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Video: The Seven Packs Spread
Category Archives: Cartomancy
Video: The Vera Sibilla Twos
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Video: Love Unwanted But Desired (Example Reading)
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Bolognese Tarot Spreads – The Thirteen Card Spread
Nothing prohibits anyone from using whatever spread they prefer, or even just from laying out a row of cards. However, traditionally, the smallest spread used with the Bolognese Tarot is the thirteen card spread, which is a small tableau of cards used to answer a specific question or explore a specific theme (although nothing prevents you from laying it out for a general reading. It will respond anyway). This is a spread I have already presented, and it is one that is used with many decks in Central and Northern Italy in particular. The layout is as follows:
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 |
Some readers take out the significator for the querent or even the significator for the question and put them on top of the layout (above card 2) before starting to shuffle. I prefer to have all cards in the deck and have not found it necessary, but feel free to experiment.
The cards may be read in rows or in columns, and which direction is the primary one depends on which tradition you come from. Personally I tend to see rows as the primary reading direction, but I will look at columns if there is clear information contained in them. I have found that the columns tend to describe the situation rather than to predict it. But don’t force yourself to read in every direction possible: simply read the information where it is found, and leave the rest.
There is no strict differentiation between past, present and future. However, I have found, personally, that at least the first row, or sometimes two (and on occasion even three), contains the past or present of the situation. Occasionally the cards simply jump ahead into the future from the start.
Be open about it: it may sound confusing in theory but in practice it is often quite clear. For instance, if you see the cards changing from good to bad or vice versa (or simply changing “tone”) in the first row or two, that’s usually a sign that the cards before the change happens are the past/present, and the others the future. In doubt, simply ask the querent: we are not there to play Nostradamus, so it’s fine to ask for help in interpreting the spread.
The final card, number 13, doesn’t have any specific preassigned meaning. However, I have found that it can either simply be a regular part of the spread (simply coming after card 12 or under card 11), or it can highlight an important detail, or something that will be true, regardless of what the previous cards say. For instance, if the spread is a disaster but the thirteenth card is good, it can tell us the querent will have some kind of satisfaction, or will be protected.
Yes-or-No Questions
Now we come to an odd bit of tradition. I will relay it as it has been taught to me, and then I’ll give you my two cents. Although the thirteen card spread is not unique to the Bolognese Tarot, the Bolognese Tarot adds another layer to the spread.
This is relevant only when the question is a yes-or-no question. If it is, then, according to some traditions, the answer is yes if the Death card comes up in the spread or while cutting the deck (it says: “yes, as sure as the fact we all die”). If the Angel card comes up, according to some it’s a maybe, while according to others it’s a no but with positive developments; if the Death and Angel cards both come up, not necessarily together, it’s the best possible outcome (a super yes, as it were). If neither card comes up, it’s a no.
Some also add that if the Death card doesn’t come up but the Angel and Devil card come up in the spread, not necessarily together, it’s also a yes (the Devil card alone would be a no, but if you remember the combinations, Angel+Devil means good news or satisfaction). Others still also believe the answer is yes if three or four Kings come up in the spread.
Now I’m going to tell you what my experience is. My experience is that there is something to these rules, but it is not all so cut-and-dry. The spread always needs to be interpreted as describing a concrete situation, and the yes or no comes from our evalutation of whether the picture presented by the cards matches what the querent wants or not. It’s happened more than once that the Death card was present but the answer (confirmed by experience) was a no, or vice versa, the answer was yes with no yes-marker present.
Focus on interpreting the cards. If the Death card comes up, what does it say in the context? Does it show some sharp change? Does it show inner suffering? Does it confirm something? If so, look at the cards around it: what is it saying yes to? Sometimes it is obvious that the Death card comes up for no reason other than to say “yes” to the question, while at other times it is a regular card, like the others. Again, be flexible, record your experience and learn from it.
