Asher
Lee said:
Sure, Lee, I'll try. (I haven't finished it yet)
The book begins with an overview of reading playing cards, the development of cartomancy, some information on Etteilla and Mlle. Lenormand, and Golden Dawn astrological information.
Separate chapters are presented for the Aces, Twos, etc. through the Kings. A brief introduction to the number is given, and each card is given its own page. Each page includes a 4 line poem/mnemonic, keywords, astrological relationship, and a couple of paragraphs of meaning (much more concise than the Jones book, definitely). Also, each card is keyed by number and symbol to Mlle. Lenormand's deck, and the "court" cards are given a brief physical description (age, skin & hair color).
Dee devotes a chapter to "Telling Fortunes the Romany Way", using what he calls a "reduced" deck of 32 cards, which he attributes to Etteilla, but says is also "used extensively by the Romany people (the gypsies) and [which] has become popular in Italy, France and Germany..." This reduced deck uses the Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, Tens, Nines, Eights, and Sevens. He provides upright and reversed meanings for these cards, and offers several "Romany" spreads.
His next chapter is called "The Lenormand System", where he again correlates the deck with Lenormand's numbering and symbolism, and gives brief meanings for the reading the cards using this system (upright only). Several Lenormand spreads are included, as is a separate chapter on the Master Method, "also called the Square of 36, said to be the system by which Mlle. Lenormand made some of her most famous predictions." This method lays out 36 cards in a 6x6 grid, with each position having a specific meaning such as 'wrongs & injustices", "friendships", "health" and "scandals". This reading method begins by looking only at the suit in each position, so Dee gives brief interpetations of what each suit means in each position of the grid. The next section, "Cards to Look Out For", offer meanings for cards incorporating both number & suit. Finally, a chapter offers a sample interpretation of a Master Method spread.
The book concludes with a brief chapter on "Interpreting the Reading", and another "Traditional Romantic Games and Readings".
For me, the correlation of playing cards with Mlle. Lenormand's "system" is very interesting. I have a Grimaud Lenormand deck, which I have not been able to do much with, so I am hoping this might help.
I do like the Marthy Jones book, but it seems to require a lot of memorization -- not that that's a bad thing, just something I'm not sure I have the energy for right now. I like the Cortez book, for its emphasis on color, suit and number, which I am hoping will apply not only to playing cards, but to non-scenic Tarot pips as well (Keeping my fingers crossed).
Hope this helpful.
Asher
