Tarot Lenormand: Grand Jeu et Petit Jeu

The Lenormand Tarot is little known, as it radically breaks with the usual structure and interpretations of cartomancy. Its origins lie in Europe, probably in Germany, in the 18th century, based on a card game called "das Spiel der Hoffnung" (the game of hope). However, its name comes from the French fortune teller Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand, famous for being consulted by great figures of the time, such as Napoleon. Shortly after her death, two decks bearing her name appeared, more due to fame than true authorship: the Grand Jeu Lenormand and the Petit Jeu Lenormand. However, if we were to consider which deck this psychic might have used, we would have to choose a piquet or poker deck, due to its discretion, or, in terms of tarot itself, the only public tarot deck of the time, the Etteilla.

The Grand Jeu Lenormand

The Grand Jeu Lenormand (The Great Game) consisted of a complete deck of 54 cards, replacing the "jokers" with a man and a woman. It was published two years after Lenormand's death, in 1845. These are not the cards she used,as we have already mentioned; however, attempts have been made to find a connection between the system she might have used and the reason for releasing such an inaccessible deck to the public. This tarot deck is characterized by its complexity, as it contains constellations, images from Greek mythology, flowers, and letters of alchemical significance, and therefore required extensive knowledge of these cards. For this reason, it can also be found nicknamed "the astro-mythological tarot."

On a standard playing card, we would find the space divided into three horizontal bands:

- In the top band, we would see the equivalent of a poker card in the upper left corner, a letter and a geomantic figure in the right corner, and between them, a constellation.

- In the middle band, we would find the main image.

- In the bottom band, we could see an image in the lower left corner and another in the lower right corner, and between them, an illustration of flowers.

Each of these elements would have a specific meaning for the interpretation:

• Poker card. In principle, simply a connection to the playing card deck, although some fortune tellers evaluate the number and suit as if it were a tarot card.
• Constellation. An astrological relationship, which can be a zodiac sign, a specific position, an astronomical date... Constellations do not actually correspond to the correct position of the stars, so other scholars conclude that it must be a more visual and less cultivated interpretation.
• The letter of the alphabet and the geomantic figure. The letter seems intended to clarify the meaning of the card, however, there is no consensus about what it refers to. Perhaps the name of a person or place? An action to be performed? As for the geomantic figure, its meaning can be determined by reading the usual interpretation that has always been given to it. You can read more about these figures in this article: Ilm-al-Raml, the science of sands. Western Geomancy.
• Main image. Usually related to a myth, it would be necessary to know the myth and the moment represented, and relate it to the query being asked. It may seem simple, but it is not: sometimes we are faced with a myth of the constellations, sometimes simply a single character that we must identify by external attributes, and other times, a complex scene that takes place within a larger mythical cycle. To all this, we must add that the illustration itself will sometimes be done in Greek attire and other times with clothes from different eras. There are also cases in which a classical myth is not depicted, but rather an alchemical phase. Therefore, it is not enough to have knowledge of mythology and astrology; it is also necessary to master alchemy. A madness for any uninitiated.
• The lower left image. Separately, it has a prior relationship with the main image. If read in a spread, it will be related to what happened in the card on the left.
• The flowers. Despite attempts to interpret flowers by their colors or origins (wild, cultivated, the time of bloom, etc.), it seems most likely that they should be interpreted according to the elaborate flower language of the British Victorian era.
• The lower right image. Separately, it has a subsequent relationship with the main image. If read in a spread, it will be related to what happened in the card on the right.

Working with this tarot turns each card into a complete reading, which must be related, like a story, with the other cards that have come out in the reading, normally read in order, like a narrative... but this entails countless efforts to avoid contradictions, whichs crossed meanings, as well as "not skipping" the disruptive message of an element that is not understood or that seems completely out of place. This tarot is no longer in print, with the exception of collector's editions and those who offer them in electronic formats.

