Oh yes, aside from the cards, snakes feel
wonderful to touch. Do find a way to get a chance (a zoo or fair, perhaps?). Some people erroneously think they're slimy, like earthworms, but they're not like that at all. They're dry, subtle and warm. It really is a good feeling.
My Snake isn't really all that negative. I read him as "sneaky" and doing things "under cover;" that's generally a neutral base, but it's often equated with negative aspects of being devious and underhanded. I like the idea of Stork offering a positive note to that. Such that instead of Snake behaving in a devious way, maybe it's a "lighter" manner, such as sneaking around preparing a surprise party for someone.
Akuts said:
I suppose what I'm getting at is that our modern interpretation of the cards might be quite different to what people had when the cards were first invented, and that also the meaning of any card will vary with the individual looking at it.
Absolutely. My view is that that's a very good way for things to be. The Lenormand cards offer raw symbols: a snake, a mouse, a stork, a key, a ring - what will
you make of those symbols? They are neither postive nor negative in themselves; and of themselves, they mean nothing at all. And the common understanding of symbols certainly changes over time.
There is a historical precedence of certain attributions for the Lenormand language: mice symbolizing the theft of goods; a snake symbolizing someone out to get you - etc. I think it's good to learn the basic history of any method, to get a good foundation with it. But once you've got that, I believe the cards will come to life for you when you're incorporating your
own associations into the symbols. I don't think you need to have a personal struggle trying to give up your personal associations in favor for those that are appropriate for a different time/country.
Nice tale of your mouse! Field mice are the best. (I had a white mouse as a pet when I was a kid. Not quite as good as a field mouse, but it was very intelligent; kept finding ways to get out of his cage, I should've named him Houdini.)
I don't read theft/loss in the Mice card becase I personally don't live in a lifestyle in which theft/loss comes up in such an extreme as how often the card comes up. The portion of the card I most relate to, though, is the worries/anxieties aspect, so that's where I get my base keyword for Mice: worry. I don't believe I'm missing out on anything by not reading theft/loss. Of course I can still understand the concept of mice getting into the grain and feed storage and stealing/eating away the supplies. And if a reading started leaning into a direction of theft/loss, I could find it in Mice. I could even find the devious thief in Snake.
Akuts said:
When I see a picture of a mouse I remember my little mouse, and I miss him, and I have no idea how I am going to associate the Mouse card with theft and robbery.
To this, I would say... don't. You already understand that mice can work their way into feed sacks or cheese wheels and deplete the supplies while no one's aware; just file that information away. Now think about what the symbol "mouse" means to you. Maybe it's fond memories, nostalgia, remembering a happier time...and maybe you could apply
those associations to the Mice card.
In other words, when I flip over Mice, I start thinking about worry. When you flip over Mice, you start thinking about warm memories. And maybe, as we each examine all the rest of the cards, we could even start seeing Mice as indicating
a loss or a deprivation...! It could happen because we've understood mice can get into things and eat away at them which could be a loss/theft. So it could happen, but it doesn't have to be our first or only idea to associate with Mice.
And sheesh, I just realized I'm taking way too many words to say exactly what Gavriela already said.
Gavriela said:
Those 36 symbols that were chosen as the Lenormand alphabet have all kinds of associations.