Deck Guide
The Dr. Moorne Deck and El supremo arte de echar las cartas: A Guide to Its 78 Cards
By Seraphina
Dr. Moorne’s El supremo arte de echar las cartas presents a 78-card art of interpretation built around the Book of Thoth, upright and reversed meanings, Egyptian hieroglyphs, sacred letters, and symbolic figures. Its cards address marriage, friendship, livelihood, law, journeys, ambition, character, and the changing circumstances of everyday life.
Understanding this deck means following its own numbering and vocabulary. Number 13 is Wedding or Union, Number 20 is Fortune and Advancement, and Number 78 is Lightheadedness and Ineptitude. The following guide explains the book’s teachings on their own terms. Its historical narrative, spiritual principles, and divinatory promises are presented as the book’s account, not as established history or proven prediction.
Looking for the meaning of a single card or ingredient? Keep our How to read the Dr. Moorne Egyptian Tarot guide open beside you.
1. The Book of Thoth: The Deck’s Foundational Narrative
The introduction attributes the original Book of Thoth to the Egyptians and Chaldeans. It describes a grand book consulted daily, containing in 78 hieroglyphic cards all the actions of human life and all the feelings the human heart can hold. Some hieroglyphs, it explains, possessed two or even three meanings.
Within this narrative, Guillaume Postel adapted those 78 hieroglyphs to the 74 cards that the book says originally constituted the French pack. Through extensive study, he translated their significance, publishing his work in 1540 under a title glossed in Spanish as Clave de las cosas ocultas, or Key to Hidden Things. The introduction says that only two copies survived, one in the British Museum and another in the National Library in Paris.
The book further teaches that the original Book of Thoth alone escaped the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, which its account attributes to an order from Omar. It places the surviving original in the British Museum and reports different traditional authorships: Enoch among the Hebrews, Hermes among the Egyptians, and Cadmus among the Greeks.
Finally, the introduction presents Etteilla in 1770 as drawing upon the earlier studies of Postel and Court de Gébelin to adapt the hieroglyphs first to French cards and subsequently to Spanish, Italian, and German packs. It explains the two orientations of modern cards as a consequence of accommodating this large body of hieroglyphic meanings.
2. Understanding the Numbering from 1 to 78
The deck is numbered consecutively from 1 through 78, but its Major cards do not occupy one uninterrupted final or initial block. The Majors are Numbers 1–21 together with Number 78. Between them stand four suits of fourteen cards each.
Wands, or Bastos, occupy Numbers 22–35. Cups, or Copas, occupy Numbers 36–49. Swords, or Espadas, occupy Numbers 50–63. Coins, or Oros, occupy Numbers 64–77. These ranges are essential references when following the book’s combination rules.
Within each suit, the sequence begins with King, Queen, Knight, and Jack, followed by Ten down through Ace. Thus the four Kings are 22, 36, 50, and 64; the four Aces are 35, 49, 63, and 77. Number 77 is consequently the Ace of Coins, not a Major card.
A card can carry several genuine names at once: a practical divinatory heading, an alternative title, a mythological figure, and a symbolic designation. These layers should remain distinguishable. A symbolic name does not necessarily replace the upright or reversed meaning used in interpreting a reading.
3. Upright and Reversed Meanings
Every card has upright and reversed meanings. Reversal is not a universal sign of misfortune, nor does it always produce the simple opposite of the upright interpretation. Number 7 offers Support upright and Protection reversed; Number 20 remains beneficial in both positions; Number 77 moves from Happiness and Power to Fortune and Wealth.
Other reversals change the subject. Number 44, the Six of Cups, concerns the Past upright and the Future reversed. Number 68, the Ten of Coins, identifies the House upright but Gambling and Profit reversed. Number 76, the Two of Coins, changes from Obstacles to Letters and Documents.
The book’s keyword lists, extended commentaries, and symbolic explanations sometimes give different emphases. Number 3, for example, bears the upright title Beneficent Genius or Fidelity while its upright keyword list includes malevolent purposes and slander. Its commentary explicitly makes interpretation dependent on neighbouring cards. Preserving those distinctions is more faithful than replacing them with a single simplified keyword.
Orientation therefore supplies a starting meaning, not a complete verdict. The reader must also consider the consultant, the matter involved, nearby cards, and any specific combination the book describes.
4. The Consultant Cards: Number 1 and Number 8
In the book’s system, Number 1 represents a male consultant and Number 8 represents a female consultant. The consultant is the person for whom the cards are read. These two cards also possess independent meanings, so their personal function does not erase their spiritual or practical significance.
Number 1 combines King Thoth, Etteilla, the Genius, Chaos, and the Consultant. Its reversed designation expressly includes the Querent or Genius. Number 8 combines Virtue and Nature with the Female Consultant and Gentleness.
The book supplies a particular placement instruction for Number 8: when reading for a woman, if the card does not appear among those drawn, it must be found among the cards set aside and placed at the head of the first line. This instruction establishes its importance without supplying a complete general spread procedure.
Proximity to a consultant card personalises an interpretation. Number 53 beside Number 1 or 8 indicates, in the book’s language, a spy watching the consultant. Nearby Number 30 identifies a clerk or domestic servant, while Number 36 identifies a fair-haired man. The surrounding cards answer who, why, and in what circumstances.
5. Major Cards 1–8: Thoth and the Days of Creation
1 — The King Thoth / The Consultant. Also named the Genius, Chaos, Confusion, and the Uncreated. Upright, it signifies virtue, goodness, prudence, modesty, spirit, and the immaterial. Reversed, the Consultant or Genius signifies wisdom, talent, imagination, invention, and observation. The book treats it as an excellent omen, especially when it appears first in either orientation. Beside 77 it announces wisdom and genius. Symbolically, Thoth is the creative principle from which worlds, beings, sciences, and arts proceed.
2 — Osiris, Glory / Fire, Anger. Upright meanings include clarity, intellectual light, analysis, lucidity, splendour, and high-mindedness. Reversed meanings include fire, burning passion, argument, anger, and agitation. Osiris represents the origin of light, while celestial fire embodies destructive forces within matter. The card corresponds to the first day of creation, when light is separated from darkness. With 75 or reversed 72, it announces honours and rewards.
3 — Fidelity, Beneficent Genius / Isis or the Moon, Evil Genius. Its upright keyword list includes bad intentions, indiscretion, and calumny, while the commentary also allows happiness and business success. Reversed keywords concern water, rain, seas, and floods; the commentary warns of deception and failure. Neighbours decide the application. Its symbolism contrasts a faithful, germinating helper with Isis’s chaste love and the opposing Evil Genius. It represents the second day of creation and the separation of waters.
4 — The Sky, Stripping / Air, Intelligence. Upright, it concerns appropriation, deprivation, discernment, and theft, including the loss of ideas as well as possessions. Reversed, it includes air, atmospheric phenomena, appearances, hypocrisy, and fleeting purposes. The commentary also records intelligence, wisdom, and perspicacity as favourable interpretations. Symbolically, Stripping is deprivation of intellectual and moral faculties; Air is the animating intelligence governing movement. It corresponds to the third day of creation, dry land, and vegetation.
5 — Journeys, Happiness / Earth, Misery. Upright, it indicates travel, relocation, errands, and changes of residence. Reversed, it concerns earth, rural property, cultivation, constancy, and immobility. Despite the word Misery, the commentary calls it extremely favourable, especially upright, and says favourable neighbours can avert its reversed hardship. With 77 it promises exceptional joy. Its creation correspondence is the fourth day, when the heavenly lights mark days, seasons, and years.
6 — The Night, Beatitude / The Day, The Firmament. Upright, it signifies shadows, mysteries, hidden intentions, obscure meanings, and intrigues whose outcome depends on adjacent cards. Reversed, it signifies light, clarification, disclosure, and the clearing of entangled affairs. Night and Day symbolise mutually dependent opposites in nature’s continuous struggle. The card represents the fifth day of creation, including creatures of the waters and birds of the air.
7 — Support, The Dawn / Protection, Good Success. Upright, it gives foundations, confidence, cooperation, partnership, and help. Reversed, it gives moral or material assistance, timely relief, protection, and charity. The book calls it extremely favourable unless unfavourable cards surround all four sides. With 20 it indicates great fortune; with 22, support from a country-dwelling person. It represents the sixth day of creation, animals and humankind, and symbolises sustaining and protective spirits.
8 — Virtue, Nature / The Female Consultant, Gentleness. Upright, it signifies placidity, contemplation, withdrawal, retreat, and Nature as a whole. Reversed, it includes kindness, attentiveness, passivity, and gentleness. Generally favourable, it may nevertheless reveal snares when reversed or sorrows near ominous cards. With 13 and 25 it signifies happy marriage and good news. Its symbolism concerns moral elevation and personal grace; its creation correspondence is the seventh day, the Creator’s rest.
6. Major Cards 9–16: Justice, Conduct, Union, and Judgment
9 — Justice, Reason / Dissensions, The Law. Upright, it signifies equity, sound morality, reason, and the just and good. Reversed, it concerns legislation, judgments, legal professionals, and litigation that may go against the consultant. Neighbours establish the result: 16 supports a lawsuit won, while 14 or 50 warns against supposed legal protectors. Symbolically, upright Justice sustains society through conscience; reversed Dissensions expresses the disorder opposing peace.
10 — Health, Temperance / The Priest, The Fathers. Upright meanings include sobriety, restraint, chastity, domestic peace, compromise, and conciliation. The commentary urges both physical and moral moderation, especially control of impulsiveness. Reversed, it announces the intervention of a religious minister, with further particulars supplied by surrounding cards. Its imagery includes a priest, staff, amphora, and prayer. Symbolically, Temperance preserves existence, while the Priest illuminates understanding and shapes the heart.
11 — Strength, Goodness / The Sovereign, Misfortune. Upright, it signifies courage, patience, physical power, moral authority, and greatness of soul. It promises victories whose nature neighbouring cards clarify. Reversed, it concerns sovereignty, command, arbitrariness, and distrust of powerful protection. With 13 it indicates forced marriage; with 41, assured victory. Its symbolism distinguishes gentle moral strength from tyranny and explores their opposing roles in the movement of human affairs.
12 — Prudence, Foresight / The Rostrum, The People. Upright, it signifies wisdom, foresight, intuition, and careful judgment. Reversed, it concerns the public, collective society, political discussion, and potentially quarrelsome debate. It is especially significant in political matters. With 13, a good marriage depends on prudence; with 16, prudence supports winning a lawsuit. Symbolically, Prudence completes reason and justice, while the Rostrum expresses the people’s right to reclaim their rights.
13 — Wedding or Union, Hope / Frustrated Wedding, Passion of Love. Also called the Great Patriarch and Disunion. Upright, it signifies marriage, contracts, alliances, vows, and concord. Reversed, it signifies broken marriage, clandestine relations, and frustrated union. If the consultant card stands to its right, the marriage concerns the consultant. Its symbolism contrasts the beneficent principle preserving family and reproduction with the disruptive principle of disharmony and barrenness.
14 — Major Force, The Spirit of Evil / Minor Force, Pain. Upright, it denotes irresistible power, violence, superior force, and inevitable events. Reversed, it includes weakness, abandonment, indifference, and fault. Both positions are adverse, although neighbours modify the application. As the Devil or Genius of Evil, it symbolises destruction opposing creation. Reversed Minor Force represents a danger that the book says firm will, intelligence, and resistance to degrading passions can oppose.
15 — Melancholy, The False Diviner / Indisposition, Anxiety. Upright meanings include sorrow, losses, moral suffering, and severe disturbances of health. Reversed meanings concern discomfort, fatigue, anxiety, hindrances, and milder illness. The False Diviner also indicates self-deception about intentions and abilities. Neighbouring cards distinguish passing bewilderment from deeper disturbance. Its symbolism attributes suffering to malevolent influences; these are the book’s interpretive associations, not medical diagnoses.
16 — Lawsuit Won, Final Judgment / Lawsuit Lost, Idiocy. Upright, it signifies clear judgment, reason, examination, argument, and logic. Reversed, it concerns adverse decisions and defective reasoning. Despite its Final Judgment imagery, the commentary emphasises earthly litigation. With 17 it announces inheritance entanglements; with 27, legal delay. Symbolically, its favourable side encourages purification through virtue, while its adverse side depicts subjection to harmful passions.
7. Major Cards 17–21 and 78: Loss, Fortune, Conflict, and Imagination
17 — Mortality, Loss / Ruin, Destruction. Upright keywords concern death and bodily dissolution; reversed keywords include ruin, nothingness, sleep, paralysis, and loss of action or will. The book says it worsens neighbouring cards and requires particular circumspection. It also reports that readers sometimes remove it from a line when its meanings confuse the interpretation. Mummy and embalming imagery support its symbolism of mortality. These ominous teachings are not evidence of an impending death.
18 — The Hermit, Imposture / Felony, The False Devotee. Upright, it signifies treachery, lies, slander, fanaticism, hypocrisy, and breach of trust. Reversed, it continues the themes of dissimulation and corruption. Both positions are adverse unless favourable cards provide protection. Its hieroglyphic teaching urges casting out the spirit of evil to live peacefully. Symbolically, the Hermit here is a deceitful influence disguising harmful intentions beneath an appearance of goodness.
19 — Catastrophe, Curse / Prison, Despotism. Upright, it signifies poverty, disasters, punishment, sorrow, and misfortune. Reversed, it concerns confinement, oppression, captivity, and forced submission. The commentary calls it the most ill-fated card and states that favourable neighbours do not improve its terrible omen. Its lightning-struck altar depicts destructive force. Symbolically, Catastrophe is destruction preceding renewed creation, while Prison is the human spirit chained to its own vices and passions.
20 — Fortune, Dignity / Advancement, Increase of Pleasures. Upright, it gives prosperity, profit, pleasant adventures, success, and good fortune. Reversed, it gives abundance, elevation, increased well-being, and improvement of circumstances. The commentary calls it the most beneficial card in both orientations and credits it with improving neighbours and diminishing adverse meanings. With 77 it signifies total success. Two winged genii invoking Zeus represent happiness and bliss.
21 — Tyranny, Dissension / Recklessness, Arrogance. Upright, it concerns conspiracy, tumult, conflict, anger, pride, and vengeance. Reversed, it concerns disputes, haughtiness, and a domineering character. It warns of broken bonds and urges correction of difficult behaviour. With reversed 68 it cautions against risky speculation; with 32 it locates the obstacle to prosperity in the consultant’s quarrelsome temperament. Its symbolism also acknowledges a role for recklessness in human progress.
78 — Lightheadedness, Enthusiasm / Ineptitude, Nothingness. Also named Ecstasy and Hermes Trismegistus. Upright, it concerns imbalance, frenzy, imagination, and genius carried beyond good sense. Reversed, it concerns incapacity, foolishness, and lack of initiative. The commentary distinguishes imaginative excess from a more disabling absence of judgment. Good surrounding cards may produce fortunate events independent of reasoning. Its letter Thau signifies absolute balance; the book expressly distinguishes its symbolism from its practical interpretations.
8. The Four Suits in Practice
Wands or Bastos, 22–35, include country-dwelling people, news, departures, conferences, delays, wealth, associations, and births. Their meanings must be read individually: 26 is Treachery or Obstacles, 31 is Gold and Opulence or Lawsuits, and 35 is Decline or Birth. The suit does not supply a single favourable or unfavourable verdict.
Cups or Copas, 36–49, include fair-haired people, arrivals, thought, memory, inheritance, affection, success, and law. Number 41 is Victory or Sincerity; 47 is Success in Business or Business Underway; 48 is Passionate Love or Desires. Number 49, the Ace, includes both Justice and the Table, with meals and legal matters clarified by its neighbours.
Swords or Espadas, 50–63, include legal and military figures, espionage, mourning, gossip, journeys, friendship, and extremes. Their range includes favourable meanings: 57 offers Hopes or Good Advice, 60 reversed gives Economy and Order, and 62 upright signifies Friendship. The book does not make every Sword uniformly adverse.
Coins or Oros, 64–77, include dark-haired people, profit, the home, money, the present, gifts, documents, and happiness. Number 71 concerns Money or Fear; 72 concerns the Present or Ambition; 74 concerns Gifts or Closure; and 77 culminates in Happiness, Power, Fortune, and Wealth.
9. The Most Fortunate Cards Named by the Book
Number 77, the Ace of Coins, receives exceptional praise. Upright, Happiness and Power signify complete joy, contentment, rejoicing, and well-being. Reversed, Fortune and Wealth signify capital, treasure, income, and extraordinary abundance. The commentary calls it the most favourable card and says it modifies the bad meanings around it.
The book relates that Egyptians stopped consulting the oracle when 77 appeared. It also assigns the reversed card a rightful share in an important discovery. Its image shows dancers before the Apis bull, accompanied by signs interpreted as day, light, God, justice, life, strength, and writing.
Number 20 receives a parallel superlative as the most beneficial of the 78 cards. Rather than forcing these statements into a single exclusive ranking, the book’s language supports recognising both 20 and 77 as outstandingly fortunate. Together they signify total success; 77 with 13 and near 20 indicates a marriage happy in many respects.
Other strongly favourable cards include 1, especially first in the reading; 5, especially upright; and 7, unless hemmed in by adverse cards. Among the suits, 32 promises good company and prosperity, 41 victory and sincerity, and 47 successful outcomes. Their stated conditions and neighbouring influences remain important.
10. How Neighbouring Cards Modify Meaning
Combination is central to Moorne’s method. A card may indicate an event, another a person, another a location, and another the timing or result. Number 38 means Arrival, but surrounding cards identify what arrives. Number 68 identifies the House as the setting. Number 43 represents Thought or Projects, whose subject must be found nearby.
The book gives a clear example using 64, 13, and 37: a dark-haired man, a union, and a blonde woman form the statement of a marriage. Adding 69 makes the event occur quickly. Similarly, 40 reversed announces setbacks, while nearby 69 makes their arrival imminent.
Combinations may redirect an apparent omen. With 2 and 21, the book describes a friend’s betrayal; a following 77 prevents it and turns it against the betrayer, while 63 confirms its occurrence. Number 28 promises a pleasant country outing near Cups but boredom or annoyance near Coins. Reversed 36 receives a favourable outcome from nearby 7, 32, 41, 47, or 77.
These are specific rules, not a mechanical instruction to average good and bad cards. Number 19 expressly resists improvement, while the entries for 20 and 77 describe broad ameliorating powers. Number 27 generally announces delay except beside 20 or 77, although the entry for 20 also describes delayed success with 27. A faithful reading retains the wording and context of each entry.
11. Hieroglyphs, Sacred Letters, and Symbolism
The deck’s symbolic structure connects everyday concerns to a larger spiritual account of creation. Number 1 represents primordial Chaos and the creative principle. Numbers 2–8 follow the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest. Sacred letters add character traits and moral themes: Aleph accompanies self-control and intelligence, Beth thought and ambition, and Thau absolute balance.
Hieroglyphic scenes supply another interpretive layer. Number 9 depicts justice surrounding human conduct; 13 depicts union and priestly marriage instruction; 17 depicts the mummy and embalming; 19 depicts an altar struck by lightning. In the suits, scenes of speaking, travelling, mourning, giving, and writing reinforce practical meanings.
The symbolic figures extend beyond Egyptian names. Wands include Memnon, Egeria, Odin, Morpheus, and Moses. Cups include the Seven Sages of Greece. Swords include the Gorgons, Furies, and historical rulers. Coins include biblical genealogical figures, Joseph, and Zoroaster. The book uses them to explain virtues, passions, forces, and spiritual influences.
A recurring teaching is the interdependence of creation and destruction, light and darkness, good and evil. Yet symbolism is not interchangeable with divinatory meaning: 70 and 78 explicitly separate these layers. The most faithful approach is therefore to read each card’s title, orientation, commentary, combinations, and symbolism together—without allowing any one layer to erase the others.
Every card in the deck, from the original book
Below are all 78 cards as printed in Dr. Moorne's El supremo arte de echar las cartas, in the book's own numbering (1 to 78, following Etteilla). Each entry gives the card's names, its upright and reversed meanings, the book's commentary, how it changes next to other cards, and its symbolism, translated into English from the original Spanish.