Of the 54 cards, two represent the consultants (male and female, who replace the jokers), and the remaining 52 are divided into five groups by theme:

-The Argonauts/Golden Fleece, with the 10 of Diamonds, 9 of Diamonds, 4 of Diamonds, and the King of Clubs, Nine of Clubs, and Ace of Clubs. They symbolize trade, travel, and exchange.

-The Trojan War, with the 10 of clubs, 6 of clubs, 5 of clubs, 2 of spades, and 8 of spades, and finally, the Queen of Diamonds and the Jack of Diamonds. They represent strength in a broad sense, including effort and labor, but also confrontation.

-Alchemy or Hermetic science, with the 7 of spades, 8 of clubs, 4 of clubs, and 3 of clubs, and the 10 of hearts, 7 of hearts, and 6 of hearts. It represents the union of things, and therefore love, courtship, and marriage.

-Time, with the Queen of Hearts, the Page of Hearts, the 9 of Hearts, and the 4 of Hearts; the Page of Spades, the 5 of Spades, and the Ace of Spades; 8 of Diamonds, 5 of Diamonds, and 3 of Diamonds; and finally, the 9 of Clubs and the 7 of Clubs. There are twelve cards, each representing a zodiac sign, recognizable by the main image. They represent time, seasons, months, and life stages. The 9 of Clubs is a card that "repeats" itself within the Argonauts.

Regarding time cards, some choose the presented option of seasons, months, zodiacal bands, etc., and others choose a predetermined list of time periods indicated by each sign, depending on the school they follow. The easiest and most common way to avoid confusion in these cases is to count three days at a time, starting with Aries. Thus, the card representing Aries (the Page of Hearts) indicates that something will happen in 3 days. The card representing Taurus (the Ace of Spades) in 6 days, etc.

-The unexpected, which contains the missing cards: Queen of Clubs, Jack of Clubs, 2 of Clubs; King of Diamonds, 7 of Diamonds, 6 of Diamonds, 2 of Diamonds, and Ace of Diamonds; King of Hearts, 8 of Hearts, 5 of Hearts, 3 of Hearts, 2 of Hearts, and Ace of Hearts; and finally, King of Spades, Queen of Spades, 10 of Spades, 4 of Spades, and 3 of Spades. These cards appear to have illustrations that quickly prompt reflection and understanding of the message, with no further explanation.

We will analyze each card and each card by group in future articles.

As for spreads, the most common are three-card spreads, which can be read as the beginning, cause and outcome, past, present, or future... or, if arranged in a triangle, as the consultation and the possible outcomes or intervening parties. Or, by creating a triangle with the two images in the lower corners of the top card and those in the left and right corners of the lower cards. This spread is a "double" spread, since the triangle formed by the four images in the corners of the three cards would give a different answer.

Other common spreads are the cross spread, with various interrelationships of the corners of the central card and the arms of the cross, and the astrological spread, with 12 cards, each representing a zodiacal house and interpreting its meaning within the context of that house.

However, Lenormand readings are usually performed only by professionals and very often as a reflective exercise rather than pure divination.

The Little Game of Lenormand

As for the Little Game of Lenormand, it was released five years after the fortune teller's death and was relatively more successful, most likely because all the complexity of its older brother was eliminated in favor of open and visual interpretations. This deck is still in use today, although equally limited.

This is undoubtedly a deck that clearly bears traces of inspiration from the Spiel das Hoffnung. Furthermore, it is believed that the cards, due to their number and their relationship to traditional poker cards, were also inspired by the French "piquet" deck, which had about 32 or 36 cards, and which would have served to keep the divinatory use hidden under the image of a normal playing deck. Because of its French relationship, this deck was said to be the one used by Madame Lenormand, but again, we are dealing with a publicity stunt.

