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Cartomancy, Divination, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Fortune-telling, Geomancy, Playing Cards, Sibilla della Zingara, Tarot, Uncategorized, Vera Sibilla

The Road – A Deep Dive into Cartomancy

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Following my deep dive into the Door Knockers, which seems to be an exclusive symbol (or almost) of Italian cartomancy, let’s talk about a much more universal presence in many traditions: the Road. Still, even though the symbol is widespread, the interpretations may vary.

I was introduced to the symbol of the road when being taught to read playing cards. In the system I was introduced to, the Two of Clubs is the card of the steps. Actually, the word for it was “cammino”, which means a way, road or path, but it also implies the idea of people taking steps on it. That is, a ‘cammino’ is a road that exists because people walk on it, rather than being a road that has been created so that people may or may not use it. An example would be a path through a forest or a road created by pilgrims as they progress on their pilgrimage.

The Two of Clubs therefore implies forward motion toward a goal of some kind, and the taking of steps, whether literal or figurative. In this, it is similar to the Two of Wands in some Piacentine cards systems, which interpret the card as a road, largely due to its design showing two parallel staves, no doubt (although in some other Piacentine systems the road is the Knight of Wands).

The Vera Sibilla doesn’t have a road card per se, although it does have various cards connected with movement, journeying or taking steps/fighting for something. For instance, the Journey card is connected to traveling, while the Soldier may imply fighting to attain a goal (although, being a Spade card, the struggle is more accentuated).

Etteilla famously attributed the meaning of road to the Six of Swords, and his pupils developed a whole vocabulary of synonyms that extend the meaning into other areas. An example of this is the meaning of conduct, which is, figuratively speaking, the path of the person’s actions through life. Etteilla’s attribution of the meaning of road to the Six of Swords remained attached to tarot through the Golden Dawn, who preserved it in part as a possible meaning in their Book T, and then through Waite, who had Smith design the Six of Swords as a card of journey. Even in the Crowley tradition this attribution has in part been rediscovered in Eshlemann’s Liber Theta.

In the Bolognese tarot, the meaning of road is attributed usually to the Six or Eight of Wands. Some strands of the tradition also distinguish between an open road (Six/Eight of Wands) and a closed road (Nine of Wands or Ten of Swords). The road is in itself a card of forward motion, like the Two of Clubs, it can indicate short trips and it is a card of openness.

The road or path is also present in the Lenormand and Kipper traditions. I am unclear on the Lenormand meaning, as the interpretation seems to have evolved considerably through time. Most contemporary English-speaking sources seem to see it as a card of choice (with two paths, although I am unsure if this duality was intended in the original design). Most German sources interpret it differently. Since I am not a Lenormand reader, I will leave it at that.

As for the Kipper cards, they have a card called Ein langer Weg, a long road. In most of the sources I have consulted, the card is more static than in the other traditions, highlighting the element of time (some call it the Two Years card). Interestingly, in many German Skat systems of divination, the suit of Spades / Leaves is connected with movement, and the low-numbered cards, mostly the Seven and Eight, can show a short trip or something happening quickly, while the Ten is also called the long road, and it can indicate an actual journey or the need to wait a long time.

BONUS: The Road is obviously present in Geomancy as well. The Geomantic figure Via, attributed to the Moon, is a symbol of journey and change. It is the symbol with the least amount of points, only one in every position, so some sources also attribute it to the concept of ‘little’ and to the waning of something.

MQS

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

Cartomancy with Playing Cards | Two of Clubs

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In cartomancy with playing cards, the Two of Clubs (2♣) represents steps, walking, roads, paths, etc.

Two of Clubs (black), from the Playing Cards series (N84) for Duke brand cigarettes by W. Duke, Sons & Co. is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

All twos in divination with playing cards are connected with the idea of movement, and Clubs themselves, as a suit, are connected with movement, generally speaking, as they signify activity, toil, sport, etc. Thus, the Two of Clubs can be a card of physical movement in a neutral sense, as opposed to the Two of Hearts, which shows movement toward the querent, and the Two of Spades, which signals movement away.

The Two of Clubs is associated with the legs, and when it shows actual movement it usually implies that it is short, such as going out for an evening with friends, or a quick excursion. Often, the Two of Clubs is a social card, implying some sort of company. This is not a rule, but because Clubs take the querent out of his home and out there into the world, this card can signify having a nice social life, if with positive cards.

The idea of steps can also be interpreted metaphorically, as steps taken, as path chosen, method, way. In this case, the movement is not literal, but rather an effort on the part of the querent.

In a love reading, the Two of Clubs can be the card of making a pass at someone or, more romantically, of taking steps to show someone your love. It can also show that the couple is taking steps toward… Something that the following cards will clarify. It’s their path. When falling between two Face Cards, the Two of Clubs can show that the first one takes steps toward the other, whatever this may mean: helping, proposing, etc.

Note that if difficult cards come up after the Two of Clubs, depending on the nature of the cards, they can show either that the person is unable to or prevented from taking steps, or that they take steps in the wrong direction or do something bad.

In a career reading, the Two of Clubs is usually positive, as it signals activity and doing. It can also show going out on a short business trip or doing your best to achieve good results. This is one of the cards that can signify investments, especially if followed by money cards.

Psychologically, the Two of Clubs signifies one who is proactive and does not give up, as well as someone who is generally a social person.

Some Combination:

2♣ – 3♦ = a small investment (if 7♦ or 10♦, a larger one)
2♣ – 3♣ = doing things together with someone else, or taking steps as a family or as a couple
2♣ – 4♠ = unable to move
A♥ – 2♣ = going out (+8♥, to have fun)
2♣ – 4♥ – 8♠ = unwanted sexual advances (it also works with other Spades)

Card Meanings, Fortune-telling, Numerology, Playing Cards

Playing Cards and Numerology – The Twos

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The Twos or Deuces in the playing card deck are often considered of low value, the reason being that they are the smallest number beside the Aces, which however have great symbolic value, and even great value in many games. In general, when taken alone, the Twos do not have tremendous power in changing the course of a reading, but of course they gain it by connecting to other cards.

All Twos are connected to the idea of movement in some form or another.

The Two of Hearts was taught to me as the card of the “Door Knockers”. Just as the Ace is the home, the Two is what is coming to the home. Broadly speaking, it shows things happening in a short timeframe. The general idea is that of imminent arrival. Being the card of arrival and visits, it signifies the shortening of distances and a principle of reconciliation when appropriate (but other cards must be present). Having a connection with expectation, it can show the arrival of a child if with other cards (note how this card is similar to the Three of Hearts in the Vera Sibilla).

The Two of Clubs does not signal arrival, where the querent is passively waiting for something. It shows the taking of steps. Literally, this is the card of walking and of moving, usually a short distance, visiting instead of being visited. It shows going out (as befits the Club suit) and being active in a matter. Figuratively, it can signify the idea of putting things into motion and getting your ducks in a row.

The Two of Diamonds heralds letters. It is the card of messages and all that is written: invitations, post, emails, etc. Nowadays, though, the card covers telephone calls as well. Figuratively, the card is connected with the movement of ideas, the elaboration of the thoughts and with all that has to do with evolving your perspective. It’s movement, but of the mind.

The Two of Spades is the opposite of the Two of Hearts. It’s the card of anger and of all those feelings that create fractures and distance. It can signify a separation and movement away from something or someone. Broadly, the card means annoyances and small difficulties that frustrate the querent, obnoxious things coming your way. If drowned in a sea of positive cards, the Two of Spades simply heralds delays and small difficulties. It is not a tragic card. It does show frustrations and differences of opinion.

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

Vera Sibilla | Two of Clubs – The Peacock (Superbia)

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Name: The Peacock1
Italian Name: Superbia (also known as Carta del Pavone)
Playing Card: 2♣
Polarity when Upright: The Best and Strongest Card in the Deck
Core Meanings: The Amulet Card | Marvel, Excellence, Superb and outstanding results | Completion, Perfection, Removal of limitation and blockage | Beauty | God, Divine Power, Miracles | Outstanding, Incredible | Magic and the use of Magic
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Core Meanings: Haughtiness, Pride, Arrogance | Overestimation of one’s abilities or prospects | Situations that cannot be improved, that have gone as far as they can | Black magic, negativity, Demonic energy, Evil

Card Description: in a walled garden, a beautiful peacock opens the feathers of its tail in a wheel. The wheel is a symbol of completion, and the peacock a symbol of immortality in the Christian symbolism of the Sibilla.

Suit and Number: twos are cards of continuation, strengthening and increase, while the suit of clubs is generally lucky. Thus, the symbolism of the Peacock takes on meanings of completion, increase of good or decrease of evil, embellishment, improvement, standing out, etc.

UPRIGHT 2♣

General: This is the best card in the whole deck. Yes, better (and more reliable) than the Fortune card. On its own, if you could choose between the 5♣, Fortune, and the 2♣, you’d be wise to pick the latter: Fortune represents luck, while the Peacock is the card of divine protection. The main function of the Two of Clubs is as ‘amulet’ or shield card, giving a positive spin to spreads, deviating the flow of the reading toward realization and happiness. Its main function is to increase the good and decrease the bad shown by the surrounding cards.
It is also connected with concepts of perfection, marvel, excellence, completion, totality, and to the removal of blockages and restrictions and to art and beauty.

Love and Relationships: the presence of this card usually allows singles to come out of difficult periods of loneliness. It is also connected with the ability to “win over” people in all fields of life and to seduce. It is a marker of self-confidence and a magnetic personality that draws people nearer. When the querent is in a relationship, the Peacock solidifies the union, making it last, and it allows the couple to get over difficult periods and arguments. Personal relationships in general are honorable and marked by a commitment to keeping one’s word. People characterized by this card are positive for the querent and usually hold the key to solving the querent’s problem. If the querent is asking about a reconciliation and the breakup happened some time ago, this card may however show that the person enquired about is already fulfilled, which means they have a new story, or it may show that the querent will be fulfilled in a new relationship. Bear in mind that there is no ‘yes’ card in the Vera Sibilla: cards must always be interpeted in the context provided by the other cards. If a reconciliation does happen, this card signals that it will bring the couple to a whole new level where old mistakes won’t be repeated. If a new relationship is shown by other cards, the Peacock signals that it’s this new relationship that will bring the querent to a whole new level or standard. If the querent has been single for a long time, it can simply show the end of the difficult period.

Work and Money: again, an extemely positive card. People who are going through a rough patch economically are often lifted up and protected. No matter how dire the situation may get, if the Two of Clubs intervenes we’ll be snatched out of the abyss. It brings freedom from worry or debt. It can also point to great career prosects and to recognition in one’s field. Businesses can expand or draw in extra clients. In itself, the card shows jobs related to beauty, the arts and professions where someone is in the public eye, or simply professions that express the querent’s true vocation. However, if the querent has been through a long spell of unemployment, it may simply signal the end of hardships, not necessarily that all of a sudden they’ll wake up the great masters of their dream job. Projects that are undertaken under this card’s influence are completed successfully and obstacles, bureaucratic red tape and difficulties tend to disappear. Everything that may limit the querent’s realization takes a blow.

Other: as said, this card points to excellence, completion, perfection in all fields. It is connected to beauty, beautiful objects and good taste. Next to a significator, it qualifies them as either beautiful, talented or key in solving a problem. Spiritually it represents God and the divine plane in general. It also represents noble magical aspirations and practices and spiritual oaths and vows. By analogy, it is the card of kept promises and honor. Artistically, the Peacock shows good taste and everything that is appealing (“eye candy”) and heralds recognition. Psychologically, it is a card of self-confidence, being at peace with who someone really is, charisma, personal magnetism and the resilience necessary to survive every experience. It also signals a person with high standards, but never a bad person.

Important Combinations:
9♠ + 2♣ = freedom from chains and limiting conditions, or solitude
2♣ + K♥ = a great protector | God (with Q♣, Mary mother of God)
5♠ + 2♣ = a positive change that may seem difficult at first
6♦ + 2♣ + 7♥ = a person of genius
3♦ + 2♣ + 8♦ = high status, nobility

REVERSED 2♣R

General: the import of this card varies from mildly to very negative. In the main, it represents the more negative side of the peacock symbolism, namely pride, vanity, haughtiness. Another meaning deriving from this basic idea is that of ego, decisions clouded by one’s ego or the overestimation of one’s ability or prospects, which may lead to problems signalled by the following cards.
When coming up reversed, the Two of Clubs is also a significator of black magic (though almost never on its own, unless a specific question is asked) and of demonic powers. Needless to say, the reversed Peacock does not function as a talisman card.

Love and Relationships: personal relationships usually suffer due to one of the two being vain, feeling superior or being too self-centered. The gravity of the situation will be shown by the other cards. As it points to rather obnoxious character traits, this card also signifies arguments and a tendency to pick fights. In any relationship, but especially in romantic relationships, in addition to the above, it shows differing sets of values causing problems and an inability to truly understand one another, as if the two were two separate universes, from the symbolism of totality and completion applied to the negative, reversed version of the card. Furthermore, if other cards concur, the symbolism of completeness of the upright version becomes negative and shows that all that could be done to salvage the relationship has been done and there’s nothing left to do. People who are alone may feel very lonely but be too proud to reach out and even feel they are owed something (think of incels).

Work and Money: generally, from a financial standpoint, the card symbolizes overspending, a tendency to miscalculate one’s odds of success, overestimating what one’s budget will accomplish and business ventures undertaken as vanity projects that no one with an objective appraisal of the situation would agree to. Businesses may fail to attract clients. With other negative cards, the 2♣R shows complete ruin.
In career readings, unemployed querents will usually struggle to find a new job. On a more positive note, with positive cards and with the appropriate querent, this card can stand for retirement, because it shows that one phase of the querent’s life is completed and now over.

Other: psychologically, the card represents someone who is haughty and thinks they are just what the world desperately needs. These days, it can also come up when someone refuses to leave his or her echo chamber that constantly reinforces their prejudices (again, from the concept of totality applied negatively). In general, it shows a big ego, self-indulgence and too much attention given to shallow things, especially appearance.
Spiritually, this is the card of Satan and all that is demonic. On a lighter note, it can point to spiritual views colored by one’s ego and prejudices and cherry picking spiritual beliefs based on one’s preconceptions (ever noticed that progressives think God’s a hippie while conservatives think he’s a hillbilly? Convenient, isn’t it?) Artistically it leads to overestimating one’s talent and can signify shallow art without depth. The Peacock reversed is also the card of black magic and demonic invocations, but don’t go around diagnosing hexes without solid evidence from the spread.

Important Combinations:
2♣R + 4♦ = a skewed view of reality
2♣R + 6♣R = a loss caused by overestimating one’s ability or the validity of a project
2♣R + 3♠R = black magic (if the 2♣ were upright, just magic)
A♥ + 2♣R = litigiousness, ego-trips in other people’s presence
2♣R + 7♣R = taking offence, being offended, being stung to the quick

Other Combinations: Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Twos

  1. the meaning of the card title “Superbia” can actually be translated as “Haughtiness” or “Pride”. However, it is commonly referred to among Italian cartomancers as Carta del Pavone, which means Peacock card. The reason I use the title Peacock as main translation is that the Italian adjective “superbo” has two meanings: one connected with arrogance and one connected with excellence and everything outstanding, marvelous, perfect, the best. This latter meaning is retained by the English word “superb”, which has the same root. The ambiguity of the card’s title in Italian explains why the card has a very positive meaning when upright and a negative one when reversed. However, the English word “haughtiness” is negative and doesn’t retain the ambiguity of the Italian, hence the need for a more neutral title. ↩︎
Card Combinations, Cartomancy, Divination Master Post, Everyday Oracle, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla | Examples of Combinations – The Twos

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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)

Two of Hearts (2♥) – House (Casa)

2♥ + 4♥ = the consolidation of love, moving in together | a house where the querent feels loved or love for the family
2♥ + 4♥R = A house where the querent doesn’t feel loved
2♥ + 5♥ = the house of relatives | an engagement at home
2♥ + 6♥ = A rich house or household | A bank | Can be a house from the past, maybe the one the querent grew up in
2♥ + 7♥ = a real estate contract | a male family member | Depending on the surrounding cards it can be a school (e.g. +6♦) a library (e.g. +2♦) or another type of building coherent with the 7♥‘s meaning

2♥ + 3♣* = moving into a house
3♣ + 2♥* = moving out of your house
2♥ + 4♣ = the house of a friend | a house where solidarity among people is important
2♥ + 6♣ = a traditional combination showing a happy event at home or in the family
2♥ + 7♣ = can be owning real estate, a property you derive money from

2♥ + 8♣ + 9♣ = A family reunion or a party at home
2♥ + 9♣ = may be a restaurant or place where people have fun, like a night club (look at the other cards, for instance the 10♠R is the night, so it would reinforce the idea of night club, if 8♦ it’s more likely a restaurant)
2♥ + K♣ = A clinic
2♥ + 2♦ or J♦ = arrival of news at home | can be a post office
2♥ + 6♦ = depending on the other cards, it can be a real estate speculation, plans concerning the house (e.g. + A♥R, to renovate) or a school or other type of building

2♥ + 10♦ = enmity in the family | someone is jeopardizing the family’s or couple’s unity | a break-in (only with cards such as 7♠, 9♦, J♠, Q♠. It would be more common for the House to come up reversed. If 10♠U/R and/or A♠, risk of violence, if also with 5♠, well…; with cards like 6♥R and/or 2♠R, money or valuables are stolen, with 3♦, objects)
2♥ + 10♦R = a house or place the querent would rather not be, look around for why (e.g. + K♥R +9♣R, the father or husband is a debauched prick)
2♥ + K♦ = the workplace | working from home
2♥ + 2♠ = can be granny’s house | an old house | if followed by negative cards, it can show the couple’s stability is declining
2♥ + 3♠ = not being at home | home alone or feeling alone at home even if you aren’t

2♥ + 4♠ = a hospital | sickness at home or, figuratively, a “sick” family life
2♥ + 10♠ = can be a difficult family environment | a gym | the police’s headquarters
2♥ + K♠ = the seat of an authority | a courthouse | it could represent a family where not much affection is shown, but in itself it’s not overly negative, unless there are other bad cards

2♥R + 4♥R = a brothel (look for the 7♥R for confirmation) | a house where depravity rules
2♥R + 5♥R = betrayal in the family | very unstable family relationships
3♣ + 2♥R + 3♠* = running away from a house you hate (+10♠R, running away in secret, if 4♣ or 9♥ before the 3♣, maybe you crash at friend’s house)

2♥R + 4♠ = more clearly a hospital than if the House is upright, as here hospitalization is implied (+K♣ or K♠ and 7♠, surgery takes place)
2♣R + 2♥R + 3♠R + 9♠ = the house or family has been hexed
6♦R + 2♥R + 9♦ + 5♠ = the house is haunted (especially if with 10♦R) | can also be a house where someone’s evil plans create great imbalance and fractures)
2♥R + 9♦ + 7♠ = traditionally it would show the house being destroyed by a natural disaster or fire, but there’s plenty of other possible interpretations before you get to this one, which only makes sense if a specific question is asked or if other negative cards are present
2♥R + 9♠ = prison (4♠R or 10♦R might be present)
10♠ or K♠ + 2♥U/R + 4♠R = could be house arrest
2♥R + K♠ = more clearly a courthouse than if the House is upright

Two of Clubs (2♣) – The Peacock (Superbia)

A♥ + 2♣ = a conversation that solves a problem, solemn words, an oath, beautiful words

