ (loss & tears), 6♠ (moving on), 8♠ (sickness), 9♠ (accident or injury) and 10♠ (the afterlife).  I have to see a cluster of at least three or four of these Spades along with the Ace before I would even consider that I see a death in the cards.

A cluster of spades including the Ace, but without the 2♠, 5♠ or 6♠ could indicate a fear of death.  The seeker is worried about that she or a loved one is near death.  A cluster of small spades without the Ace can indicate the same thing. I once had a client who was a bit of a hypochondriac. In every reading she would pull almost the entire suit of Spades, minus the 2, 5 and 6. I would have to assure her each time that I did not see any serious health issues for her before her cards would reflect her life rather than her fears.

You might see the Ace of Spades along with other small spades in the position of past influences in a reading.  This indicates that the seeker has recently experienced the loss of a loved one, and is still dealing with the grief.

Sometimes when death appears in the cards, particularly when the Spades fall separately in the reading, it refers to a tragic incident the seeker will hear about.  Although the news doesn’t affect them personally, the tragedy can cause a psychic or emotional disturbance that is forewarned by the cards. My daily cards the morning of the Sandy Hook tragedy were the Jack of Spades + the 9 of Spades + 10 of Spades. It's hard to imagine a worse trio of cards. I had no idea what was about to transpire, but I knew it would be bad. Although the event did not affect me personally on a physical level, I was deeply affected emotionally.

I believe that as readers we have an ethical responsibility to the seeker to provide honest, helpful, and positive information.  I don’t think it is ethical or helpful to frighten someone with predictions of doom.  As always, let your conscience and intuition be your guide.