The Great Bear: The Bear Card

I will fall upon them like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will tear open their breast, and there I will devour them like a lion as a wild beast would rend them.
Hosea 13:8 (RSV CE)

The bear took no heed of his words, but gave the wicked creature a single blow with his paw, and he did not move again.
Snow-White and Red-Rose, Grimms’ Fairytales

Bear, signifies happiness, but warns of the need to avoid conversations with those who envy.
Original Instructions

Card No. 15 in the Petit Lenormand, the Bear, is represented by the 10 of Clubs. Modern interpretations often reduce the card to a mother, manager, financial backer, or authority figure. Whilst such meanings are not without merit, they fail to explain why the card assumes these roles. To understand the Bear properly, one must first consider the animal itself and the qualities it has embodied throughout history, folklore, and human observation.

The Essence and Function of the Bear

The traditional eikōn of the Bear is remarkably consistent. We typically see a large adult Eurasian brown bear standing amidst a forest or upon rocky ground. Some decks, particularly older examples such as the Schmid pattern, substitute a polar bear. Whilst this may affect certain descriptive details discussed later, the underlying symbolism remains substantially unchanged.

The essence of the Bear is power and its function is to store and strengthen.

Few animals evoke strength as readily as the bear. It is among the largest and most formidable predators found in Europe. Even where bears have long since disappeared from the landscape, they continue to occupy a prominent place within folklore, heraldry, and the popular imagination. When the Bear appears in a reading, it rarely signifies something small, insignificant, or easily overlooked. Rather, it introduces a substantial presence that exerts weight and influence upon the matter under consideration.

The Bear’s power is not merely physical. Bears accumulate reserves and draw upon them when circumstances require. This instinctive behaviour provides an important clue to the card’s function. The Bear stores resources and strengthens whatever it touches. Consequently, it often appears in matters involving authority, finance, protection, support, influence, and the accumulation of assets.

Just as the Clouds darkens and the Birds disturbs, the Bear strengthens. Whatever card falls with the Bear acquires greater weight, substance, and resilience. Positive cards become more robust and enduring; difficult cards can become more formidable and harder to overcome. The Bear rarely acts subtly. Its influence tends to be obvious and significant.

Snow-White and Red-Rose. Alexander Zick, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Bear occupies a notable place within folklore. In Aesop’s The Lion, the Bear and the Fox, the lion and bear exhaust themselves fighting over a prize, only for the fox to seize the opportunity created by their struggle. The tale demonstrates that strength alone does not always prevail, whilst simultaneously reminding us of the immense power possessed by the bear. Likewise, in the Grimms’ Snow-White and Rose-Red, the bear appears not merely as a beast but as a powerful figure whose true nature lies hidden beneath an intimidating exterior. In neither tale is the Bear weak, insignificant, or easily ignored. Its presence alters the course of events simply because of the power it possesses.

As a practical divinatory symbol, the Bear frequently signifies magnitude. Whatever area of life it touches tends to become larger, stronger, or more significant. With the Fishes, resources and wealth may increase. With the House, emphasis falls upon a substantial property or a family of considerable influence. With the Tree, vitality and resilience may be reinforced. With the Mountain, one may encounter an obstacle of considerable size and difficulty. In each instance, the Bear adds weight and substance to the matter at hand.

There is also a deeply habitual quality to the card. Bears are creatures of habit. They establish feeding grounds, return to familiar locations, follow seasonal routines, and conserve their energy through established patterns of behaviour. Consequently, the Bear often introduces a degree of predictability and consistency into a situation. What it governs may not always be especially exciting, but it is often dependable and enduring. The card suggests resources that can be relied upon and strengths that have been built over time.

At the same time, the Bear is not passive. Beneath its calm exterior lies tremendous force. When circumstances require action, the Bear possesses both the strength and the reserves necessary to pursue its objectives. Thus, the card can indicate not only stability, but also the power to effect meaningful change when change becomes necessary.

Bear Sanctuary Prishtina. albinfo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Like the Hound, the Bear frequently signifies a person. However, whereas the Hound generally represents a peer, colleague, friend, or subordinate, the Bear typically occupies a position of seniority within the querent’s life. It may therefore represent a parent, grandparent, elder relative, supervisor, manager, mentor, official, or bureaucrat. In each instance, the common denominator is authority, influence, and access to resources.

It is also worth remembering that resources and influence can attract envy. The original instructions contain a specific warning concerning jealousy, a feature of the card that has largely disappeared from contemporary interpretations. Yet the warning remains highly relevant. The Bear often signifies strength, assets, advantages, or influence that others may covet. Where adverse cards surround the Bear, one should be mindful of resentment, rivalry, and those who seek to benefit from resources that do not belong to them.

Contrary to popular fiction, bears are not especially territorial animals, and their ranges frequently overlap. They do, however, respect boundaries and personal space. In this respect, the Bear offers a valuable lesson. Shared environments do not necessarily imply friendship or goodwill. The card reminds us to respect boundaries, protect our resources, and avoid assuming that proximity guarantees loyalty.

An interesting distinction may also be drawn between the Bear and the Key. The Bear provides resources; the Key provides access to them. Possessing wealth, influence, knowledge, or strength is one matter. Being able to make practical use of those assets is another. One card stores and strengthens; the other opens and facilitates.

Coda

At its heart, the Bear is a card of strength, resources, and influence. It signifies those people, assets, and reserves upon which we rely when life demands endurance, protection, or sustained effort. Above all, the Bear reminds us that true power lies not merely in force, but in possessing sufficient resources to withstand adversity and achieve our aims

Person and Description

Person

The Bear is one of only a small number of Petit Lenormand cards that regularly signifies a person despite not being a court card. Depending upon one’s method, there are four—and occasionally five—such cards within the deck. Indeed, like the Hound, the Bear is more commonly encountered as a person than as an abstract topic.

This should not surprise us. Whilst concepts such as authority, influence, and power can manifest in many forms, most people experience them through individuals who exercise a strong presence within their lives. Consequently, the Bear often enters a reading as a tangible person rather than a general circumstance.

Who that person proves to be depends largely upon the context of the consultation. What unites Bear figures is not age alone, but their ability to exercise authority, influence, or control over the matter in question. The card may therefore signify a parent, grandparent, elder relative, teacher, supervisor, manager, police officer, senior clinician, government official, or some other individual whose position naturally commands deference and respect.

Whatever role they occupy, the Bear person tends to be someone whose presence carries weight and whose opinions, decisions, or actions materially affect the outcome of events.

Physical Description

Charles Atlas, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bears are large and powerful animals, and this influence is readily reflected in physical descriptions. The Bear frequently indicates someone of above-average height, strong or muscular (but not fat), or notable physical strength. Think of Charles Atlas.

Yet the most important feature is not necessarily size itself, but presence. Even when not especially large in stature, Bear people often dominate a room through confidence, status, reputation, or force of personality. They are individuals whom others notice and remember.

The specific species depicted on the card may also provide useful descriptive nuance. Most Petit Lenormand decks portray a brown bear, suggesting light brown or dark brown. Some decks, however, most notably the Schmid and Gilded Reverie, depict a polar bear. In such instances, blonde, grey, or white hair may become more likely. Black bears, where depicted, naturally suggest darker colouring.

The hair is typically thick and abundant. Men represented by the Bear frequently wear a beard, moustache, or other facial hair. The overall impression is one of solidity, maturity, and physical substance.

Temperament

When describing character, the Bear corresponds most closely to the traditional choleric temperament. Of the four classical temperaments, the choleric is associated with strength, decisiveness, leadership, and the ability to impose one’s will upon circumstances.

Bear people possess a powerful personality. They are assertive, self-reliant, and rarely inclined to suffer fools gladly. Such individuals prefer action to hesitation and frequently assume responsibility when others are uncertain how to proceed. They often possess strong opinions and little difficulty expressing them.

At their best, they are protective, dependable, courageous, and resolute. They willingly defend those under their care and often provide practical support when difficulties arise. The Bear’s function of storing and strengthening is frequently visible in such individuals. They accumulate resources, knowledge, influence, contacts, or wealth over time and prefer to maintain adequate reserves rather than live from hand to mouth.

There is also a solitary quality to the Bear. Like the animal itself, the Bear person may occasionally prefer their own company and can be perfectly content spending time alone. They do not necessarily require constant social interaction and are often comfortable operating independently.

When poorly aspected, however, the Bear’s strength can become oppressive. The desire to protect becomes possessiveness; authority becomes control; confidence becomes intimidation. Such individuals may be domineering, covetous, or even bullying, expecting others to defer to their wishes simply because they possess the greater strength. In extreme cases, the Bear’s considerable resources and influence may be used to manipulate rather than support those around them.

Whether beneficent or overbearing, the Bear is seldom weak, timid, or inconsequential. Above all, it describes a person whose power is felt by others and whose presence has a substantial impact upon the world around them.

Special Features

Male or Female

When I first began reading the Petit Lenormand, the Bear frequently represented the client’s mother or grandmother. This was not because the card was inherently female, but because mothers were generally the primary caregivers and grandmothers commonly provided practical support and childcare. The Bear signified the person exercising strength, protection, authority, and control over resources within the family.

Naturally, this role can be occupied just as readily by a man. Indeed, changing social patterns have made this increasingly common. The Bear follows function rather than gender. Whoever provides the resources, protection, support, guidance, or authority is most likely to be represented by the card.

The same principle applies in professional matters. When I first started reading professionally, the Bear often manifested as a male employer, manager, police officer, or civil servant. Today such positions are occupied by women just as frequently. The card has not changed; society has.

If one wishes to appeal to zoology, one can certainly observe that the sow raises her cubs unaided by the boar. Yet this merely explains why the Bear may sometimes appear as a mother; it does not establish the card as inherently female. The Petit Lenormand concerns essence and function above all else, and the Bear functions as a figure of authority, protection, resources, and power regardless of sex.

Finance

Some cartomantes employ the Bear as their principal financial master card. Given that money itself is a form of power, this approach is not without merit. Nevertheless, I have always found the Fishes more appropriate for matters of income, outgoings and financial flow. The Bear concerns wealth in a rather different manner.

If the Fishes shows money moving, the Bear shows money stored. If the Fishes concerns liquidity, the Bear concerns accumulated wealth. Bears accumulate fat during periods of abundance and draw upon those reserves when circumstances require. During winter, those reserves sustain the animal and preserve its strength until conditions improve. This behaviour provides an excellent analogy for the card’s financial significance.

The Bear therefore governs savings accounts, investment portfolios, pensions, insurance policies, property assets, and other accumulated resources. It describes the reserves upon which one may draw when required. Put another way, the Bear concerns how one’s money works on one’s behalf rather than how it is earned. It is less concerned with what enters and leaves the account than with what remains there.

For this reason, the Bear often provides an excellent indication of a seeker’s overall financial strength and security. It reveals not what is flowing into the account this month, but what resources have already been accumulated and preserved for the future.

The greater the reserves signified by the Bear, the more relevant its traditional warning concerning envy becomes. Those who possess resources often attract the attention of those who lack them, and the original caution concerning jealousy should never be dismissed lightly.

The Bear’s Paw

One of the more useful applications of the Bear appears in vertical combinations, particularly in the 3 × 3 and the Grand Tableau. I often refer to this relationship as the Bear’s Paw.

The principle is straightforward. The Bear strengthens and stores resources. Consequently, the card below the Bear often indicates something that can be utilised, cultivated, or harnessed in order to strengthen the seeker’s position.

Thus, if the Bear stands above the Moon, the querent’s reputation, public standing, or recognised expertise may provide a valuable advantage. Their talents could perhaps be marketed more effectively, their résumé circulated more widely, or their achievements promoted more confidently.

Likewise, when the Bear appears above the Bouquet, artistic talents, creativity, craftsmanship, or aesthetic skills may represent an under-utilised resource capable of generating additional opportunities or income.

The precise manifestation will depend upon the card involved, but the underlying principle remains remarkably consistent. The Bear identifies a source of strength; the card beneath it reveals where that strength may be found.

Above all, the Bear’s Paw reminds us that power rarely appears from nowhere. More often, it arises from resources, talents, and advantages we already possess but have yet to use to their fullest extent.

The Bear in Action

The Mundane Cross

The following spread is one that I use regularly across all the decks with which I work: the Petit Lenormand, Tarot, Oracle Belline, Playing Cards, Oracle de la Triade, and the Victorian Flower Oracle. It evolved from certain conventions found within older methods of reading tableaus using thirty-two and thirty-six card decks. Over time, I came to refer to it as the Mundane Cross because its layout resembles the traditional glyph for the Earth. It has formed part of my practice for well over a decade.

The spread is particularly well suited to questions focused upon a difficulty, obstacle, or challenge that the seeker either anticipates or is presently experiencing.

The cards are shuffled, cut, and dealt in the following manner. The first card is placed at the centre. The second is placed below it, the third above it, the fourth to its left, and the fifth to its right. The resulting layout appears as follows:

03
04 – 01 – 05
02

Position 1 — The Present.
Position 2 — The Past.
Position 3 — The Future.
Position 4 — Unhelpful Influences or What to Avoid.
Position 5 — Helpful Influences or How to Act.

Modern readers tend to place the past to the left and the future to the right. Yet many older cartomantic methods¹ employed a vertical axis instead. If one considers archaeology, the symbolism becomes rather intuitive: the past lies beneath us because it forms the foundation upon which the present rests. Likewise, the future appears above because it represents what is yet to be built.

A similar logic informs the horizontal axis. The Latin words for left and right are sinister and dexter respectively. Traditionally, the left-hand side was associated with difficulties, complications, and disruptive influences, whilst the right conveyed assistance, remedy, and favourable action.

The Mundane Cross retains these older associations.

The vertical line (Positions 2–1–3) describes the development of the situation from past through present into future. The horizontal line reveals what hinders and what helps. Even where the future appears difficult, the spread frequently reveals practical steps by which matters may be improved.

Example Reading

Elvira was concerned about her son, Marino. Following an acrimonious divorce, Marino had become the primary carer for his three children, one of whom was severely disabled. Elvira felt that he was overwhelmed by his circumstances and increasingly depressed.

Her question was straightforward:

Will the situation improve and what can I do to help?

The cards drawn were²:

Position 1: The Mountain
Position 2: The Roads
Position 3: The Bear
Position 4: The Letter
Position 5: The House

The message of the spread was remarkably clear.

Reading the vertical column first, we see that following a series of difficult choices and life-changing decisions (Roads), Marino now finds himself engaged in an uphill struggle (Mountain). The card speaks of obstacles, burdens, and challenges that require perseverance rather than quick solutions.

The future, however, is encouraging. Once these difficulties have been worked through, the Bear indicates a considerably stronger position. Marino emerges more resilient, more secure, and better able to manage the demands placed upon him. Indeed, the relationship between the Mountain and the Bear is particularly telling. The hardship itself is what forges the strength represented by the Bear. The present burden is not merely something to be endured, but something through which Marino develops the resilience and resources he will ultimately need.

The horizontal axis provides the practical advice.

The Letter occupies the position of unhelpful influences. However well-intentioned Elvira’s concern may have been, constant telephone calls, messages, and attempts to check on Marino were likely adding to his sense of pressure. The card suggests that continual communication had become another demand upon an already overburdened (Mountain) man.

The House, by contrast, reveals the helpful influence. Elvira needed to provide support without intrusion. Respecting Marino’s boundaries, preserving his privacy, and allowing him the space to manage his affairs were likely to prove far more beneficial than frequent intervention. The House provided stability, security, and a place of refuge rather than additional demands upon his attention.

The spread therefore delivered a reassuring message. Marino’s circumstances were undeniably difficult, but the struggle was temporary rather than permanent. The Bear showed that strength lay ahead. Elvira’s role was not to solve the problem for him, but to provide the stable foundation represented by the House whilst trusting him to navigate the Mountain in his own way.

Images:

Featured Image:

Yellowstone National Park from Yellowstone NP, USA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bear_in_motion,_Lamar_Valley_(18394494681).jpg

Cards:

Lenormand Cards: Jeu Lenormand © Cartamundi, WanderWüst © Jorge/Wandering Oracle, Lenormand Fortune-Telling Cards © Zao-Gelli, The Lenormand Oracle © Verlag für die Frau, Leipzig, Nieuwe Lenormand © Amber Studio/Erna Droesbeke, Lenormand 36 Orakelspielkarten © Königsfurt-Urania,

References:

Aesop (2013) Aesop’s illustrated fables (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions). S.l.: Barnes & Noble.
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.
Grimm, J. & L. 2020 The Complete Grimms’ Fairy Tales. New Delhi, India: Fingerprint! Classics.
Marco, M. and Goffinet, J., 1989. Petit Lenormand. Bruxelles: Servranx.
Matthews, C. 2014 The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook: Reading the Language and Symbols of the Cards. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books.
Meuris, B., 2018. Petit Lenormand Encyclopaedia: Volume 1. Create Space.
Silvestre, C., 2003. Le Petit Lenormand. [Montpellier]: Gange éd.

See the works of Cecily Kent and Minetta ↩︎
The reading is illustrated with the WanderWüst Lenormand; however, the original reading was conducted with another edition of the Wüst deck, which I no longer possess. Wherever possible, one employs the specific deck used at the time. ↩︎

31 July, 202629 July, 2026

Soaked in the Redeemer’s Blood: The Cross Card

Christ above in torment hangs, She beneath beholds the pangs, of her dying, glorious Son.
Stabat Mater

What must that wood have looked like after the death of our Lord! The Cross was soaked in the Redeemer’s Blood; and so when you see a Cross, think of the Blood of Christ, poured out for you, and don’t deny him what he is asking you for.
St. Josemaría Escrivá

Cross, is always an ill omen, however, if it is very close to the person, it is such that the misfortune will not be long-lasting.
Original Instructions

Card No. 36 in the Petit Lenormand, the Cross, is represented by the Six of Clubs. Whilst many contemporary authors associate the card with fate, destiny, karma, or even fated soulmates, such interpretations often overlook the image depicted upon the card itself and the historical context from which the Petit Lenormand emerged.

The Essence and Function of the Cross

The traditional eikōn of the Cross is remarkably consistent across the older patterns. We see a cross or crucifix, sometimes plain, sometimes ornate. The Brepols depicts a jewelled golden cross; the Piatnik shows an engraved example; the Blaue Eule introduces a crown of thorns; whilst the Wüst incorporates trees into the composition. Despite these artistic variations, the symbolism remains fundamentally unchanged.

The essence of the Cross is suffering and its function is to torture.

While the symbolism of a cross pre-dates Christianity, the Petit Lenormand is a child of Christian culture and society. The cards emerged in late eighteenth-century Europe, specifically in the former Holy Roman Empire. At that time, the cross would not merely have been recognised as a religious symbol, but understood through the Passion of Christ. For the ordinary person, the cross spoke of sacrifice, humiliation, agony, endurance, and death. The price of redemption.

Crucifixion was one of the cruellest methods of execution devised by the ancient world. The Romans employed it specifically because it was slow, public, and extraordinarily painful. Victims were subjected to prolonged physical torment, often dying through a combination of shock, exhaustion, blood loss, and gradual suffocation. The purpose was not simply to kill but to inflict suffering.

Crucifixion with the Virgin and St John. Hendrick ter Brugghen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The spiritual literature of Christendom makes this point abundantly clear. In her visions of the Passion, St Brigid of Sweden wrote:

“Sometimes he endeavoured to stretch himself upon the cross, from the excessive bitterness of the intense and acute pain that he endured; for sometimes the pain from his members and pierced veins ascended to his heart, and tortured him cruelly with intense martyrdom, and thus his death was prolonged and dilated, with great torment and bitterness.”
Revelations of St Bridget, p. 55

Modern society often possesses a somewhat softened view of the cross owing to its ubiquity and Christ’s ultimate triumph over death. Yet earlier generations were acutely aware of what it represented. George Bernard Shaw, for example, specifically prohibited the use of a cross upon his memorial because he regarded it as a symbol of torture and blood sacrifice. Likewise, many traditional prayers dwell not merely upon victory, but upon the ignominy, suffering, and burden of Calvary.

This historical perspective provides the key to understanding the card.

When the Cross appears in a reading, it introduces suffering, hardship, burden, and pressure into the area of life it touches. The card does not simply indicate unhappiness. Rather, it signifies circumstances that place us under strain, require endurance, and test our capacity to persevere.

The Cross taxes us. It places weight upon our shoulders and demands that we carry it. These are the burdens we must bear, whether they arise through responsibility, illness, loss, hardship, sacrifice, or misfortune. The card often appears during periods in which progress is achieved only through persistence and resilience.

Like the instrument it depicts, the Cross rarely acts swiftly. Instead, it prolongs difficulties and increases the pressure exerted by surrounding cards. A problem becomes more burdensome; a delay becomes harder to endure; an obligation becomes heavier.

Yet there is another aspect of the Cross that is frequently overlooked. Within Christian thought, suffering is not always punitive. The doctrine of Purgatory, for example, presents suffering as a means of purification, whereby imperfections are burned away and the soul is prepared for a higher state. The process is undoubtedly painful, yet its purpose is ultimately corrective and transformative rather than destructive.

This principle may often be observed in the Cross card. The burdens it brings frequently compel the seeker to reassess priorities, relinquish unhealthy attachments, or develop qualities that would otherwise remain dormant. The Cross may therefore signify a hardship that ultimately changes us for the better. The experience itself is rarely pleasant, but it often leaves us stronger, wiser, more patient, or more resilient than before.

For this reason, the Cross should not be confused with simple misfortune. The Clouds obscures, the Mountain impedes, and the Coffin concludes. The Cross, by contrast, compels us to endure and, through that endurance, to be transformed. It is often the card of trials that shape character and burdens that teach difficult but necessary lessons.

There is also an important nuance preserved within the traditional instructions. When the Cross falls near the significator, the suffering is more immediate but often shorter in duration. The seeker experiences their Calvary now, bears the burden, and passes through it. When the card is more distant, the difficulties frequently lie further ahead, still waiting to be encountered.

Above all, the Cross reminds us that some burdens cannot be avoided. Certain hardships must simply be carried until their appointed end. The card therefore speaks not merely of suffering itself, but of the endurance, perseverance, and transformation that arise through it.

Coda

At its heart, the Cross is a card of suffering, burden, and endurance. It reveals those hardships that tax our strength, test our resolve, and place weight upon our shoulders. Unlike the Clouds, which obscures, or the Mountain, which blocks, the Cross demands that we carry a burden—and continue onwards despite it. Through that struggle, it often changes us, purging what is unnecessary and strengthening what remains.

Person and Description

The Cross is not ordinarily read as a person in its own right. Unlike the Child, Hound, Lord, or Lady, it does not function as a significator. Nevertheless, when appearing alongside a person card, it can provide important information concerning the individual’s physical appearance and temperament.

Physical Appearance

The Cross often describes someone with a lean, angular, or elongated build. Such individuals frequently possess long limbs, particularly the arms and legs, giving rise to an appearance that may be described as gangly or somewhat awkward. The very shape of the card is often reflected in the person it describes.

Forum.hammihan.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

It is also not uncommon for the Cross to signify a person who bears a visible mark of suffering or hardship upon the body itself. Scars, burns, old injuries, amputations, limps, or other lasting physical reminders of past difficulties may all be represented by the card. In this respect, the body quite literally bears its own cross.

More generally, those described by the Cross are often thinner than average, with a somewhat drawn, austere, or careworn appearance. There is frequently something serious about them. Even when physically attractive, they seldom possess the softness, warmth, or symmetry associated with cards such as the Bouquet or the Heart. Rather, their appearance often conveys endurance, experience, and a life that has not always been easy.

Temperament

The Cross corresponds most closely to the traditional melancholic temperament and possesses a distinctly Saturnine quality. Such individuals are serious, reflective, dutiful, and often acutely aware of life’s hardships. They tend to approach life with a sense of responsibility and are rarely frivolous in either word or deed.

Having experienced suffering themselves, they frequently display considerable resilience, patience, and compassion towards others. At their best, Cross people are steadfast, conscientious, self-sacrificing, and capable of enduring difficulties that would overwhelm many. They understand that some burdens must simply be carried and often possess a quiet strength born from experience.

When poorly aspected, however, the Cross can become excessively heavy. The individual may be pessimistic, burdened by guilt, inclined towards martyrdom, or unable to relinquish old griefs and disappointments. Life is experienced more as a duty than a joy, and every hardship becomes another cross to bear.

The placement of the card provides additional nuance. When the Cross falls to the left of a person card, it often emphasises faith, religion, devotion, or a strong moral sense. The individual may be deeply religious, guided by conscience, or committed to a particular spiritual path. When the Cross falls to the right, the emphasis shifts towards sorrow, grief, burdens, and personal trials. Here we often encounter someone carrying a heavy emotional load or struggling through a particularly difficult chapter of life.

In either position, the Cross describes someone whose character has been profoundly shaped by suffering and endurance. Life has asked much of them, and that experience is usually written plainly upon both their character and their bearing.

Special Features

Abscissor: Wax and Wane

The Cross is the Petit Lenormand’s abscissor, from the Latin meaning “cutter-off.” In astrology, the term is often applied to the planet associated with death or termination. Within the Petit Lenormand, the Cross serves as an important marker of time and transition.

The symbolism is present within the image itself. The horizontal and vertical beams divide time into four directions, whilst their intersection forms the present moment. One may therefore view the Cross as a marker of the here and now—the point at which the past gives way to the future.

For this reason, close attention should be paid to the cards immediately adjacent to the Cross. The card preceding the Cross begins to wane and diminish in influence. The card following the Cross, by contrast, is waxing and increasing in significance. Just as the Moon waxes and wanes in light, so too do the cards adjacent to the Cross wax and wane in importance.

One may therefore understand the card to the left as the present becoming the past, whilst the card to the right represents the future becoming the present.

A practical example may illustrate the principle. Last year, my godson had the combination Park – Cross – Ring. A young man in his early twenties, he greatly enjoyed his freedom, social life, and ability to mingle, all of which were aptly shown by the Park. I was therefore rather surprised when I told him that a serious relationship was approaching. Shortly afterwards, he met a young lady at work. Over time, the Ring waxed in importance whilst the Park waned. His relationship became a priority, and he gradually lost touch with some of the people who had previously occupied so much of his social life.

Religion

℣. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we praise Thee.
℟. Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

The Cross is the deck’s natural significator of religion, faith, and spirituality. Whilst its imagery is explicitly Christian, its signification extends to religious belief more generally.

DYCK, Anton van_Cristo en la Cruz, 1627_(CTB.1995.26)

In practice, I have found that the card following the Cross can sometimes indicate the specific form a person’s spirituality takes. These observations arise from long-standing reading experience rather than any traditional instruction and should be regarded as descriptive tendencies rather than absolute rules.

Cross + Stars: Judaism.
Cross + Key: Catholicism, Eastern Catholic, Coptic and Orthodox Churches
Cross + Fishes: Buddhism.
Cross + Lilies: Hinduism.
Cross + Moon: Islam.
Cross + Tree: Neopaganism and Humanism.
Cross + Park: Ecclesial Communities (Baptists, Anglicanism, Episcopal, Calvinist, Methodists, etc).

As always, context remains paramount.

Blast from the Past

An interesting feature of the Cross is its tendency to show someone re-entering our lives. This most commonly occurs when the Cross falls immediately to the left of a person card.

Thus, Cross + Hound may indicate a friend, colleague, neighbour, or companion whom one has not seen for some time returning to the seeker’s life. In effect, the individual crosses the threshold of the present moment and reappears within the seeker’s immediate circumstances.

When my second teacher first mentioned this technique, I was rather sceptical. Nevertheless, it has appeared with sufficient regularity in my own practice that I can no longer dismiss it. Few observations have proven so consistently reliable.

The Burden and the Support

In larger layouts, particularly the 3 × 3 and the Grand Tableau, special attention should be paid to the cards immediately above and below the Cross.

The card above the Cross frequently denotes the area in which the seeker feels most burdened, taxed, or tested. As we have already seen, cards exert an influence upon those beneath them. Consequently, the card crowning the Cross often reveals the source of the suffering or pressure indicated by the Cross itself.

Thus, if the Fishes appears above the Cross, financial matters may become a significant burden, or the seeker may struggle with excess, dependency, or addiction. If the House crowns the Cross, family obligations or domestic concerns may weigh heavily upon the shoulders. Should the Heart appear above the Cross, emotional suffering, disappointment, or the responsibilities of love may prove difficult to bear.

The card beneath the Cross operates rather differently. Here we often find a source of resilience, support, faith, or endurance. The card becomes strengthened by its position, providing the seeker with something upon which they may rely whilst carrying their burden.

In Christian tradition, Simon of Cyrene assisted Christ by carrying the Cross to Golgotha. The card beneath the Cross frequently performs a similar function. It may reveal the person, quality, resource, belief, or circumstance that helps the seeker endure their present trial.

Cross over Hound may show faithful friends and companions assisting the seeker through a difficult period.

When interpreted together, the cards above and below the Cross often reveal both the source of a person’s suffering and the means by which it may be borne. In this respect, the Cross not only identifies the burden itself but also teaches us where to look for the strength required to carry it.

Above, we see an extract from a seeker’s Grand Tableau. The Fishes appeared above the Cross, whilst the Hound fell beneath it. At the time of the reading, the seeker was struggling with significant debt brought about by alcoholism. The Fishes crowning the Cross clearly identified both the financial burden and the addiction that lay at its root. Yet the Hound beneath the Cross revealed the means by which the burden could be borne. It strongly urged the seeker to reach out to her sponsor, as well as to the friends, helpers, and support network already present in her life. In true Hound fashion, assistance was available, but she needed to accept it. The burden remained real, but she did not have to carry it alone.

Time

Because the Cross marks the present moment, it carries a particular significance in timing questions.

When it appears in a timing draw, the card often serves as a reminder that present circumstances matter more than speculation about the future. Whatever is occurring now is likely to exert a direct influence upon the outcome being timed.

The Cross therefore encourages attention to immediate realities rather than distant possibilities. It tells us that the future is being shaped by what we are presently enduring, choosing, or carrying.

Health

In health matters, the Cross frequently indicates exhaustion. The individual is physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually depleted and finds even ordinary tasks burdensome.

It is one of the more debilitating cards in the deck, suggesting that suffering has already begun to consume the individual’s reserves of strength. There is often pain, fatigue, strain, or a prolonged sense of being worn down by circumstances.

Anatomically, the Cross is associated with the lower back and lumbar region. Yet in practice it will also frequently appear in connection with headaches, chronic pain, and discomfort affecting the hands or feet—the parts of the body most traditionally associated with crucifixion imagery.

An important distinction may be drawn between the Cross and the Bear. The Bear signifies reserves of strength; the Cross signifies the burden that consumes them. One card stores and strengthens, whilst the other taxes and depletes. Together, they often describe a person enduring considerable strain through sheer perseverance.

Nevertheless, the Cross should not always be regarded as ominous. As discussed earlier, suffering can be purgative as well as painful. Whilst the card may indicate hardship, it can also describe the process through which recovery, resilience, and transformation are achieved. In such cases, the burden remains real, but it serves a purpose beyond mere suffering.

The Cross in Action

Let us turn to a practical example.

In the spring of 2015, a friend invited me to read for guests at a party. One of those guests was Diana, a confident, outgoing, and gregarious primary-school teacher in her late twenties. At the time, she was single and wished to know what developments might be expected in her love life.

The cards drawn were the Park, the Fishes, the Lord, the Cross, and the Hound.

In this context, we can immediately discount meanings such as the stock market or public finances for the combination of Park and Fishes. Instead, the cards suggest that Diana would have no shortage of opportunities to meet new people. The Fishes indicates abundance, whilst the Park points towards social settings, gatherings, and public interactions. It is also possible that one such meeting would occur near a body of water, although that detail was naturally less certain at the time of the reading.

The appearance of the Lord clearly showed a new man entering her life. The surrounding cards suggested someone successful, well-established, and financially secure. Physically, he appeared to be rather tall, as indicated by the Cross. Given the influence of the Fishes, I also considered green-blue eyes, employment connected with finance, commerce, or the military to be possibilities.

At first glance, the prospects seemed favourable. Yet immediately following the Lord was the Cross.

As discussed earlier, the Cross often causes the card preceding it to wane in influence. The gentleman represented by the Lord was therefore unlikely to remain the central figure for long. This did not necessarily indicate a dramatic ending or bitter disappointment. More often, such combinations suggest that a relationship lacks sufficient substance to develop into something enduring.

The reason became apparent in the final card: the Hound.

Here the Hound pointed towards someone already known to Diana. Rather than introducing a completely new relationship, the cards suggested that an existing association would soon reassert itself. The new man represented by the Lord would enter the picture, but another man from Diana’s past (Cross – Hound) would ultimately prove more significant.

My conclusion was therefore straightforward: Diana would soon meet somebody new, but the more consequential relationship would involve a man she already knew.

Six months later, Diana returned for another reading. By then she had ended her brief relationship with the gentleman represented by the Lord (it would not work, was all Diana said) and had begun seeing a man she had known at university. The Hound had proven entirely accurate. The person who ultimately mattered was not the newcomer, but someone who had already been part of her life and had simply re-entered it at the appropriate time. The Cross told us that.

Images:

Featured Image:

Gemäldegalerie Berlin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Cards:

References:

Barbet, P. (1963) A Doctor at Calvary: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ as Described by a Surgeon. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday.
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.
Matthews, C. 2014 The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook: Reading the Language and Symbols of the Cards. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books.
Meuris, B., 2018. Petit Lenormand Encyclopaedia: Volume 1. Create Space.
Revelations of St. Bridget: On the Life and Passion of Our lord and the Life of his Blessed Mother (2015). Charlotte, NC: TAN Books.
Silvestre, C., 2003. Le Petit Lenormand. [Montpellier]: Gange éd.
The Way of the Cross: According to the Method of St. Francis of Assisi. Charlotte: TAN Books.

27 July, 202623 July, 2026

Sailing on the Seven Seas: The Ship Card

Some sailed to the sea in ships to trade on mighty waters. These men have seen the Lord’s deeds, and wonders he does in the deep.
Psalm 106: 23 – 24, Grail Translation

And, just at the moment when someone says, “There, she is gone,”
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!”
Gone from my Sight, Henry Van Dyke

Ship, indicates wealth obtained by commerce or by inheritance; it also means travel when it is located near the person.

Original Instructions

Card No. 3, the Ship or Boat, is represented by the Ten of Spades. At first glance, its meaning appears rather straightforward. Surely it signifies travel and little more? Yet, as with many Lenormand cards, a closer examination of the eikōn reveals a richer and more nuanced symbolism.

The Essence and Function of the Ship

The traditional eikōn depicts a large sea-going vessel, usually a galleon, carrack, or merchant ship, its sails billowing as it makes its way across the ocean. Some decks show one or two additional vessels upon the horizon, reinforcing the impression of long-distance travel, commerce, and movement between distant places.

The essence of the Ship is movement and its function is transport.

To appreciate the significance of the card, one must remember the world from which the Petit Lenormand emerged. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, most people never strayed particularly far from their place of birth. Long-distance travel was neither commonplace nor inexpensive. Journeys by sea were often arduous, time-consuming, and fraught with uncertainty. Nevertheless, ships remained essential. They connected nations, facilitated trade, transported goods, and enabled the exchange of ideas, cultures, and opportunities.

For this reason, the Ship’s most immediate and enduring significance remains travel. Whether by land, sea, or air, the card signifies the act of undertaking a journey and moving from one place to another. If the Ship appears prominently near the significator, one may often predict with confidence that the querent will soon travel or that a journey will play an important role in forthcoming events.

Yet the Ship should not be understood solely in a literal sense. Its symbolism extends beyond physical travel into the broader concept of movement itself. In a reading, the card often invites us to consider the course upon which the seeker presently finds themselves. Is their life progressing towards a destination, or have they drifted off course? Are they making steady progress, or are they becalmed and unable to advance? Such questions naturally arise when the Ship appears.

The card can also indicate expansion and the broadening of horizons. Just as a ship carries people and goods beyond the confines of their familiar surroundings, so too can it suggest the need to venture into new markets, acquire new experiences, or seek opportunities beyond one’s customary sphere. In this respect, the Ship can be particularly valuable in business readings.

González Cabrera Bueno, José, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

For entrepreneurs and those engaged in commerce, the Ship frequently raises questions of distribution, reach, and growth. How might a product be transported to a wider audience? Which new market remains unexplored? What avenue of expansion has yet to be considered? In such instances, particular attention should be paid to the card towards which the Ship is travelling. That card may indicate precisely where one should look for new customers, fresh opportunities, or increased sales.

Ultimately, the Ship is a card of departure and progression. It rarely permits stagnation. Whether manifesting as a literal journey, a commercial venture, a personal development, or a widening of one’s horizons, the Ship encourages movement from the known towards the unknown, carrying the seeker beyond their present shores and towards new possibilities.

As always, the surrounding cards determine whether the movement represented by the Ship is functioning smoothly or encountering obstacles. A vessel sailing freely conveys a very different picture from one struggling against contrary winds and treacherous seas.

Coda:

Whether appearing in questions of travel, business, relationships, or personal growth, the Ship invariably signifies movement from one state to another. It is the card of journeys, horizons, and expansion; of leaving the familiar behind in pursuit of wider opportunities. Above all, the Ship reminds us that progress rarely occurs whilst we remain safely in harbour.

Person and Description

The Ship is not ordinarily employed as a significator. Nevertheless, when it appears alongside a person card, it can provide valuable information regarding both physical appearance and temperament.

Physical Appearance

Traditionally, the Ship introduces an element of foreignness or distinction into a person’s appearance. Such a description should be treated with caution, however, for what is considered foreign or exotic is often relative to the perceptions and experiences of the querent. In practice, it is usually safer to say that the individual possesses a distinctive appearance or stands out in some notable fashion.

The Ship frequently describes a taller individual, often with a lean or elongated frame. The hair tends towards darker shades and, particularly in men, may possess a slightly windswept or untidy quality, as though shaped by the elements. The eyes frequently tend towards blue or green, reflecting the maritime symbolism of the card.

As with all descriptive cards, the surrounding cards may refine or modify these indications.

Temperament

When describing character, the Ship corresponds most closely to the traditional sanguine temperament. Of the four classical temperaments, the sanguine is perhaps the most adventurous, optimistic, and outward-looking. Such individuals possess a natural curiosity about the wider world and are rarely content to confine themselves to a narrow sphere of experience.

See page for author, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Ship person enjoys discovering new places, meeting new people, and exchanging ideas. They are often sociable, friendly, and receptive to different perspectives. Just as the merchant vessel carries goods from one port to another, these individuals delight in making connections between people, places, and opportunities.

There is also a strongly enterprising quality to the Ship. The traditional eikōn is not merely a vessel of exploration but one of commerce. Consequently, those represented by the Ship frequently possess a commercial instinct and an eye for opportunity. They are inclined to look beyond familiar boundaries and may prosper through trade, travel, networking, importation, exportation, or other pursuits which broaden their horizons and extend their reach.

At their best, they are adaptable, optimistic, resourceful, and possessed of a genuine enthusiasm for life. Their willingness to embrace change often enables them to succeed where more cautious individuals hesitate.

At their worst, however, they may become restless, dreamy, unsettled, or perpetually in search of the next horizon. There can be a tendency to lose interest once the novelty of a situation has passed, or to pursue new opportunities before fully developing existing ones. Like the vessel depicted upon the card, they are seldom inclined to remain anchored in one harbour for long.

Special Features

Mode of Transport

Some cartomantes associate the Ship with all forms of transport, whether a motor car, bicycle, aeroplane, or boat. I have never found such a broad interpretation particularly convincing. For me, the Ship signifies only certain modes of transport.

When the Petit Lenormand emerged, the most common means of personal transport were horses, carts, and carriages. In our own time, the motor car, motorcycle, and bicycle fulfil much the same role. The deck already contains a card depicting a rider upon a horse: the Cavalier. If we wish to signify personal transportation—a journey undertaken under one’s own control—the Cavalier frequently serves this purpose admirably.

