Ace of Hearts - Conversation (Conversazione) cases, as in this one, the difference is trivial.

Ace of Hearts - Conversation However, if the combo is, for instance, Conversation + Disaster, this is
usually not talking about disasters, as much as a conversation that turns
Polarity when Upright: Neutral out badly. The other way around (i.e. Disaster + Conversation) can mean
Upright Meanings: Words, Conversations, the same thing, but depending on context it could show negotiations Page |
Information exchange, Negotiation, People living following some kind of disruption: in such case, Disaster is not the outcome 1
under the same roof of, but the reason behind the conversation.

Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative

Reversed Meanings: Revolution, Instability,
Destabilization, Arguments, Lack of
communication
UPRIGHT MEANINGS: In the main, this is the card
of words. How words are going to play a role in the
querents life will be specified by the cards surrounding Conversation. It is
an extremely passive card, being always colored by the surrounding cards.
Theoretically you could say that, by itself, it is mildly positive, but cards are
never read by themselves.
Be careful: in almost all playing card traditions the Ace of Hearts is a
positive card whose primary meaning is home, house. This is NOT the case
with Conversation. Only when near certain cards, such as the House, it can
point to a certain kind of building, usually one that is connected to the
querent's everyday life. Or, it can point to the house understood as hearth.
It is also all in all very easy to understand: depending on context and the
neighbouring cards it can become a job interview (e.g. Conversation +
Merchant), a love declaration (Conversation+Love, and or Faithfulness), a
long distance communication (Conversation+Belvedere) and so on.
On occasion it can point to the people living under the querents (or
another persons) roof, or who are very close to him. This, however, is
usually clearly specified by the other cards (e.g. Conversation+Merriment
often indicates a party). Sometimes the card or sequence preceding
Conversation can tell us the origin of the conversation, while the card
following it tell us the outcome.
But take this with a bucketful of salt: in many contexts, Love +
Conversation = Conversation + Love. Technically, the first tells us that my
loving Annie leads me to express my feelings to her, while the second shows
that the conversation I have with her is about my loving her, but in many
Conversation + is the combination of lucky words, i.e. it shows that
the querent's issue will be solved by words. Another good combo, for
instance if you need to make up with a friend or a loved one, is Conversation
+ Sighs Rx (hopefully followed by something like Gathering). Conversation
+ Great Consolation Rx may show an insult.
REVERSED GENERAL MEANING: The main point to remember about
Conversation reversed is that it announces big changes, for either better or
ill. It does not say, however, if such changes will be sudden or gradual.
Again, in this instance it remains generally neutral, but do learn to be
suspicious when it comes up.
Example: two people are living the romance of the century*, and
Conversation Rx turns up, followed by Love. In itself, this is not a bad
combo: changes about Love. But this is the card of revolution, the
earthquake that changes everything. In this case the indication given by the
cards is very bad: if they are already in paradise, how better could it get?
Not much, so the relationship is gonna fall apart. On the other hand, if a
girl constantly attracts the wrong men, the reversed Ace of Hearts promises
something better. We need to use our brain when reading cards.
Additionally, this is the card of arguments and of lack of communication.
This is especially true when it shows up between two Court Cards. But lack
of communication can also refer to a message that does not arrive. This is
especially important when we are waiting for news after a job interview: you
won't hear much, or you'll have to push for it. Depending on the
surrounding cards, however, it could mean that when they get back in touch
with you, everything will change, which is usually a good thing for the
unemployed.
Unfortunately, this is not an easy card to describe in general, as the
context not only of the question, but also of what the cards want to tell us,
must be taken into careful consideration. Generally speaking, this card
completely upsets the status quo, and as a rule you won't get it wrong by easily reconstruct by yourself.
interpreting it as change, unless it falls between two significators.
Being a Two of Hearts, the House is a welcome sight if your wish is to get
Sometimes the change, however, is less threatening: Conversation Rx + back together with your sweetheart. Example: Gathering + House can, in
House could be moving to a new house, or even a radical refurbishment of context, be exactly the testimony we are looking for to show the re-creation
the one where you live. of a broken family, if no other disruptive card afflicts the spread in a Page |
meaningful way. 2
Notice that the Ace of Hearts reversed is, in a sense, the opposite of the
Ace of Spades reversed, in that Conversation gives change, Sorrow gives Also, if it follows a sequence of love or falling in love, it shows the
cycles and repetition. If the Ace of Spades falls after that of Hearts, the consolidation of a relationship. If cards of solidity and prosperity come up
change will only be momentary or apparent: the same cycle will keep going near it, we can judge that the querents family and love life is in good
on. shape. On the other hand, if the House is beset by cards of disruption or
decline (e.g. House + Consoling Surprise Rx, or House + Old Lady Rx) it's a
* Note: that they are living the romance of the century is told by the cards, sign that things will start going downhill.
not by the love-struck querent.
The House is also commonly seen when we talk about an office and when
the querent asks about buying or selling real estate, usually near cards of
Two of Hearts - House (Casa) money or transaction (Artist + House is the traditional combo for the letting
or buying contract).
Vera Sibilla | Two of Hearts - House (Casa)
Two of Hearts - House One of the oldest meanings of this card is the heart of the issue. On
occasion, the cards that fall near it describe the real issue which has caused
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive the present situation. But dont rush to this interpretation whenever you
see the House: in 80-90% of the cases, you would be wrong, unless the
Upright Meanings: House, Building, Everything querents question is framed in terms of why, in which case it is worth
that has to do with real estate, Solidity and taking a look.
prosperity, Family harmony, The heart of the issue
(the why of something) Example: "Why is she seeing him?": Female Lover Rx + House + Present
of Jewels. Because she is her own priority (her significator near the House)
Polarity when Reversed: Negative and cares only about money (Present).
Reversed Meanings: All the places where the
querent wouldnt want to be, Bad outcome in As a rule, if it makes sense to interpret it otherwise, do it. If you are
buying or selling real estate, Family harmony uncertain, ask the querent: you are perfectly entitled to it. Sometimes this
damaged or ruined, Activities and business closing down meaning is relevant at a different, more advanced stage of interpretation,
when we take into account harmonies and dissonances within the spread,
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANING: Heres another rather easy card to or when we count cards in the 5x5 Master Spread.
interpret. The Two of Hearts in the Vera Sibilla generally refers to a building,
and as such it depends completely on the context and the surrounding GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: When coming up reversed, the House
cards for its correct interpretation. becomes generally negative. It describes all those places where the querent
would rather not be or go, and/or where he feels or is a prisoner. This can
There are several traditional combinations linked to it: for instance, House include his own house, if he doesnt like it or the people who live there, or
+ Sick Man is a clinic, House + Money a bank, House + Priest a church or a the metaphorical "place" that is the couple he is in.
courthouse, House + Handmaid a restaurant, and many more that you can
 To give you an extreme example, House Rx + Death is traditionally the Three of Hearts - Belvedere (Belvedere)
mortuary, House Rx + Widower, the graveyard, House Rx + Old Lady a
nursing home. But, as always, dont drag these meanings into the Polarity when Upright: Positive
interpretation if it makes more sense, in context, to give a different meaning. Upright Meanings: Arrival, A movement toward the
Example: House Rx + Death could also be a disruption in the family or querent, Expecting something, Whats coming up
couple, or a trauma connected to it, while House Rx + Old Lady could mean next, Good news, Some anxiety Page |
an old house, or decline in feelings. Polarity when Reversed: Negative 3
Reversed Meanings: Delays, Bad news on the way,
Most of the combinations that are neutral to negative when the card is Whatever or whoever arrives is not good and
upright (e.g. House + Sick Man, hospital) become more clearly negative should be kept at a distance
when it is reversed. To put it more clearly, you are unlikely to be brimming
over with joy if they take you to the hospital, and this regardless of whether GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Theres not much
the House is upright or reversed. to say about this card, so I wont labour the point:
this is a generic card of waiting. Whatever or
But when its upright, it could also mean a sick or stagnant situation at whoever is on its way to you is shown by the card
home, for instance, which in itself makes the place it describes less or combination following it. So while this card has
attractive to the querent. While this, in context, could be true in case of a positive spin to it by itself, usually showing good news, you must interpret
reversed House as well, in such case it is more likely to point us to a it in context: if it is followed by the Seven of Spades, it is not good news.
hospital. Maybe it would appear as if it was good news, but it isnt.

It is as if the cards were saying Hey, over here! Look! He really really Most of the times this card is useful in at least a couple of ways. Firstly,
REALLY doesnt want to be in this place, and it has to do with sickness (Sick especially when it falls toward the second half of the string, it clearly
Man) so it can confirm hospitalization, rather than old uncle Charles identifies the future* by telling us that what follows has not already
spending his remaining weeks with your family. As a rule, House Rx gives happened but is something that is coming up next.
you room for a more pessimistic interpretation of the combos.
Secondly, it tells us what the querent expects. But expectations are
Clearly, should this card turn up in the context of a reading on real theoretical, while the Three of Hearts is real, unless something in the spread
estate or business, it would be a strong indication of failure or closing down. tells us that what the querent expects is not going to happen. Without such
However, since in such situation there would need to be various other more affliction, it will happen.
significantly economic cards, Ill explore the topic when I get to those.
I wrote some anxiety in the meanings, simply because the tradition
links it to this card. But such anxiety is the natural tension of waiting, so
dont take it into account unless it is confirmed by other cards (e.g.
Belvedere + Sighs, which would also prolong the waiting).

Additional Considerations: the Belvedere is usually a rather quick card.

However, as said, it heavily depends on the following cards. I once did a
reading for a woman who had just had a violent argument with her
boyfriend. The three cards where Disaster + Belvedere + Child Rx. The Seven
of Spades is a card of break-up, but let's not jump to conclusions: it is
followed by the Three of Hearts, so it is not the last word. The Three of Hearts
is projected into the Seven of Diamonds reversed, the card of indecision. So
although there had been an argument (Disaster) nobody would do anything
about it. They are still together -quite unhappily, if I may add. is clear therefore that we are not talking about deep metaphysical concepts
such as agape, but of mundane love.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Despite changing polarity, from positive
to negative, very little else changes in this card in the way of particular Generally speaking, when this card shows up it is quite easy to
dynamics. It is still a card of waiting for something or somebody. In general, understand its meaning. Depending on the context, it could either confirm
it shows delays or that something is not going to happen. This latter that somebody loves us (or that we love somebody) or that we will find a new Page |
possibility is particularly valid when very disruptive cards follow it in the love. Near a Person Card, it usually tells us that he or she is in love. But 4
spread, such as Disaster or Death. this does not in itself tell us that such love will link us to the right person,
or to our current partner: you have to be careful to see what place this card
But one of its most interesting significations is as a warning to the has within the economy of the spread.
querent that whatever is coming to him or her is not good, and should be
kept at a distance. This can offer us the whole answer to some questions. I Also, be careful when this card falls near to, or in harmony with the
met this new guy at work and WOW is he hot! What can I expect from him? Eight of Hearts, Hope: this is one of the combinations highlighting a
with Belvedere Rx + Great Lord (especially if he is reversed) Not much, summertime romance, a fun but fleeting love story. But if after this
really. Stay away from him Why?, with the Ten of Spades, the Soldier, combination we had the Ten of Hearts, Constancy, this could show a
after the Great Lord: Because he is a violent dick. romance that started out as a fleeting affair but is going to be consolidated
into a proper relationship.
If the cards following Belvedere Rx are positive, it usually means just a
delay. But consider the following combo: Great Consolation + Belvedere Rx. If love is not an issue, then this card generally shows what we are
In this case the positive card comes before, and is therefore blocked by the attracting into our life, either people or events. This has nothing to do with
Three of Hearts. Maybe this new project seems promising, but not much the so called law of attraction, which is a byproduct of deranged XX century
good will come from it. idealism: it merely points out that with our attitude or choices we are going
to get certain results. So if Im unemployed and find my significator followed
*positional spreads are not contemplated traditionally, and the Vera Sibilla by Love and then a sequence of work, it means that job, so to speak, likes
is generally read either in strings or in a tableau or square. me, so it will come to me.

