Lilac/ Cherry Lenormand Question

I recently viewed an instructional on YouTube where the Lilac/Cherry (Russian) decks were used for an illustration of the near/far (Belgian/Dutch) method. It didn't explain how to use the deck, just using the deck as prop for n/f.
Lilac (more pos meanings of the 2) for near
Cherry (less pos, a lil more negative) for far fm significator, or whatever focus card.

I am wondering if anyone here uses the decks together in this way? Are they supposed to be used TOGETHER??

So then how does it work for you, if you use them both together? Does it replace near and far, if you have learned that method? I don't understand how it would work if you had lilac Dog next to you, then the cherry dog several cards away. Or the reverse Which one do you read or both? (Just tryin to make sense here!)

Do the authors explain?

I haven't had a chance to use the decks yet but the authors explain that you can use both separately or combine them and list suggestions for combining them. The Cherry meanings tend to be more negative so if a Cherry card shows up you would read it as the more negative aspects of the card. They encourage you to figure out your own system. So if you decide that Lilac cards mean close and Cherry cards mean far, that is their meaning. The LWB lists possible meanings for both Lilac and Cherry versions of the cards, and gives a sample reading using both decks combined.

You can also use one as a reading deck and the other for clarification, or you can just pick your favourite cards from each and combine them into one reading deck. For instance, I like the Cherry's house card better, so I could just swap it into my reading deck and read it like a normal Lenormand reading. Another suggestion is to use one deck for significator cards if, say, you want to use the heart to represent that the question is about a romantic relationship, or if the querent is non-binary.

Thank you HP. And please excuse me for the delayed response. Thank you for checking on that info for me. Very useful ideas! and glad the authors say some of what you wrote, in their booklet(?)

MAYBE no one actually uses them for Near/Far as the youtube Course was suggesting they could be used, bc it sounds rather confusing. Must be lovely to have them to play with though! Maybe you will find the time lol.
As for me......i may order them someday perhaps >>>>>>

love the look of these cards, I just got them which took a while to get from Europe. love the artwork.

Of course you can use them any way you want.

However, you can't go wrong using them in the traditional 36-card GT layout, using the numbered 36 cards -- mixed and matched to your liking. Using 36 cards is the way to use Lenormand cards.

Lenormand is a "simple" oracle that will give straightforward answers within its original structure. Read any other way is, well, not Lenormand. It becomes your own (or someone else's) permutation. Then you must decide on another set of protocols or rules.

Whatever you decide, you can not deviate from -- you must follow -- because if you don't have rules your results will only be a muddle. Kind of like moveable mile markers in a road. If they are not at fixed points you have no idea how far you've gone.

Edited to add:

As far as positive and negative meanings of the cards. In the structure of Lenormand card reading, the symbols are read in the context of the question and the influences of cards surrounding the cards representing various situations -- work, love, home, money, etc. They derive their positivity or negativity based on those influences. Artificial influences based on card illustration do not fall under Lenormand "rules" except the dark/ lightcolor of Clouds, direction of the Scythe or appearance of trees in the antique "illustrated" cards.

If you want to go back to the original directions for how to read Lenormand, from which all the current methods are derived, read the Philippe Lenormand sheet and go from there.

Tag_jorrit said:

Of course you can use them any way you want.

However, you can't go wrong using them in the traditional 36-card GT layout, using the numbered 36 cards -- mixed and matched to your liking. Using 36 cards is the way to use Lenormand cards.

Lenormand is a "simple" oracle that will give straightforward answers within its original structure. Read any other way is, well, not Lenormand. It becomes your own (or someone else's) permutation. Then you must decide on another set of protocols or rules.

Whatever you decide, you can not deviate from -- you must follow -- because if you don't have rules your results will only be a muddle. Kind of like moveable mile markers in a road. If they are not at fixed points you have no idea how far you've gone.

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I couldn't agree more. You make an an excellent analogy between cards and mile markers, especially given the importance of cards' distance from each other in a reading (and hence from the events they portend): Are we there yet? How far is it?

Belinda2 said:

love the look of these cards, I just got them which took a while to get from Europe. love the artwork.

Click to expand...

I do too, tho it has taken me quite awhile to warm up. I was wanting that first Berenika Lilac that's oop and I didn't think these were suitable replacements. STILL want the earlier one, but time has had its way and I very much love looking at these cards (online), tho I prefer the cards in these 2 decks with the CLEARER symbols. The paintings are what I like as opposed the line drawings of many of the older cards. Always attracted to the painted (tho i rather like the look of the Ur-Primal which I bought).

I wonder if this is just a selling ploy (suggesting 2 decks be used for near/far) or if this is actually a Russian method that has been in use for awhile? I don't think I would try it though, as really do not see that working. I find it challenging enough learning the original system.
btw just for clarification here is the vid series I was referring to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViUFcvM8qZI

IHeartRescues said:

I do too, tho it has taken me quite awhile to warm up. I was wanting that first Berenika Lilac that's oop and I didn't think these were suitable replacements. STILL want the earlier one, but time has had its way and I very much love looking at these cards (online), tho I prefer the cards in these 2 decks with the CLEARER symbols.
Yes these decks have a lot going on and are not simple for example, the scythe card in the cherry deck has along with the scythe has lilies and an hourglass. the first deck
I got from them is Mysteries of the Old Castle, which I like very much. I have both simple image decks and more complex art work.

I wonder if this is just a selling ploy (suggesting 2 decks be used for near/far) or if this is actually a Russian method that has been in use for awhile? I don't think I would try it though, as really do not see that working. I find it challenging enough learning the original system.
btw just for clarification here is the vid series I was referring to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViUFcvM8qZI

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Thank you for the YouTube link above interesting, this is the only time I have heard of using two decks in this fashion.So
I am unsure

Tag_jorrit said:

Edited to add:

As far as positive and negative meanings of the cards. In the structure of Lenormand card reading, the symbols are read in the context of the question and the influences of cards surrounding the cards representing various situations -- work, love, home, money, etc. They derive their positivity or negativity based on those influences. Artificial influences based on card illustration do not fall under Lenormand "rules" except the dark/ light color of Clouds, direction of the Scythe or appearance of trees in the antique "illustrated" cards.

Click to expand...

Yes thank you Tag_jorrit. Best to learn how the cards can REALLY work together in the simpler way imo also. More is just--well MORE. Then it seems to become something else, but adding extra cards (a la Gypsy Witch) seems to be a current fashion. ( I do prefer extra Man/Woman cards.)

I suppose the 2nd deck would be better used as a swap out for preferred cards, and could also be used as houses placeholders.

Belinda2 said:

Thank you for the YouTube link above interesting, this is the only time I have heard of using two decks in this fashion.So
I am unsure

Click to expand...

And Belinda, glad you enjoyed that link.