Mystical Lenormand- extra cards

I didn't mean to say that the Lenormand deck isn't spiritual. But if one has guides, by whatever name, they can be represented by a spirit guide card or an angel card or a power animal card, and possibly by an ancestor card, depending on your frame of reference and beliefs. I really don't see how they'd mind the generalization. With only 36 or 40 cards, I just can't see why they'd choose THOSE four to add, when those concepts could share a card. I met my first guide over twenty years ago. I call him, alternately, an animal guide, a totem animal, a power animal, or any of several other words. He doesn't give a hoot what label I call him by, and certainly doesn't need three (or potentially four) cards to represent him and his companions.

ETA: Just re-read my post several posts above. What I meant by "in a spiritual direction" is that there are now three or four cards that all represent what, in my opinion, are related concepts. That stacks the deck to that general concept in general. I hope I'm making some sense to others.

Sorry, I did misunderstand. I can see where you are coming from, as there is a slight overlap when the cards are viewed by their names. However there is some definite distinction in the imagery that tends to explain the differences. Had I not known Spirit Guides was called that, I wouldn't have picked it for a title.

GryffinSong said:

I didn't mean to say that the Lenormand deck isn't spiritual. But if one has guides, by whatever name, they can be represented by a spirit guide card or an angel card or a power animal card, and possibly by an ancestor card, depending on your frame of reference and beliefs. I really don't see how they'd mind the generalization. With only 36 or 40 cards, I just can't see why they'd choose THOSE four to add, when those concepts could share a card. I met my first guide over twenty years ago. I call him, alternately, an animal guide, a totem animal, a power animal, or any of several other words. He doesn't give a hoot what label I call him by, and certainly doesn't need three (or potentially four) cards to represent him and his companions.

ETA: Just re-read my post several posts above. What I meant by "in a spiritual direction" is that there are now three or four cards that all represent what, in my opinion, are related concepts. That stacks the deck to that general concept in general. I hope I'm making some sense to others.

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you do make sense and i understand what your saying, i just see that it adds to the deck.
often see the Power animal card to mean more base instinct card, and also i see the moon as timing, not so much the concept of animal guides , but more of the nature of animals how they link to nature.
i must say that totems and guides and angels can be fairly different when you work with them, i work with various guides and totems and i can see why you could have differnt cards.
All types of guides work in a different way which is what i think they are trying to do with the concept, the angels i work with are different, so are guides, to animals, and also loved ones. yes you could just have one card but for me it wouldnt be enough...i have guides /angels that work with me for different reasons...for instance if the angel card shows up i know that its refering to a different form of energy and that its linked to past life stuff, i know that the power animal card is talking more about nature, and i know the ancestors is showing me things that my loved ones are helping with...also ancestors i know is personal to me (where other cards could mean helping others).

so i guess what i am saying is, that many people have different types of guides for different things, and this helps me work out who is helping what area, i have 49 guides currently working with me, which doesnt include Angelic help or loved ones, other peoples loved ones, or the people who pop up to test drive me in trance mediumship or help me with particular learning.
I noticed recently that the SP card help told me i was having a new guide, and the power animal card showed me that she is going to help me work with moon energy

I hear what you're saying. But if we're to get into specifics like that, then in my opinion there are a lot of cards missing from the Lenormand. 36 or 40 is still very few cards. They have a dog card, but what about cat? Or rabbit? Or lion? They have a mountain card, but what about desert or rainforest or valley? And then they have a letter card, which also doubles, these days, as email, phone, or other form of communication. Why the particular handful of wild animals and not some others?

Anyway, it just seems odd to me to get so specific in one area, when with so few cards the deck can't have all those options in other areas.

I guess what this boils down to is that I'm not going to buy the extra cards. But what with the Melissa Lenormand coming in the mail I'm not sure how often I'll even look at my other Lenormands!!! lol

ETA:

Hmmm... Interesting, but I think it further removes the Mystical deck from mainstream Lenormandism, which is not necessarily a bad thing, just not quite my thing.

