Intro To Cartomancy: A No-Nonsense Tarot Alternative That Uses Playing Cards

You've heard of tarot cards, maybe you've even used an oracle deck—but did you know you can do a reading (for yourself or a friend!) with a regular ol' deck of playing cards? This practice is called cartomancy, and anyone can give it a try.

According to intuitive astrologer Jacy Nova, cartomancy began centuries ago and was a favorite pastime of royals in European courts. "Cartomancy can be traced back to Europe as far as 1360, but it really rose to prominence between the 18th and 20th centuries" she adds.

While they can be read similarly, tarot decks and regular card decks are pretty different. The tarot deck has 78 cards (as opposed to a standard deck's 52) and contains different suits from your hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades.

In addition to that, Nova adds, tarot cards "have more of a magical quality to them and really help you when you're doing psychic or intuitive readings."

She notes that playing cards are much more black and white. This can make them a good option for anyone just dipping their toes into divinatory readings and looking for more direct guidance.

While tarot cards do have specific meanings, most tarot readers will lean on intuition more as they pick up the subtle energies of whomever they're reading for.

"The different tarot cards, I think, are much more in-depth," she adds. "They tell a deeper story, especially if you're doing a deeper reading."

First things first: you'll want to work with a freshly cleansed deck. From there, give your deck a shuffle, lay the cards out in front of you, and ask a question, Nova says. Depending on how in-depth you want to go, you can pull a single card, or you can opt for a three-card reading, with a card to represent the past, present, and future. "There's also nine-card spreads, or the Celtic cross, which is also available in tarot, or even 21-cards," she says.

Once you've got your spread on the table, here's a peek into what each card means:

Cartomancy is a great option for anyone looking to try a new form of divination. "If someone wants a no-nonsense, black-and-white approach to doing a reading, [cartomancy] is very direct," Nova says. So, think of the questions you'd like answered and try your hand—literally.