Consciousness in a Deck of Cards?
Published in Wisdom Magazine 2009
Is there an actual esoteric, mathematical science behind a common deck of playing cards? Believe it or not, the deck of common playing cards was one of the original calendar systems based on true solar time. More importantly, this calendar system served as a secret, mystical oracle. Intrigued, I started "playing" with this ancient oracle about ten years ago with my friend. Nothing serious. I didn't give it much credibility then because I could not imagine a deck of cards having any real value regarding consciousness or divine truth. Even the loud, bold, tacky colors of the oracle's book cover turned me off, but something kept drawing me in.
This oracle is not founded on random card throwing or the Tarot. The Tarot is thought to have evolved from this oracle such that the symbol of the heart suit in the playing cards would be analogous to the cups in the Tarot deck. Since the heart suit is considered "first" in the suits, it would correspond to the elements of water and earth, also known as "kapha" in the ancient science of Ayurveda. It is universally accepted that the water element represents the emotions of the heart. Kapha is a Sanskrit word meaning "what sticks" and is most prevalent in our bodies and in the universe in the spring, which initiates the first signs of new life waking up from the winter slumber.
Based on the day of one's birth, the secret information revealed in this oracle is rooted in numerology, planetary archetypes, divine law, and sacred geometrical symbols representing the five great elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth). When the sacred geometrical symbols of the hearts, clubs, diamonds, and spades are superimposed over each other in a specific design, it forms the shape of a human being centered on the matrix of the supersonic pole that passes upward through the adipati crown chakra and downward through the muladhara root chakra. I have found many other fascinating parallels with the science of Ayurveda, specifically, a correlation between the suits of the cards and the doshas. Dosha is a Sanskrit word meaning biological humor and usually indicates an imbalance of one of the five great elements within the body. It is also thought to share many consistencies with the ancient Aztec calendar. I imagine this oracle was innovated around the same time the great Rishis recognized the beautiful science of Ayurveda in India. Perhaps the "Hundredth Monkey" effect can explain the congruencies in these cognitions. In any case, this oracle, along with the science of Ayurveda, has supported me in understanding my relationships, purpose, past, and myself on a very deep level.
The magic of this oracle was intuited and interpreted by great mystics, astrologers, and seers and was called The Order of the Magi (O.O.M.). They have also been referred to as The Three Wise Men, who knew about the birth of Jesus simply by observing the Star of Bethlehem. They could calculate the longitude and latitude of his birth using this oracle. According to Onley H. Richmond, author of "The Mystic Test Book," published in 1893, the secrets of the math and sacred geometrical symbols of the playing cards are so powerful that the world was not ready to receive such knowledge until the turn of the 19th century. Even now, this oracle still has many hidden mysteries and secrets that remain to be unraveled and shone to the world.
"And he said until me, you must prophesy again before many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."
Corrected translation from Revelations, Chapter 10, verses 4, 10 & 11.
The only two other books published on the science of cards between 1894 and 1989 were "Sacred Symbols of the Ancients" by Florence Campbell and Edith Randall and "What's Your Card?" by Arne Lein. In 1998, Robert Lee Camp's books "The Love Cards" and "The Book of Destiny" caught my attention and have become my latest passion.
After charting and analyzing all the predictions and personality traits of my birth card and my planetary ruler card, I am convinced of the transformative power of this oracle. The accuracy of its readings surpasses any Jyotish or Western astrological reading I have ever received. This conviction led me to start a professional career as a Card Counselor in Fairfield, IA, using this oracle in 2007. I have witnessed the transformative power of this oracle, providing clarity, hope, and vision into the Self and the future for many clients. A counseling session using this oracle can assist people in understanding their past and current relationships, future relationships, behavioral patterns, personality quirks, lessons, and dharma.