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I think this puts it succinctly for me. If one is going to start expanding the Lenormand, I personally think starting from scratch makes more sense, but then I'd like more information about how people are using these four cards. Are they shuffled in with the other 36? Or are they kept separate? Examples would be lovely.

I was intrigued by card #37, the one called the Ancestors. (See attached file.)

Particularly I was intrigued by the object hanging above the ghostly ancestors, behind the card-reader. Some kind of moose-antler candle chandelier, crossed with a mermaid in a wimple? What in the world?

So I did some research. It's called a Lüsterweibchen, or Leuchterweibchen. There's a German Wikipedia page here: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lüsterweibchen They're apparently a traditional form of chandelier, with the earliest examples going back to the 14th century. The artist Albrecht Dürer designed one; you can see a picture of it on that Wiki page.

More info here, with links to pictures: http://www.larsdatter.com/leuchterweibchen.htm

BlackForestBear defines these as fixtures which “incorporated the torso of a bare-breasted maiden, hunter or monk who appeared to hover above the room's occupants on antler wings. Early examples of these chandeliers were illustrated in a manuscript by Willem Vrelant in the university library at Erlanger and in engravings by Lucas Cranach, circa 1540.”

While most of them are female, there are a few male examples (Leuchtermännchen).

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Now I'm interested in getting the extra cards just because of this... even though I don't even have the Mystical Lenormand yet (I have one on order and will have it in a few days). I probably wouldn't use the extra cards in a reading though. At least not until I feel like I understand the Lenormand system. I just find the inclusion of a Lüsterweibchen fascinating, and appropriate too, as Lenormands are so popular in Germany, and I believe the artist is German. It makes me wonder what other little oddities are tucked into the art of the deck.


edit for clarity

GryffinSong said:

I think this puts it succinctly for me. If one is going to start expanding the Lenormand, I personally think starting from scratch makes more sense, but then I'd like more information about how people are using these four cards. Are they shuffled in with the other 36? Or are they kept separate? Examples would be lovely.

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i think its personal choice and how we work, and both of us are valid, our opinions might differ as the way we use the deck, hence why there are soo many options for us to pick from.

I put up and example of the GT using the extra cards. I think you might struggle to use the new cards for readings if you didnt work in a certain way.

i use them shuffled in with the deck, and to be honest i dont stick to many of the lenormand meanings with these cards because i think there is alot more info on offer intuitively.

laura_borealis said:

More info here, with links to pictures: http://www.larsdatter.com/leuchterweibchen.htm


Now I'm interested in getting the extra cards just because of this... even though I don't even have the Mystical Lenormand yet (I have one on order and will have it in a few days). I probably wouldn't use the extra cards in a reading though. At least not until I feel like I understand the Lenormand system. I just find the inclusion of a Lüsterweibchen fascinating, and appropriate too, as Lenormands are so popular in Germany, and I believe the artist is German. It makes me wonder what other little oddities are tucked into the art of the deck.


edit for clarity

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there are many oddities which to me enhance the meanings as i am working on symbology and there are soo many little details that i love and give the cards a bit of a boost for me

214red said:

...i think there is alot more info on offer intuitively.

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That's how I tend to approach reading as well. I haven't actually "made friends" yet with this deck. I've looked through it but not yet read with it. I do see lots of little things in the cards that make it interesting for potential reading. Ditto with decks like the Melissa Lenormand. If I look at it "just" as a reading deck, I have no quibble with the extra cards in the slightest. It's trying to wrap my brain around why they'd be in a Lenormand deck that has my brain frying. But since I rarely read in a traditional Lenormand manner, I'm not at all sure why it should bother me! lol

Cheers!

my brain is always fried come practice with us, its fun, i think i might offer some readings with the extra cards during the full moon as i am off, not sure what type to offer