The Best Lenormand Deck for a Newbie

Here is a deck that just arrived. It is adorable with gorgeous, colorful photos. It's called Gilded Reverie Lenormand by Ciro.


Sorry... just thought I would add this deck as it is new. Gorgeous too! I guess I am quite the enabler.


Hugs,
BTV

Lenormand Oracle by Gina di Roberto or the Vintage German

I like these as they are old, very basic images. If you don't read playing cards and don't want or need a big playing card insert on the top of each card, I think these will do nicely for a newbie. They have the same basic images, but the Vintage German, looks, well, vintage, where the Lenormand Oracle has a brighter vibe. I think when beginning the more basic, the better. Nothing to distract. I have the Gilded Reverie and enjoy reading with it as well as some of the Berenika decks, but there is more to distract someone just starting.

BeyondtheVeil said:

That does sound like a great idea!


If I were the least bit artistic.. I would try that. lol I wasn't blessed with that though.

Have you made your own? That is so neat!


BTV

Click to expand...

I have the artistic ability of a gnat with its arm in plaster. (In effect - none)

I trawled through google images and made up a couple of decks of two differeing themes. The first is made up of silhouettes, but I have added keywords and phrases but on the rear. That way, I can go by my instincts, with the usual main card image/title, but if I need a confidence booster or confirmation of the track I am on, I can flick the card over to check the key associations. I don't know of any current deck that does this, so I decided to cobble my own.

The other deck is a fantasy themed deck - again online images. I did check the usage laws here in NZ and if it is a one at a time, personal use/study I am okay. I would never consider creating anything like that to sell, but it is helping my journey. I was surprised at how certain imagery worked for me, and how the majority I came across didn't. If it resonates I have better chance of tuning in, and have a better chance of enjoying the journey of learning.

Then, I just sized them as poker sized, uploaded to a printing site and am awaiting their arrival.

shadowdancer said:

I trawled through google images

Click to expand...

I did this too, but I figured out a different way to print: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=188570

Lee, you are a star I read through all the postings on your link and totally understood where you are coming from.

And business cards on a sheet? Bloomin' genius. I had never thought of that. And it is a corking idea as an alteranative to using internet print sites. Size is already established, as is a template. Ironically it sounds a cheaper way of buying card stock than just buying A4 sized card. Sizes will all be the same when they are pressed or cut out. I honestly had never thought of that.

Out of interest, have you found the urge yet to add or change the keywords? I know my internal library wanted to be expanded after those initial few weeks, so I did add to the ones I had already used. Thus my first ones are a little redundant now, especially as they have the words on the front which is too much of a crutch, and something I find I read automatically when I don't always need to.

Honestly folks - it can be done. Lee explained it a lot better than I have, and it is sooo rewarding.

Hi shadowdancer! When I printed out my first set, I used Donnaleigh's keywords. Then I decided to use Sylvie's meanings, so I changed the keywords and printed out a new set. At this point I don't use either of those sets of meanings. Instead, I'm trying to concentrate more on general concepts for each card rather than specific keywords, inspired by the Enchanted Lenormand, where Caitlin Matthews does a great job in delineating one or two key concepts for each card.

So I'm not using my self-made deck at this point. In the future I may make up a set of keywords from the Enchanted book, and print out a new set... or not. We'll see! Part of my trouble is that by nature I'm incapable of sticking with one set of meanings for long.

The drawback to the Avery-business-cards method is that designs with light or faint lines don't translate too well by the time you print them out. So it definitely makes for a rough-and-ready deck, not something anyone would want to use for esthetic reasons.

Hi Lee,

My first keywords were online/Donnaleigh's with some of Sylvie's thrown in.

I then extended this current one to include those from Caitlin, but I also tried to split it into three areas of noun, verb and adjective. The photo attached is of a few of them, yet to arrive though. I don't think I need key words anywhere as much as I did this time last year, but occasionally I have a brain block. Being on the rear it is there if I need it as a crutch, but otherwise not having it on the front lets me work from my own intuition.

The other photo shows some from the fantasy deck I put together for myself, also yet to arrive. These are now embedded in my mind and resonate hugely. It should help with my current stage of learning. Both are poker sized.

Beautiful! That polished look would be impossible with the business card method. I like the keywords being on the back, that way they're there if you need them but are otherwise hidden.

I'm curious - do the colors have particular significance?

Not really. I didn't want just plain white for everything, so chose 9 pastel shades and used them 4 times each across the deck at random. It should look nice in a GT with them randomised, as well as linear spreads.

The fantasy deck was where I nailed the learning of card / number / title association. If I think of 23 I can see Mice now, or if I see Lily I can now immediately see it with the no. 30. I struggled to do that with the decks I had purchased. There was no easy way of linking in my head.

To make up the order of $30 where I get free shipping, I also have used x5 of the fantasy images for a journal. I love hand writing stuff, and use a fountain pen. It is going to be a lovely way of monitoring my progress for this year.

Flonz Victorian Lenormand is another one

I think this is a great deck for a newbie, although you can still just see it in Lenormand deck creation, but it should be out soon. I got a pre copy and it's brilliant! Simple, yet elegant. And on a kind of tea stained card stock. Whether beginning or not, I think it's a fabulous deck.