Lenormand and playing cards

As I’ve gotten more practice with Lenormand, I’ve started incorporating the corresponding playing cards into my readings with the goal of using the oldschool cards exclusively.

I was initially worried that the memorization would be an obstacle but I’ve found that the Lenormand system flows naturally through the playing cards. It also helps that there are fewer cards (2 through 5 are omitted from each suit) so it’s more compact, which is helpful for the traditional grand tableau spread (which uses all 36 cards—it very much feels like fortune telling).

Alongside this post, I shared a Reel in which I pulled a simple 3-card reading using traditional playing cards and demonstrated how the Lenromand system can be used to give the cards their language. I’ve mentioned that reading standard playing cards was a traditional skill in Appalachian folk magic that I’d planned on learning eventually, so discovering the Lenormand system was hugely beneficial.

I’ve also shared how much I love the narrative structure of this system. Even though the symbols are more straightforward, they do an incredible job of telling a story. Each card can be treated as a word, each pair as a phrase, and each string of words as a sentence. When throwing all 36, you have a whole story line with dozens of subplots. I know I keep saying it, but it’s pretty amazing.

If you’re interested in Lenormand and looking for a resource to get started, I recommend The Essential Lenormand by Rana George.