This card typically shows a well dressed boy or girl playing happily with toys or flowers. The Child represents innocence, curiosity, and seeing the world with fresh eyes. It steps into life without overthinking, trusting easily, and naturally noticing the good in others. The Child carries a carefree spirit and a lively enthusiasm for life.
The Child card most often represents an actual child, whether a newborn, toddler, or teenager. It may refer to a child in the querent’s life or their own offspring. While it does not always point to a person, it consistently carries childlike qualities: smallness, newness, beginnings, playfulness, immaturity, innocence, and simplicity.
When Child is the focus of a reading, the surrounding cards describe and refine its meaning. When it is not the main subject, the Child functions more like an adjective, modifying whatever it touches. For example, when reading about children or teenagers, Child with House can describe a child who is stable and well supported at home, possibly homeschooled if Book appears nearby. The same applies to House with Child.
When reading about property, Child with House may indicate a small house, a new home, a childhood home, a nursery, or a preschool. Again, House with Child carries similar meaning.
Future themes
- New beginnings
- Something small or minor
- A child
- A new project
- Short term situations
- A small amount
- Fresh starts
- Spending time with children
- Starting over
- Reducing or scaling down
Work and career
- Starting a new business
- New projects
- Part time work or manageable contracts
- Junior or entry level positions
- Careers involving children or teenagers
Love and relationships
- A new relationship
- An exciting early phase
- Natural and easy connections
- Slow, gentle development
Money
- Small investments
- Modest amounts
- A new business venture
- Financial naivety or carelessness
Timing
- Thirteen days or weeks
- One year
- The thirteenth day of the month, refined by nearby cards
Health, body, and mind
- Conditions that are new or still developing
- Pregnancy
- Viral fevers, minor illnesses, colds
- Vaccinations or childhood illnesses
- Something shrinking or reducing
Advice and action
- Free your inner child and enjoy life
- Play, laugh, and smile
- Explore creativity with simple joy
- Approach problems with fresh, innocent perspective
- Reduce the emotional weight of the situation
Personality and appearance
- Children, youngest siblings
- Innocent, trusting, youthful spirit
- Cheerful and playful
- Childlike and shy
- Inexperienced and pure
- Naive or immature
Mental and spiritual themes
- Being at the beginning of a journey
- Personal growth and blossoming
- Reconnecting with your inner child
- Creative play such as drawing and painting
- Seeing the world with innocence
Objects and places
- Children
- Playrooms and nurseries
- Toys
👶A personal story with the Child
When my cousin was pregnant, I decided to experiment with determining the baby’s gender using Lenormand. This method requires a deck with playing card correspondences.
I focused only on gender, using the Man and Woman cards. I assigned the Child card to represent the baby while shuffling. I then drew cards until Child appeared and placed one card before and one after it: Tower, Child, Stork. This created a dilemma. Stork is a feminine card, but Tower carries strong masculine energy. Only one court card appeared, and it was feminine. Unsure, I tried again using a different method. This time, I shuffled and simply drew the card before and after Child: Book and Stork. Seeing Stork again confirmed the answer. When my cousin later announced she was having a girl, I felt like I had hit the jackpot.
I continued refining this technique, paying special attention to court cards and the card immediately to the right of Child. If no court cards appeared, I interpreted the energy of the card to the right. For example, Sun indicates male, Moon female, Ring female, Clover female, Rider male. This approach worked remarkably well with practice.
While writing this book, my sister became pregnant. All of us were eager to know the baby’s gender. I drew Child with Sun, male. My son drew Child with Rider, male. She drew Child with Man, male. All three readings matched, and we later confirmed she was expecting a boy. Moments like these remind me how beautifully the cards and the universe align.
When using cards for gender questions, do not overinterpret. Focus only on the necessary symbolism. If Scythe appears, for example, read only the gender from its playing card association. Experiment and discover what works best for you.
🏰The Child in the Grand Tableau
Traditionally, when Child appears near the significator, it reflects kindness, friendliness, and a supportive social environment. If the querent is married, it may suggest the possibility of children in the future.
The Child can indicate the presence of a young person in the querent’s close circle. It may represent an actual child or youthful qualities such as sincerity, trust, and innocence.
Child is a key card in fertility readings. When combined with Stork, Tree, and Garden, it strongly points to pregnancy.
Child may also describe a new business venture. The surrounding cards reveal further details. In my own Grand Tableaus, Child often represents one of my sons. The nearby cards tell me which one is relevant.
🔗Key combinations and examples
- Child with Clouds: A troubled or unsettled child, small storms, minor problems
- Child with Dog: A new friendship, a childhood friend, a puppy or small pet, growing trust
- Child with Fish: A startup business, beginning self employment, small scale ventures, fertility, modest sums of money
- Child with Garden: A curious youth with many interests
- Garden with Child: Playgrounds, small groups, group outings
- Birds with Child: Light chatter, playful talk
💡 When Child is the focus of a reading, the surrounding cards describe and refine its meaning.