Monthly Archives: November 2015

Card Reading 101, Card Spreads, Lenormand Cards

Lenormand Cards Weight Loss Advice: 1 Rider, 19 Tower, 15 Bear, 33 Key, 2 Clover, 12 Birds, 17 Storks, 25 Ring, 34 Fish

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Those of us who tend to view life through a magickal lens know we each have, to some degree or another, the power to change our circumstances. This is why I lean towards using the cards (Tarot, Lenormand, Playing cards or Oracle cards) for self-understanding rather than prediction — although there certainly are times when prediction is exactly what is needed!

On that note, last Sunday morning, after yet another night of mindless munching in front of the television set, I pulled out my recently-acquired Celtic Lenormand card deck by Chloe McCracken and Will Worthington and asked (in a pitiful, whiny voice): “WHY am I overeating when I really want to lose weight?!”

I decided to cast a Lenormand Square of 9 where Row 1 would represent the problem, Row 2 would give the solution, and Row 3 would provide advice or further commentary. Additional information gleaned from the way the cards fell would be icing on the cake (Gahhhhhhh!!!)

Here’s what I got:

Q: Why am I Overeating (& What Can I Do about It)?

Celtic Lenormand 1 Rider - 19 Tower - 15 Bear - 33 Key - 2 Clover - 12 Birds - 17 Storks - 25 Ring - 34 Fish
Celtic Lenormand Weight Loss Advice:1 Rider – 19 Tower – 15 Bear – 33 Key – 2 Clover – 12 Birds – 17 Storks – 25 Ring – 34 Fish

Celtic Lenormand by Chloe McCracken & Will Worthington

Side note: I think I am in love with these cards! They are gorgeous!

Row 1 – The Problem: 1 Rider, 19 Tower, 15 Bear

Celtic Lenormand 1 Rider - 19 Tower - 15 Bear
Celtic Lenormand Weight Loss Advice Row 1: 1 Rider – 19 Tower – 15 Bear

Since 15 BEAR, an appropriate card for weight gain, falls at the end of Row 1, I sensed the first two cards in the row were the factors leading up to the condition of being overweight: namely, lack of movement (RIDER) and isolation (TOWER). As usual, the Lenormand cards pulled no punches. I spend too much time alone (TOWER) and I don’t move around enough (RIDER).

Row 2 – The Solution: 33 Key, 2 Clover, 12 Birds

Celtic Lenormand 33 Key - 2 Clover - 12 Birds
Celtic Lenormand Weight Loss Advice Row 2: 33 Key – 2 Clover – 12 Birds

This row prompted two thoughts:

  1. The solution (KEY) is to look for opportunities (CLOVER) to socialize (BIRDS), particularly in the evenings (I noticed the Moon on the BIRDS card), which is when I do most of my overeating.
  2. My key to dieting success (KEY) would be to focus on salads, leafy green vegetables (CLOVER) and fowl (i.e., chicken & turkey) (BIRDS). Low-carb dieting came to mind. I’d had success with that approach in the past and these cards suggested I’d profit from giving it another try.

Row 3 – Advice, Factors to Consider: 17 Storks, 25 Ring, 34 Fish

Celtic Lenormand 17 Storks - 25 Ring - 34 Fish
Celtic Lenormand Weight Loss Advice Row 3: 17 Storks – 25 Ring – 34 Fish

The first two cards, STORKS and RING, seemed easy enough to interpret: “positive changes come with commitment” or “commitment is needed to bring about positive changes.” 34 FISH at the end of the row threw me off. Eat more fish? That would go along with the low-carb dieting approach indicated in Row 2.

Perhaps FISH was also referencing the concept of “quality over quantity” (FISH is plentiful, expansive). Maybe if I were to focus more on the quality of the food I eat, I’ll have a better shot at reaching my goals.

Additional Info I Pulled from this Reading:

In addition to socializing, BIRDS represent electronic communication, the media and anything that travels over the airwaves including television. I couldn’t help but notice that Row 3 read vertically (BEAR + BIRDS + FISH) suggested “an excess (FISH) of television watching (BIRDS) leading to weight gain (BEAR).”

True dat.

Conversely, FISH + BIRDS + BEAR suggested an expansion (FISH) of social activity (BIRDS) could help resolve the weight issue (BEAR). This also rang true. Maybe I could schedule evening activities once or twice a week to break up the pattern. A Continuing Ed dance class? A Meet-Up group? Those ideas had crossed my mind before, not that I had given them much more than a passing thought.

2 CLOVER, the central card in the Lenormand Square of 9, seemed to be showing me that a wealth of opportunities to get a handle on my problem existed. Move around more (RIDER). Stop isolating yourself (TOWER). Get out more often & socialize (BIRDS). Improve the quality of your eating (STORKS, FISH, BEAR); eat more greens (CLOVER), fowl (BIRDS) and fish (FISH). Commit (RING) to a diet plan that will bring you success/ improvements (KEY, STORKS).

Lenormand Clarification Cards for Weight Loss

The information I pulled out of the reading wasn’t dramatic. Rather, it was quite matter-of-fact. Lenormand cards are known for “telling it like it is” and they rarely beat around the bush. This is an attribute I very much appreciate. That notwithstanding, it didn’t stop me from wondering whether the cards had anything else to say, so I decided to  pull clarification cards using my go-to method, which is to add up the card values in the spread and reduce them to a number equaling 36 or below:

1 + 19 + 15 + 33 + 2 + 12 + 17 + 25 + 34 = 158 = 1 + 5 + 8 = 14 = 14 FOX.

I then located 14 FOX in the remaining deck and selected it along with the card before and the card after.

Celtic Lenormand Clarification Cards 20 Garden - 14 Fox - 6 Clouds
Celtic Lenormand Clarification Cards – Weight Loss Advice: 20 Garden – 14 Fox – 6 Clouds

I immediately noticed two things: all that food laid out so temptingly on the blanket in the GARDEN card — and the fact that the FOX was looking right, toward the CLOUDS. Despite the food feast on the GARDEN card, I also had to consider its standard meanings: socializing, parties, public activities, etc.

Two important messages came to mind:

  1. My fears/ doubts about socializing / reluctance to socialize (GARDEN, CLOUDS) are contributing to the problem (FOX).
  2. “If you’re trying to convince yourself this is not about overeating (GARDEN), you are deceiving yourself (FOX + CLOUDS).”

Once again, in plain language, the Lenormand cards provided a highly informative analysis regarding a matter of concern. With CLOVER as the central card in this Square of 9, I realized I’d need to act on the messages Lenormand so graciously provided, and not just let the “wealth of opportunities” to resolve my issue fade away from lack of attention.

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“An opportunity is only positive if we seize it; otherwise, it will disappear as quickly as it came.” -Celtic Lenormand LWB (Little White Book) re: 2 CLOVER

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***Note from Mary: The reading prompted me to start the Atkins “40” low carb diet plan which is a “tweak” of the plan outlined in “The New Atkins for a New You,” link below. Wish me luck 🙂

As to whether my social calendar will begin to fill up, that remains to be seen…

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

 

***Another Note: The Celtic Lenormand card deck offers three versions for 12 BIRDS: Songbirds, Chickens and Owls. Chickens would have really driven home the message about eating fowl, but if I hadn’t pre-selected Owls as the BIRDS card, I would have missed the “night-time eating” clue provided by the Moon on the Owls card image.

The Celtic Lenormand card deck features three versions of 12 BIRDS: Songbirds, Chickens and Owls
The Celtic Lenormand card deck features three versions of 12 BIRDS: Songbirds, Chickens and Owls


Card Reading 101, Card Spreads, Lenormand Cards, Tarot Cards

Insights Spread Using Lenormand Cards: 29 Woman, 30 Lilies, 32 Moon, 16 Stars, 19 Tower, 10 Scythe

Both Lenormand cards and Tarot cards are particularly useful tools that can provide a clear snapshot of what’s really going on behind your conscious thought process. While larger, more complicated spreads have their place, you might be surprised at how insightful a simple Line of 5 can be– using either Tarot or Lenormand cards– although for the purposes of this post, I will use Lenormand cards to illustrate the method.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, when using a Line of 5, I’ve consistently found that adding the base card (bottom card of the shuffled deck) to the spread almost always fine tunes the message the cards want to bring to your attention.

This simple Line of 5 Insights Spread with Base Card works well when you are seeking clarity regarding a particular problem, situation, concern, goal or desire that’s been on your mind and it works equally well when you’re not sure what to focus on.

It’s all in how you word the question.

If you have a particular subject matter in mind, your question could be “Insights, please: What do I most need to know about [subject] right now?”

If you’re not exactly sure what to focus on, ask something like “What’s the most important thing for me to focus on right now?” and let the cards define the subject matter.

