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

Vera Sibilla | The Moment of Silence

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We’ve talked about some of the basics of interpreting the cards. The most important thing is to practice, though, as only your own practice can reveal how the cards communicate to you. In this light, I would like to address something that is not strictly speaking a point of interpretation, but which I find is still helpful. It’s what I would call “the moment of silence” and I believe it holds true for all card systems you study.

Especially at the beginning, when you get your hands on some cool material about the deck, your head is going to be brimming over with facts. This is a preliminary step which, I think, is unavoidable, just as it’s unavoidable, in learning a foreign language, to assimilate words and some grammar. You can go with the “natural approach”, but sooner or later, if you want to rise above mediocrity, you need some serious study.*

But study brings with it a new host of issues. Ever listened to a non native trying speak English (or your language) for the first time after completing a course? You can barely understand them. And for a good reason: they are constantly trying to reach for information in their heads that they haven’t assimilated in practice. They are trying to remember rules and exceptions and words and word connections, and the pronunciation of this or that words, all the while trying to understand what you, the native speaker, are telling them etc.

It’s a lot. Then, as they practice, they evolve toward a type of English (or any other language) that is hopelessly broken, but somewhat understandable. As they refine their skill, they assimilate in practice what they have had in their heads all the time, and their use of the language improves.

But just as you can have a bad hair day, you can also have a bad English day, or a bad German day, or a bad Italian day. It’s those days where you feel like you are here and your language skills are somewhere else and you need to constantly grope for them, which makes for some very clunky sentences and dialogues. If you are having one of those days, you need to relax, take in a deep breath, wait a moment, center yourself and stop *trying* to speak the language–and just speak it.

With divination it’s similar, with the added difficulty that there is no native speaker to learn from. But the concept of “waiting a moment” and centering yourself is still valid. Having three, five, fifteen, twenty one cards in front of you can intimidating, so you jump into it in a kind of panic and start assembling meanings. That’s not helpful. When you start a reading, always make sure to stop for a second and keep quiet. Not just quiet in the sense of not speaking, but also in the sense of not trying to have your attention drawn immediately by a tree as opposted to taking in the forest. The spread is a whole, and it must be approached as such. Take a deep breath, forbear from trying to read the cards. Let your eyes wander for a second over the whole spread without digging anywhere. Survey the territory in a kind of bird-eye view. And then speak.

* conversely, if you start with some serious study, you also need the natural approach.

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

Vera Sibilla | Cards That Modify the Reading

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We’ve seen that the cards are generally read from left to right. Often, the last card in a row can change the meaning of the row itself completely. Sometimes, instead, it’s the card in the middle that changes the reading (when I say in the middle I don’t necessarily mean exactly in the middle, just not first or last). At other times, finally, a card can have a different meaning when it falls first.
Note: when I say the beginning or end of a sequence, this may or may not be the beginning or end of a row of cards: a sequence is a number of cards forming a coherent picture of a situation present, past or future. A single row can have more than one sequence.

Following are some examples.

The 2♥, the House, has the power to consolidate the meaning of the cards preceding it, so if the preceding cards show a well-defined situation for better or worse and the 2♥ comes up without any specific reason, it can mean that the situation is destined to consolidate itself in the direction signified by those cards.

The 4♥ coming up in the middle of a sequence and having no specific meaning can highlight the querent’s emotional involvement in the situation. This is also true when it’s reversed, in which case it’s negative involvement. The 4♥ coming up at the beginning or a sequence and having no specific connection to the rest of the reading can signify that the events shown are what the querent is attracting to himself or herself.

The 6♥R, coming up as the first card of a line and having no immediate obvious meaning can signify that the situation represented by the cards following it will happen unexpectedly and will be completely new. Coming up in the middle of a sequence and having no specific meaning it can highlight the duration of the situation into the future.
The 8♥ coming at the end of a row of cards or of a sequence shows that things will go as the querent hopes. If the cards preceding it are negative, it shows that there will be cause for hope nonetheless. If it comes up reversed, it shows situations going up in smoke.

