The Court Cards
The meanings of the Court cards in this deck are very different from the numbers and Aces. The concepts the Court cards bring to a reading are often events which happen to us from outside rather than something we can control or improve within ourselves. We are not these figures, they are external to us (and eternal). They are powerful forces with their own history and personalities. For example, the Queen brings luck of a type that is either random, good or bad. We cannot train ourselves in “good luck,” it is only something we can encounter, or make room for and hope that it appears more often in our lives.
Modern Court card designs started in a form made by Pierre Marechal in Rouen, France, around 1565. They were quite different from the modern images: as mentioned earlier, the court figures had legs! Their clothes, hands, and weapons have all changed over the centuries as well. The double-headed versions we use now were introduced in the mid-1800s.
If you can find a deck that replicates the older designs, they are often both beautiful and very powerful when used in divination. They can still be found in English decks from the 1700s and even American poker decks from the mid-1800s. Replicas of these and lots of other styles are available to buy today quite cheaply and are fantastic cards to use in divination.
In most playing card divination systems, a Jack represents a carefree young man who cannot be trusted. Anything a Jack (or a Trickster) promises you is a lie. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, however! Jacks are exciting—they do the unexpected by an unconventional route. They don’t put on work clothes and steadily apply themselves to a predictable profession; instead, they seek new answers and confront the scarier questions within.
All Magicians are also Tricksters. Trickery is built into many shamanic practices, and even into the toolset of people
who would be teachers. After all, the Trickster knows something you don’t—they will reveal something surprising or act in a way you don’t expect. There are many positive examples of how you can learn from someone who does that.
Although the illustration of a Jack in modern cards is male, Tricksters come in all forms. Some Jacks are Jennys, and some (again particularly in certain shamanic traditions) are a third or nonbinary gender. The spirit of Jacks in the modern deck of cards is also varied. With the Court cards, we encounter pictures that spark imagination and associations all over the world—from the poker tables of Vegas and the legends of the Old West to anywhere a hand of cards is dealt in fun. Jacks appear in all of them, sometimes winking at us.
Jack of Clubs:
Trickster’s Promise
“Sabina Betrayed”
Lies, Betrayal, Worthless Assurances
Lady Sabina sat across the table from her opponent and studied the cards in her hand again. A good score, but not certain to win. She smiled to her enemy and the crowd of people who stood behind him in the small room. Her own loyal courtiers were similarly huddled behind her.
She continued to smile as she caught the eye of the servant who had managed to join the enemy’s household recently. Long months it had taken, and much deception, but now he was placed in the group of figures directly behind Lord Gunter and able to see his cards. Able to signal to her when to bet, and when to fold.
Such a beautiful boy. And so eager to please her. With his help in this final game, Sabina’s victory would be complete and her status in society assured.
Lord Gunter raised a huge amount. There was a gasp from the room. The servant was biting his lip slightly—wait, was that right? That was their signal! She checked his face again and there could be no doubt. He bit his lip and nodded to her, slowly.
Excitement warmed her. This meant Gunter’s bet was a bluff—he was holding nothing of value and she would crush him! With a last look and a nod from the boy, she put her entire fortune into play.
More gasps from the room, and a clamor of barely hushed disbelief.
Lord Gunter turned his cards, and Sabina felt a shock run through her whole body. Kings! What? This was impossible, the boy would never have—she looked up to find the face of her spy in the crowd once more, and saw him staring directly at her with a slow smile. This wasn’t right! Beside him, a girl—she knew that one. That was the servant girl she’d had whipped and banished from the house last year.
All the money on the table was taken away. She had nothing.
Across the room, Vihan and Jiya held hands tightly and savored the panicked expression on the face of their tormentor. Long months of deception had been worth it. They were together now, and rich, and she was ruined. All those nights of risk, so that she would believe one lie.
A “Trickster’s Promise” is a lie. Because the Court cards always represent forces outside you, this lie comes from someone else. It is a Promise that cannot be relied upon, the classic trapdoor that opens beneath you when you thought the ground was safe.
The Court cards tend to modify other results more than they tell a story of their own. So while Trickster’s Promise in isolation can mean a lie or a deceitful person, in combination with another card it tell us that the message from the other is the lie. For example, Noble’s Gambit means friendship and loyalty—but combined with Trickster’s Promise the message becomes “This friendship is false.” It renders other positive cards worthless and shows their statements are unreliable.
This all sounds very negative and it certainly can be. The Trickster is a figure who (by definition) catches people by surprise in ways they don’t want. However, it can also be positive. Sometimes we need someone to shake things up, to topple a situation we thought was locked down and unchangeable, to turn the tables on those who usually win.
Tricksters deceive for many reasons, but some of those reasons can be honorable. Shamans and teachers are often Tricksters, as well as anyone who does stage magic tricks with cards. The trick itself has no good or evil to it; it is the intent and outcome which decide the value. Who is being deceived, and why?
Historically, Jacks are tricky characters. They are bold, young men who are unreliable and like themselves too much. They can be effective, but there are always others above them in power. In response, they tend to resort to routes that aren’t a straight confrontation (which they would notably lose).
This card does the opposite of typical Promise cards. They show the idealized version of a Role, the perfect imagined best outcome which could await us in the future. But this one doesn’t have any future—it’s a betrayal that is happening right now. If you receive Trickster’s Promise in a one-card reading, it’s a warning. There is a trick or lie coming that you’re probably not expecting.
