Spanish Deck vs Tarot – Any Historical Connection?

Kieran

Hey all,

I’ve noticed that Spanish playing cards and tarot decks seem pretty similar — especially the suits — and it looks like you can even do readings with a Spanish deck.

Does anyone know anything about the history behind this or how the two are connected? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Ramirez

By “Spanish deck,” I’m guessing you mean the baraja española (the regular Spanish playing cards) and not a Spanish Tarot deck.

Yep, you can do readings with them, but keep in mind that, like all national decks, they have their own cultural meanings that don’t always match up with the tarot versions. If you search “baraja española leer” on YouTube, you’ll find tons of examples of people actually doing readings with them.

Elara_Moonfield

Honestly, you can read with pretty much any deck — even a standard English one: hearts = cups, diamonds = pentacles, clubs = wands, spades = swords.

All playing cards actually come from the same origins (China), and the number energies stay consistent no matter the deck.

A Spanish deck can be a bit easier to read, though, since it has pictures on the cards — gives you more to interpret and “talk” with during a reading.