25 Ring
26 Book
27 Letter
28 Man - Querent, Significant Other
29 Lady - Querent, Significant Other
30 Lilies
31 Sun
32 Moon
33 Key
34 Fish
35 Anchor
36 Cross
© Kendra Hurteau 2018
Chapter 4: Step 2: Combinations
Step 2: Card Combinations
In this chapter, we will learn how to properly combine cards and gain an understanding of how the Lenormand system works. By using combinations, you will be creating your first Lenormand readings.
Single Cards
Lenormand cards are not read individually; do not pull a card from a Lenormand deck and try and interpret it. There are few exceptions to the rule which are covered later, such as yes/no answers and an advanced method called “houses.”
If you are a Tarot reader, you will be accustomed to single card readings. So, the idea that combinations are necessary will be an adjustment until you understand how the cards are paired.
2 Card Combinations
It is imperative that you understand how to use 2 Card Combinations. All Petit Lenormand readings are built upon this method of combining the cards.
Figure 4a
Position 1 of the combination (Figure 4a) will be the subject or topic of the reading. However, it isn’t considered complete without the card in position 2.
Figure 4b
Let’s say you have pulled the only the Gentleman in position 1 (Figure 4b). You are only looking at the first card of a combination until the second card is pulled to describe it. So first, by using your keywords, decide what the subject is of the card in position 1 (in this case it is simply a man in question).
Position 2 is a description or enhancement of position 1. Pull the second card and, using your keywords, add a description. Let’s say the second card you have pulled is the Dog. If you have chosen “loyal” as a keyword for it, the subject of the reading would not be “loyalty” because that card is in the second position.
Since the first card is the Gentleman, the second card might imply “a loyal man” or “a friend.” If using the literal description of the cards, it might make this a man with a dog or a veterinarian.
Figure 4c
Here we have the Crossroads and the Mice (Figure 4c). In this example, we’ve given the Crossroads the keyword “decision” and the Mice the keyword “annoyance” (these may not be your keywords). “Annoyance” will not be the subject, but the description; “decision” is the subject. If reading it in that order, this would be an annoying decision(s). If I elect to use my other keyword for Mice, “problematic,” this would then turn the 2 Card Combination into a “problematic decision(s).”
There is no need to stick to just one keyword (as I have done above) if you have more listed. Find the keyword(s) in your list that makes the most sense to you when you see it.
Figure 4d
In another example, say you have decided the keyword for the Ring is “commitment” and the keyword for the Lady, is a Lady. With the Lady in position 1, we know the subject of the reading is a person (Figure 4d). To describe that person, we might say she’s a committed lady.
Figure 4e
If the card positions are reversed (Figure 4e), the same reasoning described earlier applies. The reading would not be describing the Lady, it would be describing commitment. So, perhaps the Ring and the Lady may mean that the Lady is getting a commitment she wants? Or that maybe the querent is taking on a new commitment to a person of interest? This is because the main subject is about the commitment itself.
Figure 4f
In a combination of the House and the Ring, the House is the subject (Figure 4f). In the Suggested Keywords list, the House may represent a home or family. With the Ring next to it, the reading would indicate a dedicated family or maybe a home that requires commitment such as a B&B or a home that’s been passed down in the family. Maybe the home was purchased after a marriage.
Figure 4g
If the cards are switched around, putting the Ring in the first position (Figure 4g), then the reading becomes about a commitment. The House is describing the commitment, but the Ring is the actual subject. This reading might be talking about a new commitment that must be accomplished for the family. Or a commitment to saving for a home? Or, maybe, a new roommate agreement taking place?
If you understand the system so far and want to make a more thorough list for pairings, then write a list for combinations. Starting with the Rider, list thirty-six possible combinations for each of the cards. For example:
The Rider
(1+1) Rider + Rider =
(1+2) Rider + Clover =
(1+3) Rider + Ship =
(1+4) Rider + House =
Etc.
Make the list for each of the cards. So, the next card is the Clover.
The Clover
(2+1) Clover + Rider =
(2+2) Clover + Clover =
(2+3) Clover + Ship =
(2+4) Clover + House =
Etc.
Following are some random examples for the Tower:
(19+2) Tower + Clover = Casino
(19+9) Tower + Bouquet = Florist
(19+36) Tower + Cross = Hospital or Church
People in the Cards
The Lady, Gentleman, and Child are not necessarily the only cards that represent people in the deck, though they continue to be the primary focus in readings.