If you are performing a reading with more than one card, look at any others joined to this Jack, because their meanings could be reversed or unreliable. If Trickster’s Promise appears in a place that suggests it as an action you should take, then be like the Trickster—don’t play by the rules. Hold onto that rebellious spirit and know that your own individual choices can be better than following strict laws.
Jack of Diamonds:
Trickster’s Gambit
“Beth Meets a Good Dog”
Unexpected Lessons, Risks for Large Gains
Beth sighed and contemplated the suitors. A miller. Some minor noble who loved himself more than he ever would her. The head of the countinghouse—oh good, she could write numbers in books for the rest of her days.
Her father’s guards stood stiffly by the door. There was no escaping this fate; she would have to choose. At least if she complied with her father’s wishes, it would mean a comfortable life. A comfortable, boring life.
One of the guards yawned just as the decorative window next to them opened, and a large brown dog bounded in. Henry was a good dog. He knew this. He was also very enthusiastic about making new friends but couldn’t stop jumping up at everyone long enough to really get it right, so they always seemed angry with him. He tried anyway.
As soon as the guards were busy with Henry, the window next to Beth also opened. On the other side was the gardener’s boy, Petar, holding out his hand to pull her through.
“Ryn sent me! Come with me now, and she’ll meet you tonight.”
“Ryn? I can’t! I’d lose everything!”
“Your choice, but you have to go now.” At the far end of the room the guards were still shouting at Henry the very good dog, who was leaping at each of them and having a great time.
Beth knew she only had moments. She looked at her father’s hall, and then at the grubby hand which was waiting to help her to a new—but uncertain—life. She took another breath and decided.
A Gambit shows a Role doing work according to that Role’s nature hoping for the best outcome. The Trickster’s Gambit is to take the unconventional wisdom that only the Trickster has and make a difference with it. In this case, the Trickster is not you, as all the Court cards are external forces. This gamble is being made by someone else. But what could a Trickster’s gamble look like?
The perhaps unexpected answer is that it can be a positive lesson: unexpected wisdom or help from others in a way that surprises you. Tricksters have access to knowledge or instincts which others don’t (they have to, or they could never trick anyone). Many do what they do for money, or bad intentions, but some do it to try and change the minds of the average crowd. They have an enormous amount of self-belief: while everyone else follows the road from A to B to C, Tricksters want to show you a really great shortcut from Z to M. This Gambit can be someone trying to teach you a lesson in an unconventional way, so you should listen.
The other definition for this card can be a Trickster taking a risk, particularly in gambling. They have a con going on, and it’s the moment when it succeeds or fails. That action might not be deceitful, it is just a gamble by someone who does not take the conventional route.
The “lesson” meaning is usually a positive one. Someone will show you wisdom from an angle you’re not expecting. This is a great opportunity! We can all learn from other people, no matter how old or experienced we become. The Trickster is not you, so the trick is not from your own hidden knowledge. Perhaps you have been wrong, and now it is time to look at the situation again and forget your old assumptions. Once you have discovered the unusual wisdom, it could give you an advantage that others don’t know about.
The other meaning is less welcomed and needs to be studied carefully. Someone who is not you has a plan in motion, and there’s a trick to it. This Gambit is not straightforward, like the Smith making an item and succeeding on the strength of hard work. This one is instead a very, very fragile situation that depends on a lot of luck.
We also have a clue for what the end result could be. A Trickster making their play at the card table is not doing it for a small prize. Trickery involves taking the shortcut, going for the jackpot. (The word “jackpot” comes from a type of Poker invented in the late 1800s where the money grew until someone could start the game with a hand containing two Jacks or better.) It suggests a big reward which you find the fast and risky route to get to, not the slow and boring way.
Both definitions come to the same conclusion: we should keep watch for unexpected opportunities, and take advantage of them if they appear instead of rejecting them because they look unusual. Tricksters (much like street magicians, clowns, some holy figures) can be aggravating or annoying to us, deliberately. We don’t like surprises, and a Trickster is nothing without surprise. Be brave and reach for the new events if you can. Seek out those who can teach you lessons and listen for wisdom from unexpected places. Prepare for a situation where a lot of risky, quick moves are in progress.
Jack of Spades:
Trickster’s Folly
“Harry’s Run Cut Short”
Honesty, Justice, Exposing Liars
Harry was in a good mood. The last town hadn’t had any real prizes for him to take, only the little he’d managed to trick and steal from its elderly and desperate inhabitants. There was some sneaking into houses, some cheating at cards. It had been too small a place to safely operate in for any length of time, and as a stranger he was under suspicion when people’s savings went missing, so he’d moved on. Today’s location was much better! A trade route meant rich merchants spending their money here, and he was already surrounded by busy figures in fine clothing walking up and down the street.
He’d also met Pia the night before, a young woman who had just arrived from far across the land. She would be today’s job.
When he reached her room, Pia smiled and let him in. The golden bracelet she’d worn previously wasn’t on her wrist now, but Harry wasn’t worried. She had money and it would soon be his. He turned to shut the door and was surprised to see a large man standing by the wall, already closing it. From the far corner, another man appeared. Everyone was armed.
