How To: Pokémancy

An (inexpert) guide to Pokémancy

Cartomancy (divination using cards) has a very long recorded history; starting in around the fourteenth century in Europe, and probably stretching back even further. Cartomancy, including Tarot Reading, is the art of reading playing cards to "divine" messages, understand the self, and predict the future. I will do a longer blog post in the future about the history of Cartomancy; but for now all we need to know is that any deck of cards can be read, if you have a system, or key, for doing so either personal, or based on established meanings. Now to the present…

Pokémon is, among may other things, a trading card game. Another trading card game I personally play is Magic The Gathering and I plan on building my own cartomany deck with MTG cards as well. But for the past couple of weeks I have been cultivating a Pokémon practice, inspired by the viral reel from Iowa Starting Line of a Pokémon reader. I’ve been playing the Pokémon video games, and watching the various animes since I was a child. So; armed with my Pokémon knowledge, and some newly acquired cards from my neighbouring market stall, I set to reading!

So here is my (inexpert) guide to Pokémancy; to give you a guideline for reading Pokémon cards if you want to give it a go, possibly using a dusty collection that needs some love:

You might want to start (or finish) with the art of the card. Some cards have more detailed, elaborate images than others, and over time I plan to upgrade my deck to full art cards. I specifically wanted this Ralts card (below left) as it is part of a series that for me evokes the idea of Maiden, Mother, and Crone; or The Fool, The Empress/TheChariot, and The World.

Pokémon, like Tarot, has an elemental system (that is very loosely based on the Japanese five element system) there are currently 18 distinct Pokémon types and they can help provide a focus for reading each card. For this blog post I drew out Pysduck (above right) for interpretation. Pysduck is a water type; in Tarot water relates to the emotions, and intuition. In Godai (one version of the Japanese five element system) it represents adaptability, fluidity, and emotions. For me Pysduck is a card rooted in that emotional sphere.

Next I am looking in at the move name(s) on the card. For Pysduck it is "Overthink" which ties in nicely with the theme set by the type, perhaps suggesting a conflict between head and heart, or a tendency to think too much about what my intuition/emotions are telling me.

Then we turn to the Pokédex entry; personally this is where a lot of the meaning comes from. For Pysduck we have "It is constantly wracked by a headache. When the headache turns intense, it begins using mysterious powers." Leading to my overall integration of:
Headache, overthinking; although it might seem like a weakness is a strength. Trying to balance the conflict between what emotions and intuition are telling me, and what my rational mind wants to do with this information can be difficult, but it allows new and creative ways of seeing the world, and thinking through problems. Spending the time to sit and think through feelings leads to good things. Psyduck is shown is a flourishing world suggesting emotional flourishing, and health.

Let me know how you would interpret this Pysduck! And let me know if you feel inspired to Pokémancy a go!

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