The Language of Lenormand: A Practical Guide for Everyday Divination

by Erika Robinson, Julienne Irons (reader)

A much-needed guide to this increasingly popular divination system written by a Lenormand master and teacher. 

The Lenormand deck, consisting of 36 numbered and named cards, has been popular in Europe for centuries, and has now been embraced in North America by tarot enthusiasts, oracle readers, and others. Each card depicts an archetype – a fox, a snake, a coffin, or whip, for example – rather than tarot's somewhat more involved symbology. This makes the Lenormand system an easy entry point to divination.

Respected Lenormand authority, Erika Robinson believes that Lenormand is not just a deck of cards, but is also a language that, if mastered, can help one achieve self-empowerment and the ability to attain the life you desire. In this, her first book, Robinson, a longtime English teacher, helps readers become fluent in the language of Lenormand. The author provides a guide to the meanings of each card, so that no prior knowledge of Lenormand is required, however this is a sophisticated Lenormand book that takes Lenormand to the next level and is suitable for those who are already familiar with it.

Genres: Witchcraft, Spirituality, Divination

Audio CD

Published October 2, 2023

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zero stars.

I didn't know much about Lenormand; this was my first book about it. I wouldn't recommend it.

tl;dr This book suffers from Robinson's desire to teach Lenormand to beginners as well as teach her interpretation of the cards, which, in my humble beginner's opinion, seem to clash in pretty confusing ways. It also suffers from her not knowing her audience: either you're writing for beginners (who, for example, should not be experienced enough to give out medical advice) or you're writing for intermediate readers looking to expand how they read. For a divination tradition with a defined structure, setting a strong foundation seems critical for success. This book fails to do so before branching out with additional or supplementary concepts.

Sorry for the length (under the spoiler.)

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This book is structured so you learn three cards at a time and do an exercise between each group. You get the number, name, keywords, and a couple paragraphs expanding on each card. This format doesn't make any sense because Robinson says (frequently) that a given card can mean a bunch of often conflicting things. The key to knowing which meaning is relevant is to look at the other cards—Lenormand cards are never meant to be read by themselves.

"But wait," I hear you say. "If any card could mean anything, how do you know which meaning is which when you have several cards on the table?" Well, you simply have to ask Spirit (or Source, a Higher Power, etc.) to tell you which card has which meaning! If you don't use/believe in Spirit, well… you're just gonna have to read with your ego and get a lesser result, I guess?

This book was highly recommended to me because of the author's thirty years as a public school English teacher. I thought, based on her introduction in the ebook sample, that there would be more emphasis on a literary, grammar-like approach to this system instead of a woo-woo one. So... I'm glad I checked this book out of the library.

Robinson gives too much conflicting advice. For one example, she constantly says she dislikes the "Taroistic" reading approach. This includes gleaning the meaning of a card from the image, and ascribing positive or negative values to the card (remember: a card could mean anything!) With Clouds, the card is sometimes illustrated with a side in shadow (dark) and in the sun (light). Robinson says it's a little racist to ascribe good or bad meanings to cards on the light and dark sides of the Cloud, so don't do that.* However, later she says the Stars card will "...sometimes will show a galaxy of stars in the night sky. This puts one in mind of pills, which are small and come in multiples, so the card can reference medicine dispensed in such form. Stars sprinkled against a dark background also bring to mind a rash..." (123-124). She'll also often say "X is always a good card" or "X is never a good sign when it shows up," despite reminding you—sometimes in the same section—that it's Taroistic to give positive/negative values to cards and you shouldn't do it. I couldn't find a rhyme or reason to why she'd break her own rules (or the Lenormand rules?)

It's also Taroistic to bend the meaning of the cards; a cloud is a cloud is a cloud. This is what separates Lenormand from other card-based divination systems. However, Robinson has added her own personal keywords to cards, like "teenage girl" being added to Bouquet, while keeping seemingly insensitive and/or outdated keywords... because that's just the way things are done. For example Snake can mean a problem, or a same-sex couple, or a "clever woman." Robinson says of the last two keywords it's "truly reflective of the time during which this divination system was devised. . . each card functions within a system governed by parameters and perimeters that must be observed" (56). Again, when Fox can mean a job, a self-indulgent, sly, self-serving person, or a foreigner... well, that's not something racist that needs addressing, apparently, because accents are sexy. Or when Dog, referring to someone loyal, trustworthy, or in a "healing and helping" profession like police officer... "I'll just leave that there for you to ponder" (133). But Clouds? Cut that subtle racist stuff O-U-T.