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Video: The Aces of the Vera Sibilla
An Interesting Divinatory Phenomenon About The Past
This article is going to be as vague as it gets. It pertains to certain observations I’ve made over the course of the years practicing divination, first with playing cards and the Sibilla, then with regular Tarot and now with the Bolognese Tarot, but it is not a unified theory, and in fact, it is even hard for me to put it into words.
We all know how time is difficult to define in divination, especially by cards. Sometimes it’s even hard to say if the cards are describing the past, the present or they are directly starting off with the future. This is even more true when using non positional spreads, where one or more lines of cards are interpreted together. My observations are mainly about non positional spreads, and how sometimes they seem to signal that they are talking about the past.
In all decks (at least, in all decks I use) there are cards connected with the person’s thoughts, or at least with their inner or emotional world. A person’s inner world is a complex thing, since it is a mix of hopes for the future, memories of the past, illusions, dreams, traumas, etc. All decks I use also contain cards that show ending, death, disruption and radical change, indicating the end of a life path.
The thing I’ve noticed is that, when in the first couple of lines of a spread (or within the first couple of cards in a longish one-line spread) there is a card connected to the person’s inner world and then a card of ending, that section of the spread usually talks about the past, and more specifically the distant past (that is, not just a couple of months back). This is because the card of disruption tells me that the situation the cards are talking about is over, while the card relating to thoughts or emotions says that the thing exists only as a memory, something that has left a mark on the person’s soul.
I recently did a spread for someone with the Bolognese Tarot. Unfortunately I didn’t save a picture of it and forgot most of it (it was one of those “I’m sure I won’t forget it” moments). It was a question about love, and in it both querent and quesited (the love interest) showed up only as thoughts, followed by cards of disruption. It turned out they had been together eight years ago, she had left him on the advice of a friend who thought causing drama would strenghthen his commitment. Instead he moved on, and she was still waiting for him to come back. In this instance, the thoughts reenacting the break-up were like ghost impressions reliving that pivotal moment in her past.
Obviously, this sort of things tend to happen for major events, whether positive or negative, and it shows how our inner structure is a bit like a geological section, with different eras still present, but hidden from view.
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Vera Sibilla Cards That Indicate Protection or Improvement
Two of Hearts – The House
In most situations, the House card is relatively neutral, as it often indicates the person’s home environment or family, or some other place depending on the combinations. However, in itself the card, when upright, symbolizes a protective environment where the querent feels safe and taken care of. Figuratively, it shows situations that are solid, positive and protective (so you feel at home).
Eight of Hearts – Hope
The Hope card’s main meaning is that of representing the hopes and wishes of the querent, and the cards following it will tell us if they come true or not. However, it also indicates the solution of trouble or compensation for it, as the card says “there is hope”. This is especially the case when the Eight of Hearts comes up after a negative sequence of cards. Sometimes the Hope card’s intervention may not be enough to give us what we want, but it will make sure that we come out of a situation still alive and breathing, and with some kind of hope.
King of Hearts – The Gentleman
The King of Hearts is, in most situation, a neutral person card, indicating a married man or an older man. However, it does indicate someone who has our interest at heart (unless it is reversed or surrounded by cards of dubious moral quality). He is the archetype of the philanthropist who is out to help others. For this reason, in spiritual readings, it represents God or a saint.
Two of Clubs – The Peacock
The best card in the deck, the Two of Clubs represents divine intervention (due to its symbolism of completeness and rebirth). It often shows up to protect us from the worst that could happen, or to increase the quality of something that is already good. It often shows positive undercurrents that do not manifest immediately in all their positive import, but which will save us, protect us or enrich us when they do manifest. For this reason it is known as the talisman card.
