Category Archives: Card Meanings

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Fortune-telling, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla | Ace of Spades – Sorrow (Dispiacere)

Leave a comment

Name: Sorrow
Italian Name: Dispiacere*
Playing Card: A♠
Polarity when Upright: Negative
Core Meanings: Bad news, Sad tidings | Sorrow, Tears | Something that we don’t like, that repels us, that we would rather didn’t happen | Negative interactions, Violence, Beatings, Arguments
Polarity when Reversed: Mildly Negative to Mildly Positive
Reversed Core Meanings: Toil, Labor, Hard work | Repetition, Cycles, Many times | Passing disappointment

Card Description: A woman brings her hands to her eyes in dismay after reading the contents of the distressing letter.

Suit and Number: As all aces, the Ace of Spades is mostly concerned with news. Since Spades are a negative suit, the news is negative, “sad tidings”, as the fortune-tellers of old used to say. Furthermore, aces speak of how people come together to interact, but again, Spades are the negative suit, so the interaction is negative, showing arguments and violence.

UPRIGHT A♠

General: It’s mostly an easy card to understand, as it has fundamentally three meanings: bad news, violence and arguments. If a face card falls together with it, it is usually that person who will be sorry, but there may be exceptions.

Love and Relationships: the Ace of Spades heralds bad news in every area, so in this case it can be the harbinger of rejections or negative communications from the people we are interested in investigating. It is also a card of turbulent relationships both with partners and with family members and friends. The other cards will show whether mediation and reconciliation are possible. Being a card of arguments, we need to look at the other cards to see whether the argument could leave permanent damages in the two people’s dynamic. It is also a card of violence, though usually not on its own (you’d expect the Ten of Hearts reversed or the Ten of Spades or the Three of Spades reversed, for instance). Violence comes in many flavors (verbal abuse is different from physical abuse, for instance). Again, this will be clarified by other cards. In addition to the above, this card can point to displeasure in being together with the other person.

Work and Money: in this case, the sad news refers to the material side of life. Anything from failed projects to being fired to losing money or investments is fair game for the Ace of Spades. The more negative cards reinforce the message, the more disastrous it is. If the other cards are positive, on its own this card is not strong enough to destroy a career or your finances. It can point to feelings of discoursgement caused by a difficult financial situation, to underwhelming results or to difficulties getting along with coworkers (the other cards will show whose fault it is. Be careful about cards that may be showing a situation of mobbing, bullying, humiliation, etc.)

Other: the card also represents everything that repels us and that we don’t like, so it often shows up in situations where something happens that the person would rather didn’t happen or would stop if he or she could (see the example of the eviction below). More generally, all things, happenings or results that somehow disappoint us. Psychologically, this is a card of tears, and it can often pile negative vibes on top of other psychologically taxing cards to show depression, mental breaks and similar states of mind. It shows inner turmoil and feeling hurt, discouraged, deeply sorrowful. Spiritually, it shows lessons that are hard to learn and can point to areas or problems that the querent would rather not tackle because it causes them pain (with positive cards, it points to lessons that are uncomfortable to learn).
Being an ace and being a spade card, this card can show a bad beginning. With negative cards, the Sorrow card may show something that is bad from the start, and it advises not to undertake something. When it falls with positive cards, it can point to a difficult beginning that will improve or some growing pains as we leave our comfort zone. But don’t sugarcoat it: it remains a bad card.

Important Combinations:
A♠ + 10♠ and/or 10♥R = fight, violence
A♠ + 6♦ + 4♠ = can mean depression
A♠ + 3♣ + 2♥ + K♠ (+7♠R) = eviction
K♦ + A♠ (+7♠) + 5♠ = being fired
A♥ + A♠ = conversations and meetings that cause sorrow | confrontations | verbal abuse

REVERSED A♠R

General: the card becomes slightly positive, but still with potential negative undertones that are ready to come out near negative cards. In the main, it represents slight or passing disappointments and sorrows (or sorrows that lose some of their hold on the person). It represents situations that are difficult and call for effort, but are not completely lost. You are not just there, taking them on the chin, as with the upright card. Analogically, this card represents hard work, toil, labor. This includes the type of labor that comes before a child’s birth. As a further analogy, therefore, this card stands for fertility, germination, multiplication. It is the card of cycles, of the same thing many times. Finally, the upright meaning of violence is not lost, but it is usually rarer.

A specific function of this card is that when it is preceded by negative cards and followed by positive cards, it represents the end of a sorrowful period thanks to the querent’s ability to overcome obstacles. Conversely, when it is preceded by positive cards and followed by negative cards, it is a harbinger of a sorrowful period.

Love and Relationships: a lot depends on the polarity of the other cards and what they are saying. With negative cards, especially cards of anger and violence, the difficult nature of the Ace of Spades come to the fore, and it may even show that angry or violent outbursts come one after the other (cycles). With cards showing a thriving social life, it points to numerous dates and many outings. When describing a romantic relationship, this card shows strong carnal attraction and a sense of “sexiness”, the reason being that the card is associated with physical toil and therefore the body, and also because this card reverses the notion of “displeasure” found in the upright card. It can foretell a crush.
If a couple is hitting the rocks, depending on the narrative that the cards are showing, the reversed Sorrow may show recurring difficulties or, on the contrary, putting in the effort to salvage the relationship. Because of its connection to cycles, this card can, with the appropriate cards, show the return of someone.

Work and Money: for the most part, the A♠R is a card of hard work, great energy and the need for elbow grease. It represents great effort being put into something. Depending on the other cards, it may even show holding down two jobs, moonlighting and similar situations. If the following cards show a goal being reached, the reversed Sorrow announces the need for toil and sweat.
Due to its connection with physical labor, this card is traditionally associated with agriculture, especially the harvesting period. This can be literal or figurative, as in reaping the fruits of one’s actions (this is true in all fields of life).
Thanks to its connection with germination and production, it is a good card for investments when surrounded by positive money cards. Alternatively, and again, when with positive cards, it can point to good career prospects and great productivity.
A neutral meaning of this card is that of signature, because the act of signing something makes a contract “produce” its effect: it fertilizes it. The meaning is neutral because whether signing something is wise or not will be shown by the other cards.

Other: the meaning of signature extents to all areas of life. The meaning of harvest, too, can come up in many situations, and it carries with it the general idea of advantage, benefit and profit (if with positive cards). Psychologically, with negative cards it points to tiredness and overwhelm, while with positive cards it becomes a sign of energy and a proactive mindset. It can also show that negative feelings are beginning to lose their grip on the person, and he or she is starting to have the psychological elbow room to fight back. With other negative cards, it is a harbinger of sorrow or sadness.
This card is a staple of pregnancy readings, where it can show the woman going into labor. Being a card of fertility, it can also be anaylzed to see whether the person is fertile or not, and it can also foretell the conception phase.
Artistically, the A♠R can show the ability to come up with many ideas and inputs, a period of great productivity and a fecund mind.
Spiritually, its meaning varies a lot depending on the surrounding cards: from recurring “signs” or dreams to an excessive concern with physical reality to spiritual growth thanks to one’s effort and the reaping of what one has sown. It really depends on the context.

Important Combinations:
A♠R + 10♥ + 7♦ = giving birth (in general, A♠R + 10♥ can mean success after much toil)
A♠R + 8♣ = frequent meetings (if 8♣R, frequent disagreements)
A♠R + 2♥ = it can be a return home after a separation or the need to work hard at home
A♠R + 6♣ = getting many small sums of money | harvest
A♠R + 3♣ + J♦ = many small trips, especially errands

Other Combinations: Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Aces

* “Sorrow” is a good translation of the word “Dispiacere”, which evokes ideas of mourning and disappointment. However, due the difference in root, a possible shade of meaning is lost, as the word “dispiacere” literally means “displeasure”, and so can refer to something we don’t like or that repels us.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Fortune-telling, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla | Ace of Diamonds – The Room (Stanza)

2 Comments

Name: Room
Italian Name: Stanza
Playing Card: A♦
Polarity when Upright: Positive
Core Meanings: Intimacy, the intimate sphere, private meetings | news told in strict confidence, sensitive information, privacy | a place | financial prosperity
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Core Meanings: the revelation of unpleasant or shocking news | mismanagement of money

Card Description: A comfortable room, used by someone to receive close friends and write or read important letters.

Suit and Number: like all aces, the Ace of Diamonds, too, is concerned with news and the coming together of people. In this card, the news are told confidentially, usually by someone that is close to the querent. As far as the coming together is concerned, it represents intimate meetings, that is, meetings that are not highly advertised (sometimes, but not always, of a romantic nature). Being the suit of Diamonds, this card represents situations that generate (ace) prosperity and economic advantage. Again, it brings dynamic (♦) beginnings, that is, it brings movement and progression to the spread, foretelling that developments are to be expected in the near future.

UPRIGHT A♦

General: A positive card with some neutral undertones. In the main, the Room represents news gathered from a confidential source or of a confidential nature. The nature of the news must be read from the surrounding cards, so in this sense the card is neutral. The main positive shades of meaning concern the financial sector, where the card represents prosperity and good finances, and personal relationships, where it highlights confidentiality and intimacy.

Love and Relationships: as anticipated, this is the card of intimacy. This is never a card that represents casual acquaintances (although, with negative cards, it may show that you give away sensitive information far too easily to people you are barely acquainted with).
For the most part, it represents relationships that are grounded in mutual trust and the sharing of intimate or sensitive details, both in love and in friendship. Great care should be taken when cards representing carelessness or enmity show up nearby, as this can show that your trust in someone is misplaced. This card represents the act of pouring your heart out, telling secrets, etc.
It is also the card of romantic intimacy, so it foretells satisfaction in that regard. It is also good for socialising and cultivating interpersonal relationships. If the querent is alone or single, this card normally allows for positive developments to shake things up. If surrounded by negative cards, though, it may point to inner suffering or a sense of being alone and unfulfilled, having no close connections.

Work and Money: a great card in money matters. Especially when coupled with cards that refer to the more material side of life, the Room brings satisfaction, advantage, prosperity and good prospects. It is connected to important and often sensitive information being put to good use to generate profit, such as insider knowledge and “a little bird told me” situations. Sometimes, it can refer to all unique contributions that rely on special formulas, personal recipes, etc. More simply, it may predict work meetings that are not open to the public. If the querent is unemployed, this card often marks the end of the stagnant period, if the other cards agree. It materializes a supportive environment around the querent, which for an unemployed person is normally a work environment.

Other: being a “room”, it can be a place, of course. The main difference with the House (the Two of Hearts) is that the Room is generally a space within a building, although this can be overridden by other cards, and when it represents the querent’s home, it qualifies it more clearly as an apartment.
In spiritual readings, the Room can be read as a deep personal connection with higher worlds or, depending on the context, to inner knowing. It is also connected with esoteric knowledge. Psychologically, you can read from the cards surrounding it whether querents are at peace with themselves or not, or whether they are capable of expressing their intimate thoughts (to other people or to themselves).

Important Combinations:
A♦ + 9♠ = intimacy, in a neutral sense
A♦ + 2♥ = the querent’s own home, the home environment
A♦ + 10♠R = secret intimate meeting
A♦ + 3♣ + 2♥ = moving from a house into an apartment
A♦ + 6♥ or 6♣ or 7♣ = economic prosperity

REVERSED A♦R

General: Much more negative. Its meanings are mostly a more problematic version of their upright counterpart. As such, the Room reversed signifies shocking revelations, unpleasant news, dirty secrets coming to light and, financially, mismanagement. The presence of surrounding positive cards can, however, improve on its polarity.

Love and Relationships: it is not good to have this card in your reading. It is, almost always, a harbinger of negative revelations. The concept of “negative revelation” must be applied broadly. It can be past mistakes one had swept under the carpet finally coming home to roost, being busted with the side chick or a coming out, which is not in itself negative, but usually makes for some dropped jaws. Family skeletons, infidelity, dirty little secrets, nothing is safe when this card falls in the spread. Depending on the position and the other cards, the reversed Room can show whose secret it is, whether the querent’s or someone else’s.  As with its upright counterpart, be careful of cards showing ill-will or carelessness, as gossip and scandals may be afoot.

Work and Money: in addition to the negative news possibly being about money or work, more specifically this card normally points to mismanagement, the inability to save, and major difficulties budgeting. However, when the other cards are positive, the polarity of the reversed Ace of Diamonds may be improved and its meaning once again be referred to that of prosperity and the ability to profit from reserved information, usually with the added nuance that the person is qualified as shrewd and a bit ruthless, as he or she may not think twice about using sensitive bits of knowledge or throwing someone under the bus, Devil wears Prada style. In general, as far as money goes, this card is negative but open to improvements.

Other: psychologically, the A♦R points to not being at peace with oneself and to unresolved “inner” issues. It is one of those cards that can show a tormented mental or emotional state. Similarly, it can show someone who doesn’t feel at peace with God (although, with positive cards, it may point to finally owning up to some dark past secrets that weigh on one’s conscience).

Important Combinations:
A♦R + K♠ = having charges pressed against you, legal quarrels (here, the shocking revelation is that the authority is trying to land your tush in court)
A♦R + 7♦ = traditionally, discovery of a child born outside of marriage | more generally, an unpleasant truth coming to light due to naive behavior (in this case 7♦ is interchangeable with 10♣)
A♦R + 2♥ = unpleasant family secrets coming to light
A♦R + 6♣R + 8♠ = it can signify the mismanagement of money landing you into a critical position
A♦R + 4♦ = an unpleasant revelation that is, however, false | defamation

Other Combinations: Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Aces

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Fortune-telling, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla | Ace of Clubs – Marriage (Imeneo)

Leave a comment

Name: Marriage
Italian Name: Imeneo*
Playing Card: A♣
Polarity when Upright: Positive
Core Meanings: Union, Marriage, Partnership, Contract, Productivity, Good Business, Inception, Beginning
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral
Reversed Core Meanings: The material aspect of life, Wealth, Abundance, Sex, Conception, Unions or Marriages that don’t happen or fall apart

Card Description: A man is about to slip a wedding band on the finger of his beloved. In the background, a flame burns on an altar.

Suit and Number: Aces relate to the way in people come together and unite. In the suit of Clubs, this takes on the meaning of official, binding agreements, among which marriage is chief. Aces also refers to new things and news, so the Ace of Clubs is the card of all those things and projects that take root in reality, all things that materialize, and is therefore associated with production and the beginning of entertprises (or of life).

UPRIGHT A♣

General: A great card, in general, whose importance extends to all aspects of life. It represents all circumstances where two or more people come together to form a binding union, as exemplified by the picture of the exchanging of rings. Most of the times, this is the significator card for a marriage or partnership or a contract of some kind. Unless negative cards qualify it, it brings with it positive connotations of satisfaction and advancement. Just as marriage is a binding contract that marks the beginning of a new phase of life, so this card can stand for all actions that start something new, that make something begin to materialize.

Love and Relationships: this card is mute as far as feelings are concerned. In itself, it does not say whether someone loves us or not. However, it does bring with it a sense of commitment, as the general meaning of marriage implies the willingness to put your life in someone else’s hands. Near a significator card, it can show that the person is married. When it signifies the marriage itself, what happens to it must be read from the cards surrounding it. Here you will find whether the union is rooted in faithfulness or not, whether someone is interfering or all is as it should be. Beware of when cards like Falsehood or the Thief fall nearby.
In all other types of personal relationships, this card can generally be taken to signify that the person is trustworthy and keeps his or her word, but this is a rather weak undertone.

Work and Money: an excellent card. When it represents a job contract, unless other cards qualify it otherwise, it shows a good contract that will benefit the querent. The Ace of Clubs may also show a company’s ability to bind people to it, that is, acquiring (often high level) clients, contractors or subcontractors. It can foretell a good deal and it portends good business in general. As this card is a significator of marriage, it can also be a significator of a partnership of any kind, as long as it is legally binding. Again, anything that makes two or more people commit to one another.

Other: In more mundane questions, this card can represent acquiring or buying things, as the transaction is its own kind of legally binding operation between people. Usually the Ace of Clubs shows the buying of cool stuff, not a gadgeteer’s trinkets. Although its association with sex comes to the fore mostly when it is reversed, it can still, on occasion, function as a sex card when upright, provided it is surrounded by the right cards in the appropriate context. Psychologically it doesn’t have much of a meaning, except that it can represent a committed person or being productive. Artistically, it is one of the cards that can relate to music (the god Hymen was a patron of music), or creativity understood as the ability to produce new pieces (songs, books, paintings, etc.).

Important Combinations:
A♣ + 2♥ = married life | a company
A♣ + 3♠ = abandoning the marriage, separation
10♦ + A♣ = someone is trying to snatch away the partner
A♣ + 7♥ = a high level contract | a partnership or a business partner
A♣ + K♠R = a divorce (especially with 7♠)

REVERSED A♣R

General: A neutral card with slightly positive undertones, it is heavily influenced by the polarity of the surrounding cards. In the main, this is the card of all that is physical and material: sex, money, wealth, etc. The meaning of materiality comes from the card’s upright sense of “coming together” of people but now referred to a lower (reversed) aspect, which is sex, a concept that is associated with matter and materialism. This is also why the card, although neutral, can be easily influenced by negative cards.

Love and Relationships: this is the nookie card, and that’s pretty much it. It says absolutely nothing about emotional fulfillment: if it is there, other cards will show it. Alternatively, it can qualify a person who is wealthy. If it represents the querent’s marriage, though, finding it upside down is not good, and it may show it going south. Near significators, it can show them to be divorced or separated.

Work and Money: Being neutral, this card represents the concept of wealth and material possessions. It is the card of precious metals, exclusive items, finery and creature comforts. Together with cards that signify nobility of excellence it reinforces the concept, and in general it retains the notion of material benefit that it had when upright. When near negative cards, though, it can prognosticate heavy losses and financial collapse, or the collapse of business ventures. If the querent needs to sign a contract, the Reversed Marriage card together with negative cards should be a read flag, or it may show that the contract simply won’t be signed.

Other: being the card of sex, the upright concept of production can now be referred to the conception of children. Psychologically, with negative cards, it can point to feeling defeated or powerless and staring into the abyss. It can also be a sign of materialism. Otherwise, this is not a psychological card.

Important Combinations:
A♣R + 2♥R = married life is stifling, the person would like to abandon it | the company is in hot water
A♣R + A♦ = sex
A♣R + 7♦ = conception
A♣R + 6♥ = liquid assets
A♣R + 3♦ = exclusive objects | a high status (especially with 8♦ and/or 2♣)

Other Combinations: Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Aces

* Imeneo doesn’t, strictly speaking, mean marriage. Imeneo, i.e., Hymen or Hymenaios was a minor late Greek god of marriage. The root of his name means “to sew together”, which is probably the best description of this card: it represents all acts that join people together. I chose the title “Marriage” simply because it is less awkward and it means basically the same thing.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Fortune-telling, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla | Ace of Hearts – The Conversation (Conversazione)

1 Comment

Name: Conversation
Italian Name: Conversazione
Playing Card: A♥
Polarity when Upright: Neutral with positive undertones
Core Meanings: Words, Conversation, Meeting, Expression | Groups of people leaving together, Tight-knit group
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to negative
Reversed Core Meanings: Change, Transformation | Lack of communication, negative communications

Card Description: a group of people talking around a table. There seems to be great complicity among them.

Suit and Number: Aces all have to do with news and with how people come together to interact. In the suit of Hearts, this translates as information received by interacting with other people. The interaction is positive (or at least neutral) as words imply the mediation between different points of view, values, desires, etc.

UPRIGHT A♥

General: the card is neutral in itself, but it has positive undertones. It is concerned with words. Words are what we use to express what we have inside, to mediate with others, to get a point across, to discuss situations, to find solutions, and so on. Words, of course, imply the existence of at least two people, so this card can also represent meetings of any kind. Since Aces represent unity, the Ace of Hearts is connected with groups of people who live under the same roof, or at least are quite tight-knit. There is a sense of community to this card, and a general undertone of harmony, tranquillity and stability.

Love and Relationships: the oral aspect of the subject matter (yes, this can include oral sex, though it’s not, of course, the primary meaning). In general, this card shows meetings, dates, appointments and has a strong interpersonal component. It heralds declarations, explanations, clarifications and the like. Near negative cards, though, it brings strife (usually only arguments). In love, if the person is single, the card’s appearance will often predict the meeting of someone new, or, if sandwiched between negative cards, show that the person has difficulties with people or expressing himself. If a person’s relationship is hitting the rocks, the Conversation card can show the attempt at stitching it back together, and in itself shows the ability to find compromises, since words are what we use to connect what’s inside of me to what’s inside of you, and therefore mediate.

Work and Money: the most obvious way this card will show up is to show talks, meetings, interviews and roundtables, contacts and networking. Again, it is a neutral to positive card, easily influenced by the surrounding cards, so while it can herald opportunities, negative cards surrounding it may warn us that we are going to be talked into something bad.
Another important meaning concerns the querent’s relationships on the job, that is, whether he gets along with people or not. Naturally, the Ace of Hearts has an affinity with all careers where one is constantly around people or uses language, and it is an important card to check when one is looking to win over clients. In fact, the proximity of negative cards to the Conversation can show an inability to reach people or clearly present a product, or an unwillingness of people to come to the store and buy it.

Other: in countries like Italy, where many school exams and tests are almost exclusively oral, this is an important card to check to see how it will go. Artists also want the Ace of Hearts surrounded by good cards, as it shows their ability to express themselves and give voice to what they have inside (but depending on the context and question, it may also represent their core audence or the public). Psychologically, the Conversation can represent a people-person or someone who is capable of connecting with others (if with good cards, that is). In general, it represents openness, but with cards that hint at lies, manipulation and the likes it will show the opposite, while with cards of hardship it can point to the inability to open up about something. Spiritually, it’s the card of prayers and can represent religious or spiritual gatherings and communities.

Important Combinations:

A♥ + 4♥ = a declaration of love, a date
A♥ + K♦ = job interview, a work meeting
A♥ + 4♦ = lies, wrong information, wrong crowd
A♥ + 3♥ = traditionally an engagement, but more in general it can be a talk that yields results
A♥ + 10♠ = secret meeting (especially with the 10♠R) | lack of openness, difficulties expressing yourself | a foreign language | can also be a lie

REVERSED A♥R

General: The card remains vaguely neutral, but much more open to the influence of negative cards. It’s the kind of neutral that makes you raise an eyebrow. In its main traditional meaning, it is the card of change, because it reverses the upright sense of harmony and stability. Change can be good or bad, of course, depending on what changes and into what. Furthermore, the card takes the concept of words and applies the more negative connotation of a reversed card to it, bringing arguments, battles, communication barriers or lack of communication.

Love and Relationships: When it heralds changes to the querent’s love life, the A♥R usually either allows a single person to break a spell of solitude (if it’s followed by cards showing romance) or it can engender changes that tear a couple apart. Either way, this card does not favor stability and will normally shake things up quite noticeably, unless the cards are used to investigate some more subtle interpersonal dynamics, in which case it is can show changes of attitude, etc.
Sometimes, the Conversation Reversed highlights a lack of communication, misunderstandings, the inability or unwillingless to compromise or, with the appropriate cards, arguments. Often, there is a sense of incompleteness or lack of fulfillment, the kind of which makes you look at the other person and say “who are you really?” Alone, this is not a card that will break a couple or a family or group of friends, but it can be the cause that leads to the breakup. It also does not favor new meetings

Work and Money: when it signifies change, again, this card is neutral, its meaning fully depending on the cards that follow and precede this one. It can bring you out of a rut or hurl you into one, it can lift you up or slam you down, and the changes it herald are normally of some moment, although usually either less radical or less painful or less all-encompassing than the Death card. It can bring changes to the workplace, or changes of career field.

Under the influence of the Ace of Hearts Reversed, meetings and interviews usually either do not happen at all or do not go well. It can refer to difficulties getting along with the coworkers or luring clients to your products. Sometimes it may even show that you are not representing your product well, with the consequence that it is either not bought or it is bought under false assumptions, causing dissatisfaction.

Other: Psychologically, the Conversation Reversed is a card of instability, of lack of openness to the outside, of communication barriers that keep one from reaching out or revealing one’s most intimate ideas and feelings. It therefore can cause a sense of dissatisfaction. On the other hand, in the right context, it can allow one to develop new ideas by changing their mind. Much depends on the context of the question and the other cards.  Artistically it is generally not good, as it normally implies the inability to tap your inner creativity and express it or to find an audience.
Spiritually, it can bring conversions or loss of faith. It may reveal a lack of relationship with the divine. The Upright Conversation can in itself show the discussion of a court case, but when reversed, the card can highlight it even more, if pertinent.

Important Combinations:

A♥R + K♠ = a legal battle
A♥R + 8♣R = inability to get along
A♥R + 2♥ = can show home renovations
A♥R + 7♣ = can be a change of status
A♥R + K♦ = changes on the job

Other Combinations: Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Aces

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla Cheat Sheet

Leave a comment

Here is a quick cheat sheet of the main traditional meanings attributed to each card. To avoid going on and on, I’ve limited myself to a maximum of three concepts/keywords per card side (i.e. three concepts at most for a card in its upright position and three at most for the reversed position).

This list is not exhaustive, as I had to concentrate on the most useful meanings, but it’s a starting point and a good reference. You can click on the four suits to be redirected to more in-depth card descriptions.

