Fun with Cartomancy Combinations: Business Places

Let's have some fun with cartomancy combinations! When I think about times I have most impressed a querent in a reading, it is when I was able to identify their place of work or business without them saying a word. The first time this happened to me I was reading for a young woman who worked as a hair stylist. At the center of her spread I saw the Ace of Clubs with the 3 of Hearts. I blurted out, "I see a beauty salon, you're a hairdresser!" I will never forget her shocked expression. Actually, I was just as shocked as she was. These moments don't happen in every reading, but when they do they confirm the magic of the playing cards, and never fail to thrill me.

The Ace of Clubs can represent a large building or place of business. The 10 of Clubs can also represent a place of business. The difference between the two cards can be subtle. In most cases, the Ace of Clubs will denote a large building or an institution or place where customers go to be served. The 10 of Clubs will usually represent a place where merchandise is sold. The Ace of Hearts will also sometimes represent a place of business such as a private practice. The best way to explain the differences is to show some examples...

If you need help with working out the combinations, please check out my lists of cartomancy card meanings.

3 of Hearts = beauty

Ace of Clubs + 3 of Hearts = beauty salon
10 of Clubs + 3 of Hearts = beauty supply store, beauty industry
Ace of Hearts + 3 of Hearts = interior designer, cosmetics, home vanity

6 of Clubs = book

Ace of Clubs + 6 of Clubs = library or publishing company, or factory
10 of Clubs + 6 of Clubs = bookstore
Ace of Hearts + 6 of Clubs = home library

4 of Clubs = car or a telephone call

Ace of Clubs + 4 of Clubs = car parking garage, or the telephone company
10 of Clubs + 4 of Clubs = car dealership, or phone store
Ace of Hearts + 4 of Clubs = landline phone

8 of Spades = doctor or ill health

Ace of Clubs + 8 of Spades = hospital
10 of Clubs + 8 of Spades = medical supply store
Ace of Hearts + 8 of Spades = doctor's office or dentist's office.

2 of Diamonds = food

Ace of Clubs + 2 of Diamonds = restaurant
10 of Clubs + 2 of Diamonds = grocery store
Ace of Hearts + 2 of Diamonds = kitchen

7 of Spades = liquor, drugs or medicine

Ace of Clubs + 7 of Spades = bar/nightclub or factory distillery or winery, pharmaceutical company
10 of Clubs + 7 of Spades = liquor store, drug store/pharmacy
Ace of Hearts + 7 Spades = home liquor cabinet, medicine cabinet

Ace of Clubs + 10 of Clubs = large corporation
Ace of Hearts + 10 of Clubs = family business
Ace of Clubs + Ace of Hearts = apartment building/complex

These are just a few of the combinations possible. Please keep in mind that many of these combinations have alternate meanings which will depend on context and surrounding cards. For example, the 10 of Clubs + 6 of Clubs can also represent a pool, or the act of swimming. The Ace of Hearts + 3 of Hearts can indicate redecorating the home. Your intuition will help you hone in on the right interpretation, and you'll often find that multiple interpretations will be valid and meaningful for the querent.

See if you can work out your own places of business based on the list of cartomancy card meanings. Feel free to post your combination(s) in the comment section below, and I will be happy to offer comments and/or suggestions. Alternately, you can post on my Art of Cartomancy Facebook page. I'm going to post a link there to this blog article.

Playing Cards Are Multidimensional

One of my favorite characteristics of working with the playing cards is that the cards rarely mean only one thing. I learned with other oracles that the cards should stick to answering the question, and only the question. I was taught that any divergent interpretation will invariably lead to an inaccurate reading. I don't know if that is true of Tarot, but it is the way I was taught to read Lenormand.

The playing cards are multidimensional. They always provide a straightforward answer to any question, but with their diverse meanings they will almost always provide additional information not at all related to that question. In my experience this additional information is unfailingly valid and accurate. I find the same thing can happen when I read the Italian Sibilla, which is one reason why I love the Sibilla so much.

Poker Faces by Zach Abel

The advantage of using a multidimensional oracle is that you can get a lot of general information from just a few cards. In the 1990's I worked the monthly psychic fair at a metaphysical bookstore. Client expectations were somewhat different from today. Back then people expected me to dive in immediately and tell them about their lives. Questions would come later, based on the initial reading. Now clients tend to be much more focused on a specific question or area of life they want to explore. Anyway, back in the day I could give a life reading in 20 minutes with only eight or ten cards on the table. Each card would function two or three different ways in the layout and cover a lot of detailed information-- most of which was immediately meaningful and valid for the client.

The following reading is an interesting example of a multidimensional spread that I did for a female client recently. Let's call her Jan, and thank her for allowing me to post her reading publicly for educational purposes. Jan is a 42 year old female who has taken the first steps toward creating her own business. She contacted me for a 5-Card email reading to ask how I see the new business developing in the next few months. Here are the cards that appeared in her reading...

The Fortune Teller's Deck by Jane Lyle

I first review the number of cards from each suit, and their interactions, to get a general feeling for the energy surrounding the question. The Spade jumps out immediately. It's a small value Spade so I know it's not a big obstacle, but it can definitely show delays or slow progress. The Spade is surrounded by Diamonds, which represent spirit, energy and optimism. The Diamonds show me the energy and enthusiasm invested in the business, and help to mollify that nasty Spade. The remaining cards are Clubs which represent progress and growth and good luck. I already have a good impression of how the business will develop just by analyzing the card suits.

