Tag Archives: Lenormand Line of 5

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

Tarot and Lenormand Cards Discuss Family Altercation: 30 Lilies, 6 Clouds, 12 Birds, 13 Child, 25 Ring, 28 Gentleman

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Lenormand cards are difficult to misinterpret. They pretty much “tell it like it is” in a matter-of-fact, plain and simple way. I love this quality about them and when I want or need a “quick read” on a situation, I almost always pull out a Lenormand deck first.

When I want to dig deeper, I turn to Tarot. Talk about juicy… Tarot virtually drips with psychological insights, motivations, expectations, mindsets and more. It continually amazes me how much information a handful of Tarot cards can reveal.

Recently, a female Querent (person asking the question) sought assistance regarding an altercation between herself and another family member over parenting practices. In the heat of a vicious quarrel (which had quickly gotten out of hand), harsh words had been spoken, leaving both family members feeling misunderstood, hurt and angry.

I decided to cast a Lenormand Line of 5, specifically wanting to see what help might be available:

Q: Family Altercation: Is There a Solution? If So, What?

 

Lenormand Line of 5 with Base Card 30 Lilies - 6 Clouds - 12 Birds - 13 Child - 25 Ring - 28 Gentleman http://livingwithcards.com
Lenormand Line of 5 with Base Card: 30 Lilies – 6 Clouds – 12 Birds – 13 Child – 25 Ring – 28 Gentleman

Mlle Lenormand Cartomancy Jeu du destin Deck of 36 Cards

 

As usual, the Lenormand cards mirrored the situation quite accurately. The Line of 5 described the conflict. The base card (bottom card of the shuffled deck), in conjunction with the hinge card (central card in the Line of 5), suggested a practical approach to resolution:

“Ongoing/ cyclical (Ring) bickering (Birds) between siblings and/or about a child/ children (Birds + Child) is causing misunderstandings and is disrupting family harmony (Lilies + Clouds). An agreement (Ring) must be reached before harmony (Lilies) can be restored.”

“A man (Gentleman) can help resolve the issue, perhaps a mediator (Birds + Gentleman).”

 

I found the “advice” — “a man can help, perhaps a mediator” (Birds + Gentleman) particularly encouraging because there was actually a professional man both family members knew and respected who fit the bill. This man would likely not only be willing to intervene, but would also likely be listened to by both parties. I passed the information along.

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Still, wanting to learn more about the situation, I turned to Tarot. I was about to pick up one of my usual reading decks when a card image from the Thoth deck came to mind.

Thoth Tarot VIII-Adjustment (Justice) http://livingwithcards.com
Thoth Tarot VIII-Adjustment (Justice)

Crowley-Thoth Tarot Deck

 

Yikes.

According to noted anthropologist/ Tarot authority Angeles Arrien*, VIII-ADJUSTMENT (JUSTICE) in the Crowley-Thoth tarot deck reflects the principles of alignment, balance, negotiation and truth.  My desire to know the truth of the matter regarding this particular situation must have triggered the spontaneous visualization of this card image. Surely it was not coincidence… [*See Ms. Arrien’s classic exploration of the Thoth tarot deck: The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols ]

 

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Note: As I’m sure you know, the Crowley-Thoth tarot deck is not for the faint-hearted. If you’re going to use it, you need to put on your thick skin. A couple dozen years ago when I was first introduced to C-T,  a wise friend shared this secret:

“Thoth never lies.”

 

Over the years, I have consistently found this to be true.

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The extremely yang, in-your-face Crowley-Thoth tarot deck does not sugar-coat. When attuned to its “voice” (a challenge sometimes, especially if you’re emotionally involved in the reading’s subject matter), you may find it to be less vulnerable to misinterpretation than the majority of decks out there in the Tarotverse…

Since I was performing the reading as an outside observer and not personally in the thick of it, I decided to go ahead and see what Thoth had to say about the matter, using one of my go-to tarot spreads, The Five Pointed Star with Significator:

