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Monday, 31 August 2015

Snake as yoga?

Postmark Lenormand, Melissa Hill 2011
The Snake just keeps turning up for me lately! Let's break down today's three card draw.

Lily + Scythe + Snake [King of Spades + Jack of Diamonds + Queen of Clubs]

The first thing that springs to mind is 'Prevent ageing by twists and turn .' ie, yoga practice

Lily = age, growing older, maturing, wisdom, peace, welfare of the family
Scythe = cut, sever, end, cut off, remove
Snake = complications, twists and turns

I probably read it this way because I've started a 30-day-in-a-row yoga practice, and because I've been reading a lot of information about forward head posture and its treatment. Today's yoga practice focused on the back and contained a lot of twisting postures.

Here's the practice I did today:




And here is a sample of what I've been learning about forward head position:



Please feel free to try out both of the videos! :)


Sunday, 30 August 2015

Wake up, close mouth, enjoy the day for what it is

Llewellyn Tarot, Anna-Marie Ferguson
The Judgement card in the Llewellyn Tarot, which is based on Welsh mythology, depicts the 'Snowdon Sleepers'. The legend holds that Arthur's battle with Mordred took place in the shadow of Snowdon, and that when he was wounded, his knights carried him to a cave where they sleep on, waiting for the time when the horn will be sounded three times, and they will rise again. It does look like someone is about to blow the horn.

This is slightly different from the traditional RWS image, in which the horn has already been sounded and the dead are rising from their tombs.

What horn has been sounded, or is about to be sounded, in my life today? What am I waking up to, or about to be waking up to?

Let's see what Lenormand can tell me. I'm using the TABI Lenormand to answer the above question with a 3-card draw:

TABI Lenormand
And I've drawn Woman + Snake + Flowers. The TABI Lenormand does not include playing card insets, but I recall that Woman is Ace of Spades, Snake is Queen of Clubs and Flowers is Queen of Spades.

Woman + Snake + Flowers = 

Woman complicates gift.
OR
Woman complicates etiquette/good manners.
OR
Woman hurts on a personal level self image.

Ace of Spades + Queen of Clubs + Queen of Spades =

All black cards = negativity
Two black queens = gossip (source Caitlin Matthews 'Complete Lenormand Handbook')

Interpretation
Today I will have opportunities to wake up to the ways in which I overthink or over-complicate what is really a good thing, often through my words. I will have the chance to realise how my behaviour and words can hurt on a personal level, both myself and others. I would do well to wake up to good manners and appreciate my gifts instead of looking for things to criticize about myself, my life, and others.

This is a daily draw, so these things will be very subtle, but just the turn of a phrase or a random thought can make a big difference.


Saturday, 29 August 2015

Above and Below Lenormand Reading

In her book 'The Complete Lenormand Handbook', Caitlin Matthews describes a spread she calls 'Above and Below.' The first line describes the situation and the second line suggests ways of dealing with it. After reading those two lines of three, we then can examine vertical attendance, cornering, knighting, and v-shaped triplets, as we wish. 

Enchanted Lenormand, Caitlin Matthews (Watkins 2013)
I asked about this Bank Holiday weekend.

Line 1: Broom + Snake + Tree (Jack of Spades + Queen of Clubs + 7 of Hearts) 
Discord + complications + health ('unrestrained, speaks mind regardless of results' + 'woman demanding of her own way'  + home, emotion, love, growth, trust, encouragement)

'Discord and complications caused by troublesome woman in a health matter.'


Line 2: Stars + Man + Dog (6 of Hearts + King of Hearts + 10 of Hearts) 
Guidance + Man + Friend (all cards of Hearts suit, meaning home, emotion, love, growth, trust, encouragement)

'The man being his own guide leads to friendship.'

Vertical pairs: Broom + Stars, Snake + Man, Tree + Dog
In vertical attendance, the card on top influences the card below. Coaching. Bossy woman/complications affect man. Health friend (doctor or advisor).

Arrows: Broom + Man + Tree, Stars + Snake + Dog
Repeated health issue affects man. Guidance annoys friend.


Cornering: Broom + Dog, Tree + Stars
Trouble with a friend. Medical treatment.

Interpretation
The Bank Holiday weekend did actually start out last night with discord initiated by me about a health matter. I did in fact speak my mind without considering the results, dictated what I thought ought to be done, about a health matter.

