When the Lenormand Oracle entered my life over three decades ago, packs were far from scarce. But there was little variety. The cards of Piatnik and Carta Mundi were the two most prevalent patterns. When the AG Müller cards were sold, it was often the version with German or French lyrics.
Things have changed over the last decade. For me, the (often independent) publications of historical decks have been the particular focus. In particular, the Wanderwust Lenormand—a creative remix of the C.L. Wüst pack —has become a firm favourite. The early diet of Carta Mundi or Piatnik seems to cast long shadows, so I haven’t much explored the themed offerings.
La Santa Muerte Lenormand is a themed deck combining the traditional 36 pictures with Our Lady of the Holy Death. It was one of two Lenormand Oracle birthday gifts I found waiting for me. Not being involved in the cult of Santa Muerte or a deck collector, I was unaware of its publication but recognised the artist from the popular Rana George Lenormand.
The cards come in a sturdy, beautiful scull-themed box and number 38. There are two Lord and Lady cards. Inside, the cards sit in a small well. When the book is placed over the cards and the box shut, the two “eye-sockets” offer a glimpse of the book’s cover.
Callie L. French’s artwork is superb, with beautiful, rich, deep colors. My favorite cards are the Key, the Park, the Owls, the Moon, and the Fishes; the Ring, the Rider, and the Letter cards are my least liked. Full playing card inserts are in the lower right corner, with the cards’ titles in Spanish. I would have liked the cards completely borderless, but the Spanish titles seem appropriate. The cardstock is excellent, and the deck shuffles smoothly.
Dan M. Pelletier writes the small companion book, and it is a serviceable introduction from the Lenormand perspective. Mr. Pelletier attributes much to an Eastern European school of thought. There are no references or sources, but you can see the influence of several uncredited authors. The book also demonstrates the care and attention to detail in the art, from candle colors to Mexican culture.
Mr. Pelletier states it is not the object of the guidebook to introduce the reader to the cult of La Santa Muerte. He assumes the reader is or soon will be.
It has become my practice with new decks to seek a small introduction. After a good shuffle, I cut the deck into two piles and the La Santa Muerte Lenormand introduced itself with the Key and Lilies—a promising but pertinent opener.
Since receiving the cards, they have sat beside my journal and Carène fountain pen. I find they lend themselves for late evening and night-time deals. Although not a follower of the cult of Santa Muerte, the cards will open their wisdom if approached with respect as the cut shows.
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La Santa Muerte Lenormand by Dan M. Pelletier and illustrated by Callie L. French is published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
Lilias is an energetic 80-year-old whose favorite pastimes include rambling, horse riding, and salsa! I have had the good fortune to read for Lilias for over a decade and look forward to seeing her. I also read for her daughters and several friends.
Lilias strongly prefers palmistry and Tarot — specifically the Colman Smith and Waite Tarot pack. Unlike many, this was neither my first Tarot nor one I have a long connection to. However, I keep a copy for Lilias and a few others who prefer the familiar drawings of Pamela Colman Smith.
Due to coronavirus, I read for Lilias remotely. After a general reading (using the temple and pyramid spreads) and follow-up questions, Lilias asked me to read about her granddaughter’s work situation.
Lilias is a retired teacher, and her two daughters pursued this vocation, as did a granddaughter, Mina.
Mina started work last September but has now resigned. Lilias is concerned Mina is throwing in the towel as Mina has no other role and doesn’t seem keen on teaching. So Lilias wanted to know if Mina was giving up teaching and making a big mistake? Would she be OK?
Due to time constraints, I used the Horseshoe spread.
Based on Lilias’s description, and as Mina is a woman under 35, I chose the Page of Wands as the Questioner card.
Here are Mina’s cards:
In Mina’s past, we find the Three of Pentacles, which has several meanings. First, Mina has qualified as a teacher (gain in rank) and enjoyed the benefits of a salary (paid employment). Another of the traditional significations of the Three of Pentacles is the “commencement of matters to be established later.” The qualifications she possesses will not go away. It would be possible to return to the profession after a break.