Suit of Hearts

Ace – Conversation (Conversazione)
Upright: Communication | People under the same roof
Reversed: Transformation, Change | Communication problems

Two – The House (Casa)
Upright: House or building | Family | Intimacy
Reversed: Negative home environment | Negative place

Three – The Balcony (Belvedere)
Upright: Arrival | Looking, Watching, Seeing | Distance
Reversed: Non-arrival | Arrival of negative things or people | Uncontrollable, animalesque character

Four – Love (Amore)
Upright: Love, Emotions | Positive context that the querent loves
Reversed: Traditionally the card of homosexuality | Lack of emotions | Distorted expression of emotion

Five – Happiness (Allegrezza al Cuore)
Upright: Quick fulfillment | An engagement, A commitment of any kind | Extended family, relatives
Reversed: Cheating, Betrayal | Setbacks of all kinds | Problems with relatives

Six – The Safe (Denaro)
Upright: Money | The past, Things that exist now as a result of something in the past
Reversed: Money trouble | Avarice | The future, Not yet known

Seven – Scholar (Scholar)
Upright: The intellect, Creativity, Talent | A notary public, A lawyer | A contract or legal agreement
Reversed: Ulterior motives | Lack of creativity or talent

Eight – Hope (Speranza)
Upright: Trips and outings, Fun | Hope, Situation clearing up | By the water, Overseas
Reversed: Depression, Lack of hope | Hopes falling through, Situations going up in smoke

Nine – Faithfulness (Fedeltà)
Upright: Success in love | Faithfulness, Honesty, Loyalty to someone, something, etc.
Reversed: Lack of success in love | Betrayal, Infidelity, Unclear behavior

Ten – Perseverance (Costanza)
Upright: Firmness, Steadfastness, Earned success | Duration in time | The querent’s city or home country
Reversed: Wrath, Anger, Arguments | Instability | Inconstancy, Lack of effort

Jack – The Boyfriend (Amante)
Upright: An unmarried man over 30 | The him in “I would totally do him”
Reversed: The person is in trouble or is against the querent | Cheating man or a man who doesn’t love| Lustful, debauched

Queen – The Girlfriend (Amatrice)
Upright: An unmarried woman over 30 | The her in “I would totally do her”
Reversed: The person is in trouble or is against the querent | Cheating woman or a woman who doesn’t love | Lustful, debauched

King – The Gentleman (Gran Signore)
Upright: A married man | A protector, A man who helps you
Reversed: The person is in trouble or is against the querent | Cheating | This card is connected with addictions

Suit of Clubs

Ace – Marriage (Imeneo)
Upright: Marriage, Union or partnership | A contract, a legal agreement requiring a signature | Prosperity, Production
Reversed: Materiality, Material prosperity and material things | Sex, Sexual relations, Sexual sphere

Two – The Peacock (Superbia)
Upright: The best card in the deck, strengthening the positive and reducing the negative in any spread, Divine intervention, Success, Completion | Beauty | The significator card for magic and works of magic
Reversed: Vanity, ego distorting reality, Haughtiness | Dark magic, Demonic forces, Evil

Three – Journey (Viaggio)
Upright: Journey, travel, change of place | Change of opinion, of mind etc.
Reversed: Positive transformation, Progress | Public success | Only negative for travels and journeys

Four – Friend (Amica)
Upright: Friendship | Cooperation, Support | A female friend, sister, parent etc.
Reversed: Help, Recommendation, A very positive card

Five – Fortune (Fortuna)
Upright: Positive turn of events, Luck | Free success | This card is the second best in the deck, after the Peacock
Reversed: Also positive, but delayed | Gradual transformation, less in your face and requiring some patience

Six – The Surprise (Consolante Sorpresa)
Upright: Unexpected, unhoped for turn of events, Surprise | Getting, Receiving, Picking up | Now, Very shortly, the present
Reversed: Excess of aspiration causing one’s downfall | Downfall in general | Lack of common interests

Seven – Gratification (Gran Consolazione)
Upright: Stabilization, Concretization | Realization, Recognition, Promotion | The patrimony, One’s assets
Reversed: Insecurity, Fears | Lack of concrete outcomes or concrete effects | Slander

Eight – Reunion (Riunione)
Upright: The re- card of the Sibilla (Reunion, Reconciliation, Recovery, etc.) | Meeting, Appointment, Coming together, Social contacts | Positive evolution
Reversed: Insecurity, Apathy, Doubts | Non-union, disagreement, breakup

Nine – Cheerfulness (Allegria)
Upright: Social life, Social ties (not necessarily strong) | Party, Celebration | Any positive event that might be the cause for celebration
Reversed: Lack of restraint or self-mastery, Addictions in general and alcoholism in particular | Setbacks of all kinds, usually not dependent on the querent’s will

Ten – Levity (Leggerezza)
Upright: Levity, Superficiality, Frivolity | Carelessness, negligence | “Just a little” of something, Not too much for better or worse
Reversed: Lucky moment, Lucky opportunity | The internet | Betting, Games of chance, Gambling

Jack – The Helper (Domestico)
Upright: A young, single man under 30 | Dependable, helpful | A student, an apprentice, a co-worker
Reversed: Same, but he’s either in trouble or against the querent | A good-for-nothing, A bum

Queen – The Maiden (Giovane Fanciulla)
Upright: A young, single woman under 30 | Sensible, genuine, innocent |Lack of experience
Reversed: Same, but she’s either in trouble or against the querent | Fragility, A tendency to depression | Moodiness, Inconstancy, Immaturity

King – The Doctor (Dottore)
Upright: Someone, possibly a professional, who has power over the querent or the situation, A good position in life | A doctor, someone with a degree | Need to heal something, literally or figuratively
Reversed: Wrong advice, whether by a doctor or another professional | Wrong path | A corrupted man

Suit of Diamonds

Ace – Room (Stanza)
Upright: Intimacy, Privacy | Upcoming news, usually of a confidential nature | A place, especially a place within a building (but not always)
Reversed: Revelation of secrets or unpleasant truths | Lack of intimacy

Two – Letter (Lettera)
Upright: Letter, News, Telephone call | Document, Book, Prescription, etc. | Writing, elaborating
Reversed: Same, this card doesn’t have a reversed meaning, although sometimes it comes up reversed in contexts where negative cards appear

Three – The Gift (Omaggio di Preziosi)
Upright: Gift, Offer, Opportunity | Wealth, Opulence | Objects in general
Reversed: Positive solution, The sorting out of a difficult situation for the best, Especially on the material side of life

Four – Falsehood (Falsità)
Upright: Lie, Falsehood, Insincerity | Mistake, Wrong, Incomplete, Oversight | Negativity in general, Negative context
Reversed: Unmasking of a liar, Demise of enemies | Positivity, Relief

Five – Melancholy (Malinconia)
Upright: Passing sadness, Feeling down or meh| Dissatisfaction | An open wound from the past (see previous cards to confirm this interpretation)
Reversed: Same, but more negative and less passing | Debts, A critical financial situation | Fights, Quarrels

Six – Thought (Pensiero)
Upright: Planning, Projecting | Thinking, Conjecturing | One’s character or inner nature
Reversed: Negative thoughts/plans toward another or oneself | Illusion, Wrong assumption | Subconsciousness

Seven – The Child (Bambino)
Upright: A child, A pet, Something small | Newness, Something new with potential to grow | Inexperience, Naivety
Reversed: Things not growing or progressing | Uncertainty, Doubt | Same inexperience and naivety, but worse

Eight – The Handmaid (Donna di Servizio)
Upright: Offer, Being given something, Gift, Money coming in | Refinement, Politeness, Being upstanding | Evolution, Expansion, Elevation
Reversed: Money going out, Owing, Payment | A shallow, unrefined, petty, morally dubious character | Litigiousness, Tiffs and falling outs

Nine – The Fools (Deliranti)
Upright: Setbacks, Difficulties, Irregularities | Negative social interactions, Fights, Negative groups | Unwarranted exaltation, Miscalculation
Reversed: The steady worsening of a situation, Things unravelling, Devolving instead of evolving | A blunder, A misstep

Ten – The Thief (Ladro)
Upright: Theft, A negative or criminal plan, Someone acting in the shadows | Loss, disadvantage | Things or people or situations snatched or taken away from us
Reversed: Insurmountable problems, Huge obstacles | Foreboding places, Places you’d rather not be | Insolvency, Not living up to a contract or agreement

Jack – The Messenger (Messaggero)
Upright: News, usually more official than those signaled by the letter, A postman | Errands, Small changes of place | An intermediary, An agent, A mediator
Reversed: Negative news or delayed arrival of news/parcels | Bad mediator/intermediary | Gossip, Rumors, Slander

Queen – The Wife (Donna Maritata)
Upright: A married woman, sometimes with children, or a woman with an important relationship
Reversed: Same, but she’s either in trouble or against the querent

King – The Merchant (Mercante)
Upright: This is the significator card for the querent job/career | Only very rarely a calculating individual
Reversed: Problems with the querent’s job or career | Lack of common sense or talent

Suit of Spades

Ace – Sorrow (Dispiacere)
Upright: Bad news | Sorrow, Tears | Violence, Beatings
Reversed: Sorrow, but to a lesser extent | The need to put in much effort, Toil, Labor (also a woman’s labor) | Cycles, Repetition, Many times

Two – The Crone (Vecchia Signora)
Upright: Decline, Weakening, Cooling off | Something reaching its natural conclusion | An older woman, Old as an adjective
Reversed: Obsolete, Outdated | Separation, Inability to get along | Avarice, Inability to let go

Three – The Widower (Vedovo)
Upright: Separation, Removal, Solitude | Loss, Deprivation, Lack | An older man
Reversed: A funeral, A ritual or rite in general | Trauma, Traumatic loss | Misconduct, Aberration from reality

