When I first delved into the meaning of Tarot, I had no fear. The more I learned, the more deeply spiritual the story got. The Tarot tells a story of redemption, a love story of Creator who guides us in this world and in this life toward a place of peace, fulfillment, and wholeness.
But when I discovered Lenormand, it just made me curious. No deep spiritual meanings here, just divination. It is a completely different card system than Tarot. I appreciate it for its straightforward message and complex reading methods.
Rana George, a contemporary cartomancer says this about Lenormand. “You go to the tarot if you want to learn your greater spiritual path. You go to the Lenormand to find out if she is sleeping with him and is it good sex.”
I’ve found that, depending on the question, Lenormand can provide direct and concise answers. Through Lenormand, I’ve helped people with relationship issues, given insight into workplace drama, and helped find missing items. With Lenormand you can truly ask almost anything.
However, I will not ask just anything. Read my section on how to formulate a good question to get the most out of your reading. I’m confined by my own personal Code of Ethics which makes me unwilling to play with fire if I sense that I’m getting a little too close. That said, Lenormand readings can be fun, useful, and insightful.
About Lenormand
This 36 card deck is named after Marie Anne Lenormand, a famous French fortune teller during the Napoleonic era. She was the original psychic to the stars; reading cards for famous French revolutionaries such as Marat and Robespierre as well as Empress Josephine and Tsar Alexander I.
On a whim, I bought my first deck and began studying. A Christian friend warned me to proceed with caution. “Go slow,” is what she said, which happened to be the same words my mother used when I told her about my Tarot cards. My friend stopped short of telling me I was playing with fire – mostly because I am adamant about not feeling fear about my own gifts. To me, intention is everything and I pray to and only worship the One True and Living God.
Still, I took her word of caution seriously and put my cards aside. That night I had a dream. I was like a wandering monk in the jungle and it was night time. I raised a force field around me to protect myself and it was like a perimeter 10 feet away in a giant circle around me. I knew it would keep out the monsters and evil spirits. However, these cute little furry animals, almost cartoon like started to gather around the perimeter. More and more started to gather and I could tell they wanted to play but could not get past the force field. Finally, I made a decision to lower the force field and the animals gathered around me, in my lap, on my shoulders, on my head. They were soft and fun and happy. While they were small and friendly, I knew in my heart that they were powerful and plentiful enough to warn and help me should any evil spirits or monsters come.
The warning from my friend, and my dream gave opposite messages. One tells me to be careful, the other tells me not to fear. This recurring theme in my life of having to negotiate boundaries is one that I cling to as I work with Lenormand. It’s not an easy place to work from, but it is my work, and I choose to engage in it.
Divination is a bad word among Christians. At its worst, it implies toying with fate, violating the created order and desiring to know the future which belongs to God and not humans. This however, is not my intention. I see it at its best, which is that it can speak the truth and bring light to something that is hidden. Truth and light guide us in life to make better decisions and no matter what faith background you come from, free will trumps fate.
While Tarot and Lenormand are completely different card systems, the practice of one makes me better at the other, so I offer both readings. Remember that your intentions count just as much as mine. Divination gets distorted and negative when you approach it motivated by fear and desirous of certainty. When you seek spiritual guidance you are more likely to find truth and light.
Interested in trying it out to see what the cards say about you? Contact me to schedule a reading.