Lenormand Playing Cards

Teheuti

I've been studying the Playing Cards and noticed a few things that could be useful.

The Aces and Tens are all generally positive or, at least neutral and tending toward positive.

With those exceptions, and including the court cards, Clubs are all troubling if not clearly negative.

Hearts and Spades are largely positive. There's a sense of idealism and, perhaps, longing or progress toward dream fulfillment in Hearts.

With Spades there's a slight tendency towards benefiting from associations or interactions with others (except for Tower-whose isolation might just prove the point).

Diamonds is a real mixed bag - big and little successes, beginnings and endings, openings and closings—a bit of a gamble—risky with potential big payoffs or losses.

The 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s don't seem to have any cross-suit characteristics that I can see.

Certainly, if I see a lot of Clubs together (except for the Ace and Ten), I'm going to feel a little worried. Likewise, I'd be delighted with a lot of Hearts next to each other.

Anyone else notice any tendencies?
 

Astraea

A few years ago, a member named Gavriela (sp?) pointed this out - she said that in Mlle Lenormand's day, Clubs were the baddies and Spades and Hearts were good cards. I can't remember what she said about Diamonds, but it makes sense that they would be a mixed bag.
 

lord_ewin

I believe Hegdewitchy Witch says the same on her site for Cartomancy. She alludes to Clovers being switched with Spades at some point...
 

IheartTarot

I've been studying the Playing Cards and noticed a few things that could be useful.

With those exceptions, and including the court cards, Clubs are all troubling if not clearly negative.

Diamonds is a real mixed bag - big and little successes, beginnings and endings, openings and closings—a bit of a gamble—risky with potential big payoffs or losses.

I happen to be reading Paul Huson's Mystical Origins of the Tarot and read that, contrary to popular belief, he and cartomancers of the French school believe that the Clubs suit sign derives from a cross-shaped clover leaf pattern found on the interior of the Italian coin. He associates Clubs with Tarot Coins/Pentacles and Diamonds with Tarot Batons/Wands. On this basis, the Clubs cards represent earthly matters of money, work, physical activity and challenges. This works quite well for me as I use the "French" Lenormand system:

Cross (6 :club: ) = burden, suffering, sacrifice
Mice (7 :club: ) = loss, stress, teamwork, productivity
Mountain (8 :club: ) = obstacle
Fox (9 :club: ) = work, resourcefulness
Bear (10 :club: ) = money, food, resources
Whip (J :club: ) = sex, violence, activity
Snake (Q :club: ) = theft, betrayal, major illness
Clouds (K :club: ) = confusion, uncertainty
Ring (A :club: ) = partnership, commitment, obligation

I also came across this related blog post recently.
 

IheartTarot

A few years ago, a member named Gavriela (sp?) pointed this out - she said that in Mlle Lenormand's day, Clubs were the baddies and Spades and Hearts were good cards. I can't remember what she said about Diamonds, but it makes sense that they would be a mixed bag.

Thanks, I found the post here, see extract below:

And something to take into consideration on the playing card side of things. Mme Lenormand didn't invent the cards that bear her name, but I think she was responsible for this innovation:

In normal playing card reading, almost all systems, Spades are the trouble suit. Not so in Lenormand. Clubs look like crosses, and in 18th century Catholic France...that's how she took them. That's why most of the Clubs cards in Lenormand deal with sacrifice, hardship, obligation, or commitment (hence the Ring being in Clubs).
 

Astraea

Thanks, IheartTarot, it's wonderful you found that!
 

daphne

I've been studying the Playing Cards and noticed a few things that could be useful.

The Aces and Tens are all generally positive or, at least neutral and tending toward positive.

With those exceptions, and including the court cards, Clubs are all troubling if not clearly negative.

Hearts and Spades are largely positive. There's a sense of idealism and, perhaps, longing or progress toward dream fulfillment in Hearts.

With Spades there's a slight tendency towards benefiting from associations or interactions with others (except for Tower-whose isolation might just prove the point).

Diamonds is a real mixed bag - big and little successes, beginnings and endings, openings and closings—a bit of a gamble—risky with potential big payoffs or losses.

The 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s don't seem to have any cross-suit characteristics that I can see.

Certainly, if I see a lot of Clubs together (except for the Ace and Ten), I'm going to feel a little worried. Likewise, I'd be delighted with a lot of Hearts next to each other.

Anyone else notice any tendencies?

Interesting observations and summary.

But are we supposed to connect the playing cards inserts with the Lenormand symbols in one card? I read that they are separate things and read separate.
 

Teheuti

But are we supposed to connect the playing cards inserts with the Lenormand symbols in one card? I read that they are separate things and read separate.
Other than the Court Cards as personalities, I haven't found anywhere that someone talks about reading the pips cards - either separately or with the Lenormand symbols.

I was attempting to see if perhaps multiples of suit or number might suggest applicable themes or nuances. I don't see any trends with the numbers, but I do with the suits - many Clubs indicate problems (except for Aces and 10s), etc. [Love the addition of 'obligation' - thanks.]

If you have any information on how people read the Lenormand pips (non-Courts) separately then I'd love the reference or link.
 

daphne

Other than the Court Cards as personalities, I haven't found anywhere that someone talks about reading the pips cards - either separately or with the Lenormand symbols.

I was attempting to see if perhaps multiples of suit or number might suggest applicable themes or nuances. I don't see any trends with the numbers, but I do with the suits - many Clubs indicate problems (except for Aces and 10s), etc. [Love the addition of 'obligation' - thanks.]

If you have any information on how people read the Lenormand pips (non-Courts) separately then I'd love the reference or link.

The pip-cards in Lenormand can be read, by whose who know, as the regular playing cards are read. With no connection with the symbols. If you look at the layout ignoring the Lenormand specific symbols, and just consider the insert playing cards, you get just a regular playing card divination layout. And this can be read separately and bring new info or add something to the reading of the Lenormand.
In regular playing cards the spades are the "bad" cards, not the clubs. That is why to make a connection of the Lenormand symbol with the playing card insert can lead to unusual conclusions.
 

Teheuti

The pip-cards in Lenormand can be read, by whose who know, as the regular playing cards are read. With no connection with the symbols. If you look at the layout ignoring the Lenormand specific symbols, and just consider the insert playing cards, you get just a regular playing card divination layout. And this can be read separately and bring new info or add something to the reading of the Lenormand.
In regular playing cards the spades are the "bad" cards, not the clubs. That is why to make a connection of the Lenormand symbol with the playing card insert can lead to unusual conclusions.
So, you are saying to just use the cards as playing cards and forget the pictures? As if I could forget the pictures! Also - a piquet deck only uses 32 cards (no 6s) and the English system uses 52 cards so you'd have to adapt a playing card system anyway.