To prevent wondering who a card could represent in the middle of a reading, create a list of cards that describe people. Following, are cards commonly used as people in the traditional Lenormand systems. The descriptions are my own. Discard any suggestion that doesn’t work for you and add your own ideas if you like. If there is someone in your life that reminds you of a specific card, be sure to add that card to the list. For instance, someone energetic or successful might be represented by the Sun.
The Rider – This card may represent someone new coming on the scene. I’ve also seen it surface when a querent has emotions for more than one person.
The Snake – This card is often seen as “the other woman.” Though, in my experience, when the querent doesn’t recognize it as some sort of troublemaker or nemesis it is often the querent themselves. We can be our own worst enemy, and people who are very self-critical or knowingly being unethical may show up as the Snake.
The Child – A young person, childhood friend, or sibling.
The Fox – This card can represent someone very crafty or intellectual. Don’t underestimate this person; they know what they’re up to!
The Bear – This card often represents a parent, sometimes an overbearing parent. For the most part, I’ve seen the card represent a mother figure, though it has shown up as a father on occasion. It has that mama-bear-protecting-her-cubs feeling.
The Stork – An infant or toddler.
The Dog – A friend, familiar, or pet.
The Gentleman – A man or person who identifies as such.
The Lady – A woman or person who identifies as such.
The Lilies – An older person, a grandparent, or someone experienced.
There are some set traditions as to which cards represent people. The most common is to use the card correspondences that have court cards (jacks, queens, or kings) as identifiers. They are as follows:
J♠ Child
J♥ Heart
J♣ Whip
J♦ Scythe
Q♠ Bouquet
Q♥ Stork
Q♣ Snake
Q♦ Crossroads/Path
K♠ Lilies
K♥ House
K♣ Clouds
K♦ Fish
While some of these cards make sense, many of the cards listed do not make good representations of people. As a result, it is common to see the above list only partially used. If you do use the court card method, I suggest you find a solid source in a traditional Lenormand stud
y in which the cards are specifically designated to represent character archetypes.
Tarot users might be inclined to use the correspondences on Lenormand cards to represent the court cards in the Tarot deck. I strongly urge against that. Because the Lenormand system is not Tarot, the suits are irrelevant. So, the spades don’t represent swords, the hearts don’t represent cups, the clubs don’t represent wands, and the diamonds don’t represent pentacles. So, why then, would the card correspondences represent Tarot archetypes?
Work in the Cards
These four cards represent the most common types of careers found in the Lenormand deck. Once you familiarize yourself with them, they can deliver a clear representation of the querent’s work life.
The Fox – This card often represents employment. It covers any job in which a person is employed by others.
The Bear – This card often represents management or owning a business.
The Fish – This card represents entrepreneurial endeavors, trading, or jobs in finance.
The Anchor – This card represents military positions or any sort of training.
The cards listed above can also represent people and can be added to your list of people in the cards. This would mean that the Fox is an employee, the Bear is a manager or business owner, the Fish is an entrepreneur, and the Anchor is someone with a military career.
What would you add to that list? Which cards would you use to describe homemaking, delivery services, or computer services?
Let’s try combining these working cards with the Garden. Following are some possibilities that may inspire you. Select other cards to pair the working cards with. Jot down your observations.
Fox /Garden – Employment in landscaping or working on a crew for events or parties.
Bear/Garden – Landscaping crew supervisor or business, maybe party organizing.
Fish/Garden – Custom jobs that are not normally part of landscaping, such as pond installations.
Anchor/Garden – Job training for a garden center or being stationed at a recruiting station.
Money Cards
How do you look at money? The following two lovely cards are the symbols that typically represent money in the deck. They speak for themselves as they have both been identified with money through the centuries.
Clover – Luck/Opportunities
Fish – Increase
Which one speaks to you as hard cold cash? Which one looks lucrative? Which one symbolizes increase? Is there another card you would use in the deck to represent money? If so, and you are clear about its meaning then add it to your list.
Figure 4h
What happens when you pair the Clover or Fish with other cards? For example, say you have the Clover with the Letter (Figure 4h). What could that represent?
Intimate Relationships in the Cards
This is a nontraditional description list that I use to enhance my readings. I use suggestions like these when I know I’m doing a reading involving a relationship. Feel free to use it, develop it, or discard it.
The Snake – The other woman or a person that is very difficult such as a stalker.
The Bouquet – Romance.
The Whip – Hot passion built on crazy infatuation that, after a few months, may burn out and become tense rather than intense.
The Child – Childish behavior, immaturity, young love, nostalgia.
The Stork – A new relationship, new beginning, or someone expecting.
