There are couples who stay together a lifetime, couples who break up at the first sign of hardship, and then couples that seem to follow some kind of fated path made of pushing and pulling. This is one example.
8♥️ 6♣️ 7♣️ 4♠️
Q♣️ J♦️ K♣️
9♣️ 3♣️
6♥️
Note the absolude predominance of Clubs. Clubs are a heavy suit that causes difficulties and slowness. There is no card of great love, but the Eight of Hearts is a card of fun and good times.
Followed by two problematic Club cards, the Six and the Seven, which end up in break-up (Four of Spades) it is clear that the two didn’t break up from one day to the other never to see each other again, but have been on a constant path of ups and downs ending up in separation.
At the time of the reading the two were broken up, so when I told the (female) querent what I was seeing she confirmed that they’ve been on again off again for quite some time.
Look the second line! We have the two significators united by the messenger card (Jack of Diamonds). So the two have broken up but are still in contact. The querent told me it’s not so much that they send each other messages as they communicate and cause misunderstandings with one another through mutual friends (the Jack of Diamonds can show a go-between). Clearly not a very healthy situation!
The final cards, the Three of Clubs and Six of Hearts, show a reconciliation in the union, but the Nine of Clubs before them implies this is going to be a long-term goal rather than a matter of days or weeks. So the unsatisfactory situation is likely to persist for a while.
As far as giving the querent some advice based on this spread is concerned, I would personally be wary of that Jack of Diamonds between them. It is much better to clear up misunderstandings directly instead of playing up the drama by involving friends as if the two were still high-schoolers (they are in their 40s).
All in all, this spread gives off bad vibes for a relationship. It seems the two are attached more to the drama than to each other. To each their own.
Some decks have variable significators, while others assign certain cards to always represent the querent and their partner. This can cause confusion when reading for people who would not have lived their life out in the open back when cartomancy emerged, such as gay or trans people. Following are some experimental notes on how to deal with such instances in the various decks I use.
I want to stress that these are based on my practical experience, not on that of someone else and not on some theory I am trying force onto the cards. My aim is to improve my accuracy as a diviner, not to pontificate on academic eventualities.
Vera Sibilla
The Sibilla doesn’t have fixed significators, meaning that the querent will, if at all, be represented by a court card that indicates their role in the situation and/or society at the moment of the reading, always compatibly with their sex.1
And this is already problematic nowadays. I haven’t read for too many trans people, but I have noticed that if the person has either transitioned, fully or in part, or has at least adapted considerably to the other sex, then they are represented by a court card of that sex (ftm as a male, mtf as a female).
To be blunt: Jane, cashier, who has been living as Jane despite being born as Jim, and lives out her concrete life as Jane, is described as a woman in the cards, although the cards may hint at the transition, if relevant in the context; Jim, cashier, who would like to become Jane and maybe one day will, is represented as a man, even if he’s started to play with makeup since watching Myra Breckinridge; Becky, professional TikTok cheese grater, special traits no personality, who thinks an androgynous look makes her stand out, still comes up as a woman even if she pretends to identify as a man on every day with an R in it.
This has nothing to do with politics or tolerance or “passing as the other sex” and everything to do with concrete life: divination mirrors life, but social media clout simply doesn’t transfer to the cards, and there’s nothing I can do about it, even if it may offend some. The good news is that indentification with a significator is just a divinatory device and lasts only for the fifteen minutes needed to conduct a reading, and then is over.
IMPORTANT: we are talking about trans people, not crossdressers. A crossdressing man is a man who cosplays as a woman for whatever reason, but remains a man and lives as a man, at least until that fake business trip to Atlanta that his wife knows nothing about.
Talking about gay people, the Sibilla is very straightforward. In the few readings I do for myself, I usually come up as the Boyfriend, my husband as the Gentleman, and some years ago I came up as the Helper and my husband as the Boyfriend.
As for “but what about…” particular cases about any of the identities that are created daily, the best I can offer is: I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. I trust the cards to simply describe the situation as it is and I accept the risk of not being able to understand how complex it may be, either in reality or in someone’s perception.
Playing cards and Bolognese Tarot
In some systems of cartomancy with playing cards, significators are not fixed. The way I was taught, though, the male querent is the King of Clubs and the female querent the Queen of Clubs, and the other card is the person they love. Similarly, in the Bolognese tarot the male querent is the King of Wands and the female querent the Queen of Wands.
For trans people, I think what I said about the Sibilla still holds true. Again, all I can say is to keep your mind and your eyes open (on the cards, I mean. Looking if the querent has an adam’s apple doesn’t count.)
For gay people, I have generally found that a degree of flexibility is required on the diviner’s part. Some readers seem to believe that you can just dictate to the cards how to behave, including in the case of gay querents. If that works, then bully for you, but I have always found the cards to have a mind of their own, regardless of the conventions we try to establish for them, so all I can do is be flexible.