Finally, although quite rarely, this card may refer to business and work-
Four of Hearts - Love (Amore) related issues, in which case it is extremely positive. It shows promotion
(e.g. Merchant + Love + Great Consolation) or expanding ones activity. I say
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive quite rarely because the deck has many other cards with which it could
Upright Meanings: Irrational expansive force, Love, depict promotion, so the Four of Hearts is generally employed for love-
New Love, Romance, What we attract into our life, related issues, but do be alive to this possibility.
Promotion, Expanding ones activity
GENERAL REVERSED MEANING: My teacher used to call this card reversed
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative that of lamor diverso, a different love, or love expressed differently, or
Reversed Meanings: A different love, Vice, towards different people, or with a different intensity, and so on. Even by
Cheating, Aridity, Homosexuality itself, therefore, it can point out somebodys homosexuality, especially,
although not necessarily, if it constitutes a problem* (e.g. if the person
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANING: In itself the card is cannot accept it, or if a girl is asking about a guy whom she doesnt know
described within the tradition not as the card of is gay, which is, in context, a problem).
love, but of una forza cieca, a blind force. But this
usually means love, which is an expansive blind But in general, this is the card of cheating, usually coming up near a
force, so dont get carried away by your fantasy. It significator to point out he is not the saint we thought he was. A traditional
combination is Love Rx + Merriment Rx + Female Lover Rx, which means
quite literally going whoring: if a wife is worried that her husband might
have an affair and this combo is in the spread, we could reassure her Oh
no, dont worry: hes just a debauched pervert.
One of the most traditional meanings of this card is vice, much like the
card of Merriment reversed, but the "Four of Hearts" kind of vice is more
clearly related to love. For instance Love Rx + House describes somewhere
where extreme fetishes and perversions take place.
It is also the card of aridity, and it negates love. It doesnt matter if the
querent is straight or gay: if he is and is in a loving relationship, Love will
come up upright; if love is extinct or is suffering, it will come up reversed. If
an affair is ruled out, this card shows lack of love, or a love that is dying
out. But be careful: Love Rx + Belvedere Rx is, traditionally, the end of a
loveless period. Only, ONLY if they come up in this order.
* I would urge caution when dealing with such topics. The cards just LOVE
outing closeted people: they are called chiacchierine, gossip cards, for a
reason. Just because you see something it doesnt mean that you have to
say it to the querent, especially if it is not the point in question: if he is not
ready to come out, respect his decision. If you see that he is just dying to
do it but cant find a way, you can gently nudge the topic into the
conversation, but its best to limit yourself to the space that is given to you
by the querent. Pushing somebody out of his comfort zone can sometimes
be healthy; dragging him out of it screaming is most definitely not.
Five of Hearts - Happiness in the Heart (Allegrezza
al Cuore)
Polarity when Upright: Positive
Upright Meanings: Quick happy outcome, Page |
Engagement, Relatives, Happiness, Temporary Job 5
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Meanings: Poisonous relations with
relatives, Instability in relationships with partners
of any kind, A generic card of impediments,
obstacles, hindrance
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Heres one
happy, jolly card. Always take it into account, as it
often dominates the spread, giving us the answer. Especially when it comes
up in the first few cards of the string (even better, as first) it is a very good
indication that the matter will fall out well quickly not, of course, if the
following cards are disastrous. It is also our main card of romantic
engagement.
By engagement I mean any kind of relationship that is not yet formalized
as marriage. But read this in context: if the querent is married, this card
does not mean that she is going to divorce her husband just to get engaged
to him again. Heres a quirk: Five of Hearts + Eight of Diamonds (Present of
Jewels) is traditionally the combination of the engagement ring. Nowadays
we have forgotten such social niceties, so it more usually turns up as a
combo of contract.
Speaking of which, in analogy to engagement as a less stable form of
commitment than marriage, Happiness to the Heart is also the card of fixed-
term contracts and temporary jobs. It does not tell us that the job is not
well-paid: for this we will need to look out for other indications. It does tell
us that it will end, unless of course another testimony intervenes to stabilize
the situation: e.g. Happiness to the Heart + Constancy describes the typical
situation where one starts out as a temp but is then offered a permanent
job.
Finally, this is one of the cards of relatives. Example: Happiness to the
Heart + Servant is usually a cousin or a nephew; with the Married Woman
an aunt; with the Old Lady it speaks of distant relatives. Being the card of
relatives, it is extremely important when a inheritance is at stake. Example:
Great Lord + Death + any card of money + Happiness to the Heart.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Reversed, the card becomes obnoxious
at best. It describes obstacles, hindrance, setbacks and the like. Especially
when it falls near a card that would symbolize what we want, it shows huge
problems in getting it, and if the spread is afflicted enough, it could put the
big kibosh on that aspiration. Its a bit like the South Node in Horary
Astrology: its conjunction to the significator does not tell us that we wont
get what we want, but it makes such outcome much more unlikely.
Some cards, however, are perfectly able to trump the Five of Hearts
reversed. One of these is , the Five of Clubs, which would be hindered
but not completely outweighed. On the other hand, Five of Hearts Rx +
Seven of Spades (Disaster) Rx is one of the worst combos in the entire deck,
because Disaster reversed refers to everything that has to do with fatality:
it shows us utterly powerless before our dire fate. Another quirk: Happiness
to the Heart Rx + House Rx + Madmen + Disaster, a fire will burn down your
house.
In addition to its generic meanings, Happiness to the Heart has the
obvious connotation of instability in the heart of a relationship: near the
Four of Hearts, Love, it is not a break up, but could well be the beginning
of the end if other cards confirm. It also shows us that we shouldnt trust
somebody as much as we do.
As a result, it has come to be associated with parenti serpenti, relatives
that, like snakes, cause trouble, or arguments with relatives. So finding it
within a sequence of inheritance is often a sign that you wont be able to get
your hands on uncle Nunzios beach house so easily.
Six of Hearts - Money (Denaro)
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive
Upright Meanings: Money, Wealth, Past, Things
done for profit
Page |
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative 6
Reversed Meanings: Financial issues, Debt, Need
to stay put, Misery, A pittance, Loss through
gambling and bad investments
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The card is pretty
straightforward. It is money, materiality, wealth. It
is generally not a card of feelings: quite the
opposite, finding it near somebody can mean that
they are after our money, not our lovable
personality. If feelings are confirmed, it can mean the person is affluent,
however.
In general, the Six of Hearts is not problematic. Here are some examples:
Six of Hearts + Widower + Falsehood Rx, there has been a loss of money,
but (Falsehood Rx) the issue will be solved and we will get our money back;
Money + Merchant Rx + Thief, a typical combination for dirty money; Money
+ Artist could be a contract, but also a inheritance if other cards confirm
(e.g. Old Lady and Death).
As in many other divinatory traditions, the Six of Hearts or Cups is the
card of the past. The average psychic will start rambling about how you keep
thinking about your childhood memories, mostly due to the Rider Waite
Tarots depiction of the card. In actual divination it doesnt matter if with
tarot or the Sibilla-, past is meant quite literally: the cards near it are in the
past*.
But even here the matter must be considered carefully. Money + Female
Lover is an ex. Money + Female Lover + Reunion, getting back with an ex. It
is quite common to find the Six of Hearts closing a spread when the question
was about getting back with an ex. Unless it is part of a combination, it
gives a no: everything that is described in the spread refers to the past =
there is no future concerning this issue.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The Six of Hearts is quite easy to grasp
when reversed as well. It is a neutral card when its meaning is the future.
I say neutral because, in context, this can give a negative answer: Will I
get back with James?, and Money Rx + Male Lover + Happiness in the Heart
come out. No, youll find yourself another man.
When it doesnt mean the future, this card is a problem. At best it says
that whatever amount we are earning is not worth the effort we make. But
it is often much worse a card. When near sequences of gambling or playing
the lottery, it shows loss. The more Spades are present in the spread, the
greater the loss.
One of the classical combos of financial misery is given by Money Rx +
Disaster Rx. If Death Rx follows it, it is even greater. But sometimes we dont
need Spades to diagnose huge hardships. Thief reversed is by far the worst
card in the deck: it shows obstacles that cannot in any meaningful sense be
overcome. Money Rx + Thief Rx is again a combination of misery. If it is
closed by Disaster Rx, you wont get out of the financial mire easily.
* Because traditionally spreads do not consider positional time-frames,
such as "this is the past, this is the present, this is the future". Timing is
therefore understood in the context, by looking at the cards. The Six of
Hearts is one of the important cards when we want a timing.
Seven of Hearts - Artist
Polarity when upright: Neutral to
Upright Meanings: An Intellectual, A legal
representative, Someone in the family, Good for
getting back together, Good news, A card of
education
Polarity when reversed:
Reversed Meanings: Calculating and scheming,
Mental distortion, Distorted Sexuality, Perversion,
Someone easy
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: This is the first
Person Card we come across: as you can see, not only Court Cards can
represent people. Although it can show a masculine figure within the
querents family, especially if near Happiness in the Heart or House, it
mainly covers everything that has to do with the legal system, and it is a
card of contract. Merchant + Artist is indeed one of the most traditional
combinations of contract, in this case relating to the querents job.
A curious combination is that of Artist + Doctor. This is the combo of
bureaucracy, of the tedious toing and froing between different offices each
of which tells you that you first need to go to the one you just came from.
In a country like Italy this is the daily round, so its no wonder the old card Page |
readers found this combo very useful. The other main field covered by the 7
card is that of education. Constancy + Letter + Artist + Thought + Present
of Jewels Rx is the sequence for graduating, but in general Artist and
Thought often refer to studying, university and so on.
As for the good news part, this is always in context: never judge this a
card of news unless other cards confirm. Artist + Messenger, for instance,
would one such combination of news, and Artist generally says that the
news will be good, unless the spread is heavily afflicted by other cards.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: When reversed, the card becomes
heavily negative. As a rule, you wont be wrong by interpreting it as involving
a degree of scheming on the part of somebody. If it falls near someone we
are dating, it tells us he or she is after something other than our pretty face.
The same was true with the card of Money (Six of Hearts) but it is more
common to find Artist Rx instead.
(Artista)
Many other meanings of this card are similar to those of the Love card,
positive on which topic, one might wonder why there are so many cards, in the Vera
Sibilla, that have a similar meaning. The first reason is historical, for this
deck was created by conflating the tradition of oracle cards coming from
Germany with the traditional fortune telling meaning attached to normal
playing cards by the Italian tradition, so we dont have a fully coherent
system. Secondly, it is extremely useful to have such doublers, as they
create additional testimonies in favor of one or the other interpretation.
Negative
Back to the Artist, it can signify somebody that we definitely wouldnt
want to date, unless we can make do with a one-night stand. Finally, in
some contexts, especially when we are seeking to clarify somebodys
feelings, finding Artist Rx + Falsehood + Pride Rx is not encouraging:
whatever happened, this person has a completely delirious opinion on the
subject. This, and some other combinations that can be easily reconstructed
(e.g. Artist + Madmen) show either mental issues or a distortion of reality in
the querents, or somebody elses mind. Will he be reasonable if I ask him
my money back? No. What does he think of our break-up? He thinks
you are a reptilian who tried to lay eggs in his bellybutton while he was
asleep.
 would be impossible. This is so also with the elements. This meaning of
Hope comes in handy when we are trying to describe where a meeting will
Eight of Hearts - Hope (Speranza) happen: Hope + Conversation + Merriment, a happy meeting near the water,
which could be the sea, a lake or a river.
Polarity when upright: Positive
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: As benefic when upright, so destructive Page |
Upright meanings: Card of protection: clearing when reversed. The primary meaning of this card is a loss of heart. It shows 8
up, Flirt, Realization, Investment, Water the bleak, joyless, grim attitude of those who have lost hope. It is not in
itself a card of pathological depression, but it does take very little to confirm
Polarity when reversed: Negative this possibility: Hope Rx + Reunion Rx could be one such example,
Reversed meanings: Loss of heart, Everything that especially if the Sick Man or the Doctor is in the spread. It is not uncommon
goes up in smoke to find this card in play when the querent is having suicidal thoughts, and
for this reason it is not welcome by cards readers, for it is quite hard to talk
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: This is the such querents out of their purpose without causing even more trouble. But
Sibillas equivalent of the Tarot Star. Like the Star, dont jump to this conclusion only because Hope comes up reversed: there
when it turns up at the end of a sequence, or even need to be clear sequences of suicide. If in doubt, dont bring up the issue.
better, at the end of the spread, it gives a yes. Its
la schiarita, a clearing up. We said that It also shows everything that goes up in smoke. Hope Rx + Artist? The
Happiness in the Heart Rx is a heavy card to get in general. This is especially agreement wont be reached for the contract. Hymenaeus + Hope Rx? The
true for relationships. Example: Female Lover + Happiness in the Heart Rx. marriage wont last very long.
There are strong issues in her relationship with John. But look! Hope closes
the sequence: theyll work them out and wont break up. Even when it is not
powerful enough to give a yes, maybe because the cards before are way too
destructive, Hope is very protective: the querent will be alright, she will get Nine of Hearts - Faithfulness (Fedelt)
what she needs. After all, in more serious readings, Hope is associated with
the Virgin Mary and with the Hail Mary as a prayer. IMPORTANT: this is the Polarity when upright: Positive
cards meaning when it closes something. If Hope is followed by a card that
negates it, it is very unlikely to be able to protect anybody. Upright meanings: Faithfulness, Love, Feelings,
Attachment to something or somebody, Complete
Aside from this quirk, the card is generally benefic. Only in matters of sexual intercourse (yes), Correctness, Loyalty,
love it could give some problems, as this is the card of summer romance, Carried out according to the plan
of flirting. Hope + Levity would give a definite no to a question like Does he
want a serious relationship with me?, unless other cards show Polarity when reversed: Negative
improvement. But dont get too carried away with this meaning: Hope + Love
+ Faithfulness indicates the realization of romantic ideals. Reversed meanings: Unfaithfulness, Insincerity,
Rebellion, Not carried out according to the plan
Again, like the Tarot Star, Hope is traditionally one of the main cards of
money, and especially of investment ("liquid assets"). Hope + Handmaid, for GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Heres a card Ive
instance, is one of the best combos for those who are hoping to get a loan, always been fond of. Although some of its meanings
or in general economic aid. are similar to those of Love upright, Faithfulness is by far the purer of the
two. Not because the Four of Hearts is not pure, but because the Nine is the
It rules the element of water. In the Vera Sibilla everything that exists is epitome of purity itself. Many of the combinations that involve this card are
assigned to one or more of the cards, so giving a full range of meanings quite intuitive. Example: Faithfulness + Love is definitely one of the best
combos for the love-struck querent; Child + Faithfulness a new love, and so
on and so forth. An interesting pairing is Faithfulness + Soldier, which Ten of Hearts - Constancy (Costanza)
indicates a hidden affair. This doesnt necessarily point to something fishy,
as the Soldier often does: for instance, if the querent is not in an official Polarity when upright: Neutral to Positive
relationship, it could simply mean that he has a relationship and he is not
eager to hurl it into the limelight. If he is married, however, this is a problem, Upright meanings: Firmness and fortitude, Good
because it means that his loyalty lies with somebody else. Near a Person outcome with toil and effort, City, Faithfulness, Page |
card, the Nine of Hearts usually shows that that person can be trusted: e.g. Everything that lasts for better or ill, Stability or 9
Faithfulness + Friend, a loyal friend. For all its purity, Faithfulness + Room stabilization
indicates a complete sexual intercourse.
Polarity when reversed: Negative
Another important meaning of the card is everything that is carried out
faithfully. This is often to reassure the querent that yes, he will be called Reversed meanings: Instability, A thrashing,
for that job as previously agreed. Everything that is promised under the Unrest, Loss and abandonment, Arguments,
auspices of this card is true. Unfortunately, as with so many cards with Discontinuity, Violence, Lack of enthusiasm and
such a positive spin, the following cards can contradict it completely. inertia
Faithfulness + Falsehood is the classical combo for lies within the couple.
Note to Lenormand aficionados: the Nine of Hearts NEVER indicates a dog. GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: In some schools of interpretation of the
Not even if you are asking about your dog: the card of pets is the Child. Vera Sibilla, Constancy is considered a negative card. This is not so: in many
circumstances it is an extremely positive card. It has, however, some
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The reversed meanings of the card are ambiguity to it, which is given by its meaning of "lasting". Depending on
mostly the opposite of those of the card when it is upright. It is our primary context and the surrounding cards, this can be very negative: Sick Man +
suspect when the issue is about cheating spouses: this sole card confirms Constancy, a long illness; Sorrow + Constancy often indicates sorrow from
that the person is indeed cheating. It also indicates the end of love or of a the past, especially when it opens the spread; Great Consolation Rx +
relationship, especially when near the Ace of Clubs reversed. But be careful: Constancy + Madmen indicates a situation that does not evolve for a long,
sometimes a relationship can end even when the card is upright. It doesnt long, long time, with always new setbacks.
take a cheater to break a union: love can die out, or there may be a
fundamental lack of compatibility within the couple. In such cases, the Unless besieged by such cards, however, Constancy is what we hope to
presence of the Nine of Hearts upright reassures us that the break-up is not see: it shows effort and sacrifice producing the longed for results. Example:
due to unfaithfulness. House + Money + Handmaid Rx + Constancy indicates the ability to repay,
with some financial effort, your loan. As a rule, the further into the string
The card is also very important when we are asked about plans, and it Constancy is found, the better, for the obvious reason that it cannot show
tells us that whatever will happen, it wont be as it was agreed. The degree a happy outcome when it comes too early.
of unfaithulness to the plan or schedule or promise is given by the
circumstances. In itself, Faithfulness reversed does not mean No you wont It is also the card of the querents city,and it indicates,more generally,
be called back as your boss had promised you, but it shows at least a delay. the homeland, in opposition to Hope, which is overseas or abroad.
If the card is followed by a disastrous sequence of unemployment, however, Example: Constancy + Journey could show going back to your hometown
it would be unwise to stir up our querents hopes: the thing wont happen. after your holidays. Finally, this is the card we hope to see when we are
But, for instance, when asking about that new job: Child + Merchant + looking to stabilize our position. We saw that Hope + Levity indicates a flirt.
Faithfulness Rx. This does not say that the job will be lost; it does say that But if Constancy follows, we are going to have a more serious relationship
there will be weird or unexpected circumstances, so the querent should with the guy. Similarly, with the sequence: Merchant + Present + Happiness
watch out.ar in the Heart + Constancy we have a temporary job that will be stabilized. As
you can see, this is one of those cards that must be carefully studied before
giving judgment. It can be easy to mistake it for what it is not. When reading
 a string, check the following: if Constancy is the
second card in the string, it can show something
(the first card) from the past; if it comes after a
sequence, it stabilizes it; if that sequence is
negative and after Constancy come good cards,
Constancy gives a good outcome (subject to the
querents effort); if it is besieged by negative cards,
it causes them to last much longer.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The Ten of
Hearts reversed is the card of the big thrashing. It
is like an earthquake, but unlike Conversation Rx,
it is always negative. In the best case scenario it
will fall between two people cards, showing
arguments. The other cards will then tell us if there
can be a reconciliation. If this is not the case, and
especially if it falls in the center of the string, this is a huge testimony of
you can forget about it. In love relationships, even when it does not break
them, it does not make them stronger.
Another important meaning is that of inertia, especially when it comes
near cards of blockage. Will I get a job?, Sick Man + Constancy Rx. You
dont want a job: you are not even willing to make an effort.The presence
of and Pride can shake up the querent from his torpor, but they are
especially rare in such contexts.
Sometimes, when it falls near people cards, the Ten of Hearts reversed
shows that they are violent. This, according to the tradition, is especially
true of the Great Lord, all the more so if he shows up reversed.
JACK OF HEARTS - Male Lover (Amatore or Amante)
GENERAL MEANINGS: It signifies a young, unmarried man. Traditionally
he is artistic, sincere, handsome, of fair complexion and blonde or light
brown hair, but keep in mind that the deck usually hurls Court Cards into
play without much care for descriptive correctness. So it will generally just
mean: a young man. In a consultation about love it can confirm that he is
in love, but this will just be a minor testimony, and you'll have to look at
the spread for confirmation. He forms a couple with the Female Lover, but
it's not unusual to find him quite fond of the Young
Maiden of the suit of Clubs. In homosexual
relationships, he has the hots for the Servant (Jack
of Clubs) or his sugar daddy Great Lord. When
interacting with the Married Woman he can either
be her son or her toy boy. Page |
10
As said before, reversed Court Cards are people
in trouble or who are inimical to the querent. The
Male Lover reversed can be idle, debauched, and
especially when near cards of vice (e.g. Merriment
reversed) it indicates an immoral young man.
QUEEN OF HEARTS - Female Lover (Amatrice)
GENERAL MEANINGS: A young, unmarried
woman. She's the female counterpart to the Jack
of Hearts. Traditionally she has all those qualities
that were expected of young women in the XIX
century: faithful, chaste and so on. She is usually
brunette with hazel eyes, but again, don't rely too
much on these moral and physical descriptions. In
a homosexual relationship she is usually the
Young Maiden's lover.
Reversed, she is an idle slut who won't take a
job even if it hits her in the head.
KING OF HEARTS - Great Lord (Gran Signore)
GENERAL MEANINGS: The Great Lord often describes the mature male
querent or his father or (rarely) grandfather. He is usually married to the
Married Woman. He can also signify the boss. He is magnanimous, stable,
wise, helpful and protective.
Reversed, in addition to the rule of inimical/in deep shit, the Great Lord
is one of the cards of debauchery, even by itself, although it is more
commonly confirmed by other cards of vice. He is, after all, a King of Cups.
One common scenario is Female Enemy + Married Woman + Great Lord Rx.
Guess who's not coming for dinner because he has a "job meeting" to go to.
Ace of Clubs - Hymenaeus or Marriage (Imeneo or
Matrimonio)
Polarity when Upright: Positive
Upright Meanings: Marriage, Contract, Everything
that binds together agreeing partners, Everything
that is signed, Fertility, Couple, Material
prosperity, Beginning as the "fiat" of something
(usually a relationship or a partnership)
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral
Reversed Meanings: Materiality, Money, Wealth
of Jewels (Eight of Diamonds). Finally, this is the card of prosperity in the
body, which usually means fertility, so finding Marriage + Child would be
strongly encouraging for the querent asking about a possible future
pregnancy. On the other hand, Marriage + Doctor may signal a problem of
erectile dysfunction.
Page |
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Even when reversed, the Ace of Clubs 11
is not negative. It refers to materiality in the broadest sense of the word.
Often, when money is an issue, seeing this card coming out to play is a good
sign. Example: Great Consolation + Marriage Rx can speak of real estate,
less frequently about assets, which are generally given by Money + Marriage
Rx.
When this card can become negative is in the typical consultation about
love. The smitten teenager walks in and starts with "Oh he used to say such
wonderful things... Is it really over?". It is not unusual to find Marriage Rx
in play, maybe near the Ace of Diamonds, the Room: loveless sex. In context,
Marriage reversed can refer to a dying love, although this will usually be
confirmed by surrounding cards. But I once gave a reading where Marriage
reversed was the sole indication that the relationship was dying out. Think
about love as a free, wild spirit emerging from the dense thickness of
materiality: when this card shows up reversed, it indicates love being
extinguished into that materiality again. This does not generally give an
abrupt break-up (which is usually signified by cards of Spades), but it shows
a progressive cooling down that will eventually bring separation.

GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: When the Ace of

Clubs enters into play it always catches the eye, and for a good reason.
Much like the Ace of Wands in Tarot and the Ring card in the Lenormand
system, the Marriage card has some ambiguity to it: it can refer either to Two of Clubs - Pride (Superbia)
material or to sentimental issues. The cards near it should nonetheless be
able to disambiguate its meaning. Even when referring to love, however, it Polarity when Upright: Positive*
usually signifies the least sentimental part of it, so it needs clear cards of
feeling nearby: Love or Faithfulness + Marriage is usually the beginning of Upright Meanings: The "Amulet", Beauty, Magic
love or a love marriage. Another important combination is given by Marriage
+ House, which indicates life in couple, but in a neutral sense. However, Polarity when Reversed: Negative
unless there are afflictions near the combination, it can be taken as
testimony of a well-established relationship. Marriage + Disaster + Priest is Reversed Meanings: Ego, Distortion of reality, Black Magic
usually a divorce.
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The Two of Clubs** is generally very easy
Likewise, it refers to everything that is officially signed, generally to interpret, as it has only a handful of ideas attached to it. You will never
contracts. Merchant + Marriage is a job contract, and this signification will go far wrong by interpreting it as an Amulet within the spread. In traditional
be strengthened if other cards such as Letter (Two of Diamonds) or Present cartomancy some cards are known as Wall Cards (Italian: Carte Muro), i.e.
cards that, when closing a sequence or a spread, change the meaning of
what came before. Pride is not the only Wall Card in the Vera Sibilla deck, Polarity when Upright: Neutral
but it's the best Wall you could ever hope for, perhaps only second to the
Eight of Hearts (Hope). It always improves the positive and decreases the Upright Meanings: Movement, Change, Travel,
negative. For instance, Sorrow + Pride is only a minor disappointment, Relocation, Changing ideas and projects, A change
nothing to worry about; Disaster + Pride could be a minor accident, but in the schedule, Means of transport Page |
nothing you will remember after a couple of days; Consoling Surprise + 12
Money + Pride could be a disgustingly huge amount of money. Polarity when Reversed: Positive

Sometimes it has a connection to beauty and all
those jobs that have to do with beauty, but this is
generally kept to side issues or to the more
advanced stages of interpretation. But it is also the
main (although not the only) esoteric card in the
deck. If you are asking about a ritual you
performed and Pride shows up in the spread, four
times out of five it means that the ritual succeeded.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Pride reversed
is an extremely sinister card. In those rare
instances in which it refers to works of magic, it
usually describes very dark rituals, and has a
connection to necromancy, being similar to the
Devil reversed in Tarot. However, it more generally
describes an attitude, either of the querent or of
somebody else. It is the card of the ego, and all the
distortions of reality that it produces. The most typical combination is Pride
Rx + Falsehood, which gives the picture of distortions in the attitude that
are not exactly pathological, but not too far off from it. A weird combination
is given by Pride Rx + Thought + a Significator: this indicates an idiot, a
bozo, somebody who cannot be relied upon.
* You will often find written that Pride amplifies both the positive and the
negative or, in other words, that it has a quantitative import. This is not so:
Pride upright is always generally positive, although sometimes it may not
be enough to give success, if the spread is too afflicted.
** NOTE: this card is often referred to as simply "the peacock".
Three of Clubs - Journey (Viaggio)
Reversed Meanings: Progression, Slow change for
the better, Evolution
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The Three of
Clubs rarely presents interpretive issues. It is
always either one of two things: change of position
or change of mind. Especially when there is no
other card in the spread that might make you think about actual movement,
Journey tends to be about a change in the broader sense of the term. But
when it does mean travel, it is fairly easy to understand its meaning:
Journey + Love may be a trip motivated by love; Journey + Hope travelling
by water; Journey + Levity travelling by air; Journey + Sighs travelling by
train. The nature of the card can create curious combinations: Journey +
Letter could be a passport or a ticket; Journey + Room a hotel room, and so
on.
The card also rules all means of transport, it doesn't matter if big or small.
However, it tends to represent cars. On this account, Thief + Journey +
Death gives a theft of car or carjacking*, although it could also mean that a
journey is "stolen" from us by negative circumstances.
But sometimes this card has nothing to do with physical change. Look at
this: Faithfulness + Love + Journey + Sorrow Rx + Old Lady + Child. Here
we have a love (the first two cards) going through a transition (Journey) that
will bring about a cooling down of feelings (Sorrow Rx + Old Lady) and will
be replaced by a new relationship (Child).
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The card becomes generally very
positive when reversed. It is the card of progression and change for the
better, whereas the upright Journey card was utterly neutral. Remember,
however, that the positive spin of the reversed card could be nullified or
lessened by contradictory cards: e.g. it doesn't matter how much this card
might be positive, Journey Rx + Disaster Rx + Madmen + Widower is
unlikely to turn out a good thing. Maybe it looks good (Journey Rx), but it
isn't. Also, in contrast to the upright version, the reversed Journey is slow, meanings to us. However, it is usually safe to interpret this card as a
recommendation or an intercession. It is usually very positive for the
more gradual in its effect. Journey Rx + + Pride is one of the best combos querent, and combinations involving it are quite clear: e.g. Friend Rx +
in the deck, but it is not about hitting the jackpot suddenly: it gives long- Consoling Surprise, financial help; Friend Rx + Doctor a very good doctor*.
term good luck. But Friend Rx + Falsehood Rx + Doctor an intercession in our (or somebody
else's) favor that is not completely clean or honest. Page |
* Even though this combo appears much more negative than "just" a theft, 13
especially due to the presence of Death, keep in mind that death is a matter * This doesn't tell us if he's going to be able to cure us. If we expect him to
of some moment, so it is unlikely that the cards would picture it with just be able to raise the deads we might end up quite disappointed anyway.
the Five of Spades.

Four of Clubs - Friend (Amica) Five of Clubs - ( )

Polarity when Upright: Positive Polarity when Upright: Positive

Upright Meanings: Friend, Helpful figure, Society, Upright Meanings: Good Luck
Company
Polarity when Reversed: Positive
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Positive
Reversed Meanings: A slowed down or delayed or
Reversed Meanings: Help, Recommendation, more gradual version of the upright meaning
Intercession, Without friends, Troublemaker
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: There is a
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: This is first and
foremost a Person Card, which means that it often common myth according to which * always
portraits a subject. People Cards which are not trumps all the bad cards in the spread, giving an
Court Cards generally never represent the querent. unconditional yes. It doesn't matter what you may
In this case, we deal with a friend, but "friend" here means generally
read on the subject or who said it, it is NOT true. is most benefic indeed,
speaking someone who is helpful and well-meaning to the querent. Friend
but sometimes it just can't work its magic. Follow this rule: the later into
+ Faithfulness is what we would hope to see: a good, faithful friend. On the
the spread you find the Five of Clubs, the better. If it is the last card, better
other hand, combos like Friend + Pride Rx, Friend + Falsehood or Friend +
Enemy speak for themselves. Like the Four of Wands in the Tarot system, still. But as first card or in the first half of the string is almost useless.
the Four of Clubs also refers to companies and societies, but less frequently Even when it shows up in the second half, it is almost powerless if followed
than the Tarot version. For instance, Merchant + Letter + Friend could mean by bad cards, which is why when it comes up last it is so devastatingly
an important communication from the company you work for. In general, powerful: because it has the last say.
interpret it as a person, unless the context either rules it out or gives you
hints that it might not refer to a person. Such instances are not rare, but
are less common than the Friend representing just that, a friend. But this is not enough, we must further specify. deals mostly with
material achievement, so it won't bring about reconciliation with your ex
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: I wrote in the summary that Friend unless assisted by other cards. This leads us to another important aspect
reversed can mean having no friend or could depict a troublemaker. This is of the card: whatever it represents, it is beyond the querent's control. This
mostly for completeness, because the tradition has handed down these
 ex? Pray for Reunion + Consoling Surprise + Love.
can be useful in many contexts: in "who dunnit" questions tells us that
it wasn't the querent, for instance. I remember answering a question about Whenever it comes up, the Six of Clubs announces great results with
a possible reconciliation after a bad fight between lovers, and the spread little effort, so it can act as a great lubricant for reaching goals. But as
always, beware of negative cards following it. In particular, pay attention to
closed with . The spread indicated reconciliation, but the Five of Clubs
Consoling Surprise + Sick Man and Consoling Surprise + Prison, for both Page |
added that this whole matter was beyond the querent's control: he didn't
combos signify unemployment. Sometimes a card will come up near it that 14
start the fight, so he couldn't do anything to prevent more fights in the
negates its effortless nature, but not its positive results: Consoling Surprise
future, which were likely to happen, since the string didn't show any kind
+ Constancy shows hard work that pays off.
of evolution in that sense.
Finally, the Six of Clubs is one of the cards associated with lottery. As
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: These are the same as the upright
always, pay attention to the cards that qualify it: Six of Clubs + Levity is
version, only delayed or more gradual in their development. A gradual
resolution. only a small sum; Six of Clubs + is much more encouraging.

* I chose to keep the Italian title because it refers to the name of the Ancient GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: A card of ruin, decadence, downfall.
Especially when it falls in the heart of the reading* it brings disruption and
Roman Goddess .
unwanted outcomes. This card alone can break a couple up as effortlessly
as it effortlessly brings it back together when upright. But it is not a card of
cheating or lack of feelings: often when Consoling Surprise Rx is the cause
Six of Clubs - Consoling Surprise (Consolante of the break-up it means that there is no glue between the two people, no
Sorpresa) common interest, lack of a common vision etc. If, however, you get Lover Rx
+ Consoling Surprise Rx + Faithfulness Rx, you can safely expect your
Polarity when Upright: Positive partner to cheat on you even with the light post in the backyard.

Upright Meanings: Positive and usually An interesting combination: Disaster + Death + Widower + Consoling
unexpected result, Minimal effort for excellent Surprise Rx is one of the various combos of death in the Vera Sibilla. If it is
results, Luck, A raise, More money, Good for upright, the person will probably be saved on the brink of death.
gamblers and in lottery predictions
* Traditionally spreads are read either in strings or in tableau. It is
Polarity when Reversed: Negative important for strings to be made of an odd number of cards, for the central
card, the heart, has a lot of weight. The same is true for tableau readings,
Reversed Meanings: Downfall, Excessive ambition, where not only we have a heart card, but also a heart line and a heart
Lack of common interests with the partner column (especially in the so called Master Draw of 5x5 cards, but the same
is true for the Grand Tableau of 7x7 + 3).
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: This is the
arcanum everybody hopes to get in their reading. Its most important
meaning is "unexpected, positive turn of events". For instance, if you get
Letter + Consoling Surprise, this is probably a positive message you don't Seven of Clubs - Great Consolation (Gran Consolazione)
expect; if you've lent somebody some money and you get Money + Consoling
Surprise, you will get it back even if you had lost all hope. In consultations Polarity when Upright: Positive
about love, finding it near the significator of the beloved usually signifies
unexpected communications from him or her. Want to get back with your Upright Meanings: Material Well-being, Stability, Realization, Work, In love
it gives meeting somebody, Promotion
 Consolation Rx is the combination of humiliating injuries at our expenses.
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
*As always, discretion is advised. It may feel as though we are very clever
Reversed Meanings: Blocked situation, with our ability to see what our querents don't want us to see, but the aim
Humiliation, Injury and offense, Missed of a consultation is not to make the reader feel clever.
opportunity, Preoccupation Page |
15
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The card of Eight of Clubs - Gathering (Riunione)
realization, who wouldn't like it? While the
previous card shows a raise, this one is a Polarity when Upright: Positive
promotion, if the context allows for such
distinction. But generally speaking, it is often Upright Meanings: Getting back together, Meeting,
associated to other cards to show profit from what Going back to the past, A generic card of solution
they represent (e.g. Great Consolation + House, of problems, Healing, Restoring, Society and
profit from real estate). When near a person, it people, Two people
shows that they don't have financial worries. With
all that this card is very positive, it is usually not Polarity when Reversed: Negative
dominant, so you must be able to discern what
cards dominate it: if it's the Merchant, the story will Reversed Meanings: Sadness, Doubts,
be quite different than if it's Death. Uncertainty, The shadows lurking in the back of
one's mind coming out to play
It is also the card of meeting, so in context it can be negative: if it refers
to our husband there is another woman on his way. However, this doesn't GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The meanings of
mean that the Seven of Clubs becomes negative in all love consultations the card play on the double meaning of the word "riunione" in Italian, which
where the querent is married: it is usually very, very positive, showing a can signify both a meeting at work and any generic getting back together
situation that is well-established and long-lasting. However, in such cases with somebody. I use the English word "Gathering" as a working translation.
it gives indications more as to the material side of the union. This is the most important card to see in play when we are talking about a
reconciliation between ex lovers. "Will we get back together?" Death +
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: It is less negative than the Six of Clubs Gathering + Disaster: never, get over it; Gathering + Hope + Consoling
reversed, but it's not something to be happy about anyway. It refers to all Surprise: yup, looks like you will; Old Lady + Gathering + Child Rx: only
situations that do not proceed, that are blocked, that don't evolve.For with a LOT of effort. Note that, in context, this card can become negative,
instance, whenever it comes up after a sequence of meeting somebody, it especially if the querent is looking for new relationships. I remember once
shows that our relationship with that person won't evolve into something giving a reading to a friend who had asked me if he would find a new girl
more stable. It can, however, become much more negative when surrounded soon. The important cards in the spread were: Old Lady + Money +
by disastrous cards: Great Consolation Rx + Money + Jealousy highlights Gathering. Old Lady can in this context mean the ex, which is confirmed by
useless investments that will cause great losses of money (Jealousy is a card Money, which is the card of the past, while Gathering gave the
of crisis). reconciliation. "No, you'll get back together with your ex". And so it proved,
as she showed up at his door a couple of week later begging him to
Another important meaning of the card is connected to humiliation and reconsider.
fear of humiliation: Seven of Clubs Rx + Hope Rx + Love Rx is the typical
combo of closeted homosexuals, and in general the first two cards together Since it has to do with the past, the Eight of Clubs is a generic card of
point to secrets that the querent wouldn't want to be found out*. On the restoring things to their former glory, and so can also mean healing: Sick
other hand, Pride (even upright, but more usually reversed) + Great Man + Gathering promises good things; Sick Man + Gathering + Levity does
not.
Finally, this is one of the cards in the Vera Sibilla that we could compare
to double-bodied signs in Astrology, which can mean "more than one". It
can for instance mean "twins" if it turns up in the middle of a sequence of
pregnancy. Gathering usually refers to duality, while other cards (e.g.
Madmen) are more generically about more than one and probably more than
two. But counting people is being far too precious: "more than one" is
enough.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: This card popped out along with several
others while I was giving a reading to a dear friend, and that's how I found
out she was entering into depression. The Eight of Clubs reversed is the
card of sadness, apathy, unwillingness to react, insecurity and doubts.
Don't worry, by itself this little bastard is too weak to talk about depression.
It does manage, however, to make any reading heavier for the querent, as it
highlights a moment of extreme mental or spiritual weakness.
The main thing we want to make sure is that it does not team up with
other psychologically negative cards, such as Hope reversed, which could
highlight a loss of heart. With Gathering Rx + Thought Rx + Sighs Rx we
can already talk about the pathological side of sadness. If we add Death, we
have suicidal thoughts*.
*This is where the reader crosses his fingers and hopes he won't say
anything that might make things worse. My personal rule for these
situations is vague but straightforward: if you are not a counsellor, don't
counsel. Show humanity and sympathy, but don't play the hero.
Nine of Clubs - Merriment (Allegria)
Polarity when Upright: Positive
Upright Meanings: Happiness and mirth, Merriment Personal realization
and fulfillment, Fertility, The joy of winning against the odds, Economic and
moral recovery, Party
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Meanings: Obstacles, A defect of form, Flawed, Vice and bad habits
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The card is apparently vague on the
surface, and in a sense it could be considered more as setting the mood
rather than pointing to a particular event. So far as the card taken by itself
goes, this is not false. However, cards rarely are
taken by themselves, as they always interact with
each other. The Nine of Clubs usually brings a Page |
sense of realization into the spread, so it tends to 16
reinforce the notion of victory or fulfillment. Be
careful not to confuse the issue, though: this is not
a feeling-oriented card, so while it will bring joy, it
won't bring your boyfriend back, unless this is
hinted at by other cards. It only means that, so far
as your sentimental life is concerned, you will get
some satisfaction, which could very well mean your
bastard ex boyfriend will step on a dog poop while
his boss is watching. To give you an idea: Doctor +
Merriment could refer to good news about a
therapy, while Journey + Merriment could be a
pleasure trip. This card is rarely the subject, being
almost always the adjective or the context.
Negative cards following it can negate its meaning, or could transform it
into a card of vice and abuse: Merriment + Great Lord Rx could signify one
with alcohol problems, though this meaning is not nearly as strong as when
Merriment is reversed.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The seriousness of the negative
meanings of the card again depend heavily on the context and the other
cards. Sometimes it just means a momentary setback due to trivial issues:
maybe you won't start working in January, but in February, because they
forgot to print that clause on your contract. When Merriment reversed piles
up on other negative cards, however, it can become hugely problematic,
pointing out just how flawed and rotten the situation is. Faithfulness Rx +
Merriment Rx, when it doesn't refer to love, usually tells us that whatever
we are expecting to happen won't happen: that event will be "unfaithful"
with regard to our expectations.
Another important meaning of the card is vice*. Especially when it is
near a person card or in harmony with it, and especially if that person card
is reversed, it can suggest a wide range of bad habits. I've seen it signify
anything from gambling problems to compulsive masturbation, to drug
abuse. This will also depend on the surrounding cards: Merriment Rx + Love
Rx usually refers to extreme sexual perversions that the unaware partner
may find hard to put up with. Merriment Rx + Letter + Falsehood and/or Harry Potter universe, called Felix Felicis, which makes the drinker lucky
Enemy could refer to blackmailing or stalking. In any case, you don't want for a day. The essence of the Ten of Clubs reversed is the same: it's the lucky
to have Merriment Rx in your spread. moment. To give you an idea of how powerful this card is, I remember I was
once asked to do a reading about a woman's husband who was suffering
* As in various other cases, I speak of vice not because I am a churchy dick, from a very serious, and potentially fatal illness. The entire spread was a
but because these are the terms in which the tradition has been handed complete mess, except that the last two cards were Levity Rx and the Sick Page |
down. Let me reiterate the thought that we, as readers, are in no position to Man. With the Sick Man closing the spread, I was sure he would never heal 17
patronize our querents. Offering advice is an altogether different thing. completely. Levity Rx, however, gave hope, and a lot. So what was the stroke
of luck? It was that the man's doctor decided to proceed with a different
therapy that had been previously ruled out, which kept the man alive and
Ten of Clubs - Levity (Leggerezza) relatively well. This little piece of cardboard can make the difference between
life and death.
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Negative
With all that this is one of the luckiest cards in the deck, you must be
Upright Meanings: Recklessness, Irresponsibility, careful to note whether the querent is able to profit from the lucky moment
It diminishes the power of positive or negative he is presented with. This can indirectly give us the timing: "When should I
cards, Air take advantage of such and such opportunity?", with Levity Rx in the first
half of the spread: immediately! Don't lose time! Indeed when it comes up
Polarity when Reversed: Positive in the first couple of cards, it usually means that the favourable moment is
passing unexploited, so be careful what you advise your querent to do, lest
Reversed Meanings: A lucky moment he crushes on the wall just because you timed the prediction wrong.

GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The most

flattering thing I could say about this card upright
is that it can, in certain circumstances, have a
positive meaning, when near cards of sorrow, as it
diminishes their power. Sick Man + Levity is a small illness, like a cold or a
fever; Levity + Disaster is nothing to worry about, just a bump on the road.
Even then, I would always rather find Pride instead of Levity. When it is
near a positive card, Levity diminishes that as well (while Pride would
enhance it even more): Levity + Money, just a little money; Levity +
Merchant, a part-time job. Be especially careful when this card turns up
near a person card, as it qualifies him or her as voluble and unreliable: not
necessarily a bad person, just one you can't count on. Also, Female Lover +
Levity, the easy woman; Male Lover + Levity, the easy man.
In addition, this card refers to imprudence, recklessness,
irresponsibility. If you think to start a business under a combination such
as Levity + Thought + Money you better think again, and this time more
carefully.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: You will find written sometimes that
this is a warning card, but this is utterly false. There is a potion, in the
JACK OF CLUBS - Servant (Domestico)
GENERAL MEANING: Disregard the idea that he
is unctuous, as the description says. Unless the
other cards give you a reason to doubt his loyalty,
the Servant is usually a good person. He represents
a person that is part of our daily life: a partner, a
son, a brother, a coworker, a nephew, etc. He is
someone willing to help us. Servant + Room
sometimes gives a roommate. When surrounded by
bad cards it represents somebody who does what
he does for convenience, rather than affection for
us.
Reversed, in addition to the general meaning of reversed People Cards,
the Servant brings in the idea of neglecting one's duties. It once came up in
a spread for a man who had run away from home and from his family and
had never come back since.
 Ace of Diamonds - Room (Stanza)

Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive

Upright Meanings: Intimacy, Private sphere, Things told in confidence,

QUEEN OF CLUBS - Young Maiden (Giovane
Fanciulla)
GENERAL MEANING: A young woman under 30
years of age, usually brunette. She is the female
counterpart to the Servant, and she behaves
mostly in the same way. She is connected to our
family life or to our circle of friends, much like the
Servant. She is dutiful, but sometimes she is
inexperienced both in love or in life.
When the card turns up reversed in a love
reading, this usually means that she feels
neglected by the partner, but unless other cards
confirm it, she is not necessarily unfaithful.
KING OF CLUBS - Doctor (Dottore)
GENERAL MEANING: When it represents a person,
it's usually someone who is accomplished and
influential. He can also be a professional, a
counsellor or an advisor of any type. When it does
not represent a person, this card usually implies a
degree of suffering, especially in the past,
concerning the issue under consideration.
When reversed, the King of Clubs traditionally
means that the medical treatment we are receiving
is wrong, and therefore implies that the real
problem has not been identified, but this idea of
wrong treatment can be extended beyond the field
of health issues: a job that is not good for us, a relationship that is harming
us etc.
Private meeting, Gratification, Economic progress Page |
18
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative
Reversed Meanings: Revelation, Leak of usually
embarrassing information, Money going out, Great
expenses, Illegal labour
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: In general
fortune-telling, the Ace of Diamonds is usually
either the ring or the letter. Here it is neither, for
the "ring" is the Ace of Clubs, while the letter is the
Two of Diamonds. However, the Room card does
have to do with news. It rules all those things that
we are told in confidence, generally by people we
trust: in this sense, Conversation + Room, usually
with a card like the Servant or the Friend, signifies
secrets revealed to us by a friend. Be careful of
cards such as Falsehood in the proximity of the
Room, for they would imply that we are being lied to.
The card has also a powerful connection with our private life in general,
so it is no surprise that combinations like Room + Love, or even better, Room
+ Hymenaeus are often a nice way for the cards to tell us "having sex". But
intimacy is not just sex, so the people cards that come up near the Ace of
Diamonds are often described as close to us.
Being a card of Diamonds or Coins, the Room speaks also of our
economic sphere, showing gratification. That is, if no bad card afflicts it. It
is especially connected to the idea of progress, so finding it in the proximity
of other money-related cards is a nice testimony of upcoming prosperity.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Although I wrote that this card is
"neutral to negative", it is usually more likely to be negative. It is neutral
when it refers to a revelation, to things coming to light. However, when these
things are not negative or at least embarrassing, they are more probably
represented by Falsehood reversed. When they are shown by the Ace of
Diamonds Rx, they tend to put us in a :cenzura:le. For example: Room Rx
+ House could be the revelation of family secrets; Room Rx + Love Rx could Jack of Spades Rx instead of Falsehood. On the other hand, Letter + Doctor
refer to revelations about weird sexual preferences*. could be talking about a medical prescription.

