The Star Spread: Will I Find True Love?

I wanted to share the following reading because it provides a good example of how I approach a small spread that is dominated by Court Cards. I recently posted two articles on how to read the Court Cards: The Court Cards As People and When Court Cards Do Not Represent People. I hope the following example reading will help further showcase these ideas in action.
For this reading I used the Star Spread. I have encountered several versions of the Star Spread from various sources. The version I prefer comes from the book, The Way of Cartouche by Murry Hope.

This example Star Spread was part of an actual reading done on 4/21/06 for the daughter of a good friend.  You’ll notice that 4 of the 5 cards pulled for this layout were Court Cards which provide psychological insight into the interactions between the people involved in the situation.  

Question: Will I find true love?

Cards In the Order They Were Drawn:

King of Hearts
Queen of Spades
King of Spades
5 of Diamonds
King of Clubs

The King of Hearts at the first point of the star represents the nature of the question.  As a member of the suit of hearts, this card confirms that the question deals with an emotional matter.  The King would specifically represent the ideal partner the querent is wishing for– family man, good provider, protector, faithful husband, etc., which are all of the characteristics associated with this card.

The Queen of Spades at the 2nd point of the star represents the cause or basis of the question, the reason for the wish, or the cause of the problem.  The suit of Spades represents sadness and loneliness, which are obvious reasons for searching for true love. Specifically, the queen represents the querent in her current aspect of sadness and loneliness.  The Queen of Spades can also represent a divorced woman, and the querent was in fact divorced.

The King of Spades falling at the 3rd point of the star represents a contributing factor, or additional information to be considered in the situation. It’s easy to see that he represents the querent’s ex-husband, as the King of Spades would denote a divorced or widowed man. As a spade falling in this position, he represents an obstacle to the successful outcome of the situation.

If we look at the dynamics of the cards in this layout, we see that the Queen of Spades (the querent) is looking away from the King of Spades (the ex-husband), but the ex-husband is looking directly at the querent.  These interactions suggest that although she is finished with the relationship, and is ready to move on, he is still holding on.  The querent confirmed that this was the case.  The ex-husband had continued to pursue her even after she made it clear to him that she was not interested in a reconciliation.

Despite her desire to move on, the queen’s stance also suggests that the querent still harbors anger and hurt feelings from the past relationship.  These negative emotions as represented by the Queen of Spades may be holding her back from finding new love.  Interestingly, the Queen of Spades is  turned away from all of the men in the layout, including her ideal man, the King of Hearts.  This further suggests that she has closed herself off emotionally.

At the 4th point of the star we find the only pip in the layout.  This position answers the question, or provides advice for finding a solution to the problem or concern.  The 5 of Diamonds is the card of “physical and mental attraction,” and it reminds us that we create our experiences based on the energy we project out into the the world.  This card can be a warning to be more aware of how we present ourselves to those around us.

The 5 of Diamonds in this position advises that a change is needed in the way the querent is perceiving herself, and presenting this image to the world–and in particular to potential partners.  This card suggests that in order to move forward, the querent must release her anger, forgive the ex, and drop the Queen of Spades persona as the sad, lonely, hurt, angry, wronged woman.

The card in the final position at the 5th point of the star represents the final outcome if the advice of the card in position 4 is heeded.  Here we find the King of Clubs.  He is the actual man, as opposed to the ideal (King of Hearts), that the querent can potentially attract (5 of Diamonds) into her life.  The King of Clubs is friendly, reliable, trustworthy and stable, the very qualities the querent needs.  It is interesting to note that the King of Clubs also looks away from the Queen, which suggests disinterest in her current aspect as the hurt, angry woman.

For this yes-or-no question I set the intention that the answer could be derived by the ratio of red to black cards in the spread. The predominance of black cards would suggest a “no” answer.  It’s important to keep in mind that the “no” does not mean “never.”  It simply means “no” for the duration of the whatever time frame is set by the reading.  In the case of the Star Spread, the time frame is usually between 3 to 6 months.

The King of Clubs represents a new man coming into the querent’s life, but the encounter could be delayed by her inability to release the negative emotion from her past relationship with the ex.  It’s also possible she may meet the new man within the time frame of the reading, but the relationship may not develop right away.

Feedback:

The querent took the advice to heart, and worked at forgiving and releasing the baggage from her failed marriage.  She did meet someone new about year after the reading, and eventually remarried.

When Court Cards Do Not Represent People

In most cases when a Court Card† appears in a reading, the card will represent the querent or an important person in the querent’s life. But every once in a while you’ll come across a Court Card that doesn’t seem to make sense within the context of the reading, and your gut tells you that the card is not meant to represent a specific someone.

So how to interpret a court card when it’s not a person?

