This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate. As throughout this series, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional eikōn of the card, its historical context, and the practical significations I have found useful through divinatory practice. The interpretations presented here reflect my own experience of working with the Tarot de Marseille and should be understood as a working method rather than a definitive authority.
The Sixes: The Lover and the Devil
Trump VI, L’Amoureux, or the Lover, is one of the strangest and most misunderstood cards in the Tarot. Some see it as a card of love and romance. Others interpret it as a card of choice and decision-making. Still others focus upon complex relationships and outside interference. Yet the Marseille image suggests something rather different. Rather than depicting love fulfilled or a decision made, it portrays a man caught between competing influences and unable to move forward.
The traditional eikōn of the Lover is unusual and immediately striking. A young man stands between two women, each touching or holding him. Above this curious trio hovers a winged Cupid set within a radiant sun, bow drawn and arrow ready to strike. It is a scene charged with tension, yet remarkably little action occurs. No choice is made. No union is achieved. Instead, the central figure appears caught between opposing forces.
The essence of the Lover is vacillation; its function is to paralyse. For many years this card was a private nemesis of mine. I attempted to read it as a card of love and, later, as a card of choice. Neither interpretation fully satisfied me. Were the card truly about choice, one might expect to see a figure weighing options and reaching a conclusion. Yet the young man does nothing of the sort. He appears trapped by indecision. His companions exert influence from either side, whilst Cupid’s arrow introduces yet another force beyond his control.
The card therefore depicts what happens when reason is subjugated to desire. Conflicting wants, loyalties, attractions, and obligations pull us in opposing directions until we become incapable of meaningful action. We want incompatible things simultaneously. We fear making the wrong choice. Self-preservation urges caution whilst desire urges action. The result is hesitation, confusion, and ultimately paralysis. The Lover is the card of the divided heart. Hosea’s observation1 remains as relevant now as when it was first written: conflicting loyalties render us unstable and uncertain. We are drawn simultaneously towards incompatible desires and find ourselves unable to pursue any of them wholeheartedly. Thus the card signifies not the making of a choice, but the paralysis that arises when we cannot bring ourselves to make one.
For this reason, the Lover often appears when the querent is being pulled in different directions and cannot determine the best course of action. A pervasive feeling of discomfort accompanies the card. One finds oneself at a crossroads, yet no path appears satisfactory. Progress stalls because the underlying problem is not a lack of options but a lack of clarity regarding what is truly wanted. Until this confusion is resolved, the querent remains unable to realise their full potential.
Quite often, the Lover signifies the influence of a third party: someone whose presence complicates matters or exerts undue influence over the situation. In relationship readings this can indeed manifest as the classic love triangle, though not necessarily through infidelity. More often it reflects divided loyalties, emotional uncertainty, or the emergence of feelings for another person whilst an existing relationship is neglected.
The principle extends beyond romance. In business and employment matters, the Lover frequently reveals rivalry, competition, and competing interests. The querent may find themselves struggling to establish a clear position or differentiate themselves from others. Unless they are willing to commit to a particular course of action, competitors may seize the opportunities that indecision leaves behind. The Lover reminds us that vacillation has a cost, for whilst we hesitate, the world continues to move forward.
General: Being pulled in different directions by competing interests, loyalties, or desires. The card signifies uncertainty, hesitation, and difficulty committing to a particular course of action. Third parties often complicate matters, introducing confusion or conflicting advice. Conflicts of interest, divided loyalties, and an inability to decide are common manifestations of the Lover.
Love: In established relationships, the Lover frequently heralds a period of doubt and uncertainty regarding the future. Communication is often poor, with one or both partners reluctant to express their true feelings or concerns. The card may indicate the influence of a third party, whether through interference, divided affections, or the emergence of romantic feelings elsewhere. For those who are single, the Lover often brings opportunities which ultimately fail to develop into lasting relationships. Initial attraction may be strong, but long-term goals and expectations are seldom aligned. The card also warns that not everyone is being entirely candid.
Career: The Lover is associated with professions concerned with relationships and human interaction, including relationship counselling, sexual health services, matchmaking, and similar fields. It may also signify temporary, part-time, or flexible employment. More commonly, however, the card indicates uncertainty regarding career direction. The querent may be struggling to identify the right path forward and would benefit from impartial advice. Within existing employment, the card can reveal rivalry, office politics, conflicting expectations, and unhealthy competition between colleagues.
Finance: Financial difficulties frequently arise through indecision, poor planning, or conflicting priorities. Income and expenditure may have fallen out of balance, requiring difficult choices and a reassessment of financial goals. Dissatisfaction and emotional frustration can encourage impulsive spending, often to temporary effect. The card advises seeking trusted advice and committing to a clear financial strategy.
Health: The Lover is associated with sexual health and may indicate sexually transmitted infections and diseases. More generally, the card often points towards disorders in which desire, impulse, or compulsion override reason and good judgement. This includes conditions such as intermittent explosive disorder, compulsive eating, kleptomania, compulsive spending, and related difficulties with impulse control. Psychological distress arising from internal conflict, indecision, or competing desires may also be present.
Before proceeding further, it is worth briefly explaining three terms that recur throughout my articles on the Tarot and Petit Lenormand: eikōn, essence, and function. Together, they form the foundation of my approach to cartomancy and interpretation.
Eikōn
The word eikōn is Greek and simply means image. My use of the term, however, owes much to the Christian tradition of iconography.
Growing up with an exposure to Eastern Catholic and Orthodox influences, religious icons were a familiar sight. Over time, I developed a deep appreciation for the Byzantine tradition and the remarkable skill of iconographers. In that tradition, an icon is not merely a picture. It is “written” according to established rubrics in which colours, gestures, posture, clothing, objects, and composition all possess meaning. These individual elements combine to create a living image that communicates a story, truth, or mystery.
When I began studying the Tarot, particularly the Marseille tradition, the similarities struck me immediately. Like an icon, a Tarot card presents a complete image whose meaning emerges through the interaction of its various parts. The image speaks as a whole.
Christ in Majesty. Note the similarities to the Tarot’s Le Monde Card. Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
What I found less convincing was the dominant deconstructive approach employed in many modern Tarot books, where individual symbols are isolated from their wider context and elevated above the image itself. One reader may focus upon a hat, another upon a shoe, whilst someone else becomes preoccupied with the colour of a sleeve. Valuable insights can certainly arise in this way, but the danger is that the card ceases to function as an integrated image and instead becomes a collection of disconnected details. Meaning becomes increasingly subjective and, ultimately, relativistic.
The gestures of the Juggler mean little outside the context of the entire card. Likewise, the direction in which the Ship sails only acquires significance when considered within the wider image and narrative. The whole must always remain greater than the sum of its parts.
Whilst reflecting upon this, I am reminded of Saint Clare of Assisi’s visual approach to prayer, often summarised as gaze, consider, contemplate, and imitate. A visual form of Lectio Divina. It seemed to me that a similar method could be applied to the Tarot. One first observes the image, then reflects upon its meaning, contemplates its deeper significance, and finally applies its lessons to life.
For this reason, I prefer to think of the cards as eikōnes rather than collections of symbols. Each card should be approached as a complete image revealing a story and a principle.
I have deliberately chosen the Greek eikōn rather than the English word icon. Given the mixed reactions many people have towards Christianity, and despite the Tarot’s profoundly Christian origins, the Greek term provides a more neutral expression whilst still preserving the connection with the iconographic tradition from which my thinking developed.
Whilst the cosmological framework used throughout this work owes much to Aristotle and medieval natural philosophy, my approach to interpretation is more heavily influenced by the Christian Neoplatonic tradition. Both viewed the visible world as participating in deeper truths that transcend mere appearances.
The Tarot card is therefore not approached simply as a collection of symbols to be decoded, nor as a puzzle whose meaning is constructed from isolated details. Rather, the eikōn is treated as a unified image revealing an underlying reality. The image points beyond itself without ceasing to be itself. In this respect, the Tarot card functions much like a religious icon, inviting contemplation of the principle it expresses.
The famous Sinai Pantrocrator reveals Christ’s Dyophysitism: God and Human. Saint Catherine Monastery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Amongst the figures who have most influenced my thinking in this regard are Saint Augustine, St Benedict, Marsilio Ficino, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Thomas Merton and Brian Williams. Despite belonging to very different periods, each recognised the importance of contemplation, discernment, and the search for truth beneath appearances. Their writings encouraged me to approach the Tarot less as a collection of signs and more as a series of images revealing enduring principles.