Q: Family Altercation: Psychological Dynamics and Probable Outcome

Five Pointed Star Tarot Spread with the Crowley-Thoth Tarot deck: Princess of Disks - 9 of Swords - Knight of Swords - 2 of Wands - 9 of Cups - Queen of Wands http://livingwithcards.com
Five Pointed Star Tarot Spread with the Crowley-Thoth Tarot deck: Princess of Disks – 9 of Swords – Knight of Swords – 2 of Wands – 9 of Cups – Queen of Wands

Crowley-Thoth Tarot Deck

 

Five Pointed Star with Significator Tarot Spread – The Positions

  • Significator – Theme or Subject Matter
  • Position 1 – Basis, Reason, Cause
  • Position 2 – Mindset, Beliefs, Expectations
  • Position 3 – Additional Information, Factors to be Considered
  • Position 4 – Answer/ Solution/ Advice
  • Position 5 – Probable Outcome

If you keep the positional meanings in mind, it is not hard to weave together the story.

The theme, or subject of the spread, involves child (Princess, Page) discipline (Disks, Pentacles).

Thoth Tarot Princess of Disks (Page of Pentacles) http://livingwithcards.com
Thoth Tarot Princess of Disks (Page of Pentacles)

Arguments/ cruel words between relatives have ensued because each party believes she is an authority on the matter (9 of Swords in Position 1 with MARS in Gemini; Knight of Swords in Position 2). Knights (the equivalent of Kings in Rider-Waite decks) have a “divine right” to rule. The Knight of Swords/ King of Swords mindset applies to both parties, leaving the other feeling disregarded, accused, exploited and/or intimidated. In conjunction with 9 of Swords, the caustic, sarcastic comments hurt. So we have an argument over child discipline (Princess of Disks/ Page of Pentacles) with each party wounding and being wounded/ emotionally hurt by the other’s sharp words (9 of Swords) because each believes she is an authority on the subject (Knight of Swords/ King of Swords).

Thoth Tarot 9 of Swords http://livingwithcards.com
Thoth Tarot 9 of Swords
Thoth Tarot Knight of Swords (King of Swords) http://livingwithcards.com
Thoth Tarot Knight of Swords (King of Swords)

 

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2 of Wands in Position 3 supplies additional information and/or factors to be considered. Here, 2 of Wands shows dominion. This is the will to dominate. The card suggests that both parties want to impose their will (MARS in Aries) upon the other. Based on the preceding three cards, it appears that differences of opinion will outweigh any sense of balance or centeredness.

Thoth Tarot 2 of Wands http://livingwithcards.com
Thoth Tarot 2 of Wands

 

Position 4 shows the Answer, Solution or Advice. Here, the 9 of Cups shines a light on the querent’s deep desire for keeping the peace/ harmony. Read in relation to Queen of Wands in Position 5, I sense this could occur at the querent’s expense: the Probable Outcome suggests that at the time of this reading, the more fiery (aggressive) family member will prevail.

 

Thoth Tarot 9 of Cups http://livingwithcards.com
Thoth Tarot 9 of Cups

 

Thoth Tarot Queen of Wands http://livingwithcards.com
Thoth Tarot Queen of Wands

 

Clarification Cards

Five Pointed Star Clarification Cards using Thoth Tarot deck: 9 of Disks (9 of Pentacles) - XII-The Hanged Man - 10 of Cups http://livingwithcards.com
Five Pointed Star Clarification Cards using Thoth Tarot deck: 9 of Disks (9 of Pentacles) – XII-The Hanged Man – 10 of Cups

Simply interpreted, XII-The Hanged Man suggests a limiting pattern that needs to be broken. A suspension of activity may be in order. Perhaps more solitary time/ time apart from each other (9 of Disks) would ultimately aid the peacemaking process and/or help restore family harmony (10 of Cups). The Hanged Man also indicates that some time will pass before any solution or resolution is reached.

 

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At this time, I have no feedback from the querent, so I don’t know the outcome.

  • Will the parties follow through with a mediator (Lenormand advice)?
  • Will the querent ultimately decide to back down, “sacrificing” her position for harmony’s sake, letting the other, more aggressive family member prevail (Thoth‘s prediction)?
  • Will the energies surrounding the situation change enough to facilitate another outcome?

It would be interesting to find out…

 

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

 

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

Card Reading 101, Lenormand Cards

Reversed Lenormand Cards: What Do They Mean? 31 Sun, 10 Scythe, 33 Key, 26 Book, 11 Whip, 17 Storks

Unlike Tarot cards, Lenormand cards are not meant to be read in the reversed position. You are supposed to make sure all the cards in your deck face one way before you shuffle and draw. If despite this, one or more cards show up in the reversed position, you are supposed to disregard this and read the card(s) in the upright position.

At the risk of horrifying the Lenormand experts, I have actually found the information gained from analyzing reversed Lenormand cards to be amazingly useful. I’ll show you why in a minute…

As I’ve probably mentioned before, I like to use the Lenormand cards when I need or want a “second opinion.” Unlike a friend, family member or co-worker, the Lenormand cards have no hidden agenda or bias concerning their answer. They won’t try to spare your feelings. If they “tell” you your idea/ decision/ direction/ plan is unrealistic or ill-advised, they’ll almost always tell you why. And in my experience, they will almost always be spot on.

A couple days ago, I asked the Lenormand cards for insight on how to get started with some ideas I had. I wanted to know specifically how I could put my ideas into action. I drew the following cards:

Q: How Can I Get Started?

Piatnik Lenormand 31 Sun - 10 Scythe Rx - 33 Key - 26 Book Rx - 11 Whip - 17 Storks Rx
31 Sun – 10 Scythe Rx – 33 Key – 26 Book Rx – 11 Whip – 17 Storks Rx

Piatnik Jeu du destin Mlle Lenormand Cartomancy Deck of 36 Cards

I was surprised to see the reversed cards. I always mix my cards a certain way and they rarely change direction. My first impulse was to read the reversals but knowing “the rule,” I decided to begin by reading the cards straight as if they were all upright.

Sun + Scythe suggested positive decisions leading to success (Key) and improved circumstances (Stork). Book + Whip suggested repetitive projects, or “whipping out projects,” one after the other. So the cards (read as if they were all upright) seemed to be saying that I should begin by making positive decisions and whipping out my projects one after the other to achieve success and a positive change in circumstances.

But that interpretation left me a little flat.

I kept staring at those three reversed cards and suddenly it hit me. The reversed cards were highlighting the facts that I was not making decisions, let along good ones (reversed Scythe + Sun), and that I was not cranking out projects one after the other (reversed Book + Whip). And as long as I was not making positive decisions nor cranking out projects, I would not achieve a successful change of circumstances (Key + reversed Storks).

The reversed Lenormand cards clearly revealed what I needed to do in a way I might have missed had all the cards been in their upright positions.

Once again, I couldn’t help but shake my head in amazement at how helpful (not to mention literal) Lenormand cards can be.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

 

Card Reading 101, Lenormand Cards

Lenormand Cards Progress Report: 9 Bouquet, 12 Birds, 36 Cross, 35 Anchor, 27 Letter, 15 Bear

One of the things I most appreciate about Lenormand cards is their ability to provide practical, down-to-earth information about the question at hand. Unlike the Tarot, Lenormand cards illuminate the nitty-gritty. They “tell it like it is” and rarely pull any punches. Unlike the Tarot, Lenormand cards do not confuse with esoteric and/or psychological insights and are less prone to being misinterpreted. Lest you surmise I prefer Lenormand cards over Tarot cards, be assured that I do not. Each has its own strengths, weaknesses and place in the grand scheme of divination. Tarot cards were my first cartomantic love and there are plenty of times when I’ll go to them first, and/or use them to elaborate on a Lenormand card spread.

This morning, however, I chose my go-to Lenormand deck, the Piatnik Jeu de destin #194115 for some quick insight.

I simply wanted an objective progress report, a “how am I doing?” if you will, regarding my art which I’ve pursued with renewed commitment since the first of the year.

Q: How am I doing (regarding my artistic endeavors)?

Piatnik Lenormand 9 Bouquet - 12 Birds - 36 Cross - 35 Anchor - 27 Letter - 15 Bear livingwithcards.com
9 Bouquet – 12 Birds – 36 Cross – 35 Anchor – 27 Letter – 15 Bear

Piatnik Jeu du destin Mlle Lenormand Cartomancy Deck of 36 Cards

 

I did not like seeing 36 Cross as the central card. It suggested, at best, a challenge, one that possibly has existed for a lifetime, seeing that Cross is followed by Anchor. Despite the “ouch” this information elicited, I had to admit the cards had shown me a personal truth. After a sigh, I looked further into the spread.

9 Bouquet represents my art (and sometimes represents me as an artistic person). Followed by Birds which is a relationship card, I get the sense the cards are discussing the relationship (Birds) I have with my art/ myself as an artistic person (Bouquet).  As alluded to above, this relationship has been a lifelong challenge for me (Cross + Anchor). 27 Letter as the final card in a Lenormand Line of 5 refers to the process of documentation I so strictly adhere to* and seems to suggest that my continuation of this process will benefit me.

The saving grace of this Lenormand card spread was intuited from the base card (bottom card of the shuffled deck), 15 Bear. In the context of the question, Bear represents power, strength, authority and protection. “Keep the faith, Baby” comes to mind. Stay strong (Bear) and grounded (Anchor) in the face of difficulties/ challenges (Cross).

So while the difficulties are clearly not over (Cross as central card), I have the power (Bear) to persevere. The continued (Anchor) documentation (Letter) of my artistic journey (Bouquet) is recommended.

And while the main topic of Living with Cards is not my artistic journey, I thought you might enjoy a peek:

Art journal page (c) 2015 Mary Hawkins http://livingwithcards.com
Art journal page (c) 2015 Mary Hawkins

 

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins

*I’ve been recording my card readings in daily journals since March 2012. Earlier this year, after consciously recommitting to pursuing my art work, I began drawing and sketching in various sketchbooks and journals on a daily basis as well.

Card Reading 101, Card Spreads, Lenormand Cards

Lenormand Cards Address Health Issue: 30 Lilies, 15 Bear, 23 Mice, 6 Clouds, 35 Anchor, 22 Crossroads

Using Tarot cards or Lenormand cards to answer health questions can be a little dicey. First, if the question impacts you personally, you might inadvertently project your greatest fears or hopes into the reading which could possibly spiral you into a panic attack (!!) or lull you into a false sense of security. Second, if you’re reading for another person and you are not a doctor or a medical professional, you could be putting yourself at legal risk.

While I usually back off from health questions, lately I’ve been concerned about my elderly mother who suffers from dementia and congestive heart failure. Historically, the month of February is not kind to her, adding to my feelings of apprehension. This morning, however, feeling fairly objective, I decided on the spur of the moment to inquire about her health.

I asked:

Q: How will my Mother be doing health-wise over the next three months or so?

I pulled:

Piatnik Lenormand 30 Lilies - 15 Bear - 23 Mice - 6 Clouds - 35 Anchor - 22 Crossroads http://livingwithcards.com
30 Lilies – 15 Bear – 23 Mice – 6 Clouds – 35 Anchor – 22 Crossroads

Piatnik Jeu du destin Mlle Lenormand Cartomancy Deck of 36 Cards

My first thought upon seeing these cards was “How literal!” My mother’s (Bear) aging issues (Lilies) remain constant (Anchor). She continues to suffer from anxiety (Mice) and dementia (Clouds).

As I’ve mentioned in many previous posts, when I cast a Lenormand Line of 5, I usually also pull the base card (bottom card of the shuffled deck) because I’ve found it almost always provides helpful additional information.

Here, 22 Crossroads as the base card indeed brings some useful information into play. Crossroads can indicate multiples. Lying under Mice with Clouds to the right of Mice, it seems to be emphasizing my mother’s multiple fears and/or anxieties. This made me feel sad, but not surprised.

From a health standpoint, Crossroads can also refer to arteries, veins and the circulatory system in general. Mice as deterioration and Crossroads as the circulatory system certainly could be interpreted as congestive heart failure and the cards could simply be suggesting that this issue continues to be a factor in my mother’s declining health. With 35 Anchor ending the Lenormand Line of 5, however, I think my mother’s health will remain stable during the time period in question.

Blessings,

Mary Hawkins