Sibilla Della Zingara Read online

  Sophie Loesch

  Sibilla Della Zingara

  The Perpetuation of a Tradition

  1ª Edition

  Amsterdam

  2016

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher.

  Translated from the Portuguese language original by Fábia Cordeiro.

  The images (cards) belong to the deck of cards called “Gypsy Oracle Cards” reproduced with kind permission of Lo Scarabeo.

  ISBN – 13: 978-8883957857 srl. © Lo Scarabeo. All rights reserved

  Koninklijke Bibliotheek

  ISNB 978-9-0825-2480-2

  Dedication

  To all lovers of Sibilla Della Zingara around the world, fortune-tellers from the old days, and current ones, and to everyone else who in a way contribute so dearly to the perpetuation of the Fortune-Telling Art.

  Merci!

  SUMARY

  FOREWORD

  Cheerfulness

  Child

  Consolation

  Constancy

  Conversation

  Death

  Despair

  Doctor

  Enemy

  Faithfulness

  Falseness

  Friend

  Frivolity

  Foe

  Fortune

  Gift

  Haughtiness

  Hope

  House

  Journey

  Joyfulness

  Letter

  Lord

  Love

  Lover

  Malady

  Melancholy

  Merchant

  Messenger

  Misfortune

  Money

  Old Woman

  Pleasure – seekers

  Prison

  Reunion

  Room

  Scholar

  Servant

  Service

  Sighs

  Soldier

  Sorrow

  Surprise

  Sweetheart

  Thief

  Thought

  Waiting

  Wedding

  Widower

  Wife

  Young Woman

  EPILOGUE

  BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

  FOREWORD

  The Sibillas are the most popular, known and used deck of cards, after the PETIT LENORMAND, in the playing cards in the oracle market. It has been named after the Sibillas who were characters of the Roman mythology – women who had the gift of prophecy under the inspiration of the god Apollo.

  There has been little historic information on the Sibillas’ origin. Some say they come from the XVII century, others believe the first time they were used was in the XIX century, and there are those who say Mademoiselle Lenormand read with them. Anyway, there has been a lot of speculation over this. However, it is certain that, there was a cartomancy boom during the XIX century which enlarged the production of decks of cards destined to the fortune - telling art and enriched not only fortune-tellers, but also cards’ manufacturers from all over Europe.

  Hence, it is also true that they have become popular due to how easy it is to read them. Their images are eloquent, they speak to the fortune-teller and picture real-life situations (family, money, love, contracts, friendship) in a precise way.

  After centuries, the Sibillas’ deck of cards still exist, which perpetuates the Cartomancy Art.

  Through this manual, I feel blessed to honor and preserve this tradition.

  SPRING, 2016

  Cheerfulness

  “Love and desire are the spirit’s wings to great deeds”.

  Johann Goethe

  Keywords: celebration, triumph, fertility, realization, enthusiasm, satisfaction, vitality, sensuality, shared pleasure, luck, exchange in every way, friendliness.

  There are one man and two women dressed in elegant clothes. They are in a fancy reserved place around an ornamented table. He is standing (action, liveliness) between the two ladies (submissiveness and fertility), he is raising a cup of champagne, because of parties and celebrations, the wine proclaims a short speech, positive words to congratulate and aspirations.

  Love: an engagement or wedding party, wedding anniversary celebration dinner, passion, love at first sight in a public or private place, sensuality.

  Work/Finances: fruitful projects or plans, improvement in business, overcoming a difficult situation, recruitment or success in an exam or study.

  Reversed: careless life, no maturity nor joy, dissatisfaction, cracks, scarcity, irresponsibility.

  Child

  “When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments,

  tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become.”

  Louis Pasteur

  Keywords: beginning, birth, development, pregnancy, protection, trust, innocence, simplicity, childhood, spontaneity, enthusiasm.

  In this card, there’s a baby resting in its glorious crib, which matches the decoration of the bedroom. The baby is either awake or agitated which conveys the idea of activity, impulsiveness and why not some curiosity towards life.

  This card by itself has many angles. It literally represents a child, a son or a daughter or even a pregnancy, a project, a loving relationship. Definitely a recent situation that needs to be cherished and protected.

  In terms of behavior or attitude, this card reminds us that, in certain moments of our life, we need to open up, trust one another and be spontaneous and receptive towards other’s opinions and advice.

  Love: an engagement, the beginning of a relationship with a certain dose of sweetness and simplicity. Honest and tender feelings.

  Work/Finances: the initial phase of a job, a new function or position. A business proposal. Get a loan. Results and goals will only be reached when there’s good will and when we compromise.