Essence
If the eikōn is the image, the essence is the fundamental principle or mystery expressed by that image. The essence is not a keyword, nor is it a summary of every possible meaning attached to a card. Rather, it is the card’s underlying nature. It answers the question: what is this card?
My own understanding of essence emerged gradually through the study of Tarot and the Petit Lenormand. When I first learnt to read cards, keywords played little or no role. Instead, attention was given to the nature of a card and how it behaved in different circumstances (order, whether it was near or far, et cetera). It was only later, upon reading modern Tarot literature, that I encountered extensive keyword lists.
Whilst keywords can be useful as memory aids, I often found myself struggling to understand why particular words had been selected. Vocabulary is shaped by culture, language, generation, and personal preference. One author’s keyword might differ entirely from another’s, despite both discussing the same card. The result was often a sense of arbitrariness and made more difficult by my dyslexia.
Over time, I began to notice that things possess an underlying nature that makes them what they are. This differs from a purely symbolic approach in which a card merely stands for something else. The Hermit is not a symbol of prudence. The Hermit is prudent. Prudence belongs to his nature and is therefore expressed whenever he appears.
Matfre Ermengaud di Béziers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This understanding owes much to the Neoplatonic tradition, particularly as filtered through Saint Augustine and the Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino. Both viewed visible things as participating in deeper realities rather than merely representing them. A thing possesses a nature which allows it to remain itself whilst simultaneously connecting it to broader truths.
In this sense, the essence is not a keyword attached to a card. Nor is it an abstract label. It is the card’s essential self: the underlying principle that unites all of its manifestations and gives coherence to its meanings.
This understanding also emerged naturally from my use of the eikōn. The eikōn reveals the essence. By contemplating the image as a whole, one arrives at the principle that animates it. The image is not merely a collection of symbols; it is the visible expression of an underlying nature.
The Hermit provides a useful example. Prudence is not one meaning of the Hermit amongst many; it is the principle from which the others arise. Whether the Hermit appears as caution, discretion, reflection, solitude, age, experience, patient guidance, or careful planning, prudence remains the common principle linking these manifestations together. Prudence is the Hermit’s essential self. Without prudence, the Hermit would cease to be the Hermit.
Similarly:
Justice is Verity.
The Pope is Wisdom.
The Hound is association.
The Fishes is abundance.
Every subsequent meaning associated with a card should arise from that central principle. The essence prevents the card from becoming a collection of disconnected keywords and instead allows its meanings to remain coherent and rooted in its nature.
In this respect, the essence acts as a thread running through every interpretation. It keeps the card unified, ensuring that however many manifestations it may possess, it remains recognisably itself.
Before proceeding further, I should briefly clarify a point of terminology. I am always pleased to see readers engage with and discuss the concept of essence, especially as it has become a useful part of the vocabulary surrounding this type of work. However, I have occasionally noticed the term being used somewhat differently from how I originally intended it. Essence is sometimes treated as little more than a refined keyword or summary phrase. Whilst this is understandable, it is not quite what I mean. A keyword describes a card; an essence reveals what the card is. It is not simply a convenient label attached to a collection of meanings, but the card’s underlying nature and identity. The essence of the Hermit, for example, is not merely a word chosen to summarise the card. It is the principle that makes the Hermit recognisably itself and from which all of its manifestations proceed. In this respect, essence is less a description than a revelation. It seeks to identify the card’s true nature rather than merely describe its appearances.
Essence should therefore not be understood as the most important keyword attached to a card or a vibe or spirit. Keywords remain descriptive; essence is ontological. It concerns the card’s being rather than its attributes. The question is not “How might this card be described?” but “What must this card be in order to be itself?” The answer to that question is what I mean by essence.
Function
If essence describes a card’s nature, function describes its action.
How does this principle operate?
Where essence is relatively static, function is active. The two are inseparable. A card’s function must arise naturally from its essence rather than being imposed upon it from outside.
If the essence describes a card’s nature, the function describes the activity proper to that nature.
For example:
Justice is verity that balances.
