Oct. Lenormand Joan Marie for Charlie Brown

[Joan Marie]

Hey Charlie Brown, I get a chance to redeem myself from last month.
When you have a question ready let me know. I will take some time and using the 3x3 spread see if I can't do a little better.

[Charlie Brown]

No redemption necessary. I don't think any of us are ever 100% and none of here yet have anything approaching Lenormand wizardry.

I guess I'd like to ask a variant on last months question: What can I be doing to best promote my self-care.


FWIW, I don't do the 3x3 anything like that site says although, of course, that shouldn't effect how you decide to do it. I basically create a synthesis of eight, 3-card lines. I never place a card in the center. I think that a lot of that P-P-F, columns mean X might be a German approach but, when things aren't sourced, I never know what's real and what's just people putting their Tarot practice on top of the Lenormand, which I do not approve of at all. If people want to read tarot they should go do that, I say.

In any event. I hope my question makes sense to you. I'm so poor at good question phrasing.

Thanks

[Joan Marie]

when things aren't sourced, I never know what's real and what's just people putting their Tarot practice on top of the Lenormand, which I do not approve of at all. If people want to read tarot they should go do that, I say.

This is really my philosophy too in general. I don't drink diet soda or decaf coffee for the same reason. If I don't want sugar or caffeine I drink something else. Don't even get me started on vegan cheese and mayo. (If you want to eat cheese and mayo, just eat cheese and mayo, otherwise find other food.)
I realise not everyone agrees, one of them even lives in my house.

I am not into these kind of substitutions. I find Lenormand so fundamentally different from Tarot that I really want to read it as it is meant to be read.

I will try your 8 card synthesis. Is there a name for that I could look up or any other tip or reference you give me?

[Charlie Brown]

It's based on Andy B. His book gives a slightly more complicated method but what I described was, more or less, what recommended to me personally. I think that when you get a little more facile with it you stop needing to articulate each line and just start to see the larger patterns. That's what happened to me with the last 3x3 I did, which was for a woman asking about what would happen with her lawsuit. It ended up being highly accurate. So, I guess what I'm saying is that—per Andy's advice—I've been creating a synthesis out of the eight three-card lines while adding touches of knighting, mirroring, and the like here and there. I'm fairly big on the 'exit card' myself. As I've been getting better, I'm starting to see it more as a mini-tableau rather than solely a collection of lines.

By the way, please don't read this as me trying to encourage or discourage you from doing anything in a particular way. I'm just talking about my practice and not trying to cast any aspersions on what Charlotte shared for the month.


Also, the past-present-future rows alongside column definitions is something that I think you get in classical European cartomancy. Isn't that basically the essence of the Romany playing card tableau. It could be very legitimate. For me, though, Past-Present-Future seems too tarot oriented for me to feel comfortable using it in lenormand. Even Andy, however, presents a secondary PPF method for reading a GT in his book. I really don't get the impression his heart is into that though. But who am I to say?

[Joan Marie]

I have Andy's book but obviously need to take some more time with it. For that reason it may be a little time until I get back to you on this.

And I totally get you aren't trying to discourage any method, just like I don't discourage my boyfriend's vegan mayo habit, but I get exactly what you are saying. We may have similar character in that way.

And that's what makes these circles and groups so interesting is there is so much information and so many ways to do things. Finding what fits (and what doesn't) is all part of the fun.

[Joan Marie]

So CB, you asked:

What can I be doing to best promote my self-care.

Key---House---Bear
Book---Anchor---Cross
Moon---Letter---Lady

I don't know if I should start with my process or the result I got. I have a strong feeling about the result.

First of all, there is a definite preponderance of positive cards here, the one real exception being the Cross.
There is also an even distribution of suits so no over-riding influence there.

The central card is the Anchor, which I think indicates your search for a sense of stability, groundedness. This sounds like the goal of self-care to me, to just feel centered and in control of circumstances.

I looked first at the 4 corners for overriding influences. Then did rows, columns etc.

A couple of things kept coming up, well really one thing which was that, forgive me I'm going out on a limb here, it would do you a lot of good to have a medical check up, one that includes a lot of tests. Things like screenings and other stuff that isn't fun at all but having the peace of mind that you are taking this action will do you a lot of good. Now all indications are that everything is fine, but knowing that, for certain, will give you the stability (anchor) you need.

Maybe consciously or unconsciously you are worried or concerned in some way about your physical health. The lady in the corner is maybe also concerned. Getting this sorted could do you a world of good and clear up some doubts.

The Key and the Cross both indicate tests. The letter of course is news, or test results. The Book, the unknown. The Bear could be eating habits, which could contribute to your well being.

The Book-Anchor-Cross row is what really sells me on this idea.

Obviously getting checkups and tests done is always a good thing to do so this isn't exactly risky advice to give. But as it regards your question about self-care, I'm wondering if setting your mind at ease (and your wife's?) about your overall health might not be a big step in that direction.

...okay I just waited like ten minutes before hitting send, so I'm just gonna close my eyes and do it.

[Charlie Brown]

Hi Joan,

Thank you, that all makes a fair amount of sense. I am in the middle of a couple of medical things, which include certain dietary restrictions, and it makes sense that I would want to keep on top of all that. Inferring further from that, it may also be that those are the things that I can control at the present so, even if I might have more pressing concerns, the implication is that there isn't so much I can do about them or that they may not be the top priority. I see that you had a bit of a time trying to squeeze the lady in there in a sensible way. The left-to-right diagonal actually reads clearly to me, saying stabilizing things with my wife will be key. We've been a bit at odds as of late, but nothing too serious.