The Lenormand Cards, so named after the famous French fortune-teller Marie Ann Lenormand, come in two forms; the Petite Lenormand consisting of 36 cards and the Grand Jeu a larger deck which has a total of 54 cards. Marie Lenormand is considered one of the greatest and most influential cartomancers (card readers) of all time. She is said to have read for people the likes of Empress Josephine, Robespierre, and Tsar Alexander I. However, she did not conceive of this oracle deck; nor is there any evidence that she used any such deck herself. In fact, what we know today as the Lenormand Oracle Cards were originally conceived as a parlour game by a German businessman named Johann Kaspar Hechtel who originally called them Das Spiel der Hoffnung or the Game of Hope. His deck consisted of a Southern German Playing Card Deck (1) with pictures and titles such as Man, Woman, Clover, Ship, etc... For this reason, many Lenormand decks will still retain imagery that links them to the individual playing cards (2) After Lenormand's death in 1843, the Game of Hope was renamed the Lenormand Cards in a campaign to associate the cards with the legendary Marie Lenormand in an effort to market and sell them. The Lenormand Cards have been highly popular in European Countries for decades, however, more recently they have become quite popular among tarot and other diviners in the United States. The Cards & Their Meanings ​ 01) The Rider- (9 of Hearts) news, approach, delivery, communication, action, speed, movement, change or agent thereof, a visitor, a messenger, a young person or lover. 02) Clover- (6 of Diamonds) luck, opportunity, optimism, pleasant surprise, growth, rewards, windfall. 03) Ship- (10 of Spades) transport, travel, foreign location, vehicle, mode of transport, journey, exploration, adventure, physical distance, prosperity. 04) House- (King of Hearts) home, family, safety, household, domestic matters, real estate, stability, comfort zone, family harmony inheritance 05) Tree- (7 of Hearts) health, life, vitality, development, state, condition, healing, medicine, ancestry, earth, nature, spirit, ancestors. 06) Cloud- (King of Clubs) confusion, uncertainty, chaos, something hidden, the mind, illusions, setbacks, delays, doubts, worries, depression. 07) Snake- (Queen of Clubs) problem complication, betrayal, a rival, traitor, jealousy, disorder, deceit, sabotage, lies, trickery, seduction, temptation, indecision, infidelity, the "other woman", a woman trained in the occult arts. 08) Coffin- (9 of Diamonds) ending, emptiness, cancellation, death, stagnation, waste, loss, bankruptcy, unemployment, detachment, grief, transformation, renewal. 09) Bouquet- (Queen of Spades) grace, pleasure, gift, beauty, charm, joy, refinement, a wish granted attraction, romance, celebration, abundance, friendship happiness. 10) Scythe- (Jack of Diamonds) separation, decisions, danger, removal, divorce, rejection, interruption, accident, danger, surgery, cutting ties. 11) Whip- (Jack of Clubs) Hostility, violence, conflict, anger, arguments, abuse, discipline, torture, punishment, hardship, purging, pain, cleansing, passion, sex, intensity. 12) Owls- (7 of Diamonds) verbal communication, negotiation, companionship, conversation, meeting, conference call, interview, speech, debate, gossip, short trip, a paired couple. 13) Child- (Jack of Spades) Young person, baby, student, childhood, innocence, inexperience, learning, trust, wonder, immaturity, curiosity, friends, kindness. 14) Fox- (9 of Clubs) employment, discernment, skills, intelligence, cleverness, analyst, spy, trickster, deception, fraud, hidden, intentions, need for caution. 15) Bear- (10 of Clubs) strength, finances, resources, protection, money, wealth, assets, goods, possessions, boss, manager, career, power, authority, someone or something overwhelming or overbearing. 16) Stars- (6 of Hearts) guidance, plans, technology, signs, navigation, safe passage, clarity, inspiration, hope, idealism, strategy, intuition, imagination. 17) Stork- (Queen of Hearts) progress, improvement, milestone, change for the better, advancement, promotion, relocation, birth, pregnancy. 18) Dog- (10 of Hearts) friend, acquaintance, loyalty, partner, companionship adviser, friendship, support, faithfulness, closeness, trust, honesty, a dependable person. 19) Tower- (6 of Spades) legal matters, company or institution, government authority, law, authority, rules, boundaries, ambition, aspirations, limitations. 20) Garden- (8 of Spades) society, group, event, public audience, meeting, gathering, party, crowds, media, social media, social networks. 21) Mountain- (8 of Clubs) obstacle, delay, inactivity, barrier, blockages, challenge, impasse, lack of movement, apathy, denial, indifference, emotional distance, enemy, danger 22) Crossroads- (Queen of Diamonds) decision point, alternatives, options, choices, indecision, multi-tasking, journey, plans 23) Mice- (7 of Clubs) damages, theft, stress, loss, expense, decay, deterioration, erosion, fear, stress, mistakes, chaos, anxiety, frustration. 24) Heart- (Jack of Hearts) love, desire, generosity, romance, affection, fondness, happiness, passion, kindness, giving, enjoyment, intimacy. 25) Ring- (Ace of Clubs) commitment, contract, obligation, proposal, offer, marriage, untion, connection, bond, agreement 26) Book- (10 of Diamonds) information, knowledge, secrets, data, journal, research, hidden information, memories reading, writing, a wise person. 27) Letter- (7 of Spades) Written communication, mail, document, message, correspondence, contract, instant message, email 28) Man- (Ace of Hearts) this card represents a male enquirer or the romantic partner of a female enquirer in a woman's reading. In the modern age, it can represent a gay man's romantic partner. 29) Woman- (Ace of Spades) this card represents a female enquirer or the romantic partner of a male enquirer in a man's reading. In the modern age, it can represent a lesbian's romantic partner. 