Cult of Tarot Forum

This week, I’ll be working with the Smith-Waite Tarot Deck Centennial Edition in a Tin and Pixie’s Astounding Lenormand, my first lenormand deck of the week!



The Centennial Edition deck was published by US Games, appropriately in 2009, and then the smaller edition in a tin 2015. I assume it’s a very accurate reproduction, but I think it has an artificial aged look that makes it look dirty. Thankfully, the borders are also shaded, so there’s not a stark contrast of “aged” and bright white. The backs are a lovely blue with a collage of Pixie’s signature and a rose. I also like the small size and the tin.

The Lenormand is a clever collage by Edmund Zebrowski of Pixie’s tarot and other art. Although I never noticed it before, it has the similar aged look of cards and borders. The lenormand cards are slightly shorter than the tarot, but they are in the very same sized tin.

I’m going to try to use them, together or at least both, this week. I made up a spread to read lenormand with tarot majors, but I don’t think I can use that every day because it’s quite large, 9 lenomand cards and 8 majors (with possible repeats). For today, a regular and a short interview!



All wands and swords. Wands on every row.

Deck’s most important characteristic: Page of Wands
It’s a deck that’s used by beginners. It’s a deck that was always meant to be used for readings, not game play, that is to do something constructive, not waste time.

Deck’s strength: VII Wands
Deck’s weakness: II Swords
The deck has been able to hold its place (VII Wands) among so many other choices (II Swords).

What deck can teach me: III Wands
How can I learn it? Page of Swords
There’s more to this deck than meets the eye. The proof of its utility is in using it. I should work with it as a beginning learner, being open to new insights.

Outcome of our work together: IV Wands
It will be a celebration of tarot history and tradition.

OMG. It is really easy to read with this deck. The keywords and phrases just flow . . .

Let’s see if I can do the same with the lenormand!



Deck’s strength: Stars
Its strength is the fame and reputation of its artist. I use it because I use it in combination with the tarot.

Deck’s weakness: Letter
It’s difficult for me to communicate to others its appeal.

What can I learn from deck? Tower
I will learn more about lenormand reading, which will stick with me.

Outcome of our work together: Ring
I will make more of a commitment to reading lenormand.

Well, not as easy, but I'll improve over the week!

Have a happy week ahead!

Monday
Should I get more involved in the Jane Austen Society, or stay focused on Tarot Society? Or both?
Rachel’s Magic Square Spread for Lenormand and Tarot Majors



Diagonal right to left, indirect influences
A man will be a positive influence in that opposites attract.

Diagonal left to right, direct influences
JASNA has more opportunities for travel and for staying home.

Top row, questioner
If I travel, it will be troublesome for my son.

Middle row, issue
JASNA can provide lasting reading pleasure and understanding.

Bottom row, advice
Although they’re very different, I can do both. I should remain faithful to my home base, tarot.

Left column, past
I’ve been with the tarot group a long time, and it has included all kinds of people and iterations. And we did do a trip to New York.

Middle column, present
Being the facilitator is becoming a bit of a burden, but I still enjoy the group and want to be faithful. Also, for the JASNA group, I don’t want to be one of those people who take advantage of all the programming and never help with planning, etc.

Right column, future
I’ll meet someone who I will feel at home with because of reading?

Now sums for tarot majors. Sums require the step of writing down the numbers because they’re roman numerals!



Well, I never had quite so many repeats as this, I don’t think. And four of them are Death! Wow.

Indirect influences: Star
In general, I am lucky and blessed. So I’m influenced to deal with all this in a positive way.

Direct influences: Justice
On the other hand, I need to look at keeping the interests balanced.

Questioner, issue, present, future: Death
Yikes! Looks like I need to seriously consider changing my relationship to the tarot group and turning the facilitating over to someone else. VERY STRONG indication that everything is ending and changing.

Advice, past: Chariot
The advice is let it change. What else can I do? I’ve done what I had to do in the past to keep the group going. Now I have to allow endings and change to happen.

Wow, I didn’t expect all this when I was rustling up a question. This definitely asks many more questions than it answers. Maybe the biggest question is if this spread is working!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a simpler spread, I think! Have a happy Monday!

Tuesday

I think my reading yesterday was too ambitious, and I need to tone it down a bit. So let’s do a line of 5 lenormand and a one tarot topper, no subject. And see what I get!



Birds, Garden, Dog, Cross, House
Today I will be socializing with my friends, which will include complaining about family members, or maybe lack thereof (for me).

X Swords
I (or we) may feel overwhelmed and/or scattered with work-life balance, which is the trigger of our complaining. But I think it’s mostly just feeling shut in by the snow. So when the snow goes, the feeling will go too!

Wednesday
Sun enters 15 degrees Aquarius, Candlemas/Imbolc
Time for an eighth of the year reading! I’ll just use tarot for today.



Me: IV Wands
I’ll be very in control of my energies. I’ll make a plan and stick to it. And celebrate it?

Relationships: Knight of Wands
This is my son, a Sag. He will continue to be my major relationship.

Where I’m coming from: Emperor
These two are my Weight Watchers efforts. I know the rules of the game, and they’ve worked before.

Goals: VIII Pentacles
I just need to keep working at it, and keep my head (8) in the game. Weight loss is my goal for the coming 6 weeks for sure. I don’t have far to go, and I might get there in about 6 weeks! Well, maybe more, but I have time.

Physically: Magician
I’m going to make things happen. Using the rules of the Emperor, I’m going to make real change. Change your mind to change your body.

Emotionally: III Pentacles
My emotions will be tied up in all this manifestation of physical change.

Intellectually: III Wands
Wow, it’s all about change. Mind, feelings, and body all working together to manifest change.

Energetically: King of Cups
I need to put my energy into being in charge of my emotions, and being emotionally mature.

Now timing:

In March, I’ll have something to celebrate.

In May, I’ll be confident and effective.

At my birthday, I’ll be large and in charge. (Not literally large!)

In August, I’ll realize what I need to be in charge of are my emotions.

In September, things will move forward.

At Halloween, I will accomplish something I was working on.

At Christmas, I’ll be back at work on something else.

This time next year, I’ll look on what I’ve accomplished and know it was good.

All positive cards here, for now and the year ahead.

Have a great Wednesday! See you tomorrow!

Thursday
What’s going on with my tarot and other studying and learning?
5 lenormand, 3 tarot



Wow, what a combination!

bouquet, whip, snake, clouds, tower
Well founded and not so well founded worries, and an unhelpful person, are keeping me from my desires and the beauty of my life from becoming stable and permanent.

But then look at this row! I swear I shuffled!

High Priestess, Star, Sun
My love of learning is rooted in a search for some deep, spiritual inner truth, but really truth and blessings are being poured out freely and openly for all. The most important of which is we make our own happiness. Once our basic needs are met, happiness is a choice. You have to choose it, but you also have to be open to it.

Friday
What should I be doing with the rest of my life?
5 lenormand, 5 tarot

I was thinking I wouldn’t share such a personal, maybe odd, question, but then the reading is so interesting, I thought why not! And it seems appropriate for a Friday afternoon reading anyway . . .



bouquet, dog, bear, lady, whip
I should stop and smell the roses and be grateful for all the blessings I have. I should be a friend and a mentor and a feminist. I should turn my back on conflict and punishment. Life’s too short when there are all those other things available!

VIII Cups, Queen of Cups, Knight of Swords, Page of Pentacles, Knight of Cups
4 courts! Like the 3 “people” cards in the lenormand!
But no kings. I should never rest on my laurels and think I have it all figured out. My two significator cards are here, birth date (Queen of Cups) and MBTI (Knight of Swords). So I should be myself, both my emotional, motherly self and my learn and organize everything self. Page of Pentacles suggests I should be learning science, about the real world, more than humanities. Knight of Cups is the culmination and combination of the Queen of Cups and Knight of Swords, someone who is romantic and willing to act on it. VIII Cups says I should walk away from whatever feelings don’t serve my happiness and higher good. And walk toward being the best version of me I can be!

I was really thinking I’d get two very different readings, but they are really very much the same! Tarot, and lenormand!, work in mysterious ways!

Have a happy Friday and a great upcoming weekend!

Saturday, last day for Pixies
Ok, I’m going to try the spread for lenormand and tarot majors again. And I hope I can do better than last time.
Once again because I really don’t know, where am I going in my intellectual endeavors?



Indirect influences: birds, moon, stars
I’ll be influenced by others, their opinions and general talk around me, and some of what I study will be based on others’ (celebrities?) information and research.

Direct influences: bear, moon, key
More other people! A mentor or teacher will be important to me, and I’ll faithfully reflect her/his light.

Me: bear, whip, birds
Now I’m the mentor, and I can be a bit brusque with idle talk that I think doesn’t help the learning.

Issue: bouquet, moon, lady
A woman’s deeper understandings will be a gift of understanding to me.

Advice: stars, snake, key
Be sure I know the difference between dishonesty and helpful truth.

Past: bear, bouquet, stars
In the past, I’ve had plenty of mentors who helped me see the light.

Present: whip, moon, snake
Now I’m at loose ends and confused, and I don’t know what’s going on. I worry about being misled.

Future: birds, lady, key
Random talk and conversation will lead me to someone who will help me pick up the key for further intellectual endeavors.

Now sums! 3 Justices!



Indirect influences: Lovers
I love learning! I just have to find the right match!

Direct influences: Strength
It has to be something that really grabs my interest.

Me: Justice
I will give equal consideration to equal subjects.

Issue: Chariot
I just want to get on with it. I’m tired of not going forward doing something constructive with my time.

Advice: Justice
Same: Give equal consideration to several subjects.

Past: Emperor
I used to feel like I always knew best and was in charge of my own learning. Now not so sure.

Present: Hierophant
I’m too dependent on wanting something traditional. Or this is just a made up dilemma because I’m a 5!

Future: Justice
I will come to a conclusion that take all aspects into consideration.

Ok, then. Not all that helpful, but I tried!

I’ll be back tomorrow with my next decks. It’s a Valentine’s theme a little early!