2♣ + 2♥ = a beautiful house (+3♦, a majestic palace or mansion) | if renovations are shown, this combination could also show expanding the house, as the 2♣ is a card of completeness and totality
2♣ + 7♥ + 6♦ = a genius
2♣ + 8♥ = realization beyond one’s hopes | in a specific question, or if specific cards appear, a strong faith (2♣ would be the God power here)
2♣ + 10♥ = a beautiful city or a tourist hotspot within the city | generally, success
2♣ + 5♣ = traditionally the combination of great fortune

2♣ + 3♦ = a beautiful object | opulence | an offer you’d be an idiot to turn down
2♣ + 4♦ = a white lie or a lie that will have no consequence
2♣ + 4♦ + 7♠ = can be cosmetic surgery
2♣ + 4♦R = another combination of good luck
2♣ + 6♦ = a great idea
2♣ + 6♦R = psychic abilities | It could mean that you will be protected from an evil plan

2♣ + 8♦ = nobility (look for the 3♦ to be certain)
2♣ + 5♠ = a sharp positive turn in the querent’s life (it might be painful though)
2♣ + 7♠ = an accident with no consequences (if too many negative cards are present, then with no major consequences. The peacock will snatch you from the jaws of death by your hair in that case) | can be a sudden, positive event
2♣ + 9♠ = the overcoming of obstacles, being freed of a bond or limitation of some kind (same with other cards of blockage like 4♠R or 10♦R)
2♣ + 10♠ = it can show great resilience
2♣ + 10♠R = the occult in a neutral sense

2♣R + 6♣R = pride before the fall, overconfidence causing a miscalculation (10♣ might be present, showing carelessness)
2♣R + 4♦ = a strong distortion in your perception of reality
4♥ + 7♠ + 2♣R + 8♣R = lack of reconciliation due to pride or having been hurt in your ego
2♣R + 3♠R = a black magic ritual (look for other clues, don’t go around diagnosing curses for a couple of bad cards)
2♣R + 8♠R = it intensifies the ideas of egocentrism and haughtiness | in a specific context, it can show a psychic attack
2♣R + 10♠R = the occult in a negative sense

Two of Diamonds (2♦) – Letter (Lettera)

2♦ + A♥ = Invitation to a meeting | Can be a chat (look for 3♥ for confirmation)
2♦ + 5♥ = Invititation to an engagement party
2♦ + 6♥ = a check or financial papers
2♦ + A♣ = Invitation to a wedding
2♦ + 9♣ = Invitation to a party

2♦ + 10♣ = can be a misplaced document or a document it would be careless to sign, maybe one that’s been put together in a haste, for instance
2♦ + 4♦ = false or incomplete documents | don’t sign!
2♦ + 6♦ = a school test or a report card | elaborating a plan
2♦ + 7♦ = A birth certificate | Announcement of a birth
2♦ + 10♦ = a document lost or stolen
2♦ + J♦ = Important communication, can be a telegram (if the Jack is reversed, it’s negative)

2♦ + 3♠ = a communication that doesn’t arrive or is lost
2♦ + 3♠R = communication of someone’s passing (look for the 5♠ to be sure; if with 8♣ and/or K♠, invitation to a funeral)
2♦ + 4♠ = a diagnosis (if K♣, it can also be a prescription)
2♦ + 9♠ = a pregnancy test (look for 7♦ to be sure)
2♦ + 10♠ = traditionally, a draft card | A fine or ticket (look for 8♦R to be sure)

2♦ + 10♠R = anonymous calls (look for J♠ or Q♠ to be sure, in which case someone is truly your enemy; if 9♣ and/or 10♣, it’s just a prank, but if 9♣R, a prank that goes too far)
2♦ + K♠ = A communication from an authority, in general
2♦ + K♠R = a fine | a summons | a negative communication from an authority, in general
[Note: in all these combinations, the 2♦ may appear reversed and it wouldn’t change its meaning]

Two of Spades (2♠) – The Crone (Vecchia Signora)

