AUTHOR’S NOTE: In his playing-card divination book 54 Devils, Cory Hutcheson describes the suit of Diamonds (tarot Coins or Pentacles) as relating to money and messages, while – as in most systems of cartomancy – the Ace refers to something new such as an original idea or an initiative that is still at the planning stage; in Diamonds it will most likely involve communication about a financial opportunity.

Hutcheson mentions that all of the Aces suggest the urge to “go it alone” with no desire or need for help and perhaps no access to it anyway. Put another way, they can encourage keeping one’s intentions “close to the vest” so any advantage that could conceivably accrue from the inspiration is not inadvertently given away. His specific example was the Ace of Diamonds, and he cautioned that a case of “loose lips” might drain it of potency before it has a chance to make its mark for one’s personal benefit.

In the world of tarot, we can cast them in human terms as follows:

The Ace of Wands (corresponding to the businesslike suit of Clubs in a playing-card deck) can signify excessive enthusiasm about one’s plans and an inability to keep quiet about them, which is just begging for someone to steal the thunder.

The Ace of Cups (playing-card Hearts) can be a “soft touch” that succumbs to pressure to reveal its secrets.

The Ace of Swords (playing-card Spades) could unwisely “back the wrong horse” by pursuing the ‘least-likely-to-succeed” notion of the lot, letting the rest go because it is convinced it’s smarter than its peers.

The Ace of Coins (playing-card Diamonds) may believe that its ambitions are too dull to be of interest or value to anyone else, so it isn’t fastidious about concealing them.

In theory, it should not be difficult for an Ace to maintain its independence from external influences, but the nature of the suit may contribute to “shooting itself in the foot.” Reversal could make it so insular in its outlook that it doesn’t even recognize the risk of self-defeating indiscretion.