The Dreaming Way Lenormand was a birthday present with the La Santa Muerte Lenormand. Unlike the latter, The Dreaming Way Lenormand was published several years ago. Although I had seen some images, it’s not a deck that caught my attention.
The 36 cards—there are no extra cards—come in a small but sturdy lift-off box and include a clear but concise book written by Lynn Araujo.
Kwon Shina’s artwork is deceptively simple, quaint, and almost mischievous. The colour palette is soft pastels. The backgrounds are beautiful, with some lovely embellishments or textures. As the cards are borderless, this also adds a homogeneous touch. There are no playing card inserts, but a suit symbol and rank are shown next to the titles. I’ve never seen much point in such notations.
Most of the traditional symbols are reinterpreted in a whimsical, dream-like fashion. Several cards show people, such as the Snake and the Dog. My favorite cards are the Birds, the Book, and the Fox. The Hound/Dog, the Ring, and the Clouds are my least liked.
Kwon Shina seems to have tried to preserve some of the cards’ traditional directional features but with a surreal twist. Whereas we often see a pall or wreath on the Coffin card, we see a half-open sardine can here. How successful Kwon Shina was will be dependent upon the reader. But I do like the Birds and the Book.
Lynn Araujo’s book is concise and relatively standard and echoes the German literature more than the French. It was helpful to understand some artistic choices, such as why a woman is on the Fox card. There are a couple of short readings, but the full board/die große tafel is absent.
As is my practice, I asked the deck to introduce itself via a cut. The cards’ response was the Stars and the Sun. And there is a clarity and warmth to the cards. Despite my misgivings, it’s an accessible deck to read, and I have used it several times. But I cannot say it is (or ever see it being) a first choice for a reading.
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The Dream Way Lenormand, illustrated by Kwon Shina with a guidebook by Lynn Araujo, is published by US Games Systems, Inc.
Journal of a Cartomante 