The suggested action is that I should leave it alone and let him do what he wants about the health matter and the atmosphere in our home will return to harmony. Also, I see the Dog as faithfulness, so it could be saying to have some faith in the man's judgement.

I might think I'm coaching or guiding, but in fact I'm annoying the man and should leave it to the experts.

The man is having recurring health problems, and this is a cause for concern, I can help him more by being supportive than by trying to force him into action.


Friday, 28 August 2015

Shared energy

Wings of Change Lenormand, Chloe McCracken 2015 
Today's draw is Letter + Key + Snake.

Communication is key to transformation. 

I can see this pertaining to two things: I am in a couple of online groups that I haven't been participating in much lately, but I find when I do participate online, I feel more motivated to do things. Yesterday, I started posting to one of the groups, and I proposed a group activity on the other one. Being in online check-ins is a good motivation for me, as long as others are also taking part and the group is encouraging one another.

I'm excited about these fresh starts. And maybe this follows on from yesterday's 3 of Wands. :)

Let's see what an oracle has to say about this draw:

Devas of Creation by Cilla Conway, 2013
This card is called 'Nebula', and represents the coming together of the bits and bobs that create an 'interstellar nursery' for planets and stars. Wow, I like that. The guidebook continues: 'When the Deva of Nebula appears, it often signifies a high level of consciousness -- the ability to work with others in diversity and harmony to create an entirely new synthesis of ideas, creative forms, or whole systems. Ultimately then, the Consciousness formed becomes something greater than the sum of its parts.'

That's the great thing about a group. We come together and form a new thing that hadn't existed before. A group mind, a shared energy. How cool is that.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

Lennie and Tarot this time

Postmark Lenormand by Melissa Hill, 2011
What a happy looking draw this is today from the Postmark Lenormand by Melissa Hill. I have drawn Sun + Hearts + Stork. That's three red cards, so today gets a big fat YES. I'm not surprised since I get to come home at 12:30 today (my time back for working Sunday). The Hearts suit is the suit of home, so that makes sense, too, as I have no plans to do anything this afternoon other than go to the doctor to get this mole or whatever it is seen about. The Storks card stands for 'improvement and upturn in health problems' (Lenormand Thirty-Six Cards, Boroveshengra, page 69), and together with Sun and Heart, this could augur a good outcome from the doctor visit.

My heart feels lighter today because of yesterday's talk with the Queen of Hearts. I feel some things that were hidden in my heart have had some light shed on them, illuminating them to myself. I really should sit down and get them on paper before I forget some of the insights I had during our conversation.

This combination of cards suggests that I have new clarity within myself to help with the changes that I know will continue to challenge me. I think Sun + Heart can also mean confidence or doughtiness.

What does the tarot offer as a comment on this draw? 

Tarot de St Croix, Devera 2013
Three of Wands from Tarot de St Croix -- I checked the guidebook just out of curiosity. It says:

'Visionary leadership will see a project flourish.'


So how do you like them apples? Certainly confirms the Lenormand draw and my view of it. How cool is that.

Wednesday, 26 August 2015

Tarot and Lennie as a daily draw

Fountain Tarot, 2014 
My card for the day is Page of Coins from the Fountain Tarot (2014). A youth plays in a field holding a glowing coin. This suggests there will be an energy of starting from scratch on something practical and hands-on, or if not starting from scratch, being receptive to guidance, being a learner.

I was pretty sure what that pointed to because today I am getting feedback about two things: 1) a project for work -- a set of display boards with a theme of 'Local Sporting History'. The manager of that sort of thing is coming for a bi-annual branch visit and will take a look at the display and either okay it or make suggestions for improvement, and 2) I will be getting feedback today about my unsuccessful interview from a few weeks back. Come to think of it, there may be another thing, because 3) I also recently submitted some papers for a qualification I'm going for and I might receive some feedback on those in email today.

I decided to draw from Lenormand to get more details on what this Page of Coins energy is about, and I drew:

Fox + Storks + Mountain 

Blue Owl Lenormand 
Wrong + Changes + Blockage/Isolation

Queen of Hearts = woman who acts as sister, godmother or confidante

I can see that these cards might point to the first and second scenarios above, but there's nothing here about a message, so the email is unlikely.

Woman reveals what was wrong that caused the blockage.

Clever woman suggests changes regarding blockage.

ETA: This is what happened today.