Suppose you have decided to ask the Lenormand cards an open-ended question and have drawn the following cards:

Q: What do I most need to know about right now?

 

Celtic Lenormand Line of 5: 29 Woman - 30 Lilies - 32 Moon - 16 Stars - 19 Tower - 10 Scythe
Celtic Lenormand Line of 5 with base card: 29 Woman – 30 Lilies – 32 Moon – 16 Stars – 19 Tower – 10 Scythe

Celtic Lenormand by Chloe McCracken

 

Here’s the way I would approach these cards:

Step 1 – Consider the “Hinge” and “Base” Cards and Determine a Theme or Meaning

First consider the central, or “hinge” card, and the base card beneath it and jot down the keywords that come to mind. In this example, we have 32 MOON and 10 SCYTHE, which will provide the theme or subject matter. The remaining cards will flesh out the reading.

Celtic Lenormand 32 Moon - 10 Scythe
Celtic Lenormand 32 Moon – 10 Scythe

MOON: emotions, habit patterns, career, fame, reputation, mother, intuition, cycles, hormones, fluctuations, feminine, femininity, yin, receptive

SCYTHE: cut, break, sever, eliminate, decision, shockwaves, accidents, surgery, separation, rejection, violent act, sharp, quick, analytical, hurtful, interrupt

Right away you can see several “themes” or meanings are possible. Which theme or meaning makes sense to you will largely depend on your own question, concerns and personal circumstances / reality.

For example, MOON + SCYTHE could mean (among other things):

…breaking up with a woman

…eliminating or ending a bad habit

…putting some distance between yourself and a female

…analyzing emotional problems

…interruption or ending of the menstrual cycle

…damaging a reputation/ ending a career

Step 2 – Consider the Remaining Cards and Weave Together a Story Line that Supports the Theme

Next, you’ll want to consider the remaining cards in the spread and weave together a story line that supports the premise shown by the central and base cards. If you are female, you will want to determine whether 29 WOMAN represents you or another female. If you are male, this card may either be giving you information about a woman in your life or suggesting you take a more intuitive (feminine) approach to the matters at hand.  You’ll need to decide whether 19 TOWER describes 29 WOMAN (mirroring technique) or if it’s the ‘end of the sentence.’ There is no one true and always-correct way to read cards.

Some Considerations…

For females, WOMAN + LILIES could be yourself if you are older or are concerned about aging issues. It could also be a descriptor of your serenity or peace of mind, regardless of age. For both female and male querents, this combination could point to an older woman, a parent, a grandmother, or someone in authority like a boss.

16 STARS + 19 TOWER could be speaking of business goals or climbing the corporate ladder. It could alternately be showing a need to set boundaries (TOWER) in order to reach one’s goals (STARS). It could describe losing out (SCYTHE) on a recording contract (MOON + STARS) due to age discrimination (LILIES).

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If you’re asking a health-related question, keep in mind the following:

MOON + TOWER could indicate high blood pressure.

TOWER can represent a medical facility, hospital, clinic, emergency room or doctor’s office.

MOON + STARS could represent a skin condition (STARS) exacerbated by emotions (MOON), such as eczema, psoriasis, shingles, etc.

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Example Interpretations…

  1. A need to eliminate (SCYTHE) an entrenched habit (LILIES + MOON) that is interfering with (SCYTHE) or is not supportive of (MOON) one’s serenity/ peace of mind (LILIES) and career goals (STARS + TOWER).
  2. A woman’s decision (SCYTHE) to examine her feelings (MOON) and set emotional boundaries (MOON, TOWER) so she can achieve more serenity (LILIES) and get more of what she wants (STARS).
  3. The need to separate oneself (SCYTHE) from an older woman/ mother/ grandmother (WOMAN + LILIES + MOON) or even a female boss (WOMAN + LILIES with TOWER) who is not emotionally supportive (MOON + STARS).
  4. Female/ hormonal problems (MOON) in an older woman (WOMAN + LILIES) that may require further diagnostic testing (STARS) and possible surgery or biopsy (SCYTHE, TOWER).

 

I could go on, but I’m sure you can see how this works. It’s pretty much just a matter of identifying the theme or central message as it relates to your question/ issue/ life circumstances, then fleshing out the rest of the “story.” You’ll be using your intuition as well as the standard card meanings you’ve learned from various sources. If you give this simple yet very effective spread a try, I think you’ll be pleased with the results you get.

 

Blessings, Mary Hawkins