Lenormand for a Newbie

[Akuts]

I've spent hours searching through the posts in this forum, trying to work out which deck I'd like for my first oracle deck. Somehow I fixed on the Lenormand, becoming so enamoured with it that I bid on and won one on eBay last night.

Am I being too ambitious? I don't know anything yet about oracles, and for all I know I might be hopeless at them. My new deck has to come all the way from England, so I might have a week or so to learn how to use it. Should I just keep reading everything I can on this forum, or should I be looking for a good book?

Any advice would be welcome. I'd like my new deck to feel at home when it arrives.

 

[moderndayruth]

I've spent hours searching through the posts in this forum, trying to work out which deck I'd like for my first oracle deck. Somehow I fixed on the Lenormand, becoming so enamoured with it that I bid on and won one on eBay last night.

Am I being too ambitious? I don't know anything yet about oracles, and for all I know I might be hopeless at them. My new deck has to come all the way from England, so I might have a week or so to learn how to use it. Should I just keep reading everything I can on this forum, or should I be looking for a good book?

Any advice would be welcome. I'd like my new deck to feel at home when it arrives.

Oh, myself i discovered Lenormand couple of months ago and i am absolutely hooked on it by now!
There is a study group here which you probably found by now, i think Sylvie's methods does work, but as i don't want to learn by heart other people's methods and meanings - i am learning by myself. There are many systems on Lenormand, just google Mlle Lenormand and a whole world of sites will open for you
I've spent a couple of days with each card to find out what it means to me and i've being doing daily draws - that helps too.
From the feedbacks it seems that by now i am making some sense in my readings
Happy Lenormand-ing!

 

[Akuts]

Thanks for the reply, Moderndayruth. It's wonderful to know that there are other people who like the Lenormand.

I saw the study group but, like you, I thought I'd rather learn by myself to begin with. I can learn other people's methods once I get used to it.

I'll follow your lead on the daily draws. I like doing that with my Tarot deck and it really does help me to understand the cards.

Congratulations on your successful readings! I hope I can get there that fast.

I'd better get off to Google now.

 

[MatPoint]

Hello,

I've been reading Lenormand and other European oracles for a few years now. The most important thing about these European systems is the ability to read card combinations.

You'll find that the meanings are quite easy to remember because the images on each card are quite straight forward.

Sylvie's book is not the best literature I've seen on Lenormand cards. I would recomend you to have a go with the Treppner Lenormand course. It is much more complete. You'll learn everything about Lenormand cards with the Treppner course. And you will be able to read the Grand Tableau gradually from the very beginning. You'll also find valuable support at the Course Phorum.

You can of course start with Sylvie's approach but you will only learn her No-Layout stuff, too simple compared to all the possibilities that the Lenormand cards can give you.

You can buy Sylvie's book anyway and then buy the Treppner's course. LOL

It's just my opinion, do what your heart tells you.

Mat

 

[Gavriela]

I really like the Treppner course, too. Much information on reading technique, and the combinations aren't the meat of the book. Sylvie's book is about 80% combinations, plus a little on her no layout layout and no other techniques, while the Treppner course has a file at the end for reference with card combos, but is mostly about How To Read the Cards in any number of ways, including a great deal on the Grand Tableau, and shorter spreads, too.

The forum is a lot of fun, too, if you elect to do that. And there are a few good Lenormand blogs and sites around in English these days. Not as much as in French or German, but at least it's better than it was a couple of years ago.

If you know German, or can get by enough in it so that an online translator makes sense to you, a subscription to waldfee.net wouldn't go amiss either - that's the most comprehensive Lenormand site I've ever seen. Normally I wouldn't recommend a paid site, but this one is worth it.

 

[MareSaturni]

Lenormand is a great deck! I have two decks. I've been using it for ages because it's probably the most common deck here in Brazil - we call it 'Baralho Cigano' (Gypsy Deck). My grandma reads it, and she has her own style. And i...i have mine, based on the basics i have learnt from study groups and books. After a while, you really have to find the answers on your own, because the books and the study groups tend to get quite repetitive, unless you are lucky to find and 'advanced' group of Lenormand students

Good luck

 

[Moonbow]

This is a great deck for reading with, and also has helped me immensely in understanding card spreads which don't have a pre-conceived meaning. So, it teaches us to consider which cards stand out as important to focus arouned, which is the pivitol card in the reading etc. This way of interpreting cards will help ALL tarot readers to understand how to read

 

[Akuts]

Thanks, everyone, for your replies. You've given me some really good advice.

I stumbled upon the Treppner site last night. It looked very good, but I was still unsure until I read the replies here. Now I think I might try it, although I won't make the final decision until I've looked further around the internet. I like the idea of a forum where I could find support.

My late husband was German, so I know a little of the language. I could probably get by with an online dictionary. I had a quick look at the Waldfee site, but I need to go back with a dictionary. (I wish I didn't have flu and my head didn't feel like it's stuffed with cottonwool. It would make this all a lot easier. )

Thanks, Moonbow, for your words on card spreads. I've been trying to take in everything I've found so far on Lenormand, and had a sort of epiphany on card spreads as I read. At last I'm beginning to understand. I only do single card draws with my tarot cards as spreads have been way beyond my ability. It is so encouraging to think that studying Lenormand spreads will help me with reading tarot.

Marina, I wish your Grandma lived next door to me.

 

[MatPoint]

The Treppner's course is written in English and there is people that speak English in the phorum too.

 

[Akuts]

My new Lenormand deck arrived in the mail today. Well, when I say "new" I mean pre-loved. It's a tiny little deck. I had no idea it would be that small. It had a kind of sad feel about it when I first opened the package, as if it hadn't been loved for a long time. It's in perfect condition, but it does have a slight smell of long disuse about it. Poor little thing. It's sitting in front of me with some perfumed oil nearby, and if the smell remains tomorrow I'll start the heavy duty bicarbonate of soda deodorising.

I'm sure my little deck will work, but I haven't done much but admire it so far. The instruction booklet was miniscule. Not having a microscope handy to read it, I scanned it and enlarged it to a legible size. It doesn't say much and it ends with an almost incomprehensible sample reading. I think I might have to improvise a little here.

Anyway, I need to make my new Lenormand deck feel loved and wanted, and I thought a nice first step might be to find out more about it. Could anyone here help with finding out its age?

The box says on the front "JMC, No. 12274, Müller & Cie, Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland". The back says "Mlle Lenormand Fortune Telling Playing Cards, Authentic reproduction of famous 19th century deck in full color complete with instructions, Swiss Made, Distributed exclusively by U.S.Games Systems Inc., New York, N. Y." "No. 12274" is printed on both the top and bottom flap.

The cards have a matt finish, a blue owl design on the back, and a dab of gilt on each corner.

The inside cover of the instruction booklet reads "Published and printed by AGM AGMüller, CH-8212 Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland, Exclusive distributor for the U.S.A.: U.S. Games Systems Inc., New York, N. Y., Fortune Telling Cards ã 1970 by AGM AGMüller, Instruction booklet ã 1970 by S. R. Kaplan, Item no 12274."