Comparing Another "Sibilla" Deck: The French Sibylle des Salons aka Sibilla Indovina or "Parlour Sibyl"

The 19th Century Parisian classic deck & how it differs from Italian Sibillas

Cards 1-52 of the Sibille des Salons (Lo Scarabeo version the Sibilla Indovina)

Background

The French Sibylle des Salons, variously known as the Parlour Sibyl and the Sibilla Indovina is a Sibilla deck which, just like the Italian Vera Sibilla/Gypsy Oracle deck, has 52 cards. Its illustrations are highly evocative and expressive—sometimes more so, and more amusingly (in my humble opinion) than in its Italian equivalent.

Like the Vera Sibilla, the Sibylle des Salons has playing card references, and depicts everyday occurrences and people, many of which are similar in theme. There isn’t a great deal of crossover between the decks, however; the cards and even the playing card associations are completely distinct from one another. That said, they do share SOME concepts.

The Sibylle des Salons deck, rebranded for an international audience as the Sibilla Indovina, was first produced in France, originally with hand-painted illustrations by Jean-Jacques Granville, in the 1840s by publisher H. Pussey.

As you’ll see, the current version of the deck retains the original images.

H. Pussey A Lot Of Money Card 1885

And the “Sibyl” herself, the prophetess, as represented in the cards, is said to have been based on… none other than our old friend, the infamous Parisian fortune teller, Mlle LeNormand herself!! It is she who is allegedly shown in the “Thought” card below.

Read on to find out more, and to find out exactly WHICH cards are shared between the Italian & French decks… and which cards are not.