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Red Feather (an imprint with Schiffer Publishing) sent over The Magic Lantern Sibilla Deck. It’s my first experience with a Sibilla deck. I knew it was time to take a look at this card system when I read that it is the first version published with English titles. It’s typically in Italian if you are new to this card system. I jumped at the chance to work with this deck and to share it with you because this is an exciting development in the cartomancy world. 

This Sibilla deck, created by Caitlín Matthews and illustrated by Anastasia Kashian has 52-colorful cards, depicting scenes from 19th-century Italy. These cards represent people, places, and events from our everyday life. This deck and guidebook are ideal for those wanting to learn how to read the Vera Sibilla because this meaty guidebook serves as a 52-week course, taking you through all the meanings for each card and walking you through a variety of spreads that you can add to your daily rotation.

What makes this deck unique is that it’s the first English Vera Sibilla to be published with its own book and new cards. This is a divinatory system that came into popularity in Italy around the 1850s. The fact that this deck is continuing to be introduced to new parts of the world over 175 years later, is a testament to its utility as a divinatory tool, helping readers around the world understand their daily lives on a deeper level. 

“Vera Sibilla is an intimate oracle that speaks about our daily lives, revealing what is to come and ‘gossiping’ about what is happening in any situation.”

Simply put—these cards “tell it like it is, plainly and without varnish.” Each card in the spread builds on the other to tell a larger story or to provide the answer that satisfies the querent’s question. The guidebook says, “These cards build together like different shades of wet paint, to make statements in ways that individual cards alone cannot make.” 

The creator says, “The Vera Sibilla cards are called ‘chatterboxes’ by Italian cartomancers because the cards talk about everyday things, not the great high matters of life. This is a more linguistic card system rather than a pictorial one. You cannot just read the cards intuitively. You must know the nature and modalities of the cards well. When they mix with other cards in a spread it changes everything about the reading. You will soon see how the cards click together like legos.”

4 suits shown above – Diamonds, Hearts, Clubs, Spades 

This year long course helps to progressively walk beginners through this cartomancy system while building their confidence in their reading skills. The deck and book are housed in a sturdy, hardcase box. Each card shows the card title and suit and number of the card at the bottom, below the artistic image. These numbers and suits represent a playing card association, such as Ace of Clubs, 7 of Hearts, etc. The Magic Lantern Sibilla adheres to the traditional roots of this card system but elevates it to modern times with new English titles. So, we don’t lose any of the old-world charm, but we have a new modern application for those non-European readers to begin to use this system in their daily ocular work. It’s the best of both worlds. 

The illustrator’s skill truly shines here. If her goal was to transport me to another time and place, she succeeded! It’s amazing how art has this ability. The palette is bursting with vibrant burgundys, hunter greens, royal blues, and blush pinks that bring to mind sitting rooms, parlors, and studies from the Victorian Era. Did anyone else love the docuseries Victoria House on PBS from many years ago where modern day people were chosen to live in Victorian times and in Victorian homes, following the rules and etiquette of that time period? I was in love with the whole PBS House series where they filmed many seasons from different eras. This deck reminds me so much of the scenes from that show where they hosted guests in their sitting rooms for hours on end engaging in intriguing conversation without a tv or radio in sight. Downtown Abbey brings up the same type of vibes.

Each illustration portrays a scene, capturing daily life, full of emotion, purpose, and practicality, which is quite different from other decks. It’s reminiscent of the minor arcana in the tarot, depicting everyday life—not major, karmic energy. These scenes consist of the majority of our monotonous days—work, social life, family life, everyday struggles and challenges. I can see these being extremely effective at narrowing down the subtext of our ordinary lives—dynamics and challenges at work or with our social groups that other systems gloss over. They help to weave a more nuanced narrative if there are underlying, subtle dynamics at play that could be easily overlooked. It never ceases to amaze me how the different card systems have their own unique approach to problem solving. It reminds me of Lenormand cards, which are also more literal and nuanced than the tarot. 

While the tarot is and always will be my true love, I can definitely appreciate the unique perspective this kind of card system offers, helping us to round out all our readings by giving us a range of perspectives to consider. I can see how you could get a more precise, straightforward answer with these cards versus the tarot, which tackles both large and small challenges on our life journey. This is why I’m on a quest to learn as many forms of divination as possible to increase the tools in my toolbox. There’s a time and place for all divinatory systems. 

In fact, you might be able to throw a quick 3 to 5 card spread to zero in on the answer with this system. It’s going to be fun to experiment with that to see all the ways I could fit this system into my practice. 

I love that there’s a range of people throughout this deck broken into groups of helpful (Beloved, Friend, Messenger) versus unhelpful/hurtful people (Madmen, Thief, Enemy, Rival), neutral people, and some they call borderline people, which can be neutral in effect as well, but are a little ambivalent, which means you need to treat them with caution. For instance, Priest, Widower, Merchant, Old lady and Soldier. They also have cards signifying places such as House, Room, and Prison or states of being like Merriment, Melancholy, Sorrow, and Despair. And things such as money, valuables, or gifts like Letter, Money, and Gifts of jewelry. These categories help to round out our readings, adding depth that some other systems don’t intuitively provide. 

What I found very interesting is that the guidebook says these kinds of cards don’t give advice, so how you phrase the question is very important. For instance, if the question was, “Please tell me how I can deal with Jeremy?” the cards would just tell you what’s going on with Jeremy at that moment—not what to do about him. But you can ask yes or no questions with this card system and get quite precise answers. 

The creator makes a point to say you should avoid questions that use the word, “should” because it bypasses personal responsibility. It is asking the cards to  decide for you. So, instead, ask the cards to give you good information about the situation you are interested in so you can make the decision for yourself and shift responsibility and accountability back to yourself, which is more empowering. It’s all about the phrasing of the question. 

This guidebook is quite meaty and comprehensive. There are detailed, thorough passages for each of the 52 cards to help you understand the upright and reversed meanings as well as a range of messages the cards could represent for spreads looking specifically at health, work, finance, and matters of love or friendship. There is a description of the artwork and significance for each card, whether the card is positive, negative, or neutral, what influence it has on other cards, and timing related to the card’s meaning/application. Each card has about two to two and a half pages of detailed information provided in this 352-page guidebook. It’s essentially a textbook, helping you master this cartomancy system through independent study. 

This book is perfect for beginners because it walks you through the history of this cartomancy system, the card meanings, and how to use the cards practically in your everyday spreads. If you are intrigued by this card system but don’t know where to start, this is the deck and book for you because it’s all laid out for you in an easy-to-follow format that feels like a masterclass in Sibilla. You couldn’t ask for a more in-depth, comprehensive guidebook and course to take you by the hand and walk you through the paces until you feel comfortable slinging cards on your own.

The creator and illustrator did an amazing job presenting a new vision for this divinatory system while keeping its historic charm and essence. The artwork that has an almost Victorian or impressionistic painting feel to them truly transports you to the old parlor days when cartomancers were sought out on the regular (although secretly in many parts of the world). That’s what makes divination so intriguing for me.

There’s a rebel energy to slinging the cards that amps up the mystical, secretive vibe of the past as if I’m breaking the rules to take a peek behind the veil that is closely guarded by those in power who want nothing more than to keep us all asleep. Surely, I’m not the only rebel out there who feels a sense of defiance in my card-slinging sessions. It’s one of my forms of resistance in today’s world—not only reading for myself but writing novels that empower others to seek out their own journey with the cards from days gone by. 

Working with this deck makes me feel like an old-world cartomancer reading for querents in a European parlor in the 19^th century. Perfect for me as I just completed Toni Savory’s 19^th century spreads course. Apparently, this is the year I was meant to connect to my past life in this time period as a diviner.  I don’t know about you, but I frequently get glimpses of those lives when slinging the cards. Shuffling a deck, especially an old-world deck, drops me into that energy instantaneously. It’s how I get into that mystical energy to write most of my novels in The Divining Sisters Series. 

So much of my divination journey has been about tapping into that energy to write those vivid cartomancy scenes that my readers love. It’s so uncanny to slip into those past-life memories that are so vivid and visceral. I’m convinced this is why so many of us are drawn to the cards these days. If you feel particularly drawn to divination, you might want to explore your past-life connections to mysticism. That’s what started me on my healing thru tarot journey, and the rest is history. 

There aren’t too many decks that I have that transport me so vividly to another era. I think it’s the parlor-esque vibe this illustrator captured that triggers those visceral memories for me as if I worked with these very cards in a past life. I had the same exact feeling when I first laid hands on my first tarot deck—the Rider Waite Smith Tarot. I knew in my soul that I had seen these archetypes before, and that’s what started my obsession with divination in 2018. 

I see why fortune tellers in the 19^th century relied on this set of cards to satisfy their eager querents needing quick solutions and insight into their everyday dilemmas. It will be interesting to see how I could layer my tarot readings with these cards. I’m all about blending systems. I see myself as a divining alchemist in that way, finding ways to blend two often unrelated things into something new and fresh. 

I have a few novels that I’m planning for the future, following diviners/mystics, witches, and healers throughout different time periods, and I can already tell this will be a deck that I call upon when I research and write the novel I have in mind that is set in the 1850s, following a set of 3 Romani sisters as they travel and read fortunes in a caravan of mystics. Think Peaky Blinders meets Penny Dreadful and Carnivàle.

Wouldn’t this deck be perfect for conjuring up those vibes? I not only use curated playlists immersing me in the music and energy of certain time periods, the particular decks I choose to work with while creating scenes and developing specific characters (especially diviners and mystics) are also immensely vital to how accurately I can nail the aesthetic and ambience of that time period. It’s crucial to my writing process, and I’m beginning to think this particular deck landed in my little hands for that exact purpose. Nothing is ever a coincidence in my realm. 

I think this old-world deck with a new updated polish is going to be ideal for invoking the energy of spiritualism, parlor seances, and caravan fortune tellers that I want to capture for that novel. It’s the ancient, folk divination system I must have needed to get me in the right frame of mind to bring the characters I envision to life using a cartomancy system from yesteryear. How perfect does the universe work to bring you the tool you need at the exact right time! There’s just something about this deck that seems to set it apart. Is it the fortune-telling mystique it carries or the captivating allure of the images? That I don’t know yet. But this one packs a punch that I didn’t quite expect. Color me intrigued. I’m nothing if not immensely curious. One thing is for sure. I’m going to explore and experiment with this deck until I can nail down just what it is that is drawing me to it. 

If you have felt called to give this system a try, take a chance on this new iteration. I promise you won’t be disappointed. 

Thanks to Red Feather for sending this Magic Lantern Sibilla deck and guidebook over. It’s going to help me tackle this new system for sure. The deck goes on sale June 28, 2025. Buy the deck here using my affiliate link. It’s $39.99! That’s a great price for this deck plus the masterclass you get through this guidebook! Link here  

About the Creator and Illustrator 

Caitlín Matthews is one of the world’s foremost cartomancers. Author of The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook, The Time Changer’s Tarot, and The Celtic Book of the Dead, she teaches many modes of divination internationally. She lives in Oxfordshire, UK. You can find her here: www.hallowquest.org.uk

Anastasia Kashian is an artist and the creator of the Les Dinosaures de Marseille (2021) and Baba Yaga's Little Book of Hut Maintenance, or Chicken Legs for the Soul. Anastasia lives and works mainly in West Wales. You can find her and her work here: https://www.anastasiakashian.com 

Are you wanting to learn how to read tarot? 

I have several episodes on my podcast, Healing Thru Tarot, that walk you through the major arcana cards and court cards in each suit to help you learn the meanings of each card. Check out these specific episodes listed below, and you will be reading tarot in no time! Each podcast episode has a companion blog that I post on my website healingthrutarot.com so you don’t have to frantically take notes while listening. I’ve got 62 episodes of Healing Thru Tarot up already. Healing Thru Tarot is available on apple podcasts, spotify, pandora, amazon music, audible, pocket casts, goodpods, and more. Check it out here 🎙️

My Novels

Check out The Divining Sisters Series here.

If you're looking for a good witchy book check out my fictional divination book series, The Divining Sisters. Start with book 1 in the series, The Call of the Cards, and then catch up on the rest of the series: book 2, We Divine Three book 3, The Threads of Fate, and book 4, The Unbinding

They're available as eBooks and paperbacks on Amazon. And the eBooks are also on Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, Scribd, Smash words, and more. The eBooks are just $4.99. Find out more details on my novels on my author website author.heatherhardison.com - where I post updates on book releases, video book trailers, book blurbs and quotes, as well as fun things like my Spotify playlists for each book. I carefully curate those to express the energy of each book.

This series follows a group of women (witches, healers, diviners) who reincarnate lifetime after lifetime and reunite with their coven so they can fulfill a mission of keeping their craft of divination, healing, and magic alive for future generations. 

Book Blurb for Book 1: The Call of the Cards 

Alexandra Steele, a clinical psychologist, stumbles upon a mystical store in downtown, Memphis, TN, where she encounters tarot cards for the first time. She doesn't realize it at the time, but this simple encounter will leave her life forever changed as she uncovers a world of past life connections to the cards and the craft of divination. This sparks an awakening that opens door after door of a long line of mystic and witch incarnations that run throughout her history. As she reconnects to these deep mystical ties, she begins to learn about her destiny, which is revealed as she starts to encounter coven sisters and foes from previous incarnations. Will her tendency to hide in the shadows and play small continue to hold her back or will the call of the cards lure her onto her destined path of a life full of magic and sisterhood?

Readers are raving about the series like these 5 star amazon and google play reviews 

"Absolutely Unique! Resonated so much!" 

"Life-changing. I felt seen. I don't think I've had this experience with any other book."

“The metaphysical series I've been waiting for! I was hooked from the beginning and even found myself slowing down because I want it to last. The characters are so relatable and genuine, and the explanations of tarot readings and past life stories is spot on! I'm eagerly awaiting the next ones. Please please, Heather, keep writing.” 

Readers call it "Harry Potter for adults."

If you get a copy, please leave a book review on whatever platform you buy it on if you enjoy it. That really helps me out and can help get my book in front of more readers. And if you love it please also review it on goodreads.

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see updates on the book releases there. I have 2 instagram accounts My tarot and podcast account - healingthrutarot My author account heatherhardisonauthor

Watch the book trailer for The Divining Sisters Series

Healing Thru Tarot's Spread Ebook Line

A Spread for All Seasons - 17 custom spreads

Healing and Mental Health Spreads Vol. 1 - 15 custom spreads

Healing and Mental Health Spreads Vol. 2- 15 9-card spreads

Shadow Work Spreads and Workbook - 20 spreads

Healing Thru Tarot’s Life Path and Life Purpose spread ebook includes 15 custom spreads I’ve created to help you identify and align with your life path and sail to success. Spreads like the life path alignment spread, lightwork path guidance spread, conquering obstacles on my path spread, advice from my future self-spread and karmic healing path spread will help you position yourself to step into your full power and achieve the purpose you incarnated to fulfill. Plus many more spreads offering guidance and advice to get on path and stay on track.

Click here to purchase any of these spread ebooks