Harry looked to Pia. “Darling? I don’t know wh—”
She held up a badge and announced that she was with the militia. Oh well, it seemed his victims in the previous towns had wanted justice. But this wasn’t too bad yet. He could still talk his way out of it … or try the window!
The man behind the door moved to block the window.
“Pia, I’m sure this is a misunderstanding …”
“No mistake. You are Harold Brown, wanted in several towns to the east for stealing and worse. I’m arresting you.”
He looked around one last time, in case any of the others were the sort who might free him for a bribe. Their faces said no.
Harry had wriggled out of many situations, but today the forces of order would not be denied. He sighed as the cuffs clamped tightly around his wrists.
After the definite lie that is the Trickster’s Promise and the gamble without doing the hard work that is the Gambit, it is nice to know that at least one of the Trickster’s outcomes is more honest. The Folly of the Trickster is pushing their luck too far and getting caught.
When this Folly is seen in a reading the forces of order will win, shortcuts will fail, and justice will be served. People will play fair, and those who have been deceitful will be seen for the honorless folk they are.
This honesty is especially powerful in combination with other cards. It says that the other is true—for example, Lover’s Promise is an idealized fantasy of how good things could be with another person, but paired with this card the message is that you can trust it. Anyone who acted deceitfully against the best outcome would be found out, and no unexpected tricks are coming along soon.
Justice such as this sounds great, but it can still be challenging. After all, justice is not only receiving a fair result when you are wronged, but also getting what you deserve when you have wronged another, which can be less welcome. We all lie a little bit. It might be in how we deliberately appear to others or the small things we pretend to agree with because it’s easier to get along with people. How many actions in your life do you only take for appearances? What happens when the real you must step up and be seen? A Trickster has a hidden self, just as we do, and often the aspects that we hide from the outside world are actually our most genuine parts. A card that exposes Tricksters should make everyone pause.
The easy way to deal with this card is to make sure that you have been compassionate like the Healer. Examine the situation without emotion, like the Hermit. There will be no tricks allowed in this reading—this card will ensure that any attempts will be noticed. That keen observation is a gift to us because it gives us certainty even when other cards might include the risks of Gambits. The reverse of that gift is that we also need to be honest with ourselves.
Don’t lie, because you can’t fake this. Don’t hide behind deceptions. Look inside. Look carefully at the lies you want to hear or the appearance you wear for convenience. The Court cards are external forces, so you are not the Trickster in this scenario, but make sure that you are not caught along with them when the spotlight of truth shines on the situation.
Jack of Hearts:
Trickster’s Triumph
“Leo Plays in the Woods”
Jackpot, Great Assistance, Unconventional Routes
Dead leaves crunched under Leo’s feet as he made his way into the forest. The trees were twisted and there were few clearings, but eventually he found the one who he sought. The Old Man of the Woods sat there on the ground, his long hood down over his face.
“Why do you come?”
The youth answered with a wide smile. “I hear you have cards! I would wager my life against them.”
The hooded figure did not move from his space, so Leo walked over and sat in front of him.
“If I deal from the deck, it cannot be undone.”
“I know. I make the bet anyway.”
With a sigh, the Old Man reached into his robe and produced a ragged pack of cards. They were yellow with age and had strange pictures in faded ink. His voice didn’t change.
“Choose a number.”
Leo nodded, and said “Three.”
“Very well.”
The first card was laid on the ground. It showed a figure killed by many spears and arrows.
“Oh, that doesn’t look too good! I’m glad I didn’t choose that, then.”
Wordlessly, the Old Man turned another card from the pack and laid it on the dry dirt floor of the clearing. This one showed a figure crushed under rocks.
“Well, that isn’t exactly hopeful either! Do you get many disappointed customers, wizened one?”
The Old Man did not move his head, but the voice emerged from the hood again.
“I have the power to grant whatever the cards say. It was decided that those seeking a fast route to glory or riches are unvirtuous and should be punished. Therefore all the cards lead only to death and ruin.” He put his hand onto the next card of the pack. “This one will set your fate.”
The boy’s grin didn’t change. “I must say, the rumors suggested all kinds of good things. But now I learn that I am doomed. Oh dear.”
The card was turned and placed on the ground, but the Old Man jerked back in surprise. This was not like the others. It had the same ragged faded paper, but the image shown on it was of a young, handsome man, wearing royal clothes and carrying a bag of coins. He had a big smile, which matched the smile currently on the face of the youth. Their hair even looked the same.
The Old Man stared at it.
“How did you … that is not one of my cards.”
“But you must do its bidding!” said the younger with a wink.
“Yes.”
And so Leo, now Lord Leon, returned to town to take charge of his new castle and begin a long life of luxury and enjoyment.
The Jack of Hearts in many systems is untrustworthy: a handsome young man with a wink and smile who absolutely cannot be depended on. Here, the Triumph carries so much success with it that the outcome is only positive.
Success for a Trickster is about taking a shortcut to win the whole Jackpot. By definition, they don’t want to do all the hard work to get there the slow way, they use an alternative (and usually surprising) route to win everything in one go.
The Court cards in this system do not represent you. They are large, powerful forces that affect you from outside, and the Trickster is one of the most established. Tricksters (and indeed cheeky young men named Jack) have a very long history. When they appear in a reading, they usually modify any other card they relate to; in this case, the meaning is great success without having to pay the cost.
The help this card speaks of often comes to you from others but can also refer to circumstances that make something previously unlikely more possible for you. One specific example of how this Triumph often works is that some knowledge or belief you have (where you disagree with the traditional way of doing things) turns out to be the key to progress and leads to a great outcome. You should embrace this alternative way of doing things.
Others will see that the unusual approach has paid off. Taking the shortcut makes all kinds of successes possible. Using a trick, a student can beat a master. A teacher can show their class a new way of thinking, unrelated to the basic concepts they are expected to build from. Concepts which are dismissed as wrong by society will succeed anyway.
This is a card of unconventional routes and doing things the easy way. If you asked a question on how to approach a problem, the answer is the opposite of “do all the hard work.” Trust your luck and any exciting ideas.
The Queen is Lady Luck. She has a place in every deck, and in every room where cards are dealt.
The Lady is very different from the Trickster. The Trickster acts, they have a plan, they represent all those in the world who refuse to accept the conventional routes to achievement. By contrast, the Lady is pure chance. In three of her cards she is variations of luck, and in one, the promise of what could happen if your luck is the best. She is much more of an abstract force.
The Lady has been part of playing cards since long before the Queens gained their current images. Everyone who is drawn to games and gambling, everyone who rolls the dice or plays a hand is aware of the Lady. She can be a friend … or not. Either way, she walks through the deck and every reading.
Queen of Clubs:
Lady’s Promise
“Agnetha and the Firefly”
Temptation, Excitement, Future Possibilities
Agnetha was an old woman now. Her days of reigning as the leader of her country had been satisfying, at first. Money and power, the respect of her people, even travel and new sights had been available to her. She had visited foreign lands and spoken with scholars, eaten the finest foods, listened to majestic music.
Now she stood in the House of Chance and despaired. This noisy room was full of people playing dice or cards, and planning races. Just as with everything else recently even their feverish excitement could not make her feel any response at all. She had seen it before and now her mind and body only felt dull. Agnetha stood silently watching the tables and players.
As she waited in one spot, unmoving and bored, the spirit of the House came down to speak to her. It appeared in the form of a royal adviser, standing just behind her shoulder and speaking softly into her ear.
“Don’t you find the activities fascinating?”
“No. Money does not interest me, nor meaningless games. The world is known. This room holds nothing new.”
“Oh, but you are wrong. So very wrong. Look at the card table over there. Each card brings new stories. Who can guess what will happen? Maybe a peasant will be made a King. Maybe all the cards numbered eight will be drawn in the same round, even when the self-proclaimed expert over there in the hat assumed it couldn’t happen, and he bet money that he doesn’t have.”
“Do you think that I should be interested in the misfortunes of gamblers?”
“No! In the infinite play of Chance! When the bets are in and the cards are down, there is one hot moment of possibility where the universe holds its breath. A suspended point in reality. In that time, anything can be true. Anything can be created. It could be a resounding triumph, or a small loss. A romance and life of luxury, or sweet revenge.”
The spirit moved around to stand behind her other ear, while Agnetha remained staring straight ahead. It continued:
“All things could be created, any story told … but only if you keep playing. Just one more round. Creating new, truly unknown outcomes. New adventures. New legends. But you have to play again.”
And slowly, the Queen felt the pull of it. The warm, firefly glow of exciting possibility. She thought she had seen all that these lands had to offer, but in the silent undecided space before the dice fell to the table there existed everything that could be. She watched some cards. They were dealt from the deck … now the outcome was fixed, a win for the woman in blue. More—a new round, and again the tempting firefly pull of nothing being decided … until it was. She stepped forwards, needing it again. She knew that it was only cards, only dice, but if she could just have another round then she could return to that magical place where possibilities opened. Where she could feel inspired and excited, long after she’d thought that was lost to her.
The spirit withdrew, satisfied.
The other three cards of the Lady in this deck are themed around Luck, but this one isn’t. This is a calling, a beckoning to something that genuinely could work out well for you. It is the allure of possibilities, but it is also her Promise. The Lady looks after her people and will ensure that you win enough for the temptation to continue. This is therefore actually a card of minor good luck, not just neutral wishing.
Primarily though, the meaning of this card is “temptation.” When Chance is available then anything can happen—including good outcomes. This means that a wanted prize can always be just a few seconds away. In readings this optimism is added to any cards affected by this one, and the situation becomes more tempting.
Although these temptations usually have a good reason (you actually could gain a lot from winning) the need to gamble is rarely something you want in your life. Divination is, in a way, the opposite of gambling. It attempts to find the truth and ask questions instead of risking everything on unknown answers. Look very carefully at the situation that this card is advising you to jump into and ensure that it’s in your interests.
If you can be sure that it’s safe to indulge in the temptation, then things get exciting. People are drawn to the hope and possibilities that the Lady promises because those prizes are real. In many situations, future possibilities themselves can be the goal, opening up change where there wasn’t one before.
This is an emotional card. It isn’t about counting numbers, and it doesn’t say that you can gain anything by working carefully. It calls to our emotions and promises fun and beauty, and those are always worth considering. Look to the future with excitement but check that any temptation on offer isn’t just empty or foolish.
Queen of Diamonds:
Lady’s Gambit
“Francois Flips a Coin”
Pure Chance
The Lady wandered through the worlds. She examined the furious heart of burning stars and decided the ways in which their pieces would break apart.