The Major Arcana (cards 1–21 and 78)
No. 1
NUMERO 1
Also called: King Thoth · The Genius · Chaos · Confusion · The Uncreated
UprightKing Thoth, Etteilla - Virtue, goodness, prudence, modesty, the idea, the immaterial, the spirit.
ReversedThe Querent - The Genius - Wisdom, knowing how to act, superiority, genius and talent, imagination, inventive quality, quality of observation and research, etc.
This card represents at once chaos, the great Etteilla, King Thoth, the genius, and the querent. It is a card of very good omen, choice. If the querent is fortunate enough to have this card come out first, whether upright or reversed, he will receive the protection of the Creator of the World and will be able to count on great prosperity. The hieroglyph occupying the intermediate space between the first letter of the sacred alphabet, "Aleph" (upright or reversed), represents the earliest dawns of human intelligence—that is to say, the moment when man begins to realize the creation of the world and that it came forth from chaos, from nothingness, through the omnipotent power of a being superior to man. The sacred letters foretell for the querent, upright: self-control, austerity, astuteness. Reversed, they reproach him for his greed, his attachment to self-interest, and his lack of charity toward his fellow man. King Thoth was the god of sciences and arts among the Egyptians, so if the querent should be an artist, it augurs good successes, unless an unfavorable card announces that he will not be able to realize those successes due to causes external to the querent. This card, furthermore, represents chaos, confusion, or rather, what the entire universe was before the creation of the worlds, just as the subsequent cards, up to number 8 inclusive, represent the six days of creation and the rest taken by the Supreme Maker of the universe on the seventh day. The cartomancer must, therefore, keep in mind that just as the Supreme Artificer of creation succeeded in extracting the world in which we live and the planetary worlds we contemplate from the inertia of matter, so too can the querent do the same with the small society that surrounds him, which he will achieve depending on whether the cards surrounding number 1 are favorable or adverse.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 77: When it is next to Number 77 (Ace of Coins), it announces Wisdom and Genius to the querent.
SymbolismKing Thoth: It is the beginning and end of all things, of all sciences, and of all arts. It is likewise the incomprehensible and powerful Genius of creation, the Supreme principle of Good, and in a word, the All that produced worlds and beings in space when only Nothingness and Chaos existed. Human intelligence is far too limited to comprehend the immense greatness of this powerful principle. Everything in creation is filled with his Sovereign Spirit, being at once Cause and Effect of all things. For him, neither time, space, nor measure exists, and he is, in short, the eternal and infinite Principle that animates and orders all things with his powerful influence. Reversed: The querent or The Genius—that is to say, the celestial light of thought and reason that guides the querent throughout his entire life.
No. 2
NUMERO 2
Also called: Osiris · Glory · Celestial Fire · First Day of Creation · The Dawn
UprightOsiris, Glory - Clarity of concept, intellectual light, analysis, lucidity, clear mind, an eye for grasping the whole of things, splendor, high-mindedness.
ReversedFire, Anger - Caloric heat, fire/conflagration, lightning, burning passion, enthusiasm, moral ardor, physical ardor, eagerness to argue, overflowing anger, inflamed spirit.
Number 2 is also a rather favorable card for the querent when it appears upright. It indicates that they are a clear, lucid spirit of great generosity, possessing special aptitudes for unraveling obscure, entangled, or difficult affairs. When it appears reversed, it foretells dissension, discord, fits of anger, vexations, and sadness. The letter Beth, next in the sacred alphabet, represents thought, science, ambition, and—when reversed—envy, from which the querent's moral qualities may be deduced. Regarding the hieroglyph, it represents the sun and fire, showing the querent's fiery temperament and consequently their great initiative and power of action. In summary: The querent aspires to glory and advances toward it with all their natural impulsiveness if upright; if reversed, they may achieve their goal, but not without great grief and afflictions. Furthermore, this card represents the first day of creation, on which—as we all know—God created light, separating it from darkness after having unraveled chaos.
Combinations with other cards (6)
- Next to 75 (Three of Coins) or 72 reversed (Six of Coins): Predicts glory, honors, rewards.
- Next to 13 upright: Impending marriage.
- Next to 35 reversed (Ace of Wands): Increase of the family.
- Next to 28 reversed: Discord, anger.
- Next to 21: Announces the betrayal of a friend, which the querent might be able to prevent, but not without serious difficulties; if it is followed by 77 (Ace of Coins), the betrayal will not only take no effect, but will turn against the traitor.
- Next to 63 (Ace of Swords): The betrayal will inevitably come to pass.
SymbolismUpright: Osiris or Glory - Origin and cause of all light, and consequently, creator of all celestial luminaries known as suns, stars, and planets. Reversed: Fire, Anger - The sacred fire or celestial anger represents the destructive Principle borne within all the elements constituting created Matter. This symbol represents the eternal struggle of the elemental forces of Nature—clearly expressed in the Book of Saint Cyprian—or what amounts to the same: that which creates beside that which destroys, life beside death, joy against sorrow; in short, the ancients' "post nubila phoebus."
No. 3
NUMERO 3
Also called: Fidelity · Isis or The Moon · Second Day of Creation · The Dawn
UprightBeneficent Genius - Fidelity - Bad purposes, wickedness, malevolence, ill intentions, diatribes, false insinuations, indiscretions, calumnies.
ReversedIsis or The Moon - Evil Genius - Water, humidity, torrential rains, sea, floods, rivers, lakes, torrents, swamps, lagoons, ponds, pools.
This card has diverse meanings and is, consequently, of very difficult and delicate interpretation. Indeed, there are occasions when it predicts happiness and success in business when it appears upright, just as there are occasions when it causes fear of betrayals and deceptions, slander, calumny, and failure, when it appears reversed. The true, accurate meaning depends, then, on the proximity of other cards that will be called upon to clarify the oracle. The letter seen on this Card, that is Ghimel, the third of the sacred alphabet, indicates the moral and material character of the consultant, who is, in addition to being loving, tender, and self-sacrificing, very fond of pleasures. When the Card comes out reversed, it reveals lust in the consultant. From what the Egyptian hieroglyph represents, it reveals a person absorbed in many conflicting thoughts, attempting to find what rule of conduct should be followed in order not to drag out a vegetative life, like that of plants (indicated to the right of the hieroglyph, as well as at the bottom of the card). This card represents the second day of Creation, during which God made the firmament and separated the waters that were under it.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 28: Forebodes discords.
- Next to 40 reversed (Ten of Cups): One must fear sorrows, especially if the consultant is a young man.
- Next to 39 (Jack of Cups): Allows one to hope for an inheritance and, as a consequence of it, a marriage.
- Next to 62 (Two of Swords) reversed: Promises a faithful friendship, but if Number 62 comes out Upright, one must fear setbacks and displeasures.
SymbolismUpright: Fidelity, Beneficent Genius - It is the faithful and benevolent helper of man in all his troubles and tribulations, and the Germinating Principle of all things: plants, trees, fruits, flowers, animals, insects, and everything that nature incessantly produces and reproduces. Reversed: Isis or The Moon, Evil Genius - Isis is the emblem of pure and chaste love, and of the happiness that emanates from it, whose pale yet resplendent light enraptures our spirit, inviting it to reverie and meditation. The Evil Genius is the antithesis of what the divinity Isis represents, being the cause of why complete and lasting happiness does not exist in this world.
No. 4
THE SKY, STRIPPING - AIR, INTELLIGENCE
EL CIELO, DESPOJO - AIRE, INTELIGENCIA - NUMERO 4 -
Also called: The Stripping · Intelligence · Third Day of Creation · Loftiness
UprightUpright: - The Sky, Stripping - Appropriation of something material or immaterial belonging to the consultant, choice, discernment, unravelling, despoliation, theft of any kind.
ReversedReversed: Air - Intelligence - Atmospheric phenomena, volatiles, gases, appearance, tone, manner of being, false appearances, hypocrisy, tune, sound, purpose without consistency, daze, fleeting passions.
The meaning of this card is no less difficult and subject to contingencies. It appears that the Egyptians considered it inauspicious. Above all, they saw ill fortune in the sky, particularly regarding wealth. Modern commentators see in this card only an emblem of clarity of intelligence and an aptitude for proceeding directly toward fortune. Even when this card appears reversed, it always seems to them a favorable omen, since it indicates wisdom, intelligence, and perspicacity in the consultant—qualities that, as will be seen, are confirmed by the fourth letter of the sacred alphabet. This letter, called "Daleth," independently foretells these three qualities: Wisdom, Power, and Pride. The hieroglyph represents human strength embattled by the elements of heaven and earth, counseling that man must always remain watchful of the contingencies that the present and the future may bring him. Regarding the word "stripping" that serves as this card's title, in the upright position it refers not only to a material deprivation of property or interests, but also of ideas, against which the consultant must stay vigilant. This card represents the third day of creation. During it, He gathered the waters covering the surface of the earth and caused dry land to appear, naming the dry part earth and the gathered waters the sea, subsequently bringing forth grass and fruit-bearing trees from the former.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 20 or 70: Near 20 (Wheel of Fortune) or Number 70 (Dark-haired woman), it warns that the consultant must stay on guard—that is, prepared for whatever might happen.
SymbolismUpright: - Stripping - It is the emblem of that which is monstrous, of everything stripped of intellectual enlightenment and of all kinds of moral faculties—gifts that produce reason in man and instinct in animals. In short, it is the generating principle of dementia or idiocy. Reversed: - Air or Intelligence - The genius of Intelligence rules and governs all that exists in creation, and its life-giving breath or air generates the laws of movement and activity, constantly sustaining the organism of every living being.
No. 5
NUMERO 5
Also called: Happiness · Misery · Fourth Day of Creation · The Stars
UprightUpright: Journeys, Happiness - Change of residence, relocation or abandonment of a place, running around, carrying out errands or commissions, emigrations, apparent flight.
ReversedReversed: Earth - Misery - Everything related to the Earth, material substance, rural property, cultivation of any kind, placidity, constancy, immobility, valleys, riverbanks, and coasts.
The meaning of this Card is extremely favorable even when it is found in proximity to other cards of baneful meaning, and very particularly when it appears upright. The letter He, fifth of the sacred alphabet, announces to the consultant a somewhat illusory temperament, slightly mystical, a reserved character, and a large dose of apathy and laziness. Even when this Card appears reversed, misery should not be feared if the nearby cards are favorable. The hieroglyph does nothing more than confirm all that has been said and foretell a journey. This Card represents the Fourth Day of creation. During it, God created lights in the firmament to separate the day from the night and to serve as signs for the seasons, days, and years.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 77 (Ace of Coins): Announces to them an ineffable, grandiose joy that will not be clouded by troubles or grief, even of a passing nature.
- Next to 9 (Justice), 36 (King of Cups), and 58 (Six of Swords): Predicts the winning of an entangled and very long lawsuit, or an important legal proceeding in which the consultant plays one of the principal roles, or that they expect from it in a more or less short timeframe (according to the neighboring cards) a good sum of money; but if this Card appears reversed, the consultant must prepare to suffer serious complications in said proceeding or litigation, together with sorrows that will seem all the more acute given that later they will have to recognize that it is for having neglected their affairs, or for having neglected their affairs or having disregarded prudent advice, that they experience such adversities.
- Next to 77 (Ace of Coins), 16 (Lawsuit won): The Five reversed need not fear misery if 77 (Ace of Coins), 16 (Lawsuit won) is nearby.
- Next to 13 (Wedding or union) reversed: The oracle announces that a frustrated wedding will be the cause of their ruin.
SymbolismUpright: Happiness - A fickle and inconstant spirit who, after showing us the pinnacle upon which that happiness rests, only lets us taste it in small doses. Happiness is, therefore, like the horizon: the closer we think we are to it, the further and further away it moves from us. Reversed: The Earth or Misery - It is the emblem of the smallness of our earthly life, as well as of the body that encloses our soul. Hence the patience with which man must endure the miseries and setbacks inherent to human nature.
No. 6
THE NIGHT, THE DAY
LA NOCHE, EL DIA - NUMERO 6 -
Also called: The Night · The Firmament · Fifth Day of Creation · Man
UprightUpright: The Night, Beatitude - Shadows, mysteries, veils, enigmatic, mystical, parabolic, or allegorical meaning of a thing or of a writing, base and hidden intentions, darkness, crooked paths, blindness, lack of intelligence.
ReversedReversed: The Day, The Firmament - Light, radiance, clarity, manifestations, clarification, edition, promulgations, disclosure, public rejoicings, illuminations.
It falls to the sagacity and perspicacity of the cartomancer to unravel in a concrete manner the somewhat difficult and mysterious meanings of this card. Upright, it foretells dark intrigues of which the querent will be the victim, and which will succeed or fail depending on the proximity of favorable or unfavorable cards. It also announces mystical feelings, while at the same time revealing the querent's good moral qualities. When it appears Reversed, it predicts that the affairs in which the querent was entangled will finally be cleared up, and that this will happen all the sooner the more favorable the nearby cards are. If an elderly person consults the oracle, it promises the prolongation of their existence; and if young, that the stars promise them the realization of a long-planned marriage. The hieroglyph in this case does nothing other than confirm the beneficial influence of the stars for the querent, and with regard to the letter "Vau", the sixth of the sacred alphabet, it reveals in the querent passion of soul, desires and aspirations for freedom, and a fondness for the pleasures of the table. This card represents the fifth day of Creation. During it, God created the fish and all that moves, stirs, and lives in the depths of the waters, and every species of bird that flies through the air.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 21 (Tyranny): Announces to the querent that someone hates them in the shadows.
- Next to 26 (Treachery): Foretells betrayal.
SymbolismUpright: The Night - It is the antagonism of the day, with which it constantly struggles and of which it is, nevertheless, a continuum. It is the infinite circle that lacks end and measure. Ever since the world began, Night is born by destroying the light of Day, just as the latter arrives by destroying the shadows of the night. It is, symbolically speaking, one of the eternal struggles that nature maintains with the very elements to which she gives life. Reversed: The Day - It is the antithesis or antagonism of night, the existence of one thing not being possible without the other. If there were no Night, Day could not exist, just as beauty could not be appreciated if ugliness did not exist.
No. 7
SUPPORT - PROTECTION
APOYO - PROTECCION - NUMERO 7 -
Also called: Support · Protection · Sixth Day of Creation · The Birds and the Fishes
UprightUpright - Support, The Dawn - Base, pedestal, foundation, court, certainty, confidence, cooperation, union, partnership, help.
ReversedReversed - Protection, Good Success - Relief and all varieties of it, moral assistance, material assistance, timely relief, effective protection, selfless protection, affectionate charity.
This card is extremely favorable for the querent unless it is surrounded on its 4 sides by unfavorable cards. If the querent is a married person, the oracle announces that their spouse is absolutely faithful, and if the person consulting is an unmarried young woman, Number 7 predicts a very advantageous marriage for her. This card is no less favorable when it appears reversed, as it forecasts equal success in business as in the hopes the querent has previously conceived. That success may also be provided by persons fond of the querent, whose class or category can be deduced by the proximity of other cards. As for what the hieroglyph represents, it merely confirms the meaning of the card, and regarding the letter "Zain", the seventh of the sacred alphabet, it foretells for the querent a triumph, an irresistible desire to conquer, feelings of royalty, and a choleric temperament. This card represents the sixth day of creation, during which all animal species were created, and as a corollary thereof, that of man.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 20: Next to 20: predicts a great fortune acquired, either by chance or through lawful business.
- Next to 22: Near 22: the querent will have support from a person who lives in the countryside.
- Next to 36: Near 36: the support will come from a fair-haired man.
SymbolismUpright - Support - It symbolizes the support that beings receive from certain spirits, through which they find the balance that is necessary to endure setbacks and fulfill the mission that corresponds to each in this life. Reversed - Protection - Protective and auxiliary genius of man that elevates and exalts his chosen ones, showering them with favors and material goods. At times, other malevolent geniuses prevent it from manifesting, but it always makes its influence felt, which translates into a relative peace of mind.
No. 8
NUMERO 8
Also called: Virtue · Gentleness · Seventh Day of Creation · Rest
UprightVirtue, Nature. Placidity, withdrawal from the world, immobility, contemplative life, taciturnity, retreat. The whole of Nature.
ReversedThe Female Consultant, Gentleness. Imitation, paradise, fermentation, exposure, passivity, kindness, attentiveness.
It is the Card that represents the Female Consultant. Despite this, it has its own meaning, which is entirely favorable. However, the ancient cartomancers, those who preceded "Etteilla", deceitfully altered, simply because it pleased them, the primitive and true meaning of this card. But the celebrated diviner definitively established its true sense. In the first place, as already indicated, it is the card that represents the female consultant. If this card does not appear among those drawn to cast the oracles and the reading is done for a woman, it is necessary to look for it among those that have been set aside and place it at the head of the first line. Its meaning is not bad, except when it is near ominous cards. Even when it comes out reversed, it is not on that account of ill omen. When it appears in the spread in this way, it announces that there are persons who have laid snares for the consultant. As for what the hieroglyph represents, it indicates that only virtue and prudence can carry the human being forward. Regarding the Letter "Heth", eighth of the sacred alphabet, it indicates that the consultant is animated by desires for justice, has sympathies and antipathies, and is fond of both promises and threats. This card represents the seventh day of creation, during which its Sovereign Author rested.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 14 (The Devil), 17 (Mortality), 18 (The Hermit): sorrows caused by a force superior to human power, death or deeply felt losses, betrayals, or slanders.
- Next to 13 (Wedding-Union) and 25 (Good News): signifies happy marriage and good news.
SymbolismUpright - Virtue - Besides being a gift that we receive from the Supreme Creator to counter the vices with which our material being is impregnated, it is a beneficent genius that urges man to act uprightly in all the acts of his life, producing in him a great elevation of soul. Reversed - The Female Consultant - or Gentleness - This Card reveals the existence of a beneficent genius that bestows upon those who know how to attract it a gift so great and so estimable that it causes them to captivate the people around them. Of these beings it is customary to say that they have grace or possess a special gift of attraction and charm.
No. 9
JUSTICE - DISSENSIONS
LA JUSTICIA - DISENCIONES - NUMERO 9 -
Also called: Justice · Dissension · The Incomparable · Fear · Sagacity
UprightJustice, Reason - Equity, higher reason, the Book of Thoth, the just, the good, sound morality, the reasonable.
ReversedDissensions, The Law - Jurist, legislation, edicts, decrees, ordinances, judgments, jurisprudence. Physical, moral, material, and natural laws.
This Card, marked with the Number 9, represents, both upright and reversed, justice or peace. However, there are certain particulars that must be kept in mind in order to deliver a sound oracle, both when it appears Upright and when it appears Reversed. In the first case, it announces events (whose nature and significance will be defined by the nearest cards) in accordance with equity, with justice, and even with the law. In the second case, that is, when it appears Reversed, it predicts lawsuits, proceedings, or litigation that could very well be decided against the consultant. All these clarifications—as we have already said and must repeat—should be sought in the cards accompanying the one that concerns us at this moment. As for the Hieroglyph, it represents a man holding the symbol of justice in his hand and contemplating another analogous symbol, which is equivalent to saying that no one should mock justice, since it surrounds us on every side. Regarding the letter "Teth", the ninth of the sacred alphabet, it indicates a mixture of prudence, sagacity, and fear.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 28: Near Number 28 (Eight of Wands): the forecasts are unfavorable, but even more so if Number 18 is near.
- Next to 16: Beside 16 (lawsuit won): predicts winning a lawsuit.
- Next to 14 or 50: Beside 14 (Force Majeure) or 50 (court official): predicts that the consultant should distrust the legal personnel surrounding them who feign to be their protectors.
SymbolismUpright: Justice or Peace - Upright, just genius that instills in its favorites laws and principles of sound morality and right conscience. It is the fertilizing germ of all progress, and the origin and preservation of every society. The laws that this Genius establishes are immutable like those of nature, and when men forget them, complicate them, or infringe upon them, fatality or destiny forcibly reclaims them. Reversed: The Jurist or Dissensions - This card represents the idea that wherever there is no order, dissensions are frequent. It is the antagonism of justice or peace.
No. 10
NUMERO 10
Also called: Temperance · The Priest · The Atmosphere · The Three Pyramids · Divine Mysteries
Upright- Health, Temperance - Continence, reserve, chastity, sobriety, peace in the home, compromise, conciliation, moderate atmosphere and climate.
Reversed- The Priest, The Fathers - Cleric, church, pastor, rabbi, monk; in a word, minister of any faith.
Number 10 represents not only physical temperance, on which health depends, but also, so to speak, moral temperance, which is equivalent to saying that the querent, whether man or woman, must take great care to uproot from their soul the tendency, very natural in them, to allow themselves to be carried away by the impulsive stirrings of their impetuous character, thereby avoiding not only present harm, but also that which might occur to them in the future from that cause. When it turns up Reversed, it announces the impending intervention of a priest (a person of whatever religion must be revealed by the proximity of other cards). The Hieroglyph represents a priest holding the symbolic staff of Egyptian priests, a small amphora, and an individual engaged in offering a prayer. Probably the priest was accused of intemperance, and he advises the person to ask the gods for the temperance needed to live uprightly. As for the letter "Yod," the tenth of the sacred alphabet, it signifies faith, instruction in the higher sciences, virility, and astuteness, this being one of the letters with which the name of God is formed.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 49: Near 49 (Ace of Cups): The oracle invites the querent to distrust the food served or sold to them.
- Next to 25: Next to 25 (upright, good news): Indicates that they will receive good news.
- Next to 17: Next to 17 (reversed, ruin): Indicates ruin due to lack of intemperance.
SymbolismUpright: - Health, Temperance - Preserving principle of existence, without which it would be impossible. It is also the Genius that inspires in living beings a methodical and orderly life. Reversed: - The Priest, The Father - Beneficent Genius, tasked with illuminating the intelligence of living beings while at the same time shaping their heart and feelings, in order to be able to accept the good and reject the evil.
No. 11
STRENGTH - THE SOVEREIGN
LA FUERZA - EL SOBERANO - NUMERO 11 -
Also called: Strength · The Sovereign · Hercules · Immensity · The Atom
Upright- Strength, Goodness - Physical strength, moral courage, bravery, greatness of soul, muscular power, material or moral authority, patience, good nature.
Reversed- The Sovereign, Misfortune - Head of power, in monarchy, empire or republic, despotism, arbitrariness, sovereignty, nation, head of armed forces, governor.
Very favorable are the omens offered by this Card when it appears Upright. Its presence in the spread, in this case, according to the great cartomancers, announces important victories. Which ones, of what kind are these victories? This is what neighboring cards clarify. This Card, despite being the symbol of physical strength, that is to say, bodily, is also the emblem of moral strength, or which is the same, that strength which provides us the means to correct, amend, and modify our perverse instincts and our bad inclinations. Great and of true importance are the modifications that the proximity of other Cards brings to this meaning. When this Card appears Reversed, it foretells distrust. There is no sovereignty other than that of our own effort or impulse, says the Hieroglyph, despite the protection of the one who carries the staff of command; and regarding the letter "Caph", eleventh of the sacred alphabet, it represents and indicates strength, work, the hand, and violence.
Combinations with other cards (5)
- Next to 13: (Wedding-Union): forced, compelled marriage.
- Next to 19: (catastrophe): inevitable catastrophe.
- Next to 41: (victory): sure victory.
- Next to 20 or 72: gives a foreboding of great prosperities.
- Next to Reversed next to 50 or 18: warns to distrust the protection of the great and not to rely on the powerful and the strong.
SymbolismUpright - Strength, Goodness - A genius gentle and strong at the same time, whose gifts are truly precious, for the man who possesses them is relatively happy. Reversed - The Sovereign or Misfortune - Representation of the Genius of tyranny and of the destructive principle for some and heaper of goods for others. It is the opposite of reason, and nevertheless, reason and tyranny are necessary so that the march of progress does not stagnate. It is something like the ebb and flow of the seas, without which balance would be impossible. Against the excess of tyranny, reason imposes itself, with which a step forward toward progress is advanced, and when reason succumbs out of weakness, tyranny comes to take its place. But the step taken on the path of progress is never lost. Ideas are like seed: they produce sooner or later, but they always produce.
No. 12
PRUDENCE - THE ROSTRUM
LA PRUDENCIA - LA TRIBUNA - NUMERO 12 -
Also called: Prudence · The People · Penelope · Sisyphus · Wisdom
UprightUpright - Prudence, Foresight - High wisdom, lofty views, foresight, intuition, prophecy, divination, everything related to prudence and foresight.
ReversedReversed - The Rostrum, The People - The collective body of citizens in a nation, the whole of a political body, society in general, the popular majority, the public voice.
It is above all if the consultant is involved in politics that this card takes on a serious and momentous importance. When it appears upright, it recommends prudence in every circumstance and to every consultant, whether man or woman, and whatever their age and social position may be. When this card appears reversed, it portends, or rather foretells, stormy discussions, quarrels. The hieroglyph implies the silence to which the person seen isolated in the foreground on the left has been reduced, perhaps for lack of prudence, and that after this trial, they will have to endure that of being buried alive. As for the letter "Lamed", the twelfth of the sacred alphabet, it represents patience, moral science, the ordeal, indolence.
Combinations with other cards (7)
- Next to 13: foretells a good marriage, if one is prudent.
- Next to 16 (lawsuit won): announces the winning of a lawsuit, if one is prudent.
- Next to 20 reversed: announces elevation to high office for a politician.
- Next to 27: delay in one's hopes.
- Next to 28 reversed: disputes or discussions.
- Next to Reversed near 19 reversed: it is to be feared, if a politician, that they will suffer an arrest in prison in the near future.
- Next to 73 reversed: advises the consultant, whoever they may be and whatever their age, to put order into their affairs, without which they will have to suffer grave consequences.
SymbolismUpright - Prudence or Moderation - The Genius of Prudence is the complement of reason and justice, without which life in society is not possible. Reversed - The Rostrum, The People - It is the symbol of the right that the people have to the reclaim of their rights, at times trampled by tyranny or violated by selfishness.
No. 13
WEDDING, UNION - FRUSTRATED WEDDING
BODA, UNION - BODA FRUSTRADA - NUMERO 13 -
Also called: The Great Patriarch · Disunion · Slavery · Hope · Renewal
UprightUpright: - Wedding or Union, Hope - Marriage, contract, alliance, vow, intimate union, concord.
ReversedReversed: - Frustrated Wedding, Passion of Love - Broken marriage, concubinage, adultery, clandestine relations, promiscuity, illicit loves.
According to Guillaume Postel and other Orientalists, this card played an extremely important role in cartomantic divination among the Egyptians, inasmuch as marriage was considered by that great people to be a divine and fundamental institution. The presence of this card thus invariably announces a marriage, whether for the querent themselves or for some member of their family. The querent will enter into the marriage if the card representing their person appears to the right of the one under consideration. It is necessary for this card to appear Upright for the marriage to take place without setbacks, and further clarification should be sought in the surrounding cards. When this card appears Reversed, it announces that the marriage or union that was to take place has been thwarted, making it advisable to clarify the causes of that rupture through the adjacent cards. The hieroglyph represents the bond of union and the priests reading the maxims concerning marriage. The letter "Mem", the thirteenth of the sacred alphabet, signifies hope, love, destruction.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 35 Reversed: Foretells children.
- Next to 27: Signifies a cooling of relations, which will consequently endanger the realization of the marriage.
- Next to 57 (Hopes): Indicates the reunion of a married couple or lovers who were separated.
- Next to 14: Advises that the querent must mistrust a person who surrounds them.
SymbolismUpright - The Great Patriarch, Wedding, Union - The great patriarch represents the Beneficent Genius who inspires the sexual union of beings for their perpetuation and for the preservation of the family, the foundation and support of civilized societies. Reversed - Disunion, Frustrated Wedding - Malefic Genius antagonistic to the former, being the one that produces disharmony among beings and an imbalance in the forces of nature, whence proceed sterility, barrenness, and the lack of concordance and harmony that should exist in creation.
No. 14
MAJOR FORCE, MINOR FORCE
FUERZA MAYOR, FUERZA MENOR - NUMERO 14 -
Also called: The Genius of Evil · Minor Force · The Spirit · The Revelation · Supreme Magic
UprightMajor Force, The Spirit of Evil - Powerful and irresistible force, superior power, whether physical, intellectual, or moral, genius, violence, inevitable event.
ReversedMinor Force, Pain - Physical, intellectual, or moral weakness, debilitation, self-abandonment, absolute indifference, sin, fault, sacrilege.
However optimistic the cartomancer may wish to be, Card Number 14 cannot be regarded as anything other than a truly baneful card. Indeed, both Upright and Reversed, this card indicates that whether by the influence of a major force or by that of a minor force, the consultant must expect unpleasant events in their life, from the moment evil spirits interfere in their affairs. With this Card, the cartomancer must pay special attention to faithfully fulfill their arduous task, taking in with a keen eye all the cards surrounding it, by means of which its baneful meaning may be modified. The Hieroglyph represents the devil inviting the spirits under his command to advance upon the light, upon life, which are the two ideological signs that appear on the right. The letter "Nun", fourteenth of the sacred alphabet, advises movement, temperance, a change of atmosphere.
Combinations with other cards (7)
- Next to 17: foretells illness.
- Next to 18 or 26: Terrible betrayal carried out with an implacable spirit.
- Next to 12: advises renouncing a hopeless love.
- Next to 19: foretells complete catastrophe.
- Next to 19 (reversed): imprisonment.
- Next to 27: announces that the consultant is an object of ridicule.
- Next to 24: indicates eventual dangers resulting from a long-lasting journey.
SymbolismUpright - The Devil, Major Force - This Card symbolizes the Genius of Evil, the Destructive Principle, which lives in constant struggle with the Creator Principle, represented by Card Number 1. Its malefic influence produces all kinds of disagreements, crimes, wars, plagues, suicides, etc. It is the antagonistic element of Good and converges with it in the marvelous work of nature, in which it serves as its complement and aid. These two Principles are so intimately linked together that one could not subsist without the other. For the existence of good it is absolutely necessary that evil exist, both to serve as a comparison and to provide it with the materials for its beneficent work. That is why we say that the Genius of Evil concurs with that of Good in completing the work of Creation, in which they are, so to speak, the Whole, being furthermore the origin of the Sacred Kabbalah or Supreme Science of nature. Indeed, Good Creating and Evil Destroying produce the constant renewal of matter and develop life, animation, and Progress. The existence of these two Forces or Principles is contained in the following motto: To Create it is necessary to Destroy, and to Destroy it is necessary to Create. And this definition is so exact that there is not the most insignificant molecule that is not subject to these laws. To carry out the work of Creation it was necessary to Destroy Chaos, Nothingness, and to create Nothingness it would be necessary to destroy Creation once again. Reversed - Minor Force - Just as the symbol of this Card, upright, represents the Spirit of Evil, an irresistible and destructive spirit, Reversed, without ceasing to represent that same spirit, it symbolizes something that man can resist through his firm will and his clear intelligence. It is a danger that threatens to destroy us, but which we can avoid by ridding ourselves of the base passions that seek to subjugate us.
No. 15
MELANCHOLY - INDISPOSITION
MELANCOLIA - INDISPOSICION - NUMERO 15 -
Also called: Melancholy · Improvidence · Sadness · The Oracle of Thebes · Fatality
UprightUpright - Melancholy, The False Diviner - Severe physical or moral health disorders, sadness, jaundice, moral suffering, losses.
ReversedReversed - Indisposition, Anxiety - Mild physical illness, discomfort, malaise, situational difficulties, hindrances, anxieties, distress, fatigue, predicaments.
Number 15, with which we are about to deal, is also of rather bad omen. The False Diviner, which occupies the main body of the Card, that is, the part corresponding to the Etteilla deck, announces to the consultant a derangement of their spirit, or, to put it more clearly, indicates that they are deceiving themselves, both in their purposes and in their strength. We believe it needless to say that such omens increase in gravity if Numbers 1 and 8 appear beside it, which represent the male and female consultant. Even though the principal masters of cartomancy assure that this Card may very well announce nothing more than mental disorders or melancholies that may be passing, its meaning increases in gravity if one takes into account that of the Hieroglyph and that of the letter "Samech" of the sacred alphabet, the one with the worst meaning among all its fellows. It is, therefore, the nearby cards that must clarify whether it is merely a matter of passing bewilderments or lightheadedness, or if it refers to intellectual disorders that are already deep-seated, and consequently permanent. This Card Reversed frequently announces that the consultant does not or will not make a good marriage. The Hieroglyph predicts indispositions of the spirit and of matter, and the letter "Samech", fifteenth of the sacred alphabet, indicates fatality, which can only be overcome through intelligence and an orderly life full of abnegation. The figure in the center of the letter represents the spirit of evil, according to the occult sciences.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 8 or 1: Indicates that the consultant is of an indolent, apathetic character and, consequently, is liable to be unable to break the fatality of their destiny.
SymbolismUpright - Sickness or Melancholy - This card, represented by the False Diviner, has the same meaning as Number 14 Reversed. As represented, a Malevolent Genius exerts its influence over the illnesses that afflict man. Reversed - Indisposition, Improvidence - These are the effects felt by the human being, as a natural consequence of the influence exerted upon them by the spirit of evil represented by this Card Upright, that is to say, by means of perverse persons who have aroused appetites and awakened passions.
No. 16
LAWSUIT WON, LAWSUIT LOST
PLEITO GANADO, PLEITO PERDIDO - NUMERO 16 -
Also called: The Final Judgment · Lawsuit Lost · Eternity · The Fear of God · The Divine Genius
UprightLawsuit Won, Final Judgment - Clear and sensible judgment, understanding of just and reasonable things, point of view, opinion, clear mind, argumentation, examination, dialectics, logic.
ReversedLawsuit Lost, Idiocy - Formulated solution to a question, decision, decree, arbitral ruling, adverse sentence, defect of judgment, of reasoning, or of spirit, imbecility.
Notwithstanding the apparent connections this card has with eternity and with the Final Judgment which, according to the sacred scriptures, will take place after the end of this world in which we live, in cartomancy it has an essentially temporal meaning, since it almost always represents litigious affairs. Judging by the representation of the Hieroglyph, this Card has two distinct meanings, namely: in the first—represented by the hieroglyph appearing in the upper part—it concerns trials and lawsuits in which a legal professional (solicitor or lawyer) intervenes, whereas in the second—appearing below—it concerns corporal punishments. Having already indicated the meaning of the Hieroglyph, we shall only state that the letter "Ayin", the sixteenth of the sacred alphabet, indicates fear of God, superstition, and fall or degeneration.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 17: Foreeannounces endless entanglements concerning an inheritance.
- Next to 27: Delay of a lawsuit.
- Next to Reversed near 27 Reversed: It is probable that the querent will be the victim of terrible injustices.
SymbolismUpright - Final Judgment, Lawsuit Won - Symbolizes the Genius that influences the spirit of beings to urge them to shed earthly impurities and elevate themselves through their virtues, in which case they will emerge triumphant in the struggle for life. Reversed - Lawsuit Lost - This Card represents the evil influence exerted upon beings by malevolent spirits, and, consequently, that it is impossible for them to free themselves from the vices and passions that subjugate them.
No. 17
MORTALITY - RUIN
MORTALIDAD - RUINA - NUMERO 17 -
Also called: Mortality · Ruin and Destruction · Nature · Obedience · Memory
UprightUpright - Mortality, Loss - Natural, accidental death, suicide, murder, poisoning, martyrdom, decomposition of the body, sudden death.
ReversedReversed - Ruin - Destruction - Nothingness, sleep, syncope, paralysis, catalepsy, lethargy, anesthesia, somnambulism, loss of will and action.
There is no reason to hide that this is also an ominous card, or at least very detestable for several reasons. Among all these, we will say that in the first place, it imparts a bad meaning to all the other cards it approaches. For this reason, good cartomancers frequently remove it from the line in which it appears, when its contradictory or obscure predictions confound the logic of the prophecies. Nevertheless, its presence in the spread provides the querent, in certain cases, with healthy advice and excellent warnings, always in relation to the proximity of other cards. All this means that it is the cartomancer who must proceed with parsimony and circumspection when trying to decipher the meaning of this card, whether on its own or considering the modifications brought to it by the nearest card. The hieroglyph represents death in its entirety, by means of the mummy seen on the left and the corpse undergoing embalming on the right. The letter 'Pe', seventeenth of the sacred alphabet, represents immortality, that which comes after death, imagination, beauty, and wisdom.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 3 (Reversed): Predicts that the querent must refrain from traveling by sea.
- Next to 2 (Reversed): Advises to avoid contact with animals prone to hydrophobia (rabies).
SymbolismUpright - Mortality - Loss - It is the symbol of death, which is an evil spirit watching over every moment of life. It is the worst that can happen to living beings, that is, death with all its horrors, destruction, plague, war, etc. Reversed - Ruin - Destruction - The meaning of this card is almost identical to that of the upright, and it is the worst omen of them all.
No. 18
THE HERMIT - FELONY
EL HEREMITA - FELONIA - NUMERO 18 -
Also called: The Hermit · The False Devotee · The Knowable · Transformation · Fanaticism
UprightUpright - The Hermit, Imposture - Treacherous man, liar, impostor, slanderer, deceitful, perfidious, fanatic, false, accomplice, breach of trust.
ReversedReversed - Felony, The False Devotee - Cenobite, solitary, dissembling, diplomatic, corrupted individual, perverse man.
This card is another of the cards of ill omen for the querent, who, unless favored by other favorable cards, will find themselves exposed to destitution, or to slander and the ambushes of cunning and hypocrisy. It is truly a card of bad omen, whether it turns up reversed or upright. The hieroglyph is constituted by a maxim very common in magic: "If you wish to live peacefully, cast out from yourself the spirit of evil," represented in this case by the bird meaning the evil spirit and by a priest conjuring it. The letter "Isade", the eighteenth of the sacred alphabet, indicates the visible world and its reflections and common errors.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 24 Reversed: announces anger, troubles with the family.
- Next to 21: the querent must fear unjust persecutions from a very powerful superior.
- Next to 14: indicates an influence so malignant, so pernicious, so inevitable, that it cannot be warded off by anything or anyone.
SymbolismUpright - The Hermit or Traitor - Deceitful, depraved, and hypocritical spirit that influences men more or less directly, instilling evil in them under appearances of goodness. Reversed - Felony, False Devotee - Has the same meaning as upright.
No. 19
CATASTROPHE - PRISON
CATASTROFE - PRISION - NUMERO 19 -
Also called: The Catastrophe · The Prison · Thundering Jupiter · The Punishment · Humanity
UprightUpright - Catastrophe, Curse - Poverty, discomfort, destitution, troubles, sorrows, disasters, punishments, expiation, rigor of fate, misfortune.
ReversedReversed - Prison, Despotism - Arrest, confinement, captivity, deportation, oppression, tyrannies, servitude, slavery, forced submission.
It is the most ill-fated card among the 78 that make up the deck. Are not misery, imprisonment, and oppression under a tyranny that enslaves the soul and torments the body, torments and evils worse than death? The proximity of other cards, no matter how favorable they may be or how pleasant their meaning, does not improve in the slightest the terrible omen announced by this ominous oracle when it appears. No less explicit is the Hieroglyph, in which appears an altar destroyed by lightning, a circuit representing all the actions of force, which is what appears on the left. As for the letter "Caph", nineteenth of the sacred alphabet, since its meaning is religion, glory, and reason, the cartomancer may seek in it the analogy that best fits the main prediction and the modifications brought about by the remaining cards.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 62: Grave discord that disturbs and chills an old friendship.
- Next to 11 reversed: It is in consequence of a political crime.
SymbolismUpright - Catastrophe - This card symbolizes the triumph of the destructive spirit. It is nature itself partially destroying its work to create it anew, perhaps more perfect, because nature also aspires to perfection. Reversed - Prison - It is the human spirit chained to its vices and passions, and prisoner to the evil spirits by whom it has allowed itself to be subjugated.
No. 20
FORTUNE DIGNITY - ADVANCEMENT
FORTUNA DIGNIDAD - ENCUMBRAMIENTOS - NUMERO 20 -
Also called: Fortune · Advancement · Ceres - Zeus · Eternal Life · The Great Oracle
UprightUpright - Fortune, Dignity - Prosperity, opulence, profit, pleasant adventures, good fortune, success, gain, lucky person.
ReversedReversed - Advancement - Increase of pleasures - Increase and development of well-being, abundance, vegetation, production, the superfluous, elevation, improvement of situation.
This Card is the most beneficial of the 78 Cards, both Upright and Reversed. It is always a sign of success for the consultant in everything they undertake, of wealth, honors, promotions, improvement of situation, and salary increases. The results it offers us are very pleasing, but there is something more still, something more precious than fortune and wealth, and that something is nothing other than true bliss which, at the same time, the oracle foretells for them. This Card, then, not only has in itself the virtue of improving the meaning of other cards—that is, those that appear alongside it—but also that of diminishing the bad omens they might have announced. The Hieroglyph representing two winged genii, symbols of happiness and bliss, in the act of invoking Zeus, does nothing other than confirm what has been said. For its part, the letter "Resch", twentieth of the sacred alphabet, signifies eternal life, the generous virtue of the earth, the vegetative.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 77: total success.
- Next to 27: success that suffers a delay.
- Next to 26: one must fear a betrayal or an infidelity being attempted against them, but their lucky star will prevent it from taking place.
SymbolismUpright - Fortune, Dignity - It is the triumph that the spirits and genii of good grant to beings who have known either how to fight with advantage in life or how to work with ardency. The struggle and labor necessary for life and the progress of humanity. Reversed - Advancement - This Card has the same meaning as upright.
No. 21
TYRANNY - RECKLESSNESS
TIRANIA - TEMERIDAD - NUMERO 21 -
Also called: Tyranny · Recklessness · Despotism · Agramante · Matter
UprightUpright - Tyranny, Dissension - Plot, conspiracy, uproar, tumult, insurrection, civil war, battle, duel, audacity, pride, anger, vengeance.
ReversedReversed - Recklessness, Arrogance - Discussion, altercation, dispute, quarrel, noisy brawl, haughtiness, domineering character.
This is an unpleasant or, rather, troublesome and annoying card, as it foretells, if not in all cases serious quarrels, at least some of those disagreements that cannot fail to cause unease in the spirit and disturb the rest and tranquility of existence. The consultant must fear the breaking of the bonds that chain them to a person whom they truly love. Reversed, it indicates a certain bitterness of character, and the oracle invites them to amend their ways if they do not wish to live in the category of beings classified as impossible to live with in society. The hieroglyphic, for its part, confirms all that has been said, for the first ideographic sign represents estrangement and discard; the second, the breaking of bonds that seemed indissoluble; and the third, departure from what until then was faithful. The letter "Shin", the twenty-first and penultimate of the sacred alphabet, signifies the following: material life, the sensory, madness.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 68 (Reversed): one must distrust any risky or speculative operation.
- Next to 9 (Reversed): family troubles.
- Next to 32: warns that the consultant's prosperity depends solely on their unruly, quarrelsome character, which is the chief tyrant of the consultant's own personality.
SymbolismUpright - African Hatred - It is the spirit of evil hovering over human beings, conquering them so that they march against the promptings that other benevolent spirits might inspire in them. Reversed - Recklessness - The human being is reckless on occasion, but it is necessary that this recklessness subsists, for otherwise progress would not exist.
No. 78
LIGHTHEADEDNESS - INEPTITUDE
CABEZA LIGERA - INEPTITUD - NUMERO 78 -
Also called: Enthusiasm · Ecstasy · Hermes Trismegistus
UprightUpright - Lightheadedness, Enthusiasm - Madness, mental alienation, imbalance, rapture, delirium, blindness, frenzy, genius, imagination.
ReversedReversed - Ineptitude, Nothingness - Imbecility, incapacity, idiocy, nullity, uselessness, lack of sense, without initiative, foolishness, nonsense, clumsiness, silliness.
In whatever manner, in whatever form it presents itself in the reading, this Card indicates, not precisely madness in its strictest sense—that is, mental alienation—but rather imbalance, bewilderment, disorder; in a word, some action contrary to good sense and reason. Nevertheless, it is necessary to establish clearly the meanings and interpretations that may be assigned when it appears Upright and when it comes out Reversed. Upright, it seems to announce a madness, an imbalance that is nobler and refers only to an excess of genius or imagination. Reversed, it is madness bordering on idiocy. The Hieroglyph, confirming all that has been said, signifies an absolute lack of sense. The letter "Thau" is the twenty-second of the sacred alphabet and signifies absolute balance, the foundation of all bliss.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 56: Warns the querent that they are on the verge of committing an eccentricity, but that it depends on themselves and their judgment to avoid it.
- Next to 41: Warns that the querent would do very well to free themselves from the mad suggestions that hold their will completely constrained, and if it appears Nearby, it foretells that it is already too late to embark upon a path of balance and order.
- Next to Surrounded by Good Cards: Predicts more or less fortunate events, but these fortuitous successes will always be due to circumstances independent of all reasoning and all logic.
SymbolismUpright - Madness - Symbolizes the spirit of evil when it has taken refuge not in the heart, but in the brain of human beings. Reversed - Ecstasy - It is the product of the influence exerted by certain spirits over persons and over certain animals. The person who finds themselves in this state is aware of nothing that occurs around them. It is therefore the symbol of an abandonment of the volitional faculty and the onset of catalepsy. It is worth noting that this symbolism has nothing to do with the meaning and interpretations of the card. See entry "Egyptian System".
Wands / Bastos (cards 22–35)
No. 22
COUNTRYMAN - VIRTUOUS MAN
HOMBRE DE CAMPO - HOMBRE VIRTUOSO - NUMERO 22 -
Also called: King of Wands · Statue of Memnon Misraim · The Oracle · Arethusa
UprightUpright - Countryman, Probity - Honest bourgeois, hardworking, virtuous, agronomist, cultivator, peasant, conscientious probity, clear conscience, reserved, unpresuming.
ReversedReversed - Virtuous Man, Severity - Good and severe man, indulgent justice, tolerant austerity, uprightness, good sense, sanity, intellectual balance.
It is generally a favorable card, as it announces not only good news, but also a splendid succession (Inheritance), a good marriage, and very useful advice. At the same time, it represents a man who generally resides in the country, without this meaning that he is essentially an agriculturist or farmer. Even though its meaning may be somewhat abstruse, it is the cards adjacent to the one in question that will, by themselves, help the cartomancer form a sound oracle. Reversed, it announces that someone who wishes the querent well is preparing to give him good advice, which he must accept and follow without hesitation. That person should be sought among the neighboring cards. As for the Hieroglyph, it represents a man meditating in the countryside. This applies to the one appearing Upright, for the one appearing Reversed is the symbol of judging. In this sense, the querent must judge all his ideas carefully before turning them into deeds.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 66: well-paid and honorable employment.
- Next to 13: a marriage that may take place sooner or later, according to the neighboring Cards, and which will be very advantageous to the querent.
- Next to 29: foretells interviews, conferences, appointments.
- Next to 20: many moments that will fill his soul with joy.
SymbolismUpright - Memnon - Famous Egyptian statue, which every morning at sunrise produced plaintive groans resembling the notes of an organ. It is the symbol of harmony. Reversed - Misraim - Son of Ham, who taught him the terrible secrets of the Kabbalah. It is the symbol of magical initiation, without which its prodigies can never be exercised fruitfully.
No. 23
COUNTRY WOMAN - GOOD WOMAN
MUJER DE CAMPO - BUENA MUJER - NUMERO 23 -
Also called: Queen of Wands · The Nymph Egeria · Prescience · Grief · Prophecy
UprightUpright - Country Woman, Honesty - Peasant woman, good homemaker, industrious, honest, virtuous and simple, modest, dutiful, courteous, farsighted, economical.
ReversedReversed - Good Woman, Kindness - Affectionate, good, pleasant woman, ready to do favors, selfless, benefactress, virtuous, charitable.
In itself this Card is quite a good omen. When it turns up Upright, it predicts good harvests for the consultant, in the broadest sense of this word—that is to say, not only harvests of the fruits of the field, but profits of every kind, or to put it more clearly, it forecasts the rightful gathering of the fruits of any labor. Reversed it predicts that there are many obstacles encountered by a friend of the consultant in making a gift. Its meaning, somewhat abstract in this position, will be unveiled by the other cards. The meaning of the Hieroglyphs also confirms here all that has been said.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 34 (Two of Wands): Its meaning becomes baleful, in that it forecasts grief, if not displeasures and setbacks.
- Next to 47: Indicates that business will go well.
- Next to 13: That one will soon enter into relationships that honor advises keeping secret.
- Next to 18 or 19: Much struggle to overcome obstacles.
SymbolismUpright - The Nymph Egeria - Protective and beneficent genius whose mission was to guide human beings along the right path. Reversed - Prescience - A gift bestowed only by beneficent geniuses, when the Supreme Being permits it, upon those who have reached a certain degree of relative perfection.
No. 24
DEPARTURE, EVASION - DISUNION
PARTIDA, EVASION - DESUNION - NUMERO 24 -
Also called: Knight of Wands · The Witch of Endor · The Chimera · The Absence · The Honor
UprightUpright - Departure, Evasion - Change of residence, disappearance, absence, flight, desertion, emigration, relocation, abandonment of a place.
ReversedReversed - Disunion, Quarrel - Disagreement, rupture, division of parties, breach of continuity, fracture, rift, thwarted or canceled plans.
Number 24 is not very favorable, we might say. What is the cause? Simply that it signifies not only departure, travel, or evasion, but also an inevitable separation due to troublesome reasons—that is to say, reasons that are by no means futile—arising from misunderstanding, lack of agreement, disparity of character, faults or purposes, or dishonest deeds. Furthermore, the querent may fear that the journey announced by this card may not be a happy one, as it may be due to vexing causes, as will be seen in the surrounding cards. When it appears Reversed, the oracle warns of a separation of spouses or lovers. As for the Hieroglyph, the one that appears upright represents a man in an attitude of contemplating a journey to distant lands, that is, outside the jurisdiction in which he lived; and in the one seen reversed, when the card is upright, one can observe a man prepared to lodge a complaint.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 38 (reversed): indicates separation due to fraud or deception.
- Next to 56: the separation will be due to gossip.
- Next to 20: foretells a reversal of fortune.
- Next to 61 (with this card reversed): separation.
SymbolismUpright - The Witch of Endor - It is the emblem of the famous Pythoness consulted by Saul on the eve of the Battle of Gilboa, and the summoner of the shade of Samuel, a fact that demonstrates that for High Magic no obstacles exist. Reversed - The Chimera - It is the monster slain by Bellerophon, mounted upon the famous horse Pegasus, after which combat he married the daughter of the King of Lycia. It also symbolizes an evil spirit whose influences, acting upon our imagination, instill in us misgivings and distrust, making us believe things that do not exist.
No. 25
GOOD NEWS - BAD NEWS
BUENAS NUEVAS - MALAS NOTICIAS - NUMERO 25 -
Also called: Jack of Wands · Odin the Enchanter · The Prodigy · The Universe · Humility
UprightGood News, Good Foreigner - Gallant man, stranger, eccentric, generous, prodigious, splendid, marvelous.
ReversedBad News - Gossip - Unwelcome news, letter, dispatch, notice, rumor, anecdote, all under an unpleasant omen.
This Card announces the imminent arrival of news. Will it be Good or Bad? This is what the cards that are closest will be responsible for clarifying. When it appears Reversed, it predicts bad news. Finally, always Reversed, it indicates that a man will prevent the person who is interested in the querent from helping them. The Hieroglyphic that accompanies or serves as the base of this card is, we might say, virtually indecipherable, but from the ideographic writing that forms it, it is deduced that the querent will receive news from a mountainous country (first sign), written, inasmuch as the sign on the right is that of writings. As for the figure in the center, it represents a foreigner in Egypt.
Combinations with other cards (6)
- Next to 57: excellent news.
- Next to 13: announcements of a wedding.
- Next to 14: dreadful news.
- Next to 39 (Jack of Cups Upright): it predicts generosity, and if 39 is Reversed, that generosity will be very ill-employed.
- Next to 63 (Ace of Swords): it foretells children.
- Next to 42: it predicts secret loves that will last a long time and in which the querent will find a thousand satisfactions.
SymbolismUpright - Odin - The Enchanter - This card is the emblem of the great Odin, god of the Scandinavians, who turned stone into Valkyries and metamorphosed people at his whim. Reversed - The Prodigy - Genius of a neutral character who astonished human beings through the marvelous prodigies he performed. The Egyptians paid great worship to him, in order to keep him favorable so that he would help them in the critical junctures of life.
No. 26
TREACHERY - OBSTACLES
TRAICION - OBSTACULOS - NUMERO 26 -
Also called: Ten of Wands · Morpheus · Dreams · Thought · August
UprightUpright - Treachery, Perfidy - Imposture, slander, cunning, duplicity, perverse intention, falsehood, deceit, malice.
ReversedReversed - Obstacles, Difficulties - Opposition, obstacles, setback, disappointment, defection, imprisonment, castle or fortress.
This card announces setbacks even when it is close to other favorable cards of good omen. The true meaning of this Card is treachery. When it appears Reversed and the neighboring cards are of unfavorable meaning, the obstacles to be encountered will increase twofold. The hieroglyph that appears is the only thing that can, in this adverse case, console the querent, since that ideographic writing warns that man must "know the existence of the spirit of pettiness or evil in order to free himself from it."
Combinations with other cards (6)
- Next to 31 Reversed: announces not only difficulties, but setbacks and displeasures.
- Next to 37: treachery of a blonde woman.
- Next to 43: one is betrayed by one's thoughts.
- Next to 45 Reversed: by one's own relatives.
- Next to 15 Reversed: warns that one must take precautions, as one is threatened by an illness.
- Next to Reversed, beside 31 Reversed: loss of a lawsuit.
SymbolismUpright - Morpheus - God of sleep, to whom the ancients consecrated a special cult so that he would watch over their sleep, keeping away from it the phantasms and malevolent apparitions that frequently disturb human beings. Reversed - Dreams - Represents the warnings that gods give to human beings through dreams. Dreams have at all times been the subject of more or less accurate interpretations, according to the intelligence and power of the magician called upon to make that interpretation.
No. 27
DELAY OR TARDINESS - SETBACKS
TARDANZA O RETRASO - CONTRARIEDADES - NUMERO 27 -
Also called: 9 of Wands · The god Momus · Affliction · Calm · September
UprightUpright - Delay or Tardiness - Conflict, delay, postponement, return, suspension, expectancy, waiting, delay in any matter whatsoever.
ReversedReversed - Setbacks, Irregularity - Obstacles, difficulties, impediments, adversities, misfortune, calamity, mishaps, painful or difficult situation.
Masters of cartomancy say that this card is generally considered quite bad, inasmuch as it gives rise to obstacles or difficulties of every kind. In any case, it foretells delays or tardiness, except when it is found next to 77 or 20. It also foretells slowness in the querent's affairs, particularly regarding business. As for the hieroglyph, without being able to decipher it graphically, the ideographic signs mean: the first, starting from the left, absence of light; the second, month; the third, numbness; and the fourth, double day; from which can be deduced: lack of light, numbness, and delay of god.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 13: Next to 13: foretells that the planned union will suffer some delay.
SymbolismUpright - The god Momus - This card is dedicated to the god Momus, god of mockery, laughter, and good humor. He is the beneficent spirit of joy and the one who endows a being with contagious joy and the ineffable gift of friendliness. Reversed - Affliction - This card reversed is the bare antithesis of the previous upright meaning. Affliction is a malefic spirit that contributes to making the night darker and pain more cruel.
No. 28
COUNTRY OUTING - DISPUTES
PARTIDA DE CAMPO - DISPUTAS - NUMERO 28 -
Also called: Eight of Wands · The Garden of the Hesperides · The Fates · October
UprightUpright - Country Outing, Rejoicing - Rural pleasures, pastime, recreation, garden, park, villa, passage, country life, family celebration.
ReversedReversed - Internal Disputes, Rupture -
This card predicts an excursion or country picnic. The outing will be pleasant if this card is near a Cups card. But if this card is near cards of the suit of Coins, it may cause great boredom, perhaps an unbearable annoyance. When it appears reversed, it portends controversies and disputes of all kinds. The hieroglyph, confirming the preceding meanings, represents a man walking toward the countryside.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to Reversed and next to 43: predicts disputes.
- Next to 57: approaching reconciliation.
- Next to 76: foretells the receipt of bad documents.
- Next to 9 Reversed: Family troubles.
SymbolismUpright - The Garden of the Hesperides - In this garden, worship was given to the Mandrake, a plant of magical virtues that grew nourished by the remains of the executed, and which cured sterility and engendered love. Reversed - The Fates - This card is dedicated to the 3 underworld divinities called Fates, who were considered masters of men's lives. There were three, namely: Clotho, who presided over birth; Lachesis, who held the victim; and Atropos, who severed the thread of existence.
No. 29
CONFERENCES - INDECISION
CONFERENCIAS - INDECISION - NUMERO 29 -
Also called: Number 29 · Seven of Wands · Sabbath Day · Doubt · Reformation · Saturday
UprightUpright - Conferences, The Spoken Word - Verbal negotiations, friendly discussions, word or phrase, language, dialect, idiom, pronunciation, conference, chat.
ReversedReversed - Indecision, Doubt - Perplexity, immobility, lack of action, weak character, calm, peaceful, meek temperament.
This card lends itself to a great variety of interpretations, making it necessary for any cartomancer to pay full attention to it in order not to mistake the oracle's predictions. Its primary meaning is that of "conferences," and it is the duty of any self-respecting cartomancer to search among the nearest cards for the reasons behind them and the person with whom they must be held. This card also indicates that your plans will soon meet with good success and that a friend's lack of skill will have caused delays that, fortunately, have been overcome. Reversed, Number 29 advises the consultant to put an end to their irresolution and hesitations, as it is time to make a definitive decision on the matter that concerns them. The hieroglyphs do nothing more than confirm everything stated above, since the first represents the act of speaking, indecision, and indolence.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 37 and 48: indicates to a male consultant that he will hold a conference with a blonde woman regarding passionate love, and if 49 appears instead of 48, regarding legal matters.
- Next to 2 reversed: foretells a fire.
- Next to 22: he will be protected by a virtuous figure.
SymbolismUpright - Day of the Sabbath or Witches' Coven - It is the gathering that evil spirits surrounding man held in ancient times to reach agreements for the purpose of leading him astray. This custom is followed in less remote times by witches, goblins, and hobgoblins. Reversed - Doubt - It symbolizes the principle that generates the study of causes in the face of the unknowability of the effects that produce them.
No. 30
DOMESTIC - TRUST AND WAIT
DOMESTICO - CONFIAR Y ESPERAR - NUMERO 30 -
Also called: Six of Wands · The Caverns · The Mountains · The Assembly · Friday
UprightDomestic, Servitude - Servant, maid, slave, helpful man, commission agent, messenger, dispatch, notice.
ReversedTrust and Wait, Attention - Hope, trust, contemplation, apprehension, fear, biding time, trusting, careful, caution.
This card is dedicated, so to speak, especially to domestic servants or to everything related to domestic service. When the querent belongs to this profession, this card warns that they are about to lose not only the esteem, but also the trust of their masters; only when Card 42 Reversed appears beside or near it can they harbor the hope that everything will be settled. This card reversed warns that one will still have to wait a long time for what is desired. The ill omen of this card, when it appears reversed, is completely dispelled when card number 20 appears beside it. Regarding the hieroglyph, the one appearing upright signifies personal work, dependence on another, while the symbols appearing in the other that is seen inverted when the card is upright indicate the measurement of time, with the first representing the day, the second the month, and the third the year.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 24: Unpleasant departures.
- Next to 45: Indicates that a relative is seeking an opportunity to reconcile.
- Next to 59: Foretells a loss through indiscretion or clumsiness.
SymbolismUpright - The Caverns - They were the shelters where primitive man took refuge in prehistoric times, and the caves in which pythonesses and oracles made their predictions. Reversed - The Mountains - This card represents the mountains where the Titans barricaded themselves upon being defeated by the father of Jupiter, and the eternal struggle that exists between the Principles of Good and Evil.