The biggest issue I had with bending the card meanings was with the Stars, Man, and Woman cards. For Stars, which appear earlier in the book, Robinson says (emphasis mine):

Speaking of the future, something that I find charming and amusing is the fact that Stars (16) is also the card representing the internet and all things social media. Lenormand is a living language and must be viewed the same way we view, for example, the American Constitution: able to be interpreted in new ways to fit new circumstances.

Compare this to what she says about Man:

Lenormand was created in a certain era and a certain cultural context, and so some may find offensive the very idea of a Man (28) card as representative of [Masculine, Aggressive, Assertive, Yang Energy]. I am acknowledging that, and then suggesting that, for the purposes of making Lenormand an oracle that works for us, we move on from that place. The oracle is what it is, created in a historical context, but like our American Constitution's aim to make of the country a more perfect union, Lenormand must also be viewed with patience and flexibility.

Robinson mentions earlier with the Snake that some Lenormand decks have gender neutral Man and Woman cards, or multiple gendered cards so you can have a same-sex paring, but she doesn't have anything to add here. I can understand why: she doesn't often use these as significator cards, but that still begs the question of why are they still in the deck? I found this section a little disappointing from a master reader, especially one who's already taken the liberty to add "internet and social media" keywords to a card, among other changes. How would Man and Woman work in a modern age where the gender binary isn't so set in stone? Or when a reader prefers to use other cards as significators?

I've read a few tarot books, and most touch on the ethical side of reading cards. Some general advice is: do not read for medical, legal, or financial questions, and do not do a reading for someone who is not present. Robinson has, for most of this book, no such qualms. The cards can diagnose or discuss dementia, depression, narcissism**, cancer (?!), pregnancy, and so on. You can do a reading for someone who asks, "Why is my friend depressed?" because the cards will be more accurate than any person-to-person advice(?) Telling someone they've got weight issues is a touchy subject, sure, but there's a card for that, too. Spirit will tell your querent/sitter what they need to know ;)

The first time you get any kind of "don't read for medical, legal, financial topics if you're a beginner" warning is on page 124 (of 314), right after Robinson says the Stars card often "denotes cancer which has metastasized." (again, !?!?!?). But after that, she falls back to the advice that reading for Big Heavy Topics is okay if you want to do it.

Another reviewer mentioned this book feels repetitive and sometimes patronizing, referring specifically to a passage teaching the reader how to pronounce "scythe." I'd like to add that one keyword for that card is "murder," and that doesn't get touched on at all in the longer passages. You just learn how to pronounce scythe, what a scythe is, what it does IRL, and another reminder not to glean meaning from how the scythe is drawn. I wouldn't be surprised if you could also solve cold cases from your favorite true crime podcast with this. (Please don't try.)

The Lenormand divination system has rules and set definitions that you must follow. It's 200 years old, so some meanings are dated or outright offensive. You just have to deal with it... Except for these other cards, which should be interpreted in new ways to fit new circumstances because Lenormand's a living language. I spent a couple days pouring over this book, taking meticulous notes, and learned so much conflicting information that I'm basically still exactly where I started. The only thing I really learned is that I could grab a deck of playing cards and a Sharpie and make my own system just as easily. The rules don't matter! (Except for when they do.)***


* I agree that it's good to examine your personal biases, and why you give a symbol its meaning. But, IMO, storm clouds are often an imposing, dark mass in the sky. Going out at night without a light is scary, and so on. Sometimes a dark thing is scary on its own, but I digress.
** Described as "someone with certain traits that makes them difficult" and "someone who specializes in the fine art of gaslighting." Don't expect a serious conversation about personality disorders despite getting ones for pregnancy and cancer.
*** Except for when they don't.

[Russell Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Lenormand book

Love this book. The writing is great. The engagement with the reader and the reader’s engagement with their deck all flow so well. You can tell this was written by an experienced educator and someone with deep love for Lenormand. This is my new book to recommend when I recommend books on Lenormand.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know anything about the Lenormand system before reading this. Afterwards I feel that there is a lot of the history that I still don't know, which is fine, but the practice of using the cards has been covered very, very well.
I have a lot of work to do memorizing and playing with the symbols and meanings, but the book feels like a good guide to that work and I don't feel the need to buy any other source, at least not yet.
I might have come perilously close to breaking my 'no self help books this year' rule, but I'm going to let it slide.

[Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book with interesting, easily digestible content. It's conversational, though at times it can feel repetitive and a touch patronising, such as the passage that explained how to pronounce the word "scythe".

[Andrew K Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

This book is so well laid out that learning this system her way is easy and super fun. After reading it I am taking Erika's online Lenormand course. Can't wait to get started.

[E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate this being on audio. I find it very approachable.