"What Do The Cards Say About You?"

This age-old question, hotly debated in many cultures, can be resolved in the ancient science of astrology and numerology. Just like the weather, there are patterns and forces in our realm that we can feel, respond to, and work with, even though we have no control over them.

For example, as much as we wish, we all know we cannot “will” a great powder day into existence. We can only be aware enough to pay attention to the forecast and, when the snow comes, be well rested, geared up, and ready to ski. The perfect conditions for one person, (i.e. 3 feet of fresh powder), could be dangerous for someone else. If you drop someone into the backcountry in a blizzard without proper preparation, what could happen to that person? They might not survive. The same conditions, however, for someone in a strong place both physically and mentally, can resultin the best day of their life. So yes, humans have free will, but we are all affected by external forces.

Tracking the movements of the sky has been important to humans since the beginning of civilization. Whether you are embarking on a maiden voyage, a new relationship, or launching a business, the difference between success and failure usually comes down to one thing: timing. Where do we look to find clues to this timing? Numerology, astrology, and the sacred geometry that governs the patterns of our glorious world.

There are many systems dedicated to studying these movements and timing. One often misunderstood, but very accurate system, is the Playing Cards. The traditional 52-card deck has a hidden purpose: it is actually an astrological birthday calendar. Each day of the year is governed by a card, and learning about your card can unlock the secrets of your potential. Though the common playing deck is mostly used for gaming today, it contains information dating back to ancient times.

The French were responsible for introducing the cards to the western world around the fourteenth century, although pictures and engravings found in China and Egypt tell a much older, deeper story. In fact, the deck was around hundreds of years before the fourteenth century, and possibly predates the Tarot. The true meaning of cards seemed well understood in the ancient world. They were actually considered so potent that the French government, realizing their divinatory power, banned their use for the common people, even for games, and created a military deck that was used to strategize and gain a greater perspective on their enemies. In modern times, the mystical meaning behind the 52-card deck was brought back to life by a most unusual person, Olney Richmond.

Born in 1844, he was a civil war veteran and self-proclaimed skeptic. His life changed one night as he stood guard duty in Nashville, when a man approached him and told him he would be his successor in the Order of the Magi. The mysterious man also told Olney he would take part in many battles but he would not be harmed. This turned out to be true. He survived and went on the write The Mystic Test Pack, as well as give many temple lectures, shedding light on the deck’s true purpose, and history.

In his lecture, titled Magical Wonders, he said: “It has been claimed by many historians that the French invented them, about the fourteenth century or later, and that they were made to play games with and to amuse the French court and people. Nothing could be farther from the truth than this account of their origin and purposes. If they were so invented, why is it that the court cards bear upon their faces even to this day, not only the likenesses of ancient kings, queens, and courtiers of Egypt, but also secret symbols of the magi and priests of Isis? These symbols have been handed down and reproduced by each generation of engravers and printers, as it were, unconsciously. The wandering tribes of Gypsies have preserved the secrets of cards as emblems of planetary motion, time, etc., without having preserved the higher knowledge that enables us to explain why and how it is that they have these properties.”

One thing is for certain, whether we understand the greater meaning or not, the 52-card deck is a predominant motif of our culture, with gambling and card games spanning the globe as a preferred pastime. Humanity does love the thrill of a bet. But perhaps, on a deeper level, our obsession with that tiny pack of cards, and the symbols contained therein, touch upon a memory in the collective conscious. The next time you come across some “silly” playing cards, consider that there may be a deep-seated recognition that brings us back to a time and place when mankind respected its own vulnerability and tried to understand how to work with the forces of nature, instead of fruitlessly against them.

ACE
Desire, Ambition, New Beginnings, Loneliness

TWO
Sharing, Partnership, Cooperation, Fear

THREE
Creativity, Expression, Indecision, Worry

FOUR
Practical, Constructive, Protection, Inflexible

FIVE
Action, Change, Travel, Restlessness

SIX
Stability, Destiny, Balance, Monotony

SEVEN
Spirituality, Faith, Challenges, Non-Attachment

EIGHT
Power, Work, Protection, Bully

NINE
Fulfillment, Conclusions, Universal, Obstacles

TEN
Success, Achievement, Awards, Over-Expansion

JACK
Creative, Talent, Spiritual Initiation, Immaturity

QUEEN
Psychic, Receptive, Teacher, Intolerant

KING
Leadership, Authority, Mastery, Tyrant

HEARTS
Emotions and Expression

CLUBS
Knowledge and Communication

DIAMONDS
Money and Values

SPADES
Work and Spiritual Wisdom