This method is good for looking at a person in general, either the querent or someone the querent is interested in knowing about. The cards are shuffled and cut, and then dealt into five packs of three cards each, forming a cross.
The first one goes in the center, the second one to the left of it, the third one to the right, the fourth one above and the fifth one below. The center shows what hits the querent (or person) directly. It can signify the present or something that is important to them. Above shows the querent’s thoughts or hopes, or something they are aware of. Below it shows something that the querent doesn’t like or doesn’t know. To the left it shows something the querent leaves behind, to the right something the querent is approaching, usually in the near future (1-2 months).
If you want, you can also reshuffle the remaining cards and deal out another pack of three for the further future.
As usual, lay out the cards and strive to come up with your interpretation before reading mine
This was a general fortune for a woman Center: 4♥ + 7♠ + 2♠R Left: 9♥ + 10♥ + 6♣ Right: 5♠ + 7♣ + 5♥ Above: Q♠ + 10♦ + A♣R Below: A♥ + 8♥ + 5♦
The central pack is obvious. It shows a breakup, and a rather ugly one. When the 2♠ comes up reversed there is sometimes the possibility of a third party’s involvement. Looking at the above pack, we find confirmation: the querent knows that a woman destroyed her marriage. To the left we see that the marriage was going well, there was love, stability and common interests. Unfortunately, when the spread is negative, the fact that good cards come up in the past is not a good sign. The involvement of the rival, the Q♠, destroyed a good relationship. Below we see that communications (A♥) are negative (it comes up below) so there was a final argument without resolution (8♥) and it left a bitter feeling in the querent’s mouth (5♦). Looking forward to the right, it is clear that the querent will not patch things up with her husband (5♠) but she will find satisfaction in a new story (7♣ + 5♥)
Another spread that can be used is that of the reversed pyramid. It is rather intuitive and not especially complicated. The base of the pyramid can be any number of cards, usually 4, 5, 6 or 7. I usually limit myself to 4 or 5. You can allot the first row to the past, the second to the present and the subsequent ones to the future, or you can just see what comes up. Usually, this spread is good for exploring topics (“tell me about my love life”) before using a row of cards to answer more specific questions. It can also be used without a question. The tip of the pyramid, i.e., the last three cards, is usually read together, but be flexible. If you have questions about a particular row of cards, you can still either fan out the deck and choose three cards at random to clarify it, or shuffle the deck and draw three cards from the top. Either way, don’t abuse clarification cards. Sometimes we understand something perfectly well. We are just not willing to accept it. What follows are two examples, one with a 10 card pyramid and one with a 15 card one. Lay out the cards and follow along. Strive to come up with your interpretation before reading mine.
The querent asked if his marriage, which was hitting the rocks, was salvageable. The cards were A♦R + Q♥R + A♠ + 8♠ 7♠ + 3♣ + 2♥R 10♥R + 2♠ 7♦
The first row speaks quite obviously of the discovery of some form of negative behavior on the part of the woman, which led to sorrow, strife and jealousy. She was probably cheating on him, which he confirmed. The second row shows either the immediate past or immediate future, usually. There is an abrupt move away from a house he doesn’t like anymore. The third row shows that there won’t be a continuation of the marriage and that the situation is waning. The spread ends with the Child, which shows new situations, a new life, a new love story. A few days after the reading, the querent left the house after an argument and they divorced some time later. He is now with a different woman.
A querent asked a general fortune. Here were the cards: Q♦ + 2♥R + K♥ + 5♦ + Q♣R 2♦ + K♠ + 8♣ + 4♦ J♥ + 9♥ + 6♣R A♥ + 10♥ 4♥
The first line clearly speaks of family matters. There’s a married couple in the family, probably her parents, who make life difficult for her. They likely don’t get along together (they are connected by the reversed House card). The mother is probably more at fault than the father. All this creates sadness and melancholy in the querent, showing up as the Q♣ reversed, which emphasizes her sense of helplessness. The second row speaks of some communication or document concerning a legal or bureaucratic practice that will arrive. The thing will resolve itself (8♣) but it won’t be very satisfactory (4♦). What ended up happening was that quite soon after the reading (the second line shows the present or near future) the querent received her tax return documents, which showed all was in order but she would receive less money in deductions than she expected. The following line shows that the girl will enter a rough patch with her boyfriend due to growing apart with him and not finding common interests (6♣R). However, the following lines show that they will talk at length (A♥ + 10♥) and will rekindle their relationship.
Note: due to formatting, it looks like the cards are laid out in a right triangle. In reality it is an inverted pyramid. It doesn’t really change anything, but I thought I’d let you know.
We start off easy with spreads. And, in truth, I don’t use very convoluted ones.
The easiest way to answer a question with the sibilla is by drawing a line of cards. Any number will do, but I would limit the number to 7 at most, and in general, 5 is an ideal number. Contrary to some popular opinions, it is perfectly acceptable for the number of cards to be even, even though I find odd numbers more aesthetically pleasing. Be sure, when you settle on a number, that you stick to it unless you truly find that the answer is not complete (it can happen). In that case, add two cards to the tail of the reading.
Rows can be used without question, to get a glimpse into the future (or past) or they can be used to answer specific questions. Following are three examples of readings, one with three, one with five and one with seven cards. I suggest that you take out the cards I indicate, so you can better follow the explanation. If possible, try to give your own interpretation before reading mine.
Example with Three Cards, 1
A querent asked if the house he had seen would be the one he would move into. I don’t remember if I already posted this example, but it’s a good one. The following cards came up: 2♠ + J♦ + 10♣
The Old Lady and the Messenger together often mean a visit, a short trip or a movement of short duration. This is already not promising: we want the movement to be definitive. What seals the negative answer is the 10♣, Levity. This card is connected to everything that is not rooted in the querent’s life and is therefore passing. The visit he made will be passing. He did not move into the house.
Example with three cards, 2
The querent asked if the man she was seeing, a recent divorcé, still thought about his ex. The cards that came up were K♥ + 6♦R + Q♠R The answer is quite obvious: yes, he is thinking about her, but not in a flattering way. His showing up as the Gentleman, furthermore, bodes well for the future of the relationship with the querent as, unless the it is afflicted, the K♥ is honorable and good. The Q♠ shows up reversed, which is quite typical of “my crazy ex” stories, when the ex is actually crazy.
Example with Five cards, 1
A querent asked if her husband liked his job because he wouldn’t give her a straight answer. The cards were: 6♦R + J♣R + K♥ + 2♣R + 7♣R
The predominance of reversed cards is not a great sign to begin with, but let’s dig further. The husband occupies the center of the spread, indicating that this spread is very much about his feelings and perceptions. The first card is the 6♦R showing a negative attitude. The negative attitude is toward the reversed J♣, which can be a younger colleague. I asked if the husband worked with younger people and, unexpectedly, the woman said the husband was a high school teacher. Clearly one or more students are giving him problems and his own attitude worsens the situation. He probably thinks too highly of himself (he shows up as the Gentleman and has the reversed Peacock card next to him) which prevents him from taking his students’ disrespect lightly. He thinks they are disrespecting him, which makes things worse. The reversed Gratification card shows lack of confidence, lack of fulfillment and confirms the husband’s fear for his own “reputation”. He doesn’t like the job.
Example with 5 cards, 2.
The querent asked if the his classmate’s father would be reelected as mayor of their town. The cards were: 8♣ + 10♥R + 9♥R + 9♣ + 2♣. The ending of the spread is very positive, showing satisfaction, public honor and success with the public. The first three cards show the coming together of people (8♣) with negative intentions (10♥R) and not very clean methods (9♥R) to stop him. The man was reelected despite an attempt to dig up some dirt about him which turned out to be false.
Example with seven cards, 1
The querent asked if he would have to shut down his business forever. This spread was made during one of the lockdowns. The cards were: K♠R + 9♠ + 6♦ + 7♦ + 10♠ + A♦ + 8♣ The first card, the reversed Priest, shows that the law is playing a negative role in the matter, quite obviously, and is creating a blockage (9♠). The querent, however, is in the position to come up with new strategies (6♦ + 7♦), the implementation of which will be an uphill battle (10♠), but they will bring economic renewal (A♦ + 8♣). He won’t close his business down in the foreseeable future. Nor did he. He could expand his online presence and did it.
Example with Seven cards, 2
The querent asked if she would get a job she had applied for. The cards that came up were: Q♣ + 10♣ + J♥R + A♣R + 7♦ + 5♦ + 8♥
Ready with your answer? Good. The cards have nothing to do with the question asked by the querent. It happens at times, if something important is imminent in the querent’s life. The cards hint at a flirty casual relationship with a man (Q♣, 10♣, J♥R). Since the Lover is reversed, the situation is completely devoid of love and is only sexual, confirmed by the reversed Marriage card which is the sex card par excellence. The A♣R plus the Child card indicate a pregnancy, and the girl won’t be too happy at the beginning (5♦), but she’ll come around and keep the baby (the Hope card falling last clearing the air of all sadness and trouble). I told the querent to be careful and take precautions when with men. She didn’t heed (the 10♣ next to the Queen of Clubs) and is now a happy mom who shares custody of her son with the father.
