Professional Documents
Culture Documents
hen I initially started this project, I assumed that the potential audience would be
primarily deck collectors, and specifically those already familiar with one or more of the
various Lenormand systems. As such I didnt consider there would be a need for any
companion documentation with this special edition. However during the course of its
production I received considerable feedback, that suggested in fact there was growing
interest in these images from many who had no previous experience with the Lenormand
system. So I felt there was after all a need after all in providing at least some basic
complimentary material.
This e-book is intended to serve as merely a brief overview and initial introduction to
this fascinating genre of divination that is embraced under the generic category of
Lenormand. Its content has been assembled from various contributors who each have
considerable experience in this field. Nevertheless I recommend that anyone wishing to
learn and study the Lenormand systems in greater depth, to take advantage of the
hyperlinks provided throughout this document that connect to various useful Lenormand
related publications, blogs and web sites.
Ciro Marchetti.
ii
LENORMAND
A NEW CHALLENGE
Creative Approach, Process & Production
In May of 2011, I attended the Readers Studio Tarot Conference
in New York. One morning I shared a breakfast table with the
renowned Tarot author and reader Mary Greer. During our
conversation she suggested that I should consider designing a
Lenormand deck. At the time I didn't give it too much thought as I
assumed it was a fringe sub-division of Tarot and one with an
appeal limited mainly to European readers. I was also at the time
concentrating my efforts on the re working of the Gilded Tarot into
its new "Royale" version. Nevertheless Mary's suggestion did peak
my curiosity and so in between commitments to other projects, I did
dabble with producing Lenormand related images, such as trees,
books, ships, etc. However, still not convinced about a full
commitment to the entire project, I used many of those elements in
other unrelated images instead. Nevertheless, one year later at the
following corresponding Readers Studio venue, I was finally
convinced. Having overheard Rana George explaining and
demonstrating the basics of the Lenormand system, I was intrigued
and certainly impressed by the reaction and response of the
audience who were enthusiastically following her every word. So
with that change of heart, I took another look at the various images I
iii
HISTORY &
TRADITION
The Fox, The Moon and The Fish...
In the name of Lenormand
The Gilded Reverie Lenormand is a continuation of a cardreading tradition dating back to the late 18th and into the 19th
century. The design of this deck is intended to respect the tradition
whilst providing a new vision for the future. We will see that the
tradition itself has been rooted in borrowing and whim since
its inception, with an ongoing history of change.
You may be surprised to discover that these cards have little to
do with Mlle. Lenormand, famed fortuneteller of France, other
than to use her name for marketing. It is only a matter of
geography and history that give us a deck with an Anchor card
and not a Spider card, or a House card and not a Well. You
will also come to discover that the Reverie has reworked some of
the images to provide a more contemporary perspective for the
modern parlor of the 21st century and presented in a unique
illustrative style.
The story of this deck, for a story it is, begins with its
namesake, when in Alenon, Normandy, France, a baby girl,
Marie-Anne Lenormand was born to Marie-Anne Gilbert and
vii
We know that in 1845, only two years after her death, the
first known deck in the format of what is now known as
the Lenormand was created by an unknown publisher. Not
all the cards survive, and they are hand-colored. This deck
ix
So, our Lenormand deck got its pictures from a cardgame and its name from a well-known fortuneteller, both
without their intent and after their death. It was not created
by them, but from them. Curiously, the game instructions
from Hechtel contain a brief mention that the deck can be
used for divination by laying out all the cards and telling
stories from them, and Lenormand of course used game
playing cards herself. It is faintly possible that given the
dates, she herself may have seen a Hechtel Game of Hope
deck in normal play during her later life.
If the publisher had chosen another game deck to use, we
might have had a very different set of images, including The
Spider card or The Well card for example. Although many
games and decks of the time shared common images such as
The House, there were many variants. In the Reverie you
will find optional cards from such variants, including The
Bridge, The Masque, The Dice and The Clock.
Over the years there have been many changes to the deck,
removing or adding various aspects of symbolism, such as a
cross being depicted on the Ways card, or an hourglass
being shown on the Scythe. The original Whip and Birch
has been sometimes redrawn as a Whip and Broom,
causing some debate in traditional circles, as the broom
symbol is far more domestic and positive than a birch. The
original card in the Game of Hope shows blood on the birch,
xi
Tali Goodwin
xii
14
RIDER
CLOVER
SHIP
xvii
HOUSE
xviii
TREE
xix
CLOUD
xx
SNAKE
xxi
COFFIN
xxii
BOUQUET
xxiii
SKYTHE
xxiv
WHIP BROOM
xxv
BIRDS
xxvi
CHILD
xxvii
FOX
xxviii
BEAR
Power and strength, large and big, only but a few words
of how I am a bigwig. Your finance is my field, your food
is my intrigue. My bad side comes out when you see
negative cards around.
xxix
STARS
In the Game of Hope, we make progress along a snakesand-ladders type map of life, at this stage arriving at the
Star of good prospects. Here we see the Stars mapped out
on the Zodiacal Compass, indicative of this very journey
though life.
The Stars in the Lenormand can be interpreted as a fixed
course, something that is preordained. The Star indicates the
need of vision and the need for wish fulfilment. We have all
heard the saying about someone who has Stars in their
eyes, and that we should follow our own Star. Therefore it
is a card of optimism and ambition. The Star card is a card
that portends Success and much promise, and thanking
ones lucky stars.
xxx
STORK
xxxi
DOG
xxxii
TOWER
xxxiii
GARDEN
xxxiv
MOUNTAIN
xxxv
CHOICE
xxxvi
MICE
xxxvii
HEART
xxxviii
RING
The Game of Hope tells us that finding this ring will bring a
reward. Here we see a ruby ring symbolising commitment.
In crystal lore, the Ruby is a guarantee of economic stability
in some cultures it was buried in the foundations of
buildings to assure good fortune.
The Ring is a symbol of commitment, and can speak of a
contract being drawn up between two people or a business
contract. The ring is an object of value to those who wear it.
xxxix
BOOK
xl
LETTER
xli
MAN I
xlii
WOMAN I
xliii
LILIES
xliv
SUN
xlv
MOON
xlvi
KEY
xlvii
FISH
xlviii
ANCHOR
xlix
CROSS
ADDITIONAL CARDS
Over the years there have been multiple variations of the
Lenormand cards. Many reflecting individual preferences and
concepts of the artist or publisher. Others are more general sub
divisions that reflect different regions and cultures. Appealing
though it may have been to try and cover all variables and
attempt to appeal to everyone, this would clearly have been a
futile exercise. So for the most part I have focused on the core 36
cards of the European system commonly used today. However I
have provided a number of additional cards that can be included
along with the core 36, to provide additional nuance and
meaning to a spread. Nevertheless they are designed and
numbered so that should you choose not to use them, then the
basic traditional set of 36 cards are unaffected.
These additional cards consist of the Owl, which can
substitute the Birds. There is an additional Man and Woman
card, thus a reading can utilize the deck with two cards of the
same gender, if that would be more appropriate for the querant
or the specific circumstances of any given reading. Then there
are also four completely new cards Clock/Time, Bridge, Dice
and Mask, which will be discussed in the following pages.
li
BIRDS/OWL
In the Reverie, we have two alternate cards for the Birds,
as some prior decks have used the Owls, often as a pair, to
indicate the concept of paired within a reading.
lii
MAN II
liii
WOMAN II
liv
TIME
BRIDGE
DICE
lvii
MASK
lviii