Disclaimer: YuYu Hakusho is copyrighted and belongs to its creator, Togashi Yoshihiro.
Author's Note: …What to say, what to say… Well, this story is finally alive again… That, and things are taking a turn from here. Things are going to come out as well as change. Stay tuned and you'll see.
Genre: Supernatural, fantasy, humor, horror, and not so much general. It is also an AU, an "alternate Universe" for the setting.
Rating: Mature…for obvious reasons.
IT'S ALL IN THE CARDS
"Cards are war, in disguise of a sport."
- Charles Lamb
oOo
Kuwabara used to love to play poker, but inevitably he ended up preferring to use his cards for Tarot. After the tragic loss of his beloved gang, however, Kuwabara ceased playing poker altogether, swearing to never use his card deck for sport ever again. After he left his hometown, he eventually bought an actual Tarot deck, though he kept two of his most cherished decks; one of them which had been given to him as a parting gift from Koenma…
The demigod had uncannily learned about his hobby, or more precisely his gang's favorite pastime, which had spawned an idea for money grubbing hands… Royalty will be royalty, he supposed, but at least the Prince gave him his deck for free. The cards were more like a keepsake than an actual gift, when you think about it, especially since they all posed to have their pictures placed on them. But when he received the final results…
Yusuke was "The Ace of Spades": The card of creativity, excitement, adventure, courage, and personal power; "thinking" or the mental.
Kurama was "The Ace of Hearts": The card of deep feelings, intimacy, attunement, compassion, and love; "feeling" or emotions.
Hiei was "The Ace of Clubs": The card of intelligence, reason, justice, truth, clarity, and perseverance; "intuition" or spirit, which rules one's creativity and drive.
…And finally, when he got to his card, to his revelation, he was "The Ace of Diamonds": Which was the card of prosperity, abundance, trust, security, and grounded-ness; "sensing" or what is physical or material, and is also known as the card of "manifestation". Diamonds deal with the physical, with wealth, health and growth. Through diamonds, what is thought, feeling, and spirit becomes a reality, above all a physical one.
Kuwabara flipped through the deck in a fretful manner, his brow knitting in perturbation. "How come Urameshi got Ace of Spades?" He had asked the deity. Not to complain or anything, but needless to say, as uncultivated as he was back then… He was not pleased with the end results. He was a punk, after all, as simple as that and yet he was not quite that simplistic.
For a brief moment, the demigod had merely sucked upon his pacifier. "C'mon, Kuwabara. There's nothing wrong with being The Ace of Diamonds, nor the symbol of the suit of diamonds. Consider it to be an honor on behalf of Spirit World. Many of our own are now playing with exact replicas of that precise deck. I figured I'd at least give you the official prototype to make up for the mess you've been through for the sake of the human race. It's the least I can do for you, since ordinarily there are no rewards or benefits reaped from voluntary detective work."
Kuwabara sucked in a breath and then exhaled at the cards. The Ace of Spades were the cards that represented the "Swords", but instead he had gotten "Pentacles". Then again, the "Swords" were best known for stating one with powerful energy, but still Urameshi was NO clairvoyant, and neither did he fight for truth or justice.
Then again...
The king of "Spades" represents a troublesome person who could interfere in the seeker's personal life; this card also represented a person who is an authoritarian, but cold, logical, stubborn, and possibly ruthless. The queen of "Spades" indicates a wicked and cruel woman who is likely to betray the seeker; calculating, disciplined, logical, craves power. And the Jack of "Spades" represents a lazy person who is likely to hamper the progress of the seeker; immature, cold, bossy, a delinquent or a gang leader. The Ace of Spades was the most disheartening representation of them all, for it is a bringer of bad news that leans towards the near future. It could be a possible death of someone or an illness.
[The negative side of Spades, which is unfortunately the ONLY side the suit of Spades can represent when reading tarot for the sake of guidance...
King of Spades: You will either judge, or be judged. May indicate a lawsuit.
Queen of Spades: A time of female sadness and embarrassment.
Jack of Spades: If you continue in your current thinking, there will be a fight and someone will get hurt.