No. 31
GOLD OPULENCE - LAWSUITS
ORO OPULENCIA - PLEITOS - NUMERO 31 -
Also called: Five of Wands · Uranus or Heaven · The Phoenix · Greatness · Thursday
UprightGold, Opulence - Luxury, splendor, abundance, well-being, auspicious power, wealth, ostentation, sumptuousness.
ReversedLawsuit, Legal Proceeding - Inconveniences, restlessness, entanglements, contentious matters, troubles, damages, litigation, setbacks.
A very important Card that plays the principal role in matters of cash money, that is to say, hard and ready cash. Furthermore, in former times it constituted the oracle for all people who played the lottery, and today it is so for those who play the stock market or hold bonds amortized by drawing. To all of these it announces great success if No. 32 Reversed is found very nearby; but if instead of this Card No. 38 should appear, the oracle predicts to the querent that they should not expect any profit, but rather deceptions. Reversed, this Card portends legal proceedings, lawsuits, intrigue, and worries. The Hieroglyph warns the querent that one must not proceed lightly in any eventuality of life, but rather subject one's ideas to judgment. Not in vain is it seen in the ideological sign of judgment.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 59 Reversed: hidden enemies, beware of new ambushes.
- Next to 50 (with 31 Reversed): portends lawsuits and disputes that do not end to the querent's benefit.
- Next to 49: Warns that a dispute arises in a gathering.
- Next to 61: predicts fatal wanderings or missteps.
SymbolismUpright - Uranus or Heaven - The symbol of this Card is the indefinite and constant combat of the diverse forces of Nature, from which proceeds the equilibrium that we perceive in creation and the incessant renewal of those very forces. Reversed - The Phoenix - Symbol of the fabulous bird, which the Egyptians had made into a divinity. It lived around five hundred to six hundred years, and when it felt its end approaching, it constructed for itself a pyre of aromatic herbs that it exposed to the sun, and when these ignited, it burned itself. From the marrow of its bones emerged a worm that turned into a new Phoenix. This fable is nothing other than the symbol of the immortality of the soul.
No. 32
GOOD SOCIETY - PROSPERITY
BUENA SOCIEDAD - PROSPERIDAD - NUMERO 32 -
Also called: Four of Wands · The Ocean · The Sacred Fire · Instinct · Wednesday
UprightUpright - Good Society, Friendship - Society, commercial, financial, and industrial partnership, limited partnership, confederation, group, secret society, church, navy, army, community of interests.
ReversedReversed - Prosperity, Perseverance - Growth of fortune, promotions, successes, embellishment, advancement, elevation, increase of wealth.
Here is certainly one of the most pleasant and courteous cards in the entire deck. In whatever form it appears, whether upright or reversed, it foretells fortune for the consultant in various forms, whether in recreational amusements or in the company of friends, whose number will increase. This card is always favorable, except when it appears beside card Number 4, in which case it foretells a dispossession and warns the consultant to beware of clubs or gatherings where gambling takes place; but on all other occasions, it predicts praise, gifts, and admirers for the consultant. Notwithstanding this, it will be well for said consultant to keep in mind the proverb that "a man kisses hands he would wish to see burned," and, consequently, not to forget that every flatterer lives at the expense of those who listen to him, and that a person's liberality or lavishness breeds friendships that are not always sincere or disinterested. Reversed, it foretells the consultant that their happiness and well-being are in their own hands, for which reason they must study and observe everything around them in order to orient themselves and see where or from whence obstacles may arise that could perhaps stand in the way of that happiness, in order to overcome them. As for the hieroglyphs, both are favorable and confirm what has been stated above.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 64: Predicts a find and winnings in gambling.
- Next to 33: Augurs that in their tribulations they will receive unexpected aid.
SymbolismUpright - The Ocean - It is the beginning and origin of all species that are born or germinate on planet Earth. Its waters produced the protoplasm from which all marine and terrestrial beings descend. Reversed - The Sacred Fire - It is no wonder that the Egyptians dedicated a tarot card to fire, since by its purity and activity it was considered by them to be the noblest of elements, the one that came closest to divinity, being also the living image of the star of the day. It was Prometheus who, having taught men how to draw fire from the friction of two flints, was accused of having stolen it from heaven.
No. 33
ENTERPRISES - COMFORT, JOY
EMPRESAS - CONSUELO, GOZO - NUMERO 33 -
Also called: Three of Wands · The Salamander · The Astral Light · The Divine Word · Tuesday
UprightUpright - Enterprise, Speculation - Initiative, audacity, usurpation, coup d'état, reckless imprudence, temerity, resolution.
ReversedReversed - Comfort, Joy, End of Sorrows - Consolation, suspension or cessation of adversity, of sorrows or hardships, improvement of situation, approaching joy, reconciliation.
It is a good card in the fullest sense of the word, but on the condition that it appears next to the card representing the querent. In this case, it announces that the collaboration of a person of the opposite sex, a person of high intelligence, will make them prosper in their business affairs. When this card appears reversed and is accompanied by favorable cards, it announces to the querent that their sorrows and troubles will end, that friendships they had lost will be resumed, and that debts they had incurred will soon be satisfied. As regards the hieroglyph, it represents a man in an attitude of meditating upon building enterprises, which will be crowned with the greatest success, owing to the ideological sign hovering over his head, representing superiority, elevation of outlook, greatness. This applies to what the hieroglyph seen upright represents, when the card is upright as well. As for the second, which only appears upright when the card has come out reversed, it indicates thanksgiving for having received a favor.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 14: Next to 14: it is a rather bad omen, for pleasant things will not occur, as forces far superior to human will stand in opposition.
SymbolismUpright - The Salamander - Symbolizes the immortality of the spirit, which fire can destroy. Reversed - The Astral Light - It is the symbol of a light that originates from the stars and, magnetically attracted and absorbed by the human body at the moment of its conception, forms the envelope of the soul, and, in combination with other more subtle fluids, the ethereal body or sidereal phantom.
No. 34
GRIEF - SURPRISE
PESADUMBRE - SORPRESA - NUMERO 34 -
Also called: Two of Wands · The Fascination · The Weeping · The Confusion · Monday
UprightUpright - Grief - Sorrow - Weariness, fatigue, pain, affliction, boredom, unease, displeasures, sadness.
ReversedReversed - Surprise, Emotion - Deceit, breach of trust, unforeseen emotion, terror, unexpected event, admiration, phenomenon, miracle, marvel, fear.
Among its various meanings, this card announces to the querent that a person whom they do not merely appreciate, but truly love, will be exposed to great dangers on a journey they are undertaking or have already undertaken. This person will escape the dangers threatening them if this card appears next to another of an entirely favorable meaning. This card also predicts, when appearing Upright, that the querent is gripped by remorse for not having acted correctly in matters with which they were intimately involved. When this card appears Reversed, it announces a surprise that can arise from diverse causes, such as fear, more or less founded apprehensions, unforeseen events, unexpected news, etc. The Hieroglyphics confirm all that has been stated.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to Before 26: Predicts irresistible jealousy, regardless of the gender of the querent; it is a sign of envy when it appears very close to number 46 Reversed.
- Next to Next to 47 Reversed: Foretells an important and favorable change in business.
- Next to Next to 42 Reversed and 48 Upright: Romantic satisfactions.
- Next to Near 18 Upright: Warns the querent that they are harboring a viper in their own bosom.
SymbolismUpright - The Fascination - Mysterious influence that, through the special gift of certain familiar spirits, some people exert over others, making them fall into a kind of stupor that suddenly deprives them of the use of their will. Reversed - The Weeping - It is the consoling balm of those who suffer, the evaporation of feeling into that viscous liquor called tears that flows from our eyes; it is, in short, one of the gifts of existence, into which we arrive weeping, and weeping we also depart.
No. 35
DECLINE - BIRTH
DECADENCIA - NACIMIENTO - NUMERO 35 -
Also called: Number 35 · Ace of Wands · Moses · Equality · The Family · Sunday
UprightUpright - Decline, Fall - Cascade, diminution of assets, bankruptcy, ruin, annihilation, prostration, ill health, stumblings, missteps.
ReversedReversed - Birth - Fecundation - Origin, beginning, spring, race, family, primary cause, germ, embryo, firstborn.
Among the Egyptians, the card we are dealing with was considered the miraculous wand of Moses and was regarded as a fortunate omen. Why in modern times has it become a card that predicts misfortunes, nothing but misfortunes? This is the mystery, unless one considers that this magic wand was granted to Moses with the primary purpose of making plague upon plague rain down, not against the Egyptian people alone, but against all beings who were not Israelites. Its primary meaning is that the consultant is on the verge of suffering a fall—not a material one in the strict sense of the word, but in its moral sense. It predicts that the consultant will take a false step in their affairs. The meanings of this card are numerous, and close attention must always be paid to the nearest cards. When it appears reversed, it indicates numerous offspring and an approaching birth if card 40 is very close. Regarding the hieroglyph, the ideological signs seen upright when the card is right-side up indicate: the first, estrangement, dismissal; the second, degeneration, regression; and the third, the tree from which both blessings and calamities emanate. The one that appears reversed when the card is upright signifies fatherhood and motherhood.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 19: Defections and captivity.
- Next to 48: Ambushes in love are to be feared.
SymbolismUpright - Moses - It is the card dedicated to the famous priest of Osiris, first the conqueror of Pharaoh's Magicians and later the lawgiver of the Jewish people. He is the Magus par excellence, who produces the plagues of Egypt, uncovers the waters of the Red Sea, sustains an entire people with manna in Arabia Petraea, and makes water spring forth from the rocks. It is, therefore, the symbol of High Magic and the science of prestiges. Reversed - Equality - It is the spirit that watches and works more or less in secret to put an end once and for all to the absolute distinction existing among men, both in rights and in possessions.
Cups / Copas (cards 36–49)
No. 36
BLONDE MAN - CHANGE OF POSITION
HOMBRE RUBIO - CAMBIO DE POSICION - NUMERO 36 -
Also called: King of Cups · Love · The Spell · Vernier · The Red Dragon
UprightUpright - Blonde Man, The Supreme Science - Model man, probity, sciences, literature, arts, wise, just, virtuous man.
ReversedReversed - Change of Position, Dignity - Aristocratic man, wicked man, swindler, injustice, dilapidation, banditry, libertine man, spendthrift.
In the game of Thoth, this card represents the High Priest, rival of Moses, and indicates a superior influence. This card next to the one representing the querent warns them that they are under the domination, perhaps imperceptible, of a person around them who wishes to lead them astray. Is this a person whose power and strength are irresistible? We must look to the other cards for this. When it appears Reversed, it foretells losses and changes in social status, but this meaning is modified by the proximity of cards Number 7, 32, 41, 47, or 77, which create a favorable outcome for the querent. As far as the hieroglyph is concerned, the one seen upright when the card is in that position represents a priest with the insignia of worship, from which it is deduced that this card also personifies a man wearing talaric robes. The hieroglyph seen upright only when the card comes out Reversed represents the opposite action of knowing.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 18: represents a hypocritical man
- Next to 13: Union
- Next to 63: announces pregnancy
- Next to 57: upcoming reconciliation
SymbolismUpright - Love - Principle of life and seed of feeling, and therefore the element that causes us either to emerge victorious from the assaults of evil or to sink into it. Reversed - The Spell - It is the enchantment that a beautiful woman exerts over a man, or that any person endowed with such a gift by familiar spirits can exercise over other beings. The result of the spell is nothing other than the unconscious surrender of our will.
No. 37
BLONDE WOMAN - HAPPY MARRIAGE
MUJER RUBIA - CASAMIENTO FELIZ - NUMERO 37 -
Also called: Queen of Cups · Diana the Huntress · The Ideal · The Impossible · The Heart
UprightUpright - Blonde Woman, The Ideal - Honorable, prudent, virtuous, ingenious, sagacious, industrious, good woman, lover of her home, charitable.
ReversedReversed - Happy Marriage, Man at the Door - Woman of high rank, perversity, deceit, vice, corruption, scandalous habits, perverse woman.
This card, generally favorable, especially for women, sometimes represents a woman who practices an equivocal profession, or, to be clearly understood, a procuress, and very particularly when it is Near Numbers 17, 26, 38, 43, or 50. In other cases, it represents a blonde woman who will bestow favors upon the consultant when the card representing him or her is very close and the other cards are favorable. At times one must mistrust this blonde woman, especially when doing a reading for a man, since, being also the symbol of the biblical Judith when the Book of Thoth spread among the Jews, it often represents a perverse woman, above all when it comes out Beside Number 26, in which case that woman betrays or will betray the consultant. Reversed, it foretells for the consultant, whatever their sex may be, happy marriages with wealthy individuals, or at least those who are in comfortable circumstances. The hieroglyphs confirm everything we have said, for in them one sees the bonds of union inter vita.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 47: Beside 47: foretells one of the greatest successes one could dream of.
- Next to 49: Beside 49: serves as an oracle to discern men or to protect oneself from all excess, from all intemperance in love—or rather, from all amorous passion.
SymbolismUpright - Diana the Huntress - It is the symbol of self-abnegation and motherhood, and the prototype of the woman zealous of her honor. Reversed - The Ideal - It is the principle that germinates in the imagination of human beings and surpasses the models offered by Nature. It is the aspiration of beings toward that principle which attracts them, just as the serpent attracts with its foul breath the weak little birds that appear before it.
No. 38
ARRIVAL - DECEITS
LLEGADA - ENGAÑOS - NUMERO 38 -
Also called: Knight of Cups · The Road · Ormuz · The Eternal Struggle · Liberty
UprightUpright - Arrival, What is near - Profit, good reception, event, influx, advent, approaching occurrence.
ReversedReversed - Deceits, The Image - Cunning, deceptive appearance, roguery, fraud, subtlety, hypocrisy, astuteness, falsehood.
The designation of arrival is too broad a term for us not to pause to unravel it. What is arriving? This is what the cards that appear around it will be responsible for clarifying, which is equivalent to saying that this card does not, on its own, possess a meaning of its own. Therefore, a person may arrive, a prosperous or adverse event, more or less favorable news—in a word, even death may arrive. When this Card comes out Reversed, its meaning could not be worse, as it foretells that the consultant will fall victim to frauds, deceits, and all manner of roguery. The hieroglyph seen upright when the card is in the same direction represents something underway, and the one seen reversed, with the Card upright, signifies pettiness, an evil spirit.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 71 (Beside or Near): what arrives is money.
- Next to 50: presages an abuse of power that a magistrate will commit to the detriment of the consultant.
- Next to 68 Reversed (Beside): foretells winnings in games of chance.
- Next to 4: predicts that one will be robbed in a public gathering.
SymbolismUpright - The Road - This Card does not symbolize the thoroughfare traced to go from one point to another, but rather the path mapped out for us by the Genii, good or evil, so that we may traverse this aptly named vale of tears. It is, in short, the road that man must chart for himself as soon as his reason develops, in order to reach the pinnacle of his aspirations. Reversed - Ormuz - God of the Persian magi, creator and preserver of the world, in defiance of the Genius of Evil, Ahriman, charged with its imbalance and destruction.
No. 39
BLONDE YOUTH - INCLINATION
JOVEN RUBIO - INCLINACION - NUMERO 39 -
Also called: Jack of Cups · The Oracle of Arcadia · The Divine Echo · The Presentiment · The Idea
UprightUpright - Blonde Youth, Profession - Study, work, consideration, knowledge, occupation, employment, destiny, trade.
ReversedReversed - Inclination, Sympathy - Tendency, taste, aptitude, passion, friendship, affection, affinity, irresistible attraction like the charm of a siren, section, courtesy.
In its natural sense, this Card is generally of good omen, for it announces consideration, respect, praise, successes. This Card also foretells for a male consultant that a person takes an interest in him and will elevate him to high positions, most especially when number 75 is nearby. When this card appears reversed, although the ominous sense is not very pronounced, the consultant must expect all sorts of obstacles, difficulties, and ambushes in their love affairs. The true meaning of this Card Reversed is to reveal the inclination of the consultant, which can only be arrived at by making a very meticulous study of the cards that are nearby. The Hieroglyphic does nothing but confirm what has already been expressed.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 38, 59, 53, or 76: Foretells that they will commit an infamous fault.
- Next to 35: Foretells an impending fall into the arms of love.
- Next to Before 10 and followed by 35: Predicts to the consultant that they are close to suffering from an illness that may result in melancholy or mental alienation.
SymbolismUpright - The Oracle of Arcadia or The God Pan. This Tarot was invented in honor of the god Pan, whom they went to consult in Arcadia, where he made nocturnal raids, delivering his oracles from behind trees or from within their trunks. Reversed - The Presentiment - Secret sensation produced in beings by the influence of the spirits that surround them. Internal movement of apprehension or hope regarding an event that is to befall them.
No. 40
THE CITY, WEALTH - SETBACKS
LA CIUDAD, RIQUEZA - CONTRATIEMPOS - NUMERO 40 -
Also called: Ten of Cups · Erebus · Eden · Adda-Nari · November
UprightUpright - The City, Wealth - The homeland, the country, the locality, domicile, citizenship, well-being, danger, comfortable situation.
ReversedReversed - Setbacks, Disputes - Agitation, anger, fury, violence, rage, aversion, revenge, danger, invectives, tempest, ferocity.
A good card when it appears Upright, inasmuch as it announces to a male consultant wealth or prominence in the locality where he lives, and to a female consultant that she will triumph completely over all the gossip, rumors, intrigues, and even slanders that have been spread on her account in the town or city where she resides, especially if number 20 appears beside it. The wealth that this card announces in its general sense can be of two kinds: material or effective, that is, in goods or money; or moral, that is, in gifts, such as beauty, loveliness, and peace of mind and conscience. To these details, then, the good cartomancer must attend if he is to fulfill his mission conscientiously. When it appears Reversed, it foretells many setbacks, disputes, abandonments, dissensions, etc. Regarding the hieroglyphs, the one that is right-side up when the card appears Upright indicates wealth in the jurisdiction where the consultant is found, and the one that appears inverted when the card is upright indicates tempest, storm.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 77: presages wealth in cash (goods, money).
- Next to 76: presages moral wealth.
SymbolismUpright - Erebus - It is the beginning, the source, and the origin of gloom and darkness. Son of Chaos and Night and wedded to Aether, he begets seven children who are: Destiny, Death, Sleep, Darkness, the Styx, the Fates, and the Furies. Reversed - Eden - It is the symbol of the golden age of nascent humanity in that part of the earth where Nature reproduced in an exuberant manner, without labor and without cultivation. It is the oasis of which man dreams after having wandered through the desert of existence.
No. 41
VICTORY - SINCERITY
VICTORIA - SINCERIDAD - NUMERO 41 -
Also called: Number 41 · Nine of Cups · The Ether · The Serpent · The Elements · December
UprightUpright - Victory, Triumph - Gain, success, display, sumptuousness, pomp, booming situation, high position.
ReversedReversed - Sincerity, Honesty - Truth, candor, wholesome freedom, agreeableness, kindness, urbanity, attentive character, good-natured disposition.
It is an excellent card, particularly for military men, as it augurs victories, successes, and a rapid career, provided they are brave and sincere. The meaning of this card, however, although its sense is essentially military, is not restricted to victories obtained through arms. Thus, to a writer it announces a literary victory; to a lawyer, success over his opponent; to a banker or stockbroker, a stock market victory. It is up to the cartomancer, then, to unravel all this and seek in the nearest cards when and in what manner this victory will be realized, and whether or not it will suffer a delay. Reversed, it forecasts good business to the merchant if he is sincere. As for the hieroglyphs, the one that appears upright when the card is also upright represents a warrior in the act of subduing his enemy, from which this card takes its military significance; and the one that appears reversed when the card is upright represents the act of speaking.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 51: predicts to the querent a marriage of convenience with a widow, who will make him gain a great deal of money.
- Next to 63 Reversed: announces a happy pregnancy.
- Next to 70 also Reversed (when this card is Reversed): predicts ruinous usury.
SymbolismUpright - The Ether - It is the pure and subtle air that fills the spaces located beyond the terrestrial atmosphere and which only those who know how to detach themselves from the impurities of the Earth breathe. Reversed - The Serpent - Name given to the devil, for having assumed this form to seduce Eve. However, among the Egyptian magicians it was the emblem of prudence. Moses in the desert raises the bronze serpent, at the mere sight of which those who had been bitten by venomous reptiles were cured. The serpent, finally, biting its tail symbolizes eternity.