Four – The Sickness (L’Ammalato)
Upright: Sickness, Illness, Malady | Something that is morbid, rotting, noxious | A breakdown
Reversed: A blockage, A standstill | Avarice, Hoarding, Economy | Closed-off places, Lack of movement

Five – Death (Morte)
Upright: Death, Ending, Transformation (usually painful) | Imbalance, Lack of reciprocity or equilibrium or fairness
Reversed: Profound inner turmoil, Inner death, Inner devastation

Six – Sighs (Sospiri)
Upright: Anxiety, Tormented Hope | Waiting, After a long time | A large means of transport
Reversed: Fluctuation, Instability | Explanation, Listening to reason, Receiving advice, especially from a professional

Seven – Disaster (Disgrazia)
Upright: Accident, literal or figurative (anything that hits us from the outside and changes the situation) | Negative energy, Choleric temperament | All of a sudden
Reversed: Force majeure | Oppression, Tyranny, A power we must bend to | Downfall, Ruination

Eight – Desperation (Disperato per Gelosia)
Upright: Crisis, Critical moment | Desperation, Tears | Jealousy, Envy
Reversed: Arrogance, Ego trips | Accidents, Upset

Nine – The Prison (Prigione)
Upright: Blockage, A situation you either are forced into or you can’t get out of, A heavy bond | Solitude, Unwelcoming place | A pregnancy
Reversed: Regret, Feeling of guilt | Loss of physical or moral freedom | If followed by positive cards, the end of a blockage, Liberation, Atonement

Ten – The Soldier (Militare)
Upright: Physical force, strength, violence | The need to fight, an uphill battle | A person in uniform, a person in the army or police
Reversed: Secrets, clandestine matters, Things/people we don’t know | Betrayal, Spinelessness, Cowardice | Controversy, Fights

Jack – The Villain (Nemico)
Upright: A negative man, a man against the querent
Reversed: Same, but a man who is negative out of stupidity | An enemy in trouble, the demise of an enemy

Queen – The Witch (Nemica)
Upright: The female version of the Jack
Reversed: The female version of the Jack

King – The Priest (Sacerdote)
Upright: The government | Legal affairs | Specialist knowledge, Someone who has conducted serious studies to get where they are (in any field, which includes divinity of course, but rarely)
Reversed: Legal trouble or trouble with the government | Having the system against you | Injustice

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Sibilla Quick Meanings – Suit of Spades

Leave a comment

Ace – Sorrow (Dispiacere) | A♠
Upright: Bad news, Sad news, Negative communication | Sorrow, Despair, Tears, Sadness | Violence, Aggression, Brutality
Reversed: Sorrow, but to a lesser degree, which is relatively easier to get over | When preceded by negative cards and followed by positive ones, the end of sorrow | Toil, Labor, The need to put in a great amount effort | Labor pains, Going into labor | Conception, Fertility, Sperm, Fecundity | Cycles, Something that is repeated, Something that happens over and over, Repetition | A signature

Two – Crone (Vecchia Signora) | 2♠
Upright: Decline, Weakening, Cooling down, Lessening | Something that is reaching its natural conclusion | Something old, Old as an adjective, An ex, Something already known | An elderly woman | A visit, Short trips, Small movements
Reversed: Separation, Division, Split | Inability to get along, Misunderstandings | Profound avarice, Unwillingness to let go or to give | Decline, but much quicker and irreversible than in the upright position | Something outdated, Obsolescence, Something completely out of touch with current reality | A negative old woman or (more rarely) an old woman in trouble (or deceased) | Inability to learn from experience

Three – Widower (Vedovo) | 3♠
Upright: Separation, Removal, Getting away | Loss, Deprivation, Lack of (of what? See the cards around) | Loneliness, Aloneness, Abandonment, Singleness | A sense of mourning, of profound sadness (less passing than in the Five of Diamonds) | An older man, A grandfather etc.
Reversed: Traditionally, the card of the funeral | Bereavement, Grief | Trauma, Traumatic loss, Traumatic event | Mental derangement, Disorder, Madness | Wrong conduct, Mistake | Any ritual or rite, positive or negative, religious or magical | Substance abuse (especially alcohol) may be indicated 

Four – Sickness (Ammalato) | 4♠
Upright: Sickness, Illness, Ailment | A situation that is ill, sick, A situation or a thing that is noxious, Bad, Rotten or rotting, Broken, Breakdown | A profound sense of lack of resources (especially inner resources) to pull through, Mental breakdown
Reversed: Stop, Blockage, Halt, Situations that have no development and don’t move, at least for the time being | When followed by positive cards, it shows the removal of a blockage, The resuming of normal life, The end of illness | Avarice, Money issues Economy, Extreme carefulness in allocating one’s resources (but more usually avarice) | Places of retreat, Places of isolation, Isolation in general

Five – Death (Morte) | 5♠
Upright: Death, The literal one, with skull and crossbones | Ending, Termination, No more of whatever was going on before, Complete overhaul of a situation, or even of one’s life | When followed by positive cards, a difficult transformation for the better, which however is likely to come at a price | Imbalance, Disparity, Unevenness, Disturbance, Disproportion, Rip-off  
Reversed: Traditionally the card of “Inner death”, It represents feelings of profound sadness, upset, etc. | The seriousness of this card greatly depends on the context and the surrounding cards

Six – Sighs (Sospiri) | 6♠
Upright: Anxiety, Torment, Inner turmoil, Tormented hope | Waiting, Having to wait, Delay, After a long while | The element of water, like the Eight of Hearts, but usually in a more negative sense | Large means of transport
Reversed: Fluctuation, Ups and down, Instability, Uncertainty, Alternation of highs and lows, Ebbs and flows | If followed by positive cards, It points to the end of turmoil, Resilience, Pulling through, Self-mastery, End of useless waiting, Moving on | Explanation, Revelation, Counsel, Advice, Especially from a professional or someone who knows what they are talking about, An invitation to step outside of oneself and look for more objectivity

Seven – Disaster (Disgrazia) | 7♠
Upright: Accident, Mishap, Disaster | The element of Fire, Also electricity | Upset, Anything that hits us from the outside, Unexpected, Incalculable, Unforeseeable, Disruptive of the status quo | All of a sudden, Very quickly (whether for better or worse) | Ill-will, Negative plans, Desire to hurt, A choleric disposition, A tendency to snap quickly, A negative person | Negative energy in general, This card is traditionally described as “evil, chaotic energies overcoming the energies of reason and balance”
Reversed: The most brutally negative card in the deck | Traditionally described as the card of “la forza maggiore”, force majeur, i.e. anything where there is a greater power against which the person is absolutely powerless | Subjugation, Oppression, Suppression, Tyranny, Slavery, A forced situation, A situation where the querent is in chains | Ruination, Destruction, Complete downfall

Eight – Desperation and Jealousy (Disperato per Gelosia) | 8♠
Upright: Crisis, Critical moment, Hopes and projects falling through, Situations going south | Desperation, Tears, A moment of crisis, A moment where the normal flow of life stops and you come face to face with a situation in all its ugliness, Lack of hope, Negative attitude | Loss of money | Ill-will, Envy, Toxic environment, Look behind your back | Jealousy (in varying degrees), Possessiveness
Reversed: Accident, Fatality | Arrogance, Ego-trips, Selfishness, Egoism, Holding on to grudges | Lack of restraints, One who will go to any length | When preceded by negative cards and followed by positive ones, the end of a critical moment

Nine – Prison (Prigione) | 9♠
Upright: Prison, Punishment| Isolation, Loss of friends | A situation that you are forced into or at least feel forced into | A situation that you can’t get out of | A blockage, in general, Solitude, Unemployment, Lack of support or help | Traditionally, also the card of pregnancy | Any oppressive place, A negative place or environment (also a negative family environment) |
Reversed: A Loss of physical or moral freedom (as in the upright position, after all), Someone trying to deprive us of our freedom | Regret, Feeling of guilt | Feeling sorry for what you’ve done, whether because it was bad or because it had bad consequences (e.g. marrying young, signing a contract, etc.), Often things done out of guilt, Or feeling blocked by guilt | When followed by negative cards, the entering into a period or situation of blockage, of loss of freedom, etc. | When followed by positive cards, leaving a situation of loss of freedom, Release from freedom, Atonement, Or even someone asking for our forgiveness

Ten – Soldier (Militare) | 10♠
Upright: Force, Strength, Muscle power | The purely physical plane of existence | Violence, Brutality | The need to fight, An uphill battle | A secretive attitude, Unclear and murky situations | The card of the uniform, Someone wearing a uniform | A hot young man (under 35, usually) | The card for the police, The army, the navy, etc., The armed forces in general, This card also rules arms | The night, Nighttime | Mountains, Forests, Deserts, unwelcoming environments in general (literally or figuratively), When in doubt it represents mountains
Reversed: Secrets, Clandestine matters, Underground, Covert | Again, the night | Things, People, Situations that someone (or the querent) doesn’t know about | Controversy, The need to fight | Weakness, whether moral or physical, Spinelessness

