If you’re like me, you probably do not particularly enjoy receiving a handful of dreary, dismal Lenormand cards in your daily card draw. Especially if you’ve only asked a generic, ‘how will my day go?’ type of question. For one thing, if you’re not careful, it could set the tone for the day, drawing negative outcomes through the principal of self-fulfilling prophecy — something I strongly suggest you should consciously attempt to avoid. After all, who wants to go through their day with a nagging cloud of doom and disaster hanging over their head?!
Certainly not me, which is why after pulling the following Lenormand Line of 5 with Base Card as my daily card draw a couple mornings ago and finding myself at a loss for any positive or helpful interpretations, I felt a little bummed out.
Q: Heads Up/ Need to Know/ Will Happen
Lenormand Line of 5 with Base Card: 21 Mountain – 10 Scythe – 30 Lilies – 27 Letter – 3 Ship – 8 Coffin
News of a death (LETTER with SHIP, COFFIN)? A sudden and possibly unexpected (SCYTHE) passing (SHIP, COFFIN) of an older individual (LILIES), perhaps during surgery to remove an obstruction (MOUNTAIN + SCYTHE) that I learn about via text, email or news report (LETTER)?
Other than the above glum interpretation, I seemed to be drawing a blank. Despite the grim outlook, there was no way I was going to take these cards personally. Nope. Wasn’t gonna do it. Perhaps within a day or two I’d come across some news story or another that played out the particular scenario the Lenormand cards had suggested. In the meantime, I had better things to do, the first of which was making sure the Rescue Kitties got their second course of breakfast. 🙂
What Actually Happened
Later that morning, inspired by a sudden burst of energy, I found myself tackling an onerous chore I had been avoiding forever: serious clutter clearing.
With over two dozen boxes of old files and documents piled up in my living space, I knew I had to get started. Three hours and one huge box later, the message contained in the morning’s Lenormand card draw became crystal clear:
Shredding/ cutting down a “mountain” of old documents (MOUNTAIN, SCYTHE, LILIES, LETTER) and sending them off to their grave (SHIP, COFFIN)!!
Under the Roses Lenormand Card Spread: Mountain + Scythe + Lilies + Letter + Ship + Coffin shows a mountain of old paperwork that has been shredded, cut down, sorted, recycled and sent to its grave
Once again, I was blown away by the matter-of-fact, tell-it-like-it-is quality of Lenormand cards. As a long-time Tarot card reader, I admit I have a tendency to “dig deep.” With Lenormand cards, that’s really not necessary.
The moral of this post: Do not over-read Lenormand cards! 🙂
Blessings,
Mary Hawkins
Note: I currently have transiting Pluto (purge, purging, recycling) in my natal Third House (paperwork)! — I really should have figured this one out… 🙂
Here’s a question for you. If you pulled some Lenormand cards to find out whether a missing child was dead or alive and got DOG + BOOK + SCYTHE + CHILD + GARDEN + BIRDS, would you say that child was dead or alive?
I say ‘dead’ and will explain why and how I came to that conclusion further down in this post. But first, I’d like to discuss factors leading up to that particularly grim determination.
Background
According to news and media reports, Diana Alvarez, a nine year old Fort Myers, Florida child, was discovered missing from her home around 7:00 am on Sunday, May 29, 2016. Over the next several days it became sickeningly clear that a 28 year old male with the initials JG* likely was responsible for the child’s disappearance.
Diana Alvarez, age 9, discovered missing from Fort Myers, FL 5/29/2016
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*JG had been a tenant at the family’s home, living there and paying rent. When family members noticed that JG appeared to be inappropriately interested in Diana and Diana appeared to be smitten by his attention, they insisted JG move out. This occurred in early May, shortly before the little girl disappeared.
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As I write this post, the suspect JG is in custody, charged with possession of child pornography. He has not claimed responsibility for the disappearance of Diana Alvarez and has since “lawyered up.” The child is still missing.
The Astrology
I have mentioned before, in this post and this one, that I primarily use forensic horary astrology techniques to discover what has happened in missing persons cases.
Because this is a cartomancy blog and not an astrology blog, I will not go into the blow-by-blow details that I was able to pull from careful analysis of the pertinent charts, other than to say there were numerous indications of kidnap, rape and murder, along with disturbing indications of extreme violence. If you are astrologically oriented, you can get the general idea from my scribbled notes on the “Discovered Missing” chart below.
Based on past experience, it occurred to me that perhaps the Lenormand cards could shed more light on the matter. While the astrology was certainly clear enough, I’ve found the cards can often add another layer that is helpful to understanding the dynamics surrounding these tragic cases.
First I pulled a Lenormand Square of 9 to get the general “lay of the land,” so to speak.
Lenormand Square of 9: Circumstances Surrounding Diana Alvarez Disappearance
Lenormand Square of 9: 3 Ship – 26 Book – 9 Bouquet – 18 Dog – 22 Crossroads – 7 Snake – 13 Child – 24 Heart – 15 Bear
Diana is 13 Child, JG is 18 Dog. We can easily see they went on a road trip (SHIP + ROADS) that ended badly (SHIP + ROADS + SNAKE). Diana has a crush on JG (DOG + HEART), but JG has told her they have to keep it a secret (BOOK + HEART) from Mama and/or Papa (BEAR). JG gives Diana gifts (BOUQUET) or perhaps promises (HEART) to give them. Diana trusts JG (DOG).
22 Crossroads with 3 Ship + 26 Book suggests a “secret journey.” She should expect something wonderful and pleasant (BOUQUET). Perhaps the roads they traveled were wind-y, or full of curves, or a round-about route (ROADS + SNAKE). Perhaps a bear or two (BEAR) had been spotted there. Maybe he told her they were going to stop to see the bears (BEAR) on their way to the “big surprise” (BOUQUET) he had for her.
She was so incredibly trusting (CHILD + HEART). Most nine year olds are.
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While the Lenormand Square of 9 was descriptive enough, it did not seem to address the critical question. So, taking a breath, I thoroughly re-mixed the cards and asked:
Q: Diana Alvarez Dead or Alive?
Lenormand Line of 5 with Base Card: 18 Dog – 26 Book – 10 Scythe – 13 Child – 20 Garden – 12 Birds
Following my normal procedure, I selected the base card (bottom card of the shuffled deck), placing it directly below the central (hinge) card of the Lenormand Line of 5. I have repeatedly found this extra card adds value to the reading, either by modifying one or more of the three cards above it, supplying additional information or clarification, and/or by pointing out a factor that should be considered.
DOG, BOOK and CHILD once again appeared in this second card draw. The repetition of cards in spite of vigorous shuffling and re-mixing in between draws did not go unnoticed. JG is the DOG (trusted friend, loved one, typically male); Diana is the CHILD and the BOOK is the secret between them.
The Line of 5 is quite straightforward. It suggests that the secret friend (DOG + BOOK) “cut” her down/ committed a violent act against her (SCYTHE + CHILD), then buried or placed her in a lushly vegetated area such as a park or nature preserve (GARDEN).
As a modifier to SCYTHE, BIRDS(associated with the throat and/or vocal chords) suggests “air.” Combining the base card with the hinge card, SCYTHE can be a “cut” or an “interruption” and BIRDS breathing and/or the breathing process (air). Did JG “cut” (SCYTHE) her throat (BIRDS)? Did he “interrupt” or “cut off” (SCYTHE) her airways (BIRDS)? …. In other words, did he strangle or suffocate her so she wouldn’t (couldn’t) “talk” (SCYTHE + BIRDS)?
Conclusions
The forensic horary astrology charts suggest that Diana Alvarez is no longer with us. The Lenormand cards appear to agree. Both approaches suggest strangulation/ asphyxiation (with possible testimonies for slashing of the throat) as cause of death.
The Lenormand cards suggest Diana may be found in a garden, park, nature preserve or other area where there is lush vegetation (GARDEN). With BIRDS as the base card in the Line of 5, perhaps the authorities will have some success getting the perp to “talk.”
We can only hope…
Blessings,
Mary Hawkins
Note regarding my process: I will only examine a Missing Persons case when I have a reasonable understanding of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance, a reliable timeline including the date, time and place the person was either discovered missing and/or reported missing to police, and the victim’s birth data. The birth data of the perpetrator/ prime suspect is helpful as well. I prefer to work with current cases.
Unlike psychics (no disrespect intended), I do not base my findings on dreams or visions, nor do I pull information out of the ethers (or my butt, depending on your level of skepticism). Rather, I read the ‘star language‘ contained in the forensic astrology charts that I examine and interpret it to the best of my ability.
The first step (after familiarizing myself with a case) is always the casting and examination of the relevant astrology chart(s), which are carefully compared to the victim’s natal chart before drawing any conclusions. Once that’s done, I may or may not throw a card spread or two to gain additional information, as I did here. Yes, intuition is involved. So is common sense. Everybody has both of these faculties to some degree or another.
I had such an experience this morning when I threw a Lenormand Line of 5 to get a “heads up” on how my son’s art show opening reception this evening would go.
Background
My son is an emerging artist who’s recently completed his second year of a three year graduate fine arts program out of state. In the past, he’s had some success showing and selling his work at regional venues. He’s back in town for a few weeks and the opening reception for his latest art show is this evening.
Beyond curious as to know what the sales potential for tonight’s festivities might be, I couldn’t help but throw a Lenormand Line of 5 with the Blaue Eule (Blue Owl) Lenormand cards this morning to get the skinny.
The spread starts out with some fears and worries, perhaps some pre-show jitters, about low attendance or potential lack of sales (COFFIN + MICE). The central or hinge card, 25 Ring, however, augers “contracts,” and in combination with 34 Fish, these are likely sales. (FISH, in and of itself, is a money card, confirming that the cards are indeed addressing a money question.)
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Note: As usual, I included the Base Card (bottom card of the shuffled deck), which I’ve found gives extra insight to the Lenormand Line of 5. In my experience, the base card either modifies the hinge (central) card or clarifies the focus of the reading. In this spread, it does both.
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20 Garden can be interpreted as “a public event” and here represents the art show itself. 2 Clover ending the Lenormand Line of 5 suggests success and a positive, likely profitable, outcome.
In a nutshell, “stresses and fears that attendance may be low or that sales might be poor (COFFIN + MICE) will dissolve/ dissipate/ end (COFFIN). My son will “get lucky” and likely experience a profitable outcome (CLOVER). The show (GARDEN) will bring in sales (RING + FISH)”.
To gain clarification and/or additional information, I quickly added up the cards’ numerical values and reduced the sum to a number equaling 36* or less:
* 36 is the number of cards in a Lenormand deck. If I had been using a Tarot deck, I would have reduced the sum to a number equaling 22 or less, the number of Tarot cards in the Major Arcana.
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I then found 4 House in the remaining deck and selected it along with the card before and the card after.
Blaue Eule (Blue Owl) Lenormand 10 Scythe – 4 House – 31 Sun
SCYTHE is literally “a cut.” HOUSE symbolizes the venue. Literally, “the house gets a cut”(their commission on sales) and everyone walks away happy (SUN).
I was pleased with the card draw and can hardly wait to see how this goes. I’ll let you know! 🙂
Stay tuned,
Blessings,
Mary Hawkins
Update
Woo Hoo!! Opening night was a success! SUN and CLOVER came through with flying colors 🙂 — Attendance was fabulous, sales were made (so oh yeah, the house got its cut), opportunities for future shows at other venues are likely, the gallery owner is extending the show dates … all in all very positive and my son is very pleased at how things went.
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 with base card: 29 Woman – 30 Lilies – 32 Moon – 16 Stars – 19 Tower – 10 Scythe
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.
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).
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).
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).
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).
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.
As anyone who’s ever cast and read a simple three card Past-Present-Future spread knows, the cards can certainly “speak” to something that has happened in the past, as well as suggest the probable future concerning the question(s) at hand.
I normally use astrology to ascertain the energies surrounding missing person cases. From time to time, however, when prompted, I may also throw a card spread or two, to clarify, confirm or refute information I’ve gleaned from astrological analysis.
If you follow missing persons cases, you likely know that on July 10, 2015 in Leadore, Idaho, DeOrr Kunz, Jr., a healthy 2-1/2 year old child, disappeared into nowhere while on a camping trip with his mother, father, great-grandpa and family friend. As of the date and time of this post, DeOrr Kunz, Jr. has not been found.