No. 42
BLONDE YOUNG WOMAN - SATISFACTION
JOVEN RUBIA - SATISFACCION - NUMERO 42 -
Also called: Number 42 · Eight of Cups · Chance · Destiny · Pluto · January
UprightBlonde Young Woman, Modesty - Honorable, chaste, modest, timid, unpretentious, sweet, pleasant, sincere, kind young woman.
ReversedSatisfaction, Pleasure - Honor, joy, pleasures, celebrations, retraction, excuse, reparation, clarifying satisfaction.
This is also a choice card especially for querents who like blonde women, from the moment this card announces to them relations with a blonde woman, and if it is Next to number 13, unfailing marriage, and if next to 63 Reversed, it predicts numerous offspring for them. It is also the Card destined for friendship with a blonde young woman, but, properly considered, this card represents nothing on its own without others that, being close to it, clarify the true meaning of that friendship. Is it false? Is it sincere? This card also promises good news from a blonde friend, great prosperity. Reversed it promises nothing but satisfaction, and particularly when surrounded by favorable cards. As for the hieroglyphs, the one that appears upright, with the card in the same position, represents two Egyptian young women—perhaps mother and daughter—in the act of the latter confessing her loves to the former, while the one that appears Reversed with the card upright means: it is with satisfaction that I have seen and heard your name.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 20: Predicts a significant gain in gambling.
SymbolismUpright - Chance - It is a fictitious cause that human beings consider independent of will and foresight, or, for better understanding, an apparent effect, without a real cause that justifies it. Reversed - Destiny - It is that genius who, following divine will, regulates future events in an inescapable manner. This Genius, out of benevolence toward humanity, marks human beings with indelible signs, so that they may know themselves and avoid the fatality that hangs over them.
No. 43
THOUGHT - PROJECTS
EL PENSAMIENTO - PROYECTOS - NUMERO 43 -
Also called: Seven of Cups · Chilon (Sage of Greece) · Wealth · Feeling
UprightUpright - Thought, Meditation - The ideal, the soul, the spirit, intelligence, intellectual faculty, judgment, reasoning, opinion.
ReversedReversed - Projects, The Will - Intention, desire, plan, conception, sketch, idea, preparation, faculty of acting, ingenuity.
This is one of the various cards in the Egyptian deck whose vague, incoherent, and abstruse meaning the cartomancer can turn to great advantage. Upright, it represents the consultant's thought. What is the consultant thinking about? What projects animate them if it appears reversed? Nothing is easier to discover than by making a very thorough, very meticulous study of the surrounding cards. When it appears reversed, it shows that the consultant has projects. The hieroglyph upright, when the card is upright, represents the act of meditating; and upright, when the card is reversed, the act of planning.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 65 and 35: Beside 65 and number 35: represents a dark-haired woman with bad intentions.
- Next to 38 Reversed: Beside 38 Reversed: signifies deceit.
- Next to 58: Reversed beside 58: indicates that a trip is planned.
SymbolismUpright - Chilon, One of the Seven Sages of Greece, who increased the power of the Ephors to the detriment of constituted authority. He is the symbol of theoretical morality. Reversed - Feeling - It is one of the most important principles of existence, consisting of the perception within the soul of the objects or things surrounding beings. This perception occurs through the senses and is concentrated in Titania, Queen of the Fairies, whom this card symbolizes.
No. 44
THE PAST - THE FUTURE
LO PASADO - LO PORVENIR - NUMERO 44 -
Also called: Number 44 · Six of Cups · Pittacus (Sage of Greece) · Tranquility · Remembrance
UprightUpright - The Past, Memories - Past time, weakness, withered, faded, old age, decrepitude, antiquity.
ReversedReversed - The Future, Life - What is to happen, soon, later, foresight, ulteriority, afterward, further on, future time.
This card readily lends fuel to the imagination, fantasy, and reverie. What does it represent? Upright, the past and the memories it brings with it; Reversed, the future or posterity. No small matter!... On the one hand, the past! On the other, the future!... We are, then, in the presence of a card with a meaning as vague and abstruse as the previous one. It is, therefore, the nearest cards that will have to clarify the meaning of the card before us. In what way? Let us see: suppose that next to the 44 we are dealing with, Number 35 appears; well then, this card reminds the querent of a past fault of which they ought to be ashamed, and if Number 19 is added to these two cards, the prognosis worsens, as the consequences of that past fault will end in catastrophe. This card Reversed predicts the future, the key to which, as with the past, must be sought in the meaning of the neighboring cards. The hieroglyphs are the symbol of time and of destiny.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 67 reversed (with 44 reversed): reveals a past of prodigality.
- Next to 51 reversed: recalls a wicked woman who has caused great harm to the querent.
SymbolismUpright - Pittacus, One of the Seven Sages of Greece - The enemy of brutal oppression and the great moralist. He is the symbol of freedom and education, to which Greece owed its conquests. Reversed - Remembrance - An impression that benevolent spirits take charge of engraving upon our memory so that it may serve as experience in the various stages that man will have to traverse in life.
No. 45
INHERITANCE, RELATIVES
HERENCIA, PARIENTES - NUMERO 45 -
Also called: Five of Cups · Thales of Miletus (Sage of Greece) · Danger · Providence
UprightUpright - Inheritance, Event - Donation, succession, descent, legacy, testament, dowry, patrimony, family virtues and qualities.
ReversedReversed - Relative, Alliance - Family, kinship, grandparents, parents, siblings, uncles and aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces, and all kinds of relatives.
This card is generally regarded as favorable because it foretells inheritances. Nevertheless, it must be kept in mind that to speak of an inheritance is to speak of the death of a relative. As we have already indicated with previous cards, it will be necessary to examine the cards surrounding this one to find the details needed to disclose to the querent—though not in a certain and definitive manner—the facts related to the inheritance, or at least some approximate information. Also, albeit in a veiled manner, this card foretells literary success and success of every kind if Card Number 2 appears beside it. The Hieroglyph represents the act of mourning the dead and the intervention of justice to establish a right of preference or primogeniture.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 74: Beside 74: predicts that the querent will receive gifts and strength from a very important person.
- Next to Reversed, beside 35: Reversed and beside 35: announces the imminent arrival of a relative who will lavish the querent with wealth.
SymbolismUpright - Thales of Miletus, One of the Seven Sages of Greece. Celebrated philosopher and mage to whom is attributed the invention of certain copper instruments intended to mark the differences of times and hours, "called Teraphim", from which derive the automata later manufactured by Albert the Great and other mages. Reversed - Providence - It is a winged, benevolent Genius who takes delight in defending living beings from the dangers, snares, and ambushes that continually arise along the paths of life.
No. 46
ANGER - NEW RELATIONSHIPS
ENOJO - NUEVAS RELACIONES - NUMERO 46 -
Also called: Number 46 · Four of Cups · Cleobulus (Sage of Greece) · The Inconceivable · Wickedness
UprightUpright - Anger, Dissension - Displeasures, disenchantment, imaginary sorrows, vexing and unpleasant things, aversion, enmity, disagreement.
ReversedReversed - New Relationships, Acquaintances - New acquaintances, omens, prophecies, intuition, new documents, novelties, foreseen or expected events.
This card predicts boredom and anger caused by annoying and unpleasant people by whom the consultant is surrounded. For the best explanation of this card, we must add that these people surrounding the consultant can range from the most refined vulgar snob to the most skillful intriguer, swindler, or petty thief. The best course, then, in this case, once the cause is known, is to get rid of them and push them away. This card reversed predicts that new acquaintances, new relationships, or friendships will soon be made, with the nearest cards being responsible for indicating whether these relationships or friendships will be for good or for ill. This card on its own, reversed, predicts that very soon the consultant will find themselves free from a tyranny that weighs upon them like a slab of lead. The hieroglyph that appears upright when the card is right-side up indicates that man is always watched by evil spirits from whom he must distance himself, a sign represented by the figure between the white man and the black man. The one that is upside down when the card appears upright indicates clientele, with whom great care must be taken.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 28: predicts that if the consultant attends a countryside outing, it will end badly.
- Next to 67: announces not to undertake any risky speculation.
- Next to 60: forecasts emotional illnesses caused by the consultant's loneliness and isolation.
- Next to 2 Reversed: announces a fire.
SymbolismUpright - Cleobulus, One of the Seven Sages of Greece - Tarot that symbolizes the author of the Enigmas of life, the son of King Evagoras and descendant of Hercules, who accomplished the same feats with the pen as his ancestor with the club; it is, in a word, the symbol of the strength of written reflection. Reversed - Wickedness - It is the winged Genius, of whom various deeds are told, who delights in driving beings down a bad path and at the same time causing them to inflict harm purely for the pleasure of causing it.
No. 47
SUCCESS IN BUSINESS - BUSINESS UNDERWAY
EXITO EN LOS NEGOCIOS - NEGOCIOS EN MARCHA - NUMERO 47 -
Also called: Number 47 · Three of Cups · Periander (Sage of Greece) · Perfection · Saturn
UprightSuccess in Business, Fate. Sure success, favorable progress, discovered happiness, cure, relief, improvement, betterment of situation.
ReversedBusiness Underway, Luck. Dispatch of business, dispatches, concluded deal, happy ending of a matter, success, luck in business and in love, relief, cure.
This card particularly interests authors and dramatic artists, though this does not prevent others who are not so from being flattered by successes of another kind that they ought to obtain and will obtain, barring the proximity of unfavorable cards, in a more or less short period of time. Reversed, this card announces the conclusion of business that was very entangled; to the sick person, relief in their illness; and to one suffering morally, the end of their sorrows and griefs. The hieroglyph that appears upright, when the card is also upright, represents the act of giving thanks to the elements, signed by the signs that compose the materiality of life. The one that is reversed, when the card appears upright, from the ideographic writing of which it is formed, deduces that the being, with perspicacious vision, can march in an expeditious manner along the path of life.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 2: Announces to the consultant, if an author or dramatic actor, success in the theater, and if not, that a person whom they esteem greatly would obtain it.
- Next to 7 Reversed: Foretells the complete success of the thoughts and ideas that absorb the consultant.
SymbolismUpright - Periander, One of the Seven Sages of Greece - It is the symbol of skillful tyranny and gallantry. Tired of life and of having tyrannized, but governed his people well, he ordered two of his subjects to ambush on a road and assassinate the first two who passed by. But since he had tasked four others with killing the first two, eight others with slaying the second, and so on successively, an appalling butchery resulted from it all. Reversed - Perfection - It is a gift that spirits do not grant to mortal beings except after having passed through an unending series of trials.
No. 48
PASSIONATE LOVE - DESIRES
AMOR APASIONADO - DESEOS - NUMERO 48 -
Also called: Number 48 · Two of Cups · Bias (Wise Man of Greece) · Minerva · Affection
UprightUpright - Passionate Love, Universal Attraction - Love, sympathy, affinity, inclination, tenderness, passion, friendship, equality of tastes, gallantry, sweet union.
ReversedReversed - Desires, Greed - Eagerness, ardor, envy, jealousy, carnal appetite, insatiable passion, dominant character, selfishness, haughtiness.
This Card is extremely favorable for matters in which only the heart and the love of glory and dignities intervene, from which it is deduced that it predicts reciprocation in love to the one who desires it, fortune to the one who aspires to it, and honors and dignities to the one who ardently desires them. Will these desires and these aspirations be realized sooner or later? Even if achieved, will the querent suffer a delay? By what means will they achieve it? All, all of this is what must be examined carefully in the modifications determined by the nearest cards and in the rectifications that must be made subsequently, so that the meaning of this card is made completely clear. The Hieroglyphic represents ardors of every kind and limitless aspirations.
Combinations with other cards (5)
- Next to 41: announces that one will attract much attention.
- Next to 61: A complete disappointment.
- Next to 53: foretells being watched by a person with whom one has had relations.
- Next to 69 (Reversed): announces desires to steal, to rob someone of what is theirs.
- Next to 65 Reversed: foretells an upcoming duel over a dark-haired woman.
SymbolismUpright - Bias, One of the Seven Sages of Greece - He is the symbol of selflessness, for according to his own words, he carried all the goods of this earth with him. Once attacked by pirates, as his companions were invoking the gods, Bias exclaimed: - Be quiet, lest they realize you are here. Reversed - Affection - It is the affection or feeling toward which our soul inclines the Genius or one of the Geniuses that inspires the acts of beings and the symbolism of the impressions that the soul receives.
No. 49
JUSTICE, THE TABLE - CHANGE
JUSTICIA, LA MESA - CAMBIO - NUMERO 49 -
Also called: Ace of Cups · Solon (Sage of Greece) · Metempsychosis · The Will
UprightUpright - Justice or The Law, The Table - Banquet, feast, invitation, host, hotel, restaurant, tablet of the law, sacred scriptures, index or table of contents, deed or legal document.
ReversedReversed - Change, Oblivion - Metamorphosis, mutation, vicissitude, exchange, mobility, transaction, revolution, translation, interpretation.
The principal and logical meaning of this card is the law or inflexible will. Strictly speaking, it has no other more or less definite meaning, but on the other hand, it absolutely confirms the omens announced by the cards that appear around it. Likewise, according to some masters of cartomancy, it is the card dedicated to gastronomic pleasures, feasts, banquets—in a word, to everything related to eating and eating well. Relative to the meanings of justice and table, the omens are exceedingly abstruse, which is why cartomancers must diligently search the neighboring cards for the clarifications necessary to interpret this card's meaning properly. Also, when this card appears Reversed, it portends unexpected business changes and an extraordinary situation. Whether these changes or moves are favorable to the querent will be told by the nearest cards. The Hieroglyph indicates veneration of the law, whose attributes are seen at the bottom of it.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 37: Predicts that during a meal one will receive pleasant news from a blonde woman.
- Next to 24: Foretells the departure of one's intended spouse.
SymbolismUpright - Solon, Archon of Athens, Great Lawgiver, and One of the Seven Sages of Greece. He is the symbol of cunning and foresight, having managed to bind the evil spirits that swarmed around him to compel him to do wrong. Reversed - Metempsychosis - This Tarot symbolizes the ancient Hindu doctrines, which later passed into Egypt, according to which souls transmigrate from one body to another.
Swords / Espadas (cards 50–63)
No. 50
COURT OFFICIAL - BAD MAN
CURIAL - HOMBRE MALO - NUMERO 50 -
Also called: King of Swords · David (Father of Solomon) · The Lernaean Hydra · The Soul
UprightUpright - Court Official, Man of Letters - Man of law, magistrate, attorney, doctor, jurisconsult, clerk, notary, judge, lawyer, court officer.
ReversedReversed - Bad Man, Perversity - Evil, malevolence, ill intention, wicked man, cruelty, barbarity, bad heart, perverse instinct.
The consultant to whom this card appears, especially when the nearest ones are unfavorable, must be very careful in the relations they maintain with lawyers, attorneys, clerks, court officers—in a word, with any person who administers justice and is vested with authority, because among those people there is one who wants to betray them, if not several who conspire toward the same end. The card before us also represents, in certain cases, a perverse man, especially when it comes out Reversed. Many are the modifications that the proximity of other cards can bring to this card. Reversed, it foretells that more than this, it advises the consultant that they must renounce a lawsuit or litigation that may be dangerous for them. In general, the King of Swords Reversed indicates that it represents a man of bad character, perverse and cruel, who can ruin them and, what is even worse, lead them to perdition. The hieroglyph that appears upright when the card is upright represents an Egyptian advocate before a magistrate. The one that appears upright when the card is upright represents an Egyptian advocate before a magistrate. The one that appears reversed when the card is upright is the symbol of evil and malevolence, and especially the third sign, which is the one that represents darkness and muddle.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 22: Next to 22: announces to the consultant that, despite the malevolence of the court officials, there is a magistrate of recognized rectitude who will do them justice.
- Next to 27: Next to 27: announces to the female consultant that she should distrust a man who looks upon her with favor.
- Next to 67 Reversed: Near 67 Reversed: announces to a woman that her husband or partner is very spendthrift.
- Next to Before 71 Reversed: Before 71 Reversed: announces that the consultant must fear the snares or ambushes set for them by a dark-haired person.
SymbolismUpright - The Lernaean Hydra - This monstrous seven-headed beast, whose heads sprouted back as they were cut off—for which reason they had to be struck down all at once, a task undertaken by Hercules—is the symbol of disorder, which must be fought at its root. Reversed - David, Father of Solomon - This Tarot card teaches us that against force there is no means better or more skillful than cunning and firmness of character, without which gifts, received by David from his protective Genius, the future King of Israel would not have come to defeat the giant Goliath.
No. 51
WIDOWHOOD, WICKED WOMAN
VIUDEZ, MUJER MALVADA - NUMERO 51 -
Also called: Queen of Swords · The Gorgons · The Griffin · Thetis · Absence
UprightUpright - Widowhood, Solitude - Widow, widower, deprivation, absence, sterility, poverty, destitution, mourning, sorrow, grief.
ReversedReversed - Wicked Woman, The Mummy - Malice, malevolence, hypocrisy, bad intention, wicked woman, perversity, envious heart, bad instinct.
This card is not entirely of good omen, especially for widows, since the goddess Nephthys, goddess of death, cannot foretell anything good. Its true meaning, its graphic significance, must be sought in the proximity of other cards. Reversed, this card foretells to a man the infidelity and wickedness of his wife, an extreme that the cartomancer must clarify in the neighboring cards. The hieroglyph, as can be seen, represents a widow and an orphan before the corpse, covering their foreheads with ashes. The one that appears upside down, when the card is upright, represents a woman invoking the spirit of evil.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 67 Reversed: warns a woman that her husband or partner not only is not faithful to her
SymbolismUpright - The Gorgons - They are the emblem of silence and sadness. Seated on the shore of the ocean of which they were inhabitants, these daughters of Phorcys and Ceto, named Medusa, Euryale, and Stheno, their heads bristling with serpents and bearing golden wings, wept over the destiny to which terrible Fate had condemned them. Reversed - Griffin - It is the emblem of vigilance, appearing in ancient times over darkness and upon sepulchral urns. It was a monstrous animal that had the body and paws of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
No. 52
MILITARY - IGNORANCE
MILITAR - IGNORANCIA - NUMERO 52 -
Also called: Knight of Swords · The Basilisk · The Furies · War · Desolation
UprightUpright - Military Man, Warlike Genius - Fencing master, duelist, hunter, war, combat, defense, affair of honor, destruction, enmity, bravery, anger, courage, resistance.
ReversedReversed - Ignorance, Stupidity - Ineptitude, incapacity, imbecility, impertinence, nullity, foolishness, silliness, foolish talk, lack of sense, lack of skill.
This card is, for masters of cartomancy—like some others—of an extremely indecisive meaning. However, when it appears, it is a more or less probable proof that the querent is in contact with some military man. In this sense, the oracle announces that a friend of the querent will carry out deeds for which he will obtain a worthy reward. Reversed, this card predicts that the querent will have to face a foolish person, and that because of this dispute, he will cause the ridicule of all who witness the scene. It also predicts that he will defeat a rival with no other weapons than those of his own natural talent. The Hieroglyph, essentially military, represents an Egyptian archer at the moment of releasing his dart. The plate, on which a multitude of ideographic characters can be seen, is practically indecipherable due to their small size.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 19: announces that the military man will be taken prisoner.
SymbolismUpright - The Basilisk - Infernal monster that, possessed by an evil spirit, committed, at its instigation, all kinds of cruelties, murders, and horrors, to the extreme of having earned the nickname of the scourge of God. Reversed - The Furies - This Tarot card is the symbol of malice and anger. These infernal divinities, Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera, who are depicted with hair intertwined with serpents and with a burning torch in one hand and a dagger in the other, were in charge of punishing human crimes in the underworld.
No. 53
ESPIONAGE - LACK OF FORESIGHT
ESPIONAJE - IMPREVISION - NUMERO 53 -
Also called: Number 53 · Jack of Swords · The Gnomes · Infernal Lamias · Typhon (Evil Genius)
UprightEspionage - Hypocrisy - Spy, observer, curious person, inspector, steward, prompter, scrutinizer, snoop, pimp or go-between.