When I saw the Knight of Swords, I knew immediately that Mina was working in an all-boys’ school. Lilias confirmed this. The Knight falls between two Pentacles’ cards and is therefore undignified, bringing his more difficult qualities: obstinance, aggression, and unreliability. It’s a pressurized environment, and Mina is taxed.
The Seven of Cups, signifying the obstacle, supports that. Although often read as choices and imagination, it is more a card of false hope, deception, error, and “slight success at outset, not retained.” Between two fire cards, this is exacerbated. Mina feels cheated as her dream job has not surpassed the ideal in her head. She is jaded.
Consequently, as shown by the Four of Wands, she has decided to leave and take time for herself. This is not a card of walking away but a respite. It would seem that her decision has partly been influenced by the Queen of Wands, a woman who is quite kind and supportive. I felt that this was Mina’s supervisor and a sign that Mina had taken advice rather than just acting of her own volition.
Certainly, Mina’s financial future appears secure, as shown by the Four of Pentacles. Combined with the Nine of Wands as the outcome, it is pretty clear Mina will return to teaching after a break. The Nine of Wands emphasizes Mina has the strength to make a success despite this poor start (“Victory, preceded by apprehension and fear”). At the same time, the Four of Pentacles doesn’t support a career change (“little enterprise or originality”).
Taken together, she is entirely okay, despite a shaky start. Lilias was relieved.
A week after the reading Lilias called me to say Mina was planning to travel but has full intentions to return to teaching.
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Deck: Tarot Cards, published by Rider/Waddingtons.
When discussing the challenges beginners face learning the Tarot, conversations tend to center on the appropriate beginners’ decks, Court Cards, or whether to use reversals or not. However, in my experience, the real challenge is synthesizing individual cards’ auguries to deliver a coherent narrative or “story.” Without this, readings become fragmented, and the big picture is lost. Yet, despite the unmistakable merit of being able to weave a story from the cards in front of you, quite a few teachers advocate avoiding combining cards or even summarization.
I believe part of this is the overreliance on “positional spreads” (Pentagram, Horoscope, Celtic Cross, Magic Seven, etc.). There is nothing wrong with these patterns; I use all four. However, there is now a strong tendency to see each card in singular isolation rather than as part of a spread.
For this reason, I recommend newer readers ensure they have a few looser spreads, such as the Square of Nine, Lucky Thirteen, or the Three Fives.
The Three Fives appear as the fifteen-card spread in Richard Gardner and Rolla Nordic texts. I, therefore, assume it originates with Frank Lind’s course. However, Doane and Keyes demonstrate a draw titled the Three Sevens, which is identical save for the differing amount of cards. Lind might have adapted his 15-card draw from Zain’s writings. However, I’ve used a 25-card spread for twenty-odd years, which is much the same save for its size. I’ll describe that at the end.
In early June, I had cause to practice the Three Fives for a 24-year-old Questioner who wanted to know about his future and “love life.” He disclosed he was homosexual.
The Three Fives
Lay the cards in three rows, starting at the lower right corner as below.
The spread is read right to left.
The bottom row is the past, the middle the present, and the top row is the future.
The timeline is helpful for a reader who is not used to reading “free form” and wants to practice weaving cards together. It is almost like each row is a sentence in a three-line paragraph.
Here are Harri’s cards:
In the past, Harri has benefited from a good (if somewhat eccentric [10 of Cups, reversed]) network of friends who have helped and supported him.
Much to everyone’s surprise, one of these developed into something more (10 of Cups, reversed).
Unfortunately, they played Harri false (10 of Cups, reversed + The Moon + The Hermit, reversed). He was swept away by foolish talk (The Moon) and threw caution to the wind (The Hermit, reversed), lavishing his attention and money (9 of Pentacles) on the relationship without limit (The Hermit).
Moving to the present:
The 7 of Rods is associated with teaching. Harri is not a teacher but now works with teenagers in a high school. This new role has proven a positive and stabilizing influence and introduced Harri to new people (5 of Rods). He is considering doing a Ph.D. (7 of Rods), which would benefit him (5 of Rods).
However, Harri’s thoughts have turned to love. We know this from Harri’s question, but the Horseman of Cups explains why. Harri has met the King of Rods. Horsemen signify thoughts, here of a Cups-nature (love, family, home…). As the King follows it, the King occupies Harri’s thoughts. The King is an astute but friendly man (touched by Cups), likely older than Harri.
Harri and the King enjoy each other’s company and share similar interests (2 of Cups). He is likewise interested in Harri but cautious (The Hermit falling below him).
In the future, there will be discussions (Knave of Rods) about opportunities available to Harri for further advancement (Ace of Rods).
Aces signify news, with Gardner and Nordic seeing the Ace of Rods as news of an opportunity or a business letter. Doane and Keyes, however, include “activity” and a venture to benefit reputation or honor gained from mental activity. Recalling Harri’s interest in pursuing a Ph.D., an option for this or something similar (Ace) will likely be discussed with him (Knave of Rods = discussion).
Harri must think carefully, as the 6 of Swords warns against recklessness and the need to budget your energies. If we look at the central column – the Moon, the Horseman of Cups, and the 6 of Swords – Harri can get caught up in the moment. My intuition was that Harri might not be in the best position at this time (either financially [recall the 9 of Pence] or with other commitments) to take on such an endeavor right now. It would, therefore, be prudent to discuss these carefully and plan (Knave of Rods + 6 of Swords).
In doing so, Harri will ensure he has the appropriate resources (4 of Cups) to realize his goals (Arcumum III. The Empress).
There is good news for love, too. If he takes things slowly (6 of Swords), Harri will discover he has gained (4) the King of Rods’ affections (Cups). The King will invite Harri into his circle (4 of Cups). The King is quite discreet (Rods = Earth) and, if they work together, which I suspected from the 2 of Cups, will want to remain professional. However, over time they will find themselves a good match (4 of Cups + Arcanum III. The Empress).
The spread doesn’t have a particular time span. 6 – 8 weeks would be a fair average. The final card, The Empress, is the card of Cancer, so I would expect events to have played out by July or August.
As you can see, some cards can be read twice in different contexts, as I did in the future row. Other times some cards in a row will refer to one topic and the others something else (as in Harri’s present). There is no rule for when this occurs. It comes with time and familiarity, so that your intuition can guide you.
Square of 25
The Square of 25 is a spread I have utilized for twenty-odd years, nobody taught me this, but such squares are common.
When doing the spread, a Questioner card is drawn from the deck, placed at the center of the spread, and the fifteenth card is dealt over the Questioner card. Here the Questioner card was the Queen of Staves and is covered by Arcanum XX. Judgement.
The cards are dealt bottom to top, and in the direction the Questioner card faces. They are also read in the direction the Questioner card faces. In the image below, the Queen faces left. As such, the cards were dealt and read right to left, starting with the 2 of Staves (bottom right) and ending with the 3 of Staves (top left).
I read the bottom row as the past, the second and third rows as the present, and the fourth and fifth rows as the future.
The card covering the Questioner card is the central theme or influence, the card of Fate. You can read the “X” it forms like a surprise.
Sometimes I give the columns a meaning and read them as a secondary reading.
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Deck: The Rolla Nordic Tarot, US Games Systems, Inc.
The Tarot Shows the Path by Rolla Nordic, published by Regency Press in 1960. The Tarot Speaks by Richard Gardner, published by Universal-Tandem in 1974. How to Read Tarot Cards by Doris Chase Doane and King Keyes, published by Barnes and Noble in 1979.