By contrast, the traditional eikōn of the Ship depicts a large sea-going vessel intended for long-distance travel and commerce. A galleon was not used for local errands or daily commuting. It carried people and goods across great distances and often beyond national frontiers.

For this reason, I associate the Ship with trains, coaches, buses, aeroplanes, ferries, cruise liners, and, naturally, ships themselves. The common thread is not merely transportation, but transportation over distance. Unlike the Cavalier, where the traveller directs his own mount, the Ship usually indicates a person being conveyed by a larger system of transport.

This distinction is important. The Ship concerns long-distance travel and those means of transport that carry us beyond our usual sphere. It is less about driving to the shops and more about crossing borders, horizons, and significant distances.

Longing

Beyond physical travel, the Ship can also signify longing. Just as the traveller gazes towards a distant shore, the card captures the feeling of desiring something that lies beyond one’s immediate reach.

This interpretation is most often encountered when the Ship appears with another person card. In such circumstances, the card frequently indicates that the individual is absent, distant, or otherwise unavailable. The separation may be geographical, emotional, or circumstantial, but the defining feature is the same: the absence is keenly felt and seldom forgotten.

The Ship therefore speaks of yearning, homesickness, missing a loved one, or desiring something that remains beyond one’s immediate grasp. In relationship readings, particularly for those seeking a partner, it can indicate a longing for companionship, romance, or a future not yet realised.

Inheritance

Inheritance may seem an unusual signification for the Ship until one reflects upon the card’s essential function. The Ship transports people and goods from one place to another. Inheritance can be understood in much the same way: the transfer of a legacy from one person or generation to the next.

For this reason, the Ship can occasionally signify an inheritance, legacy, bequest, or succession. This is by no means an everyday interpretation and one I have employed only on rare occasions. Nevertheless, in the appropriate context, particularly when supported by other cards, it can prove remarkably apt.

Timing

In matters of timing, the Ship operates at a measured pace. Unlike the rapid activity of the Birds or Moon, the Ship suggests a journey that takes time to complete. Consequently, it tends to operate in terms of months rather than days or weeks.

Over the years, I have also noticed an occasional association between the Ship and Stella Maris—Our Lady, Star of the Sea—whose feast is celebrated on 27 September. This is not a traditional Lenormand correspondence, but one that has appeared with sufficient regularity in my own practice to merit mention.

Health

In health matters, the Ship is associated anatomically with the liver, spleen, and gallbladder. In the appropriate context, combinations can provide further detail. For example, the Ship and Mountain may point towards obstruction within the gallbladder, including the possibility of gallstones.

More commonly, however, the Ship concerns movement and disorders associated with it. It can indicate disturbances of balance, co-ordination, motion, and spatial orientation. Likewise, it frequently appears in connection with travel sickness, seasickness, and anxieties associated with travel itself.

The Ship in Action

In early 2019, Joan consulted me regarding a business and enterprise course she was considering undertaking. Joan operated two businesses: a jewellery-making enterprise and a cleaning business run jointly with her husband. Her question was straightforward: what would she gain from taking the course?

The cards drawn were the Birch Rod, the Stars, the Book, the Park, and the Ship.

The answer was remarkably clear. The greatest benefit would be a better understanding of how to grow her businesses and expand her market.

The Birch Rod occupies the first position. As we have already seen, the essence of the Birch Rod is correction and its function is to discipline. The course would therefore require Joan to scrutinise her existing practices, tighten her business plans, and address weaknesses that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. It was not simply a matter of learning something new; it was a matter of refining what already existed.

This process naturally led to the Stars. Greater discipline and organisation would provide Joan with clarity, direction, and a more focused vision of where her efforts ought to be concentrated.

The Book revealed that there was still much to learn. More importantly, it suggested opportunities, customers, and possibilities that had not yet been discovered. The knowledge required for further growth existed, but it had yet to be accessed.

The combination of Book–Park–Ship was especially striking. The Book pointed towards hidden or unexplored knowledge. The Park expanded this into the public sphere and marketplace. Finally, the Ship showed expansion beyond existing boundaries. Taken together, the cards indicated that the course would help Joan identify and reach a market she was not presently serving.

Here the Ship functions in its broader sense of expansion and extending one’s horizons. Armed with fresh knowledge and a clearer direction, Joan would be able to take her products and services into previously uncharted territory. The course would not merely teach her how to run her businesses more effectively; it would show her where growth could be found and how to reach people beyond her current customer base.

In practical terms, the reading suggested that the greatest value of the course would be neither the qualification nor the certificate itself. Rather, it would provide Joan with the knowledge, clarity, and direction necessary to unlock new opportunities and bring her businesses before a wider audience. The Ship showed that she would be able to expand her horizons and, in doing so, reach more people through markets and opportunities that had previously remained unexplored.

Forthcoming articles will cover the Cross, the Bear, the Key, the Hound, the Fishes, the Stars, the High Tower, and the House cards.

Images:

Featured Image:

Ships on a Misty Morning. Ivan Aivazovsky. Public Domain via Wikipedia Commons.

Cards:

References:

Boroveshengra, A., 2013. Cartomantes’ Cabinet: The Petit Lenormand Course.
Boroveshengra, A., 2015. Lenormand Thirty Six cards. 2nd ed. Create Space.
Delclos, M., 2013. Le Livre du Petit Lenormand. 1st ed. Escalquens: Éd. Trajectoire.
Gelineau, J. (1985) The Grail Psalms: Translated from the Hebrew. London: Collins Liturgical Publications.
Marco, M. and Goffinet, J., 1989. Petit Lenormand. Bruxelles: Servranx.
Matthews, C. (2014) The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook: Reading the Language and Symbols of the Cards. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books.
Meuris, B., 2018. Petit Lenormand Encyclopaedia: Volume 1. Create Space.
Silvestre, C., 2003. Le Petit Lenormand. [Montpellier]: Gange éd.