ReversedLack of Foresight, News - Unforeseen occurrence, promptness, fortuitous event, loose-tongued, loquacious, unthought-of or ill-considered phrase, speaking unseasonably.
Here is another card of extremely difficult interpretation, for which reason it will be necessary to study well the meaning and modifications contributed by neighboring cards. When this card appears accompanied by the card representing the consultant (Number 1 if it is a man and number 8 if it is a woman), it naturally indicates having a spy watching all their actions. To what end? Who is this spy? The proximity of 30 would certainly indicate that it is a clerk or domestic servant, whether in the service of the consultant or not. Near 36, it would in turn indicate that the spy is a blond man. To a speculator, this card also makes known that an indiscreet person is trying to penetrate their secrets. Reversed, it predicts pleasant news if it is close to number 32, and annoying news if it is beside 34, and in general announces lack of foresight to consultants. The Hieroglyphs confirm what has been said previously.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 74: announces an unexpected gift.
- Next to 19: many calamities.
SymbolismUpright - The Gnomes - They are the symbol of the bonds that unite men with some beneficent genii. The Gnomes are subterranean genii who inhabit the depths of mines, being charged with guarding hidden treasures; they take pleasure in receiving orders and carrying them out when they are suitable and useful. Reversed - Infernal Lamias - This Taro symbolizes the falsity of some women, for the Lamia, a vampire demon with the face and form of a woman, feigns offering flattery to men in order to lure and devour them.
No. 54
WEEPING - PROSPERITY
LLANTO - PROSPERIDAD - NUMERO 54 -
Also called: Ten of Swords · The Divine Sorrows · The Larvae · Nemesis · February
UprightUpright - Weeping - Separation - Sighs, moans, complaints, tears, lamentations, sorrows, sadness, affliction, grief, heartbreak.
ReversedReversed - Prosperity - Advantage - Profits, gain, achieved success, favors, dignity, power, authority, usurpation.
It is an unfavorable card, upright, for querents, from the moment it communicates weeping and tears to them, for it is well known that weeping is not shed without well-founded reason, nor do tears flow from the eyes except for sad causes. It is necessary for the cartomancer on this occasion, more than in any other, to inquire in the neighboring cards into the motives for that weeping and those tears and, if possible, who may be the cause. When the card comes out reversed, its omens are generally favorable; for example, it predicts good business to the merchant, a promotion to the employee, etc. The hieroglyph that appears upright, when the card is in the same direction, represents Egyptian mourners, and regarding the one that appears reversed when the card is upright, the ideographic sign represents fulfilled aspiration.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 17: announces sorrows and troubles.
- Next to 27: those sorrows will be caused by discords or setbacks.
- Next to 71: warns that the querent is jealous, because a person they love has received a gift and for that reason will experience great sorrow.
- Next to 26: predicts that the betrayal of a rival will make them shed many tears.
SymbolismUpright - The Divine Sorrows - Genii or spirits that hover around human beings to torture them and make them suffer, now by instilling in them desires that they will not be able to satisfy, now by inspiring satisfactions that they will never see achieved. Reversed - The Larvae - Symbol of the phantoms that appear to beings, whether in dreams or in a waking state. To the ancients, they were men themselves who, having been wicked, turned into larvae that fed on the secretions of living beings.
No. 55
RELIGIOUS - DISTRUST
RELIGIOSO - DESCONFIANZA - NUMERO 55 -
Also called: Number 55 · Nine of Swords · The Supreme Being · Friendship · Destiny · March
UprightReligious - Holiness. Ecclesiastic, Pope, cardinal, bishop, priest, monk, church, chapel, convent, worship, devotion, cloister.
ReversedDistrust - Charity. Justified doubt, well-founded supposition, fair distrust, scruple, alarm of conscience, excessive timidity, exaggerated modesty, excess of innocence.
Even though masters in cartomancy try to attenuate the sinister meaning of this card, it must always and generally be regarded not as a bad, but as a very bad omen. Religion originally meant slavery—as the hieroglyph indicates—and as a card intended for religious worship we consider it, without this implying that we attempt to lessen its evil meaning. The neighboring cards will be responsible for unraveling the omen we propose. Reversed, this card announces to the consultant that they have acted very wisely in breaking off the friendship and relations with a person who compromised them. The hieroglyph represents a priest and the people worshiping God, represented by a bird.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 67: indicates as dangerous for the consultant a dark-haired young man.
SymbolismUpright - The Supreme Being - It is the symbol of the Beginning and End of all things, the sole author of everything created, of that which is being created, and of that which is yet to be created. Reversed - Friendship - It is the principle that binds beings through the magical chain of analogies, producing that blend of esteem, sentiment, and selflessness that can be observed in true friendship.
No. 56
GOSSIP - INCIDENTS
HABLADURIAS - INCIDENTES - NUMERO 56 -
Also called: Number 56 · Eight of Swords · Fatigue · Gluttony · Oblivion · April
UprightUpright - Gossip, Criticism - Delicate situation, critical period, decisive moments, crisis, psychological moment, examination, analysis, censorship, verification, condemnation.
ReversedReversed - Incidents, The Relative - Unforeseen objection, adventure, fatality, misfortune, symptom, difficult moment, predicament, supreme instant, violent situation.
This card is of ill omen for the querent from the moment it announces, Upright, criticism made on their account, and Reversed, incidents that may happen to them in social relations. In order to unravel the vague, undecided, uncertain, and indeterminate meaning of this Card, it is necessary to study the precise meaning of the cards that surround the one in question. Who is criticizing the querent? What are the motives for the criticism? What incidents are going to happen to them or are happening at the moment the spread is made? Have these incidents occurred, are they occurring, or will they occur? All of this must be unraveled and can be unraveled by means of the deck. The hieroglyphic represents two people in the act of speaking: the one, the man, and the woman rejecting what he says. From gossip to slander, there is but a single step. The hieroglyphic seen reversed, with the card upright, represents the incidental action of traveling by sea or by land.
Combinations with other cards (5)
- Next to 10: they will be regarding their health.
- Next to 48: they will be because of their passionate loves.
- Next to 5 (reversed): the criticism will be for being miserable.
- Next to 55: it will be motivated by religious matters.
- Next to 26: due to obstacles encountered on their path.
SymbolismUpright - Fatigue - This tarot represents the fluidic larvae or elemental spirits that weaken men, depleting all their energies and causing them enervation, fatigue, and weariness. Reversed - Gluttony - An evil spirit that imitates the earth, which swallows its own spoils. It is also the symbol of the insatiability of time, which is, in turn, symbolized by Saturn.
No. 57
HOPES - GOOD ADVICE
ESPERANZAS - BUENOS CONSEJOS - NUMERO 57 -
Also called: Seven of Swords · Orchus · The Cat of Egypt · The Sigh · The Divine Word
UprightUpright - Hopes, The Impossible - Desires, caprices, waiting, alert, vigilant, in attention, doubtful situation, in expectation, yearning, eagerness to achieve what is desired, zeal, greed.
ReversedReversed - Good Advice, Wise Warnings - Prudent and wholesome advice, pleasant news, consultations, indications, observations, useful conference, reflections, affectionate reprimand, request for opinion, views.
The Number 7 was regarded by the ancients as very favorable, which is why it is not surprising that the 7 of swords is a card of fairly good omen. When this card comes out reversed, it warns that a person who wishes you well will give you very good advice, but you will probably have the poor tact not to follow it. The hieroglyph represents rest and tranquility in the countryside, as regards the one that appears upright when the card is in the same direction; and as regards the one that appears reversed when the card is upright, judging by the ideographic characters that form it, it means that it is necessary to heed everything that is whispered in our ear with good intention.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 63 reversed: foretells a birth.
- Next to 66: announces that shortly you will receive an unexpected gift, or at least, something that will be useful to you.
- Next to 20: announces that someone will provide you with the means to make a fortune.
SymbolismUpright - Orchus. The Scourge of Egypt - It is the symbol of Pluto, god of the underworld, of darkness, and of tyranny, for Orchus plunged Egypt into obscurantism and ignorance, in order to dominate it at his whim and commit the crimes that have immortalized him. Reversed - The Sigh - It is the symbol of life's transitions and of the influence exerted upon its course by the stars that constitute our planetary system. When the emanations issuing from the soul are satisfactory, sighs are joy; when on the contrary they are of sadness, they are necessarily stifled. It is the valve opened in the soul by the genii that surround living beings so that through it the emanations of inner affections may escape.
No. 58
EXCURSION - DECLARATION
EXCURSION - DECLARACION -NUMERO 58 -
Also called: Six of Swords · Nabopolassar · Envy · Admiration
UprightUpright - Excursion, On the Way - Route, march, road, errand, means, expedient, courier, stroll, bearer, commission agent.
ReversedReversed - Declaration, Revelation - Promulgation, disclosure, publicity, notoriety, confession, protest, authorization, manifesto, making evident.
This card generally takes its meaning from the nearest cards. However, by itself it presages for the consultant an upcoming journey, certainly very pleasant for him; but if number 4 comes out beside it, it is to be feared that this journey will be surprised and attacked by thieves. The hieroglyphic that is upright, when the card appears in the same direction, indicates the action of traveling along a road, and the one that is reversed when the card is upright indicates that of declaring before God and the law, or what is the same, of uttering an oath.
Combinations with other cards (5)
- Next to 9: indicates that he will be involved in a lawsuit.
- Next to 74: promises the upcoming hearing of a lawsuit that interests the consultant.
- Next to 38 Reversed: predicts that he will be robbed on a journey.
- Next to 27: the consultant will experience a delay in the resolution of a matter that interests him.
- Next to 48: indicates that shortly he will make or receive a declaration of love.
SymbolismUpright - Nabopolassar, Founder of the Second Assyrian Empire - This tarot symbolizes the power of supreme magic, for by its virtue, this famous king, father of Nebuchadnezzar, conquered the mighty empire of Nineveh. Reversed - Envy - It is the symbol of Cain, a soul dominated by evil spirits and the beginning and origin of the jealousy that beings feel for the good fortune and fame of others. Those who display this feeling can be certain that they act influenced by a malevolent spirit.
No. 59
LOSS - MOURNING
PERDIDA - DUELO - NUMERO 59 -
Also called: Number 59 · Five of Swords · Sparton (Founder of Sparta) · Greed · Shame
UprightUpright - Loss - Defeat - Harm, ruin, theft, shame, corruption, depravity, debauchery, dissoluteness.
ReversedReversed - Mourning, The Grave - Sadness, sorrow, affliction, funeral rites, sepulcher, painful situation, bitterness, disconsolateness.
A bad, very bad card both in its meaning upright and in its sense when it appears reversed. Upright, it portends a loss and invites the consultant to keep the key to their cashbox well guarded, as they face the threat of falling victim to a theft. This prediction, which on its own is already significant, may or may not be confirmed depending on the modifications brought by neighboring cards. However, we can certainly say that, despite the consultant's precautions, the theft will take place if card number 4 appears nearby upright. Reversed, it is generally a sign of mourning, that is, of bereavement, but this oracle is frequently modified by the accompanying cards. The hieroglyph that is upright when the card appears in the same orientation indicates breaking and entering, and the one that is inverted when the card is upright represents mourning over the death of a person.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 66 Reversed: Foreteils to the consultant that a day will come when they will regret the time lost on account of their great impetuosity.
- Next to 24: The spouse or partner is about to abandon the home.
SymbolismUpright - Sparton, Founder of Sparta - Symbol of the paternal spirit with which rulers and men of enterprise must regard their fellow citizens. Reversed - Greed - Evil spirit that tends to coil around the souls of certain beings, making them crave whatever earthly goods exist while neglecting, in turn, those that are not of this world.
No. 60
SOLITUDE - ECONOMY
SOLEDAD - ECONOMIA - NUMERO 60 -
Also called: Four of Swords · Pheron (Son of Sesostris) · Sloth · The Pantheon
UprightUpright - Solitude, Shadows - Desert, retreat, isolation, tomb, seclusion, solitary life, separation from friends, heart without affections, passion of the soul.
ReversedReversed - Economy, Order - Good administration, prudence, foresight, saving, arrangement, method, disposition, concordance, harmony, classification, precaution, reserve.
Behold here, another card of rather ill omen, whose various senses or meanings often bring confusion to the minds of good cartomancers. Reversed, this card predicts that it may lead the querent to the attainment of their aspirations. The hieroglyphic depicts a circuit of seclusion between the ideological signs of estrangement and of God, and as a priest in his vestments is seen, everything leads one to assume that it signifies withdrawal into religious seclusion.
Combinations with other cards (4)
- Next to 56: Announces that the querent's honor may be in danger.
- Next to 51: Predicts exile, that is, the expatriation of the querent on account of an evil woman.
- Next to 4: Solitude due to being implicated in a not very honorable matter.
- Next to 53: Announces that one must fear abandonment and neglect from one's partner.
SymbolismUpright - Pheron, Son of Sesostris - Symbol of humiliation. Pheron was punished and humiliated by the spirits for having insulted the god Nile, because it had overflowed and destroyed the surrounding crops. Reversed - Sloth - It is the symbol of a fish known by the name of remora, of the pilot-fish kind, to which the ancients attributed the power to stop ships. Indeed, laziness can only serve as a hindrance to the advance of beings toward the pinnacle of civilization.
No. 61
ESTRANGEMENT - STRAYING
ALEJAMIENTO - EXTRAVIOS - NUMERO 61 -
Also called: Three of Swords · Pygmalion · Sychaeus and Dido · Anger · Dominion
UprightUpright - Estrangement, Absence - Dispersion, separation, rupture, delay, repulsion, opposition, misanthropy, retreat, opposing characters, dissent, clashing temperaments.
ReversedReversed - Straying, Mental Alienation - Straying of head and heart, error, loss, distraction, discontent, carelessness, lack of memory, craziness, dispersion.
This is another card of rather imprecise meaning, and therefore, somewhat abstruse and vague. It is, consequently, in combination with other cards where the meanings that should be assigned can be clearly seen. Reversed, it warns the consultant that very soon they will have an encounter with a person whom they will regret having compromised through their clumsy carelessness. The hieroglyphic, upright, signifies the act of mourning an absence, an estrangement; and the one appearing reversed when the card is upright indicates the act of proceeding without judgment, that is, lightly and without reflection.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 20: The oracle warns that the consultant is doing very wrong by abusing their fortune, their good luck, which could change; for this reason, it invites them to distance themselves from the path they follow and undertake another more in harmony with the future.
- Next to 18 and 17 Reversed: Forecasts that the consultant must remove from their midst the traitor by whom they are surrounded, if they do not want that traitor to drag them down to ruin.
SymbolismUpright - Pygmalion, Murderer of Sychaeus, Husband of his sister Dido - It is the symbol of vengeance and of the irascibility of men, who cannot restrain the impulses suggested to them by the spirit of evil. Reversed - Anger - Symbol of certain sensations of the soul of beings, which impel them to become infuriated against everything that displeases them, inspired by the furies, divinities eager for victims.
No. 62
FRIENDSHIP - FALSEHOOD
AMISTAD - FALSEDAD - NUMERO 62 -
Also called: Number 62 · Two of Swords · Cambyses (son of Cyrus, King of Persia) · Pride · Memphis
UprightFriendship, Affection - Benevolence, sympathy, affinity, fondness, intimacy, correspondence, conformity.
ReversedFalsehood, Lie - Disloyalty, deceit, false friend, deceiver, liar, imposter, scoundrel, knavery, rogue.
Nor are there many graphic meanings that this card promises or reveals by itself, but, after all, it is an acceptable number, since, without its meaning being bad, upright it is a symbol of friendship, whereas when it appears reversed, it predicts or indicates the opposite. Reversed it portends relationships with false friends; this card also warns that one will have to deal with cheats. As for the hieroglyph, the one that is upright, when the card appears in that same direction, represents the bonds of friendship; and the one that is reversed, when the card appears upright, represents the act of knowing.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 74 or 71: Receipt of money.
- Next to 64: Indicates true friendship with a dark-haired man, whereas if numbers 18 or 21 appear, it indicates the opposite.
- Next to 65: Foretells the infidelity of a dark-haired woman.
SymbolismUpright - Cambyses, Son of Cyrus, King of Persia. Symbol of destruction and follower of the spirit of evil. Not content with ordering the death of the Apis bull, he violated tombs and tore down the statues of the deities. Reversed - Pride - Symbol of sorrow, of the fallen angel who could not cast God from his heavenly throne and had to content himself, in order to exercise some power, with being king of hell.
No. 63
EXTREMES - PREGNANCY, DISGUST
EXTREMOS - PREÑEZ, DISGUSTO - NUMERO 63 -
Also called: Ace of Swords · Sardanapalus (King of Babylon) · Lust · Extension
UprightUpright - Extremes, Misfortunes - Extreme, vast, exaggerated, furious, frenetic, violence, boundless anger, impetuous character, energetic.
ReversedReversed - Pregnancy, Disgust - Pregnancy, conception, gestation, childbirth, fertilization, enlargement, multiplication, production, fertility.
The word Extreme, which serves as the motto for Tarot 63, holds a rather obscure meaning. However, commentaries suggest that it signifies, depending on circumstances, extreme prosperity or extreme misery. All words indicating extremes in all things—in ideas or passions, in sentiments or affections, in good or evil—should also be regarded as clarifying definitions of this card's meaning. This card also indicates that extreme misery threatens the consultant if they do not set aside a portion of the capital or interest they manage for a time of need. The ideological characters forming the hieroglyph represent, from left to right: darkness, night, maternity, lightning, and vigilance—symbols that justify everything stated above.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 4: Announces that the consultant will be relentlessly pursued by their creditors, but if 47 is near, a powerful intervention will extract them from the mishap, or if you will, from the trouble.
- Next to 35 and 17: Foretells a fatal pregnancy.
SymbolismUpright - Sardanapalus, King of Babylon - The last ruler of the first Assyrian empire, he is the symbol or prototype of disordered, lustful, wicked, and effeminate heads of state. Reversed - Lust - Principle and origin of incontinence, attributes symbolizing Jupiter, who, to give free rein to his unrestrained cravings for pleasure, transformed himself into a bull, a swan, etc. The bull is the representation of a licentious and dissolute life.
Coins / Oros (cards 64–77)
No. 64
DARK MAN - VICIOUS MAN
HOMBRE MORENO - HOMBRE VICIOSO - NUMERO 64 -
Also called: King of Coins · Nimrod (King of Babylon) · Alexander the Great · The Elements
UprightUpright - Dark Man - Commerce, industrialist, operations of calculation, mathematical sciences, commercial accountant, banker, speculation.
ReversedReversed - Vicious Man, Depravity - Weakness, defect, vice, imperfection, deformity, ugliness, perversion, stench, filth, disgusting revulsion, immortality.
A bad card, and one whose meaning, like many others, depends on those that accompany or surround it. This card also serves to clarify the others it joins, as for example those in which a specific personality or the blame for some intrigue or event is sought. Reversed, it has a rather sinister meaning. In this respect, if the querent is about to undertake a journey, a delay on the road followed by very bad encounters must be feared. It also represents a vicious man of bad background, serving in this case as clarification for other meanings that need a modifying complement for the formation of the oracle. The hieroglyph represents a person writing, while a spokesman, perhaps a judge, argues.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 18 and 62 Reversed: foretells to the querent that they will be deceived by a dark man who possesses their full trust.
- Next to 58: announces an extended and imminent journey.
SymbolismUpright - Nimrod, Founder of Babylon. Symbol of oppression and the division of things that took place in the early ages of humanity. It is the absorption of the rights of all for the benefit of one alone. Reversed - Alexander the Great, Conqueror of Persia and India - It is the symbol of overwhelming force, taken from the fact that when this emperor went to Delphi at a time when the sanctuary was closed, and having begged the priestess to ascend the tripod, as she refused to do so, the great Alexander took the priestess by force, who, seeing herself led in this way, exclaimed: "My son, you are invincible."
No. 65
DARK-HAIRED WOMAN - ILLNESS, MOURNING
MUJER MORENA - ENFERMEDAD, DUELO - NUMERO 65 -
Also called: Queen of Coins · Semiramis (Queen of Nineveh) · The Sphinx · Magnificence
UprightUpright - Dark-Haired Woman, Good Fortune - Magnificence, splendor, wealth, security, poise, frankness, freedom, peace of mind, bountiful possessions.
ReversedReversed - Illness, Mourning - Poor judgment, doubt, indecision, perplexity, timidity, apprehension, hesitation, difficulty, faint-heartedness.
Nor is this card of concrete and precise significance, which is why one must look to the cards close to it for the clarifications needed so that the oracle turns out as accurate as possible. In general terms, it represents a Dark-Haired Woman when it appears upright, and an illness followed by mourning when it appears reversed. In the first case, as stated, it serves as clarification for the cards that accompany it, such as when one seeks the perpetrator of an infidelity or an intrigue, etc. In the second case, it possesses its own meaning, modified by the cards that appear beside it. Reversed, as already stated, it signifies illness and mourning. The hieroglyphic that appears upright when the card is oriented the same way represents a black woman worshiping the light of day, and the one that is inverted when the card appears upright represents pettiness and evil.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 69 Reversed: One is exposed to falling victim to fraud and deceit by a very presumptuous woman.
- Next to 18 (Reversed beside 18): Implacable enmity, betrayals, felonies, etc.
SymbolismUpright - Semiramis, Queen of Nineveh - It is the symbol of power and glory, as well as of impudence and imprudence. Reversed - The Sphinx - Symbol of the arcana of High Magic and Supreme Science. A living enigma that symbolizes the smallness of men in deciphering the mysteries of nature.
No. 66
PROFIT, UTILITY - INACTION, FIRE
PROVECHO, UTILIDAD - INACCION, FUEGO - NUMERO 66 -
Also called: Knight of Coins · Joseph (Son of Jacob) · Patience · Chastity
UprightUpright - Profit, Utility - Benefit, advantage, interest, obligation, favor, protection, profit, gift, advantageous discovery.
ReversedReversed - Inaction, Fire - Restlessness, inertia, tranquility, placidity, discouragement, dispiritedness, faintness.
Here also is another card that lacks a precise, absolute, concrete meaning, which is why clarification must be sought in the nearby cards. Nevertheless, it has been a general belief among authorities in cartomancy that the querent to whom this card appears at the start of the reading is destined to make significant discoveries of true utility, both for himself and for humanity in general. Not without reason is this card the symbol of Joseph, the interpreter of the dream of one of the Pharaohs. The principal meaning of this card when it appears reversed is that of laziness, inanition, indolence, fire, ardor, etc. The hieroglyphic, in its main part, signifies the act of receiving a useful gift.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 36: Predicts the discovery of a betrayal and a great victory over the querent's enemies.
- Next to 33: Prompts the querent to beware of their frivolous and scatterbrained nature.
SymbolismUpright - Joseph, Son of Jacob - Symbol of the beneficent spirit that aids men in deciphering the meaning of dreams. According to the ancients, Joseph learned the art of interpreting dreams from the book of Abraham. Reversed: Patience - A gift bestowed by the spirits upon certain men to endure with resignation not only the adversities of life, but also the insolence of our fellow beings.
No. 67
DARK-HAIRED YOUTH - PRODIGALITY
MOZO MORENO - PRODIGALIDAD - NUMERO 67 -
Also called: Jack of Coins · Cecrops (Founder of Athens) · Work · Agriculture
UprightUpright - Young Man, Dark-Haired Youth - Purpose, knowledge, application, work, scholarly study, disciple, apprentice, studious youth, diligent youth.
ReversedReversed - Prodigality, The Multitude - Dissipation, showy luxury, sumptuousness, superfluity, liberality, multitude, pillage, squandering.
To a man in a relationship, this card warns that a handsome and elegant dark-haired youth is amusing himself by courting his wife, who, without paying attention to him, remains quite wary for the time being, though proud; however, if Number 64 appears Beside it, the couple will have to defend themselves against the violent passion that she inspires in this dark-haired youth, who wishes to possess her at all costs. Nevertheless, she will emerge victorious from that struggle if favorable cards appear alongside this combination. When this card appears Reversed, it portends to the querent that they will madly squander their fortune, especially when it is Near Numbers 53 Reversed and 19. To women in general, when this card is accompanied by others with unfavorable meanings, the oracle reproaches their fragility and advises them not to be so lavish in granting favors. This card is also interpreted as a dissolute woman of suspicious and dissipated conduct, just as it foretells illnesses caused by the abuse of amorous pleasures; however, in this case of illness, the meaning must be confirmed by the presence of another card signifying disease or ailment. The hieroglyph represents a dark-haired woman, and the one appearing inverted when the card is upright represents water and all its connotations, such as irrigation, etc.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 73 Reversed: Predicts to the querent that they should fear infidelity from their partner.
SymbolismUpright - Cecrops, Founder of Athens - This king of Attica, who later founded the pearl of Greece, is the symbol of moderate ambition, which good spirits inspire and permit in men when it serves a good purpose. Reversed - Work - Principle and source of life, which would not exist without it. A consoling virtue that compensates for the bitterness man endures in his passage through the world, the fruits of labor being the greatest reward to which he can aspire on the planet he inhabits.
No. 68
THE HOUSE - GAMBLING, PROFIT
LA CASA - JUEGO, GANANCIA - NUMERO 68 -
Also called: Number 68 · Ten of Coins · Hunger · Activity · Architecture · May
UprightThe House, The Asylum - The home, the interior, domestic economy, palace, hotel, villa, furnished house, shelter, boat, monastery, final asylum, family, ancestry and descendants, race.
ReversedGambling, Profit - Game of chance, share, fortune, benefit, destiny, fatality, dowry, legitimate portion, gift, pension, opportunity.
Here is, among the many, another number that does not have its own specific meaning by itself, which is why it is recommended to search among nearby cards. The precise and concrete meaning of this card is the House, and therefore it serves as the primary clarification of an event that will happen or that has happened: where? In his or her House. All the value of this card, therefore, lies in carefully examining those that appear around it. As for the hieroglyph that appears upright when the card is upright, it represents the home with its furniture, while the one that appears inverted when the card is in an upright position indicates the act of multiplication.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 49 (with card No. 68 Reversed): Foreประกาศ profit or winnings in gambling.
SymbolismUpright - Hunger - Symbol of indolence and laziness. Egypt suffered many hardships and famines until Sesostris undertook the first works to channel the Nile so that its waters would fertilize those barren regions from the era of the Pharaohs' dynasty. Reversed - Activity - This tarot symbolizes Sesostris, who with his genius and activity laid the foundations of Egyptian culture and civilization.
No. 69
EFFECT, DISPOSSESSION - FRAUD, DECEIT
EFECTO, DESPOJO - FRAUDE, ENGAÑO - NUMERO 69 -
Also called: Nine of Coins · The Effect and the Cause · Rebellion · Faith · June
UprightUpright - Effect, Dispossession - Consequence, event, objects, movable or immovable property, banknote, loss, theft, usurpation of property.
ReversedReversed - Fraud, Deceit - Petty theft, surprise, cunning, swindle, sleight of hand, breach of trust, leak, rigging, repeated and continued pilfering.
When this card appears, it serves only to clarify the meaning or significance of other cards and to announce the rapid effect of the predictions indicated by the numbers neighboring it. An example: among the cards on the table, 64, Number 13, and Number 37 appear. The translation would be: a union must take place between a dark-haired man and a blonde woman; now, the proximity of Number 69 would complete the prediction, adding that the union will take place quickly. Another example: Number 40 reversed announces setbacks; the proximity of Number 69 announces that those setbacks will come to pass shortly. Both hieroglyphs confirm everything we have said.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to Next to 37 and 59: Warns that one is threatened with an unworthy petty theft that will wound their pride more than their fortune.
- Next to Reversed near 71 reversed: Makes it known that one will have good reason to doubt the loyalty of someone to whom money has been lent.
SymbolismUpright - The Effect and The Cause - This card represents what is the principle and origin of all things, the effect being the result of the creative labor of this principle. Reversed - Rebellion - This card demonstrates that all human beings have a propensity to rebel against any power that seeks to subjugate or subdue them; and since rebellion is of divine origin, hence man is rebellious against everything that is not just.
No. 70
DARK-HAIRED YOUNG WOMAN - USURY
JOVEN MORENA - USURA - NUMERO 70 -
Also called: Eight of Coins · The Battles · The Chameleon · The Enigma · July
UprightUpright - Dark-Haired Young Woman, Beauty - Young woman, dark-haired, honest, helpful, good reception, simplicity, ease, courtesy, good manners, natural and kind character.
ReversedReversed - Usury, Vanity - Interest, superabundance, exaction, concupiscence, height, elevation, ostentatious and stupid vanity, self-serving selfishness, repugnant usury.
This card always indicates to the consultant the intervention of a dark-haired young woman in their affairs, but the character and other clarifications of the case corresponding to that dark-haired young woman depend on the other cards. Reversed, it foretells that the consultant will find themselves compromised in a matter of usury. Regarding the hieroglyph, we would need entire pages to unravel the enigma contained in the ideological characters that stand before the figure, which is why we will only say that it confirms everything that has been said.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 75: she is a noble woman.
- Next to 78: it concerns a flighty girl, a young woman light in the head and perhaps light of heart.
- Next to 18: it concerns a perverse woman.
SymbolismUpright - The Battles - This card is the representation of the result or effect of the destructive principle produced by war. Reversed - The Chameleon - Symbol of human hypocrisy. The hypocrisy of certain beings, inspired by harmful spirits, can be compared to the chameleon, which instantly changes color, in the same way that man, through his malice, changes opinion and conduct according to his self-interest. It is worth mentioning that this symbolism "has nothing to do" with the meaning and acceptations of the card. See entry "Egyptian System".
No. 71
MONEY - RESTLESSNESS, FEAR
DINERO - INQUIETUD, TEMOR - NUMERO 71 -
Also called: Seven of Coins · Cush (Son of Ham) · The Flood · Purity
UprightUpright - Money, Esteem - Capital, specie, currency, objects of silver or gold, candor, ingenuousness, mirror, purification, purity.
ReversedReversed - Restlessness, Fear - Anxiety, anguish, grief, affliction, worry, lack of tranquility, agitation, suffering.
When this card appears first, if it is near 18 or 76, it foretells that one is on the verge of suffering a fairly significant loss of money. When this card comes out reversed, it announces that the querent is a victim, or prey, not merely to fears and worries, but to genuine tribulations. These tribulations will intensify if Number 71 is accompanied by Number 67, for then the oracle predicts that the worries one has about losing one's money are not unfounded. The hieroglyph confirms all that has been said, as it represents a man whom a dragon seeks to devour, were he not protected by the gods, represented in this case by a bird.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 20, 31 or 45: Predicts extraordinary income, originating either from business earnings, gambling winnings, or an inheritance.
- Next to Reversed, near 42: Warns the querent not to fear lending money that has been requested of them.
SymbolismUpright - Cush, Son of Ham and Grandson of Noah: It is the principle and origin of the race of Western Arabs and Ethiopians. Reversed - Purity: Symbol of chastity, which beings cannot attain as long as they do not banish from themselves the fluidic larvae that surround them, which, as has already been stated elsewhere, live solely off their secretions.
No. 72
THE PRESENT - AMBITION
LO PRESENTE - AMBICION - NUMERO 72 -
Also called: Six of Coins · Elam (Son of Shem) · The Flint · The Great Architect
UprightUpright - The Present, The Hour - Present time, contemporary, permanent session, suddenly, today, now, at this instant, the event of the day.
ReversedReversed - Ambition, Jealousy - Desire, aspiration, eagerness to rise, to prosper, desires for wealth, dreams of glory.
This card was certainly not made to feed the consultant's illusions, inasmuch as, in its strictest and most absolute sense, it means that they must not and cannot rely on anything other than the present. Reversed, this card predicts disappointment to the ambitions harbored by the consultant. The hieroglyph seen upright, when the card occupies this position, likewise represents the present; and as regards the one appearing reversed when the card is upright, the ideographic characters represent all human ambitions.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 76: predicts difficulties that can be overcome with greater or lesser effort, depending on the surrounding cards.
- Next to Reversed next to 25: announces the arrival of news that causes them to lose all illusions.
- Next to Reversed next to 65: means that the amorous passion they harbor is unrequited.
SymbolismUpright - Elam, Son of Shem and Grandson of Noah. Beginning and origin of the Elamite or Persian race. Reversed: The Great Architect - He is the beginning and End of all things, the Creator of the Universe and its reformer and transformer. This Tarot card has identical meaning to Number 1 Upright.
No. 73
LOVER, LOVES - DISORDER
AMANTE, AMORES - DESORDEN - NUMERO 73 -
Also called: Five of Coins · Heber (Grandson of Shem) · Discord · Ahriman
UprightUpright - Lover, Loves - Man or woman in love, courted woman, suitor, fiancé, fiancée, gallantry, gallant man, husband, friend, affectionate woman, male beloved, female beloved, harmony, romantic relationships.
ReversedReversed - Disorder, Debauchery - Disarray, lack of order, misconduct, dissipation, rake, libertine, confusion, poor regimen, fond of scandals and flirtations.
Here is a card of special significance for those in love and for lovers, without this prejudging the good or bad omens it makes to one or the other. Reversed, it indicates that the querent's lack of order will cause them great troubles and sorrows. It also warns that their lack of economy and their excesses may cause them disruptions, not only in their health, but also in their affairs. This card also predicts grief caused by love. The hieroglyphic represents love, virginity, and the bonds of union.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 37: Announces that a brilliant marriage that had been planned will fall apart.
- Next to 67: Indicates an illicit and extremely dangerous passion.
SymbolismUpright - Heber, Grandson of Shem and Great-grandson of Noah. - Origin and beginning of the so-called Semitic or Hebrew race. Reversed: Discord - This Tarot symbolizes the effects of envy, for this malevolent deity, daughter of night, was cast down from Olympus by Jupiter for having wanted to introduce discord into heaven; but since she could not do so there, she succeeded in doing it on Earth, throwing the famous apple onto the table where the wedding of Thetis and Peleus was being celebrated with a banquet, because she had not been invited to it.
No. 74
GIFT, NEWS - CLOSURE, PRISON
REGALO, NOTICIA - CLAUSURA, PRISION - NUMERO 74 -
Also called: Four of Coins · Javan (Son of Japheth) · Humility · The Dogma
UprightUpright - Gift, News, The Present - Liberality, present or gift, favor, service, white color, precious stone, medicine, dose, teaching.
ReversedReversed - Closure, Prison - Limit, barrier, wall, enclosure, boundary, obstruction, cloister, convent, barricade, obstacles, suspensions, delay, opposition.
We find ourselves before another card of very vague and imprecise meaning, which is why we must appeal to the clarifications that the nearest cards can provide. Reversed, it predicts running into obstacles, perhaps judicial ones, regarding the successful and prompt completion of a business matter; one must look to the meaning of the other cards accompanying it to see whether these obstacles will disappear or not, and whether sooner or later. The hieroglyphic represents the act of giving a gift, and regarding the one that is inverted when the card appears upright, as can be seen, it depicts a fence or wall.
Combinations with other cards (3)
- Next to 76: Announces that sooner or later one will receive gifts of great value.
- Next to 66: Makes known that one will obtain a very important concession that has already been requested by him.
- Next to 36: Advises sending gifts to an influential person whose protection is hoped for.
SymbolismUpright - Javan, Son of Japheth and Grandson of Noah - - Principle and origin of the so-called Ionian and Greek races -. Reversed - Humility - Principle and origin of the sentiment that beneficent spirits produce in beings in opposition to pride.
No. 75
CHILD, FRIVOLITY - NOBILITY
NIÑO, FRIVOLIDAD - NOBLEZA - NUMERO 75 -
Also called: Number 75 · Three of Coins · Gomer (son of Japheth) · The Rooster · Consideration · Attention
UprightUpright - Nobility, Noble or Aristocrat - Noble person, aristocracy, vast, extensive, educated, renowned, glorious, consideration, magnanimity, etiquette, elegant manners.
ReversedReversed - Child, Frivolity - Weakening, puerility, diminution, smallness, mimicry, sloth, humility, rickets, objection.
This is the card of nobility par excellence, as it refers not only to nobility of blood, but to that of the soul, which is more real, more lasting, and even more acceptable. In this sense, it encompasses actions, feelings, hierarchy, greatness of soul, sublimity—in a word, whatever is illustrious. Reversed, when it appears beside card 63, it foretells that the querent will be tormented, and beside card 7, that they will be protected. As regards the hieroglyph, the one that is upright when the card is right-side up represents a bee, a symbol of royalty and nobility. The reversed hieroglyph signifies, when the card is upright, smallness, infancy, a being that has not yet come to live.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to 25: Predicts that a powerful foreigner will protect them.
SymbolismUpright - Gomer, Son of Japheth - Principle and origin of the Galatians, Gauls, and Celts. Reversed - The Rooster - Mysterious and cabalistic bird that with its crow puts infernal spirits to flight. It symbolizes secrecy, as it is the only male animal that secretly lays an egg from which emerges a serpent that has the property of killing all who behold it.
No. 76
OBSTACLES - LETTER, DOCUMENTS
OBSTACULOS - CARTA, DOCUMENTOS - NUMERO 76 -
Also called: Number 76 · Two of Coins · Zoroaster (High Priest of Magic) · The Good Principle
UprightUpright - Obstacles, Hindrance - Difficulty, obstacles, confusion, impediment, restlessness, agitation, perplexity.
ReversedReversed - Letter, Documents - Writing, written piece, document, sentence, book, composition, alphabet, note, promissory note, bill of exchange.
The principal meaning of this card is that of confusion, agitation, emotion, and cartomancers must adhere to it to decipher the oracle. When this card appears, it indicates that the querent is perturbed, emotional, for which reason one must seek the causes behind that emotion, that confusion; those causes may be real or imaginary. Reversed, this card is generally of ill omen and signifies ignorance or injustice, insidious contracts, anonymous letters, and frequently documents from court officials, such as summonses for lawsuits or other judicial acts.
Combinations with other cards (2)
- Next to 16: Next to 16: predicts a favorable ruling in a trial or lawsuit being pursued against the querent.
- Next to 64: Next to 64: warns that the cause of the confusion is a dark-complexioned man; this man would deceive her if 69 is nearby, but she will obtain a victory over him if Number 41 is nearby.
SymbolismUpright - Zoroaster - High Priest of the Supreme Science and of magic, and Sovereign Pontiff and founder of the religion of the sacred fire. Reversed - The Good Principle - Protective genius who guides beings along the right path and induces them to begin their works in a laudable manner.
No. 77
HAPPINESS POWER - FORTUNE WEALTH
DICHA PODER - FORTUNA RIQUEZA - NUMERO 77
Also called: Ace of Coins · Hellen (Son of Deucalion, King of Nalones) · Despair
UprightUpright - Happiness, Power - Happiness, complete joy, great contentment, golden color, ecstasy, perfect medicine, great rejoicing, extreme joy.
ReversedReversed - Fortune, Wealth - Purse of money, capital, sum, treasure, opulence, precious, dear, large income, rare fortune, extreme, fabulous, immeasurable wealth.
This is the most favorable card of all those that make up the deck, and it is a brilliant sign of joy, happiness, well-being, and honor. When the Egyptians saw this card appear in the reading, they stopped at that very moment and asked no further explanations from the oracle. The Ace of Coins has the virtue of modifying the bad meaning of the cards that surround the one at hand. Reversed, it announces that the querent will receive their rightful share of an important discovery. It would take very long to explain the meaning of the hieroglyph that appears on this card. It represents two dancers dancing before the famous Apis bull, which is perhaps where the happy, joyful, and blissful meaning of this card originates. The ideographic characters that appear to the right of the hieroglyph represent, beginning from left to right, the day, light, God, justice, life, strength, and writing.
Combinations with other cards (1)
- Next to Next to 13 and near 20: Predicts the realization of a marriage that is happy in many respects.
SymbolismUpright: - Hellen, son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, who gave the name of Hellenes to the Thessalians. Reversed: - Despair - Symbol of Eve, whose despair knew no bounds after having committed the transgression that caused her expulsion from Paradise, and this despair was much greater upon being repudiated by Adam to take his daughter Lilith as his wife.
These practices are shared as tradition and personal reflection, not as a substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.