Many thanks to InnerWhispers for directing me to Jase's Lenormand Five-Finger Exercise!
Being totally new to the Lenormand deck, I decided to try this 3-card exercise. The steps are these (adapted from the Five-Finger Exercise web page referenced above):
(1) Theme card: Lay out a card. Look at it, think about its meaning, and think about what you want to know regarding that card.
(2) Draw a second card, and it will be the answer to the question.
(3) Optionally, draw a third card and treat this as the outcome of the two cards you’ve already examined.
I am using my French Cartomancy deck (Lo Scarabeo). Here we go!
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| French Cartomancy (Lo Scarabeo) |
I like fish. I eat fish a couple times a week. Fish is the symbol for the zodiac sign Pisces. I see the King of Diamonds on this card, which suggests leadership, control, and/or wise counsel. In the LWB by Laura Twan, keywords for this card upright are "Success proportional to the speed of the action." Her advice is: "Act quickly but without losing your head."
None of this is really *speaking* to me, so I turn to The Secrets of the Lenormand Oracle by Sylvie Steinbach for more clues. According to Steinbach, the Fish card relates to self-employment and freelance work. . . businesses and entrepreneurs. Now we're getting somewhere! I am the sole proprietor of three small businesses. It looks like the question I need to ask here relates to that area of my life.
My question: What do I need to understand about my jewelry-making business?
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| French Cartomancy (Lo Scarabeo) |
To me, a fox symbolizes slyness and cleverness, instinctive behavior, adaptability, and survival. Twan's advice: "Always be watchful of other people's plans: Some could harm you." Her keywords for the upright card: "Vigilance, astuteness, hidden intentions." Hmmm... it sounds like in my jewelry business, I need to be alert when dealing with or collaborating with other people.
Interestingly, Steinbach writes: "The fox usually applies to a job while the fish card talks about a business." She adds that the card "could also reveal deceit, lies and manipulation. . . traps and disloyalty among 'friends' or coming from new acquaintances. Prudence in all actions and words is advisable."
I like to think that I am always prudent where my jewelry business is concerned, but it seems I need to make sure to be extra vigilant in this area.
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| French Cartomancy (Lo Scarabeo) |
Yikes. I am very leery of snakes, mainly because I don't have ready knowledge about which ones are poisonous and which are harmless. However, if I know that a particular snake is not poisonous and I am allowed to interact with it in a controlled environment (for example, a zoo or animal park), I'm okay.
Twan describes this card reversed as representing "hypocrisy, justified jealousy, misplaced trust." She advises: "Don't trust a woman who is dark-haired, kind, and loving only in appearance."
Steinbach writes: "The snake predicts difficulties of all sorts: disappointments, jealousy, manipulations and tricks brought on by familiar people." Further, Steinbach states that the number 7 could symbolize that the outcome could occur in 7 days, 7 weeks, or during the month of July. Snake plus Fish: "business troubles, illegal practices." Snake plus Fox: "serious enemies, bad employee, tough job."
Oh dear. Fortunately I believe that an Outcome card typically represents what might happen IF the advice of the other cards in a spread is not followed. So I feel that if I remain vigilant (or possibly raise my own personal threat level somewhat), I should be able to detect and avoid the disastrous results suggested by the Snake.
This has been. . . well, maybe not fun exactly but certainly informative and intriguing. I shall try it again sometime!
Or maybe not of it applies? That's the problem (IMO) of just doing readings to "try things out": you get answers, but they may not even be applicable. Better to create the life (and business) you want, rather than open the door to fear and suspicion when there's absolutely nothing to be concerned about. Just my opinion. :o)
ReplyDeleteVery good points, Janet. I'm not one to take a reading like this too much to heart. It was interesting to see what cards came up and how they interacted as I learn my way around this deck.
DeleteI tried this out with the only Lenormand deck I have which is the Gypsy:
ReplyDeleteTheme I got 4 the Caravan - to me that is a home and home is where you are safe, secure and even successful but a Caravan is movable so it also could represent travel or moving forward don't you think.
Perhaps the question that can come out of this card is how do I move forward in order to create something secure and succesfull?
Answer: 16 The Stars, there is a ladder in this image that reaches up to all those stars, I wonder if it is telling me to following my dreams? Maybe it's saying the way forward is through my imagination, it can be set to reach limits that I maybe thought were not possible. Perhaps it's suggesting that one must allow themself to feel inspired in order to be successful and then the ladder to show me that that will also allow my artistic talent to grow.
Outcome: 33 Key - well we all know that keys open doors, it seems quiet simply to be saying following the advice of the card above and you will be able to open new door for yourself. Perhaps its saying that I myself hold the key to success in my hands, and its how I act with what I have that will either lock or unlock my potential.
Fun exercise ^_^
Hi Helen! I'm so glad you did this exercise -- what interesting and inspiring cards you got. It is a fun exercise, isn't it.
DeleteHi Zanna,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your experience with this exercise. You captured your thought process very well.
I don't know anybody who relies on the LWB by Laura Tuan. While I'm sure she put some effort into it, that is the only source that uses Lenormand reversals, which immediately makes it suspect to me. Lenormand relies on pairs to add nuance, rather than reversed cards, which it shares with other European oracles. So I'd suggest not relying to heavily on that book, although as with anything else when it comes to card reading, you are in charge of your own path. :)
I'm with you on the Fish as business. As you note, for Steinbach the Fox primarily is a work or job card, and secondarily about slyness and deception. (For other traditional readers, it is lies first and work-related on occasion.) Just for an alternate thought, suppose the Fox is talking about a steady client -- a source of regular commissions that is like a steady job or contract. Would that change anything for your interpretation?
I don't have anything against Snakes, but I have adopted them as a bad news card. :) As someone once wrote, "Mice is little problems versus Snake is big problems."
With this exercise, I wouldn't normally look for any major messages, especially when learning the deck. For example, if I thought there was a message of physical injury, I'd expect a papercut or stubbing my toe. (Although I find papercuts very annoying!) So following on with the Fox as a steady client/contract, then the Snake could indicate that this person doesn't have your best interests at heart, or is looking at a loophole, or perhaps even wanting to back out. Again, I would look for a less severe meaning in this case. Maybe it's just that the person is inclined to harangue you because they can!
Interestingly, the idea that popped in my head while reading your post was a bad clasp. Maybe check your supplies carefully, particularly if you are making any "loopy" type of jewelry.
Thanks for letting me know you tried this exercise!
--Jase
Hello Jase! Thank you so much for your insights and observations. I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment on this. I'm glad you mentioned not using reversals, as it just didn't seem logical to me to do so. I will certainly give some thought to what you suggested!
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