I love card magic, and one of my favorite routines is by Shawn Farquhar. In it, he performs beautiful cardistry to Sting’s Shape of My Heart.
The routine is amazing, and the song is one I love.
Sting’s lyrics are a great example of how the suits of a deck can carry meaning. His interpretation is actually quite close to the suits in Personality Poker.
I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier
I know that the clubs are weapons of war
I know that diamonds mean money for this art
But that’s not the shape of my heart
These meanings trace back to the original form of playing cards: tarot cards.
The spades are indeed the swords from tarot. In tarot, they are not about literal warfare but rather are the “weapons” of the mind. The sharpest thinkers were the swords. In Personality Poker, the spades are those who value facts, data, and intelligence.
The clubs correspond to wands in tarot. Traditionally, wands represented workers and those who took action, the ones who “worked the fields.” In Personality Poker, clubs are also about action, results, and getting things done.
The diamonds in tarot were the pentacles, who were the merchants. Money was part of their motivation, but they were also worldly and experienced. This maps well to the diamonds in Personality Poker, who love new ideas and experiences.
In tarot, hearts correspond to cups. These represented the clergy, empathetic individuals who supported others emotionally. This aptly describes the hearts in Personality Poker, who value connection with others.
Personality Poker is not a fortune-telling tool, although using it can certainly improve the fortunes of any organization. It is designed to help get the right people in the right roles to boost innovation, strengthen collaboration, and create predictable growth.
I hope you enjoy Shawn’s performance and the song.