I had a really useful and productive talk today with my manager about some of the troubles I'm facing at work. This is a group that is not used to being managed and are not dealing at all well with the fact that now they have two assertive managers who are not backing down from enforcing changes that have already taken place in other parts of the service, except this last bastion of redundant practice. It is a difficult time. The Fox and the Mountain are perfect for the situation, and Storks takes on the meaning of change and female confidante very well. We also had a useful talk about my interview, what went well and not so well.

Overall, I believe the cards played out as I'd thought.

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

Stars + Tree + Paths

ASS Lenormand
Today's draw is Stars + Tree + Paths. I just happen to know what this is likely to be about. I have this spot on an area of my skin for quite some time and it has been itching and bothering me for some time, so last night, I made an appointment online to see the doctor this week to have it checked out.

The Tree card is there, which is mostly associated with health, so that triggers me to check out the health association of the cards near it. Stars is the card for Skin. According to Andy Boroveshengra, 'Paths is a card that mitigates the tree, indicating that treatment and solutions will be found' (Lenormand Thirty-Six Cards, p 79).

Stars = skin
Tree = health, also longstanding or lengthy
Path = decision (or mitigator of Tree card)

So, 'I made a decision about dealing with my longstanding skin ailment.'

How could this pertain to today, rather than reflecting what happened last night? Maybe I will need to make a decision today about something long-term.

I will report back in the PM with anything that fulfilled these cards (or not).

ETA: Nothing happened today that seemed to me to fulfill these cards. Oh well! Can't hit it every day.



Monday, 24 August 2015

Tower + Garden + Book

Midnight Madness Lenormand by Bridgett Trejo
This is three days in a row I've drawn Tower from three different decks. Interesting.

Here we have Tower + Garden + Book. Not a big mystery there. I'm going to work to help the public find books and information. :)

I'll check in later to report on what else popped up to fulfill the cards. It could be that at work we have a good conversation about books. Or I might learn a 'secret' about work. (Could Garden + Book = information being revealed to the public?)

We shall see.

ETA -- Everything was fine today. I worked the frontline a lot more than usual, so I guess that's where Garden came into it. :)

Sunday, 23 August 2015

Well, that's just great - Cross, Mountain and Clouds

In my job, I work one in seven Sundays. Today's the day. It's bright and sunny out, the weather seems cooler at least for the moment, and I finish my shift at 2.00. I draw five cards asking 'What does the day hold?' And I lay out:



Key + Tower + Cross + Mountain + Clouds


Mystical Lenormand by Regula Elizabeth Fletcher, art by Urban Trosch, AGM 2005













LOL! Holy crap! Key + Tower + Cross + Mountain + Clouds!

Now, yesterday I brought home a key (an interior key) because I am going to be the only senior member of staff at work today. And I left first. This draw immediately takes on several possibilities:

The key to the building caused problems and confusion yesterday (and today I may find out about it). -- Maybe they didn't realise I'd taken it and they spent a lot of time looking for it.

OR

The key to the building (perhaps the alarm system) will cause problems today.

OR

There will definitely (Key) be problems with the building itself today.

OR

Closing the building ('locking up') will be particularly heinous today. (It's sometimes hard to get people out of the building. For some reason a family of twelve who don't speak English and have outstanding fines dating back to 2003 and expired cards often decide that coming to the information desk at 5 minutes to closing is the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.)

I must admit when I turn over Lennie cards, I pause slightly to absorb each one before I turn over the next one, I was pretty amazed to get Cross... then Mountain...then CLOUDS. And the dark side of the Clouds is facing the Mountain. Great! Whatever this is will be a royal pain in the butt.

I'll be back with an update after work.

ETA: This is what happened:

I got to work and all the keys were okay, the building was okay. Everybody turned up, nothing went wrong. I got a lot of work done, customers were pleasant. Nothing happened during lock up procedures, everything was fine.

It had started to rain (Clouds) and so I'd asked my hubby to come get me from work. I was nervous setting the alarm (as I always am on a weekend after one time messing it up and having to call out an engineer to reset it), but that went off without a hitch. Out we went, door locked, hubby in sight, everything fine. So -- looked like I'd escaped that one, whatever it was.

Unfortunately for some reason hubby was out of sorts and got really nervous and ratty in traffic and we started having words and it was very upsetting because we've been working on this sort of thing and doing well lately. Then it suddenly hit me. 'This is it!' I said. 'This is it! You read my blog this morning and this is it. Lock the building then strife -strife -strife!' I punctuated the word strife by jabbing my finger repeatedly on my knee. 'It wasn't a lost key, it was THIS moment right now.' Hubby went quiet.

'The cards don't lie,' he said.

And that was the end of that bad moment. Without that awareness, it could have escalated, it could have stretched on...but it didn't. We came home and ate taco salad and watched a crap horror film ('Mama' -- it's stupid, avoid) and all is well.



Saturday, 22 August 2015

Lenormand gives health advice

Today I woke up feeling terribly stiff in my back. It was almost like my spine felt impacted from gravity. I got up and cripped around and decided to pull some cards asking about my day. I used Bridgett Trejo's Renaissance Lenormand 













I spotted the Tree instantly for health, then realised that Tower is associated with spine. So! For a healthy spine...money? No...go with the flow...of what? Luck? No...go with the flow of guidance from...home? Huh? But then House can also refer to the bones and skeleton, so...

For a healthy spine, go with the flow of the guidance of your skeleton.

So, I took that to mean, just move around gently, doing what feels right. So I did a little flexing, a little bending, and my back didn't hurt for the rest of the day. 

I do, however, take it as a warning that a little more movement may be in order, so I'm thinking...yoga? It's been AGES. I will have a go tomorrow morning, as it's now nearly 10 pm and I do not feel inclined to do any yoga at this hour. 

It's unusual for me to get a specific health message, but I must admit it was foremost in my mind this morning when I drew. Interesting. 

Thursday, 20 August 2015

Card of the Day: 4 of Wands

Golden Tarot, Kat Black, US Games 2003
I haven't done a tarot card of the day in a long time, so I thought I'd have a go. Today I've drawn Four of Wands from Kat Black's lovely Golden Tarot (US Games 2003). It's such a beautiful deck. I just wish it weren't so slick and heavily laminated, then it would be more likely to get used. Normally I'd just sit and riffle the heck out of it, but this one has gilded edges (which I have no particular fondness for) and they hurt my hands to riffle them. There's a You Tube by Tarot Oracle showing him cutting the borders off his deck to get rid of the gilded edges, but there's no way I'm cutting the borders off this deck as I feel it ruins the images of the deck. Golden Tarot looks awful without the borders -- some decks need borders!

Anyway, this is joyous card of stability and celebration, so that's good. It suggests to me that today will be a good day at work (I'm in my other work base, the one I'm more familiar with and where I'm good friends with most of my colleagues), so I'm looking forward to that. Any tussling or confusion going on in the background will not be a problem for me today, just like the ladies in the foreground of this card. :)

Tuesday, 18 August 2015

Daily Draw with the Mosaic Dream Tarot

Mosaic Dream Tarot by Bridgett Trejo, 2014  
Do this: 9 of Wands
Today I will have to go back to the drawing board with something, but I also need to remember that the hardest part of the battle is over. The resolution is nearly there and I should persevere. I must look to my strengths (9 of Wands is known as Lord of Strength) to assist me.

Don't do this: King of Swords
Today I must avoid being too coldly logical and expedient. The King of Swords would sacrifice himself or others to do what's 'right', but this is not the day for that.

Outcome: Fool 
If I am willing to do the painful work of a do-over, and I don't stick doggedly to what appears to me to be the best and simplest way (regardless of people's feelings about it), then unexpected solutions, cooperation and vistas will open up.

All good news. In actual fact, I am having to go back to the drawing board with something at work today. I've got a meeting to discuss it. No matter how hard-nosed I feel about it, I must not let that overshadow proceedings. I should dig deep and find my more subtle strengths of empathy and compromise.

Saturday, 15 August 2015

Wings of Change Elemental Spread

Wings of Change Lenormand, Chloe McCracken 2015
For the new moon, I've chosen to try the Elemental Spread from Chloe's Wings of Change Lenormand. I've placed the element cards in the positions shone on the sample spread: top Air, right Fire, bottom Water, left earth. Then overlapping these elemental cards (because my table is too small!), I've put the line of three for each element.

Here are my first impressions:

Air: What needs clarity -- Anchor + Ring + Scythe 
I need clarity on the ending of a long-term commitment. The first thing that comes to mind is my veganism. I haven't eaten a vegan diet in a long time. Do I start transitioning back to meat? Or do a lacto-ovo diet?