Five of Clubs – Fortune
While the Two of Clubs indicates divine intervention, the Five of Clubs represents gifts from heaven in the form of good luck. It often indicates positive turns of events, a turn of the wheel that brings us something we want us, or at least something good. Unlike the Two of Clubs, it retains its positivity when reversed, but it becomes delayed or less blatant, maybe a bit less satisying
Seven of Clubs – Gratification
The Seven of Clubs is a card of satisfaction, but it also represents our ability to reach our aims and ambitions in the real world. It represents the achievement of goals and reaching of landmarks in one’s life (marriage, promotion, property, recognition, etc.) However, the card can also represent “a light at the end of the tunnel” when it falls after negative cards, indicating, as it were, our ability to pick ourselves up.
Ten of Clubs Reversed – Levity
The Butterfly is a symbol of carefreeness, lack of focus and lack of attention. When it is reversed, however, it shows carefulness with one’s finances and, even more importantly, the arrival of good occasions that need to be seized. Although it is not a card of protection per se, it does show us a way out (a new therapy, a new job opportunity, a new meeting, etc.)
Three of Diamonds Reversed – The Gift
Again, not a card of protection, but still a welcome sight. It shows situations that somehow sort themselves out, at least in part. It is a relatively weak card, so the presence of very difficult situations may be mitigated only in part, and often it shows some kind of improvement rather than triumph.
Four of Diamonds Reversed – Falsehood
When upright, the cat brings falseness and negativity in general. Negativity is to be understood broadly as situations that are negative or bad for us (even when there is no direct lying involved). When it is reversed, the same card brings positivity, relief, solution of trouble.
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My First YT Video: Cross Spread Tutorial
I finally decided that there was no point in learning the theory of how to make videos. Much better to make crappy ones until something goes right. So yea, here’s the first video on my channel.
Please be patient, I am a very special kid.
MQS
Bolognese Tarot – Some Examples of Combinations
This is a short selection from a much longer list. Although there are a couple of traditional combinations that are not easy to read unless studied beforehand (like Sun + Moon or Angel + Devil), most of the times the combinations of cards are logical. For this reason I have omitted many obvious combos: Page of Coins (words) and Love is sweet talk or words about love. Thank you very much. The following list is just an example: I will talk more about combining cards in the future. Plus, always remember that much depends on the context of the question and of the other cards. Be flexible. The comments in brackets are my own.
Ace of Cups + Ace of Wands = 1. married life 2. a business (the interpretation depends on the question or on the surrounding cards. For instance, + Love, married life; + Star, business)
Ace of Cups + Seven of Cups = things related to the family, or strong family or family-like relationship
Seven of Cups + Sun or Angel = protection, either from the family/friends or whoever is specified in the spread
Seven of Cups + Juggler = small city or your hometown (where you grew up)
Seven of Cups + World = large city or foreign city (not necessarily in another country though)
Ten of Cups + Love = falling in love, usually being at the stage where love is more fun than hard work (if also + Juggler or + Fool, fun but immature love)
Ten of Cups + Moon = there is no happiness (the Moon covers it)
Ten of Cups + Hermit = traditionally for women it shows their period being blocked, and if the Juggler appears it can show a pregnancy
Ten of Cups + Knight of Swords = 1. Hurting yourself and bleeding (with cards showing hospitalization, an operation) 2. More metaphorically, the fun or joy is cut short
Page of Cups + Ace of Wands = prostitute, according to tradition (it can still be like this nowadays, but look at the context of the question and the other cards. Also, prostitute can sometimes simply indicate a slutty individual, especially if no money card is involved)
Page of Cups + Juggler = son and daughter or a young girl
Knight of Cups + Angel = peace, agreement, reconciliation
Knight of Cups + Person card = the person is gentle, kind or agreeable
Ace of Wands + Love = a love relationship
Ace of Wands + Star = success at work or in business, can be the signing of a contract
Ace of Wands + Fool = “baronate” in Italian/Bolognese dialect, meaning fun sex without much thought
Eight of Wands + World = travel, removal
Eight of Wands + Hanged Man = 1. danger on the road 2. A road or path that ends abruptly
Eight of Wands + Juggler = A trip, but can have other interpretations in context
Ace of Coins + Tower + Hermit = serious money trouble and the need for making sacrifices (I guess instead of the Hermit any other troublesome card would suffice)
Ace of Coins + Ten of Coins = finances (in itself good finances, material well-being)
Ace of Coins + Ten of Cups = 1. prosperous finances 2. Can be a festive table
Ace of Coins + King of Coins = a banker or someone commanding lots of money
Seven of Coins + Fool + Moon = the blues
Seven of Coins + Ten of Coins = having little money
Ten of Coins + Ace of Cups = spending a little money on the family or home (I guess depending on the context it can also be a little money coming from the family or home)
Page of Coins + Queen of Coins = clarification or explanation (words that give you the truth)
Page of Coins + Juggler + Hermit = stuttering (probably mataphorical as well)
Knight of Coins + Page of Swords = 1. Post 2. Good news by message
Knight of Coins + Ace of Coins = good financial developments, money coming easily
Queen of Coins + Moon = hiding the truth, lack of clarity
Queen of Coins + King of Coins = expert
King of Coins + Justice = legal or bureaucratic matters (in itself can be a lawyer, notary, red tape, etc.)
