Why we don't get certain Lenormands...

Several people have come up with decan correspondences, although I haven't seen a deck with the decans on them. What if it was not the correspondences that make sense to me?

I rarely use decks where an image is ambiguous - like the ring on a book mentioned before or a woman holding a bouquet of flowers! I was also recently annoyed by a deck where Cross featured a crowned lion and other signs of valor and nobility - cognitive dissonance set in.

Personally, I prefer cards with simple, direct images; plain backgrounds; playing card insets; clear numbers; no names or keywords. I can often handle one of these being played with, but when you mess with most or all of them, I lose interest.

I want to see the cards at a glance when looking at a Grand Tableau!

Interesting point, Teheuti

You mentioned you want to see the cards at a glance in a GT. I can see where clear images would be even more important there. At least in a three card layout, yes, I want a clear image, but with only three cards, it's easier if one may be a little different than what I consider the norm for the image. In a GT, I can see that that could be really difficult if lots of the cards were ambiguous, or worse, just totally off from what most of us consider the regular 36 symbols.

Teheuti said:

Personally, I prefer cards with simple, direct images; plain backgrounds; playing card insets; clear numbers; no names or keywords. I can often handle one of these being played with, but when you mess with most or all of them, I lose interest.

I want to see the cards at a glance when looking at a Grand Tableau!

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I feel exactly the same! They should leave Lenormand alone, leave it as it is. I won't be purchasing any of these useless to me Lenormands. I feel it's getting ridiculous how many Lenormands are being made. It's not Tarot, and never will be like Tarot. Period!

The things I look for in a Lenormand deck are the following:

1. A clear symbol. Just like the others have said, if it's the Fox, I want to see the fox center-stage and prominent.

2. A number and a playing card insert, both reasonably smaller than the central image. It's something I'm used to in Lenormands, so without them, it feels kind of 'naked'. But, please, no keywords, no descriptions, no astrological symbols or decans, and absolutely NO poems.

3. Consistent art, preferably antique/vintage drawing/painting. I don't like collage art, photos, CGI or anything too modern-looking.

4. Neutral topic, again preferably antique/vintage. I don't know how 'themed' Lenormands might read for me (I guess it would depend on each 'theme'), but the idea is unappealing for me so far.

5. Playing card to mini size. I don't want my GT to occupy a whole 20-person dining table.

Glad to know I'm not the only one with strong preferences

I have no problem with someone making a Lenormand in their style, I prefer paintings or drawings, the FLONZ VICTORIAN I love it's JUST the symbol floating there. And it IS ALL about the symbols.

YES, I do love a clear Lenormand, where you can easily see the image, although some I have I have just zoned into the image and even if there is a "scene" rather than just the symbol, I'm fine.

I do like there are some choices out there regarding style because I do read Lenormand quite a bit and some days or readings, I just feel like using a certain deck. But I can say no, easily, to the majority of decks out there, even though I appreciate the work and talent of the designer.

Except for the playing card inserts, I agree with what most are saying, oh, and I UNDERSTAND totally why many want them, I just don't read with playing cards, so it just takes up space to me.

Lenormand isn't just how one reads, but describing the DECK itself. If a deck says Lenormand, I expect it to have the basic symbols. Add extra cards (many are pretty, I use them as bookmarks, I never use them in readings, if others want to, fine) if you will, designers, but give me my standard 36 symbols! (Crone shaking fist in air).

You got it!

Beautiful deck, but too many images in it plus KEY ones. I got the BOOK wrong once as something else stood out - I think it was that one.

Simple is perfect for me.

Ciro has lots of vibrancy, but it is still simple. Only thing is he needs another MAN and WOMAN in it.

greatdane said:

Are you talking about the Mystical Lenormand? It may have different boxes or names in other places, but if it's the Mystical, I understand what you mean. I have just gotten used to tuning out anything else and just seeing the symbols on that deck. The RING was the hardest at first, just because I saw the BIRDS before the RING and thought of it as BIRDS, but now I just focus on the symbol and that's all I really "see". But I DO get what you mean, lots of extra stuff in those cards.

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I SO understand, DownUnderNZer!

The Mystical has all these symbols like with SNAKE, the KEY, and while I do pull out the Mystical from time to time and I just have tuned out the extra stuff and can zone in on the symbol, it IS easier to have a very clear deck.

Ciro is extremely talented, but I have to admit, I wish the Mice looked less like they should be singing Cinderella, Cinderella or in the film, Ratatouille, and more...malevolent ). They're too cute for me. But yes, all the images are there. I must admit, I still don't quite get the RIDER as I picture the reading and my description of it. But Ciro is never boring...
I thought there WERE two MAN and WOMAN cards?

The Mystical was the first deck I ever bought because it was so easily available and cheap! Now it sits forlornly on a shelf never used.

I much prefer the symbol to be clear and obvious as I also like to do a GT and that is hard to do with visual clutter. Melissa's Postmark is a great GT deck for me but the deck I use most often is one of my many Dondorf variants.

Not keen on name changes or illustrations which don't tally with my core meanings - Judith Bartschi is a good example of the latter. I love the art but the images for some cards don't match my primary meanings e.g. Whips.

I heard a rumour he might be adding additional cards at a later point...as in another MAN and WOMAN.

Has he?

If so, I want to buy them!

greatdane said:

The Mystical has all these symbols like with SNAKE, the KEY, and while I do pull out the Mystical from time to time and I just have tuned out the extra stuff and can zone in on the symbol, it IS easier to have a very clear deck.

Ciro is extremely talented, but I have to admit, I wish the Mice looked less like they should be singing Cinderella, Cinderella or in the film, Ratatouille, and more...malevolent ). They're too cute for me. But yes, all the images are there. I must admit, I still don't quite get the RIDER as I picture the reading and my description of it. But Ciro is never boring...
I thought there WERE two MAN and WOMAN cards?

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That's it, FLAXEN! PRIMARY meanings!

I think if someone reads, or has read, Lenormand, they know while some cards may have more than one meaning depending on the question, there are some pretty basic meanings to a lot of the cards. When they mess with those meanings, not just the image, so a Scythe becomes, well, anything sharp or the MICE look like pets and are too cute, that kind of takes away from the flow for me. YES, my mind can still adjust and I know ok, MICE and then turn it into the meaning I have for them (which isn't cute little cuddly rodents), but I don't want to have to. I want to see a Rider rushing in on a horse, I don't want to mistake the Lilies for the Bouquet. Straight up Lenormand, that's what I want. Now, I do enjoy if someone draws, paints in a certain style. I can appreciate that, again if the symbols are recognizable as what I think most readers see them as. Some variety is nice as far as style. I don't like Lenormand too cutesy at all. That's just my preference. For example, a Muppets Lenormand wouldn't really work for me....I'm not kidding. You know someone will come up with something like this. Lenormand is quicker and easier to make a deck of than tarot and I can foresee all kinds of decks coming up.