Ever wonder about the Queen of Spades meaning? Find out in our informative article!
If you play cards, you're undoubtedly aware of the Queen of Spades, one of 52 cards in a standard deck. However, this card has a long and intriguing history you might not be aware of. Of course, everyone knows it's an indispensable part of dozens of card games, from Blackjack to Bridge to Gin Rummy.
What you might not know is that it's been used by fortune tellers to peer through the misty veil of time so they can inform seekers what destiny has in store for them. The card has fascinated the public's imagination so much that it regularly pops up in pop culture, including books, movies, and television shows.
It even inspired a professional wrestler!
The Queen of Spades in Card Games
In Hearts, the Queen of Spades (aka the Black Maria) is the only undesirable card. If someone gets it, they get 13 penalty points.
However, if a player wins all penalty cards (13 hearts and the Queen of Spades), they get zero points, and their opponents rack up 26 points. This gambit is called "Shooting the Moon.
In Pinochle, the Queen of Spades and the Jack of Diamonds combine forces for a two-card combo known as a "pinochle." In Crazy Eights, getting the Queen of Spades means the next player must take five cards from the deck.
Historical Perceptions of the Queen of Spades
Throughout history, the Queen of Spades has been seen as a powerful woman who controls her destiny. She's usually shown carrying a spindle, a spike used for spinning fibers.
There are those who say the Queen of Spades is so mesmerizing she's able to get others to do her bidding. Because of her keen intelligence, she can see through people with uncanny clarity. The Queen of Spades is known to be bitter when she doesn't get her way and can be unforgiving when she feels someone has wronged her.
The Queen of Spades in Fortune Telling
Did you know that playing cards aren't just used in games? For centuries, they've also been used as a divination tool. This fortune-telling technique, known as cartomancy, began in Europe in the 14th century.
The Queen of Spades corresponds to the Queen of Swords in a tarot deck. She's been traditionally associated with death and endings but can also symbolize new beginnings and creativity. The card represents the divine feminine—a reminder to use logic a little less and trust our instincts more.
Some people believe it means wonderful things are about to happen. Getting this card could be the cosmos telling you that you need to stop seeking other people's approval.
If you're feeling lost or uncertain, the Queen of Spades could be telling you that you'll soon be back on the right path again. It could also indicate you'll be victorious over everything standing in the way of your dreams.
In a love reading, this card can signify a relationship founded on intellect instead of emotions. People who get this card tend to be sapiosexual—individuals attracted to intelligent people. However, they tend to think more with their heads than their hearts and can be guarded and aloof.
Beware if you get a Queen of Spades that's upside down. That's because this could mean you're about to encounter distrust and prejudice at every turn.
The Queen of Spades is your birth card if you were born between the 21st and 27th of June.
The Queen of Spades Wish-Granting Game
Some people looking to get their wishes granted play this game. If you want to try it, go into a dark room with a mirror. Place the Queen of Spades so that it's facing the mirror. Draw stairs leading to a door on the mirror with red lipstick.
Light a candle. While holding it, close your eyes and say, “Queen of Spades, come” three times.
Blow the candle out. If the Queen of Spades looks favorably on you, she'll grant your wish. Just be careful to not let the Queen of Spades escape from the mirror into our world.
That's because there's no telling what she might do!
The Queen of Spades in Pop Culture
The Queen of Spades regularly pops up in pop culture. For example, Aleksandr Pushkin published a short story in 1834 titled "The Queen of Spades."
In the story, a Russian named Hermann learns that a fellow officer's grandmother, an elderly countess, is rumored to hold the secret of winning at Faro, a high-stakes card game. Hermann romances Lizaveta, the countess's ward, to get close to the countess.
However, when she adamantly refuses to reveal the secret, Hermann threatens to shoot her, causing the woman to immediately die of fright. He attends the countess's funeral and is terrified when he sees her open her eyes in the coffin and look right at him. Even though she's dead, she names three secret cards (three, seven, and ace) and tells him he must play one card each night.
He goes to a gambling salon with every penny of his life savings. On the first night, he bets everything on the three and wins a bundle.
On the second night, he plays the seven and walks away with even more money. On the third night, Hermann bets on the ace. However, when he sees his cards, he's horrified to find he bet on the Queen of Spades instead—thus losing his substantial fortune.
He looks down at the card and is scared out of his ever-loving mind when he sees the queen, looking uncannily like the old countess, winking at him. This causes Hermann to go insane and to be committed to an asylum.
The story served as the basis for the operas The Queen of Spades (1890) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, La Dame De Pique (1850) by Fromental Halévy, and Pique Dame (1864) by Franz von Suppé. Several films have been based on this story.
There's even a WWE star named Shayna Bazler whose nickname is the "Queen of Spades." She got the moniker because she loves to perform card tricks for her adoring fans, who call themselves the "Queen's Army."
Final Thoughts
Now that we've completed our whirlwind tour of the history of the Queen of Spades, you might be in the mood to play a card game. If so, try playing the Spades card game online.
This fast, fun, and exciting game is a fantastic way to while away the hours on a lazy Saturday afternoon or any other time you're looking for a pleasant diversion.
Why not give it a shot?