King of Coins + Chariot = a doctor
King of Coins + Angel = 1. powerful protector (the one you’d ask to pull some strings, for instance) 2. A positive entity
Ace of Swords + Page of Swords = letter coming soon
Ace of Swords + Justice + Tower = prison (here the Ace of Swords is the handcuffs)
Eight of Swords + Ace of Swords + Devil = addiction (A bond to the devil for something that torments you. But it can mean being dependent from someone or something in a negative way)
Eight of Swords + Love + Devil = strong jealousy (probably pathological)
Page of Swords + World = message from afar (nowadays also probably messaging with people around the world)
Page of Swords + Moon = 1. secret correspondence 2. Letter whose content displeases us
Queen of Swords + Seven of Coins = affliction (obviously it can also mean a sad woman or a woman who causes sadness, depending on the context)
Queen of Swords + Devil = witch (or, more probably, a negative woman)
King of Swords + Juggler = an immature man or a young boy, or two sons
King of Swords + Justice = law enforcement
Fool + Juggler = bewilderment, disorientation
Fool + Ten of Cups = creativity or levity (in a medical context, since the Fool is the head and the Ten of Cups is blood, if there are negative cards it can indicate blood clots, brain strokes, etc.)
Fool + Hanged Man = estrangement from reality (+ Moon and/or + Seven of Coins, serious mental suffering)
Fool + Devil = excesses (either excessive character or using funky stuff. It can probably also indicate a negative situation that confuses us)
Juggler + Ace of Wands = conception or inception
Juggler + Moon + Devil = untrustworthy character, dangerous individual
Juggler + Page of Cups + King of Swords = children or young people
Juggler + Wheel = gambling (but it can mean other things in context)
Stranger + Fool = overturned expectations (I have experimented this combination as overturning the status quo as well)
Stranger + Moon = disappointment (unexpected bad things)
Stranger + Star = can mean a gift (unexpected object)
Love + Ace of Swords + Stranger = Marriage (the Stranger here is a priest or celebrant, the Ace are the rings. I think the Ace of Wands might be there instead of that of Swords. Without the Stranger it can still show a relationship or, if you’re single, love about to knock at the door)
Stranger + Devil + Moon + Ace of Swords = black magic (here the Stranger is the person celebrating the ritual, the Ace of Swords is the creation of magic bonds. I’m wondering if the Angel and Sun came up instead of the Devil and the Moon if it would indicate white magic)
Love + Hanged Man + Queen of Swords or King of Swords = cheating
Love + Temperance = lasting love
Chariot + Ace of Wands = sex
Chariot + Death = deathbed (but unless the question is specific or there are other cards it probably means something else)
Chariot + Moon = sickness
Justice + Ace of Wands = marriage, partnership or important contract
Justice + Moon = injustice (can probably be interpreted in various ways, such as something being wrong or unfair or mistaken)
Hermit + Person = person is indisposed (or blocked within the context)
Hermit + Temperance = lasting blockage
Hermit + Page of Wands or Knight of Wands = person is shy or solitary (has inner blockage)
Wheel + Stranger = chance meeting (probably with a person card next to it, otherwise maybe also unexpected chance)
Strength + Hermit + Moon = exhaustion, weakness, ill-health
Strength + Ace of Wands = person is very willful (I’ve noticed that the Ace of Wands next to a person card also makes them very willful)
Strength + Devil + Knight of Swords = fights
Hanged Man + Death = paralysis (literal or metaphorical)
Hanged Man + Tower = ending
Death + Wheel = what’s been set in motion cannot be stopped (probably also a change for the better, if the Wheel is upright and/or followed by positive cards)
Death + Tower = 1. Tragedy 2. Disruption
Death + Justice + Ace of Cups + Star = inheritance (the Star here refers to material possessions. I think a money card could be there instead as well.)