2♠ + 2♥ = an old house
2♥ + 2♠ + 4♠R = a retirement home, Shady Pines, Ma | also with 8♥, can be a convent or other similar place
2♠ + 4♥ = an old love or an old woman in love
4♥ + 2♠* = feelings cooling off, declining
2♠ + 5♥ = an old relative, usually an aunt or something

2♠ + 9♥ = can be a distant relative
2♠ + Q♥ = can be an ex (if Q♥R, she hasn’t been nice to the querent)
2♠ + 3♣ or 8♦ or J♦ = traditionally, a visit
7♣ + 2♠ = a decline in one’s social or economic position
2♠ + 3♦ = an heirloom

2♠ + 7♦ = granny and her grandchild
2♠ + 3♠ = granny and grandpa
K♦ + 2♠ + 5♠ = retirement
2♠ + 6♠ = traditionally, a long life
2♠ + Q♠ = a mother in law | a negative old woman

2♠R + A♥U/R or 8♣U/R = inability to get along
2♠R + 4♥ = a sharp cooling off of feelings | fights in the relationship
2♠R + 5♥U/R = a mean old relative
2♠R + 6♥ = it can mean the inability to accept the past | A sharp decline in one’s financial status | If 6♥R, it can also means avarice, hoarding, possessiveness, not letting go
2♠R + A♣ = it can herald separation
2♠R + 6♦ = outdated thinking, strategy, etc. | conservatism (in a negative sense. If 2♠, in a more neutral and less extreme sense)

Card Reading, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Reading Example, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Reading – Will the University Go Bust?

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Here’s a reading from some time ago, which I recreated using my new Sibilla Originale 1850. The querent’s problem was: Will the university I work for go bust?

A pyramid spread on the question “Will the University I work for go bust?”

The first line is pretty interesting, as we get a chance to see the power of the Peacock card in action. The Two of Clubs is the best card in the deck, capable of lessening the blow of any negative card. And boy do we need it, as right before it we have the worst card in the deck, the Seven of Spades Reversed. Aside from being the card of tyranny and overbearing power, the reverse Seven of Spades talks about ruination and utter and final capitulation.

Why is the university going toward ruination? We have the Ace of Clubs, Marriage, and the Ten of Clubs, Levity. The Ten of Clubs is the card of “just a little”, while the Marriage card is about contracts and legal agreements. So, the university is at risk of going bust because there’s not enough students signing up, but the worst will be avoided thanks to the Two of Clubs, which can be visualized as a sort of divine hand grabbing the debris falling from a collapsing building and putting them back in place before they manage to fall on someone’s head.

The second line tells us something a bit more specific about what is going to save the university from the worst. The Seven of Diamonds, the Child, is about new things, and the Jack of Clubs, the Servant, is, among other things, the card of students, an interpretation which is confirmed by the Two of Diamonds, the Letter, which is one of the cards of studying and books, and when near the Servant it can identify a student. Here we are not talking about a specific student, but about students in general. There will be new (Child) students. At least enough to keep the whole thing going.

In this instance, we may also see the Child as falling between the Ace of Clubs, Marriage, and the Two of Hearts, House. Ace of Clubs + Two of Hearts is the card combo that, in job-related issues, represents a firm or a business. Here we are talking about a university, but the meaning still applies: universities don’t pay their employees in wisdom. They, too, need to make money, just like a business.

The presence of the Child inside this combination of business tells us that the university is preparing something new, perhaps new courses or maybe some new marketing ploy. The querent confirmed that they are looking to concoct some new study course that will make the university he works for more alluring.

The final three cards tell us that, although the university will manage to stay alive, it probably won’t be thriving, at least not in the next period. We need to understand “the next period” in the context of the question: we all know how public institutions tend to suck as much money as they can for as many years as they can without profit before actually being left to their fate, so in the context of a public institution, which this university is, the next period means the next few years, or at least that’s what I think.

The Two of Hearts, the House, shows the place itself, while the Nine of Diamonds, The Fools, and the reversed Three of Hearts, the Balcony, tell us something that seems to contradict the presence of the Peacock in the first line. It would be easy to interpret this combination as one pertaining to violent groups, but this wouldn’t mean anything in the context.