It can be tricky. I don’t have a canned set of meanings that I use for face cards when they don’t represent people, but I do have general guidelines that I follow with reliable results. First, it helps to have a good understanding of the suit meanings, because the suit will set the mood or the theme for the Court Card. Here is a list of the common meanings I use for the suits, but please keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive. Feel free to add to these meanings, or subtract from them, or switch them around based on your own intuitive feeling for each suit.

Spades 

negativity, problems, responsibilities, obligations, law enforcement, challenges, obstacles, mysteries, decisions, Karmic debts, obsessions, addictions, resentment, anger, setbacks, confinement, anxiety, failure, fear, illness and loss.

Hearts 

emotions, love, romance, happiness, comfort, compassion, sharing, family matters, relationships, intimacy, rest, relaxation, amusement, fun, laziness, pleasure, peace, calm, creativity, soul connections, religion, and healing.

Clubs 

good luck, growth, goals, conversations, verbal communication, paperwork, learning, action, physical activity, sports, exercise, work, construction, clubs and organizations, business, friendships and social interactions.

Diamonds 

energy, electricity, power, science, technology, language, written communication, higher education, independence, restlessness, nerves, optimism, intellect, imagination, design, plans, spirituality, psychic energy, money, possessions, rewards, success, and legal judgments.

I combine the suit meanings with the archetypal meanings that I associate with the Court Cards by rank.

Jacks 

The Jacks represent children and young people. Therefore the Jack can denote something small or the start of something new. In the days before the invention of the telephone, young boys were employed as messengers, so the Jacks can be the messengers for their suits. Jacks can also represent thoughts, so there is the idea of movement connected with these cards.

Queens 

The Queens represent women, feminine things, and the divine feminine principle. Queens represent motherhood and love, and they are nurturing, creative, receptive and introspective. The Queens denote growth and personal power. They bring emotions and intuition and healing to their respective suits.

Kings 

The Kings are grown men, and are the highest ranking court card. They denote mastery, authority, control and leadership. The Kings are protective and commanding, but they can be demanding, possessive, and even agressive and overbearing depending on their suit and surrounding cards.

With the above meanings in hand, and with a healthy dose of logic and a good pinch of intuition, it’s not too difficult to determine what a court card is trying to say when your gut tells you it isn’t meant to represent a person.

As an example, let’s combine the Jack with the Suit of Diamonds…

Jack of Diamonds 

traditionally he is the letter carrier. He can represent a small sum of money, the start of a financial venture, a written message, a message about finances, a financial statement, a check, a receipt, money transfer, a message from your spirit guides, a place for higher learning, etc.

How about the Queen with the Suit of Spades…

Queen of Spades 

traditionally, she is the widow. She can represent loneliness, separation, an ending, sterility, miscarriage, female health issues, blocked emotions, loss of personal power, blocked creativity, etc.

Now we’ll look at the King with the suit of Clubs…

King of Clubs 

traditionally, he is a man of business. He can represent success in business, moving up the social ladder, attaining one’s goals, mastering a physical skill or ability, taking ownership of a project, an exclusive men’s club or organization, etc.

Your own intuition and the surrounding cards will help add color and flavor to your interpretation of the Court Card.

The real trick is in knowing when a Court Card is meant to represent a person, and when it is not. If you fall into the habit of interpreting all of your face cards as qualities and characteristics rather than as people, you’ll miss out on the important roles other people play in the querent’s life. This would create a blind spot in your readings which could be a serious detriment to your querent’s understanding of the true factors influencing his or her life experiences.

†Court Card Images:
Jack Daniels Old No. 7 Playing cards, Legendary Irish Playing Cards, Sophia’s Fortune Telling Deck, Jane Lyle’s Fortune Teller’s Deck, Bicycle Playing cards.

Cartomancy Daily Draw - A Happy Visit

I drew exceptionally good cards this morning...

9 of Hearts - dream, wish, desire, victory, success
King of Hearts - father figure, protector, good counsel
4 of Clubs - a vehicle, a telephone call, a visit

The King of Hearts is my significator card, but I have the impression that he represents someone else in this spread since the 4 of clubs falling last shows that I receive a phone call or visit from this man. He could be a family member or a good friend. So wish fulfillment comes  from a man and a phone call, or the man will bring something I desire in his vehicle.

Now I need to tone the message down a good bit since daily cards are never as dramatic as a full reading. My brother is supposed to drop by today for a visit, and these cards could simply refer to good companionship with my brother during his visit.

Update 10:29 pm

I was surpised that my brother (KH) did not come by for a visit today, but I did speak with him on the phone (4C). He confirmed that he will have Christmas dinner at my place instead of spending the holiday with his ex-wife and children. He will visit with his kids in the morning, and then head over to my house in the afternoon for dinner. This was happy news, and something I was hoping (9H) to hear, so I'm sure that's what today's cards were about.