Name: Child Italian Name: Bambino Playing Card: 7♦ Polarity when Upright: Positive Core Meanings: A child | A pet | Newness, New things, New ideas, New outlook, New project | Smallness | Gullibility, Simple-mindedness Polarity when Reversed: Negative Reversed Core Meanings: Problems with a child or pet | Slowness, Hesitation, Lack of development, Promising things that don’t grow | Tantrums, Childishness | Gullibility again | Being off to a bad start
Card Description: a newly born child sleeping in its cradle.
Suit and Number: Sevens have to do with ideas, projects and such things. In the suit of Diamonds this notion is interpreted to mean new ideas, new projects and new ways of looking at the world. All other meanings derive from this and from the image of the child.
UPRIGHT 7♦R
General: It can be a significator card for a child or a pet, i.e., a “small soul”. More often than not, as few readings revolve around children and animals, it represents newness in all its forms. It is something that has just begun (or will be beginning) and has a future ahead of it (the future completion is represented by the Seven of Clubs, Gratification).
Love and Relationships: Often, the Seven of Diamonds represents new relationships which haven’t yet settled into a routine. This is true for all kinds of personal relationships, including friendships. It goes without saying that it represents a child, usually a boy unless attended by feminine face cards. It is not a good card when the querent asks about a possible reconciliation, as it normally shows new relationships, i.e., relationships with people not from the past. However, if this card is surrounded by cards representing a reconciliation, it can show that the relationship will resume on new, and probably more positive foundations. This is, of course, a rare instance.
Work and Money: Normally it refers to new ventures and new jobs or projects. It is a card of strong creativity, so the querent usually has no problem coming up with new ideas, and has the ability to bring in new perspectives. It shows works connected with children or with pets (not with animals in general, though). With negative cards it often shows inexperience. It can also signify internships, propationary periods and being the new recruit in general.
Other: Psychologically it can stand for simplicity, both in a positive and in a negative sense, according to the surrounding cards. A person signified by the Seven of Diamonds usually dislike artificial things and overly elaborate things, preferring the genuine joy found in small things. Speaking of which, the card can signify something small, although it is an uncommon meaning. When with negative cards it can imply that the querent should stop being naive, because he is likely to be led on or, more simply, to make mistakes based on inexperience. It does, however, show purity of heart, both psychologically and spiritually.
Important Combinations:
7♦ + 4♥ = a new love or the first love 7♦ + 5♥ = traditionally it represents cuddling and kissing (sweet, innocent engagement with the other) but it can mean many other things 7♦ + 4♦ = mistakes caused by inexperience 7♦ + 10♣ = naivety (if 7♦R it’s worse) 7♣ + 7♦ + 8♥ = can be the realization of your childhood dreams, among other things
REVERSED 7♦R
General: when it acts as a significator it points to issues with children or pets. Otherwise, it heralds hesitation, situations that do not develop inspite of the initial promise, and can point to the negative character traits typical of children, even in people who should have grown up by now.
Love and Relationships: Often the card brings slowness to the spread, so in relationship issues it normally signifies that the bond is not developing beyond the initial stage, or that a person is taking forever to make a move. It points to immaturite partners (or querents, of course) who are not ready for a commitment, or a childish crush that leads to nothing further. Children and pets could behave badly or be sick.
Work and Money: Any plans made under the rulership of this card is usually either cursed from the beginning or, if positive cards follow, that it will take much longer than anticipated to bear fruit. Same goes with investments and other money matters, such as getting back loaned money. A person card next to the reversed Child card is unreliable and immature and should not be trusted with your money, not necessarily because they are bad, but they simply haven’t grown up. This is also true for colleagues
Other: the card shows childishness, tantrums, and all other signs of immaturity. Like its upright counterpart, it can still point to gullibility, but in a much more deeply rooted form.
Important Combinations:
7♦R + 2♦ = a delay in the arrival of correspondence A♥ + 7♦R = hesitancy in opening up | can mean stuttering 7♦R + 5♦ = can signify a childish tantrum among other things 7♦R + 6♠ = very long delay 7♦R + 4♠ = can be a sick child or pet
One fun little exercise I like to do whenever I get a new deck (any deck, of any tradition) is to ask them some questions to see if they are in tune with me. Some readers treat decks as if they were God-given artifacts. If that works for you, wonderful, no judgement, but I treat them as simple pieces of cardboard that are inserted into a universal mechanism of synchronicity. They are tools, and, like all tools, they need to be treated with some respect, but not to be revered as idols.
