AUTHOR'S NOTE: This time around I'm bringing three different forms of divination together for a single inquiry: tarot, Lenormand and numerology (as expressed by standard dice). To establish some visual continuity, I'm using the Waite-Smith Centennial Edition with artwork by Pamela Colman Smith and Pixie's Astounding Lenormand by Edmund Zebrowski with artwork inspired by Pamela … Continue reading Just Walk Away: A Mixed-Media Situational Awareness Spread and Example Reading
Lenormand Techniques
Romance in the Making? – A Lenormand “Cross” Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a reading for a man who has romantic inclinations toward a woman (and suspects she harbors similar sentiments toward him). He wants to know what may transpire between them during an upcoming gathering. Before I begin, there is a convention in Lenormand reading that if the Heart is absent, there will … Continue reading Romance in the Making? – A Lenormand “Cross” Reading
General Life-Reading: A Convenient Fallback
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I often see consternation brewing among tarot neophytes over the fact that, although they want to "get serious" when it comes to divination with the cards, they are unsure how to proceed because they have no pressing questions to ask. Following is a summary of ways to offset that shortcoming through a "general … Continue reading General Life-Reading: A Convenient Fallback
An Accident That Never Happened
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The fascinating thing about this reading is the direct validation I received early in the period regarding its chances for occurring as predicted. As of mid-April, the prediction is over eight months old and nothing drastic has ever happened, but it still makes for an interesting case study. Notably, I did experience some … Continue reading An Accident That Never Happened
“Mystic Mercury” and the Lenormand Deck
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've made a conscious habit of avoiding all esoteric correspondences (astrology, occult number theory, etc) when using the Lenormand cards for divination. But I recently came across an interesting coincidence. On the Hermetic Tree of Life, the planet Mercury corresponds to the number 8 and its "mystic number" is 36, which is achieved … Continue reading “Mystic Mercury” and the Lenormand Deck
Hope-Based Questions: “Be Careful What You Wish For”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just read an old blog post by Bjorn Meuris that struck a chord with me. In his advice for asking a proper question of the Lenormand cards (or any cards for that matter) he said "Don't ask for what you do not hope for to be confirmed" by casting your question in … Continue reading Hope-Based Questions: “Be Careful What You Wish For”
A Lenormand Near/Far Impact Table
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I spent some time sifting through Andy Boroveshengra's book, Lenormand: Thirty-Six Cards, looking closely at the "near/far" guidance for assessing the effect of distance between certain cards and the main Significator (Man or Woman card). Then I compared my observations to the more limited instructions in the seminal Philippe Lenormand Sheet (PLS), seeking … Continue reading A Lenormand Near/Far Impact Table
The “Dexter” Grand Tableau
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've spent the last 12 years applying the original methods of Andy Boroveshengra to my reading of the Lenormand Grand Tableau, having received some online mentoring from him before he published his book. As one rule of thumb, I use his assumption that the "flow" of the cards surrounding the querent's Significator (Man … Continue reading The “Dexter” Grand Tableau
Lenormand Techniques: Intention and Realization in the Topic Card
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a common practice when reading the Lenormand five-card cross and nine-card "box" by which the central "topic" card (aka Significator) is intentionally chosen to represent the subject of the reading. Some traditional readers don't use this approach and instead allow the Significator to fall randomly. I can see advantages to both … Continue reading Lenormand Techniques: Intention and Realization in the Topic Card
Lenormand at the Crossroads
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Despite the suggestive title, this essay is not a commentary on the "state of the art." It merely describes a creative way of using Lenormand for decision-making. I often encounter the opinion that reading "line" spreads of any length with the Lenormand cards is the least effective way to approach a complex question … Continue reading Lenormand at the Crossroads