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Cartomancy with the Skat / Piquet Deck of 32 Cards – Card Meanings

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This is the list of meanings I have received for the German Skat deck. If you need a background, click here for part I.

Hearts – Hearts (also called “Rot”, red)

Ace – The home, The Family
Seven – Intimacy, Someone or something close, Something imminent
Eight – Fun, Entertainment, Festivity
Nine – Friendship, Joy, Love
Ten – Marriage, Union, Connection, Bond
Jack / Unter – A Child, Naive, Inexperienced, Positive, Immature
Queen / Ober – The female querent
King – The male querent

Spades – Leaves (called “Grün”, green)*

Ace – A letter, Document, A book, Study
Seven – Visit, Meetings, Hopes, A short trip (even just going out on foot)
Eight – Society, People meeting, Groups, Talks, Also a short trip, but a bit longer than the Seven
Nine – Worry, Uncertainty, Preoccupation
Ten – Long road, Travel, A long time, Abroad
Jack / Unter – Message, News, also relatives
Queen / Ober – An older woman, A dark-haired woman, A friend or relative
King – The male counterpart to the Queen

Diamonds – Bells (“Schellen”)

Ace – Success, Great fortune, Gift, Good for career and business
Seven – Small money, Something small, Objects, little by little, of small account
Eight – Job, Occupation, also Praise
Nine – Success, Growth, Increase, Recognition, Satisfaction, Improvement
Ten – Money, Success
Jack / Unter – Good luck, Fortunate occurrence
Queen / Ober – A blond woman, A younger woman
King – The male counterpart to the Queen

Clubs – Acorns (note that Clubs are called “Kreuzkarten”, Crosses)

Ace – Sorrow, Suffering, Spirituality, Loss, Shock, A large building
Seven – Tears, can rarely be tears of happiness
Eight – Anger, Arguments, Clashes
Nine – Loss, Lack of success, Also jealousy
Ten – Illness, Situations that are sick
Jack / Unter – Disruption, Bad luck, Falseness, also wearing a uniform
Queen / Ober – An elderly woman, An ex, A negative woman, Lonely, lying, A female doctor or a woman in a position of authority
King – The male counterpart to the queen

Combinations

A♣ – 10♣ – K♣ = hospital, sickness
K♣ – 10♥ – 8♥ = marriage
7♥ – 7♠ – J♥ = pregnancy
8♦ – A♠ = a new job
8♦ – 9♦ – A♦ = career advancement
8♦ – 7♦ = part-time job
8♦ – 10♦ = full-time job
10♦ – K♦ – A♦ = successful businessman
8♠ – 8♥ = meeting people, a party
A♥ – 7♣ – 9♣ – A♣ = loss in the family
10♥ – K♣ – 8♣ = divorce
K♣ – J♣ – A♣ = problems with the law, prison (if another bad card instead of the Ace, problems with the law)
10♠ – 7♠ = someone visiting from far away
8♥ – J♦ – A♦ – 10♦ = winning money
J♦ – J♣ = bad luck, lost opportunity
J♣ – J♦ = good luck
7♥ – 7♦ = flirt, just sex, small money coming in
7♠ – 8♥ = going out with friends
10♠ – 8♥ = a pleasant trip
10♠ – 10♣ = problems with the car
10♠ – 8♣ – A♣ = an accident
7♦ – A♥ – 9♦ = house renovations
A♠ – 10♦ – A♥ – A♦ = buying a house
K♥ or Q♥ – 9♠ – 9♣ = person is jealous
7♦ – 7♣ = money problems

* as I said in part I, in the German tradition Spades are good and Clubs bad. If that seems weird to you, feel free to swap them.

Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards

Cartomancy with the Skat / Piquet Deck of 32 Cards – Introduction

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Before moving on with the regular deck of 52 cards, I wanted to spend some time on the reduced pack of 32. Reduced decks are very common across Europe. Usually, a reduced deck consists of all Aces, Sevens, Eights, Nines, Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings.
Reduced packs are used not just in divination, but for playing games, and that’s probably how fortune-tellers and diviners got the idea. A reduced deck is usually called a Piquet deck or, in German-speaking countries, a Skat deck. I say this because the method I have been taught is of German origins.

Another important point to consider is that not all traditions see the suits in the same way. In Italy, as well as in most English traditions, Diamonds are neutral to good, while in France they are often seen more critically, as opposed to Clubs, which are seen as more positive, while in English fortune-telling they are neutral and, in Italian cartomancy, neutral to bad depending on who you ask.

In German-speaking countries we find a curious variation: Spades, which are considered invariably bad all across Europe, are seen positively, while Clubs are considered bad. This is due to the fact that in German, Clubs are called Kreuze (e.g., Kreuz-10, Kreuz-König, etc.), which means Crosses. As such, they are considered symbols of suffering. Spades, on the other hands, are associated with social activities and movement.

