WORK: need to pick up the pieces and start again
HEALTH: difficult times but patient is well now, patience, will power and the patient will prevail
ADVICE: Accept the past, gather your thoughts, focus on what can be done to move beyond the situation.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: there has been a period of sadness and introspection
•Below – Future: you will need to process a mistake, regret or loss
•In front – Obstacle: the challenge will be to overcome the cause of melancholy
•Behind: Advice: gather yourself and move past the unhappy situation
REVERSED: This card reversed is only positive when associated with cards indicating an ending, suggesting the end of period of melancholy. This card reversed can be more negative as it suggests an emotional breakdown, a love gone wrong, an unhappy family situation, loss of a friendship, job or money. Association with love or wedding cards reinforces the negative interpretation as an irreversible break, an impossible situation, mourning for a loved one, a divorce or separation.
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS: Five of Diamonds
•Vera Sibilla: Five of Diamonds: Melancholy: loss of heart, temporary setback or sadness connected to the past
DATES: May 15 to 20
NUMBERS: 86 / 35
Merchant
Original Italian title: Mercante, merchant
This card represents success, ambition, business success and profits and can refer to a person or a situation.
•financial gain, profitable investments
•professional, successful businessman, skilled in business
•good business decisions, advantageous trade or negotiations
•cunning, crafty, greedy or devious
SYMBOLS: This card shows a merchant, with his wares, waiting on a pier. He appears to be gazing out to sea where, on the horizon, there is a ship. It suggests he is waiting to exchange his wares. He stands in a self-assured and confident pose, suggesting he is skilled in his business and that he knows the “ins and outs” and “tricks of the trade” to be successful. He is surrounded by goods, so he seems to be successful but one can’t say if he is honest or dishonest as a merchant.
STRAIGHT: This card is considered a good omen in matters of business and trade and suggests an affirmative or positive answer to questions of success in business. This card is symbolic of skills in business, successful commerce, prosperous business and financial success. It can represent either a person or a situation. When it is a specific person, it indicates someone who successfully competes in business, selling, negotiation or investing. It can indicate someone who is a leader with foresight, good instincts and one who achieves success. Rarely is this card negative, however, when combined with negative cards is can suggest greed, cunning, stinginess, deceit or scheming.
SUGGESTIONS FOR:
LOVE: secret meetings, negotiation, financially beneficial marriages, marriage to an older man
WORK: favorable investments or negotiations, lucrative contracts, man in public eye, willing, sales success
HEALTH: tendency to gain weight, metabolic dysfunction
ADVICE: Have confidence, there will be success in business ventures or for key business associates.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: a successful business person or venture has had a significant impact
•Below – Future: relationship with a business person or business opportunity is possible
•In front – Obstacle: with success comes responsibility and pressure to continue
•Behind: Advice: Now is the time to negotiate, start a business or partner with a business person
REVERSED: When this card appears reversed, it suggests business failure. It is a warning against investing, starting a new venture, or negotiation. In matters of the heart, it suggests that negotiations will be in vain and things will not be favorable to the inquirer. Similarly, for friendships or work situations, one party is unable to hold up their end, or does not have the necessary skills or talents for success. If this card is associated with other negative cards, it can indicate defeat, financial difficulties, major setbacks or disappointment.
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS: Kind of Diamonds
•Vera Sibilla: King of Diamonds: Merchant: work, career, financial matters
DATES: January 11 to 20
NUMBERS: 79 / 12
Messenger
Original Italian title: Messaggero, messenger
This card represents the delivery of news or a message.
•announcement, results, invitation
•letter, phone call, email
SYMBOLS: The card shows a postman or courier delivering a letter to a woman. The personal delivery suggests that the news or message will be delivered not anonymously but by a person, and could be official in nature. This person could be a delivery person, friend, relative or acquaintance. The letter is symbolic, the message may come in any number of forms, not necessarily on paper. What is important is that the message reveals or announces important events or information that is useful or needed.
STRAIGHT: This card is usually considered positive. The Messenger card is an omen signaling the arrival of information. The information that has or will be delivered may arrive via phone, fax, email, mail, or courier and may come from a distant place or person. This card can also represent the arrival of the “messenger” and, in this context, the card could announce the arrival of a guest. When associated with “love” cards, it suggests paying attention to communication including the non-verbal signals between partners. In matters of work or career, this card usually signals good news unless it is associated with negative cards.
SUGGESTIONS FOR:
LOVE: news of love either positive or negative, letter or phone call from friends or relatives, visit by a dear person
WORK: time for action, send quotes and proposals, changes coming, new offers, meetings to attend
HEALTH: results are available, assessment, diagnosis or opinion from physician is available
ADVICE: Pay attention and consider the content of the message before making your next move.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: consider carefully the information you have already received
•Below – Future: the information you are waiting for is coming.
•In front – Obstacle: information is needed or needs to be provided in order to move forward
•Behind: Advice: look for the message and consider the information before making a choice
REVERSED: This card reversed suggests that the message or information that the inquirer wants or needs is not coming. This reversal is generally considered a negative or “no” answer. However, it may not be due to the action of the inquirer, but rather the inaction of the one who should be delivering the message. In this case, it may reveal attributes of the messenger, that they are lazy, ineffective in their work or superficial. If the inquirer is waiting for a love interest to express their feelings or a profession of love, it will not come in the near term if at all. It is possible that this card reversed is positive if the inquirer is waiting for bad news. In this case, it indicates that the bad news is not coming.
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS: Jack of Diamonds
•Vera Sibilla: Jack of Diamonds: Messenger: communication, usually official communication, a postman, mediator
DATES: January 21 to 31
NUMBERS: 71 / 19
Misfortune
Original Italian title: Disgrazia, disgrace
This is a negative card symbolizing calamity, ruin, or catastrophe.
•disgrace, fall from grace
•accident, mishap
•sudden, unexpected, unpredicted negative event
SYMBOLS: This card shows a man falling from a burning building. A firefighter tires to extinguish the fire but the building is engulfed in flames and collapsing. No one can enter the building and thus there is no help for anyone
within, no rescue, no escape. The collapsing building is symbolic of complete destruction in the wake of the catastrophic event.
STRAIGHT: This is a negative card suggesting an accident, failure or serious problem. It can suggest loss of love, loss of a job, the failure of a business venture, or an error that results in grave consequences. This card almost always suggests that there will be a change for the worse, a lost cause, an unrecoverable or irreparable loss. This could include foreclosure, debt or deep rift in a relationship. It also warns that there is little that anyone can do to prevent or mitigate the situation, the inquirer will be left to deal with the situation on their own. This card amplifies associated negative cards. When associated with very positive cards it might signal that complete destruction is needed in order to start again with a new foundation. Out of the ashes, something new and wonderful will emerge.
SUGGESTIONS FOR:
LOVE: legal separation or divorce, loss of family property, lawsuits regarding inheritance or disputes between relatives
WORK: time of great difficulty, dismissal, bankruptcy, difficult time professionally, no help from colleagues
HEALTH: accident, illness, mental disorders, depression, loss of contact with reality
ADVICE: Recognize that things are ending and forever changed. You will need to rebuild.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: have been dealing with a devastating loss or accident.
•Below – Future: a time of great difficulty is ahead
•In front – Obstacle: there will be significant difficulties to overcome
•Behind: Advice: do not give up in the face of significant difficulties, be prepared to rebuild
REVERSED: When reversed, this card is significantly more negative in that it suggests that the irreparable loss is an ending with a finality that will significantly impact the inquirer. It suggests a painful event that destroys hopes for the future. Only if this card is associated with past negative and positive future cards, such as wedding, love, or consolation, does it suggest an end of the misfortune and a resurgence of hope.
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS: Seven of Spades
•Vera Sibilla: Seven of Spades: Disgrace: ending, argument, wrath, accident, surgery, break, damage
•Tarot: The Tower: destruction, necessity, cleansing, foundation
DATES: October 28 to November 1
NUMBERS: 56 / 17
Money
Original Italian title: Denaro, money
This is a positive card symbolizing money, abundance, and good fortune.
•inheritance, winnings, luck
•success and prosperity are within reach
•confidence, self-worth, success
SYMBOLS: This card depicts a room filled with money. There is money on the table and also in a large open safe in the wall. The large quantity of money visible symbolizes abundance. The open safe could symbolize the need for saving or having to access savings. There is an empty chair by the table which serves as a reminder that money does not bring happiness or love. There are other items with the money that could be wills or other documents of great value or concerning money. All these valuables clearly visible, could symbolize assessing or taking stock of all that is available because there is a pressing need or shortfall to cover. The safe can also be a symbol of the heart, where hopes for the future and secrets are stored.
STRAIGHT: The appearance of this card is considered positive, an omen of financial good fortune and well-being. The source of the wealth can come from family, winnings or business sources. It also reminds the inquirer that it is important to save because fortunes can change and savings can become depleted. If this card is associated with “fortune” it symbolizes great wealth. If this card is associated with a card symbolizing a desire, such as home, it suggests that the funds needed to acquire it will be found. If associated with cards concerning love, it can warn of the material nature of a relationship or that the love interest is motivated by money. If this card is associated with cards suggesting interruption in the future, it signals a time of financial challenges approaching and that money will be lost or scarce.
SUGGESTIONS FOR:
LOVE: unions, marriages, partnerships or affairs have financial motivations, be wary of gold diggers
WORK: difficult financial challenges, need for more capital, investment or payment delays
HEALTH: there may be a need to tap savings to pay for medical expenses in order to get better
ADVICE: Material wealth can be fleeting, make sure to save for future needs.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: the situation has been financially secure, a time of abundance
•Below – Future: a time of abundance and financial security is coming
•In front – Obstacle: the need or desire for money is a factor in this situation
•Behind: advice: avoid being wasteful or not saving for the future when times are good
REVERSED: This card reversed signals a loss of money, which could be due to gambling, money wasted or spent in vain. It is only interpreted as positive when revered if it is associated with an “ending” card signaling the end of period of stagnation, poverty, misery, or financial hardship. In most cases, though, it is a warning that there will be complications as a result of inadequate funding. This can be due to the inquirer spending too much, squandering an inheritance, depleting savings or making poor investment choices. It advises that the time of plenty is over and that it is time to be frugal and conserve resources. If the inquirer is waiting for a sum of money, it is likely that it will not come
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS:
•Vera Sibilla: Six of Hearts: Money: assets, financial gain, the past.
DATES: September 21 to 27
NUMBERS: 49 / 30
Old Woman
Original Italian title: Vecchia Signora, old lady
This is a positive card representing a wise and trustworthy person or serene family environment.
•mother, grandmother, aunt, female professor, mature woman
•positive, reassuring, good advice
•intuition, wisdom
SYMBOLS: This card shows a woman with gray hair sitting in an armchair. She has a blanket across her lap and a book in her hand. The book, either for reading or praying suggests knowledge and devotion. The surrounding room appears to be a home that is serene and well cared for. There is a lamp and a vase of flowers on the table beside her. The lamp symbolizes shining a light to illuminate the matter or light the way. The vase with the simple single flower symbolizes a mature love, modest but beautiful.
STRAIGHT: This card can represent either a person or an atmosphere. It can represent a wise woman, who provides good advice and counsel. This card suggests that the inquirer should look to and trust the advice of an older woman. This card can also represent good advice derived from experience, wisdom or intuition that comes from someone of any age. It can also represent the inner voice or intuition of the inquirer. If associated with marriage cards, it can refer to a mother-in-law or other matriarch. When it refers to a situation, it can represent a peaceful, traditional family environment. This card is usually positive and can indicate family harmony or traditional values.
SUGGESTIONS FOR:
LOVE: valuable advice will come from a mature woman to help manage a relationship with a loved one
WORK: a mature colleague will be of special assistance, advice from an older woman will be valuable
HEALTH: the health of an older family member may be failing or an older family member will care for the inquirer
ADVICE: Listen for the voice of wisdom.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: there has been important advice from a wise woman
•Below – Future: there will be advice, council or the wisdom of experience to call upon
•In front – Obstacle: traditional values and conventional wisdom may be a challenge
•Behind: Advice:
seek out and listen to advice and wisdom
REVERSED: Reversed this card suggests that the old woman will not be supportive, will provide bad, advice, meddle, interfere or otherwise disrupt the situation. This card can also suggest that a situation is stuck in the past, outdated, or deteriorating. It may also warn the inquirer of narrow mindedness, out of date ideas, or an unwillingness to seek advice or change. It is not generally considered an overly negative card when reversed unless it is associated with other negative cards such as “Malady”, “Melancholy” or “Death”. With significant negative cards, it could indicate a serious loss of health or death of an older woman.
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS: Two of Spades
•Vera Sibilla: Two of Spades: Old Lady: older woman, ex, old fashioned people or opinions, attachment to past
DATES: June 28 to July 2
NUMBERS: None
Pleasure Seekers
Original Italian title: I Deliranti, the delirious
This card can represent either people or an attribute. It can represent a group partying or disorderly, drunken or delusional behavior.
•exuberance, spirited
•situation is out of control
•group of friends
SYMBOLS: This card shows three young men in civilian clothes. They appear to be drunk, supporting each other and perhaps shouting or singing. The group looks like they are having fun in a delirious, crazy or wild manner.
STRAIGHT: The interpretation of this card is very dependent on adjacent cards and the nature of the inquiry. When associated with positive cards like Cheerfulness or Fortune it can indicate a party or a fun but disorderly gathering of friends. When associated with negative cards it can represent crazy thoughts, agitation, recklessness, or delirium. Getting carried away, being swept up in the crowd or being negatively influenced by peers are also possible interpretations. This card warns that there could be confusion, misunderstandings, delusions, or crazy behavior.
Gypsy Oracle Cards Page 6
