Name: Balcony
Italian Name: Belvedere
Playing Card: 3♥
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Slightly Positive
Core Meanings: Arrival, Visit, Arrival of Developments in the Area Enquired About | Waiting for Something or Someone to Arrive | Distance, Abroad
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Core Meanings: Lack of Arrival, or Delay in Arrival | Lack of Insight, Lack of inner life, Animalistic, Violent Character
Card Description: a young woman on a balcony looking into the distance through a small telescope, probably waiting for someone to arrive. She holds the instrument the wrong way
Suit and Number: Threes are cards of movement, and Hearts are cards of feelings, of positive things and circumstances that bring people together. As a result, the Three of Hearts represents arrival, distance being reduced.
UPRIGHT 3♥
General: It’s a dynamic card that signals the quick approaching of developements. In itself, it is faintly positive, but in practice its meaning often depends on the cards that follow it. It is also connected with waiting for something and to long distance.
Love and Relationships: especially when followed by a face card, it represents the arrival of someone, a visit, etc. In itself, this has a mildly positive connotation, but negative cards surrounding it may contradict the message. In general, as the Balcony card signals the arrival of developments, it gives some hope to lonely hearts. Be careful, though, as the card also describes a certain anxiety waiting for someone to arrive in someone life (not in an exessively negative terms, though. This is not the Six of Spades, remember).
Because of its connection to the sense of sight, the card, in specific combinations, may show someone prying in other people’s business or even spying or hiring a detective.
The Balcony is mildly positive when a reconciliation is expected, because of its connection with the idea of arrival and therefore bringing people together. It does need other supporting cards, though.
Work and Money: the card doesn’t say much in this respect, other than announcing the arrival of something, someone or a new situation in the near future in the field enquired about. Often it shows the arrival of offers, correspondence, checks, occasions or situations to beware of, depending on the cards that follow it.
Because of its dynamic nature, the Balcony is often welcome in unemployed people’s readings, as it is usually followed by cards that show the unblocking of the difficult situation. Professionally, it is connected with all jobs where the sense of sight (looking, searching, etc.) plays a major role. Since it is also a card of distance, it can point, depending on the other cards, to professions connected with it.
Other: On rare occasion, it can signify that a situation is still in development, but this is usually only a very slight nuance. In general, it shows that the situation has not ended yet, that it is still attracting new developments. Of the connection of this card with the sense of sight we have already spoken. This also extends to the psychological and spiritual aspect of this card. While on one hand it signals a slight trepidation, on the other it shows insight and the ability (or, with negative cards, need) to look within oneself. In general, it represents introspection. It can also represent someone who is watchful or on the lookout. Which option is true will depend on the context of the question and, more importantly, on the other cards. The Balcony is connected with the sense of sight, so it can signifies looking, searching for, etc.
Again, due to its connection with sight, the card represents clear weather, good visibility while traveling, and tropical locations (more generally, it means “abroad”, though).
Important Combinations:
3♥ + 2♦ + 6♥ = arrival of a check
3♥ + 8♥ + 3♣ = can mean traveling abroad
3♥ + 2♦ + A♥ = chats, discussion boards, dating apps
J♠ or Q♠ + 3♥ + 10♠R = someone spying you in secret
3♥ + 4♥ or 9♥ = love is about to knock at your door
REVERSED 3♥R
General: a negative card. In the best case scenario, it represents delays. Depending on the other cards, it can even show that someone or something won’t arrive. It points to situations that are over and won’t develop further. It represents vain waiting. Upright, it represented sight, insight and introspection. Reversed, it signifies the lack of all those things, showing an animalistic, rageful, wanton character.
Love and Relationships: if you are waiting for someone to make their move, with this card you may be waiting a long time. If you are single and hoping for someone to rescue you from this dreary mess we call life, you may be covered in ivies before that happens (especially if other cards of delay piles up on top of this one).
When this card does show the arrival of someone, you need to be very careful about letting them into your personal space. The reason why will be clarified by the following cards.
Work and Money: the same meaning applies to financial and career readings. It is connected with long periods of delay in the arrival of news, situations, developments etc. With negative cards, it shows situations where hoping further would be futile. Money that has been loaned will be awaited in vain, and loaned that have been applied for will similarly be waited for vainly. In work readings, it can show a situation with no prospects, and with other cards it can point to a dead-end job.
Other: the psychological traits represented by the Balcony reversed are extremely important and potentially color readings in all fields of life, including love and career. This card represents the opposite of the upright version. It shows, in the best-case scenario, extreme shortsightedness. More often, though, this shortsightedness extends to being unable to see other people’s perspectives and using them selfishly for one’s own gratification. Both spiritually and psychologically, it points to a lack of introspection which results in bestial behavior, understood as behavior that debases one’s humanity (or that of the people around us). Commonly, it refers to anger issues, an inability to control one’s rage. Depending on the context and the other cards, it can also signify an inability to control one’s pants. Sometimes it represents both. In general, this card shows that the person is unable to observe themselves and their basest impulses before acting on them.
Important Combinations:
3♥R + 10♠ = stranger danger, arrival in your life of someone you shouldn’t trust
3♥R + 10♥R = angry outbursts
3♥R + 4♥R + A♣R = sexual assault
3♥R + J♦R = awaited parcel that doesn’t arrive
3♥R + 4♣ + Q♠ = arrival of a friend you should keep at arm’s length
Other Combinations: Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Threes