The method that I have been taught, which I admittedly do not practice, but have been allowed to pass along in case someone is interested in it, was originally devised for traditional German decks. German decks have peculiar suits which are completely different from the standard poker deck.
These are
Hearts (actually called Rot, Red)
Leaves (actually called Grün, Green)
Schellen (small bells)
Eicheln (Acorns)

These suits can be made to correspond to the suits of the regular poker deck, although the correspondence depends on what value you ascribe to the regular suits.
If I were to translate the German deck into regular suits, we would have the following.
“Red” or Heart cards correspond to Hearts. They deal with happiness, family, love, fun.
“Green” or Leaf cards correspond to Spades. They symbolize society, travel, movement.
Bells correspond to Diamonds. They have to do with money, success, luck.
Acorns translate as Clubs, and are symbolic of struggle, tears and difficult situations.

The system I am going to discuss in the next post can be used indifferently with German cards or with a regular reduced deck, using the correspondences above. If, however, you feel uncomfortable giving positive meanings to Spades and negative meanings to Clubs, feel free to just swap them. As long as you are consistent, you won’t have any problems.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Kings

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In cartomancy with playing cards, Kings are almost always significators for men. On rare occasion, Kings can come up to signify action, judgments and protection.
In some systems, the significators for the querents vary, but in the one I have been taught, it’s normally the Queen and King of Clubs that represent the querent.

The King of Hearts is a family man. He can be a father, a brother, an uncle, etc. For a gay man, the King of Hearts can be a partner. He is a good man, one who has an interest in the querent’s welfare. He is the archetype of the philanthrope. Even when he is not close to the querent, he is warm and kind. Even on the rare occasions when it doesn’t stand for an actual man, the card symbolizes a positive opinion of the querent (for instance, a judge ruling in the querent’s favor or a public servant furthering his aims). It shows positive outcomes thanks to protection. In general, it shows action taken in favor of the querent.

The King of Clubs is the male querent or the female querent’s male partner. When this figure doesn’t exist, he still represents a man, not necessarily related to the querent. Broadly, the card speaks of action, a positive role model, fair judgement and fair procedures.

The King of Diamonds is a man who is not close to the querent. He can be an acquaintance, a boss, a professor, a businessman. He is a person of good means and, like the Queen of Diamonds, one who follows primarily his self-interest, though he is not necessarily evil. He can be a rival in love in the appropriate context. Even when it doesn’t represent a man, the card symbolizes financial institutions, decisions concerning money and situations where there are interests at play that are greater and more powerful than the querent’s.

The King of Spades can be the male counterpart to the Queen of Spades, a man who is lonely, bitter, a rival, an enemy, an ex etc. He can be a difficult person, a bad father and all the things that apply to the Queen. However, the allegorical meaning of this card is also quite common, in that it represents the law itself, as well as a doctor or even the concept itself of medicine. It signifies great power being brought to bear on the querent, often in a cold and impersonal manner, if not altogether antagonistic. With negative cards it also signifies evil deeds and the will (and ability) to hurt

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Queens

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In cartomancy with playing cards, Queens are generally representative of women, and this is just about their only role. It is very rare that they come up to signify something else. That being said, they also have a connection with receptivity, nourishment and growth.
In some systems, the significators for the querents vary, but in the one I have been taught, it’s normally the Queen and King of Clubs that represent the querent.

The Queen of Hearts is usually a woman who is known to the querent. She represents a mother, daughter, relative or close friend. In general, she is a woman who has the querent’s best interest at heart, or at least should (you’ll need to check the surrounding cards). Even if she is not related, she could stand for a positive woman in general. For a lesbian querent, the Queen or Hearts can be the partner. The Queen of Hearts is also a symbol of acceptance and receptivity. It shows an environment where the querent thrives and is allowed to grow. Broadly, it confirms the receipt of something and it is a symbol of motherhood.

The Queen of Clubs is the female querent. If the querent is a man, she is usually the partner, either actual or perspective. If this interpretation is out of the question, she is still a woman in the querent’s life, usually not related to him. The Queen of Clubs is also connected to the idea of tending to something, working on it to make it grow or perfect it. She is not a symbol of great accomplishments, but she signifies honest effort, and doing what’s honorable. She is connected to harvest.

The Queen of Diamonds is a woman outside of the querent’s immediate circle. She is an acquaintance, a superior, a businesswoman, a professor. Her role is ambiguous, because her primary loyalty is to herself and her interests, but this doesn’t make her evil (after all, the woman you buy flowers from sells flowers to make money, not to please you). Compared to the Queen of Hearts she can be colder. She can also be a rival. The card is also a symbol of prosperity and of reaping the good fruits of one’s labor.

The Queen of Spades is a lonely or elderly woman. She can be an enemy or a difficult person. She doesn’t love the querent, nor does she further the querent’s aims (this is a great difference with the Queen of Diamonds, that the latter’s aims can allign with the querent’s, while those of the Queen of Spades are usually opposite). She can also be a woman who is very powerful, wears a uniform or represents the law. She can be an ex or a doctor. The card is a symbol of things that rot or are overripe or spoiled, and also signifies lack of acceptance (including lack of submission) privation, hunger, miscarriage. Finally, the card signifies falsehood, false words, false promises and false people.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Jacks

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The way I was taught to read playing cards, Queens and Kings are often real people, representing women and men respectively, while Jacks are only rarely real people, although the Jack of Hearts can represent a real child.

Jacks tend to represent news and attitudes.
The Jack of Hearts, in addition to representing a child, can represent someone or something who is fresh, naive, immature, honest, happy-go-lucky. In love readings, for instance, it tends to show flirts and situations that haven’t fully matured yet. It is also a card of inexperience.

The Jack of Clubs represents friendship and help. It represents also service to others. Next to another court card representing a person, it shows that he or she is helpful, friendly, positive, serious, constructive. The card is also connected to cooperation and, as an extended meaning, to co-workers.

The Jack of Diamonds represents messages and the knowledge of facts. It shows the acquisition of information. As an extended meaning, it signifies study and research. It can also signify a go-between (you will notice that the Jacks of Diamonds and Clubs are similar to their Sibilla counterparts). The card points to someone who is inquisitive, curious and desirous to delve deeper into something.

The Jack of Spades signifies enmity. It shows a negative attitude toward the querent (or of the querent toward someone or something). It is a card of ill-will. It is also the uniform card, especially when together with the King of Spades. Animosity, a competitive attitude and the desire to dominate another are all part of the meanings of this card.

Despite the Jack of Hearts being the Child card, all Jacks can represent children. Usually, the Jack of Spades is a child with problems, or a sick child, or a child that misbehaves. The Jack of Clubs is a good child, while the Jack of Diamonds is a smart child.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Tens

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The tens in playing cards represent goals and destinations.

The Ten of Hearts is another lucky card in the deck, signifying happiness and well-being. Just like the Nine of Hearts, the Ten has the power to greatly reduce the negative impact of other cards. It represents lasting joy and a sense of not needing to look further. It is a great love card. It is also connected with the querent’s city or homeland.

The Ten of Clubs is the card of travel. Clubs are cards of action, but the aim of the action is represented by Diamonds. By themselves, Clubs are just a means, and travel is the means to get from where you are to your destination. Likewise, the Ten of Clubs signifies metaphorical pathways, the course of action.

The Ten of Diamonds is the card of success, and broadly speaking of accomplishment of aims. It is a generally material card, and can signify a large sum of money, or at the very least that money is not an issue. It also represents cities other than the querent’s, seen as goals or destinations to travel toward.

The Ten of Spades has a variety of meanings. Some are neutral. For instance, it represents unknown destinations, stranger places and destinations abroad. It is also a card of negative goals, illegal aims and, more generally, of secrets and silence. It is connected to night time, just as the Ten of Hearts is connected to day time. Broadly, it is a card of failure, but only if together with other cards that point in that direction.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Nines

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The nines in cartomancy with playing cards are associated with the idea of wishes and hopes.

The Nine of Hearts is, as in many other systems, the wish card. It represents realization, fulfillment, sincerity of heart and, in general, things going as we wish them to go. It’s a positive card in most instances, as it has the power to alleviate the negative import of other cards that precede it.

The Nine of Clubs represents distance. It is a neutral card that represents things of long duration, long waits and delays, matters slowing down. It can also relate to physical distance. Generally, it shows the separation between what what we want and us. It’s the long road ahead.

If the Nine of Clubs is the road, the Nine of Diamonds is making progress on that road, and advancement in general. It is an extremely positive card, showing improvement, recognition, increase, fame, even. It represents other people’s views and expectations concerning the querent, if he has a good name or not, etc. By itself, it shows a good name. It is symbolic of career.

The Nine of Spades is notoriously the worst card in the deck, and some call it the wish denied card. If the Nine of Hearts shows things going as we wish them to go, the Nine of Spades mean things going against our wish. As a further consequence, it signifies things happening that we don’t want to happen, and against which we are relatively powerless.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Eights

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The eights in cartomancy with playing cards represent people, consciousness/conscience and the concept of time. They show how we relate to other people and how we interact with them. In studying other systems of cartomancy, I’ve been struck by how similar my approach to the Eights is to the hedgewytchery system. Look it up for a comparison. I also find them quite similar to the eights of the Sibilla.

The Eight of Hearts is the card of cheerfulness. It represents optimism, satisfaction, good outcomes and the gathering of people to celebrate, public holidays, etc. It represents things done with a positive intent in mind, positive thinking in general, honesty, choosing the high road. It is also a flirtatious card and it is connected with watery places, possibly because in Italy people tend to turn flirtatious during the summer months while tanning on the beach (this card is somewhat similar to the Hope card in the Vera Sibilla). Broadly, it symbolizes peace. It is connected with relatives and with people taking an interest in the querent, as well as to the clergy.

The Eight of Clubs is representative of working people, the “common folk”, although more specifically it relates to the peasantry, and by extension it signifies work. There are other cards that can signify employment (Three, Seven, Eight of Diamonds, for instance) but in the case of the Eight of Clubs, work is seen as how people who don’t have the luxury of wasting the day sitting on their hands or soapboxing on Twitter spend their time. The card is connected to the fields and to the countryside. It is also the card of things done according to a plan or knowing full well what their consequences are, for better or worse.

The Eight of Diamonds is the card of business. It’s all things that bring in money or we invest money in. Because this card signifies where money comes from and where it is headed (compare to the Eight of Diamonds in the Sibilla), and because for most people money comes from working, this is another possible work card. It represents financial markets, banks and the bourgeoisie, as well as the city as an environment (usually not the querent’s city, though). The card represents investments, savings, transactions etc. depending on where it falls. It shows concerns with money and can imply aridity or ulterior motives, or, more neutrally, thinking about yourself and about your “business”.

The Eight of Spades is the card of tears. It represents the falling through of plans and the shattering of hopes and desperation in general. But this is also a card of negative thoughts, and of things done with the intent to hurt. Ill-will and malice are indicated. It can represent difficulties with other people, interpersonal trouble. It also has a connection with groups of spade-like people, such as armies, juries, medical teams, adjudicating boards, committees and all those situations where there are people who have the querent by the balls (in war it would represent a siege). The card is connected to isolated places in general.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Sevens

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In cartomancy with playing cards, the sevens in general represent the idea of achievement.

The Seven of Hearts has the general meaning of surprise. This is because the suit of Hearts does not contemplate the notion of effort, so anything that happens happens either thanks to other people or thanks to positive circumstances. This card signals positive turns of events, fortunate breakthroughs and good luck. It is also connected with the idea of talent, because if we have a talent for something, achieving great results in it is easy.

The Seven of Clubs is less fortunate. It is a card of problems, things that stand in the way of achievement and that need to be worked through. It is not a tragic card. Sometimes it limits the amount of success shown by the other cards, while at other times it signifies that the sailing will be less than smooth. Either way, the problems shown by this card are solvable (which doesn’t automatically mean they will be solved). Supported by positive cards, the Seven of Clubs becomes a card of hard-won achievement. It can signal the conclusion of an agreement or that of a practical project.

The Seven of Diamonds is the card of money and financial achievement, and of achievement in general. It is a simple card most of the times. Unlike the Seven of Hearts, here effort is implied. By extension, this card is positive for recognition and winning prizes, and allegorically it is connected to harvesting.

The Seven of Spades is a card of misfortune. It shows obstacles that are difficult to solve, against which the querent has little power. More broadly, the card has to do with all negative unforeseen circumstances that either prevent us from achieving what we want or strongly limit us. With positive cards it shows that success won’t be complete, while with negative cards it’s a sign of utter capitulation.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Sixes

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The way I read playing cards, sixes are the difficult number. In general, six brings out the worst in the cards. I’ve noticed that this is a trend in Italian systems of cartomancy (althouth not in Kapherus’ system).

The Six of Hearts is the only positive card of the bunch, as it signifies the solution of trouble, adjustment and the return to happiness, health, etc. It shows peace, improvement and relax. Only when hemmed in by nasty cards it turns foul and it brings tears (which the card graphically reminds me of) and the impossibility of a solution.

The Six of Clubs is a very static card. It signifies tiredness and a situation with all work and no play and no enthusiasm. It is symbolic of subordinate work and, more broadly, it implies the inability to definitely put a problem behind you, as it keeps showing up. With positive cards, it shows the ability to reach your goal, but usually without a great sense of realization.

The Six of Diamonds is also a meh card. It is connected with insecurity, worries, confusion and indecision, especially but not exclusively of a financial nature. It shows all those situations where you can’t stop thinking about something and being tormented by it. However, with positive cards it can signify a situation that is sorted out by being resourceful, planning and making an informed decision.

The Six of Spades is a card of illness, as it figuratively depicts the wards of a hospital. It is one of those cards that is very difficult to put a positive spin on. The illness can be literal or figurative, when it symbolizes a situation of suffering and upset, or even one that is noxious or damaged. In itself, it negates reconciliations and the possibility of returning to the past, though of course the following cards may alleviate it.