How YOU see Lenormand....

Books, videos, all great, but often readers see meanings differently or adjust some or add some.

SO....how do you see Lenormand images? Is there one book you go by? Have you read several and do a mix? I personally don't believe there is just ONE way to see Lenormand or there wouldn't be so many schools (French, German, Russian, etc).
I believe what works for a reader, works for a reader.

So what works for you?

How do you like to combine the cards?

Do you prefer small spreads or larger ones?

I take a minimalist approach to interpretation, mainly using one core meaning and a couple of alternates for each card. I also keep it literal; I don't go off on tangents based on my intuitive impressions of a card's image (for example, I don't try to imagine what I might want to unlock with the Key). Finally, I pursue a more traditional approach, and don't import tarot-reading practices into my Lenormand readings - so no "quints," no "base cards," no "clarifiers," etc. (Frankly, I don't use those much in tarot reading either.)

My favorite Lenormand book is Lenormand, Thirty-six cards by Andy Boroveshengra. I really see no pressing need to "modernize," as has been done to some extent in many other books.

I enjoy the Grand Tableau above all other Lenormand spreads, followed by the 3x3 square and the 5-card line.

Regarding combinations, I follow the "noun/adjective(s)" structure in most cases, with the first card being the subject of the combined interpretation. There are exceptions: for example, I see the card following the Scythe as normally showing what's being threatened by it.

My main gripe involves attempts to impart tarot-card and/or astrological meanings to the Lenormand cards. The Moon and the Tower are prime examples of this. The former has nothing to do with moody emotional fluctuations, and the latter isn't very likely to fall down.

thanks for sharing your take, Barleywine

While I enjoyed reading it all, I especially noticed the last part.

So true. When I started reading Lenormand, the first thing I had to do was forget about how I read or saw tarot. Two different animals entirely to me.

I know many can't get the Tower, the Moon, out of their head when making the switch and if it works for them, fine.

I love tarot and I love Lenormand, just in different ways.

I read differently then Barleywine here. I do look at the cards I lay out and take into consideration the cards around them as well. I also pay attention to my own gut instincts when reading.

I will check books and places online for what others feel the cards meaning is when I am unsure--just for some guidance, as I am still a beginner--and I'm still learning. However, I pretty much stick with my gut instincts on the cards meaning.

I love doing Grand Tableaus and I also will do 3 and 5 card pulls. I've recently begun offering G.T. readings to people who are my tarot customers--and will offer them a reading for a bargain price and fb so I can "learn" or sometimes just the fb, depending on the situation/person. At any rate, so far, so good, so I guess I'm doing what is right for me.

Right now, my biggest issue is that I'm slow at reading G.T.s because I'm not use to reading the Lenormand. I often have to look for the card # to determine that house still--I'm not good with memorizing them I guess. So, it takes me a long time to do the reading. But, with time, I hope I will progress where I have them all down pat and I won't have to worry about it anymore!

celticnoodle said:

I read differently then Barleywine here. I do look at the cards I lay out and take into consideration the cards around them as well. I also pay attention to my own gut instincts when reading.

I will check books and places online for what others feel the cards meaning is when I am unsure--just for some guidance, as I am still a beginner--and I'm still learning. However, I pretty much stick with my gut instincts on the cards meaning.

I love doing Grand Tableaus and I also will do 3 and 5 card pulls. I've recently begun offering G.T. readings to people who are my tarot customers--and will offer them a reading for a bargain price and fb so I can "learn" or sometimes just the fb, depending on the situation/person. At any rate, so far, so good, so I guess I'm doing what is right for me.

Right now, my biggest issue is that I'm slow at reading G.T.s because I'm not use to reading the Lenormand. I often have to look for the card # to determine that house still--I'm not good with memorizing them I guess. So, it takes me a long time to do the reading. But, with time, I hope I will progress where I have them all down pat and I won't have to worry about it anymore!

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I'll be interested in seeing how long your professional GT readings take when you get going with them. The shopkeeper I'll be working with is going to book 45 minutes for a Celtic Cross (with approximately 5 minutes on either end for intro and wrap-up), and I told her I can do the GT as well if there's any interest. I can't imagine them taking less than an hour, actual reading time; it really depends on how many focus areas the querent wants explained.

I tend to read the cards as a story line. And I love the Crone's reads with who/what, how/why, result.

While I do check references on occasion for card combinations when I am stuck on an interpretation, being a psychic/medium, I pay a lot of attention to my gut instincts while striving to keep the core meaning of the cards intact.

I like the GT (4X9) as it gives an overview and touches on various subjects. I generally target the Man/Woman, Tree (health), Anchor (employment), House (home), and other significators depending on who I am reading for. I read each line horizontally, all the cards around a significator (3X3), and the core cards (middle fifth card in each line read vertically), diagonals, and mirroring cards. I try to squeeze every ounce of information out of a GT.

I can't imagine that I'll ever be able to do a GT in 45 minutes!

But, I hope if I ever do get there, that A.T. is still around and we are still members here & I can remember to let you know!

Well, we have access to most things from France here in Quebec, from movies, books to tarot and oracles. I've mailed to a few here and other forums Tarot de Marseille decks because I can easily find them (at the book store) while they had no opportunity to get them where they were. I've seen Petit Lenormand decks sold at dépanneurs here. My mother gave me her Petit Lenormand because she was not connecting with it. Back then, more than 10 years ago, I was on a forums in English dedicated to "gypsy" oracle decks (Lenormand, french sibilla, italian sibilla, etc.), before the Lenormand phase. But I also became part of forums in French which had more infos about the Petit Lenormand. So I follow the french tradition, as a Quebecer and French Canadian.

My favorite Petit Lenormand books are by Rana George and Sylvie Steinbach. I followed one course of the Petit Lenormand by Sylvie Steinbach which was quite good.

Whether it's for tarot or other oracles, I don't like big spreads and I don't use them. So I don't use the Grand tableau. I either use 1 card spreads, 3 cards spreads, 9 cards spreads, or that one that I created.

At first I have to recognize that I didn't feel a particular attraction towards the Lenormand.
Actually I realized that it was an interesting deck for me through the Burning Serpent Oracle which is an atypical Lenormand.
From there I am currently more interested in the classical approach and concerning the lenormand decks themselves as well, therefore there have been a change in a way, but without the Burning Serpent I probably wouldn't have realized that this deck could fit me.
So, maybe, as it is said "All roads lead to Rome"!

Ditto, Barleywine.

My core is traditional (the Phillipe instruction sheet) with modern meanings that are directly derived from the text and from emblems (not as symbols). For short spreads I really like 5 cards. I don't do a lot of Grand Tableaus as my longer readings are usually Tarot. I do 15 minute Grand Tableaus for very specific questions where I mainly read what's around the personal Significator and around one or two cards pre-chosen to represent the topic of the question. I then can ignore the other cards, or not! Because of this I tend to circle outward from focus centers rather than reading in long lines or sequences. I also use the 9 card (3x3) layout. I really don't like positional spreads as Lenormand works best as combos. I read basic pairs as noun/adjective unless working outward from a significator or topic card.

I've read all the books in English and studied material on several of the foreign language websites. Plus I've worked with Rana, Donnaleigh, and Caitlin quite a bit and did Andy's early course. I'm probably most influenced by the Belgian/Dutch and German approaches, but am fairly syncretic.