She swept down to the hot water pools at the base of a mountain where animals bathed, and parted the mists with her intention, playing in the heat and cold.
She saw a trader climb down from his horse to examine the frayed foot-strap he leant all his weight upon … it held. This time.
She changed the wind, causing a brightly coloured bird to fly to the left instead of the right. The bird traveled past the window of a woman who was deciding on apprentices to hire. Cheered at its beauty, the woman decided to give the young girl the opportunity even though she had been a little clumsy in the earlier testing.
The Lady chose the way that sticks would float in a stream to delight some children, and the way that cards would fall to the floor after a dealer dropped a deck.
She also saw people praying to her. Praying for rain, or no rain, or the health of those who are ill, or for the day to happen in the way they wished. Thanking her in joy when they were lucky. Cursing her name when they were not.
A man named Francois asked that the toss of a coin would land one way, instead of the other. She ignored him, as she ignored all their calls for aid. There were no favourites under her cold gaze.
She moved over deserts, oceans, cities, and the dark spaces between stars … and she gave everything its chance.
The Gambit cards can have two outcomes: success or failure. When this is applied to the Lady, the probability of each is precisely fifty-fifty. This card means that the situation is entirely up to chance and cannot be predicted.
This is of course not very helpful in most divination! The Court cards are large forces that affect us from outside. The Queen represents Lady Luck, and this card shows her in the purest form. But if chance is going to play such a large role, what can we do to get the best outcome? The obvious answer is to reduce the power of random chance to affect things.
This card is a warning that the situation can go anywhere, and unless that’s exactly what we want then we need to reduce the danger through planning. Make lists and look at all the possible outcomes. Do what you can to prevent the worse ones. Only by working out all the possibilities can we decide which ones to secure ourselves against.
There is a positive view to this result as well. If this Gambit shows alongside another card that refers to a situation you thought was fixed, the introduction of pure chance means that better possibilities are out there than you thought. Fifty-fifty is a great result if you thought there was no hope or you are trying something that should be very difficult.
This Gambit suggests that a large amount of randomness or unpredictability affects events. It makes other cards unreliable—there’s no bad intent from anyone or deliberate deceit, but the outcome is wild.
There is not much subtlety about this card, and no bargaining with it. Chance is a powerful and uncontrollable force.
“Elin Climbs the Tower”
Bad Luck
In the Tower of Idrach is a turret room with circular white walls and a high ceiling. It is empty except for a large black sword that hangs suspended over a table by a thin chain.
The sword points downwards, and directly under the end of its sharp blade is a map of all the lands. As the heavy weapon swings back and forth, different towns and people come under its shadow.
Sometimes, the sword falls.
When the chain drops and the sword’s deadly point pierces the map, bad luck is visited upon whichever life it points to. Terribly bad luck, a doom or curse.
Naturally, no one wants this fate to befall them. They hope and pray, and curse and weep.
One young woman named Elin decided to do more. She sought out the tower, climbed its walls, entered a window. She passed other rooms which held different instruments: a glass wand and a pink rose in a case in the first, jade spheres circling in the air in another, silver harps playing in a third.
She came to the room with the large black sword and took it off its chain, laying the metal weapon down onto the stone floor.
Then she left, thinking that she had saved her people.
But the next night, in the same room the sword was once again upon its chain, swinging back and forth across the map. Luck and chance must play their games in every home, and there must always be balance. In other parts of the Tower the treasures of life were bestowed: family, health, security, love. For them to be gifted to the people, the pendulum—and indeed the sword—must always return the other way.
There are negative cards in every divination deck. In this system (and frequently in playing card lore historically) the two most obvious are the Ace of Spades, and this one, the Queen of Spades. Its meaning is very simple: bad luck. There are no alternative or deeper definitions, that is all it says.
What can we do with this news? Not all luck can be good, and if a system is to include all possibilities, then it must also have cards with outcomes we don’t want. It’s what we do with that information that matters.
If you know that events could go badly, you can prepare. Even more than with the previous Lady’s Gambit (where there is a high degree of randomness) suspecting that the luck will be bad in a situation gives you time to strengthen your defenses. It tells you not to rely on things turning out as they usually do, and to instead work at putting safety measures in place. Look at what you can control about the situation. Fix as much as you can so that luck will not affect it. Do the work now in case bad luck happens in the near future.
The Court cards are good at modifying other number cards. The combination with this one is not subtle: it’s a big danger sign, and you need to stop what you’re doing and prepare for it. Events cannot be relied on to take care of themselves or behave as normal. Assume the worst and do what you can to mitigate it.
Note that this is only about luck. It’s not the same personal disaster as the Ace of Spades predicts, just an unfortunate turn of luck, and the outcome might not be very severe at all. It’s a prompt to action instead of a decree of failure.
Queen of Hearts:
Lady’s Triumph
“Sawyer and the Faery”
Good Luck
Sawyer drank the magical potion. The liquid tasted of mint and dandelion root, because (although he didn’t know this) that was all that it actually contained. The herbalist smiled at him and promised him a day of Good Luck.
He left the shop, and the herbalist changed into her true form and followed. She was a faery who had seen him walking along the path and decided that she loved him, and for that reason she was going to bring him summer days and joyful times.
