Neapolitan Card Meanings & Reading Methods – Method 1

This post is Method 1 in a series that will explore different interpretive methods and different techniques with the Neapolitan cards.

I'd like to send out a big THANK YOU to Miriam Amicarelli for her help and input on the translation. Any mistakes are my own!

I have been looking for information about how to use Neapolitan cards for divination for quite some time. Though there are some useful sources out there on the web, the ones I have found have been in Italian. To make this study easier, I translated what I found into English. This information is not original to me, rather, it has been found in various places across the web:

https://www.donnaclick.it/cartomanzia/cartomanzia-con-le-carte-napoletane-metodo-delle-due-carte/

http://glispecchidicarta.blogspot.com/2011/12/metodo-due-con-le-carte-napoletane.html

https://vascello-stelleperdute.forumfree.it/?t=65606425

It was important to share this information because I know there are people out there who are seeking it but who don't speak Italian.

The following card interpretations are used for reading cards individually.

1. Shuffle and cut the deck with your left hand.

2. Deal out three or five cards in a line.

3. The central card is the main topic/influence for the reading. Cards closer to the center are more immediate/have more influence.

Semi di Oro (Suit of Denari, Coins)

Traditionally represented the Nobility.

Themes: Money, material goods, inheritances, debts

Ace - UPRIGHT: Victory, removes negative influences of any nearby cards, marriage, official documents. REVERSED: Consolation, retains a positive connotation but no longer removes negative influences

Two - UPRIGHT: Sight, eyes, seeing something. REVERSED: Letter or document, paper to read, a message

Three - UPRIGHT: Material advantage, receiving a small amount of money, a good or profitable agreement. REVERSED: Losing a small amount of money

Four - UPRIGHT: Financial stability, the bed, strong physical attraction. REVERSED: Financial instability, economic problems, an unstable romance, or unsatisfactory job

Five - UPRIGHT: Love, positive feelings, loving what you do, getting good news. REVERSED: Sentimental situation, emotional suffering, relationship that will end. With other coins, a love triangle or fling.

Six - UPRIGHT: Tears (of joy or pain), refer to surrounding cards

REVERSED: Tears (of joy or pain), refer to surrounding cards

Seven - UPRIGHT: “Settebello”, Lovely or beautiful seven, great luck is coming, powerful if in conjunction with the Ace of Coins, dissolves negative influences of other cards. REVERSED: A risk you should not take, does not dissolve negative influences.

Donna (Woman) - UPRIGHT: Enthusiasm, desire to achieve goals, material commitment of the consultant REVERSED: The consultant’s doubts and uncertainties about their objectives

Cavallo (Knight) - UPRIGHT: Thought, being at the center of someone’s thoughts, money on its way. REVERSED: Laziness, a situation being blocked, obstacle

Re (King)

Re (King) - UPRIGHT: Achievement of material goals if one acts with patience and maturity. REVERSED: Greed and materialism

Semi di Coppe (Suit of Cups)

Traditionally represented the Clergy.

Themes: Emotions, love affairs, relationships

Ace - UPRIGHT: A home, especially the consultant’s positive influences, familiar place, emotional stability. REVERSED: Family or work problems, instability

Two - UPRIGHT: Dialogue, affinity, compatibility, consultant is on good terms with those around them. REVERSED: Communication problems, in a romance, it can indicate a relationship fueled by physical attraction, with Coins, insincerity

Three - UPRIGHT: One of the most positive cards. Joy, serenity, contentment, union, possible birth. REVERSED: Frustration, dissatisfaction, a crisis brought on by lack of cooperation

Four - UPRIGHT: Balance, stability, harmony, clarification, meeting someone important. REVERSED: Lack of clarity, confusion, lack of closure, consultant may not be open to others or situations

Five - UPRIGHT: Family, arrival of a baby or news, a small legacy, a new path to take. REVERSED: A return to the past, recurring situation or person from the past

Six - UPRIGHT: The past, situations that repeat themselves, cheating with an ex. REVERSED: The future