The 10♥ coming up in the middle of positive or negative cards highlights their duration over time.

The 2♣ coming up at the end of a sequence shows divine intervention, protection, liberation from hardships.

The 3♣ coming up after difficult cards shows a change of direction in the querent’s life, usually for the better.

The 3♣R coming up in the middle of a sequence and followed by positive cards show the end of negative cycles and the end of hardships in general.

The 5♣ coming up at the end or a sequence shows a stroke of luck that will change the querent’s life in the field asked about.

The 6♣ coming up at the beginning of a sequence without apparent reason shows very quick events.

The 7♣ ending a negative sequence signifies a light at the end of the tunnel, especially when followed by positive cards.

The 8♣R coming up in the middle of a sequence without reason can signify things not going as the querent expects, for better or ill.

The A♦ coming up without reason at the beginning of a sequence can show dynamic change, new impulses, etc.

The 3♦R (the Gift) coming up at the end of a difficult sequence signifies the slow resolution of hardships. This is also true when it comes in the middle, but then you need to pay attention to the cards afterward.

The 4♦R coming up at the end of a negative sequence shows relief and positivity.

The 8♦ (the Handmaid) coming up for no reason at the beginning of a sequence can show that the sequence represents a new phase or evolution in the querent’s life. Coming up for no reason at the end, it shows that the querent evolves away toward a new phase.

The 10♦ coming up at the end of a sequence which seems promising steals the positivity away (but be careful, if it is a long, extremely positive sequence, the Thief alone is not strong enough to negate it). The 10♦R coming up at the end or toward the end of a negative sequence shows that there is nothing left to do. It’s over.

The J♦ coming up at the beginning of a series for no reason announces quick developments.

The A♠R coming up in the middle of a sequence and followed by positive cards shows the end of sorrow.

The 2♠U/R coming up at the end of a negative sequence shows the waning of the matter, more or less sharply depending on whether the card is upright or reversed.

The 4♠R coming up in the middle of a sequence and followed by positive cards shows the end of a period of standstill and blockage. Followed by negative cards shows the beginning or duration of the standstill.

The 5♠ coming up in the middle of a sequence and followed by positive cards shows a difficult but positive change. If followed by negative cards, it’s difficult and negative.

The 8♠R coming up in the middle of a sequence and followed by positive cards shows the end of a period of crisis.

The 9♠R coming up in the middle of a sequence and followed by positive cards signifies liberation and unblocking. Followed by negative cards it signifies the beginning of blockage.

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

Vera Sibilla | The Flow of the Reading

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In general, the flow of the reading goes from left to right. For instance, let’s take the following situation: A♥ + K♦ + 6♠ + 7♣R. Here we might assume that there is, or there has been, a job interview (A♥ + K♥) followed by trepidation and waiting (6♠), but the waiting leads to nothing (7♣R).

However, if we reverse the spread as 7♣R + 6♠ + K♦ + A♥, then we have the opposite scenario: a situation where the querent for a long time is worried about their lack of realization is ended by a job interview (in this case we don’t know whether the interview will go well or not, but at least it’s something).

Notice how the placement of certain cards is relatively irrelevant: whether it’s K♦ + A♥ or A♥ + K♦, it is still likely to signify a job interview. This is because the two cards build a meaningful unit together. They strengthen each other. However, it is not irrelevant whether the negative cards come up before or after. In general, the placement of the cards is relevant in two situations: when the cards have different polarity; and when the cards describe situations that come logically one from the other. For instance, if the cards point to a birth and then to a pregnancy, it’s very different than if they describe a pregnancy followed by a birth. In the first case you end up with two babies, in the second with just one.

Another important point is whether the cards predict or they describe. This is a subtle thing to detect, and is not easy to see at first. Often, the cards describe a situation or state of affairs when you have cards showing the relationship between two face cards or between a face card and a certain field of life (e.g. love 4♥, marriage A♣, job K♦, etc). Also, they tend to describe more when there are strongly psychological cards. In this case, the flow of the reading is as if halted: the cards don’t come one after the other temporally, but at most logically.

The cards tend to predict specific happenings when there are strong cards showing action or, when you use longer spreads, when there has been a clear description of a situation in the first part, and then they move on to show how that situation will evolve. In part you also need to develop your intuition and your language with the cards. In these cases, the flow of the reading is relevant.

Sometimes (quite often) the description is nestled within the prediction. That is, the cards predict something and describe it. In this case, whether a card comes after the others may or may not be relevant. Example: granny kicks the bucket and leaves you some money.

Suppose it shows up like this: 2♠R + 5♠ + 3♠R + 5♥ + 7♥ + 6♥ + 6♣. In this case, it is relevant that the cards showing granny’s passing (2♠R, 5♠, 3♠R) come out before the others, because it is quite logical that death precedes the opening of the will. The 5♥ is the card of family and inheritance, the 7♥, in this case, is the lawyer and 6♥ + 6♣ shows the gaining of money. Again, it is relevant that the combination showing the inheritance comes up after the one showing death. But within these combinations, the position of the cards is relatively irrelevant. You could take the cards that go from 5♥ to 6♣, shuffle them around and it wouldn’t change much. Similarly, in the first combination, you could place granny (2♠R) somewhere else, maybe between the 5♠ and the 3♠R, and things wouldn’t change.

This is because the prediction includes descriptions.

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

Vera Sibilla | Interpreting Face Cards

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Face cards are those that represent people. This is a more comprehensive notion than “court cards”, because not all face cards are court cards: for instance, the 2♠ can behave like a face card, a significator, but it is not a court card. Conversely, not all court cards necessarily behave like face cards: for instance, the K♦ is rarely a physical person, being a significator of the querent’s job.

Face cards are, for the most part, neutral. Heart cards tend to be slightly positive in themselves, but they also absorb the meaning of the cards surrounding them. Spade cards tend to be negative (though the K♠ is neutral when it is a face card) and being black they tend to assert their negativity over the positive meanings of other cards.

Face cards are neutral, and this means that they are heavily influenced by their surroundings. The cards immediately outside of a face card often give us the context and description of the person in terms of the situation. For instance, if the J♣ falls between K♦ and A♥, he can be a coworker or a work contact. If the same card falls between the 4♥ and the 9♥, he is either your best friend or your boyfriend. If he falls next to the A♣, he is probably a young husband. And so on.

When a face card does NOT appear in the spread even though you’d expect it to, that’s a sign. The person is not active in the events of the spread and is unlikely to be able to change them.

When a face card DOES appear in the spread, its suit will give us a hint of the role it takes on, if caring, helpful, disinterested, disingenuous, axe-grinding, inimical, if they are active, optimist, or passive and in need of help, etc. This is to be understood within the context of the question. For instance, a mature woman may occasionally show up as the Q♣ if she is either immature or in a precarious situation where she needs help.

When a face card appears as a suit that is not good for the question, the cards surrounding it may supplement positive connotations that the suit lacks. For instance, the Q♦ is a married woman, however when a married woman appears as the Q♦ in a love reading, her primary loyalty is not to the partner but to the marriage itself, which doesn’t mean she doesn’t love, but that she is primarily in the relationship out of inertia or tradition. However, if the Q♦ is next to the 4♥ or the 9♥, then she is very much in love, as though she were the Q♥.

When two face cards fall immediately next to each other, this is a sign that they know each other and interact (or will interact), unless other signs contradict this. Sometimes, if two face cards falling immediately next to each other are of the same sex, they can represent the same person. For instance, the Q♦ and Q♠ together can either signify two people or the same person, depending on the context. This is rarer when one of the two is reversed and the other isn’t, but it can still happen. Usually, when two face cards signify the same person it means the person has a dual role in the situation (in the example above, a wife who is inimical, maybe in the process of getting a divorce, etc.)