He trod the forest track back to the village and did not know that two hungry wild dogs would have intercepted him—if they hadn’t been distracted away by the faery’s dancing lights.
Sawyer crossed a cornfield and found a lucky coin (which the faery had placed there moments before). He spent the coin on some bread and chewed it happily as he made his way to his house.
When he got there, he was just in time to see the edge of the roof above his door fall down—exactly where he would have been standing if he’d arrived a little sooner. By avoiding that injury, he was truly having a lucky day!
But the faery knew that it was not luck, for she took every action she could to preserve him and bring him happiness. It made her heart glow in return, and she vowed to reveal her true self to Sawyer one day soon.
What she did not know was that her Queen had seen the youth first and cast a genuine spell of luck upon him. It was this that brought his wanderings past the stream where the faery had been sitting, the only fairy who would love him instantly. Sawyer was right when he thought it—since the Queen had used a luck spell instead of direct intervention, all the later events of that day did indeed spring only from Good Luck. Not even faeries are immune to its power.
Lady’s Triumph is a card that you always want to see. By delivering a large amount of good luck it makes every reading better, softening bad news and turning nice outcomes into really spectacular successes. In yes or no questions (or if you’re evaluating the whole hand to see if it’s positive or negative), this card is always a very big yes.
When this Triumph comes up as advice, it means that you can let luck and chance do some of the work for you. You still need to get to a place where luck can affect things, but once it’s there you will be very fortunate. As with all the Court cards, this is an outside force instead of one from within you, so be sure to set up a situation that will let that outside force act as strongly as possible.
As the Triumph of the Lady cards, this one represents ultimate success for what she brings. Lady Luck is called on in every game of luck or chance, so her favour is always very powerful in a reading! Other aspects which come along with this include the emotions and results that good luck creates: happiness, safety, and positive outcomes.
This card signals that you can relax and let events carry on reliably with no bad surprises, because whenever something can go in the direction that is best for you, it will.
The Kings are the Role of the Sovereign. In every culture that has a ruler, regardless of gender, there is someone at the top of the ladder. In the European-style cards that have become playing cards, that is the King.
The Sovereign is the King of the castle—they set the rules, provide security and authority, and make decisions. Just like the Noble, this involves a contract with the people who depend on them. Where the Noble might be in charge of a home, family, or even just a few decisions that affect others, the Sovereign is a much larger power. The Role usually represents someone who has all the resources of a large institution backing them—a whole land instead of one household, with a focus on security and ruling.
We all come into contact with large institutions at some point, and their decisions can greatly affect us. When the King cards are drawn, we can tell that the issue comes from the whole of society or the influential forces within it.
King of Clubs:
Sovereign’s Promise
“Xavier’s Prison”
Security, Benevolent Institutions, Fulfilling Promises
Lord Xavier owned the old ruins on Falconer’s Hill. There wasn’t much left of them, some stone walls and good shelter from the outside if it got stormy or cold. In the centre of the main room was a trapdoor down to the dungeon, and that was a different place entirely. There the black stone sat thick and heavy on all sides. When you were inside the cell, the four walls felt as though they must be ten paces deep in every direction, only solid stone and the dependable earth beyond it. If you had been sentenced as a prisoner in his great-grandfather’s time, you would not even have dreamed that you could escape. All around the quiet certainty of the stone spoke of timeless endurance.
Xavier was a good ruler; he cared for the people, and in return they allowed him to keep his place among them. He noticed what they needed and made it happen. One of the most unusual changes he made was to the lock of the prison in the ruins. He moved the lock to the inside of the cell instead of the outside.
The tradition of sanctuary started a few years ago, when a young man came from the south village. He would not speak but was clearly troubled and frightened. He walked among the ruins for a time and then climbed down into the prison.
When Xavier heard of this, he went to see the man. They talked a little and the visitor said that he was well but wished to be alone to think. Xavier let him do so. Eventually, the man came up from the dark dungeon and appeared rested, more sure of himself and more at peace. He thanked Xavier and walked over the hills to the east.
After that, other people started to visit the ruins for the same reason. There were usually two or three a year. Today it was a young woman in servant’s clothes who said her name was Milly. She climbed down into the black, silent stone pit and closed the grate over her head, locking it with the bolt from the inside. Xavier asked her if anything was wrong, but she didn’t want to talk about it, so he left her to the quiet she needed. He stayed upstairs and didn’t push for answers or try to cheer her.
Milly sat surrounded by the heavy stone walls. Earlier that day, her body had felt as if it could be attacked from any direction and her mind had been full of whatever people could demand of her in the next instant. But the longer she stayed down there, the more her thoughts quietened. Nothing could possibly reach her through these walls. No one had asked her to do anything for hours now. And in the next few minutes, absolutely nothing would change. The dense rock had sat here for years and would continue exactly as it was.
Gradually, she felt herself becoming slower and stronger, to be like the giant blocks of stone. Eventually she unlocked the grate and raised it, climbed out, and thanked Lord Xavier for the use of his cell. Then she walked back to her home, looking happier and more confident.
His people thought that the gift Xavier gave was the use of his property, but he knew better. When questions would have been too much, he gave the visitors his silence until their own walls had returned.
The Sovereign sounds like a powerful being but—just like the Noble—they only exist in their high position because of a balance. A Sovereign’s Promise is to the people they rule over, and the most fundamental part of that is to provide security to those people. The King of the castle has to share that castle in times of danger, or they won’t keep it.