Seven - UPRIGHT: Success of a project, a satisfaction obtained, period of joy and happiness. REVERSED: Sadness due to disillusionment, expectations not met

Donna (Woman) - UPRIGHT: Incredibly positive, harmony and good feelings. REVERSED: Someone unable to manage their sentimental feelings/situation, someone who uses moral blackmail, indulges in excessive confidentiality or is very shy

Cavallo (Knight) - UPRIGHT: Movement and good news about emotional situation, return of a loved one, a new proposal. REVERSED: A stalemate or bad news coming

Re (King)

RE (King) - UPRIGHT: Feeling of falling in love, passion for facing work and challenges. REVERSED: An emotionally delicate period, a weak person who hides it with authoritarianism and violence

Semi di Spade (Suit of Swords)

Traditionally represented Peasants.

Themes: Health, spiritual and mental, negatives, illness, accidents, dislikes

Ace - UPRIGHT: Negative influences, painful situation, problem, or obstacle. REVERSED: A blocked situation, temporary problems, and jealousies

Two - UPRIGHT: Rivalry, discord, disappointment due to vanity. REVERSED: End of a quarrel, a moment of peace, waiting

Three - UPRIGHT: Quarrels, someone who creates quarrels between others, betrayal in love. REVERSED: Cheats and falsehoods

Four - UPRIGHT: A block or disease that requires bed rest or causes immobility, a time of isolation or convalescence. REVERSED: Same as upright

Five - UPRIGHT: A gate, feeling imprisoned, momentary inability to achieve goals, period of isolation. REVERSED: Repentance, jealousy

Six - UPRIGHT: Falsehood, humiliation, betrayed by a trusted person, pains, unknown yet insidious situations or people. REVERSED: Same as upright

Seven - UPRIGHT: Failure, family related grief due to communication problems, a situation that will not happen. REVERSED: Same as upright, but to a lesser extend or temporary

Eight - UPRIGHT: Gossip/falsehood, unchanging situation, or consultant is rigid and won’t look at new points of view REVERSED: As upright but accentuated, hatred, great remorse

Cavallo (Knight) - UPRIGHT: News, something that comes from the outside, travel related problems, inability to find a meeting point, love: arrival of a person that lives far away UPRIGHT: Same as upright, A painful blockage

Re (King) - UPRIGHT: Authoritarian and severe person, rigid, won’t reevaluate a situation. REVERSED: Deceptive and cunning person, especially related to love and relationships

Semi di Bastoni (Suit of Batons)

Traditionally represented Merchants and Artisans.

Themes: Work, travel, action, movement, energy

Ace - UPRIGHT: Pleasure, masculinity, affirmative answer, signing of documents. REVERSED: Sexual problems, something that doesn’t happen, a regret

Two - UPRIGHT: Legs, short trips, event happening soon, between two face cards: a short quarrel with a person you love

REVERSED: Upcoming surprise, a situation in which your cards are revealed

Three - UPRIGHT: Unity and union, workplace collaboration, a very united relationship. REVERSED: A break, disunity

Four - UPRIGHT: All actions carried out around a table: dialogue, confrontation, meals, decision making. Indicates stability of surrounding cards. REVERSED: Instability and uncertainty

Five - UPRIGHT: Pomp and abundance spiritually and materially, positive influences, success, meeting an important person. REVERSED: Justice and court proceedings.

Six - UPRIGHT: Home environment, getting a job. This card multiplies the influences of the cards around it. Long lasting love. REVERSED: Multiplies disappointments, insecurities, frustrations

Seven - UPRIGHT: Words and speeches, verbal plans, and success. REVERSED: Slander, gossip, failure after toil

Donna (Woman) - UPRIGHT: Positive outcome, control over a situation, a wise and loyal person. REVERSED: Fatigue, health problems, infidelity

Cavallo (Knight) - UPRIGHT: Long journeys, transfers, business trips, news. REVERSED: Separation, divorce, dismissal

Re (King) - UPRIGHT: Novelty in love, unexpected inheritance. REVERSED: A violent person, thief, swindler