Like Spiel das Hoffnung, Petit Lenormand has a main figure on each card, and at the top (corner or center, depending on the design) the corresponding playing card. It is generally made up of 36

Cards with 36 different designs. Their meanings vary depending on the manual and the fortune teller, as one of their bases is the visual and literal meaning: for example, the Garden card (8 of Spades) can symbolize a place of rest and joy, a party, a gathering with friends... but if the question is, "Where will I find X?" the cards would directly indicate a garden or a place with flowers.

This will become clearer when we explain the motifs of the cards, because otherwise, the interpretations could be endless, especially if we consider all the types of questions and contexts that may arise. Therefore, we will be very concise here and, as in the previous case, we will expand on this in future articles.

The Rider - 9 of Hearts. Messages, visits.

The Club - 6 of Diamonds. Luck, money.

The Ship - 10 of Spades. Distances.

The House - King of Hearts. Father, husband, home.

The Tree - 7 Hearts. Nature, growth.

The Clouds - 6 of Spades. Sadness, confusion.

The Snake - Queen of Clubs. Seductive woman, poison.

The Coffin - 9 of Diamonds. Radical change.

The Bouquet of Flowers - Queen of Spades. Independent woman, gifts.

The Scythe - Jack of Diamonds. Dangers, nervousness.

The Whip/Crop - Jack of Clubs. Sex, punishments, arguments.

The Birds - 7 of Diamonds. Crowd, accumulation.

The Child - Jack of Spades. Children, offspring, immaturity.

The Fox - 9 of Spades. Double meaning, cunning, success.

The Bear - 10 of Spades. Success, strength, protection.

The Stork - Queen of Hearts. Mother, pregnancy, changes.

The Stars - 6 of Hearts. Friends, siblings, fame.

The Dog - 10 of Hearts. Loyalty.

The Rook - 6 of Spades. Loneliness, protection, the end of something.

The Garden - 8 of Spades. Rest, parties, reunions.

The Mountain - 8 of Clubs. A major obstacle.

The Cross - Queen of Diamonds. Decision-making.

The Mouse - 7 of Clubs. Nervousness, worries.

The Heart - Jack of Hearts. Love, sex.

The Ring - Ace of Clubs. A duty, a contract.

The Book - 10 of Diamonds. Material success, something coming to light.

The Card - 7 of Spades. Correspondence, rejections.

The Knight - Ace of Hearts. Soulmate, home.

The Queen - Ace of Spades. Soulmate, death, changes.

The Lily - King of Spades. Wisdom, progress, caution.

The Sun - Ace of Diamonds. Money, marriage, success.

The Moon - 8 of Hearts. Romance, instincts.

The Key - 8 of Diamonds. Ability to forge a path.

The Fish - King of Diamonds. Intelligence, prosperity.

The Anchor - 9 of Spades. Pause, rest.

The Cross - 6 of Clubs. Sacrifice.

The Lenormand Petit Jeu Tarot also has a standard spread system, but there is also what is called the Tableau, a system designed exclusively for this tarot, in which 36 divisions are made on a board or mat in the order of the cards listed above. This layout allows you to ask a question about, for example, legal matters (the ring) and determine if you will be successful (the book). The cards are spread exactly on the spaces represented by those cards, to achieve a more specific and closed reading on those matters. If the fox appears on the ring space and the stars appear on the book space, it indicates that a significant success will occur, even if it requires some maneuvering.

Pietro V. Carracedo Ahumada - pietrocarracedo@gmail.com

Bibliography:

-Auger, E. Tarot and other meditation decks. History, Theory, Aesthetics, Typology. McFarland Inc. Pub. 2004

-Barbier, T. Tarot and divination cards: a visual guide. Ed. ABRAMS, 2021

-Mosquera, J.M. Ludus triumphorum + Historia del Tarot. Bubok, 2017

- Sánchez Rivera, I; Turán M. Lenormand Tarot. The Sibyl of the Salons. Editorial RED CRECER, 2023

Related articles:

> Etteilla Tarot (I): Arcana or Main Cards

> The Four Elements in the Tarot

> The Egyptian Tarot by R. Falconnier (I)

> Tarot as a Psychological Tool