Jack – Villain (Nemico) | J♠
Upright: A male person who is working against the querent, traditionally because he is evil | But be careful and take the situation into account, it can also simply signify someone who wins if the querent loses and vice versa | Also, someone who is angry at the querent | The father-in-law (usually together with the King of Diamonds)
Reversed: the same, but usually the person is either against the querent out of stupidity rather than because of a truly evil disposition, or they are overtly inimical to the querent | It can also signify the downfall of an enemy

Queen – Rival (Nemica) | Q♠
Upright: Same as the Jack, but this is a woman: she is evil, or she wins when the querent loses, or she is angry at the querent | The mother-in-law (usually together with the Two of Spades)
Reversed: Same as for the Jack | However, an additional nuance is that she is traditionally considered also the woman who is ready to do anything for vengeance (although I haven’t found it to be often the case, normally she’s just the same as the Reversed Jack of Spades, only for a woman)

King – Priest (Sacerdote) | K♠
Upright: VERY rarely a priest, usually only in the appropriate context and even then this card has nothing to do with spirituality, which is shown by other cards | The first main meaning of this card is that it shows the government, from city to state to federal | The second main meaning is that it shows the legal system, The law in general, etc., Something that is legally valid | The third main meaning is that it represents specialist knowledge, A specialist doctor (the GP is the King of Clubs), A judge, An attorney, Anyone who has amassed an outstanding amount of specialist knowledge in order to do what they do | An exorcist, A magician (neutral), Someone with great esoteric knowledge | It can also show compassion and faithfulness together with a sense of detachment, non-involvement, neutrality, Someone who is not expansive, A husband who may be a bit cold or guarded (but not evil, unless with negative cards)
Reversed: Injustice, Illegality, Immorality, Disorder, Corruption | Four times out of five, either a legal problem or a problem with the government | The law intervening in the situation, Lawsuit, Divorce, Dissolution of a partnership, Legal battles with little hope of winning, Outright loss of a legal battle, A fierce opponent in a legal battle | Someone who either doesn’t have specialist knowledge, or is not good at it, or uses it for evil purposes | A very evil man, with the potential to be extremely dangerous

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Sibilla Quick Meanings – Suit of Diamonds

Leave a comment

Ace – Room (Stanza) | A♢
Upright: Upcoming news usually of a confidential nature | A private meeting or encounter, A meeting that may or may not be secret but is certainly not advertised publicly | Intimacy, Privacy, The querent’s private sphere | A literal room, A place within a building, A place in general | This card is auspicious for the economy, showing potential for prosperity, Advantage, etc.
Reversed: Shocking revelations, Unpleasant facts coming to light, Revealed secrets | In the economic sphere, this card points to bad management with negative cards

Two – Letter (Lettera) | 2♢
Upright: Written words, Written elaboration | Letter, Message (may also be a telephone call these days) | Documents, Papers, Contracts, A Diagnosis, Prescriptions | A Book, A written exam, A test | Elaboration of plans and projects (this comes from the concept of writing down, which implies a certain amount of reflection)
Reversed: Traditionally this card is given as not having a reversed meaning, But you may find that it tends to show up reversed when surrounded by negative cards that show problems with whatever is written in the letter

Three – Gift (Presente di Pietre Preziose) | 3♢
Upright: Objects, Moveable goods in general, Packages sent or received | Gifts, Offers, Proposals, Everything that is extended to the querent that might represent a way for them to progress | This card is connected with wealth, Opulence, Richness, Upward mobility, Luxury, Nobility | Metaphorically, this card can (rarely) show the querent’s “gift”, i.e. their talent, and whether or not it is used
Reversed: A positive card that shows difficult situations progressively going toward some kind of resolution, Especially in a material context | Very rarely, this card may show cheapness, Not using one’s gifts, Difficulties in a couple due to different characters

Four – Falseness (Falsità) | 4♢
Upright: Negativity, Negative context all around, A context the querent should avoid or beware of, because it is not as it seems | Lies, Falseness, Falsehoods, Scams, Things that are not as they seem or don’t seem as they are, Sabotage | Mistakes, Errors, Incompleteness, Wrong point of view, Skewed perception, Distorted sense of reality, Delusion | Broken, Not working, Breaking down | Bad weather | Relatives by marriage, Step-relatives, Adopted children, etc.
Reversed: Discovery of negative plans, people, intents, with a positive solution for the querent being implied, Discovery of lies, etc. | Positive resolution in general, Relief | On rare occasion, this card will point to avarice, but not in an excessively negative sense

Five – Melancholy (Malinconia) | 5♢
Upright: A step toward instability, Unhappy transition | Transitory difficulties and unhappiness which is not necessarily going to last | Often this card represents an open wound, Something that still hurts from the past (look at the cards before to see what it is) | Melancholy, Loss of heart, Sadness, A bad mood, Not feeling like it, Disappointment, Dissatisfaction with a situation
Reversed: The same, but usually worse or longer-lasting, A strongly stressful situation| Situations where it’s too late to do something | Fights, Litigiousness, Quarrels (including legal ones) | This is the card of debts, this is a very prominent meaning of this card

Six – Thought (Pensiero) | 6♢
Upright: The querent’s (or someone else’s) thoughts, Projects, Ideas, Conjectures, Plans, Not necessarily the reality of a situation | Consciousness, as opposed to the normal flow of outside reality | Character, Psychological traits, etc. | Pondering, Thinking, Studying
Reversed: Negative thoughts, Negative thinking, Pessimism | Negative plans, i.e. the plan to do something bad (e.g. cheating, stealing, doing something shady), Note: the negative plans could also be plans of self-harm or self-destruction | Illusion, Delusion | Subconsciousness, Including the paranormal phenomena connected to it (psychic abilities, etc.), Also dreams

Seven – Child (Bambino) | 7♢
Upright: Beginning, Something that starts, Something new that has in itself the potential to develop and have a future | A literal child (usually no older than 10) | A pet, i.e. Any domesticated animal that shares a bond to a human | Newness in general, New ideas, New views of oneself and what’s around | Innocence, Honesty, Candor | Lack of experience, Naivety
Reversed: Things that take long to mature, Things that don’t mature, Things that don’t go on and don’t grow into what they are supposed to become | Hesitation, Uncertainty, Losing momentum, Losing dynamicity | Immaturity, Childishness | The meanings of inexperience and naivety are magnified | A child (or pet) that is sick or in trouble, Abortion or Miscarriage (with other cards)

Eight – Handmaid (Donna di Servizio) | 8♢
Upright: Evolution, Positive development, Expansion | All things that are given to the querent, Gifts, Loans, Offers, Money, etc. | Money earned, in general | Refinement, Sophistication, Politeness, A noble character | Things of value | Rarely, actual nobility, or its equivalent in today’s bourgeois world | Sometimes this card signals the querent’s entrance into a new phase of life, for better or worse | A visit or short trip | Sometimes this card represents a person, A woman whom the querent usually works with, Normally she’s trustworthy and dependable | This card can sometimes be a significator card for the querent’s work in substitution for the Merchant
Reversed: All things that are NOT given to the querent, Things that are refused to the querent, Things that are owed by the querent (e.g. taxes, payments, etc.) | Money spent, in general, Money going out, Where your money goes (see other cards) | Gossip, A sharp tongue | A wretched character, The hoodrat, the trashy type, Sleaziness, Slovenliness, With no standards, prone to cheating or abusing other people’s kindness or honesty, Base, Inferior, Worthless, The classless bitch type (of any sex)| Things of little or no value | Squabbles and quarrels, especially among members of the same family or among neighbors, Sometimes with the partner too

Nine – Fools (Deliranti) | 9♢
Upright: Difficulties, Setbacks of any kind, Usually unpredictable | Irregularity, things that don’t follow a pattern, Things not to be trusted | Things that proceed with difficulties, or with no clarity, or with no clear aim | Fights, Arguments | Unwarranted exaltation, Great misconception, Derangement, Foolishness | Natural disasters (earthquakes, fires, floods, etc.) | Negative social ties, Running with the wrong crowd | Many people, but in a negative sense, Mob mentality, Negative groups | Degeneracy
Reversed: Involution, Steady worsening of a situation, Situations that go back in stead of going forward, That become more difficult instead of improving | Blunders, Mistakes, Misguided attempts | Hesitation, Lack of direction

Ten – Thief (Ladro) | 10♢
Upright: Theft, A thief, Snatching away, Criminal intents | Intrusion, Interference, Ill intents, The shady influence of someone on the situation, Someone who tries to come between two other people | Loss, especially of money or of opportunities, Things (or people, or situations) that are taken away from us in general | When this card comes after a positive sequence, it “snatches” it away from us, no matter how promising it was
Reversed: Insurmountable obstacles, That’s it, Period, One of the worst cards in the deck | A situation of great oppression and difficulty | Places the querent would rather not go, Hospitals, Cemeteries, Prisons, Also large, foreboding places such as castles or monasteries | Devastating material loss, This card is especially a warning to those who bet and gamble | Agreements and contracts that won’t be respected, Also if you lent someone money, you won’t see it back

