The Romani deck is the most consulted 36 card oracle in Brazil. Those who arrive at it from the tarot usually get stuck on the first spread, and the reason is simple: the reading rules are different. Here the card alone almost says nothing. The meaning arises from the pair, the distance between the cards, and the position of the person consulting on the table.
This guide brings the meaning of the 36 cards, the four most used spreading methods, and the real history of the deck, which is not the one circulating on the internet.
What is the Romani deck (and why it is not Romani)
The name comes from the imagery of the Romani woman who reads fortunes, not from the Romani peoples nor from the spirits of the Romani spirits in Umbanda, who read cards according to the house.
The baralho cigano is also called Lenormand or Petit Lenormand. They are 36 cards numbered from 1 to 36, all with the same weight. There is no division between major and minor arcanos. The symbols are concrete and from everyday life: a house, a ship, a letter, a ring.
The origin is German, not Romani. In 1799, Johann Kaspar Hechtel, from Nuremberg, created a board game called Das Spiel der Hoffnung, the Game of Hope. He already had the 36 illustrated cards that today form the oracle.
The French cartomancer Marie-Anne Lenormand lived between 1772 and 1843 and became famous during the Napoleonic period. She did not create this deck. After her death, European publishers began printing her name on the cards because it sold well. It was this way that the Petit Lenormand was born.
The name "baralho cigano" is a Brazilian commercial invention. It comes from the stereotype that Romani people read luck, not from any authorship of theirs.
Precision matters here. "Cigano" is an exonym, meaning a name given from the outside. At the 1st World Romani Congress in 1971, delegates rejected this and other names attributed to the Romani people. The names used by the communities themselves are Rom, Sinti, and Calon. In Brazil, many people from these communities self-identify as cigana, and the oracle is known by this name and no other. We use the term, but without inventing an "ancient nomadic wisdom" that never existed.
The 36 cards of the Romani deck and what each one means
The names change slightly from edition to edition. Buquê appears as Flores, Cão as Cachorro, Serpente as Cobra. Always follow the booklet of your deck.
- 1. The Knight: news that arrives, movement, something on the path.
- 2. The Clover: small and fleeting luck, brief opportunity.
- 3. The Ship: travel, distance, commerce, slow change.
- 4. The House: home, family, stability, assets.
- 5. The Tree: health, roots, slow growth, ancestry.
- 6. The Clouds: confusion, doubt, incomplete information.
- 7. The Serpent: rival, detour, betrayal, also cunning.
- 8. The Coffin: end, closure, mourning, transformation.
- 9. The Bouquet: joy, gift, invitation, beauty.
- 10. The Scythe: sudden cut, abrupt decision, harvest.
- 11. The Whip: conflict, repetition, argument, physical effort.
- 12. The Birds: conversations, rumors, anxiety, pair.
- 13. The Child: beginning, something new and small, naivety.
- 14. The Fox: cunning, work, deception, caution.
- 15. The Bear: strength, authority, accumulated money, protective figure.
- 16. The Star: direction, hope, clarity, visibility.
- 17. The Stork: change, relocation, pregnancy, renewal.
- 18. The Dog: loyalty, friendship, trustworthy person.
- 19. The Tower: institution, isolation, formal authority, long term.
- 20. The Garden: social life, public, event, exhibition.
- 21. The Mountain: obstacle, blockage, delay, distance.
- 22. The Path: choice, fork, alternatives.
- 23. The Mice: loss, wear, theft, that which corrodes.
- 24. The Heart: love, affection, sincere feeling.
- 25. The Ring: commitment, contract, alliance, cycle.
- 26. The Books: study, knowledge, undisclosed secret.
- 27. The Letter: document, written message, formal communication.
- 28. The Man: the male seeker or the man of the matter.
- 29. The Woman: the female seeker or the woman of the matter.
- 30. The Lilies: maturity, peace, sexuality, support from someone older.
- 31. The Sun: success, energy, victory, total clarity.
- 32. The Moon: emotion, recognition, honor, monthly cycle, intuition.
- 33. The Key: solution, opening, certainty.
- 34. The Fish: money, financial flow, business, abundance.
- 35. The Anchor: stability, permanence, steady work.
- 36. The Cross: burden, trial, destiny, suffering with meaning.
Many Brazilian decks rename cards 28 and 29 as O Cigano and A Cigana. In the Lenormand tradition, they are simply The Man and The Woman. These are the two that represent the person being consulted.
The reading rules that tarot does not have
Whoever reads major arcana needs to unlearn three things before opening the Romani deck. They are the core of the system.
1. The meaning lies in the pair, not in the card
A single card is a loose word. Two cards together form the phrase. Heart with Ring speaks of romantic commitment. Heart with Scythe speaks of a breakup. Heart with Mice speaks of affection that wears down little by little.
