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
Learning
The One-Note Samba
Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos (aka "Tom") Jobim once wrote a song called "One-Note Samba," which had lyrics (excerpted below) that were later sung by Frank Sinatra: This is just a little samba Built upon a single note Other notes are bound to follow But the root is still that note A similar idea appeared in the … Continue reading The One-Note Samba
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 “Deck’s Agenda” Example Reading
Last week I did a Lenormand 3x3 spread for an acquaintance who is being considered for a new job at a different company. Although prospects looked good for him, the situation hasn't come to its conclusion yet, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to test this tarot spread. I have since learned a … Continue reading A “Deck’s Agenda” Example Reading
The “No BS” Deck’s Agenda Spread
Every once in a while (and without a doubt more often than we would like), a reading begs the question "I know what was asked, but what does the seeker really want?" And the cards proceed to impose their own agenda on the story to the bemusement and bafflement of both reader and querent. Grappling with this situation can test the … Continue reading The “No BS” Deck’s Agenda Spread
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
Context Is King
Although this has been a recurring minor theme in many of my previous posts, I thought I would expand on it a bit. In a lengthy thread on the Cartomancy Forum titled "Is There Such a Thing as Bad Cards?" author Andy Boroveshengra (of Lenormand fame but equally accomplished in tarot and traditional astrology) made … Continue reading Context Is King
Where There’s Smoke . . .
One objection that some tarot readers have to so-called "positional" spreads - those that typically bear a fixed positive or negative meaning for each card position in the layout - is that they can create an uncomfortable setting where a nominally good" card must be interpreted in a "bad" way according to its position and vice versa. The Celtic Cross is a perfect … Continue reading Where There’s Smoke . . .
“Two-Out-of-Three” Spread Tutorial Layouts
A Facebook conversation led to the recognition that it would be a good idea to post some example pictures of how the various card chains would play out. I posed a hypothetical question: "How will this business initiative work out?" and selected the 3 of Wands from the Albano-Waite deck (Deck #1) as my Significator. Since … Continue reading “Two-Out-of-Three” Spread Tutorial Layouts
The “Two Out of Three” Decision-Making Spread
I've always found the typical three-card draw to be rather uninspiring. My long-held opinion is that the reader has to inject entirely too much intuitive guesswork into the gaps between the cards to make a compelling narrative out of the sequence. A five-position spread is the minimum I prefer to work with in order to "just read … Continue reading The “Two Out of Three” Decision-Making Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 