Here is a straightforward example of reading the Lenormand using a basic cartomancy spread. One card is drawn and indicates what is primarily on the querent’s mind, which alludes to the theme. (I’ve done a similar thing in the past with a three card daily, where a subject card is chosen first, giving a 1 + 3 card reading.) Then five cards are drawn, and read from left to right, building a story. It’s similar to the “line of five,” except I think it gets away from the algebraic approach that most people think is inherently required with the Lenormand.

When my house and yard suffered damage related to Hurricane Sandy a couple of autumns ago, parts of the fence and deck needed to be replaced. That work was done this past January. When the snow melted and I took a closer look, I noticed that some of the wood was questionable so I contacted the fence company. My sales representative is coming out this morning to review the work.

I asked the Lenormand cards: what will the outcome of this visit be from my perspective?

reading-fence-20140519ASS Lenormand – click for larger image

Snake – Dog – Scythe – Ship – Mountain – Key

The Snake is indicative of problems, which is apt, given that I have someone coming to review problematic work. These are known problems, and in my mind it seems like a big thing — which is important to note, as this card is about my state of mind. In reality, this likely isn’t a huge effort to fix, and it reminds me that I am blowing my concerns out of proportion. (Yes, I tend to do that). I’m mainly worried about whether the company will support me as I’d expect.

Now we move into the five-card spread, which Lenormand readers will usually read by itself. The Dog, which often indicates friendship, can also show a trusted professional. I believe that to be the case here, showing the man who’s coming out. Followed by the Scythe it also makes me think of someone who uses tools, which is appropriate for a company that does a lot of wood working. So far, I feel these cards are also attuned to my question and situation.

The Scythe itself can be a troubling card, but I take it to mean a quick decision will be made about the work. Ship and Mountain are a little worrying; all I can think of is that a delay will be headed my way with the work that I long to have done! Things end on a good note with the Key, symbolizing that the outcome of this visit will be quite satisfactory, or in my favor, from my perspective.

Looking a bit more at the Ship, which is pivotal in the central location, I recall that the man who did the bulk of the work that includes the “bad” wood wasn’t a native English speaker. The Ship can mean someone from far away — a foreigner — so perhaps this man plays into the situation. In any case, this is likely to become clear after events play out.

People can really get caught up in the mechanics of reading the Lenormand. While this has merit when learning, especially for people who aren’t used to cards influencing their neighbors, I disagree that there is a strict or infallible mathematical approach to “card combining” in practice. I read tarot and playing cards in what I call a cartomantic fashion, where a card’s meaning is modified by its neighbors. I don’t think Lenormand is very different, especially if you consider its cartomancy roots.

Immediate outcome: it was a short visit. The sales rep was very polite and friendly. He didn’t think my concerns were a big deal, and he is going to have two pieces of wood railing that I wasn’t happy with replaced. It’s hard to say when it will be done, though, because they have a lot of jobs lined up, so it could be several weeks before anybody is able to come out. They’ll fit me in when they can.