Jack – Messenger (Messaggero) | J♢
Upright: News, Letters, Messages, Usually more important or more formal than those shown by the Two of Diamonds | The postal services, A postman, A package or parcel | A young man with dark hair (very rarely) | Usefulness, Acquiring knowledge of useful facts within the context | An intermediary, A middleman, Someone who mediates, An agency | Short trips, Errands
Reversed: Delays, Negative news | Problems with the postal services | Ineffective intermediary/agency | Gossip, Slander, Unfounded rumors

Queen – Wife (Donna Maritata) | Q♢
Upright: A woman whose role will be clarified by the context, She is a neutral figure, Usually married or in a committed relationship where she lives with her partner, Sometimes with kids | Unless other cards show otherwise, she’s not the object of the querent’s desire (which doesn’t mean the querent is not married to her, mind you) | An older (but not ancient) woman, A mature lady | Being married was the highest aspiration for a woman back in the day, Today this card can show a woman who is realized | This card is connected to wealth
Reversed: A woman who is either in trouble or who is trouble for the querent, False, jealous, two-faced | Sometimes, a woman who gets into trouble in order to help the querent

King – Merchant (Mercante) | K♢
Upright: Very rarely an actual person, 9 times out of 10 this card is the significator card for the querent’s job/career, Period | On the odd occasion, this card has connection with money, banks, buying and selling, etc. | VERY rarely, a cunning but somewhat charismatic man (not necessarily evil, but certainly not prince charming)
Reversed: Something’s wrong with the querent’s job or career | This card also has a connection with lack of practicality and commonsense, Lack of talent, Not being cut for a certain job or duty | Rarely, a sleazy individual, the stereotype of the merchant before the industrial revolution, The Shylock type

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Sibilla Quick Meanings – Suit of Clubs

Leave a comment

Ace – Marriage (Imeneo) | A♣
Upright: Union, Contract, Partnership, Marriage, Anything that requires the legal agreement between two (or more) people to start | This card is the significator card for a marriage and what happens to it, or for any partnership/joint venture/enterprise | Production, Creation, Prosperity | Concretization of projects
Reversed: Materiality, The material world | Wealth, Substance | Sex, Sexual union, Sex is a very prominent meaning of this card when reversed | Conception, Fertility | In a question about feelings, this card alone doesn’t speak about love (but other cards around it might show otherwise. In itself, however, this is the card of sex, when reversed) | With negative cards, this card points to the dissolution of a union of any kind, or denies that the union will happen

Two – Peacock (Superbia) | 2♣
Upright: Completion, Totality, Wholeness, Victory, Triumph | The traditional “talisman” card, showing protection, The God-power, This card increases the good in good cards and decreases the bad in bad cards, It’s the best and most powerful card in the deck | Liberation from limitations, obstacles and chains | Beauty, Aesthetics | Honor, Recognition, Virtue, Competence, Talent | The significator card for Magical works
Reversed: Vanity, Pride, Haughtiness, Lack of Humility, Ego-trips | Someone’s behavior is clouded by their ego or idiosyncrasies, Setbacks caused by the wrong attitude | Dark arts, Black Magic, Satan, The Devil, Demonic presences and possessions

Three – Journey (Viaggio) | 3♣
Upright: Movement, Change of place, Travel, Trip | Inner journey, Change of attitude, Change of perspective, Change of ideas, of plans, of strategies | Situations that change, that are set in motion, especially if the previous cards show a static period, Dynamicity | A means of transport
Reversed: Evolution, Progression, Transformation | This card is good in all aspects of life, except for travel, where it shows setbacks and delays (accidents only with very negative cards)

Four – Friend (Amica) | 4♣
Upright: A significator card for a woman, usually a friend or a relative | Friendship in general, Help, Consolation, Support, Cooperation | A positive, supportive context, A situation where the querent won’t be alone and will receive support
Reversed: Material help, Help in general | Recommendations, Someone pulling some strings for you, Connections, Networking  

Five – Fortune (Fortuna) | 5♣
Upright: Positive evolution regardless of personal merit, Success, Positive turn of events
Reversed: Also positive, but delayed, It shows a transformation that happens over a longer period of time

Six – Surprise (Consolante Sorpresa) | 6♣
Upright: Surprise, Unexpected (usually positive) development | Results that exceed one’s effort, Good luck | A situation flourishing with little effort | Money, A raise | Receipt, Getting, Obtaining, Discovering, Picking up etc. | The present time, Now, All of a sudden, Very soon, Very shortly, Presently
Reversed: Excessive ambition that might cause a plan’s downfall, Downfall in general | With positive cards, the need to put in an inordinate amount of effort | In love, it warns of a lack of common interests as a possible cause for break up, Growing apart

Seven – Gratification (Gran Consolazione) | 7♣
Upright: Solidity, Sense of security in the world, The querent’s sense of personal realization | Concretization, The next logical, tangible step in solidifying one’s position in a certain situation | The querent’s material assets | Conquest, Personal realization, Gratification, Graduation, Promotion, Upward mobility | Ambition, Recognition, Fame, Renown, A good name | A light at the end of the tunnel, if after negative cards | The querent’s work environment
Reversed: Things that do not move along, Lack of concrete results, Lack of further developments, Lack of tangible outcomes | Fear, Insecurity | Spiraling downward, One’s position is threatened | Attacks to one’s name, Slander, Malicious gossip that threatens one’s position 

Eight – Reunion (Riunione) | 8♣
Upright: Going back to a previous, positive situation that had been interrupted, Reconciliation, Recovery, Recouping one’s losses or credits, There is a general sense of re-, of going back to, in this card, usually in a positive sense | Positive development in general | Meeting, Appointment, Date, Encounter, Congregation, People coming together with an aim | The countryside as a place, And the leisurely activities connected with it| More than one of anything, The second of something, Two of something | A card that can stand for social relationships, contact with the public and having a positive attitude toward others (with good cards, that is)
Reversed: Doubts, Self-doubt, Uncertainty, Inability to muster up the strength to fight, Apathy | Pangs of conscience | Lack of reconciliation (or a Break-up) | Inability to get along in a group of people, Problems with people

Nine – Cheerfulness (Allegria) | 9♣
Upright: Cheerfulness, Mirth, Any situation that could be cause for celebration (usually on the material side of things), A jolly disposition and its positive expressions (jokes, laughing together, etc.) | Social ties, Groups of friends or of people (the ties are not necessarily strong) | A party | Places where people drink, eat and have fun | Eating, Drinking, Nutrition, Food
Reversed: Excesses of all kinds, Addictions, Inability to master one’s instincts or get out of self-indulgence and self-destruction (in itself, this is the card of alcoholism, but also of addiction in general, see the other cards) | Setbacks of all kinds, usually not dependent on the querent’s behavior, Loss of profession | A nasty attitude toward other people, Nasty jokes that are not funny at all, Bullying, Malicious intents masked as joking | “Enforced gayety”, Faking happiness or pretending to be happy

Ten – Levity (Leggerezza) | 10♣
Upright: Recklessness, Carelessness, Haste, Irresponsibility | Lack of focus, Lack of perseverance, Lack of serious commitment | This card can work as an adjective, showing “only a little”, “just a touch”, “not that much”, “not that positive” or “not that negative”, It moderates the import of the other cards for better or ill | A tendency to overspend or to spend toward the wrong things | Something that passes, that doesn’t last, that is not solid, that is not rooted in the querent’s destiny, Something that happens without any deep reason, and that therefore may (and probably will) go away without any deep reason | The element of Air,  The Wind, “Airy” places and things, Bridges, The sky, Airplanes, Helicopters, etc.
Reversed: Lucky moment, Lucky occasion, Stroke of luck, A window of opportunity (usually more on the material side) | Being thorough, Being mindful of our assets and careful how we spend them | Games of chance, Betting (in itself it doesn’t show winning, when it takes on this meaning) | Virtual reality, The internet

Jack – Servant (Domestico) | J♣
Upright: A younger man (traditionally under 30), May be a son, a brother, a friend, A co-worker, etc., He is usually already part of the querent’s life, Often through work, Unless the cards show otherwise he is not romantically connected to the querent | A helper, Someone who helps you, Help in general as a concept| A dutiful young chap, A student, An apprentice, Someone who is learning | It can show a lowly position in life or at work, but with positive cards it may show someone who starts small and then grows
Reversed: The younger man we talked about is either in trouble or against the querent | He is the stereotype of the bad guy, A thief, A junkie, Someone with no morals, Someone with no ambition other than exploiting others, Self-indulgent, Often one who squanders money, A bad student or apprentice | A help that doesn’t come, Help that is denied

