top of page
Writer's picture@thecardgeek

Lenormand - How to read the additional cards!

Many strict Le Petit Lenormand readers will take the extra cards (anything above no. 36) straight out of the deck, but you may be keen to read that Le Petit Lenormand decks weren't always a 36 Card deck! There are versions up to 52 cards dating back to the early 19th Century - and with the Mlle Lenormand name too (sometimes even Mme Lenormand - the horror!)!


In Germany around the 1840s an incredible amount of variations on the Lenormand deck were released, many contained the core 36 cards in order followed by "extras" and some contained the core 36 cards but interspersed with cards such as "Wine" or "Swords" etc. One of my favourite decks, the DDR Lenormand (image 1) was released in East Berlin and contains the full compliment of 52 cards.


The concept of an evolving Le Petit Lenormand "Wahrsagekarten" (Fortune Telling cards) is not a modern invention and deck designers are not "doing a disservice" by adding them. Many decks contain additional cards above the 36 "standard" (if your deck does comment below!) and the deck designer is the hand which decides how that oracle could be enhanced.




I have heard so many readers say "but the artist isn't a reader, how can they apply meanings?" - also somewhat of a moot point - the Lenormand deck as we know it was released by a gentleman who was a board game maker and marketer! Maybe that baseline was taken from an earlier version of coffee ground reading but, if so, certain meanings were changed in the process, by the designer.


So how do we treat the extra cards in a deck?


Quite simple, we respect the system! If you are reading Lenormand you will continue to use the same "language" and card interactions.



Let's take Ciro Marchetti's new deck - Sui Generis - and the additional cards therein:


The additional cards are:


37. Time

38. Well

39. Dice

40. Mask

41. Bridge

42. Compass

43. Maze

44. Lens


The meanings of the cards are provided with the deck and based on those we are going to create the early 19th century Lenormand type instructions to work with the near / far method.



37 Time - Take time to assess what is important, when Time falls near. With Tower nearby we can expect a long time to pass before fruition. When far, you are neglecting the cards around Time.


38 Well - Dig deep and you will find more to the story, when close to a significator, look within. 39 Dice - Game playing is fun, but beware when negative cards attend, a gamble could be dangerous.

40 Mask - Beware what is being projected, it may not be quite what it seems. When near, the querent should consider their own role at play.


41 Bridge - Bridge brings cards left and right into one.

42 Compass - Where are you on your life's journey, take stock and follow the guidance presented.


43 Maze - When near the road is winding, creating a frustrating separation from people or goals, when far the cards around are cast into uncertainty.

44 Lens - Pay attention to the cards around Lens, you're missing something important.


LET'S APPLY IN A READING!


A week ahead for a female querent - two of the additional cards fall (Bridge & Dice). Looking at the meanings above we can see that Bridge brings the flanking cards into one - decisions (22 Crossroads) and trade (36 Anchor) - already showing that the week ahead will see the querent making super important decisions on the business!


Sui Generis Lenormand - 9 Card Spread
Sui Generis Lenormand - 9 Card Spread

Woman shows up at the bottom making all the cards NEAR, they are all influencing her (above her bearing down) showing this is a week that comes with both good and bad (auspicious and inauspicious!). She is playing a little by the seat of her pants in getting her workload sorted and she will be struggling as she goes into the week with the to do list! So many loose ends to tie up! As she exits the week (reading directionally) she has everything she needs to go into the weekend, she will manage the perfect balance of sticking to commitments and making those tough decisions! With Ring over Bridge we can be sure that she will manage the priority list well.


Want to learn more about Lenormand or any other Fortune Telling System? Join us at the World Divination Association Virtual Conference:







27,613 views11 comments

Recent Posts

See All

11 Comments


Debbie Smith
Debbie Smith
Jun 18, 2022

I wonder if anyone can help me please! I have received a pack of Gilded Reverie Lenormand Expanded Edition cards as a gift. I have the extra cards 37-44 my card spread was 30, 34, 20, 26, 9, 24, 18 then 39 & 38. Could anyone interpret what they mean please? I have never used these type of cards before.

Many Thanks

Like

demers.monique
Feb 25, 2022

I have that deck as well, i noticed those two inversions as well ( the Well , and Bridge!!) beautiful illustrations, spot on readings!!

Like

pbayj2012
pbayj2012
Jan 30, 2022

Hi Toni! Got your kipper cards, & book, a while back, found them excellent, so many uses (like finding misplaced things!). Anyway, found a 52 card deck online, "The Maybe Lenormand", but can't find any pix of the extra cards. Have you seen them ? Aside from that, thought I'd share about this deck I got after using an app with them from Google Play. For me, MUCH too complicated and deep, for all that I study tarot, but may appeal to some super-experienced people. The Astro-Mythological by Mlle Lenormand/Grand Jeu de Mlle Lenormand (Grimaud) seems to have no connection whatever with the petit lenormand decks I have (French Cartomancy, Piatnik Wahrsagekarten, & Ciro Marchetti's Expanded), beyond also having …


Like

Sue Farrelly
Sue Farrelly
Nov 22, 2021

Two Koi Moon Etsy has a deck called the Yellow Sun Lenormand. It has the extra cards and 44 stands for money with the meanings written on the cards. I haven't seen the other extra cards yet but it goes to show that the extra cards don't have standard meanings


Like

leandrormrc
Sep 02, 2021

good content cos it was hard to find their meanings online, now it can be looked up without the booklet . But I still prefer not to use them.

Like
Pink and Tan Flowers Modern Artisan Business X-Frame Banner.png
bottom of page