I was asked in a private message about the difference between the Ace of Spades and the Five of Diamonds in my way of reading playing cards, since both seem to signify change. This is a nice question, so I thought I’d write an article about it. Maybe I’ll write other comparative articles if I feel inspired to.

First off, let’s start with two obvious facts. The Ace of Spades belongs to the Suit of Spades, which is the most negative in the deck. Spades have very few redeeming qualities. They represent the dark side of existence, pain, grief and sorrow. The Suit of Diamonds, on the other hand, is neutral, with some positive undertones. It is a symbol of energy, change, progress. It is connected to technology and science, to money, wealth, intelligence. Broadly, it shows impulses and new impulses. This fact alone indicates that the Ace of Spades must have more negative connotations than the Five of Diamonds.

Furthermore, the Ace of Spades is, well, an ace. Aces have a powerful impact on any reading, as they can show the manifestation of new currents of destiny, new life phases, etc. They indicate the beginning of something. Even when they don’t, they are still very dominant cards, and we must always pay close attention to them. Fives, on the other hand, are roughly in the middle of the sequence, so the change they indicate is more akin to a transition within the same sequence or current of events.

This is, of course, somewhat vague and needs to be understood within the context of each reading. However, when we combine the suit with the number, we do have a general picture of the Ace of Spades as a very drastic card, whereas the Five of Diamonds, unless supported by drastic cards, tends to show a smoother transition, which is also less all-encompassing.

There is something else to take into account. Calling the Ace of Spades the card of change is somewhat reductive, as if we were trying to neutralize it. The Ace of Spades is, for the most part, a negative card. One of the ways my teacher called it, in addition to ‘the Death card’ was also ‘a thorn in the heart‘ though I don’t remember if I talked about this in the post. Perhaps I, too, have been guilty of playing it down.

A thorn in the heart is something that makes us suffer beyond words. It symbolizes grief, bereavement, sometimes even trauma. Even when followed by positive cards, the Ace of Spades represents painful changes that take a toll on our psyche, changes we are likely to perceive as some kind of great loss. The somewhat sterile concept of ‘change’ pales in comparison to this description.

The Five of Diamonds has, by itself, none of these connotations. It shows transition in the most neutral sense possible. For instance, when found next to the Ace of Hearts, i.e., the house, the Five of Diamonds can show renovations or changing the place of some piece of furniture, depending on the accompanying cards. The Ace of Spades next to the House can show grief in the family or coming from the family, and if it does indicate change, it is more likely to indicate an eviction or an unwanted change of residence.

Again, this is rather vague: we need to understand the cards within the context of a concrete reading, but by and large that’s my experience.

MQS