The Lost Man Spread - Discovering the Baby's Gender

This is a reading that I originally posted as a practice exercise on the Kapherus’ Blog Alumni Facebook group.

The querent is a 40 year old woman who is pregnant for the first time. She contacted me for a reading to help address her concerns regarding her high-risk pregnancy due to her age and general health. I was happy to note that the cards showed no problems or complications for the mother or the baby. For her final question the querent wanted to know if I could successfully predict the gender of the baby. She was only 10 weeks pregnant, too soon for a sonogram image to determine the baby’s gender.

For this question I used The Lost Man Spread. I learned this spread from The Playing Card Oracles book by Ana Cortez. For this spread a card is chosen to signify the theme of the question. For me, the Two of Hearts represents a child, so that is the card I chose as Significator. Then the cards are shuffled while focusing on the question. Finally the cards are spread face-up on the table to reveal the location of the Significator. The two or three cards appearing before the Significator, and the two or three card following the Significator are read for the answer to the question. Here are the cards that appeared with my chosen significator, the Two of Hearts…

The cards falling closest to the Significator will carry the most significance in answering the question. The 6 of Diamonds represents science and data and electronics. In health readings, this card will often represent a machine for medical diagnostics. The 7 of Spades is a card of problems, delays and a need for patience. I felt that in time the gender of the baby would be revealed by an imaging test, such as a sonogram. The 6 of Hearts represents all things masculine. To me it was a clear indicator that the baby is a boy. The King of Diamonds is a professional man. He could be a scientist or doctor or technician or spiritual leader. In health readings he will usually represent a doctor or medical technician.

Feedback:
Two weeks later, due to the high-risk nature of the querent’s pregnancy, her doctor advised a chromosome spectral analysis to ensure that the baby is not at risk for developing a genetic defect. The test returned normal and included information about the baby’s gender: It’s a boy!

In retrospect it occurs to me that the 7 of Spades could refer to a possible defect as the cause for the chromosome analysis (6D). The positive diamond following the spade hinted of a happy outcome.

Cartomancy Health Reading

This spread is from a practice exercise previously posted on the Facebook group Kapherus’ Blog Alumni. The source material is from an actual phone reading for a client who was kind enough to permit me to share the reading for instructional purposes.

The querent is a 57 year old male. He asks how he can facilitate the healing of a chronic health issue that has been plaguing him for some time. He did not specify the health issue, but I was able to identify the problem from the information in the cards.

For reference material regarding the cartomancy health meanings, please see the page titled Cartomancy Body Connection where I have compiled a list of health meanings from various sources including Dr. Leo Louis Matello, Regina Russell, and meanings derived from my own experience with the cards. The article also includes an additional example of a health reading.

Question: How can the querent facilitate the healing of his chronic health problem?

8 of Spades, 6 of Clubs, 2 of Diamonds
6 of Diamonds, King of Clubs, 7 of Clubs

In this spread the cards are read in vertical pairs, and each column deals with a specific aspect of answering the question.

The first column sets the premise for the reading, and reveals that the chronic health problem (8 of Spades) is caused by nervousness and stress (6 of Diamonds). Notice that there are no hearts in the spread, and the 6 of Diamonds suggests holding things in. My impression is that the querent stuffs his emotions. With the 2 of Diamonds also in the spread (the stomach), I suspect that as a result of not expressing his feelings, the querent suffers from a chronic stomach ulcer. The querent confirmed that this is indeed the case.

The second column answers the question, and advises the querent to seek practical advice from a helpful gentleman. The 6 of Clubs + club shows sound, helpful advice. With the 8 of Spades (doctor card) in the spread, my impression is that the King of Clubs represents the querent’s physician. The best way for the querent to facilitate the healing of his stomach ulcer is to heed and follow the advice of his doctor. The querent stated that his doctor had prescribed medication, but it did not seem to be helping.

The final column deals with contributing factors, and addresses dietary concerns. The 2 of Diamonds represents “eating,” and the 7 of Clubs is “disagreements.” There is something the querent is eating that does not agree with him, and is exacerbating the problem. The 7 of Clubs also advises that the diet should be evaluated by his doctor to determine which foods he is eating that may be aggravating the ulcer, and preventing the medication from bringing the desired effect. The 7 of Clubs can refer to social drinking, and I wonder if alcohol consumption might be irritating the ulcer.

