A really big point that people seem to be missing is the your cards will work according how you charge them.
As many here know, I am working on a tarot book, that got pushed up a year, because I added chapters...and THIS is one subject.
The tarot cards or any divination tool for that matter , are on a tool, to connect to your Divine consciousness/ or the Universal. If you decide that when you read the Lenormand that the birds represent a trip around the world , then every time the spirit world wants to tell you someone will take a trip around the world, they will show you the birds.
The reason the original poster, (I forget who now sorry) had an issue, was because they questioned themselves. If you think the right is the past and the left is the future, and you subconsciously put that in the cards. Then shuffle and say to spirit (by your way) the left is the future. Whatever cards show up there is spirit saying, here is the future.
This is where people make a lot of mistakes. Keep with your method and do not deviate. As I have stated before, I see the 3 of Pentacles as a baptism. I mistakenly did when I was small and learning the Tarot, and guess what, whenever Spirit wants to show me someone is getting baptized , guess what shows up? the three of pentacles.
It doesn't matter which method you use. Make up your own if you want. Change all the meanings of the cards to what you want! And keep with that. It will integrate into your subconscious mind and your subconscious will show you the symbols when they have to.
Whenever I see lilies I always think of Easter. In my family, we give lilies to women on Easter. So, when the lilies come up for timing, I know it is around easter time. Although I think Syvlies method uses it for winter. And I only use her method. Some, things have to change.
Last year I was reading my cards...because I lost a very important little key, and I asked the Mystical Lenormand where it was. I pulled the lilies, on the card is a buddha statue... in the background. When I saw that , I thought....my buddha statue...and I remembered that is where I hid my key!!!!!
Use your intuition first...and the meanings second