Spiritual Meanings Behind Playing Cards:
It is about the four suits
“The earth has music for those who listen.” – William Shakespeare
Whenever I take out an ordinary deck of cards, it feels as if someone has handed me something larger than just game equipment.
The four suits — hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades call to me.
The four suits correspond with the elements of earth, water, fire and air.
It is like they are drawing the fields that make up my internal sphere and also out there.
- Hearts resonates with water and the emotions I have experienced throughout my life.
- Diamonds are all about the earth beneath my feet. They represent work and security. These are the things that keep us grounded in a swirling world where there is no ground to stand on.
- Clubs represent fire and all the passion and energy to move into action and create.
- Spades are connected with air, which represents that clearness that comes by removing all untrue layers from my mind.
The lessons that each of these suits tells me to live a balanced life.
I need all those energies from the elements working in harmony with one another.
If one dominates, I notice the imbalance, like fire without water or earth without air.
That’s what I strive for in my spiritual journey: balance, being rooted and trying to grow.
It is about the archetypes of the soul
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord…” – Proverbs 21:1
Kings, Queens and Jacks – the court cards have always intrigued me.
More than the status in a card game seem to be held by them.
They feel like mirrors of the parts I express in my life and on certain phases of my spiritual path.
- Kings speak of a level of mastery that I am aspiring to, dominion and power over the external. Kings tell me about the burden that wisdom carries.
- Queens represent the sweet side of me, the part that uses creativity and emotional intelligence. They talk to my soul and my nurturing side by inviting me on the journey with them into their heart.
- Jacks remind me of those days when I was still starting to learn and explore. I’m like an apprentice in life because I am full of curiosity but have not been completely drowned by too much responsibility.
I have realized that in various stages of my life, I return to these personas.
An occasional King, deciding and acting.
It is about the journey of the soul
“In the beginning was the Word … and the Word was God.” – John 1:1
- Ace: The Ace is that spark of new beginnings in my life.
- Two: It is all about duality. The first experience of something outside myself, a partner, or an opponent challenging me.
- Three: Three is the number of creativity.
- Four: Stability, foundation, and order are the energies of the Four.
- Five: Five is the number of challenges
- Six: It is about harmony.
- Seven: Wisdom.
- Eight: Success.
- Nine: Fulfillment.
- Ten: Number ten is about completion.
Every number provides an opportunity to see the way life unfolds and what my journey is comprised of.
Jokers
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” – Psalm 14:1
The one card that intrigued me the most was the Joker.
The Joker is something profound.
The Sacred Fool is an archetype you can find in many spiritual traditions.
The Sacred Fool steps into the void and chaos of ambiguity with an open heart full of faith.
The Fool is card zero in tarot, empty and full of life all at once.
The Joker carries that kind of energy when I look over a deck as glued to cards as anything else.
It is the Joker who asks me to delete my need for control and have faith in life as it happens.
Life has had its moments from time to when I have been forced into the position of leaping.
Oh, and then the Joker reminded me that these are some of the important moments where real spiritual growth takes place.
Releasing my desire for surety leads to the miraculous revelation of divine guidance in manners unimaginable.
It is about mapping the spiritual landscape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
The process is more than just piecing together a story.
It’s plotting my spiritual geography.
Where the cards land shows me not only what is happening but also how these facets of my life are linked.
One simple three-card spread which does a very good job of showing me that time is not linear, it happens all at once.
The past will always shape who I am now, and my current self is, in every moment, creating the future.
Something is reassuring in seeing how it all weaves together at different stages of your life.
But it’s not just about time.
If I see many of a cart or patterns, such as spades, then to me, this is an indicator that there may be challenges up ahead yet also let message communication and need for struggles with my spirituality.
Maybe a combination of hearts and diamonds would mean I need to balance feeling with doing.
They give me a better idea of what is playing out between my inner and outer worlds.
It is about spiritual lessons
“Life – a spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay.” – Ambrose Bierce
If I come across a reversed card, I interpret it as some aspect of my life that is going to be turned upside down (pun intended).
Or maybe I am resisting a lesson that needs to happen or more manning myself and not overdoing it.
When they show up reversed, instead of the usual way that messages present themselves, cards addressed these stuck or sleeping territories.
At a deeper level, reversed cards keep my ego in check.
Life doesn’t always go the way I envision or desire, and these moments of “inversion” tend to be times when most growth occurs.
Now when I experience these reversals, instead of resisting them as obstacles in my life journey, I try to envision how it is a lesson for me and the universe telling me that this way might not be working!
It is about unity
“Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Whenever I have a deck of cards in my hands, I see the strength in unity.
This is what a spiritual deck speaks to.
Each card, like each moment or person, has its place in the grand design.
Because without one, the deck and life would be unbalanced.
When I work with cards, it helps me to remember that not only I am an individual but also part of the circle.
It is about surrender
“The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” – Vince Lombardi
When I shuffle a deck of cards, everything falls exactly where it should.
It is a reflection of the way I try to approach my life in surrender to Divine timing, even when I cannot see what lies ahead.
Whatever cards I am given, I know those are the ones necessary for me to navigate through my spiritual path.
Another thing that shuffling really brings into the light is adaptability.
As in life, there are many circumstances, but the cards may flop out at any moment.
My spiritual journey bends and zigs and boomerangs, but with each shuffle, I set in how things should be.
More From Spiritual Whirlwinds
Purple Heart Plant Spiritual Meaning
Spiritual Meanings Of Water Leaking In A House
Black Widow Spider – The Spiritual Meaning
What Is The Spiritual Meaning Of A Headache During Full Moon?
I’m Bulgarea Candin Stefan and I have started Spiritual Whirlwinds to pass my learnings from my spiritual journey. Spiritualwhirlwinds.com provides a space of spiritual awakening with guided meditations, e-books, mantras, and pendulum readings.