I like Lenormand line readings a lot. They are an easy and quick way to provide fast and direct answers; and at the same time versatile enough for most questions. These are ideal when you want to know where you are standing on a particular matter.
There are two different ways to read these depending on the question, either linear from left to right for a situation where we are looking for an evolution, or in pairs mirroring the central card for a query more descriptive in nature.
I usually use 3 cards for a yes / no question or something very simple. Otherwise, I will use 5 cards. I have also used lines of 9 in the past, but I stopped that practice a while ago. If a situation needs so many details than more than five cards are needed, I prefer doing a 3×3, that will give me more information for the same number of cards, or a free flowing tableau of 15.
Some readers decide in advance on a significator they place in the middle of the string. I never liked that practice and don’t do it, I prefer to let the cards show me what should be important.
3 Card Readings
I saw a discussion not long ago about extra cards. It’s an interesting subject, as it seems that most of the decks designed these days come with additional cards, for example 2 men and 2 women, or other concepts added to the system by the deck creator. While I like their use for experimenting, I have always casted a doubt on them from a traditional point of view. I asked my deck, “should I use these extra cards in Lenormand readings?”
Anchor – Ship – Tower.
Let’s think for a moment before interpreting the cards and give the answer. In these three cards, I do not see the letter, the book, or any any other hint that could represent cards or extra cards. But, is there something that could represent tradition? Certainly the Tower, standing tall and lasting over time. And let’s not forget that the main traditional concept for the Tower is longevity. Nothing could be better to represent tradition.
Now, the reading becomes easy. As we read left to right, the Ship is moving towards the Tower, leaving behind some weight (the anchor). Tradition is favored, better to stay lean over the weight of some extras.
5 Cards Readings
Let’s start with an example for a line reading. As I like to socialize with some fellow tarot readers, I’ve been to a tarot meetup a few times, and I’m wondering if I should continue, as my main interest is Lenormand and these are exclusively tarot. So, I asked the cards, “should I continue to go to these tarot meetups?”
Clouds – Tree – Paths – Man – House.
If we go card per card, we could say that there is some confusion (clouds) over what can grow (tree) from these. Thus, I (man) will make the choice (paths) to stay home (house).
Clouds express effectively what I’m currently feeling, some confusion, confusion that can become problematic, quite unhealthy over time (clouds – tree). So, yes, the first two cards already indicate a situation which is uncomfortable. Tree, Paths and Man show that over time I will make a choice, taking another direction, the one of staying home (house) instead of going. Clear answer, after a while, these meetings become unnecessary.
Let’s finish by an example of a mirror reading. I do like experimenting a lot, I regularly buy new decks, mostly cartomancy, that I am not at all familiar with. This exercise, even if I end up by never using them publicly, still allows me to expand my horizon. My question to the cards is “How do I best approach learning a new deck?”
Ring – Mice – Sun – Dog – Bear
As focal point, the Sun in the middle shows that everything is about attitude, and to work towards a rewarding success, a good dose of optimism is necessary.
Dog and Mice constitute the first pair. A short remark as Mice are usually seen negatively. The question, as asked, is about how to best approach something, not about some description. In that case, we are not going to look at the Mice with the habitual negative meanings associated to them, but rather at how they behave. Mice are animals that nibble at everything, a little bit here, them move on to something else, … Coming back to the pair, I should approach a new deck with a trusting attitude (dog), going at it a little bit at a time (mice).
The last pair, Ring and Bear, show that strength (bear) comes from repetition and commitment (ring).
Even if we pair, cards are always influenced by their neighbors. Mice touching Ring shows of course that these studies of small pieces of the deck at a time should be a commitment, and repeated quite often. That’s what allows that Dog to turn into a Bear, repetition will make the study stronger.
Deck: Blue Dondorf from Game of Hope Lenormand, original from Camelia Elias’ collection.