The Dog – A friendly relationship. This could include friends with benefits, open relationships, a friend or querent that desires more, or a loyal partner.
The Heart – True sincere love.
The Ring – The committed partner or the commitment itself.
The Letter – Love letter or note.
The Gentleman – A person in the relationship.
The Lady – A person in the relationship.
The Lilies – Mature and experienced love or passion.
Practice using the relationship cards in 2 Card Combinations by placing each of them, one at a time, in position 1. Then, lay out the remaining cards one by one in position 2. How does it change the meanings of the cards listed above?
Opposing Cards
Opposing cards don’t really exist in the deck, but some of the cards may seem like they don’t combine well together. For instance, the Sun and the Moon may seem conflicting. Literally, this reading may be difficult to understand. In a case like this, if you feel a little stuck, get out your PAMs or Keywords list and read the cards according to their position.
Another pairing that will sometimes confuse people is the Gentleman and Lady cards together. This may be a couple or connection of some kind. You may want to experiment with how you will read them together. All that being said, if you use the position 1/position 2 method it will create an easy reading.
Posing Questions
An open reading is a reading in which the cards are pulled without a specific question in mind. By doing this, the subject matter is sought out within the reading. So, within a 2 Card Combination, the subject will be the card in position 1.
Most small or medium-sized readings, however, will be pulled with the intent of answering a question. Often times questions are vague or may be answered with simple yes/no responses. Therefore, it is helpful to elaborate, be specific, and leave the question open-ended. If possible, pose the question in a positive way, stay focused on yourself/the querent, and avoid questions using the word “should.” Though, in any reading, a general statement may be made like “I would like to know more about my relationship with my partner” or “I would like insight into why I self-sabotage my projects.” If reading for yourself, following are some lead-ins that may be helpful:
How can I…
How might I…
How would I…
What do I …
What is/are…
What might I…
Yes/No Answers
The cards may be used to receive yes/no answers. Do not read the cards themselves, simply examine them. Following are three methods:
Use the card correspondence colors as “yes” and “no”. In this example, black is designated as “yes” and red as “no”, but it is your preference. Draw one card. If a black club comes up it indicates a “yes” and if a red heart card comes up it indicates a “no”.
Draw one card and use the card’s attribute of positive, negative, and neutral as yes, no and maybe.
Draw three cards and use the cards’ attributes and determine how many positive, negative, or neutral cards you have pulled. For instance, if you have pulled two negative cards and a positive card, this may mean “probably not.” This will work best if you have previously assigned an equal amount of attributes to the cards in the deck (twelve of each).
Homework:
First, practice 2 Card Combinations extensively. Use the whole deck by laying out two cards at a time, make an evaluation of the pair, and repeat the process by laying out cards on top of the previous two cards. When you are done with the deck, you’ll end up with two stacks of eighteen cards. Then, switch the piles (making the first cards the second cards) and evaluate the combinations one at a time. Your assessments should be different because the main subject of each combination has changed. Try sharing the experience with friends; it’s a fun little game.
Second, if you want to make a more thorough list for pairings, get out your Lenormand notebook and write a Combinations List for each card.
After that, describe a person. Start with your Significator cards (the Lady and the Gentleman). Lay out the Gentleman or Lady card in position 1. Shuffle the rest of the deck and add a card to position 2. How do you describe that person? Lay down the next card on the top of your card in position 2. Now, how do you describe that person? Continue adding cards to the pile of cards in position 2 until you have used the remaining cards in the deck. Each time you put a new card in position 2, describe the person in a new way.
Next, pull the work cards
from the deck and shuffle the rest. Lay out a second card next to each one of the work cards. Describe the career you see in each combination.
Then, practice posing questions.
Finally, practice answering yes/no questions. Try using both the card designation of black or red and the card attributes of positive, negative, and neutral.
Chapter 5: Step 3: Card Lines
Step 3: Card Lines
At this point, you should have a very clear understanding of the 2 Card Combination and the relevance of the positions in it. It’s time to expand your understanding and create some visual stories through the use of card lines.
3 Card Line
The 3 Card Line is the most commonly used grouping for quick and efficient readings. However, that third card often causes confusion in interpretation if it is not clarified and understood.
The third card position in the following Methods 1 and 2 are unique because the third card is used exclusively for 3 Card Lines; we will not be using the third card position in Methods 1 and 2 in larger Lenormand spreads. Instead, Methods 3 and 4 will become the methods in which we build upon in later steps.
Lenormand Step by Step Page 3