The querent admitted that the doctor had prescribed a special diet, but he had not been following the diet carefully.

The problem is not too serious with only one spade appearing in the reading. If the querent will follow the dietary restrictions suggested by his doctor, and continue to take all other measures and medications prescribed, his chronic health problem should improve.

Cartomancy Court Cards: Who Are All These People?

A question I hear often from students is, “How can I make sense of a small spread that is dominated by face cards?” Almost one quarter of the 52 card deck is comprised of court cards, and so this is a very common complaint.

In my personal experience the court cards primarily represent the people we encounter in our daily lives: family members, friends, acquaintances and strangers. Even the most retiring wallflower will interact with a multitude of different people every day, both directly and indirectly, and the cards will pick up on these interactions. But what about when it makes no sense within the context of the reading for a court card to represent a person? What about when a cluster of court cards appear that don’t seem to address the question?

Interpreting the Court Cards when they don’t represent specific people can be tricky. There are general guidelines that I follow, but I also use a healthy dose of logic and a good pinch of intuition to make sense of the court card combinations.

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, 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 feelings for each suit.

Spades

negativity, problems, responsibilities, obligations, challenges, obstacles, mysteries, deceit, decisions, Karmic debts, addictions, setbacks, confinement, anxiety, sadness, failure, fear, illness and loss.

Hearts

desire, hopes, emotions, love, happiness, compassion, sharing, relationships, relaxation, laziness, pleasure, entertainment, creativity, soul connections, religion, and healing.

Clubs

good luck, growth, goals, conversations, verbal communication, learning, activity, work, business, organization, friendships and social interactions.

Diamonds

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

I combine the suit meanings with the archetypal meanings I associate with the Court Card ranks.

Jacks

The Jacks represent children and young people. Therefore they can denote something small or the start of something. 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 they carry the idea of movement. It’s important to note that Jacks can represent young males or young females; although in my own readings they almost always represent a male.

Queens

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

Kings

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

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

Jack of Diamonds

a small sum of money, the start of a financial venture, a written message, a message about finances, a check, a receipt, 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, and she can represent loneliness, separation, sterility, female health issues, blocked emotions, blocked creativity, criticism, a sharp tongue, etc.

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

King of Clubs

traditionally, he is the business man, and he can represent success in business, moving up the social ladder, attaining one’s goals, mastering a physical skill or ability, excelling at a hobby, etc.

Finally, let’s take a look at how to approach a small spread dominated by court cards…

This is a quick mini reading for a querent who had recently interviewed for job promotion. Her question was: Will I be hired for the position?

Queen of Hearts, King of Spades, Jack of Clubs

I drew three cards for the question, and since all of the cards in this small spread are court cards, I need to dig a little to find a meaningful answer.

My first impression is that the grouping of face cards indicates strong competition for the job. At least two males are being considered along with the querent (Queen of Hearts) for the position.

The querent is represented in the spread by the Queen of Hearts. She is a woman with hopes and desires; she very much wants the promotion. Sadly, her desire (heart) is overshadowed by a spade, and we know that the spades bring obstacles and failure and disappointment. The answer is clear to me: her heart’s desire is blocked. The querent will not get the promotion. The job will be awarded to a male colleague (Jack of Clubs—notice how the King of Spades looks away from the Queen of Hearts and toward the Jack of Clubs).

Next I need to look at why. It’s not enough for me to simply tell the querent that she failed. I feel obligated to also offer constructive advice to help her turn this failure into a future success.

The King of Spades can represent a man in authority, and the Jack of Clubs is a card of communication—perhaps the job interview. I asked the querent if her interviewer had been a gentleman, and she confirmed that she had indeed interviewed with a gentleman.
The King of Spades is dissatisfied based on his suit. He stands between the querent (Queen of Hearts) and the new job opportunity (Jack of Clubs) showing that he is blocking the promotion. Since the Jack of Clubs can also represent the interview, my feeling is that the querent did not make a positive impression on this man during the interview process. The combination of King Spade + the Jack of Clubs suggests to me that the querent’s interviewing skills may require some work. The King of Spades suggests a lack of mastery.

