Caitlin Matthews' Complete Lenormand Oracle vs Enchanted Lenormand Oracle

Genna

Thanks Genna! Just some questions tho: if you already have the Complete Lenormand book which I heard can be pretty tough for beginners, would you still recommend getting the Enchanted set so that its booklet can ease you into the lessons of the Complete book? Or are all the stuff in the Enchanted booklet fully covered in the Complete book so that it would be redundant to get it?

When you said she teaches you how to read playing cards in two chapters, were you referring to the playing card inserts in most Lenormand decks, or do you mean that the book teaches you plain divination using separate playing card decks i.e. cartomancy? My apologies if that seems like a weird non sequitur question, but some Tarot books do go off on weird tangents so I just have to ask. And also, would you know which Lenormand system/s Matthews follows?

I also have Rana's book. Do they follow different systems? Do their styles clash? Sorry for having so many questions. :joke:

I think the booklet can give some extra spreads and food for thought that is not mentioned in the book, but I think you will do fine with the book without the booklet. So only if you like her cards. The best thing about them are that they are really small. They are also used to illustrate the book togeather with other decks. I think the booklet has been helpful, but not necessairy, and I started reading the book before I read the booklet.

I tells about cartomancy, but I think you need a different book to learn to read with playing card decks alone. The playing card inserts in Lenormand are read differently from ordiniry cartomancy.I should have said inserts in my post, instead of "playing cards".

I have not found that the systems clash. Hope that helps! :)
 

EmpyreanKnight

I think the booklet can give some extra spreads and food for thought that is not mentioned in the book, but I think you will do fine with the book without the booklet. So only if you like her cards. The best thing about them are that they are really small. They are also used to illustrate the book togeather with other decks. I think the booklet has been helpful, but not necessairy, and I started reading the book before I read the booklet.

I tells about cartomancy, but I think you need a different book to learn to read with playing card decks alone. The playing card inserts in Lenormand are read differently from ordiniry cartomancy.I should have said inserts in my post, instead of "playing cards".

I have not found that the systems clash. Hope that helps! :)

Thanks Genna! I guess I'll be ditching the Enchanted and go ahead with the Complete Lenormand, along with the Lenormand Thirty-Six Cards by Andy. I also have Rana's book, so it's good to know it won't clash with Caitlin's when I decide to read it later.
 

blue_fusion

I have the book. I think it's very thorough, though I could also understand why some would think it's a bit "dry" in that it has a slight academic tone to it. She teaches by examples - like, early on in the book she already gives sample readings even before she gives the meanings for each card and potential combination. There are sample readings every step of the way; and she also gives exercises every step of the way so the reader can practice what they learned from each section. Again, quite thorough, though some might find this pedantic.

Also, early on, she sets the tone of the book by differentiating tarot from Lenormand in both form and practice (I guess since more people are familiar with tarot or approach Lenormand from a tarot background and might assume they read similarly) - she even has a short "false friends" part to differentiate seemingly similar cards between the two.

Not sure if it's available locally, though (sadly, there's not a lot of books on Lenormand locally).
 

EmpyreanKnight

I have the book. I think it's very thorough, though I could also understand why some would think it's a bit "dry" in that it has a slight academic tone to it. She teaches by examples - like, early on in the book she already gives sample readings even before she gives the meanings for each card and potential combination. There are sample readings every step of the way; and she also gives exercises every step of the way so the reader can practice what they learned from each section. Again, quite thorough, though some might find this pedantic.

Also, early on, she sets the tone of the book by differentiating tarot from Lenormand in both form and practice (I guess since more people are familiar with tarot or approach Lenormand from a tarot background and might assume they read similarly) - she even has a short "false friends" part to differentiate seemingly similar cards between the two.

Not sure if it's available locally, though (sadly, there's not a lot of books on Lenormand locally).