When two face cards have one or two or three cards between them (on occasion even more) those cards can be taken to describe their relationship and what unites them. For instance, J♣ + 9♦ + 5♠ + K♥ can show a very turbulent father-son relationship. Usually, when a combination showing the dynamics between two people fall between those people, they tend to have a less predictive effect. In the example above, if the 9♦ + 5♠ had fallen outside of the two significators it could have shown a breakup, and a rather painful one. But because it falls between them, it tends to only show how they relate to each other, and other cards will tell us whether or not they will fall out. If the sequence is followed by 8♣, there will be reconciliation, if 7♠, a break in the relationship.

When of two face cards one is reversed, they tend to be incompatible for whatever reason (look at the other cards). When they are both reversed they are still incompatible, but the incompatibility is more pervasive and visceral and less due to circumstances.

In general, a face card that is not the querent who is reversed signifies either someone who is in trouble or someone who works against the querent or, at least, disagree with them within the context of the situation.

When a face card is reversed, sometimes it signifies that the person has some type of issue related to the cards surrounding his significator. For instance, K♥R + 7♣ can signify a man who doesn’t feel realized. His card being reversed introduces a negation. It is similar to K♥ + 7♣R, the difference being subtle and somewhat psychological: if the face card is reversed, he is probably one who generally doesn’t feel realized. This notion however must be supported by other considerations.

Another example. Q♥R + 9♥ can signify a woman who is not faithful. The meaning is similar to Q♥ + 9♥R, but in the former case it is possible that she generally has a tendency not to be faithful–it is more rooted in her character than in the context of the situation. Again, you need to check for other signs.

When a slew of cards come up reversed (possibly all of them) it is a sign that the person’s world has been turned upside down.

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

Vera Sibilla | Split Combinations

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To sum up what we’ve seen so far in terms of card interactions: 1) cards behaving neutrally are influenced positively or negatively by the cards following them 2) cards with the same polarity tend to strengthen each other for good or ill 3) cards of a similar polarity tend not to rely on their placement to create meanings 4) but when cards have the opposite polarity, the one falling last tends to influence the previous one more than vice versa 5) similarly, if cards have opposite meanings the one falling last tends to influence the previous one more and indicate the direction of the reading 6) and, generally, black cards tend to be stronger than red cards, which tend to be influenced more than they influence. These rules of thumb can and often do conflict with one another, which is where the art of reading comes in.

Another phenomenon that it is well to keep in mind is the one which might be termed that of split combinations. This phenomenon happens when two or more cards forming a unit of meaning are split up to include a third card. This is especially common with cards bearing the same suit or the same number or having similar meanings. It can also happen in more elaborate combinations where all or most cards point to a single concept.

The 3♠ and 3♣ have the notion of movement in common: the Journey card is movement and the Widower is a removal. Together they form a combination that signifies a journey away from someone or something. It is very common for a card to fall between then, such as a face card. But the cards must still be read together as a unit, and the card falling between them is the thing or person the querent gets away from (K♥ their husband, 2♥ their house, K♦ their job, 10♥ their town) in other words, you do not read the combination 3♠ + 2♥ + 3♣ as: there will be loss, then the querent will move into a home. You read them as: the querent will abandon their house (or another place).

The 9♠ and 9♦ form a combination signifying a vicious cycle or an addiction (the same is true substituting either one with the 9♣R). If the 10♣R falls between them, you do not read: there is a blockage, then an opportunity which however will be squandered. You read the combination as: the querent has a problem with slot machines (the 10♣R is associated with gambling).

The 5♠ and the 7♠ often fall together to signify a definite and rather traumatic ending. If the 4♥ falls between them, you do not read the cards as: the querent will go through a sharp change, then he will find love but it won’t last. You read it as: the querent will break up with someone.

Of course, we are only taking three cards into account, which is very limiting. When you find yourself with five or ten or more cards in front of you, deciding what kinds of geometry the cards are following can become more a matter of judgement. All I can say is that you need to develop an eye for what the cards are saying.

Suppose we have the following combination: 5♠ + 5♥ + 7♥ + 2♦. The placement of the cards is relatively indifferent. Four times out of five, this combination will signal the reading of a will. If the 2♠ falls  in the middle, you do not let the card interfere with the combination and break it up. You incorporate the card into the combination, applying the combination’s meaning to the card: the reading of an old lady’s will.

Another example. Suppose we have the following combination: 4♦ + 8♠ + 10♦. This combination signals, generally speaking, a swindle. If the 6♥ falls somewhere inside the combination, you do not read that there will be a swindle, then money will be gained and then lost. You read it simply as:a swindle concerning money.

Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Fortune-telling, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla | Basics of Card Interpretation

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I start now a series of posts on card interactions in the Vera Sibilla. I should point out that this is a very hard topic to cover from a theoretical standpoint and that it’s best to discover it by practice. Still, some guidelines may be given. We are going to start simple by looking at some interactions between two cards.

The cards of the Vera Sibilla are generally read in more or less linear spreads. While you are at liberty to make up positional spreads for it, it is far more interesting to see them interact, especially because you don’t spend a great deal of time rambling on about a card. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t situations in which more than one meaning applies (in fact, it happens quite often) but you do not try to come up with artful and soulful interpretations that take you away from the querent’s concrete life.
As a general rule, neutral cards are influenced for better or worse by positive and negative cards. Note that a card can have both positive and neutral, or both negative and neutral, nuances. What we are interested in is not the theoretical polarity of the card, but how it behaves concretely. So, for instance, the A♥, the Conversation, is a slightly positive card when it comes to personal relationships, but when it represents an interview or date it is neutral. Similarly, the 7♠, the Disaster, is mostly negative, but when it represents something happening quickly, soon and all of a sudden it is neutral.

The second general notion is that cards taking on a similar polarity tend to be indifferent as to their placement in the spread, because they strengthen each other. For instance, 7♠ + 5♠ is mostly the same as 5♠ + 7♠: a disruptive and rather traumatic ending. Conversely, 4♥ + A♥ is often the same as A♥ + 4♥, showing lovers’ sweet talk or a date.

The third general notion you should become familiar with is that when two cards have starkly different polarities (in the context) the card that falls last between the two tends to influence the previous one more than the other way around.
So, for instance, A♥ + 7♠ is usually a disagreement, i.e., a conversation with anger and disruption in it.
If we swap the cards, 7♠ + A♥, it can mean that all of a sudden there will be a meeting or someone will speak to you. It can also mean (depending on the context of the question and the other cards) that a disruption or argument is followed by a clarifying talk.

This second possibility is rarer, because of a fourth general consideration: red cards tend to be influenced more by black cards than the other way around. Therefore, in the previous example of 7♠ + A♥, if the 7♠ assumed its negative meaning of disruption and anger, the A♥ would usually not be powerful enough to resolve the issue, unless supported by other cards. On the other hand, if it were 7♠ + 8♣, then the breakup would be followed by a reconciliation.

A fifth basic consideration is that when cards take on opposite meanings, the cards falling last tends to influence those before. So, for instance, 2♠ is what is old or getting old, and 7♦ is what is young or still growing. They are neutral cards in themselves, but the 2♠ is black so that it is not greatly influenced. What matters is the meaning. If we had 2♠ + 7♦, the end of a phase would be followed by the beginning of a new cycle. If we had 7♦ + 2♠, a new cycle would soon die off.

On the other hand, if we had 4♦ and 9♥, the situation would be different. The cards are opposite not just in meaning (truthfulness vs falseness) but also in polarity (negative vs positive) but they are both red. So even if the 9♥ fell last, it would not overcome the 4♦, and we would still have an idea of lack of sincerity at least.

All these considerations are preliminary and somewhat abstract, as they are based on only two cards (usually you’ll have at least three), but they will hold you in good stead. Also, the more you practice, the more you’ll see that they are not really rules so much as a general description of how the cards tend to concretely interact with each other. You will see, also, that you have plenty of latitude for interpretation.

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

Vera Sibilla | Nine of Spades – Prison (Prigione)

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Name: Prison
Italian Name: Prigione
Playing Card: 9♠
Polarity when Upright: Negative
Core Meanings: Blockage, Bondage, Imprisonment, Lack of freedom | Legal trouble | Pregnancy | Unpleasant environment
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral
Reversed Core Meanings: Liberation | Removal of obstacles | Expiation, Regret, Regretting something in general, Guilt

Card Description: in a dark dungeon, a man with his hands bound by a heavy chain reflects on his condition.

Suit and Number: all the nines in the Vera Sibilla signify bonds. The Nine of Spades is the card of heavy bonds, signifying all those situations that enslave us.

UPRIGHT 9♠

General: mostly a negative card of blockage, negative bonds and long delays. It has the peculiar secondary meaning of pregnancy. Sometimes when the cards falls at the beginning of a sequence, it shows that the querent is being forced into a situation, while when it falls last it shows that the querent feels chained to a situation.

Love and Relationships: relationships tend to be suffocating and limiting for the querent. The Prison card can signify being a slave to the partner, being forced to submit (or forcing them) but with positive cards it can show a very close, almost symbiotic relationship. When describing a relationship it describes it as a heavy bond, something that the querent would like to shake off. It heralds the loss of friends and loneliness. Often it can mean long periods spent without company, usually not willingly.

Work and Money: it is a card of unemployment, but it can also show being bound to a job you don’t like, whatever the reason might be (for instance, you can’t afford to leave). With negative cards it can bring poverty and debts, and it often comes up when the querent signs contracts and then regrets it.

Other: the card can show legal trouble. Psychologically and spiritually the card shows lack of evolution and the inability to let go of ideas. It also points to dejection. Needless to say it’s a card of addiction and black magic, in the appropriate context. It also represents places where the querent would rather not be

Important Combinations:
9♠ + 7♦ = the classical combination for pregnancy (the 8♥ might be present as confirmation)
A♥ or 8♣ + 9♠ = can be social isolation
7♣ + 9♠ = lack of recognition
9♠ + 5♣ or 2♣ = liberation
10♦ + 9♠ + 7♠R = can mean a kidnapping

REVERSED 9♠R

General: a neutral card whose meaning varies greatly depending on the surrounding cards. It mainly signifies liberation from bondage, but if with negative cards it shows, once again, loss of freedom. When this card is preceded by negative cards and followed by positive ones, it is a definite sign of liberation.

Love and Relationships: it can herald freedom from an unwanted relationship, maybe an abusive one. If with negative cards, though, it has the same meaning as the upright counterpart, and it can show mental obstacles to leaving. Often it signifies time spent alone willingly. It can also mean giving in to the temptation of doing something “wrong” like cheating, with the appropriate cards, as it can imply lack of restraint.

Work and Money: again, very similar to the upright card. When it is followed by positive cards, it shows the overturning of limiting conditions. With cards that point to swindles, it cautions the querent to be careful of what he signs or what businees he gets into.

Other: psychologically it shows someone who has no bonds, one who is a loner, a strange character, possibly on the spectrum. The card can signify regret for what you do, either because it was bad and you have come to your senses or because now you are stuck with the results of acting without restraint.

Important Combinations:
Q♣ + 10♣ + A♣ + 9♠R = marrying young, regretting it
9♠R + J♠ = a person who will try to rob you of your freedom (e.g. a scammer)
A♥R + 9♠R + 3♠ = a social outcast
9♠R + positive cards = liberation
9♠R + negative cards = enslavement

Other combinations: Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Nines