My own very personal experience with new decks is that the first few readings they give are often way off, until they enter into synchronicity with a particular reader and that reader alone. The only way for me to get past this phase of initial unreliability on their part is simply to use them a lot, until they get tuned to my subconscious language.
I will probably cover this in another article, but I staunchly believe that divinatory tools are like languages, and, like languages, their structure is perfectly objective, meaning that just as I cannot reinvent the English language as if it were a random convention, I cannot reinvent the meaning assigned to cards in a particular system (although there can be different systems, just as there can be different languages, and sometimes different systems use the same deck, just as sometimes different languages use the same alphabet or even similar words).
That being said, even though English is out there regardless of me, I will have my own take on the English language as I learn it, and you yours. Ever tried reading a Modernist author? Finnegan’s Wake is written in English, yet it is an English very few people who are not called James Joyce will understand. All this is to say that my own take on the issue is that card systems are objective, but you need to develop your own take on them in order for them to make sense in your particular universe (and you are your own universe).
The process of “developing your own take” cannot be decided rationally by convention, as in “From now on X will mean Y”. That’s part of the reason why Esperanto will never be a real thing aside from a laudable minority of dedicated learners. No, this process of development is largely a subconscious process of reciprocal adaptation between language and speaker, or between reader and reading system. It does take a little bit of time and patience, but then again, all things that are worth time take time.
As far as I am concerned, new decks need to be inserted into my mechanism of synchronicity. What about used deck? I have found that if a deck has been consistently used by someone else, it will take a bit more time for it to respond to me. Either way, the first question I will ask my new deck to answer is “Who is your master?” or, if you are not into kinky stuff, “Who do you respond to?” and I pull three cards. Usually, as soon as the cards start responding, I get a very clear description of myself as I am at the moment. Interestingly, if a deck belonged to someone else, I first get complete nonsense, then, as the cards start to respond to me, but not well enough, I almost always get the older owner’s description.
If you give this exercise a try, remember that the description you get of yourself needs to be beyond doubt. It’s like an “a-ha” moment. No vagueness. So, what happens if you don’t get the answer you are looking for? That is up to you and, in part, to your creativity. If you want to consecrate or cleanse your deck, go ahead. My own practice is to give the same question another couple of tries, and if the deck refuses to acknowledge me, or to let go of its previous owner, I leave it there for a couple of days, maybe spending some time shuffling it in the meantime, before giving it another try.
Here is what I did with my new Sibilla della Zingara deck. I asked “Who do you answer to?” and it answered perfectly on my first try, something that had never happened to me, except with my very first deck. I guess part of the reason is that it didn’t have a previous owner, as pre-owned decks tend to be a bit more stubborn, I have found. (Even then, don’t worry: my main deck was second hand, and it works perfectly now).
“Who do you answer to?” “To you, oh lord of all that’s sad, master of inner drought”
One thing you have to know about me is that I have a relatively strong depressive streak to me. I’ve always had it, and depending on the period it resurfaces. These days I was battling through a relatively strong depressive episode, and it definitely shows in the cards.
The King of Hearts is me. Usually I show up as the Jack of Clubs (unmarried man under thirty), but in the past I have come up as the Gentleman, mostly in relationship readings and in job readings, as I’m a teacher (protector/helper figure) and therefore the Jack of Clubs can represent the students. In this case I’m not sure why I showed up as Gentleman. It might be a very contingent reason, as upon searching the deck for the Jack of Clubs and the Jack of Hearts, I found them reversed. Apparently, the deck simply pushed the most serviceable significator into service.
The following combination is Six of Diamonds (Thought) + Nine of Spades (Prison). This is one of those combinations that can signal feeling down, or depressed, or oppressed. It can also signify psychological submission, but there would need to be other cards as well.
What’s interesting about this reading is that these past couple of days I had battled through the depressing feelings without even noticing them, but as soon as they came up in the reading I got my “a-ah” moment, “yep, that’s me”.
Other questions you might ask the cards are “What’s going to happen in the next 24 hours?”, “What did I do yesterday?” or any other question whose answer can be easily verified within a very short timeframe. I personally would avoid questions like “What will you teach me?” or “What have you entered my life for?” as it’s all too easy to concoct a convenient answer out of any card combination, but I leave it for you to decide for yourself.
The point is: don’t feel bad if sometimes a new deck doesn’t seem to make any sense, it just takes some time to get in tune with it. At other times, however,, as in the example above, the synchronicity is perfect from the start.
Here’s a reading from some time ago, which I recreated using my new Sibilla Originale 1850. The querent’s problem was: Will the university I work for go bust?
A pyramid spread on the question “Will the University I work for go bust?”
The first line is pretty interesting, as we get a chance to see the power of the Peacock card in action. The Two of Clubs is the best card in the deck, capable of lessening the blow of any negative card. And boy do we need it, as right before it we have the worst card in the deck, the Seven of Spades Reversed. Aside from being the card of tyranny and overbearing power, the reverse Seven of Spades talks about ruination and utter and final capitulation.
Why is the university going toward ruination? We have the Ace of Clubs, Marriage, and the Ten of Clubs, Levity. The Ten of Clubs is the card of “just a little”, while the Marriage card is about contracts and legal agreements. So, the university is at risk of going bust because there’s not enough students signing up, but the worst will be avoided thanks to the Two of Clubs, which can be visualized as a sort of divine hand grabbing the debris falling from a collapsing building and putting them back in place before they manage to fall on someone’s head.
The second line tells us something a bit more specific about what is going to save the university from the worst. The Seven of Diamonds, the Child, is about new things, and the Jack of Clubs, the Servant, is, among other things, the card of students, an interpretation which is confirmed by the Two of Diamonds, the Letter, which is one of the cards of studying and books, and when near the Servant it can identify a student. Here we are not talking about a specific student, but about students in general. There will be new (Child) students. At least enough to keep the whole thing going.
In this instance, we may also see the Child as falling between the Ace of Clubs, Marriage, and the Two of Hearts, House. Ace of Clubs + Two of Hearts is the card combo that, in job-related issues, represents a firm or a business. Here we are talking about a university, but the meaning still applies: universities don’t pay their employees in wisdom. They, too, need to make money, just like a business.
The presence of the Child inside this combination of business tells us that the university is preparing something new, perhaps new courses or maybe some new marketing ploy. The querent confirmed that they are looking to concoct some new study course that will make the university he works for more alluring.
The final three cards tell us that, although the university will manage to stay alive, it probably won’t be thriving, at least not in the next period. We need to understand “the next period” in the context of the question: we all know how public institutions tend to suck as much money as they can for as many years as they can without profit before actually being left to their fate, so in the context of a public institution, which this university is, the next period means the next few years, or at least that’s what I think.
The Two of Hearts, the House, shows the place itself, while the Nine of Diamonds, The Fools, and the reversed Three of Hearts, the Balcony, tell us something that seems to contradict the presence of the Peacock in the first line. It would be easy to interpret this combination as one pertaining to violent groups, but this wouldn’t mean anything in the context.
Aside from its usual connotations, the Nine of Diamonds talks about things proceeding irregularly, or without really looking where they are going, while the Three of Hearts is connected with sight, whether literal or figurative. Reversed, it becomes a lack of insight, so whatever it is that the university is coming up with is not going to be that good of a product for potential students to buy into.
Finally, let us look at the angles of the pyramid: Marriage, Peacock and Balcony Reversed. The business (Marriage) will stay open for the foreseeable future (Peacock), but this will not necessarily be a good thing, as the Balcony Reversed is also the card that points to a lack of positive developments.
In the Vera Sibilla, the Sixes represent the natural evolution of the number Five. Whereas Fives dealt with transition, the Sixes represent the flow of time, with all its philosophical annexes: the idea of duration (or lack thereof), the notions of past, present and future, etc.
The four Sixes in the Vera Sibilla: The Six of Hearts (Money), The Six of Clubs (Surprise), The Six of Diamonds (Thought), The Six of Spades (Sighs)
The Six of Hearts is called Money. A better name for it would perhaps be The Safe or The Archive, because while it is true that it does represent money, liquid assets and wealth, this meaning is derived from the idea of accumulation which is a consequence of the traditional meaning of the Six of Hearts in cartomancy in Italy: the past.
And, indeed, the past is one of the main meanings of the Money card, strange as this may sound. Often, when together with a court card, it shows someone whom we already know, or an ex. In general, this card shows that we inherit something from the past, whether it be a situation, a person, an illness (which maybe we haven’t treated properly, or simply one that runs in the family, i.e. a hereditary disease), etc.
Money, the other main meaning of this card, is simply a logical consequence of the notion of time (number six) understood in a positive sense (suit of Hearts), i.e. as a resource and therefore as convertible in resources to be accumulated. Note that, reversed, the Six of Hearts talks about the future, as in future occurrences, unknown places, situations and people. It also heralds money trouble, but it is especially a card of avarice, i.e. unwillingness to let go of what we already have (or of the past).
