The columns of the 9 Card Square distinguish generalized time periods. The first column (positions 1, 4, and 7) represents the past, the second column (positions 2, 5, and 8) represents the present, and the third column (positions 3, 6, and 9) represents the future.
Present. Because the cards are read outward from the central card, start with reading the second column. The second column is read as two combinations (5+2 and 5+8).
Past. The cards in the first column are read in relationship to the central card, acting as they would as cards in the second position of a 2 Card Combination (5+1, 5+4, and 5+7). To get a clearer picture of the past, the cards may then be read in connection with the other cards in the same column and will be read outward from position 4 (4+1 and 4+7).
Future. The same method will be used in the third column as in the first column. The cards in the third column are read in relationship to the central card, acting as they would as cards in the second position of a 2 Card Combination (5+3, 5+6, and 5+9). To glean a better understanding of what will be happening in the future, the cards may then read in connection with the other cards in the same column and are read outward from position 6 (6+3 and 6+9).
Diagonal Lines
The cards in the diagonal lines of a 9 Card Square (positions 1, 5, and 9 plus positions 7, 5, and 3) distinguish influencing situations. In any given issue there are always outside influences or circumstances. As with reading the rows and columns, these cards are read outward from the center. The cards running from the top left to the bottom right will be read as 2 Card Combinations (5+1 and 5+9). Then, the cards running from the bottom left to the top right will be read in the same way (5+7 and 5+3).
Specific Cards
If you want to know more about a specific card that interests you, it is possible to read from that position. For example, if you selected the card in position 7, then you would read the cards to the right of it because there are no cards to the left (7+8+9). If you selected the card in position 8, then you would read outward from the center to the left and right (8+7 and 8+9). If you selected the card in position 9, then you would read the cards to the left of it (9+8+7).
Diamond
Reading the cards that shape a diamond (positions 2, 6, 8, 4, and 2) within the 9 Card Square is also an option. Read the cards in a pair chain (2+6, 6+8, 8+4, 4+2) just as in the 3 Card Line: Method 3 (Figure 5d).
The 9 Card Square Quick Reference Guide
Initially, the intricacies of the 9 Card Square may seem daunting. I assure you that it will become very comprehensible with a little practice. Let’s summarize a 9 Card Square reading for clarification.
1) Decide your question or choose the situation you want to read about, be clear about how you will use the cards, and then shuffle the deck.
2) Lay the cards out in consecutive order or pull a focus card first and then place cards in the remaining positions.
3) The central card is the main subject. That card is affected by all of the other cards around it. So, it is paired with the surrounding cards.
a) Evaluate the cards in each row.
i) Row 1 (1, 2, and 3) shows what the querent is thinking.
ii) Row 2 (4, 5, and 6) shows the situation as it is unfolding.
iii) Row 3 (7, 8, and 9) shows events or things happening in the life of the querent.
b) Look at the cards in each column for the timeline.
i) Column 1 (cards 1, 4, and 7) represents the past.
ii) Column 2 (cards 2, 5, and 8) represents the present.
iii) Column 3 (cards 3, 6, and 9) represents the future.
4) Look at the diagonal lines to better understand influencing circumstances.
a) Cards 1, 5, and 9
b) Cards 7, 5, and 3
5) Once all the combinations are evaluated, an overall assessment usually comes naturally. If not, take a few moments to contemplate what the reading is saying as a whole.
11 Card Spread
Figure 6c
By adding two cards to either side of the second row of a 9 Card Square (the Tree and the Whip), you can create an 11 Card Spread. This spread may also aid in your step by step progress to reading larger spreads. Remember that the card combinations are first read outward from the central card (the Moon in this case).
Place the cards just as you would a 9 Card Square, but include five cards in the second row. This means that the first row contains positions 1 thru 3, the second row contains positions 4 thru 8, and the third row contains positions 9 thru 11.
This 11 Card Spread contains both the 5 Card Line and the 9 Card Square (Figure 6c). It is essentially read the same way as a 9 Card Square, with the addition of extra cards in the second row that extend the timeline. Plus, the bookends of the 5 Card Line establish a theme.
The layout contains the following card spreads discussed so far.
2 Card Combination
3 Card Line: Method 3
3 Card Line: Method 4
5 Card Line
9 Card Square
Other Medium-Sized Spreads
Though our focus is on the development of the Grand Tableau, the following additional medium-sized spreads may interest you.
Figure 6d
The Cross Spread (Figure 6d) has various uses. Most commonly it is considered an expansion of the 3 Card Line: Method 4 or a shortened version of the 9 Card Square. By omitting the corners, influencing lines and details in the timeline are missing.