The Pope is wisdom that mediates.
The Hound is association that supports and assists.
The Fishes is abundance that circulates.
The function therefore represents the manner in which the essence expresses itself. Wisdom may manifest in many ways, but it always mediates between ignorance and understanding. Renewal may appear in many forms, but it always guides growth and recovery. Prudence consistently operates through discernment. The essence remains constant; the function explains its activity.
In many ways, function can be understood through a simple analogy. We understand a knife not merely by what it is, but by what it is for. The proper activity of a knife is to cut. Likewise, we understand a Tarot card more fully when we know both its nature and its operation.
Knowing what a card is allows us to identify it; knowing what it does allows us to interpret it. Function becomes particularly important when we arrive at what I call the Progressed Meaning.
The progressed meaning is the practical interpretation that emerges during a reading. It is not the essence alone, nor the function alone, but the essence functioning within a specific context.
In other words:
Progressed Meaning = essence functioning in context
or, if one prefers:
Progressed Meaning = essence + function + context
Consider the Hermit. His essence is Prudence and his function is to Discern.
When interpreted in a love reading, we do not suddenly abandon prudence and begin inventing entirely new meanings. Rather, we ask how prudence functions through discernment within that context. The progressed meaning becomes caution, taking time to know another person, exercising discretion, or carefully evaluating a relationship before making commitments.
Likewise, in a business reading, the Hermit may advise reviewing evidence carefully before investing. In a health reading, he may indicate the need to seek additional information before proceeding with treatment. The manifestations differ, but the underlying principle remains unchanged. Prudence continues to operate through discernment.
The same process applies to every card.
Consider the Star. Its essence is Renewal and its function is to Guide. In health, it may indicate recovery and convalescence. In finances, gradual improvement. In relationships, reconciliation and rebuilding trust. In each case, renewal continues to guide circumstances towards restoration.
Death provides another useful example. Death is Demise that Terminates. In a relationship, this may indicate separation. In employment, redundancy. In health, the conclusion of a course of treatment. In each case, the progressed meaning arises from the same essential principle operating within different circumstances.
This leads to an important rule:
The progressed meaning should never contradict the essence.
The manifestation may vary, but the essence remains constant.
Death should never suddenly signify growth. The Devil should never become liberation. Justice should never become deceit. The circumstances may alter how the card appears, but they cannot alter the card’s nature.
Function therefore provides the bridge between a card’s nature and its practical interpretation. Without it, readings become little more than collections of disconnected keywords. With it, meanings develop naturally from the card itself.
The task of the reader is not merely to memorise interpretations, but to understand how the essence functions within the circumstances presented by the question. That process is what produces the progressed meaning.
The essence anchors the card, the function sets it in motion, and the context determines where that motion is directed. Together they produce the progressed meaning encountered in actual divination. When properly understood, the progressed meaning is not an arbitrary interpretation, but the natural consequence of the card’s nature operating within a particular situation.
The reader may therefore notice two distinct influences throughout this article. The structure of the cosmos, the elements, and the temperaments derive largely from the Aristotelian worldview. The method of interpretation, however, owes more to the Christian Neoplatonic tradition of Augustine and Ficino, in which visible images reveal deeper realities. The two approaches are not in opposition.
Indeed, Renaissance thinkers frequently employed both, seeing them as complementary ways of understanding the same creation.
Augustine and Pine-Coffin, R.S. (2003) Confessions. London, England: Penguin Books. Saint Augustine of Hippo and Bettenson, H. (2004) City of God. Penguin Books. Carvalho, H.A. de and Ribeiro, L. (2010) On the heavenly spheres: A treatise on traditional astrology. Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers. Benedict et al. (1981) RB 1980: The Rule of St. Benedict. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. Farley, H. (2009) A cultural history of Tarot: From entertainment to esotericism. London: I.B. Tauris. Frawley, J. (2001) The Real Astrology. London: Apprentice. Guite, M. (2022) Lifting the Veil: Imagination and the Kingdom of God Hankey, W.J. (2016) Aquinas’s Neoplatonism in the Summa Theologiae on God. St Augustine’s Press. Nees, L. (2002) Early Medieval Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Nouwen, H.J.M. (2007) Behold the beauty of the lord: Praying with icons. Notre Dame, Ind: Ave Maria Press. O#Meara, D.J. (1981). Neoplatonism and Christian Thought Ptolemaeus, C. and Robbins, F.E. (2001) Tetrabiblos. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press. Silvestre, C.H. (1987) ABC des Tarots. Paris: Marabout. Thomas (2018) Summa Theologica: Complete in a Single Volume. Claremont, CA: Coyote Canyon Press. Valens, V. and Riley, M.T. (2022) The Anthology. Denver, CO: Amor Fati Publications. Williams, B. (2003) A Renaissance Tarot: A Guide to the Renaissance Tarot. U.S. Games Systems.
