The Ship=a car?

5Spades

Before starting, I want to say “Hello!” to everyone. I’m new to the forum.

My question is; which card, for you, represents a car? The Ship or The Cavalier? And why?

The last book I’ve read on Lenormand is Rana George’s book. On page 50, she says, “the Ship is the only card in the deck that represents a vehicle with an engine or motor”, and she lists the car under the Ship as one the manifestations of the card. However, she lists the motorcycle, which is obviously another vehicle with a motor, under the Cavalier. I don’t understand the reason behind this distinction. Can anyone shed some light?

For me, it’s more logical to assign the car to the Cavalier as it travels on land. All vehicles which operate on land and with wheels should be assigned to the Cavalier, and all vehicles which have the ability to cross oceans and go from one continent to another should be listed under the Ship. What do you think?
 

Village Witch

My reasoning for such a listing of the motorcycle under the Cavalier is that a motorcycle is straddled and ridden/driven as like a horse. My interpretation of the Cavalier is that of a messenger or a horse.
 

andybc

I cannot answer for Rana on her reasoning. But the Cavalier is the more accepted card for your personal transport, be it a car or a bike, as well as horses lol.

The Ship can and does stand for transport – but a boat, train, bus, aeroplane etc.

There is no traditional card for personal transport, which is why I say 'more accepted'. The Ship and Birds both traditionally predicted travel, when close and when far, respectively. But neither where, how far or by which means. The Ship's main meaning was to do with money coming through opportunities or inheritance.
 

Teheuti

I've found that Ship tends to represent long trips for me - which could be a two or three hour drive in a car or to another country. Rider is my car (I have a very small car), which I use most often for brief errands around town. If I had an hour commute everyday I think I'd soon discover which card represented that (the benefit of daily readings). I found that Birds (when far) *tends* to refer to a vacation or weekend getaway.
 

5Spades

Thank you for your replies.

The term “personal transport” sounds also logical in determining which card is more relevant than the other to describe a vehicle.

Basically, can we say that vehicles that we drive/control and are our own properties should be assigned to the Cavalier card?

We drive our bike, motorcycle or car and they’re our personal possession. On the other hand, we don’t fly a plane ourselves, a pilot does that for us. Same logic applies for the ship, bus and the train.

The boat can also be used as one’s personal transport, but since it’s a small ship, I can understand why it’s assigned to the Ship card.
 

Teheuti

For me it's not so much the vehicle as the activity involved or a combination of vehicle and activity. Just as there are several cards for work there are a couple of cards for types of travel and modes of transport. In a GT, having two or three cards for travel allows you to see how the situation played out in both the past and future, for instance.
 

andybc

I find it is context, really. If I reading for myself I would not automatically think of the Cavalier as signifying my car – and more than my clients’ motorbike or bicycle – it’s only applicable. Off the top of my head, I think the last time was when my car was due for a MOT, but the Cavalier also talked about several other things in different contexts.

It’s the same for the Ship. In a GT it does not have to be travel. Most of the time it’ll be financial opportunities or commerce related.

In terms of travel, as Mary says, there are several with the two main ones being the Ship and Birds. However, the Ship does most often represent travel when it’s very close to your card (1-2 away) and the Birds quite far away (5 or more).

Learning the themes of the cards have been woefully neglected. But they are so useful in getting the big picture, especially in the GT (the big picture spread).
 

5Spades

I know the traditional meanings of the two cards and I am well aware that priority should be first given to traditional meanings when doing a reading. However, especially in daily readings, the traditional meanings don’t always apply to my life.

For instance, I’m a university student and last Monday Summer term started and every week I have classes. In this case, the Ship cannot predict a travel or a long distance journey because it’s naturally impossible for me to leave the country for traveling and leave my studies behind. I have to be at school every day. Also, I’m not a self-employed person that is doing a business, so the card’s “commerce” meaning doesn’t apply to my life either.

Other additional modern meanings of the Ship card should apply to me in daily readings.

In this regard, I find the later added meanings very useful. If there weren’t these additions, Lenormand would be too limiting, and the accuracy and variety of the readings would be considerably diminished. It would be very difficult to give details about a situation, a thing or a person. For this reason, if we want Lenormand to survive in the future, the card’s meanings should evolve as long as the symbols on the cards permit.

By the way, I have your books (both of you), and I’m very pleased to meet you, even though it’s in cyber-space form. Thank you for trying to help. :)

I guess Rana George’s reasoning for listing the motorcycle (even though it too has an engine) under the Cavalier is for the same reason as VillageWitch has stated above.

I’ll continue to take the Cavalier as a car when that meaning should apply. I don’t have a car, so when reading obviously it won’t be my car, but with the dog at right of the Cavalier, for example, it could signify my friend’s car.
 

Village Witch

My question is; which card, for you, represents a car? The Ship or The Cavalier? And why?

I have yet to read the Cavalier as a vehicle of any sort. To me it signifies a message or movement. It my Lenormand deck, it's called the Rider.

The Ship speaks to me of a journey or movement, something coming in or out of one's life that will have a large influence.

I am new to Lenormand and have not learned all the meanings and nuances as of yet.
 

andybc

I know the traditional meanings of the two cards and I am well aware that priority should be first given to traditional meanings when doing a reading. However, especially in daily readings, the traditional meanings don’t always apply to my life.

For instance, I’m a university student and last Monday Summer term started and every week I have classes. In this case, the Ship cannot predict a travel or a long distance journey because it’s naturally impossible for me to leave the country for traveling and leave my studies behind. I have to be at school every day. Also, I’m not a self-employed person that is doing a business, so the card’s “commerce” meaning doesn’t apply to my life either.

Other additional modern meanings of the Ship card should apply to me in daily readings.

In this regard, I find the later added meanings very useful. If there weren’t these additions, Lenormand would be too limiting, and the accuracy and variety of the readings would be considerably diminished. It would be very difficult to give details about a situation, a thing or a person. For this reason, if we want Lenormand to survive in the future, the card’s meanings should evolve as long as the symbols on the cards permit.

By the way, I have your books (both of you), and I’m very pleased to meet you, even though it’s in cyber-space form. Thank you for trying to help. :)

I guess Rana George’s reasoning for listing the motorcycle (even though it too has an engine) under the Cavalier is for the same reason as VillageWitch has stated above.

I’ll continue to take the Cavalier as a car when that meaning should apply. I don’t have a car, so when reading obviously it won’t be my car, but with the dog at right of the Cavalier, for example, it could signify my friend’s car.

I totally agree with you, especially on on daily drawers, and that is where the Cavalier has more often been a car for me - especially when it is the first card. Cavalier - Mountain - Stars comes to mind, when it wouldn't start.

The trouble with daily drawers is you have to adjust the weight, but be open to more meanings. Ship as longing, missing someone. They're not easy but from your comments you're clearly on the right track.

Village Witch - you're correct in the news being his main meaning, the Cavalier (or Rider or Horseman, the name doesn't change the meaning same as the Owls v Birds) was a messenger sent to ride out overland. Travel over land was done by horse, now more typically by cars, hence transport. Unlike the Letter this news delivered by a person - hence why he can be a man, courier etc. He's not a stable boy or a lowly telegraph boy (why we say well dressed in descriptions) and he rides his own vehicle. If he's far away he can foreign too.

These all come from the traditional meaning and emblem. So don't rule them out.