Figure 6e
The 8 Card Spread (Figure 6e) may be used for an either/or answer. Read the two separate rows as pair chains (3 Card Combination: Method 3, Figure 5d) to identify two different answers. Example questions follow: Should I move to California or Nevada? Should I join the swimming team or the baseball team? Should I buy the red car or the white car?
Figure 6f
The Pyramid Spread (Figure 6f), is a little unconventional. Preselect a focus card for the top of the spread before shuffling cards for the rest of the spread. There are two ways to read this spread.
The focus card won’t really be “read” because it stands alone. The second row will represent current situations and be read as a 2 Card Combination. The third row will represent an underlying circumstance and be read as a 3 Card Line: Method 3 or 4.
The top card will act as the first card in a 2 Card Combination and the cards in the second row will act as second cards in that combination. In this way, the focus card can now be read. That means that the top three cards will be read as a subject card with two descriptor cards. Next, as a second part of the reading, the two cards in the second row describe an underlying situation. They become the subject cards for which the cards in the third row describe them. The bottom five cards should be read as two subject cards with the remaining three cards as descriptor cards. These combinations function with the intent of a 2 Card Combination, except that the layout is different.
Homework:
Read several 9 Card Squares. Once you are comfortable with the layout, read for others if possible.
Try out other medium-sized spreads.
Write your spreads, interpretations, and conclusions in your notebook.
Chapter 7: Step 5: Petit Tableau
Step 5: The Petit Tableau
Figure 7a
The Petit Tableau, originally titled the “Mini Tableau,” is a spread I designed. I first shared it on YouTube and then published it in the little white book for the Under the Roses Lenormand deck. At the time I designed the Petit Tableau, I was looking for a spread that was larger than the 9 Card Spread and smaller than the Grand Tableau.
The French word “tableau” means arrangement (see Terminology). In the French language, the word “petit” means small and the word “grand” means great or large. Therefore, the Petit Tableau is a small arrangement of images and the Grand Tableau (covered in the next chapter) is a large arrangement of images.
The Petit Tableau is a thorough reading and is another step in undertaking the large spreads.
The Petit Tableau Format
The Petit Tableau is laid out with three rows of five cards and a fourth row of three cards. It is a great fifteen to thirty-minute reading. Like other spreads, you may select a subject or Significator for the center of the second row before shuffling.
We are going to use the techniques from previous chapters to make sense of the Petit Tableau. Remember how 2 Card Combinations fit well into the 9 Card Square? Now, we will use the 9 Card Square to aid in understanding this more elaborate spread (Figure 7a).
Figure 7b
Shuffle, pull, and place cards according to the diagram in Figure 7b. Should you turn the first column, the last column, and the bottom row facedown then a familiar pattern appears. In the center is a 9 Card Square, which you already know how to read. Now, flip all the cards face up and continue reading outward from the central card (position 8) extending the reading lines.
You will also find that the 5 Card Line is in the second row because of the placement of the central card. Though you already know how to read the 5 Card Line, it is necessary to omit the use of the bookends technique because the theme of the reading will now be established a different way.
Theme Corners
The four corners, which are also referred to as “cornerstones,” of the spread represent a theme for the reading. Interpret these two combinations to establish the theme:
The top left and bottom right positions (1+15)
The bottom left and top right positions (11+5)
Destiny Cards
The row at the bottom of the Petit Tableau contains “destiny cards” or “fate cards.” These cards provide a more profound look into the future of one’s life as a whole. Sometimes we get stuck on what’s happening to us right now and forget that our entire life contains lessons or experiences that aren’t limited to our current circumstances. The destiny cards provide an opportunity to look deeper into the querent’s overall life experience. Use card 17 as the subject and use the flanking cards on either side to add descriptions to it (3 Card Line: Method 4).
Timeline
Evaluating timing within spreads can be tricky unless it is clearly defined before laying out the cards. Lenormand can help specify the time by designating the columns as weeks or months in any spread that contains past, present, and future positions. As a result, the generalized timeline of the 5 Card Line or 9 Card Square (Past-Present-Future) can then be defined. It is also possible to declare your intention that the timeline will be a month, five weeks, or six weeks to the Petit Tableau. This makes it very handy to use the Petit Tableau as a monthly reading.
Petit Tableau with Houses
As an additional option, there is an advanced technique called “houses.” It is best if you are already comfortable with the Petit Tableau before adding this technique to the spread.
Houses work well with this eighteen card spread because the entire thirty-six card deck will be used in the layout. It is best if a focus card is not pulled in advance when using this technique.
