Lenormand deck: understand the cards in the gypsy deck and more!

The Lenormand deck reveals another way to peek behind the veil of present, past and future. One of the biggest advantages of using it is its intuitive appearance, the small number of cards and the fact that it helps you to visualize the possible outcome or the course of action you want to take.

Each of its 36 letters are associated with a central figure that is part of the daily lives of many people, especially those of gypsy origin. For this reason, this deck is also affectionately called the “gypsy deck”, as it illustrates part of the daily life of this mystical and powerful people.

By having symbols of the minor arcana on each blade, the Lenormand deck is highly recommended for checking on everyday matters. In addition, it can be used to develop self-awareness and is beloved by many people because of its precision and the thoughtful way it usually conveys messages.

This article is a kind of introductory manual to the meanings of these cards. We also present its history, origin and reading methods so that you can use it to get the answers you need so much, on a journey with lots of music, joy and mystery of this mystical people.

The Lenormand deck is considered a classic tarot deck. Its atmosphere is very intuitive and, therefore, it is ideal for obtaining clear and objective answers to your personal questions. Ideal for beginners, as it has fewer cards (only 36 compared to the 78 of the Tarot de Marseille), we reveal its secrets below. Check out.

The origin of the Lenormand deck dates back to the 19th century. Since then, it has been used as a divinatory tool, similarly to its more traditional predecessor, the Tarot de Marseille.

Its 36 cards have been used over the last 200 years, especially in the regions of France and Germany, due to its more tangible symbology, which makes more reference to matters of the physical plane than those of a psychological or spiritual nature, for example.

Because it emerged in France, it refers to themes from the French interior, supported by the popular knowledge of the gypsy people. Understand your story below.

The Lenormand deck was developed by Madame Lenormand in the late 18th century. Her oldest deck, dating between 1799 and 1800, is still preserved in the British Museum in London.

Originally, the Lenormand deck was called ‘Das Spiel der Hoffnung’, a German expression meaning “The Game of Hope”, it was used as a parlor game, but, over time, the images of the cards were adopted to divinatory and esoteric purposes.

It was only after the death of the then known Sibila dos Salões that this deck was known as Lenormand, in homage to the surname of the fortune teller who used it.

Madame Lenormand was born under the name of Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand in the year 1772 in France. Considered the greatest fortune teller of all time, she was an extremely important figure in the popularization of French fortune telling, which had its roots in the late 18th century.

Born to poor parents, Madame Lenormand rose to fame during the historic period known as the Napoleonic Era, giving advice to extremely influential people of the time.

She died in 1843 in Paris, where she is buried. Her greatest legacy was, without a doubt, leaving the secrets of her deck to later generations who could benefit from them.

The Lenormand deck in Brazil has become increasingly popular. Introduced by Gypsies and people who are adherents of the French cartomancy tradition, this powerful deck is known here as the Gypsy deck.

It is very common that the term “Lenormand” is not used to refer to it, since in the Brazilian imagination, this Tarot belongs to the gypsy people. There are different versions of the Lenormand deck in Brazil, so choose the one that best suits you. Pay attention to the graphic quality of the print, as it varies according to the edition and publisher.

To play the Madame Lenormand deck, you can use different methods. The simplest of these is to draw one or three cards to get a more direct answer to your questions.

In addition to this method, we will present another more complex one known as the Pedalan Method. But don’t worry: we make your life easier, everything will be well “chewed” for you.

In this method, you’ll ask a question and draw one or three cards to get the answer you’re looking for. If you opted for the issue of a single letter, it means that this letter will bring you the answer to your question.

If you decide to draw three consecutive cards, you’ll have to look at the meaning of each card individually and then “add them up” to get the answer you need. In other words, the answer to the 3-card spread is the combination of card meanings.

To exemplify this simple method, let’s imagine the following situations:

1) You asked the question “Should I go to the gym today?”, shuffled your Tarot and took out the “Knight” card. This is the energy card, so the answer to your question is “yes”.

2) With the same question in mind, you decided to draw three cards instead of one and received a yes, a no and a yes. So yes is the prevalent answer, so the answer to your question is yes.

To facilitate reading with three, cards, you can follow the following scheme:

Answer YES: three yes cards, two yes cards + one no card or two yes cards + one maybe card.

Answer NO: three no cards, two no cards + a maybe card, or two no cards + a yes card.

Answer MAYBE: three maybe cards, two maybe cards + one yes card, two maybe cards + one no card, or one maybe card + one yes card + one no card.

The Pedalan Method consists of a spread of 5 cards, arranged in the shape of a cross. It is used to answer very specific questions within a well defined period of time. This method was developed by the French author Joséphin Pédalan, who was a Catholic with a fascination with the occult.

To follow him, take 5 cards from your Tarot already shuffled and arrange them as a cross. The card on the left end is number 1. The card on the right end is card 2.

At the top of the cross is card number 3, while at the bottom is card 4. At the center of all the cards is card 5. Understand their meanings according to the following points:

a) Letter 1: indicates a positive direction, containing the elements of the querent’s present situation;
b) Letter 2: indicates the negative direction and reveals the factors that are disturbing the present;
c) Letter 3: indicates the path to be followed to solve the problem.
d) Card 4: indicates the result.
e) Card 5: represents the summary of the issue, since it is at the center of all factors.

Card 1 is the Knight. Representative of energy, the Knight means passion, activity and speed, bringing news and messages. Understand what these messages are next.

As it represents the arrival, the answer brought by the rider is “YES”. Use your energy and passion to act on the topic of your question. As you suspected, this is exactly what you were thinking.

The knight shows that something is approaching you. So prepare your way for this arrival. A positive aspect of the knight is that energies that were blocking your way through delays are finally released. So something is about to happen, stirring up the passion and energy within you.

The knight also symbolizes a busy day and the news on the way could come through news, an event or even a person. However, a negative aspect is that what is to come will not last long. So be on the lookout to seize the opportunity.

Clover is card 2, representative of luck. She means happiness in the little things, opportunities and lightness of heart. In addition, the Clover card is related to fun and the feeling of well-being typical of those who are calm in life.

As an indicator of luck and fortune, the Clover card is a clear “YES”. Be prepared for positive changes and developments that are explained only as coincidences and fortuitous events.

Just like finding a clover in real life, this card signals luck or coincidences that bring positive energies into your life. In addition to this positive aspect, it is associated with opportunities and the small pleasures of life. So, enjoy what you have around you, as these pleasures are fleeting.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to act, this is the card for you. It is important that you take charge of your life and take action so that you can reap the fruit that you so desire to enjoy. And you better hurry, because time is running against you.

A negative aspect of this card can come from the light nature it indicates. While feeling good is a positive thing, not assuming your responsibilities the way you should is something that can bring problems. Avoid playing too much, as there are times when you have to take things seriously.

The Ship is card number 3. Its energy is linked to the seas and indicates themes such as travel (especially on the waters), adventure and the beginning of a journey. Like every trip, the Ship presupposes distance, farewell and departure.

The ship represents travel and the beginning of a journey to something new. Therefore, it is associated with the answer “YES”.

The Ship is the letter of journeys. It can mean that you are going on a journey to a faraway place, but it is also associated with your state of mind, as it is ruled by the suit of spades.

You may be wanting to see new places and conquer the world and therefore you will end up finding yourself on a journey sooner or later, in which you will distance yourself from what you are familiar with. It also addresses your desire to distance yourself from something or someone.

On a negative level, it can signify a storm and issues related to distance. It could indicate moving away from your family nucleus, a long-distance relationship or even a business trip that will bring you the feeling of leaving, as it will involve goodbyes.