Ten of Spades: You will be left to pick up the pieces after an altercation. (This card brings ill-luck to the seeker. However, if good cards surround this card, the effect of ill-luck could be reduced drastically.)
Nine of Spades: Disappointment, despair and fear. (Number 9 indicates bad-luck, misery and loss of money.)
Eight of Spades: Bad news or a crisis, perhaps sickness. (Card indicates the seeker would be betrayed by his close family or friends in the near future.)
Seven of Spades: After a period of failure, you will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. (Represents unwanted arguments, quarrels and sorrow likely to occur in near future.)
Six of Spades: A trip overseas, either for business or pleasure. (Number 6 indicates, the seeker is unlikely to reap success for his hard work.)
Five of Spades: Be careful what you say. Your words will come back to bite you. (This card represents success in matters of love and issues relating to business. However, the seeker is successful only after a long hard work.)
Four of Spades: Step away from the situation temporarily to allow yourself and the issue some breathing room. (The card indicates a minor misfortune in form of illness or loss of money in near future.)
Three of Spades: Get out of the situation. Run for the hills! (The card number 3 represents unhappiness or misfortunes in matters regarding love and marriage.)
Two of Spades: A good and loyal network of people will be there for you during a difficult time. (Represents a sudden or an unforeseen change that is likely to take place in the life of the seeker in near future.)
Ace of Spades: You will get through this very difficult period, and come out triumphant. Hang in there - a change of fortune is coming your way.]
But nevertheless, despite how bad the meaning behind this suit of cards is, the diamonds were the worst spread of the four. Most of the cards within this suit heralds to horrible circumstances and also represented dangerous people.
Suit of Diamonds Personality Traits: Materialistic, money-minded, on the "egotistical" side, aloof, difficult to know. In certain respects, these individuals enjoy being in the limelight. They are often great performers, business owners, investment brokers/bankers, tax consultants or real estate collectors. They also make great lawyers and leaders, as well as authoritarian or political figures and great protectors; determined, ambitious, sporty and lively. And though they are frugal with their money, they are great gift-givers and providers. However, they indulge themselves in "The Worldly" and "The Material", engaging into every "temptation" presented to them. Money, sex, drugs, etc...
Positive Traits: Ambitious, hard working, responsible, perserverance, self-discipline, practical, analytical, neat, industrious, detailed, stable, dependable, conventional, determined and patient.
Negative Traits: Stubborn, overbearing, unforgiving, inhibited, fatalistic, condescending, possessive, stubborn, materialistic, lazy, fault finding, cynical, shyness, perfectionist, worrying, and critical of self and others.
…These were the type of people who controlled everything and everyone, as though they had been given god-like powers and god-like responsibility over whatever profession they choose. Either to rule with good intentions or with utter tyranny. This is a person of and with great power, very influential.
The King of Diamonds represents an evil and dangerous person. The seeker should keep him at a distance. The Queen of Diamonds is a flirtatious woman who is likely to interfere in the personal life of any individual, especially the seeker. Avoid her, if possible. And the Jack of Diamonds is a harbinger of bad news.
"But WHY diamonds?" He persisted on acquiring an answer from the Reikai Prince.
Koenma looked at him with incredibility, as though demanding for distinct answers was an act of disrespect and sheer stupidity. "Kuwabara… Diamonds are highly valued, not all are rare but a few of those precious stones are. A diamond is a girl's best friend, as the saying goes." He then sighed, seeing that his orange haired friend was still not at all impressed. "The point is, people love diamonds. Besides, I didn't make the decisions about who gets what suit. I had left that in the hands of our professionals, who went by each and every aspect of character of every individual before making their final decisions. You are The Ace of Diamonds, the highest rank in that precise suit. Technically, consider yourself as the overseer… The Overlord or KINGPIN of Diamonds! You are THE ACE OF DIAMONDS, for crying out loud! Hey, if they believed the suit suited you, no pun intended, then there's no reason to argue with it."
The psychic had figured that he should have at least been The Ace of Clubs; aka the "Wands". Both The Clubs and The Hearts suits were positive representations and produce and result in good luck, meaning that the purposes behind them were primarily good.
