Why Lenormands?

Inthetree

Thank you Ashtaroot, Le Fanu, and Cardlady for all the fantastic links! I love the notebook idea, and combining the tarot with the Lenormand seems like a great way to get to know the cards while expanding tarot readings at the same time.
 

Noelle

greatdane said:
I told an ATer once I thought the Lenormand was deceptively simple, but I'm not sure if it's really deceptively complex...in it's simplicity? :)

Sugar is a simple ingredient but used in combination with other ingredients we can produce a multitude of foods that taste and look 'very different'. The step at which this ingredient (or any ingredient) is added into a mix also makes a difference.

I think Lenormand is 'sort of' like this.

The reading outcome depends on the mix of cards AND their order of placement, whether you are using a simple 5 cards spread or the grand tableau layout or something else.
 

IheartTarot

greatdane said:
I was curious why some prefer Lenormands at times over other oracle decks or tarot. What does a Lenormand do for you other decks don't?

TBH it was probably the images that drew me in (Libran aesthete) and now I am having a full-blown affair with them. :love: :D

A change is as good as a holiday, and I am growing and learning something new in the process. While having my fling, I realized how happy I am with my new love interest and how useful it is in real life. It has wonderful practical applications, including locating missing people and objects and diagnosing the health of people, cars and houses (not to substitute professional medical advice of course, but sometimes the doctors get stuck too). I have learnt a new language and have expanded my divinatory vocabulary exponentially.

I am now flirting with other oracles too (playing cards and runes) and no doubt I won't stop there. All of these skills are added to my toolbox and when I have a problem, I instinctively know which tool to use.

BTW Outside of ATF, the word "oracle" means any form of divination including Tarot. It is only used here to separate Tarot from everything else. Some non-Tarot oracles are very simple and anyone can read them (e.g. angel cards or cards with keywords) while others are more complex and are essentially a symbolic language. Lenormand falls in the latter category and is not something a reader can master overnight. (I am not talking about pure intuitive reading here, anyone can do that with anything including reading the clouds in the sky.)
 

IheartTarot

Systems and combinations

cardlady22 said:

These are the Treppner (traditional/German) meanings. NoCoolName's website link takes you to the Treppner website.

The Steinbach (French) meanings that some of us use are not exactly the same, you can get an idea of these from the Serena Powers website.

Fixed combinations seem to be more important in the traditional system, but even Treppner emphasises that her combinations should only be used as a guideline.

After studying Lenormand for six months, this is my advice I wish someone had told me in the beginning:

1) Don't worry too much about the combinations in the books, they are only examples and often will not apply to your reading. Look at them as possible hints or clues if you get stuck, and as a way to learn how card combinations work.
2) Don't start off with 36, 7 or even 5 card spreads. I nearly drowned in the deep end. Start off with one, then two, then three or more cards. Jason has a good blog post about this.
3) Don't mix and match different Lenormand systems (language dialects), you will only confuse your readings. Check them all out if you wish, then pick one and stick with it.

(I just had to show off my newfound skills embedding urls. :D )
 

MagsStardustBlack

Le Fanu said:
Gorge on this feast.

Every time this subject comes up, I remember that there was a thread here on AT which helped me enormously when I first started. It went through the cards (one thread; all cards) one by one and gave meanings which resonated with me. I bought a small notebook and started building up my own meanings in conjunction with these meanings and really felt that I had found something to get me started.

Of course, I cannot locate it now (though it was linked to me in another thread by some kind soul when I was - again - bemoaning the fact that I couldn't find it!).

It was posted by a (German?) member? I seem to remember it had some translations as it worked though each card, though I could be mistaken.

I have no way of searching for this, other than "Lenormand" in the Lenormand Forum which, as you can imagine, brings up rather a lot...

Oh i will Le Fanu, there is enough info to keep me learning 'till i die, and even after that too.

I loved your post further up the thread of how you read Lenormand, truly intriguing. I would love to try this method when i get a Lenormand deck and see if it works for me, and if it doesn't it sounds a fun way to get acquainted with a new deck and getting to know the cards. Is this your particular style Le Fanu? Or did you learn it else where? I'm curious as someone once said that you need to find your own key for reading cards (i don't have my own key), so i try borrowing other peoples ideas to see if they work for me.

What Lenormand is your fav'?


xxMags

There does appear to be very clear opinions on the reason people choose Lenormand and everyone seems to be on the same page. I feel another impulse buy coming on
 

greatdane

Oh I'm realllly enjoying all your posts!

........................
 

Le Fanu

MagsStardustBlack said:
I loved your post further up the thread of how you read Lenormand, truly intriguing. I would love to try this method when i get a Lenormand deck and see if it works for me, and if it doesn't it sounds a fun way to get acquainted with a new deck and getting to know the cards. Is this your particular style Le Fanu? Or did you learn it else where? I'm curious as someone once said that you need to find your own key for reading cards (i don't have my own key), so i try borrowing other peoples ideas to see if they work for me.

What Lenormand is your fav'?
I would say that many people read in this way; of thinking of a row of cards like a sentence and building up meaning that way. I'm most certainly not original in any way when it comes to reading with Lenormands and there are way more experienced readers than me. I am a relative newbie compared to a lot here.

I would say my favourite is the Melissa, but - funny - after thinking about this thread yesterday I went to bed and had a look though my Mystical Lenormand (seen here in a spread by Seaqueen. Cards can be enlarged by clicking) and I hadn't looked at it for ages and I found it so charming and pretty and inviting and fell in love with it all over again. I also love the French Cartomancy deck and the AG Muller Gypsy Lenormand. But I would say the Melissa and the Mystical Lenormand are my favourites.
 

Laura Borealis

Le Fanu said:
I would say my favourite is the Melissa, but - funny - after thinking about this thread yesterday I went to bed and had a look though my Mystical Lenormand (seen here in a spread by Seaqueen. Cards can be enlarged by clicking) and I hadn't looked at it for ages and I found it so charming and pretty and inviting and fell in love with it all over again. I also love the French Cartomancy deck and the AG Muller Gypsy Lenormand. But I would say the Melissa and the Mystical Lenormand are my favourites.

Oh! What lovely cards! I don't normally care for the scene-framed-in-a-window art style, if that makes sense, but for those it works... it's like a glimpse into a fairy tale world. And I love all the details. Dang, another for my wish list. :p
 

greatdane

They are charming

Le Fanu and Laura, you both described aspects of Lenormands that many must feel.
 

tarotmama

I have lots of thoughts on this -- but I'll just chime in to say that I'm mostly in agreement.

When you look at a Lenormand card, it's just a dog. What does a dog mean? Well, it means yada yada yada... etc.

When you look at a tarot card. Oh, there's a dog. But there's also a guy. On a cliff. And he's holding a white rose. And he's got his stuff in a pouch... etc.

I think that Lenormands seem more direct because there is less range of interpretation when you're dealing with one symbol directly. But I disagree that tarot can't be that way. I have noticed that my tarot style has changed as I become more adept with the Lenormand, and I'm more comfortable stating things as I see them.

I also disagree that Lenormand cards cannot be used for spiritual/soul-purpose readings. The symbols on the cards are almost archetypal. It takes more of a free-wheeling reading style to perhaps do such readings, but I know it's possible (because I do it all the time :)).