Woe to you lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.
Luke 11:52 (RSV CE)
You’ve got the key to turn love loud Turn it baby, let’s don’t stop,
You’ve got the key to turn love loud Just turn it, take it and turn it!
The Key, Four Tops
Key, when near it announces the successful end of the matter, but at a distance the opposite
Original Instructions
Card No. 33, the Key, is represented by the Eight of Diamonds. At first glance, it appears to be one of the most straightforward cards in the Petit Lenormand. Yet, despite its apparent simplicity, the Key is one of the most important cards within the deck, for it governs access to the very things the seeker hopes to obtain.
The Essence and Function of the Key
The traditional eikōn for card 33 is remarkably consistent. Most decks depict a single-bit key, often a mortice key. Depending upon the pattern, the key may be shown vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. More ornate decks depict a key of considerable craftsmanship, decorated with intricate metalwork and elaborate wards. Regardless of these artistic variations, the symbolism remains unchanged.
The essence of the Key is access and its function is to secure.
A key performs a dual role. With the correct key, one may lock a door or unlock it. One may grant access or deny it. This duality is central to understanding the card. The Key does not automatically promise success, nor does it merely signify an answer. Rather, it facilitates access to those circumstances, resources, opportunities, and forms of assistance required to achieve a desired outcome.
When the Key falls near the significator, it is often a strong indication that the seeker possesses—or will shortly acquire—the resources, time, support, and opportunities necessary to realise their aims. The door is open, or the means of opening it are readily available. Help is at hand. The necessary pieces are falling into place.
Conversely, when the Key falls at a distance from the significator, the inference is often that access is restricted. This does not necessarily mean failure. Indeed, I would seldom predict outright failure on the basis of the Key’s position alone. Rather, the card frequently suggests that the timing is not yet right, that some necessary resource remains unavailable, or that circumstances have not sufficiently matured. Attempts to force the matter often create additional complications which might otherwise have been avoided.
Over the years, I have found that time itself is frequently the missing key.
I recall a consultation during the latter half of 2019 with a lady who had recently become engaged. She was determined to marry on the same date upon which both her parents and maternal grandparents had wed. In the spread, the Key and Ring fell far from the Lady and were accompanied by the Scythe and the Cross. I advised caution and suggested that there might not be sufficient time for matters to unfold as she hoped.
Sadly, the wedding was later postponed as the intended date fell during the first COVID-19 lockdown. The issue was not a lack of commitment or desire. Rather, the necessary resources—the church, the hotel, and the practical arrangements required for the ceremony—had become inaccessible. The door was temporarily closed. This example illustrates the central lesson of the Key. The card facilitates our access to the circumstances necessary to achieve a goal. Equally, it may reveal that such access is presently limited or unavailable.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
It is important not to confuse the Key with the Cloverleaf. The Cloverleaf may bring opportunities, fortunate chances, and favourable circumstances, but the Key determines whether one can actually gain access to what is desired. Opportunity and access are not necessarily the same thing. A door may present itself, yet remain firmly locked.
In practice, the surrounding cards usually reveal precisely what the Key opens. In a general reading, the Key will often connect itself to the nearest carte maîtresse. The Key and Fishes may indicate access to money, income, or material resources. The Key and Heart can point towards opportunities in matters of love, affection, and relationships. The Key and House frequently signify access to property, domestic stability, or family matters. In each case, the Key acts as the means by which the relevant matter is opened, secured, obtained, or made available.
