Tag Archives: Suit of Hearts

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards

Playing Cards That Indicate Gain

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I’m doing it with the Sibilla, so it stands to reason that I should do it with playing cards too. As usual, this list is not meant to be complete. It is only intended to look at the cards as if through a cross-section based on a particular topic. In this case, gain.

Three of Hearts

In my playing card system, the Three of Hearts is a gift. It represents all things that we acquire easily. It is not, strictly speaking, a card of gain, but it can entail gain. For instance, if someone asked about their business, this card falling at the end of the spread would indicate improvements and therefore, within the context, additional wealth, that is, gain.

Five of Hearts

The Five of Hearts is the card of abundance. It is one of the cards that can indicate a very positive evolution and increase of wealth. As with the Three, the Five, being in the suit of Hearts, is not strictly about money, but it can promise positive situations in a reading about finances. Furthermore, next to money cards, it increases their import.

Nine of Hearts

Not much to say here. In many respects the Nine of Hearts is like the Three of Hearts, but much more powerful.

Ace of Clubs

The Ace of Clubs is a very strong card, which indicates power within the situation. If it falls next to the querent, it shows the querent actively obtaining something, having power over it. However, unlike in the suit of Hearts, the Club suit requires effort and action, and is therefore less rosy than the Three, Five or Nine of Hearts. The Ace of Clubs can also indicate a powerful vision that comes true in material terms.

Three of Clubs

The Three of Clubs is a card of union, and can represent a business affair. As such, it usually promises gain in material issues, but we must be careful in our analysis of the whole spread, as we all know a business deal can be disastrous when attended by Spades or less promising Club cards. By itself, the Three is mildly encouraging.

Ace of Diamonds

The Ace of Diamonds represents news in general, but it also represents gold and all things that have high value. It is a card of great riches and wealth when not impeded by other difficult cards.

Three of Diamonds

The Three of Diamonds is a money card. As such it is usually read as small gains, whether in a positive sense (as in a small inheritance or a small raise) or in a negative sense (as in having only little money). Furthermore, we must be careful to note whether the little money is being gained or spent. By itself the Three shows gain.

Four of Diamonds

The Four of Diamonds represents agreements and pacts. Being in the suit of Diamonds it is geared more toward material affairs and thus indicates contract, whether positive or negative will be shown by other cards.

Five of Diamonds

The Five of Diamonds indicates change, especially (though not exclusively) within the context of money matters. It can indicate money changing hands for better or worse.

Seven of Diamonds

This is like the Three of Diamonds, but it shows a larger amount. Furthermore, the Seven is more clearly indicative of gain over loss. It is a more inherently fortunate cards.

Nine of Diamonds

The Nine of Diamonds is strongly connected with the realization of plans, material projects and with social ascent. Increase in wealth may or may not be tied to it, though in our society it usually is. It represents strong satisfaction in money matters, and upward mobility with all the perks that are entailed.

Ten of Diamonds

The biggest money card in the game, the Ten of Diamonds indicates success all around. For entrepreneurs it shows the reaching of great goals, while for business owners it can represents advantageous situations that generate wealth and ease in terms of money. Note that gain can be intended also as a reduction in expenses, so if the question is something like “Will I manage to get my landlord toreduce my rent in the next contract?” that counts as gain.

MQS

Card Reading, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards, Reading Example

Reading the Colors and Suits – Cartomancy with Playing Cards

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In playing card divination, a lot of emphasis is given to the two colors and the four suits. The two aspects must not be separated from one another as they give us valuable information. However, since the two colors are a binary distinction without much refinement, they tend to describe general trends that can be easily overruled by other considerations. It’s best to leave them out unless they strike you.

In general, red cards indicate life and movement, but an excess of red can show instability. On the other hand, black cards show inertia and slowness, but when there’s too many of them they create obstruction. A good mix of red and black shows a balanced situation. This is especially true if we are describing a situation rather than predicting an outcome. For instance, I remember once doing a reading for a friend on the beach. She had just met a new guy. The spread was:

2♥ – 7♥ – 8♥ – J♥ – 3♥

Obviously, this spread consists only of Hearts and it is only red. This is consistent with the newness of the relationship, but it also shows us that there is nothing except some infatuation going on. The cards don’t predict a breakup, but they show that the relationship won’t last after the initial excitement has gone. We would need some black cards to anchor the red ones. We don’t even need to interpret the single cards, although we could. This is a fun summertime romance. Let’s leave it at that. Result: they broke up in winter.

Here is another example. A woman was asking if there would be reconciliation with her husband.

3♣ – 2♠ – 4♣ – 6♣ – 5♣

The Three of Clubs is the marriage and the Two of Spades is the argument. My question to the querent was how long ago the breakup had happened. She said it had been less than a week. The cards are obviously predominantly Clubs and all black. Therefore, they show that inertia will prevail. They don’t show reconciliation proper. They simply show that the breakup wasn’t really a break so much as an argument. The situation is unsatisfactory, and there is no love, but the cards show that it will go on.

Now, suppose that the same question had been asked by the same person and that she had gotten the same cards, but this time the breakup had happened three months ago. There is no reconciliation in the cards, and a new status quo has set in, which will tend to preserve itself (black color)

Red and black

Let us now analyze the suits. Suits tend to reinforce their particular meaning: Spades bring sorrow and blockage, Hearts feelings and joy, Clubs work and toil, Diamonds money and energy. In the first example, we only have Hearts, which shows feelings. It would be helpful to get Clubs, because Clubs show effort, and we all know that true love is a full time job. In fact, in a larger spread, it would even be nice to see some Spades in the past position, together with positive cards showing that the couple has gone through a lot and now has reached a point of stability.

In the second example, however, we have mostly Clubs. Here there is no fun left, and the situation goes on simply because it has been going on for a while, but it remains just drudgery.

Another important thing to take notice of is when a card that symbolizes either a person or a significator for a specific question shows up surrounded by cards of the same suit, or at least by cards that give us a coherent picture.

Here’s an example. A man asked about his relationship.

4♠ – Q♣ – 5♠ – 3♣ – K♦

The woman shows up as the Queen of Clubs, surrounded by two Spades. We don’t care about which Spades. The point is that she cannot move. She is impeded in some way. The reason is given by the Three of Clubs and the King of Diamonds: she is married.

Here is another example: a man asked if his new business venture would flourish.

K♣ – J♥ – 5♣ – 8♦ – 6♣

We don’t need to spend much time fiddle-farting with card meanings. The Eight of Diamonds, the card of business, is hemmed in by Clubs. No, the business will not flourish. It won’t go belly up, but at least for a very long time it will be just toil with little rewards. Yes, we could add that that Jack of Hearts shows he’s naive, but let’s not complicate things, for now. Sometimes the prediction is just obvious.

Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards

Playing Cards | The Four Suits

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The two colors divide into four suits, two for each color.

Red splits into Hearts, which represent emotions and easy triumph, and Diamonds, which represent energy and the reward for positive action taken. Of the two, Hearts are generally more positive.

Black splits into Clubs, which represent effort and toil and the need to act, and Spades, which represent serious trouble. Of the two, Spades are more negative.

At a glance it is clear that Hearts tend to be antithetical to Spades, while Clubs and Diamonds complement each other.

Hearts signify love, family, emotion, religion, art, philosophy, nourishment, miracles, celebrations, gifts. They give freely (out of the goodness of their heart, you may say). They are connected to the home environment, and by analogy to the inner side of the individual. They are also connected to warm climates and the sea and all bodies of water. They are also erratic and lazy. They are associated with the clergy and with nobility.

Spades are the opposite. Whereas Hearts give freely, Spades take away easily. They represent obstacles, enmity, obstructions to the querent’s desires, restriction, punishment and all things that are either bad for the querent (sickness) or are neutral to positive but cause pain or are associated with it(medicine, the legal system, the state). In a word, all those things that create a rigid armor of rules and punishments that keep the individual from getting what he wants. They are associated with cold climates and the mountain, and with hostile environments in general. They are connected with the army and with the state as a means of threatening the citizens.

Hearts are Spades cannot be reconciled. They represent two opposite modes of existence: pure bliss and pure pain, heaven and hell. When only Hearts and Spades litter the reading, you have either miracles or tragedies, depending on which one prevails.

Clubs and Diamonds are the conciliation of the pure redness of Hearts and the pure blackness of Spades. They represent toil and rewards. Toil implies difficulties and the need for action (but also the possibility of action), while rewards imply some action, or they wouldn’t be rewards, but gifts (Hearts).

Clubs are associated with action, physical activity, the physical body, and with the world “out there”, as opposed to the inner reality of the Hearts. They symbolize vegetation and growth, both in plants and in humans, and they stand for the countryside and for the peasantry or with the common folk, those who need to work to get by. They also are a symbol of other people outside of the querent’s family, as an extension of the idea of “out there”. Usually, Clubs are friends or more distant relatives. Clubs are different from Spades because the latter often signify obstacles that are either impossible or very hard to plough through, while Clubs put the accent on action, and therefore on the turning of something from an obstacle into a resource. If Spades are a wall that confines the querent, Clubs are a steep slope to climb.

Diamonds show the rewards reaped from the toil of the Clubs. They signify money, energy (because money can be transformed into anything that money buys, just like energy can be transformed into anything that is made of energy). They also signify the mind and progress, inventions, etc. They are associated with the city and with merchants and the bourgeoisie. They differ from Hearts, the other red suit, because although they are still connected with some sort of inner side of the querent, it is more practical and aimed at achieving the goods of this world. It is inventiveness rather than contemplation, science rather than philosophy or religion.

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Playing Cards

Reading Regular Playing Cards – Card Titles

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This is a short summary of the meanings I assign to regular playing cards. In time, I will add individual pages for each of the cards. It’s how they’ve been taught to me. I am aware that there are many other methods. Feel free to patch together a system that works for you. Note that these are only the “names” of the cards in the system I use. More meanings can be derived by interpreting the title figuratively.

HEARTS

A♥ = The Home
2♥ = Near the home (The door knockers)
3♥ = A gift
4♥ = A reunion
5♥ = Abundance
6♥ = Adjustment
7♥ = A Surprise
8♥ = Cheerfulness
9♥ = Triumph
10♥ = Happiness
J♥ = A child
Q♥ = A loved woman
K♥ = A loved man

CLUBS

A♣ = A Commitment
2♣ = Steps
3♣ = A Union
4♣ = Talks
5♣ = Effort
6♣ = Tiredness
7♣ = Difficulties
8♣ = Work
9♣ = Far away
10♣ = Travel
J♣ = Friendship
Q♣ = The female Querent
K♣ = The male Querent

DIAMONDS

A♦ = News
2♦ = A Letter
3♦ = Money
4♦ = Agreement
5♦ = Change
6♦ = Worry
7♦ = Gain
8♦ = Business
9♦ = Advancement
10♦ = Success
J♦ = A Messenger
Q♦ = A Lady
K♦ = A Gentleman

SPADES

A♠ = Death
2♠ = Anger
3♠ = Intrigue
4♠ = Blockage
5♠ = Imprisonment
6♠ = Sickness (The wards of a hospital)
7♠ = Misfortune
8♠ = Tears
9♠ = Privation
10♠ = A Secret
J♠ = Enmity
Q♠ = Falsehood
K♠ = Authority

Card Combinations, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – Heart and Club Court Cards

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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)

Heart Court Cards

Q♥R or J♥R + 9♥ = a cheater
Q♥ or J♥ + 5♥R or 9♥R = also a cheater
Q♥ or J♥ + 10♠U/R = can mean that the querent has a lover
Q♥ + 7♦ = a good mother (unless other cards show otherwise) | a younger girl, rarely
J♥ + 7♦ = a boy, usually, sometimes two brothers where one is very young and the other a teen


J♥R + A♣R = has only one thing in mind and it starts with s and ends with ex
Q♥R + A♣R = same for a woman (note, this interpretation would be confirmed by the A♦, otherwise other interpretations could be possible)
Q♥ + J♣ = a woman and her son or younger lover, but since he’s a ♣, it’s unlikely to last forever (same with J♥ and Q♣)
J♥ + J♣ = brothers, cousins, friends or a gay couple (in this case the suit is not important)
Q♥ or J♥ or K♥ + 2♥ = person has serious intentions (K♥ can also mean he’s a home owner), similar meaning if 7♥


Q♥ or J♥ + 4♥R = a homosexual (the 4♥R in this case is not negative) | someone who lives their love in an unhealthy way, or someone whose is deeply disappointed
Q♥R or J♥R + 4♥R = a depraved individual, usually (7♥R may be present)
Q♥R or J♥R + 10♥ = it can mean that the person is not emotionally stable
2♠ + Q♥ = can be an ex, but the fact that she shows up as a ♥ means the querent still has feelings
3♠ + J♥ or K♥ = same for a man


Q♥R or J♥R or K♥R + 4♠ = Person is sick or shows love in a sick or morbid way
Q♥ + 7♣ + J♥ or K♥ = can be the consolidation of the couple, with other cards marriage may be hinted at
Q♥ + 7♦ + K♥ = a loving family with a child (if J♥ instead of Q♥ or if Q♦ instead of K♥, a loving gay family with a child)
Q♥R or J♥R + 6♦R = probably the inclination to cheat or planning on cheating
Q♥ or J♥ or K♥ + 8♦ = person lives love or their family and love life with honor and can be trusted


Q♥R or J♥R or K♥R + 9♥ or 4♥ + 4♦ = person pretends to be in love
10♦ + Q♥ or J♥ or K♥ = someone is trying to snatch the ♥ person from us (if the person is reversed, they are happy to be snatched away)
Q♥ or J♥ or K♥ + 10♣ = not necessarily evil people, but they probably sleep around (if they are reversed, it’s probably deeply ingrained in their character)

K♥ + 6♥ or 3♦ = can be a wealthy protector
K♥ + 7♥ = may be a successful professional
K♥ + 2♣ = a protector | God (+8♥, a deep faith, a miracle)
K♥ + 7♦ = usually father and child, and he is a good father


K♥ + K♠ = in a court case, the judge is sympathetic, in general, the authority is sympathetic
K♥ + J♥ or J♣ = father and son or uncle and nephew, or a gay couple with some age difference
K♥ + 9♠ = can be a married man (he has a commitment)
K♥ + 7♣ + 10♥ = a powerful, successful man
K♥R + 7♦ = bad father
K♥R + K♠ = bad judge, a misanthrope, one who doesn’t help, an unjust man of power

8♣ + 7♥R + K♥U/R = can be a man leading a double life
K♥R + 9♣R = a man with an addiction
K♥R + 9♠ = can also be a man with an addiction (K♥R is itself a card of addiction and irregular behavior)
K♥R + 7♥R = a nasty man, a deviant, a total bum
K♥R + 5♠ + 3♠ = a dead husband
K♥R + 8♠ = a jealous husband, not the nice kind (+7♠, run for your life, if 7♠R, you are probably not even running away)
K♥R + 10♣ + 6♥U/R = a squanderer
K♥R + 10♣R + 9♣R = a gambler (and a bad one)

Club Court Cards

J♣ + K♣ = usually, a boss and a subordinate, but it could also mean a young boss, it can also mean a young person and an unloving father (in this case, Q♣ would be a daughter)
J♣ or Q♣ + Q♦ = normally a mother and her son or daughter, sometimes a “milf” and her younger lover (male or female). Same with K♥ as “dilf”
J♣ + 4♥ = a young man in love (in this case, even though he is a ♣, and would therefore not do as a lasting partner, he absorbs the qualities of the surrounding card. This is true of most Face cards)
J♣ + Q♣ = brother and sister, cousins, young boyfriend and girlfriend (usually their showing up as ♣s means they will sooner or later break up)

J♣ + 2♦ + 6♦ = a student
J♣ or Q♣ + 7♦ = young boy or girl, but they may be teen parents as well depending on the context
J♣ or Q♣ + 9♥ or 10♥ = trustworthy young people
J♣ + 10♠ = a young man in uniform, or a hot hunky young man
Q♣ + 2♣ = a beautiful young woman, a female deity (traditionally, the Virgin Mary)
J♣ + 4♦ = one whose helps come with strings attached


Q♣ + 4♦ = could be the same, but more usually it could show a deluded deluded woman, sometimes a liar
Q♣ + 4♣ = girl friends
Q♣ + 8♦ = can be two colleagues or a young woman in uniform
Q♣ or J♣ + 2♠ or 3♠ = nephew/niece/grandson/granddaughter and granny or grandpa or older uncle/aunt
Q♣ or J♣ + A♣ = young married person or young business partner


J♣R + K♣R = traditionally, a duo of depraved individuals
J♣R + 9♥ = avoid accepting his help
J♣R + 4♥R = may be a young male escort
J♣R + 6♥R = a thief or a young man with holes in his pockets
J♣R + 4♣R = be weary of accepting his help
10♠ + J♣R + 9♠ = a young criminal being apprehended


J♣R + 2♥R = a can be a troubled teen with a difficult home life, but if also 9♠, might be a juvenile detention center
Q♣R + 4♥ = a young woman who suffer for love
Q♣R + 8♦R = a stupid bimbo
Q♣R + 4♠ or 8♣R or 8♥R = depression
Q♣R + 4♦ = a young woman who view of reality is completely skewed
Q♣R + 6♠R = a young woman with mood swings or mood swings in general

Q♣R + 7♠ = a negative, irrational young woman
K♣ + K♥ = a good doctor or professional
2♦ + K♣ = a diagnosis or professional’s document to be understood in context
K♣ + 2♠ = geriatrician or a older female doctor or boss


K♣ + 4♦ = wrong advice or a cardiologist
K♣ + 4♠ + 7♠ = surgeon, surgery
K♣ + A♥ = a consultant of some kind
K♣ + 7♦ = a pediatrician
K♣ + K♥ or Q♥ = an andrologist or gynecologist
K♣ + 9♦ = allergist, lungs doctor, a psychiatrist, depending on the other cards


K♣ + K♦ = boss
K♣ + 2♣ = a man of enormous power | a professional who will solve your issue, a great doctor
K♣ + 10♠ = a higher up in the military
K♣R + 10♦ = a thief, but usually a powerful one, not a street thug
K♣R + 6♥R = loan shark


K♣R + J♠ + 9♦ = can be a mobster
2♦ + K♣R = wrong diagnosis, seek second opinion
K♣R + A♠ + 4♠ = traditionally, a doctor or surgeon making a mistake that leaves you with visible scars or problems
K♣R + 2♥R + 7♠R = a violent, oppressive father (if Q♦ it would be the mother, of course)
K♣R + K♦ = a negative boss at work

Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

The Four Suits in the Vera Sibilla

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The Vera Sibilla (or Sibilla della Zingara) inherits its suit system from the playing card tradition. This is nothing extraordinary in itself. The Lenormand oracle also follows this system, but in a different way.

Coming from the German/Austrian Spiel der Hoffnung, Lenormand cards are assigned their value according to the meanings that the four suits have in the German tradition, where Spades are, on average, better than Clubs. Plus, I have never been able to see much numerology behind Lenormand. Other card systems, such as the Gypsy cards, the Biedermeier Aufschlagkarten and the Kipper cards, do not employ suit correspondences.  

As I have said before, and as other Sibilla experts confirm, the Vera Sibilla is a result of the application of the same archetypes as those of the Gypsy cards to the Italian system of reading playing cards (every country has its own variations, probably). Even then, the Sibilla evolved into its own system, so the suit correspondences are not just like those of playing cards. We’ll see why.

The first, most obvious distinction is between red suits and black suits. In the Vera Sibilla, the back suits, i.e. Spades and Clubs, tend to be more active and dominating. Their influence on the spread, in other words, is often stronger, and they tend to influence red cards rather than being influenced by them. This is a rule of thumb, however, and there might be exceptions.

Within the first binary distinction we find the fourfold division of the four suits*. Here, the most glaring pattern that you will find is that Spades cards are all somewhat negative, or at least difficult neutral cards. On the other hand, Hearts are almost all positive, or at least neutral to positive. However, Hearts are red, which means that the presence of negative cards can easily turn a positive Heart card into a negative omen, while Spades tend to be very dominating cards.

If you examine Spades and Hearts side by side, as I’ve done in the numerology series, you will notice that each Heart card is the direct opposite of the Spade card with the same number. Thus, Hearts and Spades symbolize the basic polarity of good and bad that exists in everyday life.

In the middle, we find the other two suits: Diamonds and Clubs. Whereas Spades are black and negative, Clubs are black and positive (with the exception of the Ten of Clubs, which is neutral). Clubs therefore have a strong -mostly- positive influence, while Spades have a strong -mostly- negative one.

Diamonds, finally, are red, which means that they are easily influenced, but they are more of a mixed bag, compared to Hearts: they are mostly neutral, with some very negative cards, some problematic ones and some mildly positive ones. Diamonds and Clubs move within the good-bad polarity that is established by the suits of Hearts and Spades.

HEARTS
It doesn’t take a revolutionary philosopher to realize that Hearts deal mostly with emotions. They are a relatively straightforward suit, showing the many facets of our more intimate relationships. Curiously, the Six of Hearts is called Money, and is the significator card for, well, money.

However, since one of its major meanings is the past (all sixes have to do with the concept of time), I suspect that whoever drew the card was going for the image of a safe to symbolize the idea, and then they decided they could attach the archetype of money to this card.

Be it as it may, even when the Six of Hearts means money, it often shows that emotions and finances are entwined in the situation (as opposed to other money cards such as the Handmaid or the Surprise).

All the other Heart cards have obvious connections with the inner world of emotions their outer manifestation as personal relationships. If we had to associate the suit of Hearts to a planet, it would obviously be Venus, the smaller benefic, ruler of love, emotions, art and beauty, all stuff that goes under the suit of Hearts.

CLUBS
In traditional playing cards, the suit of Clubs is connected to work, toil, the countryside, study and learning. It is not particularly positive, as it is black and conveys ideas of struggle, labor and the need for discipline. It’s not bad, but it’s not a suit of free success.

In the Sibilla, however, the Suit of Clubs is mostly about good luck, opportunities and money. No card in the suit depicts the idea of toil, although some of the cards convey it when reversed. Most of them are connected with chances and opportunities, and also with social relationships. They also showcase the notion of objective production (as opposed to the inner realm of the Hearts), recognition, advancement.

The two best cards in the deck, the Peacock and Fortune, are part of this suit. The only mixed card in the deck is the Ten, Levity, which still conveys the idea of chance, randomness etc. but in a more neutral way, with possible negative undertones depending on the situation.

If we were to associate the suit of Clubs with a planet, it would probably be a tie between Jupiter and the Sun. Jupiter is the greater benefic, ruler of luck, protection, religion and dolce vita, all concepts we find in the suit. The Sun is the planet of royalty, recognition and greatness.

DIAMONDS
Unlike in playing cards, where Diamonds are mostly about money, here the Sibilla seems to want to convey the idea of “everyday happenings”. As Sibilla expert Etienne Valancourt pointed out, the suit of Diamonds is the suit of seeds and impulses, of news, of happenings in general.

It is not a positive suit, though it’s not as negative as the suit of Spades. It shows how our experience of the human condition can lead us to very dark places as well as to very bright ones. If we were to associate this suit with a planet, it would be Mercury, a neutral, shapeshifting influence that can be positive or negative, heralds news and new phases, rules communication, writing and commerce.

SPADES
The Suit of Spades is the one no one wants in their spreads, unless they are waiting for an old lady to kick the bucket so they can get their hands on her money. Every major unpleasant aspect of life is covered here, from death to malady, from tears to loss, from violence to imprisonment, from disasters to desperation.

While the suit of Hearts has an expansive, easy feeling about, the Spades separate, hurt, scar (sometimes for life). At a deeper level, it might be said that the Spades represent the tough lessons we learn from life, or the lessons we learn from pain.

A child truly learns that knives cut only by grabbing one the wrong way (Spades), even though her mother would rather he learned by simply listening to her love-filled advice (Hearts). If we had to associate the Spades to a planet, it would be a tie with Mars and Saturn, the two malefics. Mars rules conflict, war, surgery and struggle, while Saturn rules death, decay, limitation, poverty, depression.

* Some versions of the Vera Sibilla, unfortunately, do not have suit icons, and use a somewhat confusing system of letters. C stands for Cuori, i.e. Hearts (thus, 3C is the Three of Hearts); F stands for Fiori, Clubs (3F = Three of Clubs); Q stands for Quadri or Diamonds (3Q = Three of Diamonds); P stands for Picche or Spades (3P = Three of Spades).

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla Cheat Sheet

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Here is a quick cheat sheet of the main traditional meanings attributed to each card. To avoid going on and on, I’ve limited myself to a maximum of three concepts/keywords per card side (i.e. three concepts at most for a card in its upright position and three at most for the reversed position).

This list is not exhaustive, as I had to concentrate on the most useful meanings, but it’s a starting point and a good reference. You can click on the four suits to be redirected to more in-depth card descriptions.

Suit of Hearts

Ace – Conversation (Conversazione)
Upright: Communication | People under the same roof
Reversed: Transformation, Change | Communication problems

Two – The House (Casa)
Upright: House or building | Family | Intimacy
Reversed: Negative home environment | Negative place

Three – The Balcony (Belvedere)
Upright: Arrival | Looking, Watching, Seeing | Distance
Reversed: Non-arrival | Arrival of negative things or people | Uncontrollable, animalesque character

Four – Love (Amore)
Upright: Love, Emotions | Positive context that the querent loves
Reversed: Traditionally the card of homosexuality | Lack of emotions | Distorted expression of emotion

Five – Happiness (Allegrezza al Cuore)
Upright: Quick fulfillment | An engagement, A commitment of any kind | Extended family, relatives
Reversed: Cheating, Betrayal | Setbacks of all kinds | Problems with relatives

Six – The Safe (Denaro)
Upright: Money | The past, Things that exist now as a result of something in the past
Reversed: Money trouble | Avarice | The future, Not yet known

Seven – Scholar (Scholar)
Upright: The intellect, Creativity, Talent | A notary public, A lawyer | A contract or legal agreement
Reversed: Ulterior motives | Lack of creativity or talent

Eight – Hope (Speranza)
Upright: Trips and outings, Fun | Hope, Situation clearing up | By the water, Overseas
Reversed: Depression, Lack of hope | Hopes falling through, Situations going up in smoke

Nine – Faithfulness (Fedeltà)
Upright: Success in love | Faithfulness, Honesty, Loyalty to someone, something, etc.
Reversed: Lack of success in love | Betrayal, Infidelity, Unclear behavior

Ten – Perseverance (Costanza)
Upright: Firmness, Steadfastness, Earned success | Duration in time | The querent’s city or home country
Reversed: Wrath, Anger, Arguments | Instability | Inconstancy, Lack of effort

Jack – The Boyfriend (Amante)
Upright: An unmarried man over 30 | The him in “I would totally do him”
Reversed: The person is in trouble or is against the querent | Cheating man or a man who doesn’t love| Lustful, debauched

Queen – The Girlfriend (Amatrice)
Upright: An unmarried woman over 30 | The her in “I would totally do her”
Reversed: The person is in trouble or is against the querent | Cheating woman or a woman who doesn’t love | Lustful, debauched

King – The Gentleman (Gran Signore)
Upright: A married man | A protector, A man who helps you
Reversed: The person is in trouble or is against the querent | Cheating | This card is connected with addictions

Suit of Clubs

Ace – Marriage (Imeneo)
Upright: Marriage, Union or partnership | A contract, a legal agreement requiring a signature | Prosperity, Production
Reversed: Materiality, Material prosperity and material things | Sex, Sexual relations, Sexual sphere

Two – The Peacock (Superbia)
Upright: The best card in the deck, strengthening the positive and reducing the negative in any spread, Divine intervention, Success, Completion | Beauty | The significator card for magic and works of magic
Reversed: Vanity, ego distorting reality, Haughtiness | Dark magic, Demonic forces, Evil

Three – Journey (Viaggio)
Upright: Journey, travel, change of place | Change of opinion, of mind etc.
Reversed: Positive transformation, Progress | Public success | Only negative for travels and journeys

Four – Friend (Amica)
Upright: Friendship | Cooperation, Support | A female friend, sister, parent etc.
Reversed: Help, Recommendation, A very positive card

Five – Fortune (Fortuna)
Upright: Positive turn of events, Luck | Free success | This card is the second best in the deck, after the Peacock
Reversed: Also positive, but delayed | Gradual transformation, less in your face and requiring some patience

Six – The Surprise (Consolante Sorpresa)
Upright: Unexpected, unhoped for turn of events, Surprise | Getting, Receiving, Picking up | Now, Very shortly, the present
Reversed: Excess of aspiration causing one’s downfall | Downfall in general | Lack of common interests

Seven – Gratification (Gran Consolazione)
Upright: Stabilization, Concretization | Realization, Recognition, Promotion | The patrimony, One’s assets
Reversed: Insecurity, Fears | Lack of concrete outcomes or concrete effects | Slander

Eight – Reunion (Riunione)
Upright: The re- card of the Sibilla (Reunion, Reconciliation, Recovery, etc.) | Meeting, Appointment, Coming together, Social contacts | Positive evolution
Reversed: Insecurity, Apathy, Doubts | Non-union, disagreement, breakup

Nine – Cheerfulness (Allegria)
Upright: Social life, Social ties (not necessarily strong) | Party, Celebration | Any positive event that might be the cause for celebration
Reversed: Lack of restraint or self-mastery, Addictions in general and alcoholism in particular | Setbacks of all kinds, usually not dependent on the querent’s will

Ten – Levity (Leggerezza)
Upright: Levity, Superficiality, Frivolity | Carelessness, negligence | “Just a little” of something, Not too much for better or worse
Reversed: Lucky moment, Lucky opportunity | The internet | Betting, Games of chance, Gambling

Jack – The Helper (Domestico)
Upright: A young, single man under 30 | Dependable, helpful | A student, an apprentice, a co-worker
Reversed: Same, but he’s either in trouble or against the querent | A good-for-nothing, A bum

Queen – The Maiden (Giovane Fanciulla)
Upright: A young, single woman under 30 | Sensible, genuine, innocent |Lack of experience
Reversed: Same, but she’s either in trouble or against the querent | Fragility, A tendency to depression | Moodiness, Inconstancy, Immaturity

King – The Doctor (Dottore)
Upright: Someone, possibly a professional, who has power over the querent or the situation, A good position in life | A doctor, someone with a degree | Need to heal something, literally or figuratively
Reversed: Wrong advice, whether by a doctor or another professional | Wrong path | A corrupted man

Suit of Diamonds

Ace – Room (Stanza)
Upright: Intimacy, Privacy | Upcoming news, usually of a confidential nature | A place, especially a place within a building (but not always)
Reversed: Revelation of secrets or unpleasant truths | Lack of intimacy

Two – Letter (Lettera)
Upright: Letter, News, Telephone call | Document, Book, Prescription, etc. | Writing, elaborating
Reversed: Same, this card doesn’t have a reversed meaning, although sometimes it comes up reversed in contexts where negative cards appear

Three – The Gift (Omaggio di Preziosi)
Upright: Gift, Offer, Opportunity | Wealth, Opulence | Objects in general
Reversed: Positive solution, The sorting out of a difficult situation for the best, Especially on the material side of life

Four – Falsehood (Falsità)
Upright: Lie, Falsehood, Insincerity | Mistake, Wrong, Incomplete, Oversight | Negativity in general, Negative context
Reversed: Unmasking of a liar, Demise of enemies | Positivity, Relief

Five – Melancholy (Malinconia)
Upright: Passing sadness, Feeling down or meh| Dissatisfaction | An open wound from the past (see previous cards to confirm this interpretation)
Reversed: Same, but more negative and less passing | Debts, A critical financial situation | Fights, Quarrels

Six – Thought (Pensiero)
Upright: Planning, Projecting | Thinking, Conjecturing | One’s character or inner nature
Reversed: Negative thoughts/plans toward another or oneself | Illusion, Wrong assumption | Subconsciousness

Seven – The Child (Bambino)
Upright: A child, A pet, Something small | Newness, Something new with potential to grow | Inexperience, Naivety
Reversed: Things not growing or progressing | Uncertainty, Doubt | Same inexperience and naivety, but worse

Eight – The Handmaid (Donna di Servizio)
Upright: Offer, Being given something, Gift, Money coming in | Refinement, Politeness, Being upstanding | Evolution, Expansion, Elevation
Reversed: Money going out, Owing, Payment | A shallow, unrefined, petty, morally dubious character | Litigiousness, Tiffs and falling outs

Nine – The Fools (Deliranti)
Upright: Setbacks, Difficulties, Irregularities | Negative social interactions, Fights, Negative groups | Unwarranted exaltation, Miscalculation
Reversed: The steady worsening of a situation, Things unravelling, Devolving instead of evolving | A blunder, A misstep

Ten – The Thief (Ladro)
Upright: Theft, A negative or criminal plan, Someone acting in the shadows | Loss, disadvantage | Things or people or situations snatched or taken away from us
Reversed: Insurmountable problems, Huge obstacles | Foreboding places, Places you’d rather not be | Insolvency, Not living up to a contract or agreement

Jack – The Messenger (Messaggero)
Upright: News, usually more official than those signaled by the letter, A postman | Errands, Small changes of place | An intermediary, An agent, A mediator
Reversed: Negative news or delayed arrival of news/parcels | Bad mediator/intermediary | Gossip, Rumors, Slander

Queen – The Wife (Donna Maritata)
Upright: A married woman, sometimes with children, or a woman with an important relationship
Reversed: Same, but she’s either in trouble or against the querent

King – The Merchant (Mercante)
Upright: This is the significator card for the querent job/career | Only very rarely a calculating individual
Reversed: Problems with the querent’s job or career | Lack of common sense or talent

Suit of Spades

Ace – Sorrow (Dispiacere)
Upright: Bad news | Sorrow, Tears | Violence, Beatings
Reversed: Sorrow, but to a lesser extent | The need to put in much effort, Toil, Labor (also a woman’s labor) | Cycles, Repetition, Many times

Two – The Crone (Vecchia Signora)
Upright: Decline, Weakening, Cooling off | Something reaching its natural conclusion | An older woman, Old as an adjective
Reversed: Obsolete, Outdated | Separation, Inability to get along | Avarice, Inability to let go

Three – The Widower (Vedovo)
Upright: Separation, Removal, Solitude | Loss, Deprivation, Lack | An older man
Reversed: A funeral, A ritual or rite in general | Trauma, Traumatic loss | Misconduct, Aberration from reality

Four – The Sickness (L’Ammalato)
Upright: Sickness, Illness, Malady | Something that is morbid, rotting, noxious | A breakdown
Reversed: A blockage, A standstill | Avarice, Hoarding, Economy | Closed-off places, Lack of movement

Five – Death (Morte)
Upright: Death, Ending, Transformation (usually painful) | Imbalance, Lack of reciprocity or equilibrium or fairness
Reversed: Profound inner turmoil, Inner death, Inner devastation

Six – Sighs (Sospiri)
Upright: Anxiety, Tormented Hope | Waiting, After a long time | A large means of transport
Reversed: Fluctuation, Instability | Explanation, Listening to reason, Receiving advice, especially from a professional

Seven – Disaster (Disgrazia)
Upright: Accident, literal or figurative (anything that hits us from the outside and changes the situation) | Negative energy, Choleric temperament | All of a sudden
Reversed: Force majeure | Oppression, Tyranny, A power we must bend to | Downfall, Ruination

Eight – Desperation (Disperato per Gelosia)
Upright: Crisis, Critical moment | Desperation, Tears | Jealousy, Envy
Reversed: Arrogance, Ego trips | Accidents, Upset

Nine – The Prison (Prigione)
Upright: Blockage, A situation you either are forced into or you can’t get out of, A heavy bond | Solitude, Unwelcoming place | A pregnancy
Reversed: Regret, Feeling of guilt | Loss of physical or moral freedom | If followed by positive cards, the end of a blockage, Liberation, Atonement

Ten – The Soldier (Militare)
Upright: Physical force, strength, violence | The need to fight, an uphill battle | A person in uniform, a person in the army or police
Reversed: Secrets, clandestine matters, Things/people we don’t know | Betrayal, Spinelessness, Cowardice | Controversy, Fights

Jack – The Villain (Nemico)
Upright: A negative man, a man against the querent
Reversed: Same, but a man who is negative out of stupidity | An enemy in trouble, the demise of an enemy

Queen – The Witch (Nemica)
Upright: The female version of the Jack
Reversed: The female version of the Jack

King – The Priest (Sacerdote)
Upright: The government | Legal affairs | Specialist knowledge, Someone who has conducted serious studies to get where they are (in any field, which includes divinity of course, but rarely)
Reversed: Legal trouble or trouble with the government | Having the system against you | Injustice

Card Meanings, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Sibilla Quick Meanings – Suit of Hearts

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Ace – Conversation (Conversazione) | A♡
Upright: Words, Conversations, Information exchange, News, Communication | Meetings, Dates, Appointments | People who live together or spend a lot of time under the same roof | How you communicate, How you open yourself up to other people or to new things | Ability to interact with other people, with the public, etc.
Reversed: Revolution, Change, Metamorphosis | Lack of communication, Communication problems, Arguments | Problems with clients or with the public

Two – House (Casa) | 2♡
Upright: Warmth, Harmony, Intimacy, Solidity, Stability, Stabilization, Solidification | The querent’s home or family | A House, Real estate | An outside building in general | This is the significator card for a couple’s inner dynamics 
Reversed: Problems at home or in the family, The querent’s home environment feels stifling or wrong, A troubled household | Trouble in the couple, A couple that is no longer solid | Problems with real estate, Problems with a building, A house you shouldn’t buy | Any building or outside place where the querent would rather not go (Hospital, Graveyard, Prison, A court of law, etc.)