My answer to the client was that she would not get the promotion because she had not made a favorable impression on her interviewer. The querent admitted that she had felt nervous and intimidated. I advised her that there are techniques she can learn to improve her interview skills, and suggested she take a class or find a good book to help her brush up on these skills so that her next interview will be successful.

As predicted, the querent did not get the job promotion. She took my advice and found a couple of good books on the art of job interviewing, and now plans to utilize her improved skills in finding a better paying job.

As you can see, it is possible to get a good amount of information from a cluster of court cards. The better you get to know the suit influences, the easier it will be to find meaning in a spread dominated by court cards. Also, it’s important to remember that each card can be read in several different ways. In the above example, I read the Queen of Hearts to represent the querent, but also her desire for the promotion. The King of Spades represents failure and disappointment in the reading, but also the gentleman interviewer, and the querent’s lack of mastery. Finally, the Jack of Clubs serves to represent the job interview, the new position, and the colleague who ultimately received the promotion. All of these interpretations are meaningful within the context of the question, and proved to be equally accurate.

Reading Between the Lines...uh, Cards

As readers we sometimes find that the questions people ask the cards are not always the questions they most want answered. The seeker may feel shy or embarrassed about asking directly what they truly wish to know. I find this especially true with new clients, or during the more casual readings in public venues, such as at a psychic fair. I’ve learned that I must sometimes read between the cards to discover how best to serve my client’s needs.

For example, this is an actual reading done during a psychic fair in which a married woman asks, "Is my husband happy?" A quick look at the cards reveals that her husband's happiness may not be the seeker's primary concern.

To answer this question I used The Answer Spread. Six cards are drawn and laid out in two rows of three. The cards are read in pairs vertically only. The first column represents the premise of the question. The middle column provides the answer to the question, and the final column provides additional information to support the answer.

These are the playing cards that the seeker drew:

• King of Spades
• 10 of Spades
• 3 of Clubs
• Queen of Clubs
• King of Clubs
• Ace of Hearts

The two cards on the left represent the premise of the question. The King of Spades and Queen of Clubs in this position would represent the woman, her husband and their strong relationship together. The interplay between the two court cards can provide clues about the dynamics of the relationship between these two people. The woman is represented by the Queen of Clubs. She is outgoing and friendly. She likes to talk and enjoys socializing with other people. The husband is represented by the King of Spades. He is more quiet and reserved. He likes to take charge of a situation and handle things on his own. The querent mentioned that her husband was a police officer, which could be another reason why he is represented by the King of Spades. The queen covers the king, showing that she controls the dynamics of the relationship. He is a loner. She draws him out and makes him more sociable.

The middle two cards answer the question. I was a little surprised to find another man represented here along with worries and deception. The King of Clubs matches the queen’s suit, indicating a relationship between the two. The 10 of Spades represents worries, suspicion, secrets and lies. It suddenly occurred to me that there was another man in the middle of the seeker's marriage, and she was worried that her husband would find out.

It's always a little awkward when delicate information appears in a reading, but the woman quickly admitted that there had been someone else. It had happened only once, it had been a mistake, and her real question was, "Will the husband ever find out?" In the Answer Spread, a predominance of black cards will usually indicate a negative response—unless the cards themselves indicate otherwise. In this case, the answer to her question was "no," the husband suspects (10 of Spades), but he would not find out.

Again, we can look at the interplay between the court cards for more details. The King of Spades looks toward the 10 of Spades. He may suspect, but he does not know for sure. The King of Clubs looks toward the Queen of Clubs. He is still interested in continuing the secret liaison. But the queen looks away from the King of Clubs, showing disinterest. She is telling the truth that for her the indiscretion is over.

Secrets like this always find a way of surfacing, but the two cards in the position of Contributing Factors confirm that the querent's secret is safe for at least the time being. This pair of cards shows positive growth and a fresh start in love. Although the husband suspects (10 Spades) an affair, the cards indicate that she has been lucky (3 of Clubs) and that her home and family life will not be adversely affected by the tryst (Ace of Hearts).

The Clubs falling on Spades indicate "working through" difficulties or problems, and suggest good communication between the married couple. The Ace of Hearts as the pivot card of the layout suggests a strong marriage and a happy home. Even if the husband’s suspicions were proved true regarding the affair, I believe the strong marriage would survive.

More Practice with the Court Cards - Holiday Cold

I woke on Sunday morning with a pounding headache, which is odd because I’m one of those rare people who can count on one hand the number of headaches I’ve had in my lifetime. I think the last headache I remember was from December of 1996, which was also the last time I had the flu. So I decided that I must be getting sick.

I’m also one of those people who hates surprises, so I drew a few cards for some insight into why I woke up feeling like I polished off a jug of cheap wine the previous night-- in truth, I can’t even remember the last time I had a hangover…..

QS + JH + KS + QC + AH

I thought it was an interesting combination of cards. Usually when the court cards fall in a cluster, they have an important message to share. In health readings, they will often indicate a contagious ailment that is passed from one person to another. The spades represent sickness, worry and discomfort.  The Ace of Hearts is ‘home and hearth,’ and suggests an illness that’s being passed from family member to family member in a household. This makes sense since I know a few of my family members have been down with a nasty cold.

The card of the heart suit ending the row is good news, though. It shows improvement, and assures me that I’m not suffering from anything too serious. But the Ace is ‘small potatoes,’ and usually indicates a slow recovery. This was looking more and more to me like the flu.

The Jack of Hearts is ‘lover boy.’ He represents feelings and emotions. He’s hemmed in by spades (sickness) on either side, and they’re the ‘big gun’ spades court cards. It looked like I was going to be pretty sick, and feeling miserable. The Queen of Clubs is ‘strength, stability and practical progress.’ The sickness will run its course, and I’ll get better eventually.

The Queen of Clubs and Ace of Hearts also suggested to me that I needed to be practical—stay home (AH) and take care of myself, rest in bed, drink plenty of fluids, keep the fever down, and see a doctor if I notice anything out of the ordinary.

Feedback:

Thankfully it was not the flu, but it was a nasty head cold that settled into my chest. Heeding the warning in the cards, I ended up at urgent care to get checked out, and was prescribed antibiotics for the bronchitis. I can be a bit of an alarmist when I’m sick, but I’m feeling better already!

Mysteries of the Cartomancy Daily Card Draw

The Cartomancy Daily Card Draw can be a real mystery, and often it's only in hindsight that we can understand the true message in the daily cards. Part of the problem is that-- at least for me-- the prediction in a daily draw may not always materialize on the day. Sometimes it can take two or three days, or even a week, before the message becomes clear. I have found that unless I journal my card draws, and review the readings regularly, it's easy to miss the connection when the event materializes in my life.

I go back and check off the reading in my journal when a prediction materializes. Sometimes a daily draw never seems to materialize, but that is rare for me. I have very few card draws recorded in the journal that have not materialized.

Here's a daily card draw that I was able to check off today. I drew these cards two days ago on Friday, August 8th, 2014, at 9:18 a.m....

AS + 10C + QC

Ace of Spades = a decision, an ending and a new beginning
10 of Clubs = business, a journey, water
Queen of Clubs = a female friend or colleague

My first impression was of a decision (AS) related to a business matter (10C) in connection with a female friend/colleague (QC). Then I considered that I might be asked (sometimes the AS will indicate "being asked" when the answer requires a decision) to go on a journey (10C), or to the pool (10C) or to the beach (10C) with a female friend (the QC is active, she wants to go somewhere or do something).

You see, the cards can mean different things, and it's not always easy to determine which meaning or meanings apply. Sometimes the cards will mean more than just one thing, and each meaning will be equally valid and accurate.

Nothing made sense to me that day... no business decision, no decision about going on a trip. In fact, I didn't even leave the house on Friday. It rained most of the afternoon, and I decided that the 10C (the water card) was probably referring to a rainy day. I've noticed that the cards will sometimes predict the weather in a daily draw.

Then....

Early this morning I received a call from my sister (QC) who asked me (AS) if I would watch her children today because she has the opportunity to spend the day on a friend's boat (10C).

The message in Friday's cards suddenly made perfect sense. So here I am now entertaining two young children while my sister sails off into the rising sun.

I strongly believe that drawing daily cards is the best way to learn how the cards speak to us. Most of the time the draw can only be understood in retrospect, but that's okay because there is a lesson in every card draw.

Cartomancy Skills - Linking a Row of Cards

When reading a row of cards I link the cards together following the basic rule that the card falling to the right will always modify its neighbor to the left.  That being the case, you can have a long line of spades, and if the row ends in heart, it means all will end well.

