The Lenormand Deck -after & between- reading

Barleywine

And I just wonder if Lenormand 'works' as w/ Tarot, the cards seem to fall where they 'supposed to'.

That seems to be true with all cartomancy that uses spreads. The difference with Lenormand - at least with the GT - is that every card has to fall somewhere, so the task becomes to see how the surrounding cards influence and alter the topic cards' expression. So it's more about local - and in some cases more distant - interactions than it is about actual placement.
 

onesun

That seems to be true with all cartomancy that uses spreads. The difference with Lenormand - at least with the GT - is that every card has to fall somewhere, so the task becomes to see how the surrounding cards influence and alter the topic cards' expression. So it's more about local - and in some cases more distant - interactions than it is about actual placement.

Right.. the near/far distance association thing.. exactly.
 

Genna

When I began reading Lenormand (not long ago) the book (Regula Elixabeth Fiechter) insisted that I put the cards in order after every reading. I am not a very orderly person, so sometimes I skip this, and I put the cards back in the wrong order when I´m waiting to write the spread down, but I feel a little bad about it, as if I´m not being respectful enough.

I remember that in the beginning I made the same with my Tarot cards, but I haven´t for many years now. I don´t do it with Kipper or other oracles either. Strange.
 

onesun

Well it is kinda strange to restore order with one set cards and not another, this is why I ask. It could be simply as you say, a matter of respect. But is there more to it?

I mean, what does restoring order really do? It gives a starting point that is the same each time you begin the read. But shuffling is an odd thing in and of itself. The reader shuffles the cards and then they fall where they may. The how when and where they fall is a mystery.

The other thing restoring order does is a form of control. But the same shuffling and drawing card mystery is still in effect. So what remains is do I arbitrarily just allow what seems to be a divinely directed process? or do I influence or enforce a direction in the process by controlling the beginning jump off point?

The other idea I had along the lines of 'order vs. non-order' is just who/what is it that defines what order is in the first place? I do. For myself that is. So one persons order is another's non-order, if you know what I mean..

So I've come to the conclusion this is ultimately the question each of us has to decide. Am I unconsciously directing the show? The mind IS a powerful thing. In the end we decide either by trial and error and/or taking someone else's word for it (thru a book a blog a vid, whatever..). Speaking for myself, I'm so young in cartomancy to not know what would be right or wrong (less right?) so I'm open to be shown the way.
 

Padma

I believe the only reason for ordering the deck after use is because it is a pretty small deck of cards, and so your chances of the same clumps of cards coming out for each reading might be higher than if you used the tarot.

I can see no other reason, unless one has personal beliefs that would make reordering the deck a special thing.

In other words, do what feels right to you.

Myself, I just shuffle them a lot to make sure they are well mixed before doing a reading.
 

onesun

I believe the only reason for ordering the deck after use is because it is a pretty small deck of cards, and so your chances of the same clumps of cards coming out for each reading might be higher than if you used the tarot.

Logical..

I can see no other reason, unless one has personal beliefs that would make reordering the deck a special thing.

In other words, do what feels right to you.

Myself, I just shuffle them a lot to make sure they are well mixed before doing a reading.

Ok I'll see how it goes. I think for successive reads it seems natural to just reshuffle. For some reason restoring order before storing away seems appropriate, and for reasons you said, it's a small deck so why not.
 

Glennmaicha

If I haven't used the deck in some time, I often like to deal the entire deck out across the reading surface and then pick them up one by one in a random fashion. It feels like "resetting" it to me, while retaining the random order.

The idea of restoring numerical order sounds tedious to me (even more so with Tarot) and I worry that I'll get clumps of consecutive cards in my reading. I typically only shuffle nine times and then cut into three stacks, so there's a good chance of this happening with a reordered deck.

I think it's entirely up to the user in the end. Do what feels most right to you and let the cards fall where they may, so to speak!
 

Genna

A positive effect the ordering in numerical order has had for me is that it has forced me to start drawing the cards from a fan instead of just dealing from the top; (that resulted in getting cards in clumps as mentioned above).
It gives me a feeling that the cards are fresh for use in this new question.
 

onesun

If I haven't used the deck in some time, I often like to deal the entire deck out across the reading surface and then pick them up one by one in a random fashion. It feels like "resetting" it to me, while retaining the random order.

The idea of restoring numerical order sounds tedious to me (even more so with Tarot) and I worry that I'll get clumps of consecutive cards in my reading. I typically only shuffle nine times and then cut into three stacks, so there's a good chance of this happening with a reordered deck.

I think it's entirely up to the user in the end. Do what feels most right to you and let the cards fall where they may, so to speak!

Thanks for the note. I know, long time in reply. Too many things going on. Anyway, it is tedious to reorder but not as much as you might think. I was very surprised at how fast it can be done. I make 4 piles: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and 31-36. First I just go thru the deck and find which main pile the card should be in. At the end the reordering within each pile goes super quick. Then I mesh the whole deck in order.

So the subject of clumps of consecutive cards in also an interesting one. If we say 'the cards fall where they're supposed to' then even if I get sequential cards together it would seem they were 'meant to be', or not? On the other hand, just how much does one shuffle and how does it actually effect the outcome of randomness? And again, is randomness even the goal? Aren't we leaving it up to the super-conscious to reflect back what it is we already know (on another level)? So maybe it's meant to be consecutive cards flowing out, and again, or not? The jury is still out for me on it. Just thoughts..

Well lately I've been avoiding reordering (or resetting) to see if I could glean any difference in my reads. Seems to me that it's true, the cards fall where they're 'supposed to', and seemingly no how much I 'manipulate' the deck (either reorder or not, a few shuffles or 50 shuffles) the cards flow out reflect the answer to me anyway.
 

onesun

A positive effect the ordering in numerical order has had for me is that it has forced me to start drawing the cards from a fan instead of just dealing from the top; (that resulted in getting cards in clumps as mentioned above).
It gives me a feeling that the cards are fresh for use in this new question.

Hi Genna- I've never felt comfortable just pulling from the top of the deck myself. Doing this requires a certain belief the shuffling is so perfect that I can get a 10 card sequence for a Celtic Cross that is exactly in order. For me I rely on thumbing thru the deck as it's fanning and I get an 'instinctive' sense of 'yes' this one or no, pass it by until you get the hunch feel. What I do is after the card is chosen I then take the top part of the deck that's been fanned thru to get to that yes card and throw it underneath the 'leftover' deck, the portion below the chosen card. Then repeat.

This keeps the cards circulating almost in a cutting the deck fashion. So what I'm saying, even if the deck is 'in clumps' I'm only drawing one card from the clump, then it gets recycled over and over and I may feel intuitively to pick again from that area or not. Just depends. I mean, sometimes we are supposed to get sequential cards, no? I'm saying if that's what the deck wants to give me I certainly don't want to override it just to get a sense of randomness.