AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although I intentionally steer clear of using any kind of astrological correspondences with Lenormand cards, this struck me as an intriguing alternate house system to the one commonly employed. I chose one set of general meanings for the twelve houses of the horoscope and matched them with the cards that best express those … Continue reading An Alternative to the Lenormand House System
Month: August 2023
Cards of Success and Failure
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The presence of positive, neutral and negative cards in the Lenormand deck inevitably invites contemplation of which ones augur success or failure in any situation being considered from a predictive angle. These are my own opinions on the subject; although most of them align with the textbook definitions, a few differ based on … Continue reading Cards of Success and Failure
“Answer Me This If You Can . . .”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a persistent myth among diviners who haven't carefully thought it through that tarot can't be used to answer "yes-or-no" questions with any degree of accuracy, and that such use is a miscarriage of its narrative prowess. To which I reply "Nonsense!" Like any form of inquiry, binary or otherwise, tarot can … Continue reading “Answer Me This If You Can . . .”
Lenormand Jottings: (Mostly) Simple Card Meanings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My involvement with several online Lenormand communities has brought with it numerous opportunities to practice card interpretation, which has given me the confidence to post my own insights. My baseline in this regard is Andy Boroveshengra's Lenormand, 36 Cards (although I don't intend to plagiarize it), but I've gained considerable depth and breadth … Continue reading Lenormand Jottings: (Mostly) Simple Card Meanings
Architecture of the Grand Tableau
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It goes without saying that interpreting the Lenormand Grand Tableau is an "iterative" process in which the 36-card layout is reduced to manageable proportions via a variety of interconnected techniques focused around a central card that represents either the querent or the theme of the reading: the internal 9-card "box" in all of … Continue reading Architecture of the Grand Tableau
Putting the “Self” into the “Situation”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Unless there is a specific position defining the individual's direct involvement in the matter, most cartomantic spreads envision the seeker (or querent) as an outside observer of the circumstances shown in the cards, peering through a "mystical window" at their future with the reader's assistance. The querent as active "doer" rather than as … Continue reading Putting the “Self” into the “Situation”
“It Just Happened . . .”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Cynics and nihilists are fond of saying (with studied indifference) "Shit happens." Here I'm going to take a hard look at that assumption. In a rational Universe, it can be argued that things don't "just happen;" even if we unwittingly place ourselves in the path of a developing train-wreck (the "wrong place, wrong … Continue reading “It Just Happened . . .”
Lenormand Houses as “Environmental Backdrop”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Lenormand Grand Tableau spread is laid out upon a grid of 36 "house" positions beginning with the Rider and ending with the Cross, in either a 9x4 or an 8x4+4 array; in its customary form this is essentially the Game of Hope game-board pressed into divinatory service. While some people use a … Continue reading Lenormand Houses as “Environmental Backdrop”
Stolen Artwork: A Horary Perspective
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm posting this with the acknowledgement and permission of the Isabella S. Gardner Museum, with whom I've shared it in case anyone considers trying to cash in on my work. Although I first heard about this back in 1990 when it happened, I was recently reminded that millions of dollars worth of artwork … Continue reading Stolen Artwork: A Horary Perspective
“Sex Cards” in Lenormand
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've always maintained that Lenormand doesn't need a unique sex card (just as it doesn't need a specific, universally-accepted "work" card or "health" card.) There are other ways to "flay the feline." Regarding sex, there are many cards that can deliver us to the brink (or push us down the slippery slope, as … Continue reading “Sex Cards” in Lenormand
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 