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Mystique d'Epoque Lenormand |
I really liked one of
Donnaleigh's ideas for using Lenormand decks. She suggested a way to have the three dimensionality of the Houses of the Grand Tableau, without needing to spend as much time as such a large spread takes. In the Grand Tableau, all the cards are used, and you combine each card laid with the number of the position it falls in. So, for example, if the Heart falls in the first position, it is read as a blend with card number one, the Rider: love messages or news of a loved one.
To achieve this in a smaller spread, Donnaleigh came up with the idea of using two Lenormand decks. You lay out cards from the first deck, and then place the second set of cards on top of them, and treat the lower card as the House. Too cool! So, using the
Neues Neupert ( and the
Mystique d'Epoque (including extra cards) (Pepi Valderrama, 2012), I gave it a go, asking again about the
Celtic Lenormand and what I should be aware of:
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Neues Neupert/Mystique 9 Card Houses Spread |
Stars/Child Bear/Anchor Rider/Monkey
Cross/Mountain Bouquet/Key Fox/Tower
Child/Paths Book/Book Tower/Fish
Very interesting, in terms of patterns, that three cards were repeats in this spread - Child, Tower and Book. And that Book landed on Book! :)
Starting with the corners, we have Stars/Child - metastising potentials, new beginnings with the capacity to spread far and wide - require Rider/Monkey - finding innovative and flexible ways to deliver a message. Child/Paths - choices about those potentials - create the challenge of Tower/Fish - prioritising money vs. quantity.
Then the centre cross, Bear/Anchor - work that requires fortitude and promises prosperity - faces Cross/Mountain - burdensome obstacles, or at least a long, hard, up-hill and time-consuming slog. Yet there are Bouquet/Key - gifts to be unlocked - right at the heart of the reading. A warning, though, with Fox/Tower that institutions may not be trustworthy - I've already been warned of one publishing house that are "sharks" according to two other authors. Underlying it all, Book/Book speaks of an actual book project, and the fact that there are secrets being kept around it. Some of those are being kept by me - I'm not yet disclosing all the extra cards, spreads, and ways of reading this pagan-themed deck. Still, there may be others who are also being secretive here...
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Neues Neupert/Mystique Corners Expanded |
Book/Book knights with Stars/Child and Rider/Monkey - a new use of technology may be required as part of the flexible new approaches to getting the deck out there, which may challenge secrecy. Bear/Anchor knights with Child/Paths and Tower/Fish - reinforcing the decisions necessary, the choice between higher income or greater output, self-publishing or going with an institution. Cross/Mountain knights with Rider/Monkey and Tower/Fish - whichever route I choose will not be easy or fast: each has it's own pitfalls and problems, either developing those flexible new approaches or dealing with institutions, their budgetary restrictions and set ways of doing things. Fox/Tower knights with Stars/Child and Child/Paths - publishing houses with their own agenda would make very different decisions around this project than those I might make on my own, which I must bear in mind when making my choices.
Finally, the diagonals. Stars/Child+Bouquet/Key+Tower/Fish - there is a great potential to open up something beautiful if the right balance of priorities is achieved. Rider/Monkey+Bouquet/Key+Child/Paths - flexible approaches will get things moving, unlocking the gift of new possibilities that may not yet be visible.
Overall, this feels like a positive reading - there is so much potential here. However, definitely some tough choices, and a lot of hard work, which I may still not fully understand. Yet, new ideas abound, and the key to unlocking any and all unknowns is definitely there.