Lenormand with or without suits

greatdane

Well, Philistine

We're the Readers, they're the cards. So I say it's personal in what works for you.

What I do works for me, I like clear images, three card layouts and read how I read. Had I started with playing cards, that may have changed my preferences, but I didn't. So I just find they take up space on the card, others may want them because they DO read playing cards, or wish to, and it makes it easier to have the corresponding suit.

I don't see it as a right or wrong way, just our own individual way.
 

Philistine

Absolutely, greatdane

I think I am just intrigued by how the playing cards were chosen for the inserts. Was it random in the Game of Hope--a pre-divinatory deck--or was there a system? Naturally, one can always come up with their own system (though in my case the one I already use for playing cards would not work for the Lenormand inserts).

It's mostly an academic consideration. To your point, one should read however works best for them.
 

Teheuti

I am just intrigued by how the playing cards were chosen for the inserts. Was it random in the Game of Hope--a pre-divinatory deck--or was there a system? Naturally, one can always come up with their own system (though in my case the one I already use for playing cards would not work for the Lenormand inserts).

It's mostly an academic consideration. To your point, one should read however works best for them.
As most people notice right away, the French and English meanings for the playing card insets do not go with the Lenormand images/meanings.

This is because the correspondences are based on a German system. Because Germany was made up of a lot of little territories with their own rulers and dialects, the meanings of specific cards vary, but the suits are fairly well defined.

Here are the traditional German playing card suit meanings. Note: the Aces stand outside these definitions. I've listed the pips for each suit: 6 to 10.

Grün (Green Leaves/Spades): The best suit! Friendship, hope, trust. With other cards: attractiveness, desirability, satisfaction, fulfillment. Also, travel. When neg: sadness, melancholy. (The life of the nobility.)
Tower - Letter - Garden - Anchor - Ship. (Tower originally indicated a long and happy life.)

Herzen (Red Hearts/Hearts): The love and romance suit. Good cheer, happiness, love, marriage, family, romantic interests. With other cards: youth, happiness, love, joy. Neg. fickleness, unfaithfulness.
Stars - Tree - Moon - Rider - Dog.

Schellen (Yellow Bells/Diamonds): The suit of risk. Luck and prosperity. With other cards: wealth, position, luck, joy, money. Profit through speculation, inheritance or lottery; opportunity. Negative: anxiety, loss. There is a strong element of risk and fluctuating fortunes with this suit. (Hunting falcons wore these bells.)
Clover - Birds - Key - Coffin - Book.

Eicheln (Black Acorns/Clubs) The worst suit! Sickness, death, betrayal, falsity, unhappiness, bad influences. With other cards: age, unpleasantness, sorrow, grief, misery, illness, pain, hardship. (Acorns were the food of starving peasants!)
Cross - Mice - Mountain - Fox - Bear. (Remember Bear can be envy and jealousy.)
 

Barleywine

As most people notice right away, the French and English meanings for the playing card insets do not go with the Lenormand images/meanings.

This is because the correspondences are based on a German system. Because Germany was made up of a lot of little territories with their own rulers and dialects, the meanings of specific cards vary, but the suits are fairly well defined.

Here are the traditional German playing card suit meanings. Note: the Aces stand outside these definitions. I've listed the pips for each suit: 6 to 10.

Grün (Green Leaves/Spades): The best suit! Friendship, hope, trust. With other cards: attractiveness, desirability, satisfaction, fulfillment. Also, travel. When neg: sadness, melancholy. (The life of the nobility.)
Tower - Letter - Garden - Anchor - Ship. (Tower originally indicated a long and happy life.)

Herzen (Red Hearts/Hearts): The love and romance suit. Good cheer, happiness, love, marriage, family, romantic interests. With other cards: youth, happiness, love, joy. Neg. fickleness, unfaithfulness.
Stars - Tree - Moon - Rider - Dog.

Schellen (Yellow Bells/Diamonds): The suit of risk. Luck and prosperity. With other cards: wealth, position, luck, joy, money. Profit through speculation, inheritance or lottery; opportunity. Negative: anxiety, loss. There is a strong element of risk and fluctuating fortunes with this suit.
Clover - Birds - Key - Coffin - Book.

Eicheln (Black Acorns/Clubs) The worst suit! Sickness, death, betrayal, falsity, unhappiness, bad influences. With other cards: age, unpleasantness, sorrow, grief, misery, illness, pain, hardship. (Acorns were the food of starving peasants!)
Cross - Mice - Mountain - Fox - Bear. (Remember Bear can be envy and jealousy.)

Thanks for this, Mary. I'm going to save it in my Lenormand binder. I expect it will come in handy.