Category Archives: Cartomancy

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards, Tarot, Uncategorized, Vera Sibilla

Which Card Prevails?

Leave a comment

I’m taking inspiration from a question I got asked recently to talk about an important topic in cartomancy. Sometimes (in fact, many times) the cards appear contradictory, with positive and negative cards mixed together. The question I was asked is, which cards prevail in the reading.

Before starting the interpretation, it is usually a good thing to get a general look at the cards to see the ‘tone’. Are they mostly positive? Are there places in the spread that seem difficult? Are there cards that answer the question directly? You don’t need to come up with the interpretation right away, but it’s good to be aware.

However, this general bird-eye view is not enough. Usually, in cartomancy, we read the cards from left to right as if they were a sentence, stringing the meanings together. Therefore, as a general rule, 5♥️ – 4♠️ is worse than 4♠️ – 5♥️. In the former case, the abundance is broken or blocked, while in the latter case the brokenness and blockage are overcome.

In this sense, it is important to pay attention to whether the negative points in the spread come at the beginning, in the middle or at the end, because. Even if there’s two negative cards out of five, if they come up at the end they can obstruct success. If they come at the beginning, it may be a passing problem.

Again, though, let us avoid purely mechanical rules. Suppose a five-card spread is all positive and shows the querent getting what he wants, and then at the end there is one negative card. This card may show not failure, but that the fulfillment of the wish comes with problems. In these cases it is always good to either add cards or do another spread.

Similarly, the cards are entirely negative and show failure, a single positive card at the end doesn’t necessarily show that the querent will get his way. It could be showing that there will be new opportunities. Again, additional cards or a new spread may be warranted.

When we ask a question and a card directly connected to it comes up in the spread, it is always important to look at the cards surrounding it, especially if they are of the same suit, and even more important are the cards following it, because they will show us what will happen to the significator of the question.

For instance, if the question is about a pregnancy, the 5♥️ followed by positive cards is encouraging. If the question is about work, the 8♣️ surrounded by Spades could show serious problems or even unemployment. In a marriage question, the 3♣️ surrounded by Hearts shows a loving union.

These are rules of thumb. Every spread is unique and must be judged on its own merits and in its own structure.

MQS

Card Meanings, Card Reading, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Reading Example, Tarot

Parrots and Betrayed Deals (13 Card Spread Reading Example)

4 Comments

As I mentioned here, I got a new parrot from a local breeder and I had an interesting reading concerning it. The reading was done using the Bologna Tarot in its 45-card variant. We had already gotten some pictures of some of the available birds, and we had settled on a gray cockatiel, because it looked like the one I had as a kid. As the day approached, I asked the cards if everything would go alright. This is the spread I got:

Is the bird handover going to go smoothly?

Although I’ve already talked about the 13 card spread, when used with the Bolognese tarot there are some peculiar aspects to it (it is, after all, one of the “official” traditional spreads to be used with this deck). Traditionally, when a yes-or-no question is asked, the following rules apply:

  1. If the Death card shows up in the spread, it’s a yes (as sure as we all die)
  2. If the Angel (Judgement) card shows up, it’s a good chance
  3. If both show up, it’s a sure thing
  4. If the Angel and the Devil show up, it represents great satisfaction within the context (the Devil is in itself a negative card, but it is redeemed by the presence of the Angel)

Well, in my (still limited) experience with this tarot deck, I have found that it’s best not to rely too much on mechanical rules: the cards must always be interpreted, and exceptions allowed for. Still, it is encouraging to see both the Angel and the Death card as answer. Let’s interpret the cards row by row, as they came up very clear and orderly (it is not always like this, unfortunately):

King of Coins – Page of Coins – Seven of Cups: there have been talks (Page) with a man concerning business (King). The Seven of Cups is generically positive here.
Angel – King of Cups – Ace of Coins: There is help (Angel) from a man of the house (King) concerning money (Ace). My husband paid in part for the parrot and the cage and food.
Fool – Knight of Cups – Hanged Man: This is the most interesting row in the spread. It shows something that brings chaos or confusion (Fool) and that betrays or upends (Hanged Man) the agreement (Knight of Cups)
Love – Queen of Coins – Death: True (Queen of Coins) Love (Love) is confirmed (Death)
Ace of Wands: Success, positive ending

So in general what we can say from the spread is that the breeder is trustworthy, my husband helps me and I will be very satisfied, but still the deal will somehow be changed in an unexpected/confused way.

What ended up happening: we got there and the breeder introduced us to the various chicks that were ready for adoption, including the one we had settled on. But as we were playing with them, a white cockatiel chick quickly flew onto my shirt looking for cuddles. Obviously, it was love at first sight (see the true love in the spread), and we got that one instead.

I believe this change of plans is shown in the spread by combination of Knight of Cups (agreement, conciliation) followed by the Hanged Man (betrayal, upending). Our initial agreement was upended (or “betrayed” in a metaphorical sense), but still everything ended on a positive note.

NOTE: look how “dry” this reading is. Traditionally, tarot was not interpreted by musing on how the pictures looked, but by applying clear and specific meanings.

MQS

astrology, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Geomancy, I Ching / Yi Jing, Playing Cards, Tarot, Vera Sibilla

“Will I Ever Be Happy?” Or, How to Torture Yourself With the Cards

Leave a comment

I’ve already written a couple of articles on unanswerable questions. Some of them are unanswerable for logical reasons, others because they ask about something on which no objective standard of measurement exists. Some are also unanswerable for ethical reasons (“Tell me when is the best time to rob the bank.”)

But occasionally someone comes along who asks a question that we instinctively feel is unanswerable, yet we can’t put our finger on why. It’s happened a couple of times to me that someone would ask me something to the effect of “Will I ever be happy?“

Obviously no one whose life is coming up roses would seek out a diviner of all people to ask such a question. These queries are put to the cards or the skies in a moment of weakness. My experience in these situations is that the cards behave in one of three ways. They:

  1. Show the cause of the person’s unhappiness rather objectively, and whether the problem is likely to be overcome over the next few months (usually not)
  2. Are generically very negative, without a specific sense to them
  3. Are generically very positive, without a specific sense to them

In the first instance, the cards usually show the problem not getting resolved, not necessarily because it never will be, but because the person is still knee-deep in it. The fact that they chose to frame their question in such tragic terms tells us that, whatever the nature of their problem, it goes beyond its specific objective nature and it has wounded the person in their soul.

Extreme care is advised in dealing with people in such a state of difficulty. They come to us broken and they should, at the very least, not leave even more broken. Furthermore, it is not unlikely that they have started consulting many diviners, obsessively asking the same question in hopes of getting a magical solution to their issue dropped in their lap. It would be good to advise them to stay away from divination for a while, unless we are capable of pointing out a solution they haven’t thought about, which unfortunately is rare.

When the cards are generically positive or generically negative, they are merely reflecting the person’s state of confusion: the bleakness of their outlook or the irrational hope for unexpected redemption. I don’t think there is much that we can do in such situations, except telling them that their upset shows in the cards and that, life being a succession of phases, even this one will pass. Sometimes, in such situations, talking to them in our quality of human beings is better than talking to them in our quality of diviners. In extreme cases, having a hotline number handy may be helpful.

Really there isn’t much sense in asking this question except to torture ourselves. We as diviners should know this when asking our own questions, but many people don’t, so it’s best to be prepared.

MQS

Card Reading, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards, Reading Example

The Proposal (Example Reading)

8 Comments

Here’s a quick one I thought was interesting. A querent wanted to know if her boyfriend would propose to him. This is the reading:

K♣️ – 3♦️ – J♥️ – Q♣️ – 2♣️

Notice that the two querent cards both come up in the reading. They are separated by the Three of Diamonds and the Jack of Hearts. I didn’t think the Jack could represent a literal child, but to be on the safe side I asked the querent and she said they have no children. If they did, it could have shown a relatively loose relationship but with children.

The Three of Diamonds represents small projects within the couple. It is not negative, but falling next to the querent’s boyfriend it made me think that he was still a bit immature (especially with the Jack) or at least that he didn’t have big projects in mind. However, we find the Queen followed by the Two of Clubs which represents some steps taken. To me it looked as though she would be the one to take action, either proposing herself or pressuring him to commit further.

What ended up happening is that the querent fell pregnant and told the boyfriend she wanted to at least move together. They are apparently making arrangements to find a place, and an engagement may be on the horizion in the next few years.

Could I have foreseen the pregnancy? Maybe, with the Jack of Hearts so central to the spread. Still, it didn’t feel like a pregnancy spread (and after all it wasn’t even the question).

What I find interesting about the spread is how it describes the nature of the querent’s relationship and who wants to take it to the next level

MQS

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Tarot

Bolognese Tarot – The 45-Card Method Meanings

2 Comments

In another post, I detailed the main meanings of the 50-card method, which is the one my teacher uses. Here I am going to talk about the other main method for using the Bolognese tarot using 45 cards. I have this from a contact of mine, who gave me permission to explore it and talk about it. The two methods are equally powerful: the absence of 5 cards does not reduce the ability to predict, because the meanings, though similar to the 50-card method, are distributed slightly differently across the cards. Supposedly, the 45-card method is slightly older.

Note that 1) there are some books (in Italian) that discuss the 45-card method, but each gives its own version, and the method I know is also partially different. This is normal: every village and city has its own folk tradition, especially in a country as culturally decentralized as Italy 2) again, the meanings are eminently practical 3) as with the 50-card method, I arranged the majors in the usual order, even though it is different from the Bolognese order of the trumps

Major Trumps

Bolognese Tarot, Major Trumps

The Fool. Strangeness, Instability, Creativity
The Juggler. A Child, A pet, Immaturity, Something New
Love. Love, Feelings, Affection, Passion, Harmony
Chariot. The bed card, Sickness, Static Situations (because the horses seem to rest)
Justice. Justice, The Law, Fairness, Equilibrium
The Hermit. Obstacle, Blockage, Small ailments

Bolognese Tarot, Major Trumps

The Wheel. Fortune, Chance
Strength. Energy, Power, Fortitude, Good Health, Active stance
The Hanged Man. Betrayal,1 Upending
Death. Loss, Mortification, Change, Yes to a yes-or-no question
Temperance. Time, Patience, Waiting
Devil. Being bedeviled, Anger, Jealousy

Bolognese Tarot, Major Trumps

The Tower. Prison, Hospital, Sacrifice, Being impeded or limited
The Star. “Stuff”, Objects, Material things, Your work life, Business
The Moon. By Night, Darkness, Sadness, Falsehood, Negativity
The Sun. By Day, Light, Happiness, Positivity
The Angel. Help, Friendship, Peace, Protection, Solution
The World. Travel, Journey (literal or metaphorical), Around the world

The Suit of Cups

Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Cups

Ace. The Home, The House, The Family
Seven. The City, The Surroundings, Also the family, Protection
Ten. Blooming, Flourishing, Celebrating, Fun, Happiness
Page. A young woman, sometimes a female rival, Comfort, Help
Knight. Adjustment, Agreement, Positive development
Queen. A mother, A woman in your family, A motherly figure
King. A father, A man in your family, A fatherly figure

Suit of Wands

Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Wands

Ace. Victory, Union, Sex, Ability to succeed
Eight. A road, A path, Taking Steps
Page. The thoughts of the female querent
Knight. The thoughts of the male querent
Queen. The female querent, An important woman
King. The male querent, An important man

Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Coins

Ace. Big Money, Abundance, Satisfaction, The table
Seven. Tears, Sadness, Melancholy
Ten. Small money card, Small satisfactions, Tranquillity
Page. Discussions, Talks, Communications
Knight. News (especially good news, but news in general), Sometimes a young man
Queen. The Truth, Truthfulness, Wisdom, Knowledge, A blonde woman
King. An important man, A doctor, A graduate, A professional, “Important” in general

Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Swords

Ace. Something knocking at the door, About to happen, Contract, Relationship, Being bound, Hands tied
Eight. Suffering, A thorn in the heart
The Moor.2 A priest, A person in uniform, A surprise, Unexpectedness
Page. Letter, Message, Post, Contacts
Knight. Fighting, Ill-disposition, Cutting, Problems
Queen. A dark-haired woman, A problematic woman, Affliction in general
King. A dark-haired man, A young man, A problematic man, Immaturity in general

MQS

  1. See my note on this card in the 50-card method ↩︎
  2. This method only uses one of the four moors, and the person who gave me this method counted it as a sword card, probably due to the spear ↩︎
Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Tarot

Tarot Encyclopedia – The Five of Wands

Leave a comment

(Note: this is a collection of the meanings attributed to the cards by some occultists in the past centuries. It does not reflect my own study or opinion of the cards. It is only meant as a quick comparative reference as I develop my own take.)

The Five of Wands from the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) tarot deck

Paul Foster Case (and Ann Davies)

The first decanate of Leo encompasses the time period from July 23 to August 1. It is ruled doubly by the Sun, so that the Sun and its attributions have a marked influence on the meanings of this Key.
Thus the Five of Wands is a combination of the powers of Mars, active in Geburah and the powers of the Sun in Leo, together with the meanings of the number five and the pentagram. Key ideas associated with the Five of Wands are power and pleasure in exercising it. This is the combined influence of the strength resident in Geburah together with the pleasure associated with Leo and its natural fifth house in astrology.
The Martian influence gives a spirit of adventure and speculation, together with some uncertainty in carrying out plans. The Leo influence, a fixed fire sign, intimates strong attachments, either to family or in love affairs.
Well-Dignified: boldness, command and generosity.
lll-Dignified: cruelty, violence, lust, prodigality. –
Keyword: Competition.
(From the Oracle of Tarot course)

A. E. Waite

A posse of youths, who are brandishing staves, as if in sport or strife. It is mimic warfare, and hereto correspond the Divinatory Meanings: Imitation, as, for example, sham fight, but also the strenuous competition and struggle of the search after riches and fortune. In this sense it connects with the battle of life. Hence some attributions say that it is a card of gold, gain, opulence. Reversed: Litigation, disputes, trickery, contradiction.
(From The Pictorial Key to the Tarot)

Aleister Crowley

This card is referred to Geburah of the suit of Fire. Geburah itself being fiery, it is a purely active ,force. It is ruled also by Saturn and Leo. Leo shows the element of Fire at its strongest and most balanced. Saturn tends to weigh it down and to embitter it. There is no limit to the scope of this volcanic energy.

The symbol represents the wand of the Chief Adept, showing that the authority is derived from the superiors; were it not so, this card would be thoroughly disastrous. Moreover, there are also two wands of the Second, or Major Adept. They have the head of the Phoenix, which gives the idea of destruction (or rather purgation) through fire, and the resurrection of the energy from its ashes.

There is also a pair of wands of the Third, or Minor, Adept, which are daughters, so to speak, of the wands in the Three of Wands. In this card there is the mitigating influence of the Mother. One of the most difficult doctrines with regard to Geburah is that, while it represents all this tameless irrational energy and disturbance, yet it derives from the benign and gentle influence of the feminine.

The Egyptians understood this doctrine perfectly. Their Lion goddess, Pasht, was hailed as “saeva” and “ferox”, was even called “red in tooth and claw” by those fanatical devotees who wished to identify her with Nature. The idea of sexual cruelty is often inherent in the highest divine nature; compare Bhavani and Kali in the Hindu system, and observe the Shiva-Sakti coition portrayed on many Tibetan banners. See also Liber 418,4th, 3rd, and 2nd Aethyrs; and the description supra of Atu XI.
(From The Book of Thoth)

AI-generated illustration for the Five of Wands

Golden Dawn’s Book T

TWO White Radiant Angelic Hands issuant per nubes dexter and sinister. They are clasped together in the grip of the First Order, “i.e.” the four fingers of each right hand crooked into each other, the thumbs meeting above; and they hold, at the same time, by their centres, five wands or torches which are similar unto the wands of a Zelator Adeptus Minor. One wand is upright in the middle; the others cross each other. Flames leap from the point of junction. Above the middle wand is the sign Saturn, and below is that of Leo: thus representing the Decante.

Violent strife and boldness, rashness, cruelty, violence, lust, desire, prodigality and generosity; depending on whether the card is well or ill dignified.
Geburah of HB:Y (Quarrelling and fighting).
This Decan hath its beginning from the Royal Star of Leo: and unto it are allotted
the two great Angels of the Schemhamphorash HB:VHVYH and HB:YLYAL.

Etteilla

Gold
Upright. This card, as far as the medicine of the spirit is concerned, means, in its natural position: Gold, Wealth, Opulence, Magnificence, Sumptuousness, Splendor, Luxury, Abundance, Good. – Physical, philosophical and moral sunshine.
Reversed. Trial, Arguing, Differences, Altercations, Disputes, Disputes, Instance, Investigation, Judicial proceedings. – Contradictions, Arguments, Brig, Harassment. – Contradiction, Inconsistency.

MQS

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Fortune-telling, Tarot

Bolognese Tarot – The 50 Card Method Meanings

5 Comments

Following my introductory article about the Bolognese Tarot, I want to introduce some quick meanings for the cards. No current method of reading the Bolognese Tarot employs all 62 cards. Instead, two main variants exist: the 45-card method and the 50-card method. I learned the 50-card method from my current teacher (whose book on the Bolognese tarot I reviewed some time ago). I have the 45-card method from another source, and I’ll talk about it separately.

My teacher’s hypothesis as to why traditional fortune-tellers seem to only use a reduced deck is that the cards were all employed in some older method, but the oral transmition of the tradition caused some meanings to go lost. I incline more toward the idea that the fortune-tellers of Bologna simply wanted a slimmer deck that could be used in large spreads (we will see in a future article that most spreads using this tarot deck employ many cards, some even the whole deck).

What follows is a quick summary of the main meanings. Note that: 1) the meanings are quick, concrete and to the point. Yet, in divination, it is possible to use the cards to write whole sentences 2) The major trumps are arranged according to our current system, but in reality the Bolognese tarot follows a different numbering tradition1

Major Trumps

Major Trumps of the Bolognese Tarot: The Fool, The Juggler, Love, The Charriot, Justice, The Hermit

The Fool. Foolishness, Originality, Confusion
The Juggler. A child, naive, uncertain, unreliable. A beginning
Love. Love, Good feelings, Joy
The Chariot. Moving toward something, but also the bed card (because in the picture the chariot seems to be static, with the horses resting)
Justice. Justice, Fairness, the law
The Hermit. Blockage, Obstacle, Small health issues

Major Trumps of the Bolognese Tarot: The Wheel, Strength, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil

The Wheel. Upright (king with crown ascending): Good luck, positive development; Reversed (page without crown ascending): Instability, need for effort
Strength. Strength, Power, Energy, Effort, Health
The Hanged Man. Betrayal,2 Cheating, Feeling betrayed or cheated, Sudden reversal
Death. A sharp ending, The confirmation of something3
Temperance. Time, the passage of time, the need to wait, stability over time
The Devil. Wrath, Anger, Being bedeviled, Passion, Jealousy, Magic

Major Trumps of the Bolognese Tarot: The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, The Angel (Judgement), The World

The Tower. A large building (usually, but not always, with a negative connotation), A prison, A hosipital. Obstruction, being imprisoned or limited (imagine being trapped in a burning building)
The Star. Objects, Gifts, Merchandise, Commerce, Work4, A positive card
The Moon. By night, Darkness, Sadness, Negativity, Secret
The Sun. By day, Light, Happiness, Positivity, Clarity
The Angel. Goodness, Friendship, Peace, Solution, Spirituality
The World. Around the world, From afar, Journey, Movement

The Moors

The three Moors used in divination with the Bolognese Tarot (the fourth one, similar to the third, is discarded)

Moor with three Arrows. Intrigue, Danger, Something that is difficult and requires to be disentangled or clarified
Moor with a Turban. A doctor, someone wearing a uniform, sickness, melancholy. A priest
Moor with one Spear. Surprise, something unexpected for good or ill, Bump on the road

The Suit of Cups

The Suit of Cups in the Bolognese Tarot

Ace. The Home, the Family
Nine. Close to home, Something on its way to us or something/someone close
Ten. Flourishing, Blooming, Feasting, Partying, Blood, Wine
Page. A young(er) woman, a small opportunity or consolation
Knight. Solution, Agreement, Reconciliation, Making peace or making your peace
Queen. A woman close to us or who loves us, archatypally a mother
King. A man close to us or who loves us, archetypally a father

The Suit of Wands

The Suit of Wands in the Bolognese Tarot

Ace. Sex, Pleasure, Triumph, Personal success
Six. A road, a path (literal or figurative), an opening
Page. The female querent’s thoughts
Knight. The male querent’s thoughts
Queen. The female querent
King. The male querent

The Suit of Coins

The Suit of Coins in the Bolognese Tarot

Ace. A document or letter, test results, contracts, etc. The table (sitting at the table, etc.)
Six. Tears, sadness
Nine. Money, assets
Ten. Well-being, lots of money
Page. Words, talks, communications
Knight. News (usually good)
Queen. The truth, wisdom, knowledge, trustworthy. Sometimes a woman embodying these traits
King. An important man, a gentleman, a lawyer or doctor, wise, with a degree

The Suit of Swords

The Suit of Swords in the Bolognese tarot

Ace. The door knockers, something about to happen.5 Also something binding, a union, a prison sentence, a contract (notice they look like rings or handcuffs)
Six. Within a three (three hours, three days, three weeks, three months)
Nine. Destiny. It highlights the other cards.
Ten. A gate, end of the road, something closing down, Suffering
Page. A letter, a message, interpersonal relationships
Knights. Cuts, Stitches, Arguments, Attacks, Fractures (real or metaphorical)
Queen. A strict woman. Affliction.
King. A younger or strict man. Childishness

MQS

  1. In reality, our current order of the major trump also differs from all other ways of numbering them in the first centuries of the tarot’s existence. ↩︎
  2. In all ancient documents concerning the tarot, the Hanged Man was called “the traitor”, because being hanged by the feet was a the punishment for traitors (see Mussolini in Italy). In the old Medieval trumps, the Hanged Man represented the person who had betrayed God ↩︎
  3. “Sicuro come la morte”, i.e., “As sure as the fact that we all die”. it is the ‘yes’ card in the Thirteen card spread. ↩︎
  4. Usually the iconography of the card is interpreted as the three Magi bringing their gifts to Jesus, but some Bolognese fortune-tellers see three merchants striking a deal ↩︎
  5. Interestingly, in many system of fortune-telling by cards practiced in Italy, there is always a card called “the door knockers”. In the system of cartomancy by playing cards I was taught, this card is the Two of Hearts ↩︎
Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Tarot

Tarot Encyclopedia – The Four of Pentacles Or Coins

Leave a comment

(Note: this is a collection of the meanings attributed to the cards by some occultists in the past centuries. It does not reflect my own study or opinion of the cards. It is only meant as a quick comparative reference as I develop my own take.)

The Four of Pentacles from the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) Tarot deck

Paul Foster Case (and Ann Davies)

The time period is the third decanate of Capricorn, under the rulership of Mercury, January 10 to 19.
Well-Dignified: opportunities for public service; an acute, sharp, penetrating, tactful temperament; economy in the arrangement of material affairs; activity in money matters.
Ill-Dignified: dangers to reputation; troubles through changes not carefully considered; desire for money, but unwisdom in its management; the Querent will meet with sharp criticism.
Keyword: Management.
(From the Oracle of Tarot course)

A. E. Waite

A crowned figure, having a pentacle over his crown, clasps another with hands and arms; two pentacles are under his feet. He holds to that which he has. Divinatory Meanings: The surety of possessions, cleaving to that which one has, gift, legacy, inheritance. Reversed: Suspense, delay, opposition.
(From The Pictorial Key to the Tarot)

Aleister Crowley

As to the Disks, the heaviness of the symbol rather outweighs any considerations of its weakness. The card is called Power. It is the power which dominates and stabilizes everything, but manages its affairs more by negotiation, by pacific methods, than by any assertion of itself. It is Law, the Constitution, with no aggressive element.

[…]

The Four, Chesed, shows the establishment of the Universe in three dimensions, that is, below the Abyss. The generating idea is exhibited in its full material sense. The card is ruled by the Sun in Capricornus, the Sign in which he is reborn. The disks are very large and solid; the suggestion of the card is that of a fortress. This represents Law and Order, maintained by constant authority and vigilance. The disks themselves are square; revolution is very opposite to the card; and they contain the signs of the Four Elements. For all that, they revolve; defence is valid only when violently active. So far as it appears stationary, it is the “dead centre” of the engineer; and Capricornus is the point at which the Sun “turns again Northward”. The background is of deep azure, flecked yellow, suggesting a moat; but beyond this is a pattern of green and indigo to represent the guarded fields whose security is assured by the fortress.

In the Yi King, Sol in Capricornus is represented by the Second Hexagram, Khwan, which is the Female Principle. Compare the English word Queen, Anglo-Saxon Cwen, old Mercian Kwoen. Cognate are Icelandic Kvan, Gothic Kwens, woman. The Indo-Germanic type is g (w)eni and the Sanskrit root GwEN. Note also Cwm, coombe, and agnate words, meaning an enclosed valley, usually with water running from it. Womb—possibly a softened form?

Compare also the innumerable words, derived from the root Gas, Which imply an enclosed and fortified space. Case, castle, chest, cyst, chaste, incest and so on.

The primary radicle in all this class of words is the guttural. Observe the Hebrew attributions: Gimel, the moon; Cheth, Cancer, the house of the moon; Kaph, the Wheel; Qoph, the Moon, XVIII, Guttur, the throat. Sounds so made suggest the other throat; one is the channel of respiration and nutrition, the other of reproduction and elimination.
(From The Book of Thoth)

A Crowley-esque AI-generated illustration for the Four of Pentacles

Golden Dawn’s Book T

A HAND holding a branch of a rose tree, but without flowers or buds, save that in the centre is one fully blown white rose. Pentacles are disposed as on the points of a square; a rose in its centre. Symbols Sun and Capricorn above and below to represent the Decan.
Assured material gain: success, rank, dominion, earthy power, completed but leading to nothing beyond. Prejudicial, covetous, suspicious, careful and orderly, but discontented. Little enterprise or originality. According to dignity as usual.
Chesed of HB:H (Gain of money or influence: a present).
Herein do HB:KVQYH and HB:MNDAL bear rule

Etteilla

Benefit
Upright. This blade, as far as the medicine of the spirit is concerned, means, in its natural position: Present, Gift, Generosity, Beneficence, Liberality, Strenna, Grace, Offering, Giving, Gratification, Service. – White color, Lunar medicine, Stone to white.
Reversed. Enclosure, Circuit, Circumvolution, Circumscription, Circumference, Circle, Circulation. – Intercept, Obstruction, Engorgement, Hoarding, Cloister, Monastery, Convent. – Stop, Fixed, Determined, Definite, Extremity, Boundaries, Limits, Terms, End, Barrier, Dividing wall, Wall, Hedge, Wall. – Obstacles, Bars, Impediment, Suspension, Delay, Opposition.

MQS

Card Reading, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards, Reading Example, Uncategorized

Life Is Circles Within Circles (Example Reading)

5 Comments

I’ve already discussed why I don’t do readings on public events and public figures, but it largely boils down to two reasons: 1) it would merely serve my ego 2) I would just be adding to the useless spectacle of divination being paraded around as a form of silly entertainment.

But something interesting happened that made me chuckle a little at the simple complexities of life. I heard from a friend of mine for whom I had done a short reading before she went back to the USA, where she resides. This was an unfocused reading, done more for fun than seriously. These were the three cards:

A♦️ – 3♦️ – 9♠️

Most people can guess that this spread was about money, and loss of money more specifically. With nothing to go off of, I simply warned her about the possibility of losing a small amount of money, as she would get news about it. She was rather perplexed as she wasn’t expecting anything of this kind.

Well, it turned out she had betted money on Harris in the presidential election.

So, am I saying that I predicted Trump’s reelection? Of course not. When I did the reading I had no idea it could be referring to it, especially since I don’t keep up with American politics that much. All I predicted was bad financial news for my friend who, unbeknownst to me, had a horse in that race, but life has a way of weaving the most disparate threads together in way we cannot foresee. Life is always a system if circles within circles, the smaller within the larger, by the hermetic principle. And the more I practice divination, the more I am grateful for the unpredictable side of things.

MQS

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

Vera Sibilla Cards That Become Better When Reversed

2 Comments

In some card-based divination systems, reversals carry a negative connotation. Reversed cards are said to either decrease the influence or deteriorate the positive aspects of the card. The Vera Sibilla does not adhere to this view. Reversed cards have peculiar meanings which may sometimes be even unrelated to the upright counterpart, at least at first (in reality, if you think about it, you will almost always find the correlation).

Consequently, some Sibilla cards are actually better when reversed than when they are upright, at least generally speaking. Sometimes this better connotation is general, while at other times it refers to specific topics. Here are some examples.

Ace of Clubs – Marriage
The Ace of Clubs reversed is not automatically better than when upright, and on occasion it may even be worse. However, it carries a connotation of materiality that can be very welcome in readings about wealth or about physical relations (as opposed to legal/spiritual relations when the card is upright.)

Three of Clubs – The Journey
The Journey card in the Vera Sibilla usually refers to physical movement, though it can sometimes represent a change of heart or a change of pace. When it falls reversed in a reading, it can indicate trouble when journeying, but its broader meaning is that of positive evolution of a situation. The card is powerfully benefic and it can free us from vicious cycles and other sticky situations.

Four of Clubs – The Friend
When upright, the Friend card can refer to a literal (female) friend or to the idea of friendship and support in general. When it is reversed, it indicates help, recommendations, being taken care of. Usually, the help represented by the reversed card is more on the material side, or it can show in the form of a professional’s advice.

Ten of Clubs – Levity
The Butterfly is a problematic card in the deck, as it shows lack of focus, fleeting situations. Reversed, it can represent a serious effort, the ability to hold on to your money and, more broadly, to fleeting situations that bring positive chances. If I were to liken this reversed card to a geomantic figure, I would choose Fortuna Minor.

Three of Diamonds – The Gift
The Gift card is generally positive when upright. When it is reversed, however, it does not diminish, but rather increases its positive significance. It indicates the solution of problems, especially material problems. When it is upright, the gift usually comes from someone, whereas the reversed Gift card shows the gift coming to us from the situation itself, which becomes more positive or less complicated.

Four of Diamonds – Falsehood
The upright Falsehood card is rarely neutral and almost never positive. When it is reversed, however, it shows the positive unmasking of lying, the discovering (usually in time) of hidden factors that could have caused harm and, in general, it shows situations that end with a sigh of relief.

Ace of Spades – Sorrow
The Ace of Spades is a very difficult card to receive in one’s reading. When it is reversed, the blow is softened. The sorrow of the title is still there, but it is dimeanished diminished and can be overcome. It is also a symbol of toil and focused struggle or work as opposed with just crying with your head in your hands.

Four of Spades – Sickness
When it comes up reversed, the Four of Spades has a variety of meanings, some of which negative, though less legative than when the card is upright. However, when it is followed by positive cards, it can represent the end of a stagnant and blocked situation.

Six of Spades – Sighs
My experience has shown that the reversed Six of Spades is one of the most complex cards in the deck. Although it can have negative meanings (see here an example), broadly speaking it indicates the end of sighs. It shows moving on, overcoming torment, accepting what you cannot change, etc.

Nine of Spades – Prison
Like the Four of Spades, the Nine of Spades reversed can have a variety of meanings. However, in and by itself, this card represents the end of imprisonment, freedom and having paid your dues/done your time, literally or figuratively.

MQS