As an example, let's say we have a row of cards to interpret: A B C D E F G...

Generally, I would start with A and look to see how it's being modified by B.  Then I would look at B to see how it is modified by both A and C, and so on-- but there are no set rules. Pay attention to how the card suits interact. This interaction can guide you through the development of the situation in question. In the end, the manner of combining the cards is always going to be based on the cards that fall, the order in which they fall, and-- most importantly-- your own intuition.

I also tend to read action based on the card order.  For example, if we look at card B, card A could be a past influence and C could be a future influence.  Card A leads to card B, B leads to C, and so on.

Okay, let's take an actual row of cards to help make this clearer.  I am borrowing a 7 card draw that a student was struggling with recently.  It's a great example because it illustrates how the cards modify each other based on timing, suit and meaning.

Here are the cards:

The first card is the King of Clubs.  We know he is a man, and we could further identify him based on his suit-- friend, colleague, co-worker, ambitious, friendly, goal-oriented, etc.

Face Card + Spade =  Unhappy Person

The 5 of Spades modifies the King of Clubs.  In other words it tells us more about him.  The 5 of Spades represents divorce, feelings of loneliness, being forced to stand alone.  So we know that he is either currently going through a divorce or will soon be going through a divorce (if the 5 of Spades had fallen to the left of the King of Clubs, it would have suggested a man already separated or divorced).  We can also say he's upset and feeling alone.

Spade + Heart = Need for Emotional Healing

Next we look at the 3 of Hearts which is a very good card.  But here we see it hemmed in by spades-- the 5 of Spades on one side, and the 10 of Spades on the other. Furthermore, and it's topped (covered) by double spades-- the 10 of Spades followed by the 4 of Spades.  So we can say that although the 3 of Hearts is generally a very good card, in this case the message is not so good.  Because the 3 of Hearts modifies the 5 of Spades, it tells us what the man is divorcing himself from. The 3 of Hearts represents a relationship that is ending painfully.

Heart + Spade =  Emotional Pain

Now we turn our attention to the 10 of Spades which is a card of fears and worries and suspicions.  The 10 of Spades modifies the 3 of Hearts so we can say that the man has worries and suspicions regarding the relationship.  The 3 of Hearts can sometimes refer to a love triangle (particularly when hemmed in by Spades), and so we see that the man suspects that his partner has met someone else.  We don't know if that is true or not based on these cards, but the suspicion is clear, and the 10 of Spades does indeed suggests secrets.

Spade + Spade = Serious Problems

The 4 of Spades comes next.  It represents illness, depression, exhaustion, caution, feeling stuck, etc.  Since the 4 of Spades follows the 10 of Spades, we can say that the worries and suspicions may affect the man's health and well being (the 4 of Spades and 10 of Spades falling together is the classic combination for clinical depression). He may feel stuck and sluggish, and unable to let go of the fears and worries.

Spade + Club = Actively Working Through Problems

As we move further into the future we look next to the 5 of Clubs.  This card represents active intention, taking action, confidence, etc.  Since it modifies the 4 of Spades, we can say that the period of moping and inaction will be short, and the man will be motivated to take action and do something about his situation.  We know from his suit that the King of Clubs is  generally a 'take action' kind of guy.  Also the symbolism of the two 5's indicates taking matters in hand, taking control of the situation, the outcome rests in his own hands.

Club + Diamond = Increase in Power, Improvement, Action Toward Success

Finally we have the Jack of Diamonds which can be read as a young person, or as the man's thoughts, or as advice (the Jacks are messengers).  Since this card modifies the 5 of Clubs, which is a communication card, I would read the Jack as advice and say that the man will be actively seeking counsel. Clubs are about communication and learning and progress. Diamonds are often professionals, and represent legal and psychological matters. So the Jack of Diamonds could represent psychological counseling or some kind of therapy.

Diamond = Final Outcome

The final card is the outcome card, and as a Diamond it tends to be positive. So we know that despite all of the bad cards in the row, the man is going to come through the separation fine--  Diamonds represent empowerment, improvement, success, etc. He will take control of the situation and seek the help he needs to move past the challenges.

I think pulling together a long row of cards can be more challenging than reading a spread with positional meanings, such as the Celtic Cross.  But it's a skill that can be developed with practice.