Always check that the Ten of Clubs, Levity, is not near this card, as it GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: When coming up reversed, the Two of
generally shows things coming to light due to stupid, generally avoidable Diamonds carries mostly the same associations as the upright card, but in
mistakes. a more negative sense. The traditional combinations are similar to those Page |
with the upright Letter, but become negative in a way that is relevant to the 19
For all that the news leaked by this card are generally not good for the context: so, for instance, Letter Rx + Doctor could refer to a wrong medical
querent, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are true: Falsehood + Room prescription, a meaning that could be further stressed by the Doctor card
Rx would be proof that they are not. Also, when one of the Enemy cards coming up reversed itself.
turns up, and especially if the Letter is near, it often speaks of absolutely
groundless malicious gossip, or even to blackmail. Again, watch out for positive cards that would change the meaning of
the Letter reversed: when this is the case, it usually means that something
* This does not usually refer to outed people. We are talking really weird that appears bad at first isn't that bad after all, or that the negative news
stuff. will be overridden by some stroke of luck.

Two of Diamonds - Letter (Lettera) Three of Diamonds - Handmaid (Donna di Servizio)

Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive Polarity when Upright: Positive

Reversed Meanings: News and communication, Upright Meanings: A person at work, A

Documents, Paper, Money
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative
Reversed Meanings: Negative communications
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The Two of
Diamonds is always rather easy to identify within
the spread. It carries the idea of communication.
By itself it has a positive spin, but always watch
out for negative cards in the surroundings, as
these may override any potential positivity. When it refers to communication
the Letter is extremely easy to fit into the prediction: Letter + Love could be
a message of love, for instance. Messenger + Letter generally speaks of
important messages, and at least in the past it was connected to telegrams.
It becomes harder to understand when it talks about its other attributes.
It is indeed connected to paper in general, and therefore carries an
association with documents and money. Artist + Letter + Falsehood, for
instance, could refer to a contract that is either irregular, or, more often,
that contains a defect of form. The same effect could be achieved with the
subordinate, An employee, Evolution, Gift,
Everything that is given to us in a positive sense,
Improvement, Everything that is noble and worthy,
Great value
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Meanings: Cheapness, Everything that is
taken away from us, The money we must give,
Money going out, Worthless gossip, Little value,
Slovenliness
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The Handmaid is a complex card, if for
nothing else because it could represent a person, an event or a description,
sometimes all of these, at different stages of interpretation. When it
represents a person, this is usually not a family member, and is often
somebody new in our life. Unless afflicted by evil cards, this person will be
helpful. At times this card could represent the female querent in her role as
an employee, so be careful not to write in unnecessary characters. A quirk:
sometimes, near the Room, it represents the kitchen as a place.
 The Three of Diamonds is usually a welcome sight in most spreads liar, Solution of difficulties
concerning work and our work life. It usually heralds some kind of evolution
for the better, and it can signify money coming in. It has the ability to GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The card speaks
enhance good situations, making them more valuable to us. So let's say I've for itself on the surface, and in most cases this is
been unemployed for a while and want to know if the situation is going to all you need. It is always a cause for suspicion
get better. The cards I get are Melancholy + Present of Jewels Rx + Journey when it comes up, but it is usually best to avoid Page |
Rx + Handmaid + Constancy. In this case the bad luck is changed by the writing our own spy story as we interpret a spread. 20
Present of Jewels Rx, which signifies all those difficult situations that start It is often found near people cards, in which case it
improving, a meaning that is enhanced by Journey Rx, which is slow means either that they are not sincere or that they
progress. Handmaid means that I'm going to be an employee, and have a completely distorted view of reality. For
Constancy speaks of a fixed position. But the Handmaid is in harmony with instance, if we are wondering about the purity of
the Present reversed, giving more value to it. It's not a yes, it's a "hell yes!". our partner's feelings and we find Money + Female
And let's say I'm tired of my position and I'm after a promotion: Handmaid Lover + Falsehood, it is clear that she is after our
+ Doctor, an advancement in my career. pocket. But Falsehood + Pride (either upright or,
worse, reversed) is linked to a completely skewed
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Most of the meanings of the upright view of reality, not necessarily to opportunism.
card change to their opposite when it turns up reversed. Where we had great Even by itself, without the Two of Clubs, Falsehood
value, we now have only little value. For instance, Handmaid Rx + Present can have this meaning, especially when it precedes
could be a worthless present. Little value could also be interpreted a person card.
metaphorically, as a person of little value, someone unworthy of our esteem.
This will not be the supervillain of a videogame, but rather more often a On the other hand, when near cards of communication, the Four of
petty useless piece of humanity. Diamonds describes lies or, at best, mistakes. If you are asked to sign a
contract and Artist + Letter + Falsehood + Enemy comes up, something's
In the context of our work life, this card is dangerous, as it promises fishy, and you shouldn't go on to sign it. But unless a malicious intent is
stagnation or, even worse, involution (especially if near the Madmen highlighted by other cards (in this case Enemy, but it could have been the
reversed). But it can also mean useless arguments between partners (e.g. Thief), Falsehood often simply points to mistakes in the documents.
Ace of Clubs + Handmaid Rx). As a rule, most of the combinations of the
upright card become way more negative when the card is upside down. GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The Four of Diamonds reversed is
definitely one of the best cards in the deck, especially when it walls* a
sequence or, better, the entire spread. It shows that whatever difficulties the
cards have highlighted are going to be solved or, at the very least, greatly
mitigated. Of course this must be judged also by the cards that come after
Four of Diamonds - Falsehood (Falsit) it: if Falsehood Rx solves a problem but is followed by the Ace of Spades Rx,
the card of cycles, we are going to fall in the same trap all over again.
Polarity when Upright: Negative
Another extremely important meaning of the card is that of finding out
Upright Meanings: Falsehood, Mistake and error, Lies, Hidden things, the truth. It doesn't matter how painful that truth is (Soldier Rx + Lover Rx
Betrayal, Insincerity, Wrong perspective, Everything that is incomplete or + Falsehood Rx, you find out he's cheating on you), this is usually
broken, Evil Eye understood as going in the querent's favor, unless very bad cards afflict the
spread.
Polarity when Reversed: Positive
* As I said before, walling is when a card comes after a sequence or
Reversed Meanings: The truth comes out, Telling the truth, Unmasking a combination, thus modifying it for better or ill.
 or less the same meanings, but related to expectations about the future.
Five of Diamonds - Melancholy (Malinconia) GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: When it comes up reversed, the Five of
Diamonds retains most of its upright significations. However, it also carries
Polarity when Upright: Negative new meanings with it, and it can be associated in particular with debts. It
is most commonly found near a person card, in which case it means that Page |
Upright Meanings: A temporary loss of heart, Often that person is indebted and owes money to somebody or to an institution. 21
referred to past pain we bring with us, Sadness Be careful when cards like the Thief and Falsehood team up with it, as it is
one of the combinations describing loan sharks. Child + Levity + Consoling
Polarity when Reversed: Negative Surprise + Melancholy Rx is a typical sequence of debts caused by a stupid
or naive attitude in one's business. If the sequence was followed, for
Reversed Meanings: Debts, Not receiving money, instance, by Death, Disaster and Widower, the situation could lead to a
Inability to pay suicide.
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Melancholy is
not a destructive card per se, but it's an annoying
little creature nonetheless, which often teams up Six of Diamonds - Thought (Pensiero)
with other more evil arcana, making them more
negative. It can be compared to the Three of Cups (Tears) in one of the Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive
methods of Italian fortune-telling by cards. It speaks of sadness and a loss
of heart. However, unless other cards intervene to increase the pain it Upright Meanings: Querent's thoughts,
represents, the Five of Diamonds shows pain that doesn't last: you won't Personality, His/her use of his/her intelligence,
usually find great life-changing traumas connected to it. It refers to all those Concept, Speculation
situations that are heavy or oppressive: Female Lover + Melancholy + Male
Lover, there's some tension within the couple; Female Lover + Melancholy + Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative
Prison + Male Lover, the tension leads either one of them to feel like a
prisoner in the relationship, but this wouldn't be enough to cause a break- Reversed Meanings: Subconsciousness,
up, unless something like Disaster or Death (or both) follows. Paranormal abilities, Negative thoughts,
Conceiving evil plans
It is common to find this card at the beginning of a sequence. Sometimes
you will be asked "Will I find Mr Right?" and the first cards will be GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: This is one of the
Melancholy + Constancy (or even worse, Melancholy + Sorrow + Constancy), most important cards in the deck. It is connected
highlighting that the querent's love life hasn't been easy at all so far. with the mental sphere of the querent (or, sometimes, of another person). It
Usually, if the cards feel the need to point this out it's because the situation is therefore linked to the querent's thoughts, ideas, aspirations, personality
is about to change. By all means be alive to the possibility of finding that traits. This may appear pointless to the beginning reader, but it is actually
things will remain hard for the querent, if the appropriate cards show up, very important in the predictive phase of the reading. Consider the following
but personally I can't recall such an occurrence. example: we are asked by the querent if she will find a new love, and her
Thought card* falls near the House. We draw the conclusion that she's
At the end of a sequence, Melancholy shows more or less the same idea thinking a lot about establishing her own family on a solid ground (the
of loss of heart, although usually less related to the past: it highlights a sad House often speaks of solidity in a metaphorical sense). If later on in the
conclusion, if the cards before were bad, or a veneer of sadness if they are spread we find Great Lord + Levity, we will judge that she will find a man,
good (usually they aren't, though). The main point, however, is that this but he's not serious nor reliable enough for her standards, so even if the
card shows our feelings as related to something that happened or that will other cards are not utterly destructive we can say that the relationship won't
have happened. Compare this with the Six of Spades, Sighs, which has more go far. On the other hand, if her Thought was besieged by Levity and Hope
(thinking about easy, fun romance) we can tell her that she will have the
time of her life with the Great Lord + Hymenaeus Rx (sex) + Love. Maybe
their relationship won't last forever, maybe they will be in an "open"
relationship, but she's fine with that.
Other important traditional combinations include Thought + Child, a
simple-minded and naive but good person (Golden Girls' Rose Nylund would
be an example, if you know what I'm talking about); Thought + Hope, an
optimistic person; Thought + Death, thinking about death or about breaking
up with somebody; Thought + Falsehood, often a self-deceiving, deluded
person*.
Many more combos exist, but they can easily be discovered by playing
around and practicing. NB: Thought is about what the person thinks, not
what the person does. N extremely B: many times you will find thought and
actions in opposition, e.g. she may hate him now, but she's definitely going
back to him on her knees. Usually, when the Ten of Hearts, Constancy,
follows Thought even at some distance, it means that the person will follow
through with his or her plans.
The Six of Diamonds is also connected with people whose job is to think:
philosophers and scientists are just an example. Artist + Thought is a
typical combination of study, but it can also describe an artist or a person
who is very talented; Thought + Pride, a brilliant idea; Thought + Madmen,
stupid and inconsistent ideas.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The Six of Diamonds reversed is neutral
only when it means subconsciousness or paranormal abilities. But it
usually doesn't. In general, it means negative thoughts, which could mean
either having a pessimistic view or thinking about doing something bad.
Here you will find out if the querent is planning on robbing a bank, for
instance.
Most of the combinations that work for the upright card work for the
reversed card as well, but they become more negative and usually heavy.
*even though the card depicts a man, it shows the person's thoughts
regardless of gender. This is not a person card.
** The lamentable truth taught by my experience as a reader is that such
querents will keep believing what they want regardless of how clearly the
spread tells them otherwise.
Seven of Diamonds - Child (Bambino)
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive
Upright Meanings: A child, A pet, Inception,
Beginning of something, Growth, Sometimes Page |
naivety (but more when reversed) 22
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Meanings: Things not going on easily or
going on slowly, Everything that doesn't proceed,
Indecision, Stagnation, A sick baby, An abortion or
miscarriage (when supported by other cards)
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: I always picture
the energy of the Child as a small dot getting
progressively bigger with time. It is an expansive kind of energy. This is
usually more positive than neutral. More often than not, this card indicates
the beginning of something, depending on the surrounding cards. For
instance, Child + Love is often a new love*, while Child + Merchant is
generally a new job or a new position. While Thought + Child can mean
naivety, Child + Thought generally shows new projects, but be aware of the
situation when you interpret.
Sometimes, when the Child falls near a person card, it qualifies him or
her as young: Child + Lover can indicate a teenager. It can also mean that
that person has to do with children: Child + Handmaid could be a
babysitter, while Child + Doctor a pediatrician. But be careful with this
latter combination, especially if a pediatrician doesn't fit into the picture. If
it doesn't, this combination is bad, for it shows that a relationship is not
healthy (Doctor), so the Child usually means that one of the two (generally
the woman with this particular combo) is starting to think (Child, starting)
about somebody else.
Finally, this is obviously one of the most fertile cards in the deck, and is
usually always present when we are asked about a pregnancy. The most
traditional combination of pregnancy is Child + Prison: the child is blocked
inside a dark, closed space. Hope, being also very fertile, often confirms. But
you must be aware of what the cards are trying to show you. I once judged
a pregnancy with Child + Married Woman + Merriment + Letter + Doctor.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: This one is a booooring card. Everything
is kind of bogged down under its influence. It resembles a void of course
Moon in Astrology. It shows things not going on easily, or going on slowly,
or needing extra willpower to complete. Actually, unless completion is
shown, the Child Rx is generally enough to stop you. It often shows the
situation not going anywhere. For instance, I was once asked if the querent's
marriage would survive or if divorce of inevitable. No card of disruption was
present (though the spread wasn't good) and Child Rx closed the spread,
showing that the situation would remain stagnant for a very, very, VERY
long time.
The Seven of Diamonds Rx is also the card of indecision, which is exactly
the same idea applied to the human mind: we are psychologically unable to
make a step forward. In this case it is common to find signs of past traumas
(e.g. Sorrow + Constancy or Melancholy + Money -the past- at the beginning
of the spread). You must, however, be able to adapt the meaning of the card
to the situation: it is no good your telling the querent that Letter + Child Rx
means the postman is hesitating to bring you your letter: it simply means
that its arrival will be delayed.
Eight of Diamonds rarely has such meaning. It is way more commonly
associated with offers and proposals. Of what kind will be told by the
neighbouring cards: Present + Handmaid, you will be offered to change your
duties at work, which usually means an evolution in your career, unless
bad cards follow; Present + Great Consolation + Hope could again be a
promotion, but if Child Rx follows, for instance, everything remains Page |
suspended, and if Sighs follows the Child, you will get old before you get 23
promoted; Present + Merchant is a job offer; Love + Present + Hymenaeus
could be a marriage proposal, for in this case the Present is the engagement
ring.
Another important property of this card is that it makes everything it
touches "rich" or luxurious. Usually near a person card it makes him or her
rich, affluent etc. Present + House could be a rich household, but also a rich
and beautiful house, and if certain cards follow this could qualify the house
as in the countryside (Gathering), on the beach (Hope), in the mountains
(Soldier) and so on.

* depending on the context and the position within the spread, this can also Another small rule: when this card comes up in a sequence of
signify the first love, usually if it was the cause of a trauma. relationship break-up, it often means that this is due to incompatibility, not
necessarily because one of the two is cheating.

Eight of Diamonds - Present of Jewels (Omaggio di GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Here the card becomes slow but
Preziosi) positive. It always comes up when the situation seems hard or even
unbearable, and it promises a solution over time. In a way, it is similar to
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Positive Pride, but slower, and only referring to material achievement. Material
means not related to feelings: Constancy + Letter + Artist + Thought +
Upright Meanings: Proposal, Offer, Luxury, Jewels, Present Rx + Great Consolation, you may finally be able to get your degree!
Objects in general, Parcels,

Polarity when Reversed: Positive Nine of Diamonds - Madmen (Deliranti)

Reversed Meanings: Resolution of difficult Polarity when Upright: Negative

situations, particularly in the economic sphere,
Sometimes covetousness, but rarely, Upright Meanings: Setbacks, Irregularity and incoherence, Contradiction,
Everything that does not go as planned, Wrong point of view, Many people,
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Here we have the usually in a negative sense, Bad influence
card that more than any other represents objects
in general, although it primarily shows luxury objects or expensive objects. Polarity when Reversed: Negative
A huge number of combinations is possible to identify different objects, but
they are usually clear enough in their context. Reversed Meanings: Involution, Regression

Besides, unless the spread is about locating lost or stolen objects, the
 GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Here's the
equivalent, in the Vera Sibilla, of the Fool in the
Tarot, at least when this is not misunderstood as
the holy fool, a concept with which it has nothing
to do. The Nine of Diamonds is the card of
everything that cannot be predicted or constrained
within the boundaries of a clear framework. As
such, it means setbacks, and everything that
doesn't go as planned.
In this sense, it is the equivalent of the reversed
Nine of Clubs, Merriment. One of the most typical
combos is Madmen + Journey, which means
setbacks while travelling (but nothing too
dangerous, as this would require more destructive
cards). This card doesn't usually have the power to
destroy our hopes completely, so its presence near
a card of relationship, for instance, will merely tell us that there is the
potential for a break-up, but unless more negative cards follow this will not
lead,as a rule, to the end of the relationship.
Of course, being related to madness, this card has a connection with
thought. Madmen + Levity, for instance, refers to a real psycho, while
Madmen + Thought, as we have seen, refers to absurd ideas, but also to
wrong decisions coming from the wrong perspective. A quirk: Madmen +
Thought can also mean psychiatric drugs, when the context supports this
interpretation, while Madmen + Merriment Rx can mean drugs and drug
addiction.
Finally, the Madmen can mean many people, but it usually refers to them
in a negative sense. For instance, Madmen + House can signify an
unbalanced or problematic family life, while, on a more serious side, Soldier
+ Madmen + Enemy is one of the classical combinations of physical
aggression by many people. One of the few instances in which this card is
neutral is when we are talking about pregnancy, in which case Prison +
Madmen will give twins.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The Nine of Diamonds Rx speaks of
involution in contexts where we would like things to improve. Following Love
or Faithfulness, for instance, it could signify a cooling down of feelings;
Madmen + Letter could be a delay in receiving letters or documents; near a
work sequence it could imply a demotion.
There is one case in which Madmen Rx is exactly what you wish to see:
when it follows a sequence of illness, in which case it means that the illness
is being defeated, as in the traditional combination Sick Man + Doctor +
Madmen Rx. But be careful: you MUST be sure that the Madmen are near
the illness, and not the cure, in which case it would mean that the cure is
not giving the hoped for results. Page |
24
Ten of Diamonds - Thief (Ladro)
Polarity when Upright: Negative
Upright Meanings: Theft, Everything that is taken
away from us, Situations where we lose something,
Disadvantage, Dishonesty, Intrusion
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Meanings: Insurmountable obstacles, A
place where we don't want to be, Breach of contract
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: The suit of
Diamonds culminates in a way completely different
than Tarot, where the Ten of Coins or Pentacles is
a most positive card. In the Sibilla, on the other hand, we are left with the
threatening presence of a Thief. This card generally rules everything that is
taken away from us. Many times we don't need to write a shady character
into our interpretation: Merchant + Present + Thief, a job was offered to us,
but the offer was withdrawn, it was taken away from us.
Of course this card does have to do with actual theft and robbery, of
what will depend on the neighbouring cards (e.g. Thief + Letter could be
somebody who has stolen a document, a letter, or even money). If near the
Madmen, it usually means that there is more than one thief, and near the
Eight of Spades, Jealousy, it can signify a swindle, scam or fraud.
The Ten of Diamonds is also often seen in relationship spreads when
there is somebody trying to steal our partner from us: Friend + Female
Enemy + Male Lover + Thief could mean that a female friend is trying to
steal a girl's boyfriend. If the Lover is reversed, he is more likely to comply
with the thief.
Finally, when the Thief walls, i.e. when it comes at the end of a sequence
or of the entire spread, it throws everything to the wind: in this sense it is
the opposite of Hope. It doesn't matter how good a spread is, the Thief is
going to take it away from us. However, be careful: especially if the spread
is completely positive and if the central cards are strongly benefic and
durable, they will probably be able to ward off the thief at least up to a
certain point. In such cases it is always good to add some cards after the
Thief to understand the nature and the extent of its influence. If it was
followed by Consoling Surprise Rx and Disaster, for instance... you draw the
conclusion.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: One might think there is little worse
than a card that can take anything away from us. The Thief reversed is
worse. It is the card of insurmountable obstacles, in addition to still being
connected to theft. But this card tends to come up in conjunction with cards
of ending or blockage, such as Death or Prison, in which case it tells us
there is nothing to do. The combination Thief Rx + Disaster Rx is particularly
infamous for showing the querent completely and utterly powerless before
his fate, whatever it is.
In addition to these meanings, the Ten of Diamonds is also connected to
all the places where we don't want to be, and as such is similar to the
reversed Two of Hearts, House. Most of the combinations are indeed the
same, but here are some nice quirks: Thief Rx + Death + Madmen is a
haunted house; Thief Rx + Sick Man + Priest shows a church in a neutral
sense, despite the threatening appearance of the combo.
JACK OF DIAMONDS - Messenger (Messaggiero)
The Messenger is not always a person, and when
it is it is rarely the postman. It can indeed
represent a courier, if the context or the other
cards qualify it as such. It refers in general to non
verbal messages, and usually they are either
important or official (e.g. Messenger + Letter was
the typical combination of the telegram, now we
would simply call it official or very important
communication. But it can also refer to a bank
transfer). Another important combination is given
by Disaster + Messenger, which simply means
"very quickly". The same thing is signified by
Belvedere + Messenger. On the other hand, Sighs
or Madmen or Sick Man + Messenger show things
happening slowly. Finally, when it signifies a person, the Messenger
embodies the mediator, understood as broadly as you can: for instance,
Messenger + Merchant + Journey can signify a salesperson; but in matters
of love it could point to the person mediating between the two lovers, and
so on-
Page |
Reversed, the Messenger shows delays or negative news, or gossip 25
(especially when near the Handmaid Rx). As a rule, when surrounded by
positive cards, it simply means that there will be a certain amount of time
to wait. Of course if other slow cards should fall near it, the amount of time
we have to wait would increase. It also takes on the meaning of ineffective
mediation: for instance, Room + Messenger Rx could show a process of
mediation that is unlikely to reach the desired compromise.
QUEEN OF DIAMONDS - Married Woman (Donna
Maritata)
Try to forget that the card description says
"Perfidious woman". The poor Queen of Diamonds
is a perfectly decent person in most contexts where
she falls upright. The card simply shows a woman
who is mature but not necessarily old, and/or one
who is in an established relationship, which of
course nowadays does not necessarily mean
married. This is the only Court Card of the suit of
Diamonds that acts usually as the other court
cards of the deck: it is generally a person, and her
priorities and actions are described by the other
cards. However, some typical combos are House +
Married Woman, a housewife; Merchant + Married
Woman is often a colleague, sometimes a superior; Doctor + Married Woman
a female doctor, a graduated woman, a female boss. In consultations about
lesbian couples she is often near Love Rx, confirming her homosexuality.
Reversed, she behaves just like all other court cards, usually being
untrustworthy, unfaithful, a liar or somebody who chases men for their
money.
 KING OF DIAMONDS - Merchant (Mercante)
The Merchant is never, NEVER a person. I know
the subtitle says otherwise, but follow it and you
will be consistently wrong. The Merchant is merely
the significator card for the querent's work, job or
economic sphere. It doesn't matter if the querent's
question is about love, this remains a card of
profession*.
Most combinations that can be formed by this
card are obvious, and we have already seen some.
Although it is never a person, it usually qualifies
other people cards as the boss, most commonly the
Doctor, the Great Lord or the Married Woman.
Reversed, the Merchant means unsuitability,
inability, incompetence, being impractical. For instance, Artist Rx +
Merchant Rx speaks of lack of skill. This card can also show issues at work,
and often does. Other important combinations are Melancholy + Merchant
Rx, being stressed out by one's job; Sick Man + Merchant Rx + Doctor,
problems at work due to illness. Finally, and only when reversed, the King
of Diamonds can be applied to relationship readings, generally signifying
lack of interaction, or ineffective interaction, or inability to find a common
ground for resolving relationship issues.
* I have read a great number of definitions of what a "sloppy reading" is. It
is usually taken to signify a reading that doesn't answer only the querent's
question. Which is funny, because that is exactly what the Sibilla often
doesn't do. This doesn't mean that the cards won't answer the question
asked. It does mean that if something important is about to happen or has
happened or is happening, the cards will show it, regardless of its having
anything to do with what the querent wants to know. At times the cards can
be very dismissive of the question: "Yes yes, you'll keep your boring job.
Now, let's talk about your relationship with Mary, because dude, she's
about to walk out on you". Try to twist the interpretation so that it fits only
the question and reading cards will become incredibly frustrating. Again,
they are not called chiacchierine, chit chatters for nothing.
Ace of Spades - Sorrow (Dispiacere)
Polarity when Upright: Negative
Upright Meanings: Bad news, Failure, Sadness,
Violence Page |
26
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative
Reversed Meanings: An attenuated version of the
sadness and failure of the upright card, Toil, Effort,
Strain needed to attain a goal, Giving birth and
labor, Fertility, Multiplication, Repetition, Cycle
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Could you think
of a better card to introduce the Spades? The
imagery is clear enough and gives you the gist of the story told by the fourth
suit: sorrow, pain, failure. The Ace of Spades is as black as its symbol: it
doesn't cover specific sectors of life, but it announces disruption and loss in
whatever enterprise or field you may think of. This relative of the Ace of
Swords is commonly found near cards of communication, indicating bad
news. But you don't necessarily need to panic when you see it: if it is
surrounded by positive cards it may refer to momentary loss (particularly if
its influence is lessened by the Ten of Clubs, Levity). When following a card
of realization, such as the Eight of Hearts, Hope, it tells us that such
realization won't happen, unless other cards trump it. Alternatively, and
very commonly, it shows the psychological outcome -sorrow- of previous
bad cards.
The Ace of Spades is connected to the head -but I will probably cover
associations with the body another time- and with blades and knives. It is
therefore often found in sequences of surgery. However this also gives this
card an association with violence. The most typical and traditional
combination is Sorrow + Constancy Rx, which is "uncontrollable violence":
if this falls near a person card, you better stay away from whoever that
person is. If Death is in the sequence we may even be talking about murder.
When near a sequence of theft or robbery, Sorrow announces that the
robbery may not be painless.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: This is one weird card, and I always
thought it was somewhat fascinating for its wide range of meanings. Firstly,
it can be considered an attenuated version of the upright card: it shows
sorrow, but not as much as when it is upright. Also, while the upright
version often gives failure, the Ace of Spades reversed is a card of toil and
effort. Whatever you want, you will have to fight strenuously for it. Frankly
I've seen very few people capable of overcoming Sorrow Rx, but this card is
generally more hopeful. For instance, Sorrow Rx + Constancy + Great
Consolation shows that the effort will pay off.
This is also a very fertile card, so its proximity to other cards with similar
meaning is a good sign when the consultation is about pregnancy. It is also
associated with the moment of labor: Hope + Sorrow Rx is when the waters
break, for instance.
Finally, a most important association of this card is with cycles,
repetitions, frequency and so on. To give but a few examples: Sorrow Rx +
Journey can mean a period of constant movement and travel; Merriment +
Sorrow Rx may relate to a rich social life (going out frequently). It is also
commonly seen when the querent is paying for something in installments,
and as seen when we went over the Ace of Hearts, this card can be present
when the querent isn't able to break free from a cycle (e.g. an addiction) or,
with more positive cards, when he is experiencing a virtuous cycle.
Two of Spades - Old Lady (Vecchia Signora)
Polarity when Upright: Neutral
Upright Meanings: Everything that decreases or is
progressively weakened, Everything that is headed
towards its natural conclusion, An elderly woman,
Something old, Something old-fashioned,
Something that is outdated, Attachment to the
past, A visit
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Meanings: Disagreement, Tension,
Separation, Incompatibility, Arguments, Lack of
understanding for another's behaviour, Rivalry
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: I deal here with what I consider to be one
of the hardest cards in the deck to interpret, simply because it can signify
so many things. In its general and most essential meaning, the Old Lady is
the decrease, the old age of anything, from love to a job to an idea, and so
on. Unless you live in the sugarcoated world of contemporary card reading,
where everybody is made of pure eternal light and everything is an
opportunity for growth or achieving great riches, success and love, you know
that old age is what comes before death. The Two of Spades is not death,
but it is the road to death, understood as natural conclusion. In this sense,
it is the card antithetical to the Child.
Page |
Relationships usually die out under the influence of this card due to the 27
progressive cooling down of the initial feeling (always remember that
Spades, like Swords, rule coldness). So, for instance, Love + Old Lady shows
exactly this; Great Consolation + Old Lady could speak of economic decline.
But the idea of natural conclusion can be applied to many things:
I remember a reading I once did for a student, where the Old Lady
showed the ending of the school year. In this case, the conclusion was
natural because it is implicit in the notion of school year itself.
As an extension of this idea, the Old Lady rules everything that is old:
Letter + Old Lady could be a letter from an old woman, but also old
documents; Journey + Old Lady could be a small journey, but also an old
car. In addition to all this, the Old Lady can mean a visit: Messenger + Old
Lady, for instance.
When it represents a person, the Old Lady is an old woman, either in the
sense of an elderly female person, or in the sense of your old woman, your
ex. Old Lady + Widower, in addition to being a break-up combo, can also
mean an elderly couple; Old Lady + Happiness in the Heart could be a
relative; Female Enemy + Old Lady is the mother-in-law, understood in a
neural sense. But be careful: Enemy + Old Lady + Pride is a witch or
sorceress.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The card is considerably simplified in
its reversed position. It refers to arguments and incompatibility, and is
usually pretty straightforward in its interpretation. So, for instance,
between the two Lovers, she gives arguments and possibly a separation, but
in this case the break-up would hopefully be confirmed by other cards or
considerations.
The other combinations we have seen for the upright card are still valid,
but become heavier and more violent.
 Three of Spades - Widower (Vedovo)
PS: be careful when the following combo comes up: Love + Widower +
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Negative Faithfulness. Despite appearing as a negative card, in this case the Widower
adds the idea of uniqueness to love: this is the combination of the soul mate.
Upright Meanings: Removal, Getting away from,
Deprivation, Solitude, A lonely person, A widower, GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The Three of Spades becomes Page |
A divorced man immensely more negative when reversed. This is the card of grief and 28
trauma. True, to an extent these ideas are already implicit in the upright
Polarity when Reversed: Negative card, but not nearly as much. Most of the upright combinations become
more negative when the Widower is reversed. If you are asked why the
Reversed Meanings: Trauma, Traumatic loss, querent can't maintain a healthy relationship and you find Love + Widower
Grief, Ritual Rx, that's probably because of a trauma he had that is connected to love.
The same thing could be said about combos that have to do with the
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Consider the economic sphere, where the Widower Rx describes sometimes an almost
other Threes: the Three of Hearts, Belvedere was pathological need for security. As for the grief part, keep in mind that Letter
the idea of approach, of getting near; the Three of Rx + Widower Rx is enough to give the communication that somebody
Clubs, Journey was the idea of movement itself: change; the Three of important has passed.
Diamonds, Handmaid, was qualitative movement, i.e. change of quality:
evolution or involution. The three of Spades, Widower, is the opposite of Finally, this is the card of rituals. Rituals need not be satanic to be
Belvedere, it is removal, getting away from something or someone. It rituals: Gathering + Priest + Widower Rx + Child could very well be a
therefore stands also for separation. When near Journey, for instance, the baptism ceremony. But yes, it can usually be taken to represent dark
Widower qualifies it as going away, and it could therefore speak of physical rituals, especially if cards like Pride Rx or Jealousy fall near it. But don't be
relocation, maybe even to another country. When near a card of Hearts the Cotton Mather of the situation, try not to see witches everywhere: such
reversed, the Three of Spades often speak of getting away from people or of occurrences are rare, especially because the cards often do not feel the need
people getting away from us. In any case, it speaks of solitude, which is to point out the poor little wiccan who worships the Moon and thinks this
another very important keyword for this card. Example: I once did a reading is magic.
for a friend whose crush had just told him she didn't feel the same away
and, in addition, was about to move to another country. The first three cards
were Love Rx + Widower + Young Maiden: his love thrown to the wind by
the Young Maiden getting away from him, in this case both physically and
metaphorically. Four of Spades - Sick Man (Ammalato)
Additionally, the Widower has the power to keep things away from us, Polarity when Upright: Negative
and in this sense it "deprive" us of those thing. This is most commonly seen
when we are waiting for a parcel or a letter: Letter + Belvedere Rx + Widower, Upright Meanings: Illness, Stagnation, Solitude
we are deprived of the arrival of the letter: it doesn't arrive. If cards like Sighs
follow, you would probably have to wait Jesus' second coming. Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Finally, and obviously, the Widower can be a person card, usually Reversed Meanings: The same to a lesser degree, Problems in the family,
describing a lonely man, either because he is separated or because he is a Decline in feelings, Unemployment
bachelor (or, indeed, a widower), but either way there is a degree of suffering
to his condition: Disaster + Priest + Hymenaeus + Widower is one of the GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Some of the cards of the suit of Spades
combinations for divorce. have mostly the same meanings whether upright or reversed, with only a
different emphasis. This is the case with the Sick Man, which can often cards like Jealousy Rx or Death follow it, but it highlights criticalities that
signify the same things as when it comes up reversed. Even though need to be addressed.
traditionally it is connected to unemployment or to family issues in its
reversed position, it can on occasion signify the same things even when it is Five of Spades - Death (Morte)
right-side up. Anyway, this is generally a card of illness, as the image shows.
Although by itself it rarely means actual illness, it doesn't take much to Polarity when Upright: Negative Page |
confirm this attribution. In this case watch out for other Spades nearby: 29
Sick Man + Death can signify the death of somebody, but if death is not the Upright Meanings: Ending, Interruption, Death,
topic it usually implies a problematic illness; Belvedere Rx + Sick Man is Fear and anguish, Imbalance
bad news on the way concerning health; Sick Man + Merriment Rx is
another combination of health problems. But be Polarity when Reversed: Negative
open to what the spread is showing you.
Reversed Meanings: A worse, more violent or
The Four of Spades can also mean everything traumatic version of the upright card, Serious
that is sick or ill in a metaphorical sense: Love + illness
Sick Man can be a decline in feelings. By itself this
doesn't bring a separation, but it is problematic. GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: Brace
Note that this card doesn't tell us if the querent is yourselves, here is one of the worst cards in the
single or not, so unless this is clear from the other deck. The Five of Spades usually doesn't present
cards you must ask. If he is, and if this card ambiguity: it shows ending in whatever form is relevant to the context of the
occupies a prominent position and is not question or of the cards. We have already seen its effect when we talked
contradicted by the following cards, he will about many of the other cards, as Death is usually part of negating
probably remain so for quite some time. Again, we sequences, i.e. those sequences that negate or terminate something. For
must be careful to note if the following cards show instance, Merchant + Constancy + Death + Prison, here Death shows your
being fired; Hymenaeus + House Rx + Death, the end of a relationship. The
improvement: Sick Man + can show such most powerful combination of negation is Disaster + Death, which shows
the end of something usually beyond hope. In addition, this combo is also
improvement, but remember that has little to part of various sequences of illness and surgery, and if other traumatic
do with feelings, so most of the times it won't "heal" your existing cards are in the surroundings it could even refer to violent death (especially
relationship; on the other hand, Love + Sick Man + Gathering + Faithfulness if Disaster is reversed). Only when it is completely besieged by absolutely
+ Constancy could highlight a crisis in your relationship that you manage positive cards, Death becomes a sort of transition, but this doesn't mean it
to work out successfully (Gathering is also the card of improvement). won't at least appear traumatic.

GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: When reversed, this card usually

speaks less of health issues, although it may on occasion. It is one of the Other typical combinations are + Death, which shows traumatic
traditional cards of unemployment, along with Prison, so finding it after the changes, usually heralding the beginning of a period of imbalance and loss.
Merchant or at the end of a sequence of work is bad news. Being also the
card of everything that is wasted, it discourages you from spending money: On the other hand, Death + is a way more positive combination, for
Money + Sick Man Rx shows that it is much better for you to stay put. obvious reasons.

Much like, and even more than its upright version, the Sick Man reversed GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: If the Five of Spades upright is bad, the
rules coldness in issues of feelings. Again, it doesn't bring break-ups unless Five of Spades reversed is worse. It becomes way more traumatic, and it
brings sorrow and anguish even in those few combinations where the
upright card was supposed to be neutral, such as in sequences of wills and
legacies. In such cases, Death reversed negates profit. When it describes
illness, it is often found in pair with other cards such as the Sick Man and
the Widower. By itself Death reversed does not give fatal illnesses, but the
deck generally uses it only when death is certain. In esoteric matters this is
the card of demonic invocation (e.g. Death Rx + Conversation, a sance),
and traditionally it is called the card of infernal spirits, but keep in mind
that it is extremely rare to find somebody who is actually able to perform
such rituals (or any ritual, for that matter), so I won't emphasize esoteric
combinations at the moment. As a rule, if Death shows up reversed, it
means that the querent is in great trouble, not that he's a spawn of Satan.
Six of Spades - Sighs
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to
Upright Meanings: Wait, Expectation, Anxiety,
Delay
Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to
Reversed Meanings: What comes to light, What is
understood, Clarification
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: It doesn't get
much better than this with the Spades. After all,
this is a Six of Swords, so it couldn't be too
disastrous. Here we have the card of wait and
anxiety. Compare it with Melancholy, which is often referred to past issues.
Sighs, on the other hand, almost always refer to something that still has to
happen.
For the purpose of this introduction, let's see the two main roles this
card can take on within a spread. One is delay. Most Spades cards, if we
should take them as representing either a yes or a no, would be a definite
NO. The Six of Spades, in comparison, would be a "not now". Especially
when it teams up with other slooooow cards it gives the idea of a wait of
biblical proportions, so much that on occasion it may even be considered as
a kind way for the cards to say "no". When it comes up near a card of
communication it shows delay in receiving the message. But in general,
when Sighs falls near a sequence of event, it shows that event not taking
place immediately, or being postponed. I once drew Sighs as my card of the
day and I received news that my degree conferring day had been postponed*.
The second main role of the Six of Spades is as a card of some
psychological instability. Don't take this too far unless other cards paint a
clearly negative picture. By itself Sighs is simply a card of anxiety as referred
to the future, but when it falls near cards such as Thought Rx and the Eight
of Clubs Rx we can probably already speak of depression. Even then, Sighs Page |
qualifies this heavy mental state as at least partly caused by expectations. 30
On the other hand, Prison + Sighs is usually not as heavy as Prison +
Melancholy would be: it merely shows a sort of psychological blockage due
to the querent's anxiety.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: The Six of Spades becomes
(Sospiri) comparatively more positive when it is reversed. It shows clarification, and
everything that comes to light. It has therefore a natural kinship to cards
Negative such as Falsehood Rx and the Room, and is often found in sequences of
getting back together with an ex, or in general in all those situations that
require clarification.
Don't underestimate the meaning of "what is understood": firstly,
Positive because this makes this card important in spreads about studying and
students; secondly, because this is often crucial when it comes to
recognizing past mistakes. So, for instance, Great Consolation + Old Lady +
Hope Rx + Sighs Rx. You went out of business (Great Consolation near Hope
Rx) because your idea of business is old-fashioned (Old Lady), but now you
finally understand your strategic mistakes (Sighs Rx). In such cases it is
common to find Sighs Rx followed by more promising sequences. But if
Sorrow Rx should follow, this would mean that you are about to make the
same mistakes all over again.
Sometimes when it falls with cards denoting a special kind of knowledge,
the Six of Spades reversed shows the need to ask for advice to someone who
possesses such knowledge. For instance, Sighs Rx + Artist + Priest could
show the need to ask a professional who knows law and its application. This
connects us back to the idea of clarification.
An interesting quirk of this card is that when it falls between cards of
opposite value, or showing two things of opposite nature, it means
fluctuation between those extremes. This, however, is a very particular
application of the Six of Spades, and generally you won't need to bother with
it, considering that these articles are just an introduction. I will probably
devote other articles to the more particular meanings of the cards later.
* I will deal with daily cartomancy and its limitations in another article.
 GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: As hard as trying to come up with
Seven of Spades - Disaster (Disgrazia) something worse is, Disaster reversed manages to accomplish the result.
Polarity when Upright: Negative Here's an example: + Disaster shows an abrupt destruction of your luck.
However, the severity of this largely depends on the following cards: it could Page |
Upright Meanings: Disaster, Downfall, be anything from a bump on the road to total ruin. Yet in any case this 31
Destruction, Argument, Wrath, Damage, Accident, combo still gives hope for the future, telling you that it was just one case,
Surgery, Rupture
that life goes on and who knows. However, it is hard to describe +
Polarity when Reversed: Negative Disaster Rx as anything less than falling from God's grace. You now are like
Donald Duck: it doesn't matter how much effort you put into something, it
Reversed Meanings: Absolute submission to the doesn't matter how sure you are you can achieve this or that result, you are
events, Annihilation, Deportation, Slavery, pathologically unlucky.
Violence, Dehumanization, Tyranny,
Imprisonment and all that good stuff Disaster reversed describes all those situations where the querent is
completely at the mercy of forces mightier than him, where he is no longer
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: If you know the the master of his life. For this reason it rules imprisonment, deportation and
traditional meaning of the Tower in Tarot (that is, before Tarot was slavery, among many other things. It is a card of utter violence and despair.
transformed into an instrument of spiritual onanism), this the same as the Whatever card or combo it connects to is destroyed beyond repair, unless
Seven of Spades', both upright and reversed. In many ways Disaster acts an ungodly streak of positivity follows. So, for instance, while Love +
just like Death (Five of Spades), especially when it comes after a sequence Disaster may still show hope for things to mend themselves (always
it negates. However, Death is intrinsic to the "life" of the situation, while depending on context), Love + Disaster Rx speaks of destiny grabbing you
Disaster is usually something coming from outside. This is why this card by your feet and dragging you away from the one you love, in whatever form,
rules accidents and disruption of any kind, while Death rules the ending of be it violent arguments or just the necessity to part ways (this will be told
all things. When the two cards team up, they usually give a picture of by the cards). If a sequence is already violent, Disaster Rx adds the
irredeemable disaster: you won't get back with Jack after such break-up. possibility of violent death. For intance, Love Rx + Belvedere Rx +
Hymenaeus Rx could be a rape. If you add Disaster Rx the victim might not
As for the accident part, Disaster is enough to have you run over be able to survive it.
(Journey + Disaster) or injured in some way, but it is usually not life-
threatening, or even too serious. However, if it piles up with other cards of An interesting note: the old hags who read cards in rural Italy used to
affliction it can very easily send the querent to an early grave: Journey + say "he's got a demon inside" when this card turned up. Not because it
Disaster + Death + Widower is generally enough. Near House, Disaster can shows demonic possession, but because it doesn't matter how well things
give a domestic accident, but again, not serious, especially if it is followed had been going, they were soon to take a turn for the worse, as if a demon
by Levity. had suddenly taken control of your life.

