Sophos
Does anyone have this book? What is your opinion about it or do you know of any review, please?
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
"the Game of Destiny" by Mario dos Ventos
Le Fanu
Just bumping this (not tarot I know) but there isn't a forum for Lenormand media. 
Has anyone read this and can they give us an opinion of it, contents &c?
As the only *other* Lenormand book in English, I'm curious...
Has anyone read this and can they give us an opinion of it, contents &c?
As the only *other* Lenormand book in English, I'm curious...
Libra8ca
The game of destiny
I have the book and I've used it as a reference when doing Lenormand spreads. It's a good basic reference guide but not really much more. I have to admit that I've not worked with Lenormand a lot and have only used this book occasionally. Here are the contents:
Pg 11-15: general background and historical information on Lenormand
Pg 19-126 there is a short paragraph on each card describing its meaning followed by a list of what that card means in combination with each of the 35 remaining cards. Example: The Cross and Mouse -complete loss of someone or something.
Pg 127-136: Additional combinations and special meanings-Cards indicating persons (lady and gentleman) and other cards that may indicate persons.
Cards indicating times and time frames i.e. Flowers are spring, Clover means 3-4 days etc.
Card combinations concerning relationships (i.e. ring plus letter plus cavalier = marriage proposal), combinations concerning work and employment, friendships, financial matters, health, domestic life and children.
Pg 137-141 Mystical and Spiritual Meaning of the Cards (Clouds, Coffin, Scythe, Star, Sun, Moon, Fishes, Cross).
Pg 145-149: Spreads (36 card, 24 card and 9 card spreads)
Pg 153-174: Divination with the Help of a Gypsy Spirit (ceremony)
Blessing the Deck ceremony, Macumba (cleaning up the client's destiny)- card meanings and interpretations according to Brazilian Umbanda and Quimbanda. More ritual information.
To sum it up, I think it's a good book for 'cookbook-style' information but doesn't really go into Lenormand card reading more deeply. Hope this helps. Unfortunately there are very few books available in English about Lenormand. I've bought all I could get my hands on but most information is cookbook style.
I have the book and I've used it as a reference when doing Lenormand spreads. It's a good basic reference guide but not really much more. I have to admit that I've not worked with Lenormand a lot and have only used this book occasionally. Here are the contents:
Pg 11-15: general background and historical information on Lenormand
Pg 19-126 there is a short paragraph on each card describing its meaning followed by a list of what that card means in combination with each of the 35 remaining cards. Example: The Cross and Mouse -complete loss of someone or something.
Pg 127-136: Additional combinations and special meanings-Cards indicating persons (lady and gentleman) and other cards that may indicate persons.
Cards indicating times and time frames i.e. Flowers are spring, Clover means 3-4 days etc.
Card combinations concerning relationships (i.e. ring plus letter plus cavalier = marriage proposal), combinations concerning work and employment, friendships, financial matters, health, domestic life and children.
Pg 137-141 Mystical and Spiritual Meaning of the Cards (Clouds, Coffin, Scythe, Star, Sun, Moon, Fishes, Cross).
Pg 145-149: Spreads (36 card, 24 card and 9 card spreads)
Pg 153-174: Divination with the Help of a Gypsy Spirit (ceremony)
Blessing the Deck ceremony, Macumba (cleaning up the client's destiny)- card meanings and interpretations according to Brazilian Umbanda and Quimbanda. More ritual information.
To sum it up, I think it's a good book for 'cookbook-style' information but doesn't really go into Lenormand card reading more deeply. Hope this helps. Unfortunately there are very few books available in English about Lenormand. I've bought all I could get my hands on but most information is cookbook style.
Lela
Personally, I passed on this book because it seems to not really bring anything new to the table that has not already been covered in the Treppner course or in Sylvie Steinbach's book. You can preview a good portion here at google books to see if it's what your were looking for. HTH.
Le Fanu
Those two posts helped me enormously, especially the link to the preview. Thank you! As it is the only other book available in English I might get it. I'm sure there'll be useful things to learn from it.
rif
Sorry to respond relatively late.
I think it costs too much for what you get. I bought it once, and then returned it; I was disappointed overall.
The card meanings have some differences from other traditions, and this means that the combinations differ as well. I seem to recall not being able to understand the rhyme or reason of how the author combined his cards; mainly, there didn't seem to be a consistent logic in the order. That was quite frustrating for me, as you can see the logic in both Treppner's and Steinbach's way of combining cards.
The reading methods did include the grand tableau but I felt that it was quite vague on this section, and I think a complete newcomer to the Lenormand would be lost. I can't recall if he covered all the methods for this either; it's been over a year since I had the book. From what I remember, the Lenormand reading in general was covered in minimal fashion.
He has a chapter on Brazilian gypsy spirits or some such, and I think he covers how the Lenormand plays into that tradition. If you like such things you may enjoy this section. I think there was online debate somewhere as to whether this was authentic, or if it was even viable for an "outsider" of the tradition. At any rate, I think a Brazilian reader or two with knowledge of the author's spirit tradition found the book overall to be more valuable because of their heritage.
So overall, I was disappointed. I wanted to like this book but did not, especially for the content-price ratio.
I think it costs too much for what you get. I bought it once, and then returned it; I was disappointed overall.
The card meanings have some differences from other traditions, and this means that the combinations differ as well. I seem to recall not being able to understand the rhyme or reason of how the author combined his cards; mainly, there didn't seem to be a consistent logic in the order. That was quite frustrating for me, as you can see the logic in both Treppner's and Steinbach's way of combining cards.
The reading methods did include the grand tableau but I felt that it was quite vague on this section, and I think a complete newcomer to the Lenormand would be lost. I can't recall if he covered all the methods for this either; it's been over a year since I had the book. From what I remember, the Lenormand reading in general was covered in minimal fashion.
He has a chapter on Brazilian gypsy spirits or some such, and I think he covers how the Lenormand plays into that tradition. If you like such things you may enjoy this section. I think there was online debate somewhere as to whether this was authentic, or if it was even viable for an "outsider" of the tradition. At any rate, I think a Brazilian reader or two with knowledge of the author's spirit tradition found the book overall to be more valuable because of their heritage.
So overall, I was disappointed. I wanted to like this book but did not, especially for the content-price ratio.
Le Fanu
LOL. Me too. Just seen this. Thank you so much for those observations. It has made me rethink purchasing this book. I think Sylvie Steinbach's book and my own notebook with the annotations I have built up over the years are enough.rif said:
rif
Better we're late than never?Le Fanu said:
Yes, that sounds like a good plan.