Figure 7c
As you know by now, Lenormand cards are usually read in pairs. However, here is an exception to that rule. Each “house” represents an aspect or area of the querent’s life. The house cards are placed in the initial eighteen positions and will provide more background information for the cards that are placed on top. They are placeholders or groundwork, an extra bottom layer of cards (Figure 7c), for the reading to come. The houses will not be read as combinations and are incomplete without the reading cards on top of them. Some people look at these cards as another descriptor card to the card that is on top of it, but the cards aren’t intended to be used that way. If anything, the top cards would be a descriptor card to the house card.
Remember, the houses are talking about aspects of life. If the fish house is underneath, this would likely be about the querent’s financial life. If the tree house is underneath, this would likely be about the querent’s health. The fox house might represent career, the dog house might represent friendships, or the garden house might represent a community. For instance, if you have the Mountain on top of the ring house this will likely be about a blockage in the querent’s commitments. If a querent wants to know what is going on in their finances and there is a fish house, look at the card which falls in that fish house. Similarly, if a querent wants to know more about what is happening in their career and there is a fox house, look to see which card falls in that fox house.
Though house meanings are not necessarily based on keywords, you will likely have a good inclination to what each house might represent from your existing list of keywords. It may be beneficial to make an extra list of house meanings. A sample list follows.
Sample House Meanings
Rider – Things upcoming
Clover – Fortune, as in fortunate or unfortunate
Ship – Travel
House – Family or household
Tree – Health
Clouds – Things unforeseen
Snake – Things to look out for
Coffin – Big transitions and loss
Bouquet – Gifts and Abundance
Scythe – Things ending
Whip – Things repeating
Birds – Communication
Child – Recreation
Fox – Career
Bear – Parents
Stars – Possibilities
Stork – New beginnings
Dog – Friendship
Tower – Changing perspectives
Garden – Community
Mountain – Hard challenges
Crossroads – Pressing decisions
Mice – Mounting problems
Heart – Love life
Ring – Commitment
Book – Education
Letter – Results
Gentleman – The querent or a significant person
Lady – The querent or a significant person
Lilies – Well-being
Sun – Success
Moon – Emotions
Key – Forthcoming answers
Fish – Finance
Anchor – Stability
Cross – Spirituality or burdens
The Petit Tableau Quick Reference Guide
1) Shuffle the deck with clear intentions.
2) If using houses, the house cards are placed in their eighteen house positions. Do not read the house cards together as a reading. They are simply placeholders for the reading that will be laid on top of them.
3) Lay out the eighteen cards that you will read with in their positions as shown in Figure 7b (on top of the previous house cards if applicable, Figure 7c). If you elect to use a focus card, pull it from the deck and place it in the central card position (position 8) beforehand.
4) Read the (top) cards outwards from the central card position (position 8), by following the horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines.
5) Notice the timeline as you read the combinations and lines.
6) Read the cornerstones.
7) Read the destiny cards.
8) To find out which house any particular top card is in, simply lift the top card to find out which house is underneath.
Homework:
Read several Petit Tableaus and plan on spending twenty to thirty minutes with each one. Eventually, you’ll gain speed and the readings will take ten to twenty minutes apiece. Take time getting to know the Petit Tableau because it will save time later when we take on the Grand Tableau. Plus, the Petit Tableau is a great all-around spread that you may end up using consistently. It provides detail and can be done in a relatively short amount of time.
Write your spreads, interpretations, and conclusions in your notebook.
Write a House Meanings list in which you describe each area/aspect of life the cards represent.
Practice the Petit Tableau with houses.
Chapter 8: Step 6: Grand Tableau
Step 6: The Grand Tableaus
You have done it! You have made it to the Grand Tableau lesson. Don’t let the size of this sp
read intimidate you. Because we have been going step by step, you already have the necessary skills to tackle these large spreads. You will now apply what you know and add more intricacies to the reading.
The Grand Tableaus are often affectionately called by their acronym, “GT.” There are two different layouts for this spread.
Figure 8a
The first layout style for the Grand Tableau is an 8x4+4 spread (Figure 8a). The position numbers are laid out as:
01·02·03·04·05·06·07·08
09·10·11·12·13·14·15·16
17·18·19·20·21·22·23·24
25·26·27·28·29·30·31·32
33·34·35·36
Figure 8b
The second layout style is a 9x4 spread (Figure 8b). The position numbers are laid out as:
01·02·03·04·05·06·07·08·09
10·11·12·13·14·15·16·17·18
19·20·21·22·23·24·25·26·27
28·29·30·31·32·33·34·35·36
Both versions function similarly and use all thirty-six cards in the deck. The primary difference is that the 8x4+4 is the only one that uses destiny cards.
Lenormand Step by Step Page 5