  Reversed: Childishness, immaturity, uncertainty, ephemeral feelings, delays, wasted opportunities, irresponsibility, lack of attention and the excess of advantageousness which jeopardize the success.

  Consolation

  “In a way, there’s no consolation for goodwill.”

  Franz Kafka

  Keywords: pleasant surprise, luck, hope, wishes that came true, changes, new beginnings, transformation, victory, reward, wealth, satisfaction, well-being, honor.

  In this card there is the image of a man sitting on something that looks like a balcony facing the sea. He might be waiting for something, or maybe he isn’t…

  On the background, we can see a ship far away (transformation, market, the widespread or opening of some cultural information) on waters of the human existence. Suddenly an angel comes while he’s reading a book (learning, knowledge) – messengers of the holy kingdom or above – and this angel is holding in his right hand a bunch of bay laurel ( protection, victory, reputation) and in his left hand a sack of money, a true consolation, the kind of help that comes from heaven!

  This is a very strong card, since it’s about the embodiment of our wishes.

  Love: hope, consolation, unexpected encounter, satisfactory change, keeping a positive and an optimistic attitude helps, but you should do something!

  Work/Finances: satisfactory circumstances and conditions, change of jobs, reorganization, good career opportunities, however, one should do something, take initiative

  Reversed: stagnation, bad-luck, failure, lost or wasted opportunities, misunderstandings, laziness, inability to face and solve problems.

  Constancy

  “A man without persistence will never make a good shaman or a good physician.”

  Confucius

  Keywords – stiffness,
tenacity, consistency, stay, stability, trust, severity, commitment, persistence, ethics moral, ancestral values, hope, renovation.

  In this card there is a lady dressed in antique clothing. She is looking at things in a strong way. She’s standing by a Roman – style pillar, which might be from a construction building. On the background, on the left, there’s the image of an intact building, which reminds us of a Roman forum. Actually, it’s about a drawing embodying “Constantia”, one of the fundamental values of the MOS MAJORUM, a kind of a code not written in the Ancient Rome which determined the way of life and the ancient value system.

  Therefore, this card connect us to our past, to those who came before us and how we find the strength and the wisdom through this connection to tread the path of our existence and enjoy the feeling of composure and continuity that help us during difficult times.

  Love: ambivalent interpretation, therefore the level of this one will be determined by the cards around it, rupture, a crucial relationship comes to an end, a new cycle, a solid relationship, stability in the family.

  Work/Finances: change in profession or job, the experience has a great value when in search for a new occupation, limited savings, however there’s hope of better days.

  Reversed: Lack of perseverance, weakness, there are no solid foundation, premature or delayed ruptures, time/fortune inconsistency, confused and uncontrolled life.

  Conversation

  “I want to have someone to talk to. Someone that later do not use what I said against me…”

  Renato Russo

  Keywords: family or friends reunion, explain or share something, receive an invitation, attention and comprehension, collaboration, negotiation, cheerful events, unexpected visitors.

  There’s no way one cannot realize the main character of this card is a lady expressing herself, by sharing something she knows to a group of young people who is very attentive. Therefore, this card shows us that it is up-t-date with some news.

  The environment is green, alive and in the spring. It conveys fertility, new and cheerful which gives some positivity and serenity towards the young lady’s conversation.

  All in all, this card forecasts wealth, fertility, the regeneration and a period of well being in all senses.

  Love: chance meeting, feeling pleasure in being together, intimacy, affection, fulfilled wishes, wedding, the awakening of emotions.

  Work/Finances: business meeting, positive answer about a job interview, receive a piece of information that can affect the matter, peace of mind and economical stability.

  Reversed: lack of communication and clarification.

  The greatest advice is “Speech is silver, but silence is golden”.

  Death

  “Death is pretty, it’s our friend, however, we don’t recognize it, because it presents to us masked and its mask frightens us.”

  François Rene de Chateaubriand

  Keywords: changes, end of something, transformation, transition, completion, end of a cycle, rebirth, overcoming.

  This card brings a picture of a man flying with bat’s wings and a skull in his hand. The sky seems dark and he is looking down, as if observing which is his next prey. Behind him he brings a sickle, a symbol of what must be cut.

  At first the card shows death or the end of something, a union, a job, a cycle in our life, a situation that drags itself, anyway something that gets to its end. But when it happens, something else comes in its place, so the card suggests a change as well, transformation, and a new way to be, act or see situations. The need to face that everything has an end that everything changes.

  In an inverse sense it may suggest the use of magic, deception and in some cases the physical death or the death of a feeling. Everything has its own time on Earth and in our lives, the need for something old to give room to the new.

  In terms of love, the card shows the end of a situation, of a marriage, or something in the life of the consultant. However, it also shows that it can be a moment of transformation, renovation, of the emergence of new things, the moment of transition if you can enjoy new opportunities.

  In terms of work it suggests cuts, unexpected changes or not, removal, the transition of positions or resignations. But also the emergence of a new situation, even if it cannot be seen positively. Moment to do soma savings for new times.

  Love: completion, break-ups, separations, situation change, resurgence, renovation.

  Work/Finances: changes, cuts, resignation, change in a stable situation, loss, need of adaptation.

  Reversed: deception, sadness, fear, what needs to die so something emerges, the use of magic.

  Despair

  “Despair is a narcotic. It lulls the mind into indifference.”

  Charles Chaplin.

  Keywords: suspicion, jealousy, extreme actions, envious person, self-control, despair, lack of faith.

  There’s a man in an elegant environment pointing a gun to himself. His gesture is out of jealousy, but we can also connect it to a person who has low self-esteem, that sees in the success of the people around her/him the reason for his/her unhappiness, a person that is able to go to the extremes, to have harmful behavior to him/herself as well as to the others. Possession, espionage, persecution can be characteristics of jealous people, also the lack of emotional control and hidden attitudes. Of all the ways, this card shows a difficult situation in which one has to be careful with the people around us, or that we have to balance our feelings if it represents the consultant him/herself.

  In terms of love it shows a jealous and controlling partner, a person that suffers without any hope, the fear to be betrayed or abandoned. An insecure person and subject to third parties influences, the lack of firmness and character towards love.

  In terms of work this card shows financial worry, competition, argument among people, extreme situation in which people don’t see an end. The need to pay more attention to what happens around us and not let certain things get worse. Unbalanced financial situation.

  The reversed card shows an emotional unmanageability, person that only act thinking about her/himself. But it can also show the end of a situation, the saturation of the society, something that has come to a limit and needs to be changed or take another direction.

  Love: the fear of being betrayed, possessive person, bad influence.

  Work/Finances: competition, money loss or lack of organization, fights.

  Reversed: threshold situation, emotional unbalance, the end of a partnership or association.

  Doctor

  "The best doctor is the one who more instills hope"

  Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  Keywords: health, serene person, break, restriction, protective or counselor; doctor or therapist.

  A mature man, probably in office, taking the pulse of a young woman. The card speaks of a father, grandfather or a counselor, who knows his profession or who has a skill recognized by others. A doctor, perhaps one of our confidence who can help us, the one who shows us another side of the situation, which restores us joy. A therapist or even a businessman.

  In love, it suggests reconciliation, but we need to listen to what our partner says, give heed to their opinions about us. But also flatterer person who is not what seems to be at first sight.

  At work, indicates unreliable person, someone you cannot count or do not want to cooperate. The time is not ideal for investments or bigger steps. Help with interest. But also a person who can raise us and lead to new horizons, this will depend on the cards around.

  Reversed, the card shows a person who cannot help us, and could lead us the error, it is one of our acquaintanceship. It also demonstrates a person who is not willing to accept advice. Time to review something, maybe our attitudes.

  Love: possible reconciliation; need for dialogue and goodwill; mistake; flatterer person.

  Work/Finances: inadequate time to invest; dishonest person; interest with ulterior motives.

  Reversed: error; stubbornness; reflection.

 
Enemy

  “One should constantly learn, even from an enemy.”

  Isaac Newton

  Keywords: suspicion, mischief, betrayal, hostility, lack of perception.

  A young man, well dressed, partially hides behind a shady tree and watches the street. He is in a stalking attitude, who gathers information without, however, showing himself ostensibly. He is an enemy, a person who is in the shadows, waiting for his victim, waiting for the opportune time to act and betray. The fact of hiding himself among the nature shows that we do not suspect the situation, that we regard as natural, not realizing that in the midst of good fruits there is a rotten one.

  In love indicates a person who is involved with us or our history, who we need to be careful, because it shows that we are in danger. Maybe someone who shows us a lot of love, but really wants to make us suffer. In the work area the card speaks of deception, of the need, if we make an agreement, put all the points and clauses clearly, preferably with a legal recognition. Risks of losses and being cheated. Inverted card signals a reconciliation, if the cards show around the end of something, the victory over a situation, the end of a difficult step, but this is transitory, we must be alert for a while yet, because card shows losses and damages.