Tag Archives: 19 Tower

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

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 noteI 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


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

Lenormand Cards Elaborate on Book of Light Messages: 6 Clouds, 33 Key, 16 Stars, 20 Garden, 17 Storks, 19 Tower

Maybe, like me, you’ve had years where you’ve made New Year’s resolutions and years where you haven’t made any at all. This year, while I briefly entertained the thought of using my Lenormand cards to help me make goals, I’d pretty much decided to skip the process when a trip to a local bookstore yesterday set me on my ear.

While browsing through the New Age section, a book I’d noticed before and had wanted to buy but didn’t popped into my line of vision.

The Book of Light: Ask and Heaven Will Answer

Channeled (I suppose) by Alexandra Solnado, The Book of Light contains messages from Jesus that uncannily address any question, concern, situation, circumstance or request for guidance you can imagine. Before you click off this post because you don’t believe in Jesus, hear me out.

Regardless of your religious affiliation or lack thereof, there is no doubt that Jesus is one of the heavy hitters on the religious / spiritual circuit. If you were brought up Catholic (like me) or in a Christian faith of any denomination, the concept of Jesus is hard-wired into your conscious and subconscious mind. Even if you no longer practice. Even if you’ve become a Wiccan or a Buddhist or an agnostic or atheist. Even if you’ve converted to Judaism, Islam, Native American spirituality, Mormonism, Scientology or who-knows-what-and-who-cares-why. And why wouldn’t wisdom from Jesus be any less appropriate or useful than wisdom from any other source?

Back to the bookstore experience: so there I am, scanning the titles in the New Age section, when The Book of Light pops into view. Okay, I silently tell the book. If you give me a good enough reason to buy you, I will. Then I picked the book up and ran my thumb against its pages until it felt right to open it up to a selection.

Here is an excerpt from the page that was presented to me:

 ATTRACTION. You are entirely responsible for everything that you attract. You attract everything that happens to you. 

That was all I needed to read to make my decision to buy the book. I had attracted this book to myself for a reason and I’ve learned enough on my long and winding journey through this 3-dimensional experience we call life to know this particular book held value for me. Certainly as much value as my Tarot cards or Lenormand cards or Playing cards or Oracle cards. Another tool for my toolbox, so to speak.

After reading the “instructions” upon arriving back home, I found myself mindfully focused on receiving guidance to help me fulfill and achieve heartfelt needs and desires for the upcoming year — so much for skipping the resolution process — and was “told” three things:

1. Reinvent yourself.

2. Live in the Present.

3. Express Gratitude.

While I could understand and relate to living in the present and expressing gratitude, the concept of reinventing myself seemed a little out of reach and curiously un-understandable. How am I supposed to do that, I wondered.

So, being the card reader that I am, I decided to ask the Lenormand cards to clarify the messages that I had received from The Book of Light. Here’s what I got:

Q: Some insight, please, on reinventing myself: what does it mean, how do I start, etc.?

Piatnik Lenormand 6 Clouds - 33 Key - 16 Stars - 20 Garden - 17 Storks - 19 Tower http://livingwithcards.com

6 Clouds – 33 Key – 16 Stars – 20 Garden – 17 Storks – 19 Tower

Piatnik Lenormand Jeu du destin Cartomancy Deck

Clouds show confusion, Key is an answer or solution and Stars bring clarity or vision. Garden can show “many” or “multiples” referring to the card to its left and Storks bring improvements and positive changes. Tower, according to Andy Boroveshengra, can refer to longevity, old age or long term plans.

The Lenormand cards suggested that although the concept of reinventing myself is now confusing, I will succeed in gaining clarity (Clouds + Key + Stars). Many directions (Stars + Garden) resulting in positive growth or changes and improved circumstances (Storks) are available to me. Tower, symbolizing my retirement years and long term plans, is quite appropriate as a “theme” or general focus of the reading.

As I often do, I further examined the spread for an additional message by consulting the playing card insets on the selected Lenormand cards. I do this by turning a Line of 5 Lenormand spread with Base Card (six cards total) into a Playing card Answer Spread:

Playing Cards Answer Spread: King of Clubs - 8 of Diamonds - 6 of Hearts - 8 of Spades - Queen of Hearts - 6 of Spades http://livingwithcards.com
Playing Cards Answer Spread: King of Clubs – 8 of Diamonds – 6 of Hearts – 8 of Spades – Queen of Hearts – 6 of Spades

The Playing cards show that investigating the process (King of Clubs + 8 of Spades) will be rewarded, allowing me to create and attract the desirable future I wish for myself (8 of Diamonds + Queen of Hearts), as long as I “stay on the right path” and not let myself be distracted or thrown off course (6 of Hearts + 6 of Spades). According to Kapherus, 8 of Diamonds can refer to vision, both literally and seeing into the future. This gave me the impression that visualization practices (including art journaling) might prove beneficial as I proceed with the 2015 challenge of “reinventing” myself. Serendipitously, I had also purchased a lovely 2015 weekly planner yesterday (at clearance pricing, 75% off!!) and have already embarked upon what I expect to be a year-long experiment in self-growth and personal and artistic development.

At the risk of overusing the word “serendipitous,” it certainly felt like a happy coincidence that I got the idea to combine messages from The Book of Light with messages from the Lenormand cards. And with that in mind, I wish you all many magical and serendipitous moments and a rewarding 2015 filled with happiness, success, health, prosperity and blessings galore. 🙂

See you next year,

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

Lenormand Clarification Cards: Should You Use One?