Some people think the querent is represented by the court card of their gender, the partner by the other main significator, regardless of their sex. This theory is predicated on the fact that the two main significators are meant to show those people, and the fact that they are of two different genders is accidental or a matter of historical bias.
This may sound convincing, but have I found it to be true in practice? Sometimes. Sometimes the partner will come up as the other Club/Wand figure and there is simply no way of interpreting it other than as the partner, even if the stuff under the dress doesn’t match. Sometimes the cards will represent the partner as a court card of another suit that matches them. Sometimes the cards will throw in both cards for good measure: hubby has come up as the Queen of Clubs + King of Hearts together on more than one occasion in the past. Talk about a big personality.
Tarot
This is like the Sibilla, and doesn’t require much discussion. The male querent is usually the Emperor or the Pope, the female querent is usually the Empress or the Popess. Two men in a relationship can be shown as Emperor and Pope.
MQS
I am aware of the difference between the word ‘sex’ and the word ‘gender’, but I am going to use them quasi-interchangeably to avoid too many repetitions that hurt the ear. ↩︎
Here the querent is a friend of mine whose live-in boyfriend is acting aloof toward her. She was afraid that he was either having an affair or he was falling out of love with her, or that she had done something to him (he does have a tendency to keep things in until it’s time to explode).
Divination with playing cards: have I done something to him?
My querent doesn’t come up, so we can exclude that she has done something to him or that his love toward her is an issue. There is also a complete absence of mistresses, so we can immediately rule out that he is cheating, especially since there are no cards indicating sneakiness (like the Ten of Spades or the Jack of Spades). There is a Three of Spades, which might indicate intrigue, but clearly this is not what the spread is driving at, and the Three of Spades can also indicate a ‘knotted’, complex situation that doesn’t flow harmoniously.
His significator comes up in the second line, surrounded by cards that show positive development, so the situation is not permanent. However, the first line is a bit concerning, since we have tears, worry and the complex situation. Note that the worry card (the Six of Diamonds) is hemmed in by the spades, so it gives us a picture of the person being somewhat overwhelmed.
Then we have the two Eights and the Ace of Spades. As I wrote sometime ago, the Ace of Spades is often sterilized as a card of change, but at least in my tradition it shows great grief. The grief here is connected to cards of work and business, so this is the problem. The querent said that he doesn’t know if his temp job is going to be renewed. So that’s the problem.
Finally, to complete the picture, there is the house card with problems (Seven of Clubs) next to it. The steps (Two of Clubs) he takes at home (Ace of Hearts) are problematic, as a consequence of the issues shown in the cards above.
We have a final card, the King of Diamonds. We couldn’t identify him, although we suspect it’s either a colleague or a boss. We don’t know from the cards if his influence is positive or negative. It would require another spread, but it doesn’t matter since my friend’s worry was of a different nature.
This is not the first time I do a reading for someone who has a crush on a colleague. The girl in question asked me if a love story could start with him
A love reading using the Bolognese Tarot (Thirteen Card Spread)
This is one of those spreads that let themselves be interpreted in more than one direction: not just horizontally but vertically as well. The First two things that caught my eye were the first line, with the King of Wands (him) trapped between the Tower (prison) and the Seven of Coins (tears); and the vertical line on the right, with the Ace of Wands and the Ace of Cups together, indicating a family, but the two cards are hemmed in by the tears and the Moon (again, negativity).
So this isan unhappy man we are talking about. In the following line, the Angel card, which would provide happiness and solutions or at least peace, is blocked by the Hermit. Note that the Ace of Wands, which can indicate attraction, is also affected by the blockage, so while he may be somewhat attracted by the querent, he is not gonna act out on it.
The following line was a bit harder to decipher, but I saw it as him having a daughter and being especially attached to her: note the Page of Cups, the girl, of the house (Ace of Cups) brings him jollity or happiness (Ten of Cups). It later turned out he has more than one child but he is more attached to the girl. It is possibly one of the things that keep him in the marriage.
In the end, there is probably going to be no relationship with the man: the relationship card (te Ace of Swords) is negatively affected by the Moon, and the querent will only have a business relationship (Star) with him.
One thing I need to emphasize is that the querent knew the dude is married, but didn’t tell me, not because she wanted to try me, but because in her mind she thought it was somehow “obvious”. It is always interesting to see how querents take our ability to see things for granted (only to be sorely disappointed when we make the most minor mistake).
Yesterday we had a nice reunion with some friends. One of them asked the cards if she has a shot with her dance instructor, whom she’s crushing hard on. These were the cards:
The first thing that jumped at me was that nasty Eight of Spades at the end, which literally says “it will end in tears.” If we take the three angles of the pyramid, they are the Six of Clubs, Nine of Spades and Eight of Spades. Bleak.
My querent’s card falls on the first line, together with the Six, the Ten of Hearts and the Nine of Spades. If we were to read this line as a literal sentence, it would be “Coming from a place of fatigue your happiness there’s not“. In other words, my friend is not just single, but lonely, has been for a while and she’s unhappy about it. This is interesting, because it shows that her crush is more like a compensation mechanism.
Then we come to him, the King of Clubs, who is on a journey (Ten of Clubs) with a loved woman (Queen of Hearts) that leads to a house (Ace of Hearts) of union (Three of Clubs). He is engaged. The final Eight of Spades does not say that he is unhappy about the engagement, but that the engagement brings tears to the querent.
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
In the Vera Sibilla, every card can indicate some type of feelings. I have singled out some of those that indicate positive feelings. As usual, the list is not meant to be exclusive.
Ace of Hearts (A♥️) – Conversation
This card is broadly connected with words and self-expression. However, when discussing someone’s feelings, they indicate someone who is capable of expressing their feelings to someone else and reaching some kind of communion with them. In general, it shows an attitude of openness toward others.
Two of Hearts (2♥️) – The House
Usually the Two is the card of the house and of places in general. However it is also connected with harmony between two people, and it shows a constructive attitude, especially, though not exclusively, in a love reading.
Four of Hearts (4♥️) – Love
The Love card is, wouldn’t you know, the card of love, but also of strong feelings of affection in all personal relationship. It is connected with the motions of our heart, and as such it shows emotions above and beyond reason. The caveat here is that this card is not stable, and it requires other more grounded cards to promise lasting happiness.
Five of Hearts (5♥️) – Happiness
The Happiness card indicates everything connected with joy and good intentions. Being the card of the bethrodal, it also shows a certain degree of commitment to someone, and is therefore also a symbol of fidelity.
Seven of Hearts (7♥️) – The Scholar
The Scholar is a rational card, one of planning and long term prospects. When not damaged by the presence of difficult cards it shows the desire to create something lasting, as well as a helpful attitude.
Eight of Hearts (8♥️) – Hope
Hope is the positive feeling par exccellence. It represents optimism, honesty, someone who takes the high road, is elevated, spiritual, reliable. The exception is when the Hope card is not supported by stronger cards, as in this case it tends to show flirts, due to its connection with ease and lack of trouble.
Nine of Hearts (9♥️) – Faithfulness
Contrary to popular belief, the Nine of Hearts (not the Four) is the best card when it comes to feelings. Not only does it show love, but unlike the Love card, it also represent a strong bond and commitment that goes beyond those feelings and is pursued systematically. It is the card of the diehard supporter, of the best friend, of the lifelong love commitment.
The Heart Court Cards
Court cards tend to be neutral. However, the Heart court cards, when upright, indicate a person who is in love or who has a positive attitude toward the question or the querent.
Four of Clubs (4♣️) – The Friend
Similar to the Nine of Hearts, the Friend can indicate friendship (when it doesn’t show a literal -female- friend). The difference is that the concept of friendship of the Four of Clubs is not as strong and it is often connected with practical matters. When reversed, the Friend card can indicate a helpful attitude that takes the form of tips, recommendations, etc.
Six of Clubs (6♣️) – The Surprise
The Surprise card is connected broadly with things that come to us easily. As such, it indicates people who are similar, have similar interests and find it easy to grow together and pursue similar activities. Relationships tend to flourish with this card.
Seven of Clubs (7♣️) – The Realization
In general, this card speaks of ambitions in a positive sense, so it can show people having common goals and projects.
Eight of Clubs(8♣️) – The Reunion
The reconciliation card of the deck, the Eight of Clubs is indicative of a willingness to compromise and to find common ground. Furthermore, it shows someone who is social and moves toward others with positive intents in mind.
Nine of Clubs (9♣️) – Merriment
In keeping with the energy of the suit, the Nine of Clubs indicate positive bonds, though not necessarily deep. It is a card of fun and of playing, drinking and having a good time together.
Ace of Diamonds (A♦️) – The Room
The Room has, among its meanings, that of intimacy. As such it represents someone who seeks closeness and contact. However it is not a card of love, as it is in the suit of Diamonds, not that of Hearts.
Seven of Diamonds (7♦️) – The Child
As the card of children, the Seven of Diamonds shows someone to be open, good-hearted and inoffensive, unless with cards that bring out the worst qualities of children (immaturity, etc.). It represents also someone who wants to start new things and is unprejudiced and innocent.
Eight of Diamonds (8♦️) – The Handmaid
This is the card of someone who is serviceable, dependable and hardworking. It is also a card of politeness and the desire of peace. It can show someone of a noble character who is helpful, friendly and improving himself to be better with others.
Two of Spades (2♠️) – The Old Lady
As pretty much the only card of this suit that is not outright negative, the Old Lady can indicate feelings of affection toward others, though these feelings tend to be tenuous and not very dynamic. It can also indicate someone who uses the wisdom and experience they gained in life to be of service to others in a detached, serene way