Coda
At its heart, the Key is a card of access, opportunity, and facilitation. It reveals whether the seeker possesses the resources, support, timing, and circumstances necessary to move forward. Above all, the Key reminds us that success rarely depends upon desire alone; one must also possess the means to unlock the door.
Person and Description
The Key is a particularly interesting card when it comes to description. In and of itself, it does not signify a person and is not ordinarily employed as a significator. Nevertheless, when it appears alongside a person card, it contributes an important layer of meaning, albeit in a manner somewhat different from most descriptive cards.
The principal function of the Key is emphasis. It tells us that the individual in question is significant and warrants close attention. Quite simply, that person is key to the matter under consideration, whether for good or ill. Whenever the Key appears in conjunction with a person card, the reader should immediately ask how that individual facilitates, restricts, opens, or secures the outcome.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
For example, let us suppose the Hound and Key appear in a reading concerning a job interview. We may reasonably conclude that the person represented by the Hound will play an important role in determining the outcome. Thus, Fox–Hound–Key may indicate a rival whose actions prove decisive. I encountered precisely such a combination in a consultation for a client seeking a promotion. His colleague, represented by the Hound, was the other candidate and therefore a rival in the context of the Fox. The Key revealed that this individual would prove instrumental in the matter. Although the colleague had initially coached and advised the client, he ultimately manipulated the process to his own advantage and secured the promotion himself. The Key showed not merely who was present, but who possessed access to the mechanisms that determined the final result.
Physical Description
In the appendix to my book, I note that the Key does not provide a physical description in the conventional sense. This remains substantially true, though a small qualification should be made.
Rather than contributing a specific physical characteristic of its own, the Key tends to strengthen and refine the descriptions supplied by neighbouring cards. It adds a degree of emphasis and refinement, almost as though the features in question are brought into sharper focus. The effect is rather like polishing a piece of metal; the features are not changed, merely made more apparent.
Temperament
When describing temperament, the Key points towards someone who naturally facilitates solutions. These are individuals who know how to open doors, whether through knowledge, influence, expertise, or practical experience. They are often dependable, steadfast, and trustworthy, but it is their usefulness and effectiveness that most distinguishes them.
The Key person possesses a practical intelligence. Faced with a locked door, their instinct is to find the means of opening it rather than lamenting its existence. They are frequently resourceful, methodical, and capable of identifying solutions where others perceive only obstacles.
One curious observation from practice is that Key people are often multilingual. Whether through education, travel, profession, or simple intellectual curiosity, they frequently possess an ability to move between different worlds, cultures, and modes of communication with relative ease. More broadly, they tend to be knowledgeable individuals who enjoy acquiring skills and information that expand their capabilities.
The Key person is also frequently encountered in occupations or situations where they facilitate access for others. Teachers, consultants, advisers, brokers, translators, radiologists and radiographers, and various gatekeepers often fall under this card. The common thread is not authority itself, but possession of something another person requires in order to proceed.
Above all, the Key describes a person upon whom progress depends. They possess knowledge, influence, authority, resources, or connections that others require. Whether they choose to open the door or keep it locked is another matter entirely, but their significance to the outcome should never be underestimated.
Special Features
Lock or Unlock
Like the Clouds, the Scythe, and the Cross, the Key exerts a particular influence upon the cards immediately adjacent to it. Understanding this interaction is essential if one is to appreciate the card’s full significance.
Traditionally, cartomantes taught that the Key says “yes” to the card on its left, whilst rendering the card on its right certain or guaranteed. Whilst there is some truth in this, I have found it more useful to approach the matter through the card’s underlying symbolism. The card to the left of the Key has been opened; the card to the right has been secured.
The card to the left of the Key is therefore best understood as having been opened. Access has been facilitated. The matter is available, accessible, and capable of manifesting freely.
By contrast, the card to the right of the Key is locked. It is secured, protected, contained, or otherwise restricted from casual access.
Thus, when we encounter Park – Key, we have a public space that is open and accessible. It may indicate an open-door policy, free admission, unrestricted access, or a social environment in which participation is encouraged.
Conversely, Key – Park suggests that access to the public space is restricted. We may be dealing with a private club, members-only organisation, secure facility, or venue requiring authorisation or payment for entry.
The distinction becomes even clearer with Book – Key and Key – Book.