DeOrr Kunz, Jr. missing from Leadore, Idaho July 10, 2015
Theories as to what happened to this child include (in no particular order): stranger abduction; harm suffered at the hands of one or more of the caretakers and subsequent cover-up; wandering away from the campsite and either (a) drowning or (b) getting carried off by a mountain lion.
The problem with all these theories is that there is no credible evidence that any of them could have happened. Yet, on the other hand, children (or adults for that matter) simply do not “disappear into nowhere.”
So what really happened here?
I’m not going to go into what I first ascertained from careful analysis of the pertinent astrology charts other than to say that there were strong indications of death, likely due to drowning. A few days later, still mulling over the charts and their “testimony,” it occurred to me that perhaps a Lenormand Square of 9 could provide additional information. I cast the spread specifically to address these questions:
The Questions for Lenormand:
What (really) happened to DeOrr Kunz, Jr.?
Who (or what) is responsible?
Will he be found?
I pre-decided that the cards in Row 1 would address the first question, the cards in Row 2 would address the second question and the cards in Row 3 would address the third question. Any other information I could gather from the way the cards fell would be a bonus.
Lenormand Square of 9 for Missing Child DeOrr Kunz Row 1: 11 Whip – 23 Mice – 6 Clouds
These cards suggested a frantic runaround: frenzied activity, running around in circles, stress, exhaustion, confusion. In simplest terms, the Lenormand cards seemed to suggest that the child wandered off and got lost.
Who (or What) is Responsible? 34 FISH – 12 BIRDS – 17 STORKS
Lenormand Square of 9 for Missing Child DeOrr Kunz Jr Row 2: 34 Fish – 12 Birds – 17 Storks
I immediately keyed into the people cards: King of Diamonds (34 FISH) and Queen of Hearts (17 STORKS) — dad and mom. With 12 BIRDS in the middle of the row and as the central card in the Square of 9, there was likely a communication issue with Great-Grandpa (King of Spades – 30 LILIES), who from news accounts may have been suffering from some degree of confusion (6 CLOUDS). Because of the positioning of 23 MICE + 6 CLOUDS, I sensed a miscommunication or a lack of communication.
It’s interesting to note this row starts with 34 FISH. The “story” surrounding DeOrr’s disappearance is that the mom, dad and family friend decided to go fishing. The parents allegedly asked the child if he wanted to come along or stay behind with Great-Grandpa (30 LILIES) and DeOrr chose Great-Grandpa, who somehow lost track of DeOrr (6 CLOUDS) and then mistakenly assumed the child had changed his mind and followed the parents.
Will the Child Be Found? 30 LILIES – 21 MOUNTAIN – 16 STARS
Lenormand Square of 9 for Missing Child DeOrr Kunz Jr. Row 3 – 30 Lilies – 21 Mountain – 16 Stars
Both LILIES and MOUNTAIN suggest a long time, with MOUNTAIN additionally suggesting obstacles and delays. [Note: LILIES can sometimes be a death marker. WHIP, FISH and LILIES read vertically suggests a struggle in water that leads to the grave.]16 STARS at the end of the row points to success, so I think, yes, DeOrr Kunz, Jr. will eventually be recovered, after a “long time” and many delays and obstacles.
I noted with interest that the card numbers assigned to Row 3 reduce to 13 (30 + 21 + 16 = 67 = 6 + 7 = 13), which equals 13 CHILD. That prompted me to flip over cards in the remaining Lenormand deck until I found 13 CHILD, which I selected along with the card before and the card after:
Clarification Cards for Lenormand Square of 9 Spread for Missing Child DeOrr Kunz Jr – 22 Crossroads – 13 Child – 10 Scythe
This combination suggests the child may have suffered an accident or, in some other way, was suddenly separated him from his caregivers (SCYTHE) while “on a journey / taking a walk” (CROSSROADS). The cards appear to support the message contained in Row 1 which indicated the child simply wandered away and got lost. Unfortunately, SCYTHE to the right of CHILD does not point to an eventual happy resolution.
Blessings,
Mary Hawkins
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