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.
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:
If the Death card shows up in the spread, it’s a yes (as sure as we all die)
If the Angel (Judgement) card shows up, it’s a good chance
If both show up, it’s a sure thing
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.
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:
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)
Are generically very negative, without a specific sense to them
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.
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
(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.
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
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. ↩︎
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 ↩︎
“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. ↩︎
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 ↩︎
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↩︎
(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.
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.
The spread used for this reading is a spread of thirteen cards that I’ve learned from the person who’s teaching me to read the Bologna Tarot, and it is typical of that tradition. It is a small tableau of cards that is generally used to explore a single issue (though nothing forbids you to use it for general readings.)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
There are several traditions varying from town to town. According to one, the cards are to be read in columns only, with one indicating the past, one the present and another one the future. My teacher however reads them primarily in rows, though sometimes columns can be read too, and usually, the central column holds some importance. More often than not, the last card is especially important because it will either contain a general answer or give you an important detail, or determining factor.
Although this spread is especially linked to the Northern Italian tarot tradition, I’ve seen it used with regional playing cards as well, and I don’t think there is any reason why it wouldn’t work with any deck tradition you practice. I will certainly use it with the Sibilla as well, one of these days.
Will She Learn to Love Herself?
The querent in this case is an acquaintance of mine, but the question was not about her, but rather about her sister. The question was “Will she learn to love herself?” and it came with no further detail. This is fine, as often when a querent feels the need to talk there is a risk that they end up feeding me their perspective. So here are the cards that came out:
Will she learn to love herself? Divination with playing cards, thirteen-card spread
Right off the bat, we notice that the significator for the querent (the Queen of Clubs) is present, so since this is a tableau we might as well look at the cards surrounding it. She has the Jack of Hearts, the Queen of Spades and the Eight of Spades above her. These cards could mean a number of things, such as problems with a daughter or problems with an immature woman, or problems in the person’s childhood. Let’s file all this away and move on.
Next to the Queen of Clubs we have the Nine of Clubs and the Six of Clubs, which represent long-term toil and struggle. Clearly, whatever this is, it is not something that is going away soon. But the spread ends with the Nine of Hearts which indicates triumph. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Technically, we already have our answer: the querent’s sister will struggle with self-love a long time, but she will improve. But the cards tell us more. Let’s turn to the first row, where we find the Queen of Hearts hemmed in by Spades. There is some kind of blockage or problem (Four of Spades) that causes the shedding of tears (Eight of Spades) relating to a woman (the Queen of Hearts).
Usually, the Queen of Hearts is either a relative or someone with our best interest at heart. In this case, though, she is strongly afflicted by the Spades. So I asked the querent if the issue relates to the sister’s poor relationship with her mother or another female figure close to her that impacted her self-love negatively. The querent confirmed that their mother was a raging alcoholic who worked overtime to tear them down when they were little. Note how the cards highlight the cause of the sister’s suffering by placing it right on top of the spread!
Right underneath we have the Queen of Spades, the Four of Clubs and the Five of Diamonds. This line was a little cryptic, and I must confess I did rely a little bit on my intuition, but the interpretation was still logical. There is a woman of spades who is saying words (Four of Clubs) that cause change (Five of Diamonds). Who is this woman? Usually the Spade suit is problematic, but it can also indicate certain professional figures (doctors, military figures, judges, etc.) It stood to reason that this figure could be a female therapist that is helping the sister. I asked and the querent confirmed to me that the sister is seeing a female psychologist who “means business but is very competent” (Spades).
The line just above the querent contains the Jack of Hearts, the Six of Hearts and the Three of Spades. This time I felt confident interpreting the Jack of Hearts as the sister’s “inner child” or, to avoid woo woo terminology, it represents the issues accumulated since childhood. The Six of Hearts talks about healing, and the Three of Spades indicates intrigue, but also in the metaphorical sense of a knot, something that needs to be unravelled or clarified. For the time being, therefore, the sister’s issue will persist, but the final Nine of Hearts is promising.
Fludd discusses the mystical implications of using divination.
5. The Act of a True Geomancer Is Like a Movement of the Mind in Ecstasy, or Rather a Sort of Rapture, in Which There Is Prophecy
Rapture in general is called the abstraction, alienation, and illumination of the human mind, proceeding directly from God, through which prophecy is obtained.1
Thus also a certain kind of rapture and ecstasy is required for divination by Geomancy, which is not called the illumination of the mind directly emanating from God, but rather the act of gathering of the mind’s rays into a narrower place, that is to say, into the seat of the human body and its own home, so that through them the divining soul discerns the simple truth more clearly.2
As such, ecstasy is first of all required in this knowledge, that is, the abstraction of the rays of the mind from all external things or affairs, so that they are contracted within themselves: for in a great rapture of the mind and soul the rays are lifted up to the divine essence of God, or into the region of the mental world.3
Thus, even in this minor rapture of the human soul, the rays sent out from without, and scattered here and there, are recalled to their center, and are reflected in the mind, and thus man, who was formerly dark because of the diffusion of his own light, is now enlightened and glorious by the aggregation of the expanded rays.
In a similar manner, as we gather from the opinion of the learned men, on the third day of creation the rays created by the light scattered evenly throughout the sky, and all appeared in a dark manner, as if darkness were mixed equally with light, or night with day.4
But when, on the fourth day, all that light scattered everywhere was collected in the center of the solar body by a certain magnetic property, there was produced that glorious and worthy example of light, in which God himself is said to have had his tabernacle.5
We also see, for instance, that in a fortress equipped with a thousand soldiers, if the greater part of these soldiers, either for the purpose of preparing for defeat or for some other attempt, goes out and runs to and fro, then that fortification is rendered weak, and those who are left experience great fear.
But if those who had gone forth should return safe and sound, those who had been left in the stronghold recover their former confidence and their former hope, and putting aside all fear, they are in no way afraid of the invasions of the enemy, since that place is already well-furnished with warriors.
Here, therefore, things are in the same way with the bright rays of the human soul. For the human body is a stronghold or fortress, where the rays of the mind and the middle soul are likened to soldiers, of whom we may compare those who are sent out of the body to attend to foreign affairs, to soldiers running hither and thither outside the fortress, the absence of which renders the body less confident, and more insecure and timid, and weak in facilitating some noble and bright aim, such as divination, which is the best and highest thing.
We say, therefore, that the recollection of rays of this kind is the reduction of man’s internal nature from multitude to simplicity.6 As a result the soul, recalled from external meditations, and reflected and recollected within itself, renders a man, as it were, raptured and ecstatic, because he thinks of himself and within himself, he is only present to himself, oblivious of strangers, so that it appears to the ignorant that he is not aware of himself. when, in truth, he is now more than ever before.7
For he who neglects worldly things is sure to care for himself more, and he who withdraws himself from the multitude into himself seems to be most present to himself, since there will not be a great interval of distance between him and God.8
To such an attitude or disposition must he reduce himself, who endeavors to procure for himself the gift of future divination. For those thinking of externals divert the powers of the soul from the judgment of truth, so that the uncertainty of the geomancer is great in his judgment, or to be more precise, the truth in him will be as great as the variation of the soul from its unity.9 Indeed, in the multitude of things, tricks, vanities, and lies are concealed; in true unity and simplicity perfection, identity and unity [are found].
Let the soul therefore snatch from the Macrocosm that which is its own, given to it by the Creator in its creation, and internalize it into its own Microcosm, and let no one else enjoy what is its own.
By virtue, I say, of his own excellency, he is snatched from the world, and restored to himself and recollected, and clings to ecstasy, so that in his most refined mirror or spirit he may reflect not only worldly things, but also divine ones. For the more clarity he achieves, the more effective will be his visions and motions for prophesying the truth
6. About the Hidden Properties of Geomancy, and How the Soul or Mind Passes in Its Operation Through the Whole Nature of the Macrocosm
Nor is it right that those who are ignorant of geomancy should regard a series of points as mere lines, formed from the act of divination, since under these characters, the objects of the eye and the senses, many things, both spiritual and material, are concealed. Indeed, these series of lines comprise no less the idea of the universe than the human body itself.10
In fact, although in man his body can only be seen from the outside, yet with spiritual eyes we contemplate his spirit and soul and mind inwardly. Of course, in the body we see the elements invisibly mixed in composition;11 in the spirit and soul we observe the ethereal nature, in the intellect and mind we observe the empyrean nature.
the same can be observed also in Geomancy, since readings consist of four lines of points, and we perceive that the four elements are concealed in it, that is to say, the element of fire under the first line, of air under the second, of water under the third, and of earth under the fourth. 12
Furthermore, in the figures produced by those series of points, the seven planets and the twelve heavenly signs are included, which can only be perceived by the eyes of the spirit.
Thus the figure of Carcer is attributed to Saturn direct and Tristitia retrograde: the figure Laetitia signifies Jupiter direct, Acquisitio retrograde; Rubeus denotes Mars direct, and Puella retrograde; Major indicates the Sun in a certain direction, and the Minor in retrogradation; although the astrologers deny the retrogradation of the Sun, because of its epicycle; Puer is given to Venus direct, Amissio retrograde;13 Albus is attributed to Mercury direct, Conjunctio when retrograde; the direct Moon is symbolized by Populus, the retrograde by Via;14 Caput Draconis is represented by a figure bearing the same name, and Cauda Draconis is represented by a figure bearing the same name as well.
So also those figures contain in themselves the natures of the twelve signs. For Acquisitio is of Aries in an abstract manner; Laetitia and the Minor of Taurus, Rubeus and the Puer of Gemini; Albus and Populus of Cancer; Via of Leo; Caput and Conjunctio of Virgo; Puella of Libra; Tristitia and Amissio of Scorpio; Caput of Sagittarius; Cauda of Capricorn; Major of Aquarius; Carcer of Pisces.
Furthermore, Rubeus, Minor, Amissio and Cauda denote the element of Fire and the Southern part of the world; Laetitia, Acquisitio, Puella and Conjunctio denote Air and the Eastern part of the world; Populus, Via, Puer and Albus denote Water and the Northern corner of the world; Major, Caput, Carcer and Tristitia denote Earth and the Western part of the world.
Even deeper towards the center of the sky lies the empyrean spirit,15 which is the revealer of the future and the present, that is to say, the rational or intellectual collection of these figures and the worldly things contained in them.
From all this it is evident how purely and sincerely the intellectual spirit must be preserved from the inconveniences and harms of the flesh and filth, when from it the movement to produce the Geomantic points first arises, taking with it in a secret manner the natures of the heavenly signs, the planets, and the elements, and finally hiding all these under the number and in proportion to the points, like a certain treasure in a chest.16
If, therefore, we wish to open that chest, first to the elements, then to the planets and celestial signs, and finally to the boundary from which these movements originally flowed, we shall penetrate in the sanctuary of the mind, its will, in the mythotheque of the intellect, of the will, of the signs and planets; in the closet of the ether we shall find the act or execution of the mind; and in the storehouse of the elements, we shall find the effect of the mind’s will, reason, and act (all of which are contained and hidden under figures, as if in a chest).
From the aforesaid, therefore, it is evidently clear that, just as the prophecy of the inspired is the union of the divine mind with the human mind (whence it is the most complete and greatest, this species of prophecy), so also the prophecy of the uninspired sometimes happens, when the soul is united, with its rays drawn back to itself from the multitude toward its summit, that is, with the human mind, which, without doubt, if united with the soul and collected, can perform enormous things by itself, and can lead to the summit and a happy outcome.
MQS
Footnotes
The words ‘abstraction’ and ‘alienation’ must not be understood in their usually negative sense. In Neoplatonism (and mostly in Plato himself as well), the dialectical method allows the spiritual seeker to climb up the ladder of being through a process that leads from the particulars of the material world upward and inward to unity with the divine. Ecstasy, which is the goal of Neoplatonic spirituality, literally means “going out of oneself”. This is the process of abstraction and alienation. ↩︎
That is, prophecy stems from direct union with the divine and is harder to control, while divination (such as Geomancy) happens by focusing inward. ↩︎
See Note 1. Fludd describes the Neoplatonic method of retreating inward and upward. ↩︎
If the light is evenly distributed, no difference appears and everything is as equally dark as it is equally radiant. ↩︎
In the Hermetic interpretation of Astrology, the Sun is a symbol of divinity. ↩︎
Broadly speaking, the path of magic in all its branches (and divination is one of these branches) require an endless attempt at simplifying one’s life and one’s external nature. ↩︎
This is a common theme in mystical and occult literature, and one of the great truths of our art. As we reach what some have called ‘superconsciousness’ we appear to be less aware, while in fact we exceed regular awareness. ↩︎
The phrasing here is clearly very careful to avoid scandal. As for the words “caring for himself”, this is not to be understood as being egoistic. ↩︎
that is, we are capable of seing the truth in the measure that our soul is unified. This is probably part of the reason why divining for oneself is especially difficult, since divination implies doubt about an external topic. ↩︎
Here lies a great and central secret about all functional systems of divination: that their symbolic vocabulary is complete in itself, so as to be able to reflect within its permutations the truth of things to come. Here, Fludd compares the language of Geomancy to the human body, which is a symbol of the completeness of the universe. ↩︎
He means the four elements, which were thought to be mixed to form the material bodies. ↩︎
This is a reference to the fact that in Geomancy each figure is made up of four series of points, and each series is assigned to one of the elements. ↩︎
compared to the usual attributions, Fludd switches Puer and Puella ↩︎
The Moon cannot go into retrogradation. Usually, Populus is assigned to the waxing Moon and Via to the waning Moon. ↩︎
with reference to the Aristotelean and Ptolemaic view of the cosmos. ↩︎
This comparison is very much a consequence of Fludd’s Renaissance worldview, according to which Nature is replete with symbols. ↩︎
