What deck should I buy?

Genna

The Enchanted Lenormand Oracle comes with a very very good book(159 pages), that will help you start and a spreading sheet for the Grand Tableau(9x4) and an extra gentleman and lady. The deck is by Caitlin Matthews and Virginia Lee. A problem is that they have added an extra card (The Diviner Card), that you haven´t got to use, and call The Whip The Broom, and The Cross The Crossing, but that doesn´t change the meaning of those cards. You have to add a bag or box for the cards, because they fall out of the original box.The cards are small and easy to shuffle. Some find them busy; I don´t.

Other good beginner decks IMHO are Blue Bird Lenormand (a beauty in old style and the one I think is best for beginners) and Gilded Reverie Lenormand by Ciro Marchetti (lovely cards and a rather good LWB).

I would advise you to use Mystical Lenormand and separate book, because the book is very good to start with and the art is wonderful, but, unfortunately, the cards don´t show the playing card inserts. Otherwise it is pleasant to read with and the book gives a lot of information for the beginner and examples of the author´s view of two card readings for all combinations. If you use it you have to find another deck for when you will want to start to use the playing card inserts.It is the deck I began with, and it is very friendly and good for beginners, I think.

On the other hand, you should not buy a deck for the book alone, because you might want to buy a good handbook after all, like "The Essential Lenormand" by Rana George, "The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook" by Caitlin Mattews, the book by AndyBC and others.

Love and Light Genna.
 

ayuryogini

I'm new to Lenormand as well, but I wanted to add that there are some beautiful restorations of historical decks available from http://gameofhopelenormand.bigcartel.com. I really love the historical decks, there's just something special about them.

The Alternate Realities
Lenormand available on Etsy is also considered to be helpful for beginners.
 

delinfrey

I have several Lenormands, but I find myself going back to the original Wahrsagekarten/Jeu de Destin all the time for my readings.

I actually do like Ciro's lenny a lot, and I think it's a wonderful study deck. But somehow I always turn back to the original :)
 

Genna

I didn´mention my new favourie; Faerytale Lenormand by Arwen Lynch and Lisa Hunt in a tin, with an exra gentleman and lady. I have used it many monhs now, and the pictures are really clear, not a lot of things that don´t belong, as you migh fear. You see at a glance what card it is with the main object in focus, so it won´t disturb f ex a GT. The stories are well chosen, and told in the very good little book. I is fun to use because of the beauy of he cards and decorated tin, and extra stimulus from the tales, that fit with the meanings of he cards. But you can use it as an ordinary deck, never knowing the stories. I love mine, and recommend it for beginners, but the book does not explain GT.
 

selenatarot

I am new to lenormand too and recommend piatnik or blue owl. Ciro's deck is beautiful if you like vivid imagery.
 

Barleywine

Asking which book is best lands us in the conundrum of which "system" we want to use. When I started, I gathered everything I could from web blogs and learned a lot from conversations with andybc (Andy Boroveshengra) here. I bought Andy's book first, then Rana George's, then the Anthony Louis e-book (highly recommended), Caitlin Matthews' book and Sylvie Steinbach's. I use Andy's book and my binder of blog material most often, and occasionally open Caitlin's to look at playing-card insert stuff, along with the more traditional playing-card divination information I've gathered. I would buy physical books and not e-books for those you find most valuable because you can put Post-it tabs in them for quick reference. I have books on my Kindle but I dislike having to bookmark pages, and it would be too much of a chore to set them up and use them; the Anthony Louis e-book is the only one that has no hard-copy available to buy, unless that's changed.

I agree that a first deck should be traditional. I bought the Piatnik, then Laura Tuan's large-format Lenormand Oracle. My workhorse deck at the moment is Ciro Marchetti's Gilded Reverie because it's the one my sitters invariably choose (lots of "sizzle" with the "steak" but also a few minor departures from traditional imagery). Lately I've been using the Burning Serpent Oracle, which has a few more profound departures, and Rachel Pollack's excellent companion book. On my wish list are the Celtic Lenormand and Anna K's upcoming one, as well as at least one historical reproduction.
 

Onion Budgie

I'm also a Lenormand beginner. I've been using my two Kipper decks a lot lately, and have been enjoying those so much that on reading that the Lenormand system is somewhat similar, thought I'd jump across and explore a little further.

I've ordered the Under the Roses Lenormand by Kendra Hurteau & Katrina Hill. Of the cards that I've seen, the artwork is beautiful. I hope that I made a good choice! (Did I make a good choice?)