In Onley Richard's book, The Mystic Test Book, he alludes to the notion that everything in our world has numbers that define its electromagnetic frequencies. In his words: "Everything that exists, large or small, possesses a number that exactly gives a mathematical expression of the thing itself. If the constitution of the thing is complex, the number is complex. If it is simple in the constitution, the astral number (Star Code) is simple."
I have found a beautiful, harmonious balance of linear and horizontal knowledge within this oracle. It perfectly integrates the logical, scientific left brain of Shiva with the intuitive and abstract right brain of Shakti. The cosmic dance of Shiva and Shakti within this oracle can illuminate our purpose and assist us in transcending all illusion. By simply remembering and understanding why we have chosen our particular careers, families, friends, sorrows, joys, adversities, and lovers, we can make more conscious choices, evolve toward greater love of the Self, and see the Creator within every stone, flower, and person.
The Order of the Magi represents itself by the Ace of Spades. The Ace of Spades, on a very subtle layer, represents secrets, desires, birth, endings, and transformation. For example, the appearance of an Ace of Spades in your reading could allude to a secret in your life. It is also the most powerful of the Aces. Aces symbolize beginnings, and as such, the Ace of Spades can profoundly mean a new beginning in our lives. Every new beginning in life happens just after a death or an ending. Thus, the Ace of Spades is also associated with death.
Spiritually speaking, the Ace of Spades has a more profound and valuable message. It is the one card in the deck that represents the hidden truth behind the veil of illusion and the Maya in this Kali Yuga (Age of darkness) and ignites the clarity that exists in the bliss of the Sat Yuga (Age of Enlightenment).
The danger beneath all oracles and astrological systems is the temptation of surrendering all your power to "the system" instead of seeking the answers within. One must stay fully aware and awake to that possibility. Another danger is forgetting the power of now and the gift of the present moment. When we know our future, it becomes challenging to live in the moment. It can create anxiety in some cases. Suppose you want to remain truly conscious and present yet explore the cards to peer into the future. In that case, you must practice returning to the moment, putting your new knowledge on the back burner while allowing time to unfold naturally in its perfect divine order and pace. This practice can become a sadhana (spiritual practice). By magnifying the duality between the future and the now, we are presented with the choice to live for the future or in the moment. It can serve as an opportunity to continually remind oneself that all we have is the current moment, regardless of our destiny. Though there are some karmas we must live out, we can do so easily if we experience life in the "Witness" state of being. One of my great teachers, Dr. Vasant Lad, once said, "Watch the watcher,” or in other words, witness the watcher (yourself) and observe the experience, separating your sacred self from the earthly experience.
The blueprint of your destiny does not take away free will. The knowledge in this oracle can help direct your attention to what you want to create in your life with the power of intention and prayer. We can sustain our intrinsic, unbounded, infinite nature once a true understanding of how to read the specific energy, archetypes, and influences surrounding us is attained. At the deepest level, this oracle will remind us that we were the ones who created our destinies and blueprints before we incarnated so that we could experience certain circumstances, patterns, emotions, and specific people that could guide us to learn more about love and create more love in the world.
The card associated with your birthday symbolizes a reservoir of karmic and personality attributes. Your card is not who you truly are. Instead, your card describes the traits you have chosen to embody in this lifetime that will help you reach self-actualization. It can give insights into events that repeat themselves repeatedly in your life. With this knowledge, you can develop more understanding and compassion for your chosen life. You can transcend your card because you are much more than your card! Ultimately, we embody every card in the deck. Yet, we can't deny the unique traits and patterns symbolized by the cards that influence our daily lives. We can rise above our card's characteristics and patterns once we fully embrace our birth card's dark and light aspects. Those who think they can rise above the dramas of the card they chose without first embracing them are mistaken. The choice to be born on a certain day reveals exactly what we must learn to love. We must love ourselves, with all the flaws and glories of the unique karmic characteristics and vibrations of the day we chose to enter this world.
By Karyn Chabot Martino, M.Ay., LMT, RYT