Charlotte reads for Joan Marie

[Joan Marie]

I don't know if it is customary for the reader or the read-ee to open the thread, but I suppose it doesn't matter.

I am going on holiday at the end of the month for about a week. There will be beautiful nature in the days and nice dinners and wines in the evenings.
Sometimes I take my cards with me when I travel and sometimes not.

For this trip, would having my cards along be an enhancement to the experience, or would I be smarter to use the time to "re-charge".

No rush at all Charlotte, but please before I leave on the 25th if possible.

[CharlotteK]

Oh I'll definitely get this done in the next week

Thanks for starting the thread!

[CharlotteK]

I would say yes.

I used the Lorthrop Lenormand by Malpertuis.

The cards are Coffin + Lily + House + Book + Letter

Which makes a sentence something like...

"Loss of peace at home and mysterious communications."

Which I interpret to mean that you will greatly miss your safe and sacred places at home. The coffin is a kind of sickness. Lily can mean protection as well as peace or happiness. Home is your home life and your sanctuary. Book is the unknown and letter is news and communications. Your cards communicate the unknown. I think the cards will help mitigate that sense of home sickness.

[Joan Marie]

That coffin next to the lily makes me nervous

Thanks Charlotte. Your reading makes perfect sense.

On the other hand, I'm kind of intrigued by this coffin-lily-house thing. I'm loathe to get too personal, but here I go...

The book says that whatever follows the coffin (lily = sex, intimacy) will be diminished. And the House following the lily indicates that something is personal, private. So,...sex. (You may have seen that too but were too nice to say it)

But then what do the next 2 cards mean? What if the secret messages I get (from cards) distract me when I should be focusing on where I am and what I'm doing and who I'm with? Also, I am not particularly prone to homesickness and am looking forward to escaping the doldrums for a bit.

When I look back at my question, I know it seemed to be about my cards, but I see that I made a point of mentioning dinners and wine and nature which all sounds so romantic. Was that what I was really asking about? And so I should take a break and leave the cards etc behind (at home) ? Or is it like Charlotte said, and I will need my secret messages, my connection to my cards?

I was really close to deleting this post because it feels kind of all over the place after Charlotte gave such a clear straightforward, and most importantly, objective reading to my question.

I have to admit, Lenormand cards creep me out a little bit. The very first reading I ever did with them looked so clearly like someone very close to me was going to die. It shook me for days. Seeing that coffin and lily together in a question about my romantic vacation is a little disconcerting.

[CharlotteK]

Keywords in my book also include euphoria and protection. But yes it could mean no sex. In this sentence it describes the sickness or loss.

Ok let me have another go at this as I think if the first did norlt resonate I interpreted it wrongly.

No sex with your partner if you take these secret message things with you.

There you go. Leave them at home

[Charlie Brown]

The letter could, I think, also be referring to the actual cards themselves since the letter can often denote paper items. If we're going to interpret this through the lens of sex, I think end—of sex—at home—hides—the cards. i.e. It's time for vacation sex, keep the cards under wraps.

fwiw, I would have put this as either a yes/no or ask something explicit like "how will I feel if I bring cards on vacation."

[Joan Marie]

Oh my! I think I need my fainting couch!

Thank you CB and Charlotte....

I probably won't be joining these ladies poolside then...

[Joan Marie]

Keywords in my book also include euphoria and protection.

For which card(s) is this?

[Joan Marie]

fwiw, I would have put this as either a yes/no or ask something explicit like "how will I feel if I bring cards on vacation."

Good point. I get the feeling that Lenormand readings are pretty blunt in a way tarot readings are not. And I wonder if they don't call for more "blunt" questions.

And, if so, wouldn't that be a good reason to choose a Lenormand reading over Tarot? Like in the movies when the guy says "Give it me straight Doc. No candy coating."

[CharlotteK]

The euphoria and protection keywords are in my book against Lily alongside sex

I interpreted the book and letters to be tarot cards i.e. secret bearing paper communication items.

[Charlie Brown]

I get the feeling that Lenormand readings are pretty blunt in a way tarot readings are not. And I wonder if they don't call for more "blunt" questions.

And, if so, wouldn't that be a good reason to choose a Lenormand reading over Tarot? Like in the movies when the guy says "Give it me straight Doc. No candy coating."

Well I am finding for myself that Lenormand seems better suited to very practical questions, particularly those that deals with specific items and places. I'm not sure if that's because of the Lenormand itself of due to the more classically cartomantic reading techniques that I'm discovering along with it. So, for example, I'll use Lenormand to see if it's worth going to place X and then tarot to see how I should approach dealing with nemesis Y once I'm there. Or I have someone for whom I often do work readings. We'll do a Lenormand 3x3 to scope out the general lay of the land and then ask specific questions with the tarot. I don't know if you saw my recent "your reading" about getting to read for her about document formatting, but that was super fun. That was kind of a hybrid reading style where I'm using my RWS-type spread but trying to read the cards in a very practical, succinct, lenormand-esque cartomantic fashion.

I know another reader who does mostly things like lenormand, sibilia, etc. She points out that Lenormand can be limited for reading about social interactions, group dynamics, etc. She recommends kippers for that stuff although told me I should probably have five years of lenormand under my belt before going on to other decks.

I interpreted the book and letters to be tarot cards i.e. secret bearing paper communication items.

Spot-on, I think.

[CharlotteK]

Reading Lenormand sentences is a bit addictive I think. Putting the words together is such fun.

[Joan Marie]

Reading Lenormand sentences is a bit addictive I think. Putting the words together is such fun.

I know! I wonder if we couldn't make a game out of it? Maybe just an ongoing chain, question:sentence,question:sentence, question:sentence...and put it in the Reading Games section.

It sure would be good practice.

[CharlotteK]

Yes that would be fun. Maybe not quick fire with 5 cards but that's fine I think and great practice!

[Joan Marie]

I'm leaving on my holiday tomorrow and I learned recently that the exact place we are going (Ascona Switzerland) was the site of an August 1917 conference for the O:T:O.

Crowley's mass was performed and his poetry read among other activities. There was a 100 year anniversary celebration there last year.

I got to thinking I should probably take my Thoth deck because it might like to visit the site. Seems a pity not to.
I wouldn't want it to get mad at me!

So I think I will go with Charlotte's original advice to take a deck, but maybe use it differently, open up to some new experience with it.
Or just let is soak up the atmosphere!