A Simple Reading with a 32-Card Deck: Step-by-Step Method

Preparing the reading

Take a 32-card deck, that is, a belote or piquet deck (from seven to ace). If you only have a 52-card deck, remove the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Choose a calm moment and a clear table, and keep a notebook nearby to write down the question and the result.

Some customs exist, which each person may adopt or not: shuffling while thinking about the question, cutting with the left hand. They change nothing about the cards, but they help you focus. What matters is having a small ritual that marks the beginning and the end of the session. To look after your deck, see preparing, shuffling and storing your deck.

Forming the question

The quality of a reading depends a great deal on the question. Prefer an open question, one that concerns you rather than someone else, and that invites reflection: “How should I approach this conversation?”, “Which aspect of my situation have I overlooked?”, “What would help me decide?”.

Avoid closed questions (“Will they call me?”), which keep you waiting, and questions about health, pregnancy, death, easy money or the stock market. A card replaces neither medical nor financial advice, and it does not know the future.

The three-card spread

1. Shuffle the deck while thinking of your question, then cut it.
2. Place the first three cards face down, from left to right.
3. Turn them over one at a time, reading them in order.
4. Card 1: the situation, what presents itself. Card 2: what complicates or helps. Card 3: a possible direction, a suggestion for reflection.
5. Read the whole as a sentence, then read it again, looking for resemblances (same suits, same numbers).

This follows the same logic as the three-card spread with a tarot, adapted to a simpler deck.

Reading the cards drawn

For each card, proceed in three steps. First, the suit: hearts (feelings), diamonds (news, formalities), clubs (action, success), spades (trials, decisions). Next, the court card or number: a king, queen or jack denotes a person or a quality; a number speaks of a situation. Finally, the card's position in the spread.

Then open the entry for each card to compare it with traditional meanings: for example the ace of spades, the king of clubs or the ten of hearts. Keep in mind that meanings vary from one author to another.

A detailed example

Question: “How should I approach my moving project?”. Spread: seven of spades – ten of clubs – ace of hearts.

Card 1, the seven of spades: small worries, paperwork that drags on, doubt. Card 2, the ten of clubs: effort that bears fruit, a project carried through to completion. Card 3, the ace of hearts: the home, an emotional fresh start.

A possible reading: “the early hassles are real (7 of spades) but are not a lasting obstacle; the effort you put in will be recognised (10 of clubs); the aim is to find a place where you feel at home (ace of hearts).” A suggestion for reflection: list the procedures and spread them over several weeks. The reading does not say the move will succeed; it helps you organise your thoughts.

Variant: the nine-card square

Once you feel comfortable, lay out nine cards in a 3 × 3 square. One possible convention, among others, is to read each row as a theme: the top row for thoughts or plans, the middle row for the present situation, the bottom row for what is concrete and within reach. Read the columns too, and regard the central card as the heart of the subject.

You may also choose a card that represents you (a court card of the suit of your choice), remove it before shuffling and place it in the centre. This practice is optional and varies between schools.

Common beginner mistakes

• Repeating the draw until you get “good cards”: this cancels the purpose of the exercise. One reading, one question.
• Reading each card in isolation, without looking at its neighbours or at the question.
• Taking a traditional meaning literally: the “king of spades” does not necessarily stand for a judge.
• Reading for other people without their agreement, or on serious subjects.
• Forgetting to write things down, and to review your notes a few weeks later.

What next?

Note each session in a notebook (see keeping a reading journal), then explore the spades or the other suits to go deeper. If you enjoy the logic of the cards, the cross spread can be adapted to the 32-card deck with a little imagination. For the history and place of this practice, revisit the introduction to cartomancy.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Cartomancy with a standard deck of playing cards.