At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Six of Spades, Sighs, is the card of anxiety and tormented hope. This card, too, can represent something that already happened, but this time it doesn’t show it in a neutral way, but as a source of anguish. More in general, however, rather than to the past, this card is connected with the passage of time as a neutral-to-negative element that comes between us and our desire: the need to wait.
When reversed, one of the meanings of the Six of Spades is that it can represent the idea of letting go of our tormented desires or of our anxiety concerning the past. This is one of the cards that can show, when reversed, opening up to new possibilities rather than clinging to what causes us nothing but grief.
It’s the ability to step outside of ourselves or of our issue and listen to reason, whether it’s in the form of new inspiration or some professional advice. When surrounded by more neutral or negative cards, however, it remains a card of instability, material or psychological even when reversed.
In between Hearts and Spades we find the Six of Clubs, the Surprise, and the Six of Diamonds, Thought. The Six of Clubs is the card of the present time. It represents things happening now, or at least in the very near future. With it are connected the ideas of suddenness and immediacy, and therefore marvel and surprise, of coming across something that was unexpected. Since the suit of Clubs is positive, this unexpected surprise is usually positive.
Taking this idea of “chancing upon” further, we get to the meanings of receiving, getting, acquiring that this card also shows. But this is also the card of things that start flourishing. Note how, in the image, the guy is fishing a bag of money out of a river or lake, which means that, while the result was beyond his expectations, he did have to cast his net. As such, this is the card of minimum effort for great results: small past efforts paying off in the present and possibly heralding a positive future.
Finally, the Six of Diamonds, Thought, also represents the present, but it’s more the a-temporal present that exists in the mind, rather than the physical present of the Six of Clubs. As the card of consciousness, the Six of Diamonds is the point where past, present and future converge and are organized, made sense of and shaped into alternative ideas of reality that we then seek to act out.
As such, this card also shows plans, ideas, etc. Not necessarily true ideas, not necessarily good plans, and not necessarily plans that we are going to be able to act out: this is the card of pure consciousness, the timeless present which fluctuates above the flow of real time.
The Eights in the Vera Sibilla are a natural continuation of the sevens. They represent the concept of balance and evolution toward balance. If you look at the number 8, you’ll see that it’s made up of two loops, which represent the inside or inner world and the outside or outer world. One of the two loops is represented by the “intention” set forth by the number seven, while the other loop represents whether or not that intention finds actual expression in reality.
The Eights in the Vera Sibilla: The Eight of Hearts (Hope), The Eight of Clubs (Reunion), The Eight of Diamonds (Handmaid) and the Eight of Spades (Jealousy)
The Eight of Hearts, Hope, is connected with the realization of one’s expectations and dreams. At its best, this card shows things going as hoped, at its worst, when it ends a negative sequence, the Eight of Hearts promises us that all will be well anyway and things will evolve in a positive direction.
The two “loops” that make up the number eight are, in this case, in perfect balance: inner and outer are as one. As such, aside from showing the realization of hopes, this is the card that represents clairvoyant abilities, dreams and faith as a whole, as these are manifestations of the concrete reality of our inner world.
The Eight of Spades, Consumed with Jealousy, is by far the most interesting card in the deck. In the Italian title, the word “Disperato” actually means “desperate”, not consumed. Desperation is the opposite of Hope. And, indeed, the two images convey opposite ideas.
Let’s look at the two cards. On one hand, a young woman is gazing confidently in the distance. She is poised and dignified, and there is a sense of peace, of perspective, of having a future in front of us that is clear and peaceful. Her titties out to the wind don’t exactly scream insecurity, if I may add. The connection of this card with the element of water can also be interpreted as things flowing smoothly and calmly, which is itself an extension of the eight-ish idea of balance, understood as our inner wishes flowing out and permeating reality.
On the other hand we have one of the most disturbing images in the history of cartomancy: a guy who has lost all sense of perspective and all hope for the future, whose life has stopped flowing smoothly and who finds himself at a desperate turning point, and he’s about to possibly end his own life. Not someone you’d ask to look after the kids while you are out shopping.
This is the card of crisis, of the world closing in on you, of oppression and lack of positive ways out of this impasse (at least, unless other cards show otherwise). This card behaves as a landmine that our hopes and desires step onto while on the way toward realization. Here, the two loops of the number eight are imbalanced with one another. This imbalance can also be understood not just as unfulfilled hope or crisis, but also as negative hope, hence the card’s connection with envy, slander etc.
In between Spades and Hearts we have the Eight of Clubs, the Reunion and the Eight of Diamonds, the Handmaid, which represent evolution toward balance in two opposite senses. The Eight of Clubs is the card of the positive evolution toward a good conclusion, but it implies either a previous upset or a previous distance.
This is the card that can show winning a court case, which implies the upset of having gone through a trial, it’s the card of the date or meeting, which implies being apart (otherwise we wouldn’t be able to meet), it’s the card of reconciliation, which implies break-up, it’s the card of healing, which implies illness, it’s the card of getting back the money you’ve lent, which implies a previous parting with your money. In general, this card represents an evolution leading us back to a previous balance that has been interrupted, and a positive offsetting of the situation as a whole.
The Eight of Diamonds, The Handmaid, is also a card of evolution, but one that doesn’t necessarily lead us back: it’s an evolution that leads us forward toward a new equilibrium (or lack thereof). It is said that this card, when it falls in the spread without any specific reason, heralds new phases in life, and we must always look where the young woman is going.
The staircase she’s climbing is a symbol for improvement, expansion, growth. As such, this is one of the cards representing nobility, refinement, good manners and climbing up the social ladder. The evolution here is therefore not intended as a re-establishment of a former positive situation as the Reunion (Re-union) often implies, but rather as a building on what is already there to reach a new equilibrium. Note that the handmaid is also the card of offers and money, things and situations being given to us: the new equilibrium or balance may be coming toward us from the outside.
The threes in the Vera Sibilla are all connected with the concept of movement. Card Reader and Youtuber Etienne Valancourt, who inspired me to study numerological hints in the Vera Sibilla, noted in one of his videos that threes seem to refer to spacial or metaphorcial movement. If the Ace was the single dot and the Two was the extension of the dot into a line, the Three brings in the idea of moving up and down, left and right, since movement implies at least two directions (where you start from and where you finish) that are connected by the movement itself.
The Threes in the Vera Sibilla Oracle: The Three of Hearts (Balcony), The Three of Clubs (Journey), The Three of Diamonds (Gift of Precious Stones), The Three of Spades (Widower)
The Three of Hearts, The Balcony, and the Three of Spades, The Widower, show, as usual, two opposite interpretations of the concept. The Three of Hearts, as the illustration points at, is a card of arrival. The lady is waiting for something or someone that are on their way to her (or, at least, that are supposed to). It’s a positive card, although, like all red cards, relatively easily influenced by the black cards around it.
The Balcony is also connected with sight, the eyes and looking (either literally or figuratively), which are a natural extension of its primary meaning: when something is coming our way, it becomes easier to spot than if it is parting from us. In general, the arrival, i.e. the notion of “getting closer”, may be interpreted as a general remark that new developments are on the way, that the issue under consideration has not reached its conclusion yet, and that the matter is not yet settled. For all its connection to the concept of “getting closer”, this card is also associated with great distances, especially when with cards that reinforce this meaning.
The Three of Hearts is a generally favorable card. The Three of Spades, on the other hand, is extremely negative. In the Widower we find the idea of separation, of getting away. When it’s not a character card depicting an older man, the Widower is always connected with feeling unwell, not necessarily in a health-related sense. He’s not the type of guy you’d want over for a cup of tea, he’s really gonna bring the mood down.
The main ideas connected with it are those of abandonment, loss (things getting away from us), bereavement, deprivation, and something being generally taken from us. If the Balcony points to new things and people coming our way, the Widower is a card of loneliness and isolation, of no news and no people arriving (it can function as a kind of “minus” sign, showing us what we don’t have). This card is pervaded by a general sense of finality, of matters being ready for burial. How fun, right?
In between, we have the Three of Clubs, The Journey, and the Three of Diamonds, The Gift of Precious Stones. The Journey card speaks for itself: it represents journey and movement in general. It can, however, also show change in general. This card is connected with things not remaining the same, of things going through some kind of change. This can be positive or negative, external or internal (e.g. changing point of view). It’s not a difficult card, aside from the fact that it’s one of those in the Vera Sibilla where directional cues need to be taken into account.
The Three of Diamonds is, in most editions of the Sibilla, assigned to the Gift card, but some newer and easily accessible editions have popularized its connection with the card of the Handmaid, The Eight of Diamonds. While I chose to stick with the traditional numerology, I am going to discuss this issue in a separate blog article to show how both attributions make sense. After all, the Gift and the Handmaid have some astounding similarities in their meanings.
In general, The Gift is a card of gifts (duh!) and proposals, of situations moving in our direction to allow us to jump on board. It represents the movement of objects, i.e. packages being sent or received, and, as an extended meaning, this is the card of objects in general, i.e. moveable goods. Another important connection of this card is with opulence and wealth, and therefore with upward mobility and a higher social status. The Handmaid card can also be appropriate as Three, considering that it, too, represents evolution, things that are given to us and a higher position in society. It also has other traits, however, that make her a good Eight as well.
The sevens in the Vera Sibilla are mainly connected with the ideas of intentions, mindset, projects and planning. They speak, in other words, of our ability to conjure up visions of reality and of ourselves that may then be planted into the outside world and grown. While the sixes spoke of the passage of time and the flow of events, the sevens represent our ability to see an alternative that may be tapped into to alter that flow. Differently put, they show us how the Self reacts to that flow.
The Sevens in the Vera Sibilla Oracle – The Seven of Hearts (Scholar or Artist), The Seven of Clubs (Gratification), The Seven of Diamonds (Child) and The Seven of Spades (Disaster)
As it should by now be clear, Hearts and Spades are direct opposites of one another. The Seven of Hearts, the Scholar or Artist, represents the power of reason. Notice the difference between the Seven of Hearts and the Six of Diamonds, the Thought card. The latter is about our inner reality, which may or may not be reasonable. A passing look at the amount of psychic crap that comes pouring out whenever we hit a shrink’s couch shows us that the Thought card, i.e. what goes on on the inside, may bear little to no resemblance to reality in its absolute, objective sense.
The Six of Diamonds may show projects, but only in so far as they are inside and not yet outside. The Seven of Hearts, on the other hand, represents the ability to plan. It represents rationality, brain power, the ability to measure and count (when reversed, the idea of measuring and counting becomes the negative notion of ulterior motives, of doing something because you are calculating individual).
It is also the card connected with the skill of coherently putting together a vision of reality that may be used to then mold reality itself. Hence its connection with creativity and art, which are not the opposite of reason, but its extension into the world. As unfashionable as thinking straight is among us new-agey folks, this card is very important. The most important practical meaning of the Scholar, i.e. contracts, comes from the fact that the juridical side of life is founded on the concept of “meeting of minds”, which is what generates contracts: it’s when my mind meets yours midways to create a stable, reasonable intersubjective agreement.
Let’s turn to the Seven of Spades, Disaster, which is notoriously similar to the Tower card in the tarot. This card is, in more than one sense, the direct opposite of the Scholar. In its most general sense, this is the card of immeasurability. It shows all those things that, no matter how “scholarly” we might be, hit us from the outside, without forewarning and without any discernible cause that we might prepare for in advance. It shows shit happening because shit just happens, and that’s kind of it.
As an extended, neutral meaning, this card also represents things happening all of a sudden, and usually very quickly, though not necessarily in a bad sense. A third important meaning of this card is that of negative projects. While the Scholar is the good architect of reality, the Disaster card can show ill-will, the desire to hurt or harm another. It is connected with anger and choler, all forces that blur the line between what’s reasonable and what isn’t.
In between we have the Seven of Clubs, Gratification, and the Seven of Diamonds, the Child. These, too, are starkly different cards in many ways, although with a common tread. The Seven of Diamonds is the card of all things new and novel. It represents new projects, new plans, new things in general coming into our lives. More subtly, this is also the card of new visions, of opening up to new points of view, new stimuli, new perspectives and new ways of understanding ourselves and others.
Its archetype extends to cover ideas such as purity of soul, candor, innocence, but also naivety. The Suit of Diamonds is the suit of seeds, of all those little impulses, positive or negative, that are planted into our lives. Among the other Diamonds cards, the Child is the one that most of all represents a seed: small, ready to grow and full of promise and potential.
The Seven of Clubs, Gratification, is anything except small. It is deeply connected with our sense of self, with what makes us secure in our identity and what supports our narrative of who we are and of how who we are finds its deepest fulfillment in real life. If the Child is the seed, Gratification is the tree ripe with succulent, plump fruits.
This is not a “theoretical” card, but a very material one. In the most general sense, it is connected with our sense of stability in the world: it may have to do with fame, recognition, our good or bad name (depending on the cards around and on whether this one is upright or reversed). Furthermore, the Seven of Clubs has strong ties with the concept of concreteness and concretization: it shows the next logical step in making a situation more stable, concrete and fulfilling, whether it’s marriage (the ring in the picture) a promotion at work (the bag of money) or a positive reception by our fellow humans (the wreath).
As Alessandra Venturi says in her book, this card can be the light at the end of the tunnel, in that after a slew of negative cards it can allow us to regain a sense of balance and a more positive outlook. Whatever the field, this card doesn’t speak of emotions, but it does speak of personal fulfillment in the situation.
