Tag Archives: Gratification

Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Sevens

In this article you will find some examples of combinations using the Vera Sibilla. Most of these combinations are handed down by tradition. Studying and decoding combinations is a very good way to improve your cartomantic vocabulary, but bear in mind that the exact meaning of a combination depends on many other factors, such as the context of the question and the other cards in the spread, so I would encourage you to keep an open mind. As a rule, you will find that if you do not pose a question and these combinations come up, they will mean what the tradition says they mean 3 times out of 5. Also, keep in mind that it’s useless to try to combine every card with every other card beforehand so that no surprises will ever come up in a spread, just as it is useless to try to combine every word in a dictionary with every other to study a language. That time is best spent actually practicing.

NOTE:
R = Reversed
U/R = Upright or Reversed (doesn’t matter)
* = This combination has to come up in this specific order
3♦ = The Gift (Omaggio)
8♦ = The Handmaid (Donna di Servizio)
C = Cuori (Hearts)
F = Fiori (Clubs)
Q = Quadri (Diamonds)
P = Picche (Spades)

Seven of Hearts (7♥) – Scholar (Letterato)

7♥ + 2♥ = the contract for buying, selling or renting real estate | can be a 7♥ish place (look for clues in the other cards) | it can represent a male person connected to the home or family (brother, uncle, even a partner)
7♥ + 4♥ = it can herald a reconciliation or signify serious projects for the couple (the 7♥ is a symbol of being serious about something, and the ability to make projects)
7♥ + 8♥ = an artist
7♥ + 10♥ = a contract for a permanent job | it’s a symbol of dependability, serious projects and talent
7♥ + A♣ = a contract (technically, signing a contract in front of a notary public, but not necessarily) | it may represent a partnership
7♥ + 2♣ = great intelligence or talent (or excellent contract)


7♥ + 3♣ = buying or selling a vehicle (+2♠, an old one, + 7♦, a new one)
7♥ + 7♣ = can be a renowned professional  | a good name in your field | again, a work contract
7♥ + 10♣ = lack of seriousness | a contract that is signed too hastily, if cards like 9♠ follow, showing that you’ll find yourself “imprisoned” by a clause
7♥ + K♣ = traditionally, bureaucracy and red tape (often followed by cards of blockage or slowness or loss of money)
7♥ + A♦ = a professional’s office (can also mean a desk job or, these days, working from home)


7♥ + 2♦ = legal documents
7♥ + 3♦ = a wealthy contract offer
7♥ + 4♦ = a contract not to sign | can be intelligence bent to evil ends or lack of talent
7♥ + 6♦ = the mind, the use of one’s intelligence
7♥ + 10♦ = a contract opportunity that will be snatched away | it can mean lack of faithfulness


7♥ + A♠R = signing a contract | extending a contract after its end
7♥ + 5♠ = end of contract or lack of it
7♥ + 6♠R = going to a professional for advice (look at the other cards for what professional)
7♥ + 7♠ = can be a breach of contract | something that doesn’t go as planned
7♥ + 9♠ = a binding contract
7♥ + 10♠R + 4♦ or J♠ = a hidden clause in a contract (if 10♦U/R or 8♠, it will cost you a pretty penny, if 9♠R, you’ll regret it)

7♥R + 4♥R = sexual depravity
7♥R + 5♥R = cheating
7♥R + 6♥ or 8♦ or 3♦ = to be in for the money or for material advantage or to climb the social ladder
7♥R + 6♦ = a calculating individual | lack of ability or common sense


7♥R + 8♦R = one possible interpretation is a low IQ | a scumbag, the oily type
7♥R + A♣U/R = traditionally, someone wants to marry you for the money
7♥R + K♦R = incompetence or lack of talent
7♥R + 9♠ = it can be impotence (the A♣U/R might be present)
7♥R + 7♣U/R = among other possible explanations, it may mean lack of recognition

Seven of Clubs (7♣) – Gratification (Gran Consolazione)

2♥ + 7♣ = real estate | can be the workplace
7♣ + 10♥ = wealth and/or prestige accumulated over time (with K♥ it might show a wealthy industry owner)
7♣ + 9♦ + 8♠ or 6♥R = squandering (instead of 9♦ you may find 10♣)
7♣ + 9♦R = gradually losing your prestige or privileges (if the 7♣ is reversed it would be worse)
K♦ + 7♣ = it can point to a promotion


A♥ + 7♣ = discussing business
7♣ + 3♣R or 8♦ = upward mobility, social elevation
10♠U/R + 7♣ = it can mean winning a competition (9♣ could be present showing the moment you feel the thrill of victory)
J♣ + 6♦ + 2♦ + K♣ + 7♣ = getting a degree or passing an important test
Negative cards + 7♣ = a light at the end of the tunnel
7♣ + PersonR = it might be someone who lacks a sense of security

A♥ or 8♣ + 7♣R* = a talk or meeting with no concrete outcomes
7♣R + 2♣ or 5♣ = a situation that seemed to be a dead end suddenly turns out for the better (depending on the other cards, it can be a rags to riches kind of situation)
7♣R + 8♠ + J♠ or Q♠ = slander, mobbing
3♦ + 2♠ + 7♣R = can be a loss of social status (if +7♠R, it is irreversible and disastrous)
Person + 7♣R = someone who is inhibited by fears or doesn’t feel secure in their position (the same might be the case if the 7♣ is upright and the person card is reversed)
K♦ + 7♣R = among other possibilities, a dead end job (if with 9♠, the querent won’t leave it)

Seven of Diamonds (7♦) – Child (Bambino)

A♥ + 7♦ = meeting new people | it’s a symbol of truthfulness
3♥ + 7♦ = arrival of a baby (or of something new)
7♦ + 4♥ = a new love or the first love
7♦ + 9♥ = complete honesty in love and in any other field (can also be a new love)
7♦ + J♥ or J♣ = a young boy (if the Js are reversed, they have problems)


7♦ + Q♥ or Q♣ = a young girl (especially the Q♣)
7♦ + 8♣ = meeting someone new | it can be a total renewal of one’s life (going back to something in a a new way)
7♦ + 10♣ = naivety (often found with cards of loss like 6♥R or 6♣R)
7♦ + 9♣ + 2♥ = a baby shower or a birthday party (especially with A♠R)
7♦ + 4♦ = usually a mistake due to inexperience or naivety | one who plays dumb (false innocence) | a stepson or an illegitimate son (or daughter)


7♦ + 8♦ = a babysitter | a new phase of life | a new offer or new job
7♦ + 2♠* = a beginning that is already old and declining | granny and nephew
2♠ + 7♦* = the end of a phase and the beginning of a new one | also granny and nephew
7♦ + J♠ = can be a negative young boy (if also 9♣R and/or 8♠ a bully, if 6♥R or 8♦R, he wants your lunch money!)


7♦ + A♣ + K♠ = an adoption (only if the question is specific, otherwise other cards are needed)
A♦ + 5♥ + 7♦ = a playground
3♥ + 7♦ + 3♦ = a videogame (10♣R would show electrical appliances)

7♦R + A♣ = indecision about marriage or a contract (in which case the A♣ can be switched with the 7♥)
7♦R + 6♠ = a situation that will take a very long time
7♦R + 10♣ or 4♦ = it accentuates the idea of gullibility
A♥ + 7♦R = hesitation in speaking or opening up, but if also K♠, it could be a trial or hearing that will draw out over a longer period than expected
7♦R + 7♣R = insecurities and fears inhibiting someone | a situation that draws out and won’t have practical outcomes
7♦R + J♦U/R + 3♦ = delay in the arrival of a parcel (if J♦R, the delay is longer)

Seven of Spades (7♠) – Disaster (Disgrazia)

A♥U/R + 7♠ = an argument
7♠ + 2♥ or A♦ = can be a domestic accident
7♠ + 3♥* = an unexpected arrival/visit
7♠ + 3♥R = a great wrath
4♥ + 7♠ = a breakup (not necessarily forever though)


6♥U/R + 7♠ = financial difficulties
7♠ + 2♣ = a small accident with no consequences
7♠ + 5♣ = a stroke of luck
7♠ + 4♦ + 4♠ = a stroke, period (the 4♦ represents the heart as an organ) | can also be a surgical mistake
7♠ + 3♦ = can be destruction of property or a broken object


7♠ + J♦ or 2♦* = quick arrival of correspondence, maybe priority mail (if the cards are swapped, it may be a letter that makes you angry)
7♠ + 3♠ = separation, getting away, a bad breakup
7♠ + 4♠ and/or K♣ = a surgery
Person + 7♠ = a wrathful, angry or choleric disposition, stay away
7♠ + 6♦ + 6♣* = eureka! A sudden revelation or discovery, being struck by an idea

PersonR + 7♠R + PersonR = traditionally, slavery, slaves
7♠R + J♣R + 9♣R = a troubled youth with drug habits that he cannot kick (if 5♠ + 3♠R, a fatal overdose is likely)
K♣U/R + 2♥U/R + 7♠R = usually a tyrannical father (or boss, in which case the 2♥ is the workplace. If Q♦U/R, it’s the mother who is tyrannical)
5♠ + A♠ + 7♠R = the inability to get back on your feet after the end of something (psychological cards may show up indicating the person’s distress)


8♥R + 7♠R = a depression that doesn’t seem to go away
3♣ + 2♥ + 7♠R + K♠ = an eviction (the 10♠ would show the police getting involved)
K♠U/R + 7♠R = the government forcing you to do something | a tyrannical government, broadly (especially with the K♠R. If also 10♠, a military junta or a police state, or, more individually, it could be a deportation, especially with 3♣. If 6♥R and 3♦R or 8♦R 7♣R or A♣R or 2♥R, expropriation of goods or properties of various kind -the 6♥R is also avarice, that is, the government is avaricious with people’s stuff, in which case the 2♠R may show up too-)

Vera Sibilla and Numerology – The Sevens

The sevens in the Vera Sibilla are mainly connected with the ideas of intentions, mindset, projects and planning. They speak, in other words, of our ability to conjure up visions of reality and of ourselves that may then be planted into the outside world and grown. While the sixes spoke of the passage of time and the flow of events, the sevens represent our ability to see an alternative that may be tapped into to alter that flow. Differently put, they show us how the Self reacts to that flow.

The Sevens in the Vera Sibilla Oracle – The Seven of Hearts (Scholar or Artist), The Seven of Clubs (Gratification), The Seven of Diamonds (Child) and The Seven of Spades (Disaster)

As it should by now be clear, Hearts and Spades are direct opposites of one another. The Seven of Hearts, the Scholar or Artist, represents the power of reason. Notice the difference between the Seven of Hearts and the Six of Diamonds, the Thought card. The latter is about our inner reality, which may or may not be reasonable. A passing look at the amount of psychic crap that comes pouring out whenever we hit a shrink’s couch shows us that the Thought card, i.e. what goes on on the inside, may bear little to no resemblance to reality in its absolute, objective sense.

The Six of Diamonds may show projects, but only in so far as they are inside and not yet outside. The Seven of Hearts, on the other hand, represents the ability to plan. It represents rationality, brain power, the ability to measure and count (when reversed, the idea of measuring and counting becomes the negative notion of ulterior motives, of doing something because you are calculating individual).

It is also the card connected with the skill of coherently putting together a vision of reality that may be used to then mold reality itself. Hence its connection with creativity and art, which are not the opposite of reason, but its extension into the world. As unfashionable as thinking straight is among us new-agey folks, this card is very important. The most important practical meaning of the Scholar, i.e. contracts, comes from the fact that the juridical side of life is founded on the concept of “meeting of minds”, which is what generates contracts: it’s when my mind meets yours midways to create a stable, reasonable intersubjective agreement.

Let’s turn to the Seven of Spades, Disaster, which is notoriously similar to the Tower card in the tarot. This card is, in more than one sense, the direct opposite of the Scholar. In its most general sense, this is the card of immeasurability. It shows all those things that, no matter how “scholarly” we might be, hit us from the outside, without forewarning and without any discernible cause that we might prepare for in advance. It shows shit happening because shit just happens, and that’s kind of it.

As an extended, neutral meaning, this card also represents things happening all of a sudden, and usually very quickly, though not necessarily in a bad sense. A third important meaning of this card is that of negative projects. While the Scholar is the good architect of reality, the Disaster card can show ill-will, the desire to hurt or harm another. It is connected with anger and choler, all forces that blur the line between what’s reasonable and what isn’t.

In between we have the Seven of Clubs, Gratification, and the Seven of Diamonds, the Child. These, too, are starkly different cards in many ways, although with a common tread. The Seven of Diamonds is the card of all things new and novel. It represents new projects, new plans, new things in general coming into our lives. More subtly, this is also the card of new visions, of opening up to new points of view, new stimuli, new perspectives and new ways of understanding ourselves and others.

Its archetype extends to cover ideas such as purity of soul, candor, innocence, but also naivety. The Suit of Diamonds is the suit of seeds, of all those little impulses, positive or negative, that are planted into our lives. Among the other Diamonds cards, the Child is the one that most of all represents a seed: small, ready to grow and full of promise and potential.

The Seven of Clubs, Gratification, is anything except small. It is deeply connected with our sense of self, with what makes us secure in our identity and what supports our narrative of who we are and of how who we are finds its deepest fulfillment in real life. If the Child is the seed, Gratification is the tree ripe with succulent, plump fruits.

This is not a “theoretical” card, but a very material one. In the most general sense, it is connected with our sense of stability in the world: it may have to do with fame, recognition, our good or bad name (depending on the cards around and on whether this one is upright or reversed). Furthermore, the Seven of Clubs has strong ties with the concept of concreteness and concretization: it shows the next logical step in making a situation more stable, concrete and fulfilling, whether it’s marriage (the ring in the picture) a promotion at work (the bag of money) or a positive reception by our fellow humans (the wreath).

As Alessandra Venturi says in her book, this card can be the light at the end of the tunnel, in that after a slew of negative cards it can allow us to regain a sense of balance and a more positive outlook. Whatever the field, this card doesn’t speak of emotions, but it does speak of personal fulfillment in the situation.