Card games are said to have originated in India in the 16^th century. It is said that card games were first played in the Royal Indian Palaces, with cards made of precious metal and gemstones. Indians love playing card games and this tradition continued even during social distancing, by playing card games online.

Card games are games of skills but did you know that they also had an astrological connection? Have you ever thought what is the meaning of each playing card or why a deck has four suits? Do you know what each suit symbolizes? If such questions have crossed your mind or you would want to know the deeper meaning behind each number and suit, then continue reading.

The four suits in playing cards symbolize:

Spade

Symbol – ♠️
It is known to be the highest-ranking suit in card games. It represents the winter season and water element. This suit stands for the highest point of old age when humans transform, gain knowledge and accept.

Hearts

Symbol – ♥️

This suit symbolizes the spring season and fire element. It stands for the childhood stage of life of learning and growing.

Diamond

Symbol – ♦️

This suit stands for the fall/autumn season. The diamond suit represents the growing stage of a human’s career. It is a symbol of ethics, stability, progress and commitment. It also represents the air element.

Club

Symbol – ♣️

The club suit symbolizes the earth element and the summer season. It represents the youth phase of life where a person focuses on his/her education.

Playing Cards and their Values

Do you know why there are 52 cards in each deck? Every deck has 52 cards representing the number of weeks in a year. Every suit has 13 cards each, representing 13 lunar months. The total numerical value of all cards is 365 (including the joker), representing the total days in a year. The numerical value of Jack, Queen and King is 11, 12 and 13 respectively. If you want to know in detail about the deck of 52 cards, click here.

Every card value also indicates a personality. Below-mentioned are the meanings behind each card value:

Card Value	Symbolization
Ace	Desire
2	Union
3	Faith
4	Satisfaction
5	Change
6	Adjustments
7	Victory
8	Power
9	New beginnings
10	Success

The royal family card symbolizes historical personalities as mentioned below:

Card Value	Symbolization
King of Spades	King of Israel, David
King of Hearts	King of France, Charlemagne
King of Diamonds	Roman Caesar, Augustus
King of Clubs	King of Macedonia, Alexander

What do the four card suits in the deck represent?

The four suits in the deck symbolize different things. The spade suits represent the military, the diamonds represent the merchant class, clubs stand for agriculture, and hearts for church. These were the four pillars of the Medieval Period Economy of India.

What suit order is followed in card games?

Most card games like Indian Rummy and Poker do not follow any suit order. This means that all the suits are equal. On the other hand, some card games follow suit order like Bridge and in some cases, even Seven Card Stud follows it (where ties are broken by a particular suit). The suit order followed in such games from the highest to the lowest is Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs.