Lenormand Fortune-Telling cards; 18th Century Oracle by Harold Josten

Le Fanu

I just received this today. It can be seen here. It's a beautiful package - gorgeous box in terms of graphics and old world spookiness. I was very curious about the deck that is included.

It is a replica of one of the Dondorfs published by Konigsfurt-Urania, a deck I love. You know that Konigsfurt-Urania deck which has the criminally updated playing card inserts "for a modern audience"? Well there was another one which had German gothick script text which I ended up preferring (with red backs) but which went out of print as a stand alone deck- and this is one of those, except with English verses in the same gothick script. I rather like it - a bit flimsy - but the Dondorf details are beautiful and very clear, better in fact than the LoS French Cartomancy deck in terms of detail.

I haven't had time to have a proper look at the book because I was going out to a gallery opening after work (my package was sent to work) and I didn't want to take along a bag so I left it at work and will bring it home tomorrow. Looked a bit New Agey the little I read over lunch but I shall have a proper read soon.
 

ohhappyday72

Looking forward to hearing more about these....I've been curious.
 

SixDegrees

Here is my review of the book, posted in another thread...

My copy of the kit arrived yesterday, and I spent some of last night looking through the book. I believe that this may be the worst Lenormand resource I've seen yet. Although there is a little discussion of some traditional meanings for each card, much more space is dedicated to the archetypal associations of each symbol. With the Snake, for example, the author suggests links to "cults of antiquity" that worshipped the snake as a god of healing, as well as to the Caduceus of Hermes. He notes that it can be a card of "transformation" because a snake regularly sheds its skin. It might also signify "a situation where the viewer feels as if he or she is lying on the ground." (WHAT?!)

The worst are the possible suggestions/advice for each card in various areas of life: Tip, Love, Happiness, and Success. In the area of Success, for example, the Snake supposedly suggests the following: "Success belongs to those who understand how to change. If you're currently hitting rock bottom, coil and prepare to spring! Use the earth's energy to get ahead. Sometimes, detours are necessary, but never give up on your goal." There are lots of positive messages and exclamation marks like this throughout the book.

I fear that Lenormand traditionalists will cringe when they realize that this is hitting the market. The kit really does take all the utility out of the cards and transforms them into another toothless affirmation oracle. It strikes me that this is what Doreen Virtue would do if she decided to make a Lenormand.

Needless to say, I'm dumping my copy at Half Price Books the first chance I get.
 

delizt

are there pics of the actual cards anywhere? I'm curious about these...
 

Le Fanu

I saw your review SixDegrees and tend to agree after having had a day to read through the companion book. You know, I actually think the French Cartomancy companion booklet is worse, but both - it's true - would horrify traditionalists.

Delizt, if you go to my blog and search for a post I did called "Grand Tableau" there is a picture of the exact same deck (all cards) but with the German verses, same font, everything. It's exactly the same.

I like the deck but I already had two copies with the German verses and having English verses would distract me anyway. Best thing about this is the box - I think it's so beautiful. Nothing sumptuous in the materials but I love the old-fashioned look to the graphics. It would make a nice box for keeping your Lenormands and a reading cloth in. Bit expensive though to fork out just for a cardboard box...
 

kell

I was utterly disappointed in this kit. It was pre-ordered for a couple of months, and I was eagerly anticipating the book. Rana George's book is excellent, but one can never know too much about Lenormand, so I thought this would supplement nicely. Oh my! I am thankful this wasn't my first introduction to Lenormand.
Maybe next time I'll wait before pre-ordering and instead wait for reviews from my friends at AT.
(I agree with Le Fanu...the box is very nice.)
 

Teheuti

are there pics of the actual cards anywhere? I'm curious about these...
I can't load pictures directly, but the cards are Dondorf, like the Lo Scarabeo deck, but bridge size. There's no playing card, just an English verse in a Fraktur font, where y looks like n, and k looks like t - very hard to read. The text is not quite traditional, but rather silly: Bear reads: "With the bear, use nour head before you speat. Careless words can mate jealous people weat." Remember to substitute letters as noted above.

The book seems to me like a Tarot reader who copied out material from a couple of Lenormand books or websites and then added a bunch of personal symbolic free-associations. The short spreads seem Tarot based, as are the example readings - no combinations, for instance. And the Grand Tableau is simply a diagram with no explanation of how to read it.

I just posted a review on Amazon but can't seem to copy it to post here.
 

Teheuti

Ah, here's my review. I hate to be so negative, but I also want people to pick worthwhile books.

I would hate for anyone new to Lenormand to start out with this book and deck! And experienced readers will not find anything here worth the cost of the set. The card stock is not that bad - typical of European Lenormand decks - but the Fraktur font used for the verses on each card is very difficult for English-speakers to decipher and makes the occasional typo frustrating to figure out. The deck verses are rarely helpful and not what is found on traditional decks. Example-Rod: "For he who is husband, the Rod means strife is on the way. If your day is dark and grey, listen to what your wife has to say."

The book is a traditionalist's nightmare. Josten starts out with Mountain as the fulfillment of a goal, but with a card text that says, "The closer the mountain, the closer the enemy." The author then talks about Mountain as the world axis and other mythological and symbolical references. Fish is supposedly about psychological and spiritual matters. The "Modern Symbolism" section is a long rant about water being a separate environment than ours, but that fish carry powerful symbolism because water does. His advice: "Seek answers, and go get your fish!"

It certainly doesn't seem like Josten actually uses the Lenormand cards, but more like he has poorly digested a few contradictory books and then added personal ruminations on the symbolism. This, despite the fact that Lenormand is not a symbolic system like Tarot, but rather an emblematic one. There is no direction for reading the classic Grand Tableau spread - just a diagram. Cards in examples for the shorter spreads are read singly, with position meanings, like Tarot, rather than in combination the way Lenormand is normally understood. For Josten, Lenormand appears to be a simple-minded step-sibling to Tarot.
 

delizt

nice looking cards, thanks Le Fanu. It's a shame the book sounds so bad, not sure it's worth it.