30) Lily- (King of Spades) serenity, maturity elders, peace, calm, contemplation, release, experience, wisdom, parents, seniors, harmony, influence. 31) Sun- (Ace of Diamonds) success, energy, illumination, excellence, victory, vitality, motivation, courage, will, happiness, fame, glory, power, energy. 32) Moon- (8 of Hearts) shadows, the unseen, dreams, emotions, fear, romance, affection, art, imagination, premonition, 33) Key- (8 of Diamonds) solution, mastery, success, break-through, opening, closing, insight, epiphany, understanding, knowledge. 34) Fish- (King of Diamonds) trade and commerce, transactions, business, investment, independence, expansion. 35) Anchor- (9 of Spades) stability, perseverance, security, occupation, training, goals, burden, being held in place. 36) Cross- (6 of Clubs) spirituality, religion, prayers, ordeal, faith, dogma, devotion, talisman, pain, test, a situation or condition requiring faith A Word About Interpretation ​ Since their inception many traditions and beliefs have been developed around the interpretation and use of the Lenormand Cards (i.e. The French Tradition, the German Tradition, the Russian Tradition, etc...) For more information about the various traditions, you will have to do your own research. It is best to decide upon a few meanings for each card and stick with those in the beginning. If, however, an assigned meaning is not in harmony with your ideas regarding that card or symbol you can certainly change that meaning to suit your understanding of the card meaning. Additionally, unlike Tarot, in which many readers assign an altered meaning to reversed cards; reversed cards in Lenormand generally do not change the meaning of the card; that is, whether a card falls upright or reversed---the meaning remains the same. In the place of reversals, however, the meaning of a card can shift slightly due to the card or cards which fall nearby in a reading. For example, Snake + Woman would indicate a deceitful woman; while Heart + Woman speaks to a loving and kind woman. You will find that it will be extremely helpful for you to keep a journal in which you record your Lenormand readings for yourself and others. In this way, you can go back and examine your interpretations with a clearer understanding of anything which transpired after the fact. On the Use of Signifiers ​ Also known variously as key-card, focus-card, theme-card, topic-card, or person card, the signifier is any card which has been assigned a specific significance in advance of the reading. The cards which appear around the signifier provide information related to the subject of the reading (i.e., the signifier). Traditionally, the Man card will represent a male seeker in a man's reading; and the Woman card will represent a female seeker in a woman's reading. (3) The purpose of a signifier is to add structure to a reading---which may or may not be necessary depending on the spread used or the question asked. Regardless of the spread and question, when a reading potentially involves several people, it is helpful to decide in advance who the Man and Woman cards will represent in they appear in a reading. ​ An Overview of Reading the Lenormand Oracle ​ Reading Lenormand Cards is akin to writing a sentence in which each card represents a word, idea, or action. When the cards are spread out before you, they are read in such a way that they form an intelligible sentence which relates to the theme of the reading in question. ​It is best to start with small spreads utilizing two or three cards. For example. A woman comes to you asking about the state of her marriage. The cards are shuffled and laid out in a straight line thus: ​ In this spread, my attention and interests are pulled towards the Ring, it is the subject of the reading. The Ring represents marriage, agreements and contracts and fits the seeker's query. The Bouquet represents the seeker a married woman who is graceful and refined. Finally, the Snake represents her husband's female lover...a woman unknown to her. In addition, if we look at the cards themselves. The Queen of Spades (Bouquet) is looking at the Ring, she is concerned about her marriage. Behind her is the Queen of Clubs (snake) signifying that she was unaware of her husband's infidelity. The Queen of Clubs has her back to the Queen of Spades, meaning she considers this woman her enemy. We also know that the Snake often represents a woman trained in magic and other occult arts and sciences, so it could also be very well be that the Snake is working magic to break up this marriage so that she can have the man all to herself. Once you become accustomed to smaller spreads, then you can graduate to larger ones. In our next example, a man comes to you for a simple reading but does not pose a question. His cards fall as follows: Here the subject of our reading is the Man, next to the Bear he is a man of means. The Ship indicates that he will soon go on a trip where he will propose (the Ring) marriage to his romantic partner (Heart). The Heart, representing happiness, affection, and joy is an indication that his partner will accept his proposal. ​With practice you will be able to make better sense of the message of the Lenormand cards and form your own approach to their reading and interpretation.
Notes
Southern German playing cards at the time eliminated the fives, fours, threes, and twos of each suit reducing the 54 deck we know today to a total of 36 cards.
Due to copyright laws, I cannot use photos of any of the professionally designed Lenormand decks in my possession. The photos which appear on this page are a deck I created myself by cutting words and letters out of newspapers and magazines creating the titles and gluing them to the corresponding cards. This has actually become one of my favorite Lenormand decks.
In this modern age of redefining gender and sexuality, this may need to be discussed with the seeker beforehand. For example, a biological male who identifies as female may choose the Woman card to represent her in a reading.
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