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

The Door Knockers – A Deep Dive into Italian Cartomancy

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In almost all cartomancy systems, Italian or otherwise, the Ace of Hearts/Cups is the house. Here the Sibilla is an exception, since it relegates the House to the Two of Hearts, although the Ace of Hearts still has connections to the idea of family and people living together. In the second most widespread Sibilla deck in Italy, which is the Sibilla Regionale, which uses the suits of the Neapolitan cards, the Ace of Cups is once again the house.

One thing I have so far never found in non-Italian systems, which on the contrary is very widespread in Italy, is the concept of the door knockers, also known as ‘close to home’. This is a meaning that is found in many regional Italian cartomancy systems, and keep in mind that almost everything in Italy is regional, since regions have a much older history as separate states than Italy itself, if we discount the Roman Empire.

When I was taught to read playing cards, my teacher told me that the Two of Hearts is “al martel di porta”, knocking at the door. This refers to the way old house doors are made in many European countries, including Italy, where door knockers were used back when you couldn’t ring at the door. At least in Italy door knockers are still very much en vogue, though mostly as a decorative element.

The idea of the Two of Hearts as “the door knockers” is a reference to the fact that door knockers usually come in twos and to the fact that the Two of Hearts comes right after the Ace, which is the house, so that the Two is quite literally close to the home.

This meaning is also found in many systems for reading Piacentine cards, where the Two of Cups takes on that meaning (in some other systems this meaning is given to the Two of Wands) as well as in the Bolognese Tarot, where it’s the Ace of Swords that depicts it, due to the odd shape of the picture.

In some systems I am aware of, there are two distinct cards: the door knockers and the roof of the house. This is true for some systems employing Piacentine cards, where the Two of Cups is the door knockers and the Four of Wands is the roof.

This distinction is also found in the Bolognese tarot, where the Ace of Swords depicts the door knockers and the Seven of Cups the roof of the house. In the oldest surviving system for reading the Bolognese tarot, which dates back to before the French revolution (I talk about it here), the Knight of Wands indicated the door knockers and the Ten of Cups the roof of the house. Clearly, therefore, this symbolism is deeply ingrained in Italian cartomancy.

According to the person who taught me the 45-card system of Bolognese tarot, the Ace of Swords, the door knockers, tends to show something close to home in a temporal sense (about to happen) whereas the Seven of Cups, the roof, is more connected to everyday life, to our close environment and to the protection of people surrounding us, as well as to the family in a more extended sense. Germana Tartari, who initiated me to the 50-card system, which she was taught by her grandmother and by some of her grandmother’s friends, uses the Nine of Cups as ‘the staircase to the house‘, again mostly in a temporal sense as something about to happen.

On the other hand, in the system for reading playing cards that I was taught, the Two of Hearts covers both possibilities: it indicates something about to knock at the door or it can show family situations, people who are close to us etc.

I have never found this symbolism in other non-Italian systems. If you did, feel free to drop me a line, as it would be very interesting. Manuel Arcuri, an American reader who was taught to read playing cards by his Italian grandmother, says somewhere that his grandmother called the Two of Hearts “l’attesa”, which means waiting or expectation, as of something about to happen. He doesn’t mention door knockers though.

Furthermore, many card reading systems I have read about assign the meaning of “within two weeks” to the Two of Hearts, which once again gives us the idea of something about to knock at the door. Interestingly, Regina Russell‘s playing card system uses the Two of Hearts to indicate excitement for something that is about to happen, expectation and even pregnancy (expecting a child).

MQS

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

Cartomancy with Playing Cards | Two of Hearts

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In cartomancy with playing cards, the Two of Hearts (2♥), as it was taught to me, has the meaning of “near the home”. In fact, the traditional name for the card is the Door Knockers. The meanings that may be derived from this concept are varied.

Two Hearts, from the Playing Cards series (N84) to promote Turkish Cross-Cut Cigarettes for W. Duke, Sons and Co. by W. Duke, Sons & Co. is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

Door knockers are used by guests to announce themselves to the family they are visiting. Furthermore, the twos in cartomancy all connect with the notion of movement, and Hearts, because they are a positive suit, and the suit of warmth, prefer when movement brings things together rather than apart. Therefore, the first, broad meaning of the Two of Hearts is that of visit, the arrival of something or someone. Usually, the thing or person that arrives is positive and is probably awaited, but all this is subject to change if the cards say otherwise. In itself, the Two of Hearts is a positive card.

Illustration of the Two of Hearts in cartomancy with playing cards

Because it speaks of things close to the home, figuratively, the Two of Hearts symbolizes the family, just like the Ace of Hearts. However, it also shows relatives and close friends in general, i.e., people who are close to the core of the family. This is especially true if the Face card falling next to it is a Heart.

In love readings, the Two of Hearts shows closeness and warmth, and it can also signal the arrival of someone (with negative cards, even of a third party). When two lovers have quarreled, the Two of Hearts can signal positive developments on the way, and a general tendency of the couple to be drawn back together. With negative cards, though, it can show endless waiting. Because of its connection with waiting, the card can signal a pregnancy (“we’re expecting”).

In material affairs, the card is not so important, and its meaning may be derived from the context. It can show family help, working with children or pregnant women, etc. Psychologically and spiritually, the card shows a positive attitude, unless attended by bad cards, in which case it shows anxiety and restlessness.

The Two of Hearts can act as a time card, signaling that the event is immiment, being about to knock at your door (traditionally, within two days or two weeks, but take this with a pinch of salt).

Some Combinations:

2♠ – 2♥ – 6♥ = a reconciliation
2♥ – J♣ – 8♥ = visit from friends
2♥ – 4♠ or 5♠ = waiting in vain
Any Q – 2♥ – J♥ = a pregnancy (if a Spade, she doesn’t want it)
2♥ – 3♥ – 4♦ = arrival of a gift

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

Vera Sibilla | Two of Hearts – The House (Casa)

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Name: House
Italian Name: Casa
Playing Card: 2♥
Polarity when Upright: Positive
Core Meanings: House, Family | Building | Harmony, Stability, Consolidation
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Core Meanings: A difficult home environment | A hospital, and in general all places the querent would rather not go

Card Description: a tall house, a manor almost. It gives off an aura of stability and protection.

Suit and Number: Twos are mostly concerned with how the suit extends the initial impulse of the Ace, building on it. They show elaboration, strengthening and similar ideas. The Two of Hearts is a card that brings harmony and harmonization. It shows the strengthening and consolidation of a situation, especially of positive, feeling-oriented and family-oriented issues. The house is a symbol of this kind of consolidation because buildings are, by their nature, fixed things which aren’t easily moved.

UPRIGHT 2♥

General: A positive card with some neutral connotations. Its main meanings are solidity and harmony, the querent’s home and family environment and buildings in general.

Love and Relationships: this is the field of life where this card truly shines. It is connected with harmonious relationships and strong ties. In love, it heralds a strengthening of the bond of affection and can show the couple moving in together. Even when two people do not live together, the Two of Hearts can be taken to represent their life together, and the surrounding cards will show what happens to it.
When shit hits the fan, the presence of this card can show a return to the status quo and harmony. However, if the House is followed by negative cards, it could mean that the harmony and stability are crumbling down.
The House represents family ties and a supportive home environment that may prove helpful to tackle the issues at hand. If surrounded by negative cards, though, the Two of Hearts becomes an indication of a troubled everyday life, especially at home (although the fact that the card comes up upright gives some hope).

Work and Money: In this field, the card takes on a variety of meaning. In financial readings, the card represents personal savings or family help (or, depending on the cards, family or house-related problems that sap the family’s finances). In itself, it is an indicator of financial stability and smooth financial sailing. With negative cards, it can point to financial decisions or problems that jeopardize the querent’s financial stability. It can also represent the workplace, with the appropriate cards, or a home-based business (or smart working, especially these days). In itself, the card is a symbol of something with strong foundations, but if surrounded by difficult cards, the solidity beings to show some cracks.
Needless to say, the House is an extremely important card to watch for in all issues concerning inheritance or real estate.

Other: the House can be a building in general, and the nature of the building will be specified by the surrounding cards. In itself, this meaning is neutral, and the type of buildings shown by the House when upright will tend to be more benign than if it were reversed (but don’t take it as a blanket statement, you need to look at the other cards). As said, the card brings the idea of strong foundation and strengthening in all areas.
Psychologically, this card is connected to the querent’s innermost feelings and the deeper layers of his or her personality and can therefore show his or her motivations. Artistically, when it doesn’t represent a place connected to the arts, it can show, among other things, the ability to infuse one’s work with one’s inmost feelings and beliefs.
Because of the House’s connection with the most intimate layer of things and to the idea of foundation, the card can occasionally show the reason why something is the way it is (what something is founded on). In this case, the surrounding cards must be studied.

Important Combinations:
2♥ + 7♥ = a real estate contract | a male family member | it can represent being serious about a relationship
2♥ + 9♣ = restaurant or club
2♥ + K♦ = workplace or working from home (or working door to door)
A♦ + 2♥ = the querent’s own home
2♥ + 6♦ + 7♥ = school or university

REVERSED 2♥R

General: A negative card through and through. There is no good reason for this card to come up reversed. It is still connected to the querent’s home environment, but it qualifies it negatively as a difficult place to live. It is also connected with places the querent would rather avoid (on its own, this card represents a hospital, but unless the question is specific or other cards concur, don’t jump to conclusions). Its previous connotation of stability is lost, and in its place we find rocky relationships.
When this card comes at the end of a sequence, it makes it less stable and less fulfilling.

Love and Relationships: when it depicts the querent’s family or home environment, the reversed House characterizes is as unsupportive and stifling. It represents an environment the querent can hardly flourish in, one where his or her best interested is not  taken into consideration, or one that (for any reason) saps all energy and resources, including mental resources, out of him. Personal relationships described by the Two of Hearts reversed tend to be difficult. The card becomes a harbinger of disharmony and of lack of sencere feelings, or of feelings at all. If other cards point in the same direction, the couple may end up dissolving. For someone who is alone, the 2♥R promises nothing good, as it will usually highlight that the person suffers due to his or her loneliness and doesn’t thrive.

Work and Money: the card can show a business that is going through a tough period, and with negative cards it is at serious risk of going belly up. The card also points to poor budgeting or depleted personal resources, and when negative money cards surround it, it can predict bankruptcy and financial ruin in general.
In less serious circumstances, the reversed House can mean that the family won’t support the querent financially, or that one’s achievement are below expectations or nor on firm footing.
When it refers to the querent’s workplace, the House reversed shows the environment as negative and not nourishing, or it can imply that the firm the querent is working for is not doing well.
Generally, if the querent is looking to strike a deal, the card can prevent it from going through, or it can mean it won’t be advantageous. Investments tend to turn sour under this card’s influence, and papers should not be signed.

Other: the card is connected to all places the querent would normally want to leave as soon as possible or places of corruption. In itself, the card can mean a hospital or a psych ward, especially with the appropriate combinations. However, the concept of negative building must be taken with a grain of salt, as the 2♥R is also associated with places of isolation such as retreats and hermitages.
The card is a serious warning for anyone planning on buying real estate. Here, the concept of negative place must be taken to mean that the house has structural problems and may be in serious need of renovation. The same meaning can also apply to the querent’s own home, even if he or she isn’t planning on buying it or selling it. Psychologically, the Two of Hearts reversed points to instability and of feeling unloved or not nurtured enough, and can show that one feels like the world is a hostile place for them. It can also mean the querent is going through a period where he would like to grow but can’t find an appropriate avenue to pursue, and may feel like he lacks opportunities or space.

Important Combinations:
2♥R + 4♠ = hospital
2♥R + 9♠ = prison
2♥R + 4♥R = brothel
2♥R + 5♠ = a morgue
2♥R + 9♦ + K♣ = psychiatric hospital

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

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.