Deal breakers in decks?

Padma

My deal breakers are similar to that of others. If the images are too busy, or contain elements from other symbols in one card, or too bright and colorful, or all of the above, then that is a deal-breaker. I like my cards spare and clean, with just one plain image per card.

I also am not keen on overly cartoony styles, or maudlin/moody/overly Victorian styles. Plain is best, because they seem to be more neutral that way. Otherwise, they begin to inspire tarot-like intuitive readings (for me, not speaking of others here). So for me, simple is best.
 

cybercat

It is interesting to see how the difference goes from Tarot to Lenormand.
In Tarot I like alot of symbols and images. Not with Lenormand. I get and understand the two in one problem. There is a deck with dog and ring on it both prominent. Passed it by to confusing.

I am now finding that original symbols are a must for me now. No substitutes like black roses for coffin or just a cat of nine tails for birch rod/broom. Similar is fine like sarcophagus for coffin and broom or crook and fail. But a walking Rider wth is that?
 

celticnoodle

What Village Witch, Greatdane and Padma posted. ditto--ditto--ditto!

clear, simple images. good card stock. Not too busy a card. and my biggest pet peeve is generally with the ship card and/or the cloud card.

Often the ship card also has clouds in it. So, I have to stop and look at it--"is it a ship or is it clouds?" and the same with the cloud card! Why does the cloud card HAVE to be over water with a ship in it?! Very confusing and when I'm reading Lenormand, I only want to glance at the card and know immediately what it is.
 

greatdane

PADMA CELTICNOODLE and CYBERCAT...we're soooo on the same page!

Literally and figuratively :).

I so get what you are saying. For me, Rider is about movement, often something fast, maybe out of the blue, so someone sitting on a donkey or cow, likely wouldn't do it.

I mean sure, I COULD just figure out what an image was and then remember it, but WHY have to?

For ME, TRULY a big part of the BEAUTY of Lenormand is the simplicity, like BOOM! that's the RING, the GARDEN, the DOG, not, um, ok, there's a Dog on a Path...near a Child who is wearing a Ring....
 

Le Fanu

Cheesy Child card - smiling or wearing a bonnet. That's the deal breaker - if the child card is naff, I can't use it.

Plus the Rider needs to be male - I like my Rider wearing high boots and to be a "he" since he may well be the other man!
 

zhadee

Bold colours, too much going on, no clear destination - where is the dark side of the Clouds? To which side do Ship, Rider, Fox, Stork move?

I'm thinking about making my own deck, without any drawn symbol at all. Just the name of the card, taken from newspapers.
 

Padma

Bold colours, too much going on, no clear destination - where is the dark side of the Clouds? To which side do Ship, Rider, Fox, Stork move?

I'm thinking about making my own deck, without any drawn symbol at all. Just the name of the card, taken from newspapers.

You'd lose the directional quality of the card images that way, though. A simple word cannot point right or left.
 

Padma

Cheesy Child card - smiling or wearing a bonnet. That's the deal breaker - if the child card is naff, I can't use it.

Goodness! If *any* of the cards are naff or twee, I can't use it either! But that goes for all the cards, not just the Child. And spare me the Child rolling the hoop down the path - so dated. I am not a big fan of the broom lying on the table for the Whips card, if it comes to that. It's hard to discern what it is.

And I dislike the Man who holds a letter in the Piatnik - it would have been best if he was just standing idle. Every time I see him, I think the Man has received a Letter. Or is sending a Letter. Not helpful!

I love the art in the Mystical Lenormand deck, but sadly, every card holds its own emotional take that ruins the reading - such as Whips portraying a monk whipping himself. It makes it so all I can think at a glance is that someone feels guilty...!

So many of the Lennie decks are lovely to look at, but so many are murder to read with.
 

zhadee

You'd lose the directional quality of the card images that way, though. A simple word cannot point right or left.
Yes, true. I'm still thinking about creating one.
Maybe I could add arrows? :p
Or write like this... Fox so it's clear which way it walks... we'll see to that, some day.


 

zhadee

Goodness! If *any* of the cards are naff or twee, I can't use it either! But that goes for all the cards, not just the Child. And spare me the Child rolling the hoop down the path - so dated.
Hah, I love that one. Because the hoop makes me think of the Ring.
So in a way, that Child is the beginning of that specific circle! :angel: