Lenormand...anyone?

[Saturness]

Hi!

I've recently acquired the divination deck 'Lenormand' and...well, i'd like to know if anyone else here plays such cards. I'm just starting and i feel kinda lost...the cards seem to be too abstract and i'm having trouble at interpreting them.

I guess i'm just too used to the Tarot

I'd like to know more...any kind of information is more than welcome! Spreads, meanings, tips...whatever you're willing to share with me, i'll accept with open arms.
Also, does anyone know how the famous "Lenormand Spread" works? That one with four rows of eight cards and one of four cards.

Thanks in advance!

~Yuko

[zorya]

hi miss yuko

welcome to the forum!

we have a lenormand group index, stickied near the top of this, the oracle decks board, or you can reach it by clicking here; http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=36301

you'll see that several members have been practicing draws together. feel free to join in and post to any of the threads.

there are additional links, under those of the draws, that may also interest.

enjoy!

[Saturness]

Originally Posted by zorya

hi miss yuko

welcome to the forum!

we have a lenormand group index, stickied near the top of this, the oracle decks board, or you can reach it by clicking here; http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=36301

you'll see that several members have been practicing draws together. feel free to join in and post to any of the threads.

there are additional links, under those of the draws, that may also interest.

enjoy!

Oh, thanks! How come i didn't see that sooner? My bad :p

~Yuko

[Kara]

Hi miss_yuko: As to the full layout, my thoughts on it are..

There are a gazillion different ways to read it.. I guess you'll find your own soon enough, but I started off by laying out 8 cards in 4 rows, with the last four at the bottom. You could also lay out nine cards in four rows, if that's easier.
In the beginning, you should assign a meaning to the last four cards, otherwise they can be confusing. The meanings run the gamut - they can represent the querent's stance/view on 'the', or just 'a' specific situation, they can represent future tendencies, outside influences, someone else's feelings about something - you name it. That's why it may be easier to assign something to them.

For the other 32 cards:
For a general overview, read each card in a storyline as you put them down.

Then, find the main person(lady or gentleman), and read the 3 cards in the horizontal line above them as what is affecting them right now, where their thoughts are(which shows you what situations they are currently in). The cards going off diagonally from the main card are 'karma' cards , read from top to the main card down, or from the bottom to the main card up. These cards show the effects, direction, causes - the unseen ripples of thoughts and actions. The left side diagonals are usually the past thoughts(top) and actions(bottom), leading to the current situation, causing the right side diagonals - future thoughts and actions.

The cards left and right of the main card, reflect the physical situation, the 3 cards beneath the main card reflect what is not being looked at, ignored, taken for granted, unnoticed, etc.

Each card surrounding the main card also represent characteristics of the querent, and also tied in with the above, his past, present and future tendencies. From 9 cards, you can get a bundle...:-)

The cards connecting to each of the surrounding cards elaborate on the card next to it, in any direction(intuition here), and can represent anything, from time, place, person, how, why, etc. Just go with that first impression, don't think about it too much, whatever stands out... I usually follow the top is mind, middle is emotion, bottom is physical or action - but very loosely. It's really hard to pinpoint and say, do this or that - whatever works for you, and whatever works at the time.

You can now take each card separately, and read around it in the same way, for example, if you would like to know about financial issues, you'd read the cards around the fish card and/or the ship.
And so on and so forth.

I also use a technique from the gypsy cards - I read four corner cards as a group inwards(first one group, then the next, and so on), but I use it as what the querant needs to know, or should know.

The diagonals are really important, because they show the background, the thoughts, the whys - sometimes they are the main focus, going in a zigzag across the layout - it all depends.

That, in a nutshell, is my method, and I hope it makes sense how I described it, and that it is useful to you. Anything unclear, I will attempt to clarify. Have fun!

love,
Kara