With Book – Key, knowledge has been opened. Information is shared freely, secrets are disclosed, passwords revealed, or confidential matters exposed. In modern contexts, one might even think of leaked documents, compromised security, or unauthorised disclosure.
With Key – Book, the reverse applies. Information is secured and protected. We encounter confidentiality agreements, trade secrets, secure passwords, encryption, and need-to-know policies. The knowledge exists, but access to it has been restricted.
The principle remains the same regardless of the cards involved. The Key either facilitates access or secures the matter against intrusion. Understanding whether something has been opened or locked often reveals far more than simply reading the neighbouring cards in isolation.
Providence
Over time, it has become increasingly common to associate fate, destiny, and providence with the Cross. I have never found this interpretation entirely satisfactory. The Cross is a card of burdens, suffering, sacrifice, and endurance—qualities entirely consistent with its historical use as an instrument of torture and execution. It is better understood as a fateful card than a card of Providence.
Providence is more naturally encountered through the workings of the Key.
As we know, cards exert an influence upon those beneath them. When the Key crowns the significator, there is often a remarkable alignment of circumstances. The seeker encounters the right person, receives the necessary assistance, obtains the required information, or discovers the correct path forward. There is a sense that circumstances are co-operating rather than resisting.
In such situations, the Key can suggest that matters are unfolding as they should. Opportunities emerge at the proper moment, obstacles prove surmountable, and the next step becomes apparent. Whether one chooses to call this providence, destiny, or simply fortunate timing is largely a matter of personal philosophy.
The Exclamation Mark
The Key can also function rather like an exclamation mark.
When a particular issue dominates a reading, the Key often draws attention to the card immediately above it. In effect, the Key tells the reader, “Pay attention to this card.” In many instances, the card above will contain the answer, solution, or crucial piece of information needed to resolve the matter.
Over the years, I have found this especially useful when searching for missing or misplaced objects. In such cases, the card above the Key frequently provides a remarkably accurate indication of where the item may be found or the circumstances surrounding its disappearance.
More generally, whenever the Key appears beneath another card, one should pay close attention. The card above has often been elevated in importance and deserves careful consideration before the remainder of the spread is interpreted.
Timing
In matters of timing, the Key is generally a slow card. It emphasises that events occur at their appointed time and rarely before.
Unlike cards such as the Birds or Cavalier, which indicate rapid developments, the Key is concerned less with speed than with readiness. It asks whether the necessary conditions are present and whether the appropriate door can, in fact, be opened. The Key is not slow because it delays; rather, it waits until the necessary conditions are in place.
The card also has a tendency to reinforce the timing of neighbouring cards. Thus, when found with slower cards such as the Lilies or the Mountain, delays are often magnified. Events take longer to mature and progress proceeds cautiously. Conversely, when combined with cards such as the Cloverleaf or the Mice, developments may occur more quickly than expected.
Ultimately, the Key reminds us that timing is often a matter of access. A door may exist, but until it can be opened, progress remains deferred.
Health
Unlike many cards within the Petit Lenormand, the Key does not possess a specific anatomical correspondence. Instead, it governs the process by which answers are obtained and the investigations required to determine both diagnosis and treatment.
Consequently, the Key frequently appears whenever tests, examinations, assessments, or professional expertise are required. Depending upon the surrounding cards, this may include imaging studies such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRI examinations, particularly when supported by the Moon. With the Book, one may encounter screening questionnaires, psychological assessments, or investigations into developmental and communication disorders. With the Tree, the card may point towards genetic or DNA testing.
Other combinations can provide additional nuance. The Key and Scythe may indicate exploratory or keyhole surgery, whilst the Key and Serpent can suggest investigations involving the digestive tract, such as a colonoscopy.
From a practical standpoint, the appearance of the Key usually advises consultation with an appropriate professional and a willingness to submit to expert assessment. The card reminds us that answers are obtained through knowledge and investigation rather than conjecture.
Taken alone, the Key is generally a promising omen in health matters. It suggests that the expertise, information, and resources required to understand the problem are available and that appropriate investigation is likely to lead towards a constructive outcome.
The Key in Action
Pyramid spreads have long been popular amongst cartomantes, with antecedents stretching back to Etteilla. Over the years, numerous variations have emerged, differing in size, orientation, and method of interpretation.