In the real world (unless you’re close personal friends with a king) this card usually refers to a large institution, one which helps you. The Sovereign is compassionate and enthusiastic, aware of the physical needs of the people who rely on them but also in touch with their inner life and not chasing status for its own sake. Although the Court cards are not you, this security does become yours because providing it to others is exactly what the Sovereign does.
As well as benefitting from a powerful organisation, this card can be about whether you feel emotionally secure in any situation. The Sovereign’s fortress can be one that you carry with you, your body feeling as though it’s surrounded by a solid shell of rock, providing both physical safety and mental confidence.
When this card appears in readings, it can have some surprising effects. It often overrules and neutralizes any Trickster cards in the hand. It provides shelter from cards of conflict or bad luck. You have someone powerful on your side and their protection is impressive.
Rich people do not always keep their promises, so the fact that this one does means that the card also carries a meaning of deals being fulfilled honestly. The Promise cards are always linked to the ideal of a thing, the best version of it, and here the Sovereign keeps their word. This is a reading of people who have more power than you acting for good reasons, holding to their promises, and putting you in a secure and calm position.
King of Diamonds:
Sovereign’s Gambit
“Matthew and the Baker”
Money, Diplomacy, Professional Services
Everyone knew that Baker Jones made the best pies. People came from all over just to buy them. Matthew Evans lived down the road but couldn’t afford the baker’s high prices; he would walk slowly past the shop with his brothers and sisters all sniffing the delicious fruit fillings of blackberries or cherry, or staring at a hot apple pie with a golden crust. Alas, these great treasures were held safely behind the window and stout wooden door, and none of his family had enough coin to actually buy a pie. Matthew had once tried to ask for cheaper prices but was quickly sent away with no doubt that such a thing would never happen.
This week was his younger sister’s birthday, and they had planned to invite friends from the next town for a party. Naturally, the friends all asked if there would be any of the heavenly pies to eat. Matthew assured them (much to the surprise of his family) that there would.
When the day came, the party room was … full of pies. Rhubarb, peach, hot jam fillings, strawberries, black currants, an open-topped prize-winner with cream and raspberries.
“However did you manage to buy these?” his sister asked with wide eyes.
“Well, old Jones wasn’t going to lower his prices, so … I humbly asked his daughter instead.”
His older brother nudged him. “Nice work, you smooth talker! And she just said yes to all of this?”
“To this, and the part where I asked her to marry me.”
And so there was a double celebration, to his sister’s happiness and to the future of their family.
The Sovereign is a wealthy Role. King cards are typically very strong in games, and the one that symbolizes money as Diamonds is in control of a lot of riches.
A Sovereign achieves their goals using diplomacy, money, and the connections they have made. This is not the same as the loyalty of friends and family the Noble uses for a Gambit; instead it’s a service from a professional person (or dealings with people much higher in society than us), particularly related to money and finance. The Sovereign has more than most people and spending it has always been part of diplomacy.
When we interact with a Sovereign it is usually someone big in the world or in a position of great authority over us. It could mean major assistance with financial matters or an indication that you should spend money now to gain the reward later. The Court cards are forces external to us so the person with the money is not necessarily you, but finance will influence the situation in some way.
On its own, this card primarily refers to money or the use of influence to make things happen. The outcome isn’t known—although the Sovereign is powerful, the Gambit can still fail. The important part of this card is that money is moving. It is not an abundance of riches (something more represented by the King of Hearts) but a spinning coin, ready to fall one way or the other. The only reason one of the main definitions isn’t “Gambling” is that the King represents large amounts of money, much more than would usually be gambled for fun. If this wealth is yours, be careful with it. If it isn’t, someone is using influence in a way that will affect you.
King of Spades:
Sovereign’s Folly
“Calum Breaks the Old Rules”
Authority, Tradition, Inflexibility
Little Calum first showed his power in the village square, which was unfortunate. A bright arc of green light shot from his hand to the top of the tallest building and set it ablaze. The fire was dealt with easily, but everyone had seen what caused it and that meant trouble. It probably meant war.
The rules governing the wild magic had been written long ago and agreed upon by both kingdoms. No human was to possess the magic, and no aelf was to cross the border between their lands. In those days, magic was something that you could deliberately learn, and evil people tried to steal it for themselves. Outlawing it made sense. Those laws had held for as long as everyone could remember … but now had been broken. It didn’t matter that Calum was young and clearly didn’t know how it had happened. The law was the law. He was sent to the palace.
King John was a wise ruler who had always kept a peace with the neighboring kingdom of Aelfland. When the news was brought to him, he was troubled. If the old law was not followed, the aelfs would demand to come across the border. The only way to avoid that (and a violent response from his own people) was to obey the ancient written rules: to kill the person who had used magic.
John went along with the boy to the edge of the forest on the border between the lands. There they waited. At dusk, when the shadows lengthened and then turned to grey and twilight, the Aelf King and his retinue appeared. John spoke first.
“The old laws have been broken, but not through any intent. This boy possesses the magic, without asking for it. The laws say that he must die but not one of my people thinks this would be justice. We seek another answer.”
The Aelf King spoke in a friendly voice.
“If he is allowed to live, my people would want to come into your Kingdom. That would be a disaster. They are not ready and would forget themselves.”
John swallowed nervously. “We do not want war.”
The Aelf King thought for a moment, and then replied.
“Neither do we. I have decided. The boy can live.” There were mutters of relief from both sides. “The old rules have kept us safe but they are not right in this situation. You say the boy did not seek power to harm others, he developed it naturally. He will be taught to control it so that none are harmed—on your side of the border or mine. As to our populations, I am in command of my people and I will tell them that we are not going to war. My authority will prevent it. Go in peace.”
And he turned and left, merging with the shadows in the forest.
King John never knew what was said in the Aelf King’s court, but the promise they had made held true: through the wisdom and leadership of both rulers, there was no war.
Tradition has its place, but in the hands of large institutions or authorities it rarely allows for a lot of individual freedom. The Folly of the very powerful Sovereign card is that they can come down on those beneath them with too much force and too little true understanding.
This is a card about being oppressed by authority. It could be due to a big organisation being too inflexible or an accepted idea in society too difficult to overcome. Either way, the result is a burden on everyone under it—and that may include the person the reading is for.
The previous two Sovereign cards brought friendly security and a focus on money. This one is much more of a warning, that someone in the world has more power than you and there is a chance they will apply it too rigidly. There are many groups and people that this Sovereign could describe: a parent, a business partner, a bank, a government, or all the people in a crowd in public. The only definition is that they have more authority than you.
Exactly what form the Folly takes varies quite widely. This is a card of people in power Getting It Wrong, or not being merciful. That could be the person affected by it facing financial problems or even suffering from the expectations of society against anyone in a minority group. Anything taboo or different could be met with resistance, anything requiring someone in power to help could face a blockage instead. The theme that links them all is that the action feels oppressive.
This is a problem which can still be solved, though. The other cards may show positive outcomes and the Sovereign is at least an outside force instead of one within you. That small detail can help! It means that the burden it brings to the situation is external and practical instead of internal or emotional.
The Sovereign is powerful, but so are you. Gather friends together and look at other routes for getting to your goal if bureaucracy or institutions block the way. If the reading suggests that you should act like this card, rely on traditional ways to bring a known route forwards to the situation. This is a strong power, and chaos will find it very difficult to overcome its slow and unimaginative rules.
King of Hearts:
Sovereign’s Triumph
“Vettorio’s Canvas”
Help from a Master, Allies, Success in Traditional Ways
The studio was full of colourful paintings. Along every wall, on stands in every corner, and leaning up against chairs, the works of Master Domenico were all around. He was the most skilled artist in the land, rich and respected for his work. More than that, he was a good man—it was rare to see someone with his wealth who was so peaceful, compassionate, and still eager to learn new things even at his advanced age.
Young Vettorio was his apprentice but so far that had meant only that he was made to copy the Master’s work precisely. When Domenico drew a building, Vettorio had to produce the same using identical brushstrokes. When Domenico went through a period of only using browns and dark greens, the student would be limited to those colours as well. The most usual subjects for their art were buildings in the city rendered with very straight lines and calm light.
Today was different. The old man sat down with the youth in the middle of all the painted canvases and opened a box that had previously been kept locked. Within it were paints and oils of the brightest colours!
“I have taught you the techniques I use and shown you the quality of art our patrons enjoy. Now, you must discover your own style.”
Vettorio was overwhelmed. For months his brush had wanted to break free of the rigid lines and somber tones. Suddenly he felt a rush of affection for the older man he was apprenticed to. Some teachers remained strict and aloof, but the best became Mentors and used their influence to aid their students’ progress.
The student hesitantly adjusted the blank canvas before him and reached for the new paints. Flaming crimson and buttercup yellow. Slowly, with nervous energy in his arm and a lightness in his heart, Vettorio drew the image worthy of those colours that first came to his mind, something unlike any other subject in this studio: the trailing, curving tailfeathers of a Firebird.
This is a wonderful card! It is extremely positive, in a secure and comfortable way. The Triumph of a Sovereign is to have it all: wealth, security, a strong castle, and the love of others. They spend their time enjoying physical abundance, food and drink, and a safe home. This Sovereign in particular is a mentor or patron, someone with more power than you who uses it to help you.
With the Aces counting as the number one in this deck, the King of Hearts is the top scoring card. Its message overpowers any other cards in the hand, overcomes any minor setbacks, and puts a positive spin on any flexible or ambiguous answers.
The King of Hearts has an interesting place in card history: it is known as the “Suicide King” and was thought to represent a French King stabbing himself with the sword. This is actually a myth—the design used to feature an axe instead, but bad copying by English printers made the axe’s blade disappear. So while the King of Hearts was never meant to have a negative story, at least one unhappy legend grew up around it.
There’s certainly none of that meaning here. This is the final card, signifying someone who is safe, rich and satisfied but who shows compassion and benevolence to others. They may demonstrate an attitude we should aspire to, or act as a friend we can lean on. This Sovereign is enjoying their rewards and everyone nearby benefits from that as well.
If this appears as an influence, we can welcome it. If it’s an action which we should try to deliberately bring into our lives then we should seek help from a master, or one who has gained both security and happiness. Large institutions or powers can often feel remote or threatening, but when we find a way to benefit from them the rewards are substantial.
We should build our castle and aim to govern it as well (and as generously) as the best of those represented by this card.