I have always understood that the Rider is the primary "news-bearer" among the Lenormand cards. However, in reading back through some of my published material, I came across a couple of distinctions. The Rider often represents news that is delivered in person, while the Letter indicates receipt of a written missive, whether through the post … Continue reading “Hear All About It” – Lenormand “News” Cards
Lenormand Techniques
Lenormand Crossovers: Breaking the Chain
For the tarot enthusiast aspiring to master Lenormand reading, there are several cards common to both systems that stubbornly resist shedding their tarot trappings during the transition. Interestingly, they all appear in sequence in the tarot: the Tower (XVI), the Star (XVII), the Moon (XVIII) and the Sun. (XIX). Since their Lenormand counterparts, at least by title, … Continue reading Lenormand Crossovers: Breaking the Chain
“Look, Ma . . . No Hands!” (A Five-Card Experiment)
I decided to put my somewhat feeble line reading skills to a test in two different ways, asking the same question of two decks and using a pre-positioned topic card in one of the spreads. I used the Blue Owl for the unstructured line and the Piatnik for the pre-arranged one. The question was "What is … Continue reading “Look, Ma . . . No Hands!” (A Five-Card Experiment)
The Literalist
I've recently been involved in a debate about the necessity - or even the desirability - of large spreads. In tarot, I seldom use spreads smaller than five cards, and seven to ten cards is closer to my ideal (the Celtic Cross has been my mainstay for decades). In Lenormand, I prefer the Grand Tableau over … Continue reading The Literalist
A “Personalized Grand Tableau” Example Reading
This reading demonstrates the method I came up with for "personalizing" the Grand Tableau by interjecting a middle card - the "querent's interface" - between the house position and the reading card at each of the 36 locations of the tableau. The idea is that this intermediary card will provide a catalyst for the influence … Continue reading A “Personalized Grand Tableau” Example Reading
Grand Tableau a la Carte
The conventional wisdom among Lenormand mentors who coach beginners in the art of reading is that, after learning the card meanings and memorizing their numbered positions in the 36-card series, neophytes should start their practice with three-card lines, move on to five and seven card draws, then to the nine-card square, and finally to the Grand Tableau, … Continue reading Grand Tableau a la Carte
Personalizing the Grand Tableau Houses
There is a technique in Lenromand reading - I believe it's a modern innovation but I could be wrong - known as "movable houses" (one wag has called them "mobile homes) which extends the house system native to the Grand Tableau to smaller spreads. Rather than having a fixed series of houses running from the Rider to … Continue reading Personalizing the Grand Tableau Houses
A Lenormand Job-Opportunity Reading
Update: He got the job! Original Post: An acquaintance of mine recently interviewed for an employment opening at a different company. Job security in his current position is in some doubt since there could be a staff downsizing in the near future. I asked what the outcome of the interview will be, using the Blue Owl deck and … Continue reading A Lenormand Job-Opportunity Reading
Lost Book: A Lenormand Lost & Found Reading
This example reading for my Lenormand lost & found approach is instructive for what it doesn't show me. I lost a book in our recent move. It wasn't a valuable book, just part of a two-volume set that leaves its partner orphaned on the bookshelf. We have been through all our shipping boxes now, and no book. … Continue reading Lost Book: A Lenormand Lost & Found Reading
A Harmony of Parts
Near the end of his epic performance of "Alice's Restaurant," folk singer Arlo Guthrie exhorts the audience to sing "with four part harmony and feeling." That sense of harmony is part-and-parcel of what it takes to read the Lenormand Grand Tableau with sensitivity and precision. Unlike the tarot cards, the Lenormand cards don't carry an … Continue reading A Harmony of Parts
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 