Ly bro! What's up? :D

Thanks for the insight. Tbh I think the dry, academic tone would work mighty well for me. I work in a highly technical field, and ahem I did quite well in school so I think that's up my alley. Welp, I guess I have no choice then, just dropped it in my shopping basket along with Andy's book.

Yeah there's a serious lack of Lenormand and quite a dearth in Tarot titles here. I mean, I had to special-order most of my decks and books from overseas through a courier of sorts. The markup is quite big, but considering that I no longer have deal with Customs (tho I heard they improved lately) or the Post Office or any such headaches (they also paid insurance for the item), I'm not complaining at all. That's why when I see a title that I may be remotely interested in while browsing through a local bookstore, I just grab it like no one's business.
 

EmpyreanKnight

Thanks for everyone who helped me in my thread. I just got Matthews' book and it is thick. I also have a copy of Andy's book since I'm convinced now more than ever that a robust adherence to the traditional Lenormand is the most effective. I just hope that their systems wom't clash.

I can't wait to begin my IDS of the Lenormand (tho that would have to start a few months from now). I feel like I got all my dycjs in a row, and all they're waiting for is my first salvo. I'm so pumped up. :)
 

manandcards

Thanks for everyone who helped me in my thread. I just got Matthews' book and it is thick. I also have a copy of Andy's book since I'm convinced now more than ever that a robust adherence to the traditional Lenormand is the most effective. I just hope that their systems wom't clash.



I can't wait to begin my IDS of the Lenormand (tho that would have to start a few months from now). I feel like I got all my dycjs in a row, and all they're waiting for is my first salvo. I'm so pumped up. :)



Andy's way of relying heavy on the playing cards is something I still struggle with. Hopefully you'll find it easier.
 

Barleywine

Getting back to the original post, I read the books in the following order: Andy's (mainly because I first learned from him here at AT, but also because it was the first one available to me); then Rana's because of the buzz around it; then Caitlin's, which came out a bit later. In order of continued usefulness, judged by how often I refer back to them, I would rank Andy's first, then Caitlin's (I like the playing-card material) and finally Rana's. To be honest, though, I refer to my compiled blog-material binder more often than any of them, since I personalized it to my interests. Andy, at least in the first edition, admitted that he used a stripped-down approach so as not to overwhelm the novice, while Rana and Caitlin are much broader and more inclusive. None of them go overboard with tossing out the tradition and jumping on the "intuitive reading" bandwagon. I would add that a more recent book that has struck the best balance between the traditional and the innovative styles is Rachel Pollack's companion book to the Burning Serpent Oracle (regardless of what you might think of the non-traditional slant of the deck).
 

snowmoon

hi,

i do have rana book and The Complete Lenormand Oracle book. i don't think i need to get more books. i do not know the tradition of lenormand cards.

i just stick to the book and the method that i use.

The Complete Lenormand Oracle book includes the way to read the playcard inset.

for rana book, it separate the cone meaning to general, love, work, money, so on. it's very simple.

for extra spreads, i think it is unnecessary. 3 , 5 cards as line, 3x3 and GT works the best.
 

Barleywine

for extra spreads, i think it is unnecessary. 3 , 5 cards as line, 3x3 and GT works the best.

I agree. Some people go up to 7 and 9 card lines (generally an odd number of cards), but I don't bother. I like 5 cards as a progression, 3 cards for a situational snapshot. I don't use the 3x3 that much, since the GT can be read in 3x3 groups and I just start there and break it down by topic as far as necessary.
 

annik

I did read the Caitlin Matthews books. I must confess that I didn't knew anything about Lenormand when I read the book. I was particularly confused when she was doing the pairing. I really was stuck while looking at a spread.

What unstuck me was going to YouTube and looking at some reading. Channels like the one done by James Himm Mitchell (https://www.youtube.com/user/JamesHimmCoach33) had helped me more understanding the Lenormand.

But, at the end, you know how your mind work and you know best what will work. I know that try and error work best with me.