Aside from its usual connotations, the Nine of Diamonds talks about things proceeding irregularly, or without really looking where they are going, while the Three of Hearts is connected with sight, whether literal or figurative. Reversed, it becomes a lack of insight, so whatever it is that the university is coming up with is not going to be that good of a product for potential students to buy into.

Finally, let us look at the angles of the pyramid: Marriage, Peacock and Balcony Reversed. The business (Marriage) will stay open for the foreseeable future (Peacock), but this will not necessarily be a good thing, as the Balcony Reversed is also the card that points to a lack of positive developments.

Card Reading, Cartomancy, Everyday Oracle, Numerology, Sibilla della Zingara, Vera Sibilla

Vera Sibilla and Numerology – The Twos

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The Twos in the Vera Sibilla. Like and subscribe to my YT channel to support my work

We’ve seen how the Aces in the Vera Sibilla already contain the idea of duality, albeit only in principle. The Twos, on the other hand, take the impulse that comes from the Ace and elaborate on it. They start from the point, as it were, and draw a line by extending that point. The Twos are connected with ideas of extension, consolidation, strengthening and elaboration.

The Twos in the Vera Sibilla deck: The House, Haughtiness or the Peacock, The Letter and The Old Lady

As usual, the suits of Hearts and Spades represent opposite polarities. The Two of Hearts, the House, is a card of solidity. Aside from representing the querent’s house or any type of building, it shows the consolidation of a love situation. It can signify an established couple (not necessarily living together), and the cards nearby are going to tell us how strong their relationship is and what affects it.

In general, it represents the consolidation, usually in a positive sense, of a situation. In other words, it shows a situation that is built on good foundations. As an analogy, it shows the foundations or roots of a problem: the cards around it will tell us why something is the way it is, its origin.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Two of Spades, the Old Lady, is the card that represents losing strength. It shows a process of decline. This card encompasses all those situations that are approaching their natural end, just as the old crone is now too weak to be standing up all day and would rather have you come visit her while she’s comfortably sitting in her chair (indeed, this card can also represent a visit or very short journey, as connected with the idea of little mobility).

Because the suit of Spades is a generally negative one, the idea of strengthening is reversed into one of weakening, and that of elaboration becomes the not on of reaching a final conclusion. It can be any conclusion: from the natural end of the year to the natural end of a contract or job, etc. In a love reading, aside from being the ex (your old woman) it can represent a relationship that has lost impetus.

Between Hearts and Spades we have Clubs and Diamonds. The Two of Clubs, Haughtiness or the Peacock, is famously the traditional lucky charm or “amulet” card. It’s the best in the whole deck (much better than the Five of Clubs, Fortune). Through the image of the peacock’s feathers arranged in a complete “wheel”, the card suggests the idea of completion, of liberation from all limitations and bonds, of amplification of all that’s good and diminishing of all that’s bad.

We might also connect the traditional meaning of beauty that this card has with its other meaning of completion, as traditionally beauty was seen as an attribute of wholeness and proportion between parts of a whole. The Two of Clubs is also the main esoteric card of the deck. If you are a hexer, you want to keep an eye on this eye-catcher. In general, it represents (when upright and with other appropriate cards) things that are completed or elaborated through a work of magic. When it’s reversed, it becomes black magic.

Finally, let’s talk about the Two of Diamonds, the Letter. It’s a very simple card, showing the receiving of correspondence. But what are communication and correspondence if not an extension or consolidation of our connection with the world and the inputs that come to us from it, which is the main theme of the suit of Diamonds? In other words, the Letter shows that the matter under consideration will be added on by the arrival of news, telephone calls, explanations, documents, etc.

An important secondary meaning of the Letter connects it with writing, books and the elaboration of projects. It’s about pouring your brains on a piece of paper, which is why it is an important card to look for when you are going for a written exam: you’ll need to elaborate on your ideas in a written form.