pluto'sapprentice258
Hi, everyone!
Following the amazing response to my thread, Quick -Fire Lenormand Questions Answered in Pairs, which is still open, (http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=206385) I thought I would take La Force up on her offer of writing a thread on reading style
Great idea, La Force, and thanks again for the encouragement! Several members have complemented me on this 'style', so I want to share the mechanisms behind the readings I've been doing for you - what I'm looking for, why I 'burn' a card, why I use numerology, and why I feel that's important.
I'd love this thread to spark discussions with you all about your own unique styles - what works, what techniques you have tried then omitted over time, and how your own styles have evolved with you?
Get posting guys, I can't wait to hear how similar yet different we all are!
The following method is an amalgamation of theories and techniques -gleaned from numerous sources - that I have adapted for my own use when reading pairs of Lenormand cards. The added depth comes from observing as many themes and elements as possible.
Now I'll take you step-by-step through what I've been doing on the thread:
Firstly, I shuffle, for as long as I need to...my hands tell me when to stop. I like the word 'shuffle', because it connotes randomness, but I think what we actually do when we shuffle is to 'arrange' the cards
I feel that the hands, working with the subconscious, place the cards, very specifically, into the exact positions needed for the best reading, (despite the illusion of randomness created by the shuffling action.)I ask my question in my head, and send it out through my hands and fingertips. Sometimes, my solar plexus will buzz, so I shuffle the cards held a few inches away from it.
This is how I 'link in' to the question, and the situation I'm reading about. I believe this concentrated asking of the question clearly imbues it into the cards.
I then shuffle silently, having cemented the question into the shuffling action, until I feel it is time to stop.
I'm a Poker player
I just adore Texas Hold 'Em. Depending on how and where you're playing, some believe it is customary to 'burn' certain cards from the pack, and not include them in game play.When I began reading Tarot, this habit of burning a card naturally and instinctively transferred over from Poker. I think it's because in Poker, you aren't allowed to see the 'burn' card, but with Tarot, I'm able to look at it, to finally break the taboo!
I noticed that the 'burn' card would always have a poignant message, numerical significance, or embody the overall 'theme' of the reading.
It occurred to me that that burn card would have otherwise been the first card of the reading, so of course, it's logical to reason that it will have some relevance to what's being asked of the cards.
The 'burn' card is now a standard custom in all my readings, Tarot or Lenormand. I always acknowledge it, and love how it adds an extra dimension to the reading. It reminds me of how words are borrowed from other languages then become integrated and adapted to expand the diversity of communication. Cards are versatile, and so are the customs associated with them - you can make just about anything work for you. Take that leap of faith, and be creative.
When the burn card has been turned I deal the pair. Let's use a fictional question with an example pair, (I will not include a burn card for this example, just the pair.)
Let's say the question is - "How can I best support A during this time of change?"
And the pair is...
31 - The Sun
28 - The Man
Firstly, scan for certain themes within the pair -
Are there any Court Cards, if so, which ones? What is the cartomancy at work within each card? Are there numerical trends? Which cards are 'fast' and which are 'slow'? What are the cards 'doing' to each other, e.g, speeding up, slowing down, hampering, improving? How does the pair's message relate back to the question? What is the pair's numerical reduction? (i.e, 3 + 1 + 2 + 8 = 14; 1 + 4 = 5), and Which Tarot card does this numerical reduction correspond to?So, what do we notice first? For a start, we have no Court Cards, but we have the neutral Man significator - this tells us we are totally concerned with a man. We can see we have two Aces here, so this tells us straight away something must be initiated. We know this, as the question asked how support can be offered; the Aces indicate that initiation, vitality and new opportunities are key to best supporting A.
It may be that A needs this support due to feelings of apathy, so encouraging A to initiate this 'stepping out into the light', so to speak, could be another theme here. The cards say, "don't let A stagnate - keep moving!"
The Ace of Diamonds in the Sun describes movement, trips, new things and visitors - it is saying that A needs energy, to get out and about, to move around and socialise. The Sun is communicating that the area where action is needed is the Man, and the Ace of Hearts is the theme - A needs support to experience joy, satisfaction and happiniss during this period of change in his life.
The pair could also be telling us that A's friend, the one who wants to offer support, can do so with winning charisma and by drawing energy from his own resources.
The Ace of Hearts in the Man is about joy, happiness, satisfaction and contentment, which is how A should feel once this pair's message is initialised.
It is important in Lenormand (and Tarot!) to bring everything back to the question. Maybe, A just needs to get out more and enjoy life; this could be the best support this particular friend can offer at present. Getting a man 'out there', 'exposed', is the message,and it would be up to the friend who asked the question to initiate the change. Another angle to consider is the pair representing the friend, also - the charismatic, energetic man who will be the source of A's support?
The Sun is a very vibrant, positive card. The Man is a male. The pair says A needs to feel positive again, which will be an achievement and bring him personal success. This achievement may be reached with the support of another, charismatic, energetic man. Either way, it's about men supporting each other, moving around and exposure.
During the analysis, I make note of the double Ace energy, so I note action and initiation.
I note that there are no Court Cards present, which represent people involved in the situation -and depending of the Court, the overriding energies surrounding the situation - however here, we have the Man, so we know this concerns a man, or male companions.
Numerololgy adds a new dimension to a reading for me; it's another overriding energy, inherent in the cards' message, which can provide further insight.
The reduction for this example pair is 5.
I couldn't have asked for a better example
As Tarotists in particular will know, 5 can be a tricky number. It is generally regarded as an unstable number, and the instability experienced when rules, conformity or experience stiffle and inhibit us. It is also a versatile number, representing communication and opening up, group teachings and change. In Tarot, it relates to the Hierophant - his message is one of traditional rules and ceremony, higher values and group meetings.For this particular reading, 5 suggests that A has been feeling unstable, perhaps unable to communicate. The positive expression of this particular pair hints towards versatility, and A being able to open up and experience the more positive aspects of the 5 energy. 5 is also at the centre of the feeling plane, representing the need for courage, change, and creative adventure.
I really hope this is the sort of thing you had in mind, La Force, and that this information will be useful to you and other readers! If there's anything you'd like me to add or elaborate upon, please do ask.
I can't wait to hear all your own methods, ideas and techniques guys, so get posting!
much love,
little p
it.