From time to time I use clarification cards in Tarot readings, particularly when I’m having difficulty understanding the meaning of a card I draw for a certain position. I also use them on a fairly regular basis to give a summary or clarification of a reading.

There are four main ways I do this:

1. Pull the top (or bottom) card from the remaining deck (after having laid out the entire spread).

2. Pull the bottom card from the pile assigned to the position I wish to further explore. (I do this when prior to card selection, I cut the deck into as many piles as I have positions.)

3. Add the numerical values of the cards laid out in the spread, reduce to 22 or less, locate that card in the remaining deck and select the cards before and after as well (three clarification cards total).

4. Pull a card (or cards) at random from the remaining deck.

Lenormand cards are read differently than Tarot cards and some readers insist you should not “mix up the rules.”

While I understand and appreciate this viewpoint, I also believe each reader should experiment and use what works for him or her, even if “that’s not the way you’re supposed to do it.”

I often use Lines when I draw Lenormand cards. While I usually draw a Line of 5, you can also use a Line of 3, a Line of 7, or a Line of 9. Using an odd number of cards gives you a central, or “hinge” card, which can be used to determine the focus or theme of the spread. If you browse through some of the Lenormand posts on this website, you’ll notice that I’ll often place an additional card below the central card of the spread.

Like this:

 

Lenormand Mystical 27 Letter - 19 Tower - 16 Stars - 10 Scythe - 24 Heart - 6 Clouds http://livingwithcards.com
27 Letter – 19 Tower – 16 Stars – 10 Scythe – 24 Heart – 6 Clouds

Mystical Lenormand (c) 2006 U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

 

While you could certainly chose another selection method, I select the base card (the bottom card of the remaining deck) as the clarification card. I use clarification cards in my Lenormand spreads because I have consistently found that they will almost always provide me with additional information and/or clarification.

Sometimes the clarification card will modify one or more cards above it. Sometimes I’ll get the intuitive sense that it represents a “House” in which the central card sits.

In the above example, 6 Clouds as the clarification suggests uncertainty at best and dashed hopes that result in heartbreak at worst.

Not to leave you hanging, the spread above was cast last Spring to find out whether a student would get accepted to a particular college. The application to college (Letter + Tower) had been made with high hopes (Stars) but would end in heartbreak (Scythe + Heart). While the Line of 5 was clear enough by itself, the clarification card 6 Clouds reiterated the depressing nature of the prediction (which, unfortunately, turned out to be true).

I’m curious to learn your thoughts about the use of clarification cards in Lenormand readings. Do you use them? Why or why not? Please use the comment feature to let me know.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

You Don’t Have to be Psychic to Read Cards

You don’t have to be psychic to learn how to read cards. All it takes is intention, some intuition, and a good dollop of common sense.

If you learned how to read English — which I assume you did if you’re reading this post — you can learn how to read cards. This is because cards, like English (or French or German or any other language), speak in languages that you can learn to read.

Each card system (tarot, Lenormand, playing cards, etc.) has its own language. Just like any language, there may be similarities — and there are sure to be differences.

For example, XVI-The Tower in the tarot does not have the same meaning as 19 Tower in the Lenormand. The former has the connotation of a shock or disruption of some sort, perhaps a crisis point. The latter has many meanings including legal matters, bureaucracy, isolation, ego, and official buildings among other things, and absolutely no connotations of shock, disruption or crisis.

 

What you need if you want to read cards:

1. Intention

I-The Magician - Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck
I-The Magician – Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck

 

You have to want to read cards, otherwise, why would you bother? It is not a huge investment of money to pick up a tarot deck at a local bookstore or order one online. Lenormand cards are not particularly pricey and can also be ordered online. A pack of playing cards costs less than $5.00 at big box stores and drugstores. If you don’t already own a deck of tarot, Lenormand or playing cards, decide which card system you want to start with and purchase one deck. If you’re already familiar and comfortable with one or more card systems, consider trying your hand at another.

Here are some deck suggestions to get you started:

Tarot decks:

  • Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck
  • Robin Wood Tarot Deck
  • Universal Waite Tarot Deck
  • Morgan-Greer Tarot Deck
  • Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck

Lenormand decks:

  • Piatnik Lenormand Jeu de destin No. 194115
  • Blaue Eule (Blue Owl) Lenormand
  • Mystical Lenormand

 

2. Intuition

II-The High Priestess - Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck
II-The High Priestess – Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck

 

Everyone has intuitive capabilities. While some people may be more intuitive than others, every person has the ability to “intuit” to some degree — and the capacity to build their intuitive muscle. The more you learn about how your own particular intuitive abilities work, the better you will be able to work with them. Card reading is a great way to uncover and strengthen your intuitive abilities. When you look at a tarot card, you may find certain symbols in the picture capture your attention. You might ask yourself, “why has that symbol captured my attention?” One thought may lead to another and before you know it, you could be stringing together a meaning and/or a thought might occur to you that summarizes the message the cards seem to be giving you. This is intuition in play. You will develop and/or strengthen it by reading cards on a regular basis.

 

3. Common Sense

Queen of Pentacles - Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck
Queen of Pentacles – Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck

It helps to have your head set squarely on your shoulders. It doesn’t make any sense to me to get upset, worried or scared outta your mind by a card reading. Come on, people, use your heads. They’re just cards. Cards are rectangular pieces of cardboard with pictures on them. The power is not in the cards. You own the power.

 

Queen of Swords - Hanson Roberts Tarot Deck
Queen of Swords – Hanson Roberts Tarot Deck

 

I’ll share more of my approach to card reading in subsequent posts. If there’s something you’d like me to  comment on or discuss in more depth, please let me know.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins