Ana Cortez’s System

[WizardintheWoods]

Hello All,

 

Does anyone have any insight into the system of Ana Cortez ?  It is radically different from other Playing Card reading systems I hear, but nothing either Pro or Con. There are courses on her website and such but I am looking more for the “between we Reader’s info” rather than the Creator’s. Not looking to high praise or rip the system, just again any insight you may have. 
 

Thanks in advance if you can help out!

[RunningWild]

I see no one has answered yet so I’ll try.  I have the deck and book.  It’s a whole system unto itself.  I didn’t gel with it when I first got it because it’s quite involved IMO.  My deck and book are set aside for when I’m feeling a need for something very different.  That hasn’t happened yet.

 

If you go to www.tarotforum.net. (Aeclectic) and type Ana Cortez in the search box and then scroll down a bit, you’ll find reviews and card studies from people who used the system when it came out.  

[DanielJUK]

Paging @Moon-Hermit if she is browsing the forum in future, this is her area 🙂 

[Marina]

Hi there @WizardintheWoods!

Yes, I own Ana Cortez decks and books, and I have been using them regularly for about 15 years now. I first bought the original deck and book back in 2007, but only got serious into it in 2010. Ever since, it has become my favourite deck and divination method using playing cards. I have written about the Playing Card Oracles and shared many readings using it in my blog, over the years.

Anyway, it’s a very good system, with solid internal consistency. However, it does require that you go open-minded, because many of the associations used are different from the tarot ones we are more used to. Ie. the suit-element associations. I know a lot of people struggle with it at first.

Also, although the deck can be used with any spread, it does have its own vertical 4-card spread,  which allows you not only to use the calendar system of the deck (yes, the deck can be used to try to predict timing within a one year timeframe), but also to enhance the elemental interplay between the cards, since each position of the spread is ruled by one element/suit. You see, suit/elemental interplay is a BIG thing in Ana’s method. That’s why it’s not the best deck for one card readings (though it certainly can be used that way, but you don’t get to see the elements interact as much). When reading, you consider not only the cards’ individual meanings, but how their suits/elements interact amongst themselves. Some suits are more compatible, some are less. Furthermore, the 4-card spread can be used to desire geomantic figures from, adding yet another layer.

So, it’s a system that CAN get rather complex, but you are free to go only as deep as you feel comfortable. You can do fairly good readings just using the book's basic meanings, for starters, so don’t be afraid to give it a try!
 

Ana explains all that in her books, which are:

• The Playing Card Oracles- the original book, which explains the basic system. It’s a fantastic book, a mix of divination, art and literature… It has everything you need to start reading!
• The Doors of Somlipith - the newest book, which comes in a set with a new deck. This book has almost all the information of the first one, but also many extra techniques Ana developed after her father passed away (they created the system together). It’s like the ‘higher octave’ of the first book.

I recommend starting with the first book, because The Doors of Somlipith can get a bit overwhelming if the system is completely new to you. 

FYI: there is more than one version of the deck, and they all were illustrated by Ana Cortez’s father, C.J. Freeman. C.J. was an artist fascinated by playing cards, and so he did a LOT of art about them. Over the years, Ana published the different versions of the deck her father designed, and all of them are compatible with her system, although the cards can look different and have different names. Below you can see two versions of the deck:

 

 

 

 

I hope I have helped somehow. Let me know if you have any more questions.
 

Edited Tuesday at 04:01 PM by Marina

[Nemia]

Thank you, @Marina, that was very interesting. Which deck would you recommend? I bought Ana's book and read it some years ago, but haven't decided yet which of her decks would be best to work with. (I'm so stuck in tarot that I didn't make much progress with playing cards, Lenormand and Desta Katina cards, although I love them all and wish I could work with them!)

[Marina]

1 hour ago, Nemia said:

Thank you, @Marina, that was very interesting. Which deck would you recommend? I bought Ana's book and read it some years ago, but haven't decided yet which of her decks would be best to work with. (I'm so stuck in tarot that I didn't make much progress with playing cards, Lenormand and Desta Katina cards, although I love them all and wish I could work with them!)

 
Hi Nemia! Personally, I recommend the “standard” deck, published by US Games. It’s the deck most of people are familiar with when you speak of Playing Card Oracles, and the images match the original book.

 

BUT BUT BUT… if, for any reason, you dislike the original deck’s imagery, or if you really like your decks all colourful and fancy, you may prefer the Doors of Somlipith. It’s a set published by Schiffer/REDFeather, that comes with the new deck and book. 

 

Both versions are available on Amazon and other major stores, so they are not hard to get. And both will teach you Ana Cortez’s method, just through different images.