Temperance + Hanged Man = end of something (that lasted a while)
Temperance + Ace of Swords = short (short-ish) timeframe (here the Ace of Swords reduces the slowness of Temperance. It can probably also indicate a lasting bond.)
Ace of Coins + Temperance + Ten of Cups = finances slowly flourishing
Page of Coins + Devil = angry words, fights
Devil + Angel = great satisfaction or good news (regardless of the order of the cards)
Devil + Ace of Wands = great passion (primarily sexual but to be adapted to the context)
Tower + Chariot + King of Coins = hospital (other cards like the Moon, the Seven of Coins etc. may be present)
Tower + Chariot + Knight of Swords = surgery (I’ve already experimented this combination. The Queen of Swords was present indicating the female surgeon. Otherwise a King of Swords would be probably a man or the King of Coins would generically indicate the doctor)
Tower + Ace of Coins = financial sacrifice, financial limitations, bankruptcy with other bad cards
Tower + Fool + Moon = mental breakdown
Star + Ace of Coins = a well-paid job
Star + Temperance = stable job (if followed by cards of ending like the Hanged Man, temporary job)
Star + Queen of Coins = intellectual job (but I think it depends on the context)
Chariot + King of Coins + Star = therapy, prescription (here the Star indicates meds)
Moon + Person card = traditionally a dead person (someone who is no longer visible to us. But it needs to make sense in the context. It can probably also mean someone who is sad or is hiding something)
Moon + Eight of Wands + Hanged Man + King of Swords = danger on the road at night (probably due to a man)
Sun + Moon = Sorrow (if the cards are swapped around, with the Sun last, it is still sorrow but it is lessened or it goes away more quickly)
Sun + King of Coins = the doctor’s cure works (probably to be extended to any kind of professional help)
Sun + Devil or Ace of Wands = strong vitality or energy
Angel + Queen of Coins = faith
Angel + Page of Coins = prayer (probably also good/positive words)
Angel + Juggler + World = pregnancy (the World is the belly)
Angel + Death = yes, for sure (either to a question or to the cards preceding them)
World + Person card = person is not yet known or comes from far away (keep in mind that once upon a time even the next town was far away) or travels
World + Star + Ace or Ten of Coins = commerce (but it can probably mean other things too)
Three Aces together = “Tre assi son tralasci”, three aces equal abandonment. Radical change, leaving the old for the new.
Four Aces together = “Quattro assi fan fracassi”, four aces make a lot of noise. Destabilizing situations, chaos, pandemonium
Three Kings together = Success
Four Kings together = Triumph
Three Queens together = Problem*
Four Queens together = Failure*
Three Knights together = Good news, Speed
Four Knights together = Speedy good news, great speed
Three Pages together = gossip, talking
Four Pages together = slander, bad people
*Some (including one of my teachers) see the Queens less unfavourably, as delays (Queens, in this case, are probably seen as taking a long time to deliver the heir/result)
Tarot Encyclopedia – The Seven of Wands
(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.)
Paul Foster Case (and Ann Davies)
Astrologically, the Seven of Wands, because it corresponds to the third decanate of Leo, is the time period from August 13 to August 22. In divination, the Seven of Wands combines the activities of the Keys listed in the Tableau [Empress, Sun, Tower, Strength, Emperor] together with ideas of pleasure and love connected with the fifth house in Astrology, the natural house of Leo.
Well Dignified: denotes pleasure in strenuous action; some danger through love affairs or self indulgence; also strength and magnanimity;
adventure; courage in the face of difficulties; influence over subordinates.
lll Dignified: indicates ignorance, pretense, vain-glory, quarrels and wrangling, threats and very determined opposition, especially from subordinates and open enemies.
Keyword: Valor
(From the Oracle of Tarot course)
A. E. Waite
A young man on a craggy eminence brandishing a staff; six other staves are raised towards him from below. Divinatory Meanings: It is a card of valour, for, on the surface, six are attacking one, who has, however, the vantage position. On the intellectual plane, it signifies discussion, wordy strife; in business–negotiations, war of trade, barter, competition. It is further a card of success, for the combatant is on the top and his enemies may be unable to reach him. Reversed: Perplexity, embarrassments, anxiety. It is also a caution against indecision.
(From The Pictorial Key to the Tarot)
Aleister Crowley
The Seven of Wands is called Valour. Energy feels itself at its last gasp; it struggles desperately, and may be overcome. This card brings out the defect inherent in the idea of Mars. Patriotism, so to speak, is not enough.
[…]
This card derives from Netzach (Victory) in the suit of Fire. But the Seven is a weak, earthy, feminine number as regards the Tree of Life, and represents a departure from the balance so low down on the Tree that this implies a loss of confidence.
Fortunately, the card is also attributed to Mars in Leo. Leo is still the Sun in his full strength, but the marks of decadence are already to be seen. It is as if the wavering fire summoned the brutal energy of Mars to its support. But this is not enough to counter-act fully the degeneration of the initial energy, and the departure from equilibrium.
The army has been thrown into disorder; if victory is to be won, it will be by dint of individual valour-a “soldiers’ battle”. The pictorial representation shows the fixed and balanced wands of the last card relegated to the background, diminished, and become commonplace.
In front is a large crude uneven club, the first weapon to hand; evidently unsatisfactory in ordered combat. The flames are dispersed, and seem to attack in all directions without systematic purpose.
(From The Book of Thoth)
Golden Dawn’s Book T
TWO hands holding by grip six wands, three crossed. A third hand issuing from a cloud at the lower part of the card, holding an upright wand which passes between the others. Flames leap from the point of junction. Above and below the central wand are the symbols of Mars and Leo, representing the Decan.
Possible victory, depending on the energy and courage exercised; valour;
opposition, obstacles and difficulties, yet courage to meet them; quarrelling, ignorance, pretence, and wrangling, and threatening; also victory in small and unimportant things: and influence upon subordinates.
Netzach of HB:Y (Opposition, yet courage).
Therein rule the two great Angels HB:MHShYH and HB:LLHAL of the
Schemhamphorash.
Etteilla
Talking
Upright. This blade, as far as the medicine of the spirit is concerned, means, in its natural position: Talking, Negotiation, Conference, Colloquy, Conversation, Dissertation, Deliberation, Discussion. – Word, Pronunciation, Language, Idiom, Dialect, Negotiation, Market, Exchange, Measure, Trade, Traffic, Correspondence. – Talking, Saying, Proferring, Conferring, Discussing, Chatting, Dividing, Chattering, Gossiping.
Reversed. Indecision, Irresolution, Uncertainty, Perplexity, Inconstancy, Lightness, Variation, Diversity, Hesitating, Hesitating. – Temptation, Vacillation, Versatility.
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