Introduction To La Vera Sibilla & Sibilla della Zingara (Gypsy Oracle) Cards
A brief intro to THE classic 19th century oracle deck
Introducing “Sibilla” Decks
If you’ve been interested in classic oracle cards for a while, you’ve probably heard of “Sibilla” decks. But what are they exactly? And how do they compare to other classic card systems like Kipper, Bohemian or “Gypsy” cards, Lenormand and Tarot?
Sibilla is the Italian word for “sibyl”—in other words, an oracle or prophetess, as per the esteemed prophetesses or seers of Ancient Greece. In oracle card terms, they originate in a specific Italian set of 52 fortune telling cards developed in the mid-19th century, known as La Vera Sibilla Italiana (“The True Italian Sybil”) cards, which correspond with a deck of playing cards. An alternate but simplified version of the same deck, with exactly the same images and meanings but minus any playing card references is known as the Sibilla della Zingara, or more commonly, the “Gypsy Oracle Cards”.
The most common versions of the two Italian decks that you’ll be able to get hold of are as below:
You can see a recent reading using La Vera Sibilla cards here:
More Detail On "The Child". La Vera Sibilla Has Its Say!
And one using the Sibilla della Zingara cards here:
So let’s dive in and take a closer look…
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