At that time, he couldn't help but feel envious.
But nowadays he knew better, much better.
To break it down further…
The Swords were of the element of air, ancestor of the suit of Spades. The suit often has a sinister or violent bend to it as well as relating to the intellectual and to cleverness. One of the two suits that is symbolized by the male gender. His season was winter, he lied in the north, and his hue is indigo.
Cups were that of water, ancestor of the suit of Hearts. It deals with matters emotional, relationships and romance. One suit that symbolizes the female gender. Her color was that of red, her direction was within the west, and her season was summer.
Staves or Wands possessed the element of fire and its ancestor was of the suit of Clubs. It deals with will, passion, and power. The other male symbolized suit. His season was that of spring, pointing towards the south, and his color was yellow.
The Coins or Pentacles was the ancestor of the suit of Diamonds and its element was earth. It deals with the physical, with wealth, health and growth. The Tenth of Pentacles symbolizes "death". Like the cups, this one as well was a feminine or female gendered based suit. Her direction was the east, her color that of green, and her season was that of fall.
Fall symbolized "death", as Spring epitomized "birth".
Standardized by the game world of cards, Spades always rivaled with Diamonds, whilst Hearts conflicted with Clubs. Spades pairs off with Hearts, whilst Clubs teams up and works together with Diamonds. This is how the balance is achieved, otherwise there would be a surmountable amount of conflict that would end tragically; though Spades and Diamonds can team up and become a dynamic yet dangerous duo. Thinking matched well with feeling, and the very same thing could be said for both spirit and manifestation. Both Diamonds and Clubs represented the world of magic, clubs represented one's drive and inner-quests while diamonds represented bringing that something into reality. Spades represented ideology and education, while hearts represented love and family matters; one's own ideology tampered with love makes a much better person.
The Ace of Pentacles is a remarkably optimistic card which usually heralds an exciting period of progress. Pentacles are primarily concerned with money, physical life and materiality, but they also encompass the cycles of life, of the planet and the human race, as well as home environment and families. The Ace of Pentacles is particularly associated with inner truths… Something that The Wands could put into definite use.
The Ace of Diamonds means perfect contentment, prosperity, comfortable material conditions. To have one, means that "You are a very lucky person so be grateful". There were also positive natures or attributes to the rest of this suit as well.
[King of Diamonds: Mental intelligence.
Queen of Diamonds: Emotional intelligence. Keeping a level head.
Jack of Diamonds: Responsibility. Doing the right thing.
Ten of Diamonds: Prosperity for yourself and those you love. Card indicates monetary benefits for the seeker.
Nine of Diamonds: Success and accomplishment come through using your discernment. Number 9 is known as a card of adventure and hope.
Eight of Diamonds: Success in work and employment. Putting your skills to good use. Could also indicate travel and marriage in future.
Seven of Diamonds: Good professional relationships. Always give a little more than you take. Card number 7 indicates ill-luck in near future, too.
Six of Diamonds: You will receive a lovely gift for all your hard work and effort. But then again, early and unhappy marriage is indicated by card number 6.
Five of Diamonds: Be careful with your money. Make sure you are saving because you will need it soon. On the other side, perhaps a harbinger of prosperity and success.
Four of Diamonds: You will always have plenty of material wealth. Be grateful, and don't get too greedy. On a more negative note: Card number 4 invites unwanted and unnecessary troubles between the seeker and his family members.
Three of Diamonds: Important people will think highly of you. However, it could indicate troubles such as lawsuits and legal actions in near future.
Two of Diamonds: Fun is the answer. If you hit an obstacle or receive unwanted news, think "What is the fun way around this?" Card number 2 is also an enchanting card, indicating serious love affairs, which result in a marriage.]
In short, Diamonds or Pentacles were "double-sided" or "double-natured", unlike the rest of the remaining suits in the deck.
And according to the Dark Grimoire of Tarot, "Spades" were demons who represented thoughts and obsessions. Chalices, or "Hearts", represented dreams and emotions. Oddly enough, The Wands symbolized light and represented creativity and dispersing fears; which does not sound like Hiei at all since he was represented by this suit. And as for The Pentacles, they are shadows, which represent the worldly and temptations.
