DATES: July 3 to 8
NUMBERS: 48 / 36
Wife
Original Italian title: Donna Sposata, married woman
This card symbolizes a married woman, wife, mother, or ideal woman to start a family.
•trustworthy, loyal, honest
•caring, supportive, maternal, steadfast
•empathy, good judgment, understanding, gentleness
•committed relationship
SYMBOLS: This card shows a lovely woman with a child in her lap. The woman’s expression is kind and relaxed. She holds a note, indicating she is informed and news is good. The child appears very well cared for suggesting she is a good mother, wise, responsible and mature. She wears a red rose, symbolizing she is loved. The setting is tranquil, a comfortable terrace with a beautiful view, suggesting prosperity, comfort and reassuring that life with this woman is good.
STRAIGHT: This card is a reassuring and positive card. This card represents someone who is generous, intellectual, confident and thoughtful. It also suggests someone of good moral character, one that is trustworthy and dependable. If the inquirer is hoping to be a wife, it suggests this wish will come true. It could also suggest that the inquirer has found the ideal person with whom to build a life and family. In business situations, this card represents someone who will help with the implementation of projects and one who will support prosperity and success.
SUGGESTIONS FOR:
LOVE: wife, mother, lover, friend that is reliable and sincere, good with children, loyal, sexually generous
WORK: co-worker or manager that is hardworking, talented and who drives profitability and growth of business
HEALTH: good health, strong passions, erotic energy
ADVICE: Trust that this is a person who is dependable and trustworthy.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: a dependable person has played a significant role in the recent past
•Below – Future: someone who can be trusted will play a role or will become a wife in the near future
•In front – Obstacle: the challenge will be to be loyal, supportive or to trust a female partner
•Behind: Advice: trust the person in your life to be trustworthy and loyal
REVERSED: This card reversed can represent a break, separation, or divorce. It can also describe a person who is not faithful, neglects responsibilities, is frivolous or lacking in moral character. It can suggest that the woman will not be a good and faithful wife or one with whom the inquirer should start a family. This card reversed also warns that projects could be delayed or canceled or there will be a disruption to the family. It can also represent a married lover or one that will break up the family.
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS: Queen of Diamonds
•Vera Sibilla: Queen of Diamonds: Married Woman: either a mature woman or woman who is in an established relationship, can be a mother
DATES: January 4 to 10
NUMBERS: 51 / 3
Young Woman
Original Italian title: Giovinetta, young girl
This card symbolizes a young woman or a situation that is young or still developing.
•damsel, daughter, sister, cousin, young lover
•sweet, reliable, polite, mannered
•maturing, growing, learning, developing
SYMBOLS: The central figure of this card is a young woman, no longer a girl but clearly young in years. She seems to be mature, demonstrating restraint and decorum. She is holding a book suggesting intellect, curiosity and desire to learn. In the background, there is a well-tended garden with a fountain. The fountain bursting upward symbolizes the life force and youthful strength. The garden is clean, tidy, healthy and green symbolizing the ability to mature and grow.
STRAIGHT: This card can represent either a person or a situation. When this card represents a person, it is a young female who is good, sensible and pure. When this card refers to a situation or entity it suggests that there is a need to grow or that an undertaking is premature. It can represent youthful enthusiasm, something undertaken with enthusiasm or a new venture that has yet to produce results. Associated with negative cards, this card can represent being restrained, confined, or having to grow up too fast.
SUGGESTIONS FOR:
LOVE: a pleasant flirtation is born and will perhaps mature into something mature and lasting
WORK: young employee or student, eager to learn, make a good impression, a first job
HEALTH: good health, female vitality
ADVICE: Give it time, things will mature and grow.
LOCATION IN CROSS SPREAD:
•Above – Past: something has been growing, maturing, coming of age
•Below – Future: there will be a period of growth in the future or a young female will enter the picture
•In front – Obstacle: the challenge will be to allow things to grow and mature
•Behind: Advice: allow time for growth and for things to mature
REVERSED: This card reversed suggests a lack of maturity, frivolity or something small and insignificant. It can indicate insecurity or something very young ending. When it refers to a person, reversed this card suggests a female who is listless, frail, lazy, unreliable or unambitious.
OTHER CARD SYSTEMS: Queen of Clubs
•Vera Sibilla: Queen of Clubs: Young Maiden: young woman or girl, sometimes inquirer, desire and waiting
DATES: December 4 to 10
NUMBERS: 81 / 20
Card Spreads
As discussed previously, Gypsy Oracle Cards are interpreted by the reader considering both the individual card meanings and the relationships between the cards that appear together in a reading. The groupings or layouts used for card readings are referred to as “spreads”.
Reading with intention
Before laying out the cards into a spread it’s important to set the intention for the reading. There are two aspects of this intention. The first is the intention of the card reader. You must be open to the energy of the inquirer, to set aside your own ego, bias and emotions to be able to discern what is important to convey. The second aspect of the intention is the question being asked and the spread being selected to answer this question. It is important to actively keep in mind all aspects of the intention as the cards are being shuffled. I have found that in order to have a clear picture of the intention, it’s important to have the inquirer describe the situation or question being asked of me. Even if the inquiry is not very specific, setting a general intention to be able to convey what the inquirer needs to hear is perfectly acceptable.
Shuffling the cards
Whatever shuffle method allows you to thoroughly mix the cards mindful of the intention described above is fine. I have developed my own style that has been very effective for my readings. I begin by shuffling the cards at least seven times from my right to my left hand. I then set the deck face down on the table and cut it into three sections placing each cut to the left and allowing my intention to guide how thick each stack should be. I then rotate the middle section 180 degrees and then re-stack the deck in the reverse order (starting with the stack furthest right and putting it on top of the middle and then the combined deck on top of the stack to the left). I then reshuffle the deck seven more times from my right hand to my left. The rotation of a portion of the cards is important for my readings as I interpret the cards using both the straight and reversed orientations. The last step is to have the person making the inquiry cut the deck. I place the bottom of the cut on top and begin to deal the card spread starting with the top card.
Selecting which spread to use
There are many different spreads used by card readers. Some readers use only one type of spread for all their readings, while others, like myself, select the spread based on the type of question that is being asked or because I have a feeling which spread I should use in that moment.
In this section I will discuss several different card spreads starting with the cross spread that is de
scribed in the instructions that came with my Gypsy Oracle Deck and pictured below. I personally don’t believe there are hard and fast rules about what spread should be used and why. What I do believe is important is that the card reader have a clear intention for the cards and which layout will be used. It is the reader who must tap into the energy of the inquirer and then interpret that energy with the aid of the cards, therefore, whatever spread the reader chooses with that intention will be the right one.
Cross Spread
Suggested Use
This spread is described in the leaflet that accompanies the Gypsy Oracle Cards. It can be used for all types of questions but is particularly useful for complex questions or situations where there are numerous possible influences and outcomes.
Dealing the Spread
Cards are dealt face down starting with the center card. Then a card is placed above, below, to the right and to the left of the center card. For a simple question, just one set of five cards may be sufficient but, for complex questions, the reader should deal four stacks. The reader then turns over the five cards on top and interprets the cards as a group.
Description of Card Positions
The center card (1) represents an aspect of the current situation. The card above (2) represents an element of the recent past that has contributed to the current situation represented by the center card. The card below (3) suggests how the situation will develop in the near future and represents elements that will influence the future. The card to the right (4) represents the obstacles or what is in front of or getting in the way of a positive outcome. The card to the left, or behind, (5) represents the advice, recommendations, suggestions or instructions for the inquirer in order to achieve their goals.
Interpretation
The cards are interpreted considering the meanings and locations of the cards. Take time to consider each card and how it relates back to the central card or present situation. Also, consider each group of 5 together and then at the end of the reading all the cards of a particular position. Predominantly negative or positive cards could suggest whether the answer is “yes” or “no”. If there are common themes in the Advice or Obstacle positions this could suggest a pattern of behavior or strong recommendations that will influence the way the situation will develop.
Seven Card Spread
Suggested Use
This spread is very useful for developing an answer to a specific question. This spread leads the reader to the answer while providing advice and insight into the factors that are influencing the situation.
Dealing the Spread
The reader deals seven cards face down from left to right and back in the pattern shown in the diagram to the left. All the cards are turned face up at once.
Description of Card Positions
The card at the top left of the spread (1) represents the most important aspects of the recent past. These elements of the past are ones that influence how the situation has or will develop. The next card (2) suggests the peculiarities of the current situation. The third card (3) reveals a peek at the answer and provides a suggestion for how the situation will evolve in the near future. The card furthest right in the middle of the spread (4) represents the emotions and concerns of the inquirer with regard to the question. The fifth card (5) represents the impact or influence of others on the outcome or answer. The next to last card (6) gives advice or recommendations for what actions should be taken. The final card (7) provides the answer to the question.
Interpretation
The reader should consider the meaning of each card in its position and discuss the card suggestions with the inquirer. By discussing the insights from each card, the reader can determine what aspects of the card meaning resonate with the inquirer . The story that emerges will help the reader build the interpretation of the spread and arrive at the answer to the inquiry.
Nine Card Spread
Suggested Use
Often the inquirer does not have a question in mind but instead asks for insights regarding a more general situation or aspect of life. For example, the inquirer could ask for insights regarding their career rather than a specific question about a work situation or problem. This spread is useful when there is no specific question but a need to understand the overall environment or theme for the next six to eight weeks.
Dealing the Spread
The reader deals nine cards face up in three rows beginning at the top left and moving from left to right as shown in the diagram.
Description of Card Positions
The center card (5) is the central theme or overall answer for the spread. This spread is most commonly interpreted by considering cards in groups of three. There are eight possible groupings to consider; three rows, three columns and two diagonal groups. The vertical columns represent the aspects of the Past (1,4,7), Present (2,5,8) and Future (2,6,9) that contribute to the overall theme or outcome. The top row (1,2,3) represents what is currently on the mind of the inquirer. The middle row (4,5,6) represents the present situation or the overall atmosphere surrounding the inquirer. The bottom row (7,8,9) represents aspects that are known and within the inquirer’s control and suggest the actions that can be taken. The diagonal cards (1,5,9 and 3,5,7) provide insight into what other influences maybe at work.
Interpretation
Evaluate each row and column as a set to provide the interpretation for that aspect of the reading. It may be helpful to consider cards 2,4,5,6,8 together as they as they all represent aspects of the present situation. Also consider the number of negative and positive cards and their locations (in the past or future) and as an indicator of the direction the situation is headed.
Five and Three Card Spreads
Suggested Use
Five and three card spreads are useful for answering simple questions, particularly ones that are essentially “yes” or “no” and when the inquirer is not looking for depth as to the reasons why.
Dealing the Spread
After shuffling the cards thoroughly, either three or five cards are dealt face up from left to right.
Description of Card Positions
For both of these spreads, the card in the middle (card 3 in the five card spread and card 2 in the three card spread) represent the essence of the question being asked. For the five card spread, the two cards to the left (1, 2) describe the background for the answer such as the situations or people that are involved. The two cards to the right (4, 5) suggest the overall results from the situation. Similarly, the cards to the left and right in the three card spread represent the elements contributing to (1) and the results (3) for the question being asked.
Interpretation
The cards are interpreted considering the meanings and locations of the cards. Take time to consider each card and how it relates back to the central card or present situation. Consider the number of negative or positive cards in the spread. Predominantly negative cards suggest the answer is “no”, whereas predominantly positive cards suggest the answer is “yes”.
Relationship Spread
Suggested Use
As the name implies, this spread is useful for interpreting relationships. It is primarily used for romantic relationships but can be used for any type.
Dealing the Spread
Two cards are selected from the deck to represent the parties of the relationship. For romantic relationships it is customary to select the two lover cards (Sweetheart and Lover) no matter the gender of the parties, however, any two cards that the reader feels represents the people in question are acceptable. The character cards are placed face up on the table and the remaining cards are shuffled. The spread is dealt by first placing a card above and between the two character cards (1) and then dealing the cards around the character cards alternating between the inquirer and the partner in the order shown on the diagram.
Description of Card Positions
The first card (1) represents what is going on in the relationship at the present time. The cards above (2, 3) repr
esent the person’s thoughts and plans for the relationship. The cards immediately below (4, 5) represent what the person is really feeling about the other party and the relationship. The inside cards (6, 7) represent what each person is bringing to the relationship. The outside cards (8, 9) represent the persons hopes and desires for the relationship. The bottom cards (10, 11) represent what each person hopes to gain from the relationship and their motives for being connected the other. The last card (12) represents the future of the relationship.
Interpretation
Relationships are complex and interpreting this spread requires patience as there are many aspects to consider. It is important to consider the corresponding pairs of cards, such as the hopes and desires for the inquirer and partner (8, 9) and then the overall spread for each of the parties in order to evaluate the relationship.
Service of Reading
It is important to approach each reading with a genuine desire to be of service to the one making the inquiry. It doesn’t matter if you are doing a reading for yourself or for someone else, nor does it matter whether or not you are monetarily compensated for your reading, you must focus on providing an honest and true reading. You must be mindful that you serve others best by delivering the insights that will help them navigate their situation, not what you want to say or what you think the inquirer wants to hear.
Gypsy Oracle Cards Page 10