Childhood/Selfish Intelligence/Intellectualism
Devotion/Promiscuous Universal Knowledge/Theoretical Knowledge Relations/Flirtatious Psychology/Cynicism
Love/Self-Seeking Education/Clever Beauty/Greedy Literature/Tricky
Art/Self-indulgent . Disseminator/Instigate Arguments Kind/Manipulative Counselor/Dishonest Hospitable/Emotional Magnetic/Self-Absorbed DIAMONDS SPADES Fall Winter Abundance/Greed Labor/Mundane Money/Miserly Wisdom/Bully Values/Ruthless Worker/Drudgery Sharing/Hoarding Healing/Willful
Big In Business/Profit Motivated Disciplined/Disciplinarian Successful/Win At All Costs Sacrificing/Vengeful Power/Manipulates With Money Universal Truths/Limited
With this information you can now easily look up a card that relates to a client's date of birth. By considering the suit, and the number or name of the card, you can do a very elaborate reading if you wish. Combine this with your own impressions too, of course. When reading the negative aspects of a card, never insist that a client has these traits. Rather these are things the client needs to be certain they avoid. By mentioning the negative traits as well as the positive ones, you are portraying a larger picture of a client's aspects. While you are not painting a picture that is "all rosy", you also are not insisting on any "gloom or doom" either.
Often a client will laugh in agreement with some of these "flaws" and admit they need to work on these areas more. Others may not respond at all - but you are being helpful by making them aware of more options. By pointing out aspects in their card that the client may wish to avoid, even if they are in denial, they will become more aware of such issues once you point them out. Then allow the client to do as they will. Your job is to mention the positive and negative aspects of their card, and give the client better options.
Some of the keywords may seem a bit "strange". We find that rarely do such comments truly harm the reading. In fact, it often makes the reading seem more legitimate for many
Wonder readings - text Kenton Knepper Rex Steven Sikes
In fact even after very intense training in such card systems, students are usually told to "go home and consider these cards and their meanings for yourselves". The instructor's point is that by knowing so much consciously, the student can now uncover more for themselves intuitively. We have surely found this to be the case.
You might think about what happens during the four seasons in nature. Then consider how these natural events might relate to the seasons indicated in the four suits. You may wish to just look at a court card for a while and see what you notice that may have additional
meaning. Many tarot students are taught to "go inside the card and check it out" mentally, to get impressions. You might try some visualizations like this as well. Or consider the patterns you see in the card chart that we did not mention. Or consider what you know about numbers, and how that may relate to playing cards and meaning. Allow yourself the freedom to explore, and you may be surprised at what your intuition gives you.
There are twelve court cards, as there are twelve months of the year. There are fifty two cards as there are fifty two weeks in a year. There are 365 spots equal to 365 days in a year. There are thirteen cards in each suit. In Ancient traditions this is the twelve signs of the zodiac plus the "invisible sun" or hidden force. There are thirteen lunar months. There are four suits as there are four seasons and four elements. Playing cards, like tarot, are often considered to be a "book" of ancient knowledge. Each card is sometimes referred to as a "page" in "the book". Cards are said to be a complex system of the Principle of Number, and contains "all the patterns in the Universe, including that of man".
Clients often ask for readings for friends and intended loved ones, especially after you have read their own birth card. This can bring up lively discussions from the client about how they see similarities and differences between themselves and others. Some people feel that having fifty two different possible interpretations in a card reading allows for a more personal reading than more limited systems. They may be right! What we know for sure is that this system is convincing and useful - as well as personal and entertaining. Since what you are doing is a legitimate system, you never need be concerned about "repeating yourself or trying to recall what you said to whom. If you repeat yourself, it's because this card falls on a date in which that card is repeated. If someone stops you on the street and tries to trip you up to see if you're consistent - you will be. Their card is their card. Period. There's nothing for you to know but their day and month.
While it may seem like some work is needed to use this system, it isn't really much work at all. Just try a reading out for yourself based on your date and month. Do the same for a few friends, and look at the keywords while you do the reading. Before you know it, you'll have it all down securely. Just a few trials will teach you the suits and many numbers. There are only four suits to know, and not all that many numbers either!
Here's another thought about the card set up. You could reverse the cards entirely. This would make the King of Spades the top card of the deck, and the Ace of Hearts the bottom card. Kenton began this way. The usefulness of this is that you can pull out the client's card face down, without ever having to look at the deck. Just spread cards off the top of the deck in this case.
Kenton played too with false shuffles and card estimation. If you're into estimation here's a clue: The abbreviations for the astrological signs are listed above the chart. Ask the client for their astrological sign. For example, Scorpio. You look at the chart and see "SCO" for Scorpio. Say "Oh, what month... October or November?". When they tell you which month, say November, you see that there is the number 20 printed above November. Now ask the client which day. By adding the day number he gives you to the total above the month, you know how far down his card is. By estimating how far "above or below twenty six cards" his is, you can get really close just by cutting the cards. If you happen to hit his exact card on the chart with your cut, great. If not, so what? He doesn't know what you were doing. It's just easier now to thumb over to his card really quickly! You may also notice certain patterns in the chart that can help you figure out how you might best like to estimate. That's a personal choice - so we'll leave that up to you.
Surely you have enough now to do a truly informed, effective and very personal playing card reading. Apply this system to your own impressions. Once you try it, you may never want to stop!