Unfortunately, however… The major arcana that represents The Pentacles, is a bit unsettling for most…
Because it is none other than "The Devil".
Both Capricorn and Sagittarius were influenced by this card…
(The Hierophant, also known as "the enlightener" or "illuminator", and The Hermit were cards of the major arcana that also played major roles in the suit of pentacles.)
And much to his luck, his Sun sign was Sagittarius whilst his sign rising was Capricorn. His moon was in Cancer, his Mars in Scorpio, his Mercury in Libra, his Venus in Pieces, and his house ascendant was in the Virgo domain.
[Capricorn being his sign of rising means that this is the sign that is his face of character. At times, he seems more like a Capricorn in outward character, more so than his official sun sign that he had been born under; Sagittarius is blunt, pushy, tactless, clumsy, careless, impatient, exaggerates, and talks too much and yet is honest, charitable, generous, open-minded, straight forward, ethical, and has a good sense of humor. And it didn't help that his official and first house was in Virgo either...
Capricorns can be extremely rigid and pessimistic in their outlook; and gloomy and depressed (and depressing) in their interaction with other people. They can also be emotionally cold and inhibited. The prudent and cautious side of the Capricorn nature can be taken to extremes, too, sometimes into the unsociable realm of the miser.]
If you ever wondered as to why he had so many issues, now you know why. The signs within his make-up perfectly designed what is to be considered as a "mental case" or "a disaster waiting to happen". He had been born in late November, the twenty-eighth to be specific…
(His birthday color was "Aragon", which was not only a province but was once also a kingdom during the medieval period… The color of Aragon was actually quite similar to the hue upon his eyelids and around his eyes; a reddish-brownish rouge, like diluted blood that has been corroded, but is commonly known as "rust" by cosmetologists.)
This date was represented by "The Magician" according to in-depth tarot astrology and is coupled with "The Hermit" from the major arcana, not to mention the fact that it also embodies the sign of Virgo. In short, The Magician Card belongs to the suit of Diamonds…
(The Magician, The Magus, or The Juggler is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination. In divination it is considered by some to succeed The Fool card, often numbered 0.)
[A youthful figure in the robe of a magician has the face of the divine Apollo, the sun god, with a confident smile and shining eyes. Above his head is the mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord, forming the lemniscates of infinity. About his waist is a serpent-cincture or girdle, the ouroboros, the serpent devouring its own tail. The ouroboros is an ancient symbol of eternity, eternal becoming, or transmutation and transformation, but in this case it indicates more especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit. In the Magician's right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, the sky or the element æther, while his left hand is pointing to the earth. This iconographic gesture has multiple meanings, but is endemic to the Mysteries, symbolizing divine immanence, the ability of the magician to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. On the table in front of the Magician the symbols of the four Tarot suits signify the Classical elements of earth, air, fire and water. Beneath are roses and lilies, the flos campi and lilium convallium, changed into garden flowers, to show the culture of aspiration. The Magician is the personification of a god and is represented by the star that is closest to earth and governs our solar system; without the sun, nothing would be of existence.]
…Similar to how the Card of "Temperance" is link with "The Wheel of Fortune"; The wheel of fortune card of the tarot teaches us that luck can change and that fortune is really part of a universal cycle of ups and downs.
Sagittarius's major arcana card was that of Temperance; Balance, calm, unity, moderation; rendered as "Art" (alchemy); the title being "The Daughters of the Reconcilers, the Bringer-forth of Life"…
The Card of Temperance: This is the equilibrium not of the balance of Libra but of the impetus of the Arrow, Sagittarius, which cleaves its way through the air by the force imparted to it by the taut string of the Bow. It requires the counter-changed forces of Fire and water, Shin and Qoph, held by the restraining power of Saturn, and concentrated by the energies of Mars to initiate this impetus. All these are summed up in the symbolism of the figure standing between Earth and water, holding the two amphorae with their streams of living water, and with the volcano in the background.
Based on The Temperance's card of elements...
The force of water is that of Scorpio, The Death Card.
