Those of a certain age will remember Bullwinkle Moose exclaiming "Oh, my stars and garters!" whenever something surprised him, and I certainly resemble that remark (chronologically if not semantically since a certain rude three-letter acronym now replaces such quaint language). AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I began my esoteric journey as an astrologer in 1970, I was … Continue reading Sensible Divination – Oh, My Stars and Cards!
Lenormand – General
Mistaking the “Medium” for the “Message”
AUTHOR'S NOTE. In his 1967 study The Medium Is The Message: An Inventory of Effects, Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan proposed that the medium by which knowledge is transmitted can have an impact in shaping our understanding of the world that goes far beyond the information it conveys. A good case in point is the … Continue reading Mistaking the “Medium” for the “Message”
A Mini-Lesson in Card Counting-and-Pairing
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I first encountered the concepts of "counting round" and "mirroring" in the Lenormand Grand Tableau, I noticed a strong similarity between those 18th-Century cartomantic practices and the "counting-and-pairing" steps of the "Opening of the Key" (OotK) method for working with the tarot that was developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden … Continue reading A Mini-Lesson in Card Counting-and-Pairing
“Lenormand 101” in Brief
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Even with nearly twelve years of study and practice behind me, I'm still far less experienced with divination using the Lenormand cards than I am with tarot reading after five decades of involvement, so I haven't felt confident (or competent) in publishing a Lenormand e-book to accompany my five tarot volumes. The fact … Continue reading “Lenormand 101” in Brief
The “Targeted” Grand Tableau
AUTHOR'S NOTE: During the brief time I spent in the traditionalist enclave of the online Lenormmand community (it turned out that, even though I adhere closely to historical methods, my original ideas were still too "experimental" for them), I picked up a concept that I have yet to fully explore in my own work. I … Continue reading The “Targeted” Grand Tableau
“Waitin’ on Judgement Day” – Thoughts on Legacy
"It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day"- from The Weight by The Band For my 400th consecutive daily post and 2,407th entry in the last eight years, I decided to briefly ponder the subject of "legacy." I realize that in this era of "New Tarot" revisionism such considerations are felt to … Continue reading “Waitin’ on Judgement Day” – Thoughts on Legacy
“Business and Enterprise” Cards in Lenormand Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth in my series of posts that examine the informal (and highly non-traditional/unofficial/controversial) correlation of the Lenormand cards to the 12 signs and 36 decanates of the astrological zodiac. This time I'm looking at business and enterprise aspects reflected in the sign of Capricorn and its "native" 10th House, in … Continue reading “Business and Enterprise” Cards in Lenormand Reading
“Personal Advantage” Cards in Lenormand Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the third essay in my series that attempts to align groups of seemingly related Lenormand cards with the 12 signs and 36 decans of astrology. Not all of them are a perfect fit, but I think most work to some extent. One of the challenges I faced was how to integrate … Continue reading “Personal Advantage” Cards in Lenormand Reading
“No Place Like Home” – Domestic Cards in Lenormand Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the second in a series of posts discussing my experimental alignment of the 36 Lenormand cards with the 12 signs and 36 decanates of astrology. This time I'm examining the sign of Cancer and its "native" 4th House as it relates to the "home-and-family" cards of Lenormand. For this group I've … Continue reading “No Place Like Home” – Domestic Cards in Lenormand Reading
“Contact and Communication” Cards in Lenormand Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In early January, I completed an experimental effort to align the 36 Lenormand cards with the 12 signs/houses and 36 decanates of the astrological zodiac. This had no purpose other than to satisfy my curiosity about whether it could be done convincingly. Since it's been a while, I decided to link my earlier … Continue reading “Contact and Communication” Cards in Lenormand Reading