Three – Balcony (Belvedere) | 3♡
Upright: Arrival of news, people, situations, etc. within a short period | New developments soon to be expected, The situation is taking shape | Looking, Watching, Seeing, Searching | Seeing in a metaphorical sense, Insight | This card is connected with long distances
Reversed: News, people, situations, developments that won’t arrive, or will be delayed, or the querent would be better off without | An animalesque character, Bestial behavior | Lack of insight, Not seeing | A situation that will not have developments

Four – Love (Amore) | 4♡
Upright: Love, Feelings | Emotionally important situation, Emotionally supportive environment, Context that is good or emotionally fulfilling | Traditionally, a “blind force” that cannot be dominated by human rationality
Reversed: Traditionally, homosexuality | More often, Distorted feelings, Promiscuity, Off-limits sexual behaviors | Aridity, Lack of love or support or fulfillment

Five – Happiness (Allegrazza al Cuore) | 5♡
Upright: Step toward stability, Step in the right direction, Transition toward happiness | Quick, fulfilling developments, Joy, Celebration, Dance | A commitment, Any type of commitment and promise that will be honored at a later date or that will lead to a next step later (An engagement, A reservation, A down payment, A probationary period, Making out with someone, etc.) | This card can be a significator for the querent’s engagement and what happens to it | The querent’s extended family, The querent’s relatives
Reversed: Unstable relationships in any field | Cheating, Betrayal in any field | A commitment that won’t be honored | Frustrations, Setbacks, Unreached aims | Problems with the querent’s relatives

Six – The Safe (Denaro) | 6♡
Upright: Everything that is accumulated, All situations that are present now in the querent’s life as a result of having been there from the past, Transmition, Hereditariness in all senses, from the genetic sense to the metaphorical sense | The past | Money, Liquid assets, Opulence, Wealth
Reversed: The future, New things | Suddenness | Money trouble | Avarice, Possessiveness, Unwillingness to let go | Situations, good or bad, that will persist for a long time

Seven – Scholar (Letterato) | 7♡
Upright: The mind, The brain, Intelligence, Talent | Education, Scholarly endeavors | Creativity, Artistry, Projects | Ability to make projects, To commit, Being serious about a relationship, Reconciliation | A notary public, A lawyer, An expert, A professional | A contract, A legally binding agreement | A man from the querent’s family, Or the querent, Or the querent’s (male) partner
Reversed: Ulterior motives, A calculating individual | Lack of education, intelligence, talent, Not being cut for something | Impotence in all senses, from sexual impotence to lack of power/ability to cope with a situation

Eight – Hope (Speranza) | 8♡
Upright: Realization, Situations clearing up, A sense of balance and confidence, The end of turmoil and difficulties | Optimism, Hope, Expectation, Faith, Belief |Emotional investment, Investments in general | Flirts, Easy love stories | A meeting, A trip, especially near the water | All watery places (beaches, rivers, islands, etc.) | Overseas
Reversed: Situations that go up in smoke, Hopes falling through | Depression, Sadness, Doubt, Lack of confidence | Atheism, Loss of faith, Dark religious beliefs | Danger by water (rare)

Nine – Faithfulness (Fedeltà) | 9♡
Upright: Success in Love | Faithfulness, Loyalty, Honesty, Dependability, Transparency | Things that seem as they are and are as they seem | A strong bond, Attachment to someone, something, an idea, a country, a tradition, a religion | Rarely, a friend or friendship | This card is connected with distant relatives
Reversed: Lack of success in love | Disloyalty, Dishonesty, Cheating, Betrayal, Unfaithfulness, Disrespect | Things that don’t seem as they are or are not as they seem, Having an axe to grind | Biting the hand that feeds you, A nasty character, Lack of sweetness | Anarchy, Revolt, Rebellion, Secession, The will to be independent, The will to oust or overthrow, Disrespect of tradition

Ten – Perseverance (Costanza) | 10♡
Upright: Willpower, Earned success, Earned victory, Victory after toil and sacrifice | Dependability, Reliability | Steadfastness, Perseverance, Constancy, Fixity of purpose | Fixity in general, Duration (for good or bad), For a long time | The querent’s city or homeland (depending on the scope of the question)
Reversed: Inconsistency, Lack of perseverance | Anger, Arguments, Violence (with other cards) | Willpower in a negative sense (lack or eccess of it, or wrong pursuits, or pursuits against the querent/query) | Loss in transactions | Storms, Bad weather for travelling, Danger at sea

Jack – Boyfriend (Amante) | J♡
Upright: An unmarried man, usually older than 30, but not necessarily | The boyfriend, The lover, The one the querent’s heart skips a beat for | VERY rarely this card has a sense of longing for something, or even courting it, either in a literal or a metaphorical sense
Reversed: Same as the upright, but the man is either negative/against the querent or in trouble (depending on the context of the question or of the surrounding cards) | In questions like “Does he love me?” it’s a resounding no | As a reversed court card of the Suit of Hearts, it can stand for a cheater | This card is sometimes connected with seeking unbridled sexual pleasure, a male prostitute or a sexually hyperactive man

Queen – Girlfriend (Amatrice) | Q♡
Upright: She is the female counterpart to the Jack of Hearts | VERY rarely, this card has a sense of emotional fulfillment attached to it
Reversed: A woman who is either negative/against the querent or in trouble | Like all reversed court cards of the Suit of Hearts, it can stand for a cheater | “Does she love me?” Answer: no | An older meaning is that of a career-oriented woman, but I find it very rarely the case (this meaning probably comes from XIX century prejudices depicting career women as prostitutes, as the Reversed Queen of Hearts can, in the appropriate context, represent a prostitute or a sexually hyperactive woman)

King – Gentleman (Gran Signore) | K♡
Upright: A mature (or older in the context of the question) man, A married man or Family man, A father or uncle | A protector, A teacher, A trustworthy partner all around, A (good) boss | Protection in general
Reversed: A negative man or a man in trouble | This card is connected with addictions and “sinfulness”, i.e. leading a life of excess | All the negative connotations of the Reversed Heart Court cards apply here (unfaithful/not in love/promiscuous, etc.) | Someone whose help should not be accepted