The force of earth is that of Capricorn, The Devil Card.
The force of air is that of Libra, The Justice Card.
And it's force of fire is that of Sagittarius, which was quite the obvious.
The title pertaining to The Devil Card was "The Lord of the Gates of Matter" and "The Child of the Forces of Time".
This card should be studied in conjunction with No.l3, "The Child of the Great Transformers" and "The Lord of the Gate of Death" or simply "The Death Card". They are the two great controlling forces of the Universe, the centrifugal and the centripetal, destructive and reproductive, dynamic and static. The lower nature of man fears and hates the transmuting process; hence the chains binding the lesser figures and the bestial forms of their lower limbs. Yet this very fear of change and disintegration is necessary to stabilize the life-force and preserve continuity.
Yusuke was born on the sixth of June, much like Sensui was. His number was "six", whilst Kazuma's was "one". And his major arcana was that of "The Lovers" Card and he was "The Queen of Spades". No matter how you look at and around it, "The Lovers" represented that half-Mazoku bastard. "The Lovers" signify both technique and one's own personal means of expression, not just decisions, love and blessings.
(Yusuke's sign rising was Pisces, which would explain as to why he was so emotionally restrained, not to mention pessimistic, fearful or full of self-doubts, and yet he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his own life if he had to.)
[The Lovers stand in front of two trees. One tree bears 12 flames for the 12 signs of the Zodiac. The other is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, complete with Serpent. This tree bears 5 fruits representing the 5 senses. The man representing the conscious mind, gazes at the woman, representing the subconscious mind. The woman in turn looks up at the Archangel blessing their union. The Archangel represents god consciousness, the higher self in all of us.]
Perhaps it was befitting after all…
Because both the cards and the wonders of astrology never lie. Never, though their messages can often be indistinct.
Kuwabara, hand in hand, took everything in great depth, as one could tell.
This was not necessarily a bad aspect of his character, since he was working his way to become the chief inspector of the police department. In other words, a detective. How fortuitous it was that he just happened to be the next detective hired by Spirit World.
Back onto the role pertaining to the suit of Diamonds…
Under a popular system, the Suit of Diamonds essentially indicates financial matters, relationships and their struggles in intuitive readings - as previously stated. The suit of Diamonds is one of the most telling suits in reading ordinary playing cards by this method. Some of the cards are instrumental, if not downright vital, in order to produce an accurate reading. Diamonds are, by nature, cards which signify development, relationship issues and acquisition in terms of their literal meanings.
Diamonds also were symbolic by other means…
…They represented STARS, which represented the very creatures he had been hired to fight against.
Talk about irony.
But then again, maybe he was taking this all a wee-bit too far. And maybe, just maybe he was being plum crazy and right out of his cotton-picking mind.
…TBC…
Author's Comments:
Part 4 of this chapter is still in the making, folks. My apologies. In the meantime, I gave you a semi-flash back. What was once a forethought that is now becoming reality.
This post also has something to do with Part Four, though it's only a tiny part. I figured I'd post this ahead of it.
I REALLY had to look deep into this before making final decisions. I had to look at all of the zodiac signs, the traits, tarot, all of it. I was even mathematical about it. Did not want to make any mistakes. It's kind of scary that everything I have written in this chapter matched up well. I am so shocked, surprised by it even!
I decided to post it because I did not want to be distracted by it anymore. I just kept marveling at how this all just added up together, every detail pointing in the precise directions that has been written in this brief part of the chapter.
Oh, and by the way… Kuwabara IS The Ace of Diamonds, as is distributed across the world to millions of YYH fans who happen to enjoy a good game of cards.
I worked really hard on this one. I'm sorry if it may seem confusing.
KuwabaraMikey17: Yes, it is understandable. I can't say I blame him. I believe he has every right to be angry at them, especially Yusuke. Thanks for the review!
Kinnys: Thank you! :) I am glad, because that was what I was aiming for. Humans are smart, smarter than everyone gives them credit for. And I cannot reveal what happens, so you'll have to wait and see where this will go. Hell, I could be yanking everyone's chain here and taking you all for a ride.
Thank you all for reading! Please review or comment!