Fire: What needs enthusiasm -- Coffin + Clouds + Clover 
I need enthusiasm for the lifting of depression, awakening from a long funk, as it were.

Water: What needs emotion -- Flowers + Sun + Stork
I need a change in emotion toward invitations and gifts. Perhaps this means I need to issue invitations to people, and the next invitation I get, I should not say no to, even if it means a change in my usual routine.

Earth: What needs some practical attention -- Key + Woman + Lily 
An important, patient older woman needs some practical attention. I should probably phone my mother more this month.

I may add more to this reading over the coming lunation, as it is meant to apply to the whole of it.

Friday, 14 August 2015

Lenormand gives me a to do list

ASS Lenormand, Konigsfurt-Urania 

Today's draw reminds me that I have received payment for a reading and it absolutely must be done today. The Key is striking me like a string tied around a finger -- a reminder to do something very important.

Message received!

It HAS been a rather fraught week for me, it's unusual that there's a delay between an order and fulfillment. I was curious, so I looked at the next two cards in the deck that would have made a line of 5: Fox and Ring. Yes, it definitely is wrong not to get that done TODAY, because I have a contract with this person.

Message received and noted!

I know what I'm doing today straight after work, then. :D

Thursday, 13 August 2015

What sort of work involves balancing a cup on your head?

People have been telling me that 'things happen for a reason' to comfort me about not getting the job yesterday. I appreciate the comfort, but I was wondering...what is the reason, then? I used my new Fountain Tarot to answer the question: 'What has the universe in mind for me, then, since I didn't get this post?'

Fountain Tarot by Saiz, Grubl and Todaro, 2015 
The card in the middle dominates, and is Ace of Coins, traditionally read in these situations as a 'new job', or new direction, or potential energy in the material/physical plane. On the left is Knight of Cups and on the right is Three of Wands.

The Knight of Wands sits on the edge of a waterfall, it appears to me, with a cup balanced on his head. He's not particularly practical! His oblivious nature here puts me in mind of the Fool, but with more of a theme of emotions and intuition. He is turned toward the big coin, but not looking at it. (He always has his gaze on something indistinct in the distance, doesn't he!)

We have a really interesting Three of Wands here. Instead of looking out across a wide vista of possibility, as in the RWS tradition, this Three of Wands is pulling the Wands in with great determination. He is reeling in the possibility instead of contemplating it. And he reels in toward the Ace of Coins.

Whatever the reason is, it has something to do with making the most of the 'yearning but immature' side of my personality, paired with determination to bring my vision into corporeal reality.

Hmm. The cup on the head reminds me of this from Flight of the Conchords:

I Told You I Was Freaky

(relevant bit ends at 50 seconds)




Wednesday, 12 August 2015

I didn't get the job - but I learned a valuable lesson as a reader

And I have a confession to make. First, even though I did ask the question of the cards this morning as posted, as soon as I saw the cards, I thought to myself -- I'm not going to get this job. The Mice destroy the Anchor. But I didn't read them that way here because 1) it didn't actually answer the question and 2) I've been called out for reading negative cards negatively. So I tried to stick to the question and make the cards positive when they were not.

Same with the blessing. When I calculated that number to 29, my first instinct, because it was a significator, was to reduce it to 11. But that fell on Rod, and I didn't like the sound of that, even for a blessing. So I left it at 29 and came up with a lame blessing.

And a final confession: I did a yes-no reading for Will I get this job? I drew a Heart, a Spade and Club. (Can't recall cards now, but as you read by suit for yes-no anyway, doesn't matter). That is a Yes, Maybe No, and a No. Reading them by suit, the yes is for my enthusiasm, the maybe no is for weak showing with regard to authority and stabilizing effect, the no is for dealing with difficult or complex challenges. I did not post this reading. I didn't want to 'jinx' myself. But when you look at them, this draw confirms a negative reading of the first three cards I pulled, Fish + Anchor + Mice.

So what have I learned from this? Stop playing games with myself and read the cards. Read what they say, 'even if your voice shakes', as the Facebook meme always says. Let this be a lesson to me. No sugar coating, ever. Either read the cards as I really see them, or get a book of uplifting sayings and just open it and point.


Today's the day

What do I need to do to be successful at today's interview?


Wings of Change Lenormand, Chloe