Queen – Maiden (Giovane Fanciulla) | Q♣
Upright: A young woman (traditionally under 30), May be a daughter, a sister, a friend, etc., She is the female counterpart to the Jack | She is usually the innocent princess, Somewhat prissy but good | She is connected with virginity, Inexperience, Innocence | Sensibility, Fragility, The need for protection, but in a neutral way
Reversed: As with all people cards, she is either in trouble or against the querent, but experience shows that, unless morally ambiguous cards show up next to her, she is usually just in trouble | A woman who, regardless of age, is very immature and frivolous, like a teenager | Great fragility of character, Mood swings, A tendency to depression, Inconstancy, Also a tendency to latch on to other people’s help and good heart

King – Doctor (Dottore) | K♣
Upright: A doctor (A GP, unless some other card defines him otherwise) | Someone whose services are required in the situation | Someone with a degree, A degree in itself | Someone with a good position in life, Figuratively it can show that the querent is (or isn’t, look at the other cards) on the right path toward attainment | Someone who has the power to influence the querent’s situation for good or ill, Often the querent’s boss | Can point to the existence of a health problem, Figuratively however it points to something that is not fine and needs healing (this is a very important meaning in all sectors of life) | More rarely, a controlling, austere husband and father, although not necessarily violent
Reversed: Traditionally, wrong medical advice, Wrong diagnosis, Wrong prescription, Seek second opinion | Wrong service being given to the querent in any field | Wrong path | A scumbag, A depraved man, Corruption in general | A negative individual who will influence the situation negatively | A criminal (this is the card of the mobster) | Someone incredibly arrogant and possibly violent, A negative husband that the querent is advised to leave | Figuratively, A person or situation that cannot be healed

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Sibilla Quick Meanings – Suit of Hearts

Leave a comment

Ace – Conversation (Conversazione) | A♡
Upright: Words, Conversations, Information exchange, News, Communication | Meetings, Dates, Appointments | People who live together or spend a lot of time under the same roof | How you communicate, How you open yourself up to other people or to new things | Ability to interact with other people, with the public, etc.
Reversed: Revolution, Change, Metamorphosis | Lack of communication, Communication problems, Arguments | Problems with clients or with the public

Two – House (Casa) | 2♡
Upright: Warmth, Harmony, Intimacy, Solidity, Stability, Stabilization, Solidification | The querent’s home or family | A House, Real estate | An outside building in general | This is the significator card for a couple’s inner dynamics 
Reversed: Problems at home or in the family, The querent’s home environment feels stifling or wrong, A troubled household | Trouble in the couple, A couple that is no longer solid | Problems with real estate, Problems with a building, A house you shouldn’t buy | Any building or outside place where the querent would rather not go (Hospital, Graveyard, Prison, A court of law, etc.)

Three – Balcony (Belvedere) | 3♡
Upright: Arrival of news, people, situations, etc. within a short period | New developments soon to be expected, The situation is taking shape | Looking, Watching, Seeing, Searching | Seeing in a metaphorical sense, Insight | This card is connected with long distances
Reversed: News, people, situations, developments that won’t arrive, or will be delayed, or the querent would be better off without | An animalesque character, Bestial behavior | Lack of insight, Not seeing | A situation that will not have developments

Four – Love (Amore) | 4♡
Upright: Love, Feelings | Emotionally important situation, Emotionally supportive environment, Context that is good or emotionally fulfilling | Traditionally, a “blind force” that cannot be dominated by human rationality
Reversed: Traditionally, homosexuality | More often, Distorted feelings, Promiscuity, Off-limits sexual behaviors | Aridity, Lack of love or support or fulfillment

Five – Happiness (Allegrazza al Cuore) | 5♡
Upright: Step toward stability, Step in the right direction, Transition toward happiness | Quick, fulfilling developments, Joy, Celebration, Dance | A commitment, Any type of commitment and promise that will be honored at a later date or that will lead to a next step later (An engagement, A reservation, A down payment, A probationary period, Making out with someone, etc.) | This card can be a significator for the querent’s engagement and what happens to it | The querent’s extended family, The querent’s relatives
Reversed: Unstable relationships in any field | Cheating, Betrayal in any field | A commitment that won’t be honored | Frustrations, Setbacks, Unreached aims | Problems with the querent’s relatives

Six – The Safe (Denaro) | 6♡
Upright: Everything that is accumulated, All situations that are present now in the querent’s life as a result of having been there from the past, Transmition, Hereditariness in all senses, from the genetic sense to the metaphorical sense | The past | Money, Liquid assets, Opulence, Wealth
Reversed: The future, New things | Suddenness | Money trouble | Avarice, Possessiveness, Unwillingness to let go | Situations, good or bad, that will persist for a long time

Seven – Scholar (Letterato) | 7♡
Upright: The mind, The brain, Intelligence, Talent | Education, Scholarly endeavors | Creativity, Artistry, Projects | Ability to make projects, To commit, Being serious about a relationship, Reconciliation | A notary public, A lawyer, An expert, A professional | A contract, A legally binding agreement | A man from the querent’s family, Or the querent, Or the querent’s (male) partner
Reversed: Ulterior motives, A calculating individual | Lack of education, intelligence, talent, Not being cut for something | Impotence in all senses, from sexual impotence to lack of power/ability to cope with a situation

Eight – Hope (Speranza) | 8♡
Upright: Realization, Situations clearing up, A sense of balance and confidence, The end of turmoil and difficulties | Optimism, Hope, Expectation, Faith, Belief |Emotional investment, Investments in general | Flirts, Easy love stories | A meeting, A trip, especially near the water | All watery places (beaches, rivers, islands, etc.) | Overseas
Reversed: Situations that go up in smoke, Hopes falling through | Depression, Sadness, Doubt, Lack of confidence | Atheism, Loss of faith, Dark religious beliefs | Danger by water (rare)

Nine – Faithfulness (Fedeltà) | 9♡
Upright: Success in Love | Faithfulness, Loyalty, Honesty, Dependability, Transparency | Things that seem as they are and are as they seem | A strong bond, Attachment to someone, something, an idea, a country, a tradition, a religion | Rarely, a friend or friendship | This card is connected with distant relatives
Reversed: Lack of success in love | Disloyalty, Dishonesty, Cheating, Betrayal, Unfaithfulness, Disrespect | Things that don’t seem as they are or are not as they seem, Having an axe to grind | Biting the hand that feeds you, A nasty character, Lack of sweetness | Anarchy, Revolt, Rebellion, Secession, The will to be independent, The will to oust or overthrow, Disrespect of tradition

Ten – Perseverance (Costanza) | 10♡
Upright: Willpower, Earned success, Earned victory, Victory after toil and sacrifice | Dependability, Reliability | Steadfastness, Perseverance, Constancy, Fixity of purpose | Fixity in general, Duration (for good or bad), For a long time | The querent’s city or homeland (depending on the scope of the question)
Reversed: Inconsistency, Lack of perseverance | Anger, Arguments, Violence (with other cards) | Willpower in a negative sense (lack or eccess of it, or wrong pursuits, or pursuits against the querent/query) | Loss in transactions | Storms, Bad weather for travelling, Danger at sea

Jack – Boyfriend (Amante) | J♡
Upright: An unmarried man, usually older than 30, but not necessarily | The boyfriend, The lover, The one the querent’s heart skips a beat for | VERY rarely this card has a sense of longing for something, or even courting it, either in a literal or a metaphorical sense
Reversed: Same as the upright, but the man is either negative/against the querent or in trouble (depending on the context of the question or of the surrounding cards) | In questions like “Does he love me?” it’s a resounding no | As a reversed court card of the Suit of Hearts, it can stand for a cheater | This card is sometimes connected with seeking unbridled sexual pleasure, a male prostitute or a sexually hyperactive man

Queen – Girlfriend (Amatrice) | Q♡
Upright: She is the female counterpart to the Jack of Hearts | VERY rarely, this card has a sense of emotional fulfillment attached to it
Reversed: A woman who is either negative/against the querent or in trouble | Like all reversed court cards of the Suit of Hearts, it can stand for a cheater | “Does she love me?” Answer: no | An older meaning is that of a career-oriented woman, but I find it very rarely the case (this meaning probably comes from XIX century prejudices depicting career women as prostitutes, as the Reversed Queen of Hearts can, in the appropriate context, represent a prostitute or a sexually hyperactive woman)

King – Gentleman (Gran Signore) | K♡
Upright: A mature (or older in the context of the question) man, A married man or Family man, A father or uncle | A protector, A teacher, A trustworthy partner all around, A (good) boss | Protection in general
Reversed: A negative man or a man in trouble | This card is connected with addictions and “sinfulness”, i.e. leading a life of excess | All the negative connotations of the Reversed Heart Court cards apply here (unfaithful/not in love/promiscuous, etc.) | Someone whose help should not be accepted