As I touched on briefly in the previous post, various meanings are assigned to certain standard playing cards and they will differ depending on which country the meanings originated from. Look closely at what Madame Lenormand did and the creators of the other Sibilla cards – not always a true reflection of the standard card meanings OR so it seems. I do think though that Madame Lenormand would have had ancient gypsy card meanings to use as a reference tool – she did not invent those because they are traced back in time before her birth.
The modern meanings are a spin off from the traditional with a little extra added to bring “meanings up to date”.
The 4 suits are pretty standard. Clubs= business, news, action. Hearts= emotional situations, love, friendships. Diamonds= money, things of value, results. Spades= worry, sickness, loss and challenges. Very similar to the the Tarot.
Traditionally, usually recorded and more modern than the ancient gypsy meanings.
-the 7 of diamonds indicates loss and wasting your time & money
-the 4 of diamonds points to disturbances and annoyances.
-the Jack of hearts reflects someone close in the family circle, generally a positive influence but can inflict negative energy if surrounded by cards of deceit etc.
Ancient gypsy meanings (usually passed down word of mouth)
-7 of diamonds – sarcasism, ridicule and even a scandal
-4 of diamonds- no meaning for this card because most of the gypsies only used cards 7 -10, J,Q,K,A
-Jack of hearts- a single man or bachelor
The modern adaptation
-7 of diamonds – also a scandal, depicts money in the form of paper
-4 of diamonds – minor travel or trip
-Jack of hearts- thoughts of the King or Queen
Example of “personalized” modern adaptation, –Card Readers Handbook by Regina Russell (c)
7 diamonds- substantial amount of money etc
4 diamonds- new apartment etc
Jack of hearts- brother, lover, son etc
If you want to do an experiment – write down 1-2 meanings for each card based on your understanding of the suit, number and your gut feeling. You readings will materialize probably within the same degree of accuracy as if you used assigned meanings.