This is also the card of heated arguments: Female Lover + Disaster +

Male Lover usually means exactly this. Keep in mind that when a card is
besieged by two other cards it is rule by them, such as in this case: in this Eight of Spades - Jealousy (Gelosia)
instance what matters is the two lovers, so Disaster is ruled by them, which
generally means the argument is not too serious. On the other hand, cards Polarity when Upright: Negative
like the Madmen or the Soldier (or both) strengthen the violent and heated
component of the card. Upright Meanings: Crisis, Critical moment especially in the economic
sphere, Desperation, Tears, Loss, Jealousy, Envy
Polarity when Reversed: Negative
Reversed Meanings: A worse version of the card,
Crisis especially in relationships, Suicidal
tendencies, Dark rituals
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: While the Seven
of Spades, especially when reversed, may easily
win the prize for worst card in the deck, Jealousy
is definitely the most ominous. There is something
unquantifiably grim about this card, regardless of
the fact that it is less disruptive then the Five or
Seven of Spades. It is the intense, lurking darkness
of desperation that comes out to play when we have
run out of options. To put it more simply, this is
the card of crisis. Despite the title, the Eight of
Spades means jealousy or envy usually only when it falls near a person
card, or between two people. It always indicates the obscure, almost
pathological side of jealousy. So be careful when you come across something
like Constancy Rx + Great Lord + Jealousy (+ Soldier) + Married Woman, as
you may be dealing with a violent husband.
When upright, Jealousy generally refers to the economic context, unless
besieged by cards pointing to a different field (e.g. love). But its general
meaning of "critical moment" can be applied to other contexts: Hymenaeus
(Ace of Clubs) + Jealousy could be a marriage going through a very rough
period, but also a business in the same conditions. In a sense, it is the
opposite of : it's the card of misfortune -again, something it shares with
the Seven of Spades reversed. It shows great loss, and at least discourages
investments, on those rare occasions when it leaves you with some money.
Traditional combinations include Jealousy + Sick Man Rx, huge loss of
money, or loss of a good job. This combo, and more often Sick Man +
Jealousy, can mean decadence at a social level as well, or that the querent's
honor is compromised. When following the Three of Hearts, Belvedere Rx, it
shows again a bad economic situation.
Jealousy is rarely the major point the cards are trying to make. It is more
usually one of the possible ways the deck has to show that whatever is going
on will put a huge strain on your finances. When it afflicts cards of money
you must be able to judge whether the situation is serious or not: if, for
instance, a combo like Great Consolation + Money Rx + Jealousy is followed
by good cards, it could simply show that there is no gain without pain, or
just a momentary setback.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: I've seen so many people go like "Oh, he's jealous,
therefore he loves her". There is no love in the deranged state of mind
described by the Eight of Spades. This is not the annoying-yet-endearing Page |
"Why are you looking at the other guys and not me". It is more like the green- 32
eyed monster that blinds Othello. And then again, the meaning of "jealousy"
usually only applies when the card falls in the relevant context, generally
near people cards.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: As a rule, this is a worse version of the
upright card. In both cases the Eight of Spades can refer to matters of
feelings, but it is always more likely to talk about relationship issues when
it is reversed, although even then it can have a connection to money
problems. Also, although in both cases this card has a connection to
suicide, it is always more likely to come up reversed in case suicide is a
relevant concept. But don't bring up the issue based on Jealousy alone:
killing oneself is a huge event, so much that we would wish the deck to cover
it in some detail.
Suicidal tendencies can be quite easy to spot. Very few people ask about
suicide: as weird as querents can be, I have yet to be asked "Will I kill
myself?", so they will usually come to you to discuss other issues. If you see
that the deck is wilfully ignoring the question, instead throwing mixed
sequences of death and depression at you, there you have a potential
suicide. But don't overestimate the frequency of this situation: such sad
episodes do happen, but quite rarely.
Again, black magic is an attribute of this card both upright and reversed,
but is always more likely to be shown by the reversed version. These
sequences are also quite easy to spot, especially because Jealousy usually
only confirms, while the main (though not the only) combo of ritual is Pride
+ Widower Rx. Pride Rx + Jealousy Rx is also an alarming combination of
dark rituals.
Nine of Spades - Prison (Prigione)
Polarity when Upright: Neutral to Negative
Upright Meanings: Blockage, Bond, Obligation, Stagnation, Pregnancy why traditionally it is connected with domestic violence. It rules diseases
that are hardly curable: when it comes up in a sequence of hospitalization
Polarity when Reversed: Negative it is testimony that the querent won't leave the hospital alive.

Reversed Meanings: Fear, Psychological blockage,

Sick or unhealthy or morbid relationship Page |
Ten of Spades - Soldier (Militare)
33
GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: This card bears a Polarity when Upright: Negative
resemblance both to the Hanged Man and to the
Nine of Swords in Tarot. First and foremost it is a Upright Meanings: Violence, Virulence and
card of blockage and bond. It indicates all those viciousness, Conflict and strife, Public force, People
situations where the querent is bound or forced to in a uniform, Inhospitable places, The need for
do something. In comparison with other cards of resistance and willpower
the suit of Spades, Prison is not particularly
disruptive, and it usually indicates situations that Polarity when Reversed: Neutral to Negative
do not go on. Taken by itself, it is quite easily
outweighed by following positive cards, but do not Reversed Meanings: Everything that is hidden,
underestimate its ability to create blockages. For Secrets, Insecurity, Feeling unwelcome or out of
instance, House + Prison usually signifies a blocked, stifling family life; one's natural environment, Authority and law
Female Lover + Melancholy + Prison + Male Lover could make one of the two against the querent, The Occult
feel that the relationship is like a prison. In a sense it can be considered
similar to the Sick Man, and indeed it is quite hard to unblock a situation GENERAL UPRIGHT MEANINGS: This is one of the hardest cards to pin
that is represented by these two cards together. Death + Prison is also a down. Let's say from the outset that there is no huge difference between the
traditional combination of complete negation. card when upright or when reversed. But the upright card tends to speak
of violence, public force and people in uniform. It can mean secret just like
The Nine of Spades can also obviously represent a prison, but only if the reversed card, but less often.
cards of imprisonment or law appear in the spread. For instance, Priest +
Soldier + Prison could have you sent down. The only other main association Being the card of strength and violence, the Soldier is an unwelcome
of this card is with pregnancy, but in such case it is never alone. The most sight in most spreads. But keep in mind that violence needs not be physical
traditional combo of pregnancy is Child + Prison, but other cards of fertility to be violence: for instance, Conversation Rx + Soldier could refer to violent
can confirm the testimony, such as Merriment, Hope, Hymenaeus (upright arguments. Taken alone it is usually never enough to give actual violence,
or reversed) or Sorrow Rx. instead concentrating on conflict and strife in whatever field is meaningful
to the reading. Be careful however: being sometimes associated with secrets,
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: Reversed, the Nine of Spades becomes Love + Soldier can mean either arguments in a relationship or a hidden
a card of fear and anguish. The stagnation it creates is more of a relationship. Unless there is other testimony of cheating, you can go with
psychological nature, while in its upright position it is generally more the former, but sometimes it's just better to ask the querent: "Do you two
objective, but don't think psychological stagnation is weaker. Most of the get along?". If the answer is "Oh yes I'm his little princess" than this
combinations are exactly the same, except for this detail. Of course, it is paradoxically could be bad news for the querent. Most of the times you won't
more common to find this card paired with other cards related to the mind, need to ask, but remember that it's not a shame to ask the patient if it hurts
such as Thought Rx. In some cases it can also speak of mistrust, suspicion where you are touching. When this card causes a break-up and you are
and diffidence creating the blockage. looking to see if the two will get back together, the sooner the reconciling
card comes, the better: if it's too far from the Soldier it may not be able to
It can also be the mark of morbid or unhealthy relationships, which is do the trick. If the Soldier piles up on other cards of violence (e.g. Sorrow,
Disaster etc.) it becomes very worring.
This is also the card of public force: the police, the army, the navy and
so on, but usually the police, unless you are a wanted jihadist living hidden
in Iraq. It is therefore commonly seen in sequences of imprisonment, but
also simply in all those occasion where somebody calls the cops. Because it
rules inhospitable places, the Ten of Spades can make the neighbouring
cards inhospitable to the querent: House + Soldier could show the soldiers'
barracks, but it tends not to, telling us instead that the querent's house is
inhospitable to him or to somebody else. As for "person in uniform" be open
about the concept of uniform: it could be anything from a soldier to a nurse
(not a doctor, for that would be the King of Clubs) to even a butler -but
rarely, that would be the Servant-.
GENERAL REVERSED MEANINGS: All the above can apply at times to the
card when reversed, only that when it represents the public force it shows
it against the querent, and while it can still give arguments, it tends to show
secrets. Faithfulness + Soldier Rx is the traditional combination for a secret
love story, and it is usually bad when it falls near either of the two Lovers.
But don't alarm the querent unnecessarily: it could very well show strife,
and not a secret romance.
that she is has somebody throwing himself at her, or at least trying to. But
if her significator is in play and is reversed, and/or near cards of ambiguity
or downright adultery (e.g. Love Rx, Faithfulness Rx etc.) that is suspicious.
Sometimes the Enemy is not a person, and this especially when it is near
another person card. In this case, it means that that person is inimical to Page |
the querent, or that he holds a grudge, or that he is going to try to cause 34
trouble. Note that this can only be true if the Enemy card is near a card of
the same gender (the same rule applies to the Queen).
As a rule, the Enemy is merely an inimical person. However, it can have
something to do with secrecy, much like the Soldier (Soldier + Male Enemy
could be a spy or a private detective). It can also signify somebody who has
a tendency to harm himself, and so has a connection with all kinds of
addictions. In general it is just an enemy, however.
Reversed, the Enemy declares his enmity. He's an open enemy, somebody
the querent clearly knows about. It also has a connection to mistakes, so
for instance Letter + Male Enemy Rx could be a mistake in a document (or,
in health issues, in a prescription).

JACK OF SPADES - Male Enemy (Nemico)

QUEEN OF SPADES - Female Enemy (Nemica)
The enemy is a person working against the
querent. While sometimes it does mean a truly She's just the female counterpart to the Jack of
deranged person, most of us cannot in all honesty Spades. However, she doesn't have a connection to
say they have a life exciting enough to attract the self-destruction, or much less than the Jack.
spiteful envy of the incumbent Evil Overlord, much
as many Facebook profiles seem to suggest Reversed, she becomes downright evil. She is
otherwise. In other words, don't expect a villain spiteful, mean, vicious.
when you see this card, or its feminine
counterpart. The Enemy could simply be somebody
who loses if the querent wins: his opponent, his
competitor, another person who tries to get what
the querent wants.

True, it takes very little to make his a very

unpleasant presence in the querent's life. Especially in matters of
relationship, even if he is not Sauron, he still has the power to make the
querent miserable by snatching away his girlfriend. Note that the sole
presence of the Enemy does not tell us that the girlfriend is cheating: only
 KING OF SPADES - Priest (Sacerdote)

The Priest only rarely means an actual Minister. It

has a strong connection to law and the state. It can
stand for an attorney or lawyer, a notary (especially
Priest+Artist) or just an environment, such as a Page |
courtroom, a city hall and so on. When nothing in 35
the spread suggests that such concepts are
relevant, the Priest could cause some annoyance.
In love issues it stands for coldness, it qualifies the
querent or the partner as detached and aloof. In
matters of career, if the querent is unemployed, he
may remain so. But always look at the other cards:
the Priest is not a hugely strong testimony.

Reversed, the Priest becomes a corrupted

lawyer, or simply the judicial system working against the querent, or the
law standing between the querent and what he wants (Priest Rx + Prison is
often enough to have you sent down). It may also have a connection with
violence, especially when near the Soldier or the Great Lord Rx, and even
more if Disaster Rx is in the sequence.

Two more cards ~

Gentlemen and Lady
~ for male and female
client.
Pictures on the
cards are my
personal design.
Interpetation is from
the other link given
here :

http://mirrorofcartomancy.blogspot.rs/2016/02/vera-sibilla-meanings-
cheat-sheet.html
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.600934633432540&type=
3