In a Line of Five I next look to the center card, which I like to call the pivot card, or hinge pin of the reading. This one card alone will often answer the question, and the surrounding cards will help fill in the details surrounding the matter. The Jack of Diamonds is a good card in financial readings. It can be about profits and cash flow. But the Jack is the face card with the least value in a suit of cards. It indicates the start of something, or a small increase. The Jack of Diamonds confirms the answer. It shows a good financial start, and some small but solid progress over the next few months.

Now let's dig into the surrounding cards to get more information...

The 4 of Spades is a card of restrictions and slow movement. It confirms a slow start for the business. The 9 of Clubs is a great card for business. It shows forward movement, and gives a sense of heading in the right direction. There can be no doubt that progress will be slow at first, but the client is definitely on the right track with her new business, and on the right road to eventual success.

Finally let's look at the first and last cards in the spread. The first card represents the premise of the situation in question. The Ace of Diamonds shows a new beginning. It confirms the theme of the reading, and let's me know that the cards are responding accurately to the question. The final card represents the outcome, and it shows change-- all of the fives represent change in one form or another. The 5 of Clubs is a change in a social or work/business situation. It's always a change for the better, unless followed by an unfavorable card. In this case, the 5 of Clubs ends the row of cards, showing the continued progress and growth of the business into the future.

The cards have satisfactorily answered the question. But something else jumped out at me about this reading. The Jack of Diamonds with the 4 of Spades suggests a young person who is not feeling well. The 4 of Spades can be a card of illness, and it always grabs my attention when it falls in a spread. The surrounding Diamonds suggest a nervous problem, stress, or low energy. That felt right to me. I saw a young person, probably male, who was feeling depressed or exhausted. I saw this person taking a trip (9 of Clubs) to the country (5 of Clubs)-- perhaps a camping trip. This person needs to get away, and recharge (Ace of Diamonds). The 5 of Clubs promises that the trip will bring a positive change to both his social and work life.

I always share the alternative interpretations I see in a reading. I've learned that this additional information can be important to the client. In this case the client confirmed that her son was feeling burned out from school and his job, and had developed some health issues related to stress. He had not mentioned any plans to travel, so I advised the mom to suggest a trip for the son to spend some time in nature. I assured her that the cards suggested that the trip would be beneficial for her son, and that the young man would be fine.

When the cards show a problem, they invariably also indicate one or more solutions. The client was grateful for the alternate interpretation because she was worried about her son. The cards, in their multidimensional and helpful ways, answered the client's question, and also addressed a matter that had been stewing in the back of her mind.

Cartomancy Five Cards: College Admission

I was asked to post an example reading where the answer based on the ratio of red to black cards contradicts the answer based on card meanings. This can happen when the querent has the power and ability to influence the situation. The cards have taught me that we all come into this life with a blueprint of our destiny, but along the way we have the freewill to influence how we fulfill that cosmic contract. The following reading illustrates this idea nicely.

The reading is for Marcella, a high school senior who has applied to a prestigious college across the country where she hopes to continue her education. The school in question is her primary choice, and she is anxious about getting accepted. Marcella asks, "Will I be accepted to the College?"

Sophia's Fortunetelling Playing Cards

My first impression is of the predominance of black cards in the spread, immediately suggesting that acceptance is unlikely. I quickly peruse the cards to determine why. The 10 of Spades shows insecurity and fear. I also take note of the self-sabotaging Queen of Spades in the center of the spread. I see the queen as Marcella, and determine that it is her own fears creating a block in the situation.  What does Marcella fear?

If we keep in mind that the main columns holding the reading together are the first, middle and final cards (1, 3, and 5), the source of the fear becomes clear.  The 9 of Clubs reflects the fear indicated by the 10 of Spades, and the nine represents travel and movement and distance. Marcella has never been away on her own for any length of time, and the thought of leaving home makes her feel uncomfortable and insecure. This trio of cards will usually provide a concise answer to the question. With the 9 of Clubs as the outcome card, the reading suggests to me that if Marcella can overcome the block (10 of Spades) by resolving her fears, there is potential for her to move forward (9 of Clubs) with her desire to attend the College.

This outcome is confirmed for me by the red cards in the spread. I always look for the cards to reflect the theme of the reading. The King of Diamonds is one of the cards that represents school and education for me, so I know that the cards are tuned into my question. So I take the King to represent the College, and the King reflects the 5 of Hearts which is an offer or opportunity. This five is one of the best cards in the deck because it can denote a dream come true. Unless it is accompanied by very unfavorable cards, it almost always gives a yes answer in a spread. In this case, surrounded by Spades, I read it as a strong maybe.

It looks to me that despite the predominance of black cards, there is excellent potential for Marcella to be offered a position by the school. This is one of those freewill situations that will depend on whether Marcella can resolve her fears. Otherwise she runs the risk of self-sabotaging this opportunity. Often when two red cards and three black show up in a spread, it will suggest that the querent has some power over the situation to affect the final outcome. That seems to be the case with this situation. The cards can indicate the current trends and probable outcome, but only Marcella can create her own future.

This reading was originally posted as an exercise on my Facebook page, Art of Cartomancy. Check out the post for additional insights into these cards. Most of the participants agree with my final answer, but also offer varied perspectives that are equally valid based on the card meanings and combinations.