Here we shall employ a simple inverted pyramid using ten cards. The spread is particularly useful when examining the development of a situation over time, as each row reveals a stage in the unfolding narrative, whilst the final card indicates the likely outcome.
The Inverted Pyramid
Shuffle and cut the cards. Then deal four cards in a row. Beneath these, deal a second row of three cards. Below the second row, deal a third row of two cards. Finally, place a tenth card beneath the third row.
The layout will appear as follows:
01 – 02 – 03 – 04 05 – 06 – 07 08 – 09 10
It will be noted that 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 10. The structure has roots in Neoplatonic and Pythagorean numerical concepts. Whilst this is an interesting historical feature, it has little practical significance during the reading itself. For our purposes, each row is simply read as a line within a story, gradually moving towards its conclusion.
Jessie’s Reading
Jessie consulted me during the spring of 2025. She had recently emerged from a long-term relationship that had ended in the autumn of the previous year. Since then, she had struggled to meet someone with whom she could build a serious future and was considering joining a dating application.
Her question was simple:
Would she meet someone suitable for a serious long-term relationship through the app?
The cards drawn were:
Stars – Roads – Ship – Sun Lord – Key – House Lilies – Bouquet Anchor
At first glance, the spread appears highly encouraging.
The opening line immediately suggests a clear and positive course of action. The combination of Stars–Roads–Ship–Sun indicates a path forward that will broaden Jessie’s horizons and move her love life in a more favourable direction. The Stars provides clarity, the Roads presents a choice, the Ship introduces movement and expansion, and the Sun promises a positive outcome. Together, the cards strongly suggest that joining the application is a constructive decision.
The second line reveals why.
Here we find Lord–Key–House. As discussed earlier in this article, the Key facilitates access. It opens doors and makes resources available. In this instance, the Key acts between the Lord and the House. It opens the door to meeting a suitable man (Lord) and secures the possibility of building something stable and meaningful (House).
Whilst the House is naturally associated with property and domestic concerns, it also governs our private world, our personal lives, and those places where we feel safe, secure, and accepted. The combination therefore suggests a man who shares Jessie’s desire for stability, commitment, and a genuine home life.
The Key is particularly important here. Rather than simply promising success, it indicates that the dating application provides access to the sort of person Jessie wishes to meet. The opportunity exists, and the means of reaching it are readily available.
The third row, Lilies–Bouquet, describes the quality of the relationship itself. The dates (Bouquet) will be characterised by mutual respect (Lilies), kindness, and good manners (Lilies – Bouquet). There is both warmth and maturity present, suggesting a relationship capable of developing on a healthy foundation rather than one driven solely by passion or excitement.
Finally, the Anchor provides the outcome.
The Anchor is a card of stability, permanence, and faithfulness. As the culmination of the spread, it suggests that the relationship has the potential to develop into something serious and enduring. Rather than a brief romance or casual encounter, the cards point towards the possibility of building something lasting.
The spread therefore answered Jessie’s question quite clearly. Joining the app would provide access to new opportunities and place her in contact with someone whose goals and values aligned closely with her own. The relationship revealed by the cards possessed both warmth and stability, offering a realistic prospect of a long-term future together.
This proved to be an accurate assessment. Jessie met a gentleman through the app. At the time of writing, they are approaching their first anniversary together. Whilst only time will determine the ultimate outcome of the relationship, the cards correctly identified both the means by which they would meet and the serious long-term potential of the connection. In this respect, the Key performed exactly as expected: it did not create the relationship, but revealed the door through which Jessie needed to pass in order to find it.
Boroveshengra, A., 2013. Cartomantes’ Cabinet: The Petit Lenormand Course. Boroveshengra, A., 2015. Lenormand Thirty Six cards. 2nd ed. Create Space. George, R. (2014) The Essential Lenormand: Your Guide to Precise & Practical Fortunetelling. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications. Ignatius Press (2005) Holy Bible RSVCE Compact Zipper. Ignatius Press. Marco, M. and Goffinet, J., 1989. Petit Lenormand. Bruxelles: Servranx. Silvestre, C., 2003. Le Petit Lenormand. [Montpellier]: Gange éd.
Journal of a Cartomante 
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