Clow Card Divination 101
(Image by: desstile)
There’s little out there for divining with Clow Cards, and I find it helpful to write things down, so here’s a post. This is my interpretations so you may want to do things differently; that’s totally up to you! There’s also some inspiration from the book and the episodes.
Speaking of, Clow Cards are from the series Cardcaptor Sakura, and are even used for divination purposes in the show (namely for telling future events). I personally use them how I would any tarot or oracle deck.
Basic System
Though Clow Cards are often compared to Tarot and were initially based on it, there’s…very little in the way of actual similarity. It’d be closer to oracle if anything. Some cards have similar meanings to me, such as The Windy and Justice, The Dark and the Hermit, or Thunder and The Tower, but that’s really it.
Needless to say, Clow Cards have their own hierarchy and system.
At the top are two guardians (which don’t have corresponding cards); the Sun and the Moon. Likewise, each guardian has one attribute (Light or Dark) and two elements (Earthy, Fiery, Watery, and Windy) under their jurisdiction. The rest of the cards are divided between these six “suits”, seven for each attribute and eight for each element. The exceptions to the hierarchy are The Nothing, The Nameless, and The Hope. Some decks now have a Sakura card, which is also out of this hierarchy.
The Sun
To me, the cards under the Sun guardian deal with your interactions with the situations around you; these cards are very physical, so to speak. The three suits of the Sun are The Light, The Earthy, and The Fiery. All of the cards under The Light are very encouraging, a bit of luck, a nudge to keep going forward. The Earthy’s cards are very practical and focus on how situations are handled. Meanwhile, The Fiery’s cards are very action-based and focused on goals.
My basic keywords are:
The Light
The Light - Hope, renewal, positivity
The Shadow - The unknown, transformation, change
The Sweet - Kindness, camaraderie, popularity
The Big - Journey, moving forward, attainment
The Return - Second chances, fixing mistakes
The Create - Individuality, creation, creativity, intuition
The Glow - Good luck, simple pleasures, comfort
The Little - Perseverance, accumulation, baby steps
The Earthy
The Earthy - Practical, structure, foundation
The Flower - Beauty, rewards, optimism
The Shield - Protection, defensive, guarded
The Loop - Perseverance, going in a circle, in a rut
The Mirror - Reflection, renewal
The Lock - Secrets, knowledge, awareness
The Sand - Shifting, constant, reconciliation
The Maze - Confusion, lost, uncertainty
The Libra - Balance, truth, fairness
The Fiery
The Fiery - Confidence, determination
The Fight - Leader, standing up for oneself
The Shot - Aggressiveness, focused on goal
The Arrow - Energetic, hitting the target
The Twin - Teamwork, contribution
The Power - Fulfillment, new developments
The Thunder - sudden, drastic changes, upheaval
The Sword - Compensation, destructive, double-edged
The Through - Perspective, improvements
The Moon
While the Sun’s cards deal with the outside and physical world around you, the Moon’s are more inner and spiritual. They’re what’s in your mind and focus on thoughts and other non-physical aspects. The three suits are The Dark, The Watery, and The Windy. The cards under The Dark tend towards your inner thoughts and feelings, those under The Watery your attitude going into a situation, and The Windy focuses on communication and relations with others.
My basic keywords are:
The Dark
The Dark - Inner thoughts and feelings, the subconscious
The Illusion - Escapist, reality, deception
The Change - Change of heart, point of view
The Silent - Introspection, observation
The Time - Nostalgia, time passing, existence
The Erase - Stagnation, removing the unneeded
The Sleep - Rest, recuperation
The Dream - Subconscious, dream world, premonition
The Watery
The Watery - Emotion, understanding, intuition
The Mist - Reconsider, uncertainty, lack of direction
The Freeze - Slow and steady, at own pace
The Wood - Growth, nurture, fertility
The Cloud - Carefree, optimistic, unworried
The Rain - Little problems, temporary pessimism
The Bubble - Cleaning up, purification
The Wave - Adaptability, flexibility, compromise
The Snow - Peacefulness, purity, potential
The Windy
The Windy - Truth, honesty, fairness, law
The Storm - Suppressed emotions, lack of communication
The Float - Above problems, objective, liberation
The Song - Expressing self, harmony, shared joy
The Voice - Greetings, communication, misunderstanding
The Jump - Finding new methods, experience, learning
The Dash - Rushing ahead, internal conflict
The Fly - Challenges, chances, overcoming
The Move - Think before speaking, talking too much
Added Cards
These are the cards outside of the above hierarchy; they belong to no suit and therefore completely stand on their own.
My basic keywords are:
The Nothing - Negative, sadness, loneliness
The Nameless - Blank slate, what you make of it, love
The Hope - Serenity, calm, composure, faith
Sakura - Energetic, cheerful, naive, kind