The most used convention treats the first card as a noun and the second as an adjective. This changes everything in practice. In tarot, you deepen one card at a time, and here you read combinations.
2. The distance between the cards is information
In an open spread, the physical space between two cards means something. Cards next to the card that represents you speak of the now. Cards on the opposite edge speak of what is far away in time or out of your reach. This layer of reading does not exist in tarot.
3. There is no inverted card
Each card has a single meaning. Nothing changes because it fell upside down. The favorable or unfavorable tone comes from the neighborhood, never from the position of the drawing.
This sets the deck quite apart from reversed cards in tarot, where inversion is the rule in almost all schools. Some modern readers adopt inversions in Lenormand, but that is a personal choice.
How to do the spread: 4 methods from the simplest to the most complete
Three cards
It is the everyday work spread. Read from left to right like a sentence. The first card is the theme, the middle one is the movement, the third is the outcome. It serves for a single and objective question. The reasoning is similar to that of the 3 card spread in tarot, but the reading here is more direct.
Cross of five
The central card is the core of the issue. The sides show influences and obstacles. The top one reveals what the person thinks about the subject. The bottom one shows the root of the situation. It is good for unlocking a confusing case without opening the entire table.
Line of nine
Nine cards in three rows of three. The center card is the heart of the issue. Each row is a layer, and the columns and diagonals are also read, always passing through the center. It is the intermediate step before the complete table.
Grand Tableau
The 36 cards opened all at once. The arrangements vary: four rows of nine, or four rows of eight plus four final cards. First locate card 28 or 29, depending on who is consulting. Read starting from it.
What is in front of the significator tends toward the future. What is behind speaks of the past. What is next to it is immediate influence. The table still has its own techniques, such as the fixed houses of each position and the diagonal mirroring. It is the method that requires the most practice.
Romani cards or tarot: when to use each one
The two do not compete. They answer different questions.
| Romani deck | Tarot | |
|---|---|---|
| Cards | 36 | 78 |
| Structure | All with the same weight | 22 major and 56 minor arcana |
| Symbolism | Concrete and everyday | Archetypal and initiatic |
| Reading | Objective and situational | Reflective and psychological |
| Unit of meaning | The combination of cards | The individual card |
| Reversals | Does not use | Used in most schools |
| Origin | German game of 1799 | 15th century Italy |
A practical rule helps to choose. If the question is "what tends to happen in this matter", the Romani deck responds better. If the question is "what does this mean for me", the tarot delivers more. For closed questions, also see the yes or no tarot.
An important caution: the Romani deck is a European oracle. It does not belong to the Afro-Brazilian liturgy. Do not confuse it with the jogo de búzios (cowrie-shell divination), which is from Candomblé and Umbanda and works with the logic of the odus. They are distinct systems, with their own origins and foundations.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards does the cigano deck have?
There are 36 cards numbered from 1 to 36. All have the same weight in the reading. Unlike the tarot, there is no division between major and minor arcana. Each card brings a concrete symbol from everyday life, such as house, ship, ring or key, and the meaning is formed in the combination between them.
Was the Romani deck created by the Romani people?
No. It derives from a German board game from 1799, the Das Spiel der Hoffnung, created by Johann Kaspar Hechtel in Nuremberg. The name "cigano" stuck in Brazil because of the stereotype that Romani people read fortunes. There is no Romani authorship or origin in the deck.
Are there reversed cards in the cigano deck?
In tradition, no. Each card has a unique meaning, and the position of the drawing does not change the reading. What changes the tone is the neighborhood: the surrounding cards define if that symbol weighs in favor or against. Some current readers use reversals, but this is a personal adaptation.
Which cards represent the person who consults?
Card 28, The Man, and card 29, The Woman. They are the significators. In a Mesa Real, the reader first locates this card and reads everything from it. In many Brazilian decks, these two appear with the names O Cigano and A Cigana.
Can you read the Romani deck for yourself?
Yes, and self-reading is a common practice among students. The recommendation is to ask specific questions and do not repeat the same question in a short interval expecting a different answer. The oracle shows scenario and trend, not a closed verdict on the future.
Where to buy the Romani deck and reading items
At Joia Mística Laroyê, you find what you need to set up and care for your deck:
- Romani and tarot decks: varied models, with an explanatory booklet
- Reading towels and cloths: to consecrate the table and protect the cards
- Candles and incense: to prepare the environment before the consultation
- Herbs and fumigants: rosemary, rue, and myrrh to clear the workspace
- Crystals and protection bags: to house and preserve the deck
Visit our physical store in Extrema, Minas Gerais or receive it at home with delivery to all of Brazil. If you are in doubt about which deck suits your study, talk to us via WhatsApp.
References
- Wikipedia: entry on Marie-Anne Lenormand, the French cartomancer
- Wikipedia: entry on the Romani people (ciganos)
