Maybe Lenormand

Joon said:

Chiming in to agree that this is a gorgeous deck. And that it includes a useful (and beautiful) LWB.

US Games published their edition about the same time as the Blue Bird, and it seemed to me that the BB overshadowed its release.

The first 36 cards are exactly a Lenormand deck. The remaining 16 emblems are taken from a few other fortune telling decks - the Whitmans and Gypsy Witch for sure. I'm not surprised to think that there might be some crossover with Kipper or the Sibillas in that regard - all speaking to the human experience as they do.

I've had these since they came out, but have only used the 36 Lennies up til now.

I am just now using the full 52 cards for my 12 Days of Christmas oracle. I'm throwing a 3x3 each day, and getting to know a few of the "other 16" pretty well! Not all have appeared yet.

I like the exercise of thinking about which of the 36 Lennies might have appeared to make the same/similar statement to the ones with the new card - and then teasing out the difference and nuances between the cards. 2017 will tell how accurately I am incorporating/interpreting them.

ETA: You can order directly from Ryan: http://www.inset.cards/shop/

Scroll down for the less expensive US Games edition, but don't forget to drool over the limited edition hand-paints!

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I suspect it will be a long time before I play with the extra cards, but I love having the option to do so when I am ready Would love to hear back from you about how those extra cards / extra system work for you

Just chiming in that I have this deck too...although I haven't spend much time with it as I have been focusing on Tarot...but met Ryan and he generously traded a copy of his deck for one of my Tarot Bags...SWEET!!!! I can't believe I forgot to ask him to sign it...whoops!

Amsonia said:

Just chiming in that I have this deck too...although I haven't spend much time with it as I have been focusing on Tarot...but met Ryan and he generously traded a copy of his deck for one of my Tarot Bags...SWEET!!!! I can't believe I forgot to ask him to sign it...whoops!

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But what do you think of the deck so far, Amsonia? Even if you haven't used it much yet? And wow, cool that you got to swap swag with him!

Padma said:

But what do you think of the deck so far, Amsonia? Even if you haven't used it much yet? And wow, cool that you got to swap swag with him!

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Well I'm a sucker for extra cards in Lenormand...and I have to say I think it is my second favorite lenormand deck that I have...after the Gilded...because I'm also a sucker for Gilding

But...that being said...I haven't practiced much with ANY Lenormand deck and can't really give a well informed review...I still have to look every card up and hit up websites to figure out any meanings...still, I can say that it is a beautiful deck....plus the extra cards...love that!

This is a favorite deck for me. I love its sense of... I know whimsy is an overused word but... whimsy which is balanced by its faithfulness to Lenormand traditions. ANd that faithfuklness is balanced by its extra cards because why not? I mainly just use the 36 Lenormand cards though I would like to give a Gypsy witch style reading a go with the full deck.

It's clarity is very welcome in a grand tableau - everything is instantly recognizable without ever seeming stark. The characters seem animated even, the way the Gentleman jauntily doffs his cap at the mysterious Lady. It also has my all-time favorite Mountain card.

I got an Amazon message that mine shipped this morning. Hurrah! thanks for the comments, Shade and Amsonia! Now I truly am excited, if I wasn't before! (I was)

Shade, I am glad to hear you say about the simplicity - I have many Lennies, but use only a few to read with, because - visual clutter! I want clear and instantly recognizable cards.

I've had my eye on this for awhile. Looks like I'd better get off my duff!

The Happy Squirrel said:

I suspect it will be a long time before I play with the extra cards, but I love having the option to do so when I am ready Would love to hear back from you about how those extra cards / extra system work for you

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Hi Happy S,

I wrote you a lovely long-ish reply yesterday, but either AT or IT at work (!) or the ether gobbled up my answer… so I’ll try again!

My approach is really no different with the extra cards included in my shuffle and throw. Currently I’m doing a 12 Days of Christmas oracle for 2017, throwing a 3x3 each day. Caitlin Matthews talks about the 12 Days here: http://caitlin-matthews.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-omen-days-twelve-days-of-christmas.html

I don’t see adding those extra cards changing the way I read a spread.

Right now, before I start reading the card emblems, I look at the distribution of the suits on the pips and of the positive – negative range of the cards. (What I do with any 3x3)

Suits are right there on the cards, so that’s a quick count before a reading. I also spent some time just laying out the 13 cards of each suit and going through Andy B’s descriptions of the suits and cards in them, and considering how the extras fit into that.

For positive to negative, I started with picking out the clearly positive or negative cards and lumped everything else into “neutral” – as I have more of a think about the ones that have fallen in my spreads, I’ve modified some to “neutral, can be influenced positive (or negative)”. (Again, my starting point is Andy’s info.) I’ll probably continue to adjust these as I have more opportunities to see those cards in combination with others.

The other thing that I really give thought to WRT individual cards is, “where there is some overlap what does it imply to have the extra card in the system?” For example, there is a Railroad Train card – so, travel: well, landlocked vs. overseas travel for the Ship; commerce/opportunity: maybe closer to home or smaller scale than the Ship. It can also be public transportation vs. your privately owned vehicle (Rider). Like that.

I’m looking at pairing or grouping the extras with other card emblems to decide what nuances are to be differentiated. Finding the set(s) that an extra belongs to and delineating each card as a subset, as it were. Asking myself “Why is the Train here instead of the Ship?” Or Sick Person vs. Coffin. Etc.

It’s all a really good exercise to think about the 36 and the extras this way, whether I decide to use the extended deck or just the 36, I think my understanding and relationship with the cards are enriched.

HTH! (More than you bargained for?  )

Hmmm....
Maybe I cannot edit because I am in arrears with my paid subscription?

I meant to say

HTH! (Was that more than you bargained for? )

I love the Maybe Lenormand! It's been several weeks since I got it, but I haven't been able to read with it (or anything else) because my life has been so chaotic and hectic -- one family crisis after another. But I'm really looking forward to trying it out when my brain is in the right place again.

What I love is the pen and ink art and the clean, uncluttered cards. This deck feels like a deck I'd draw if I could draw, ya know?

I also really like the extra cards, which include symbols that are pretty standard in the larger fortune telling decks (e.g., Lion, Clasped Hands, Fire, Crossed Swords, etc.).

It's not perfect, of course. No deck is (unless you can make your own). There are a few cards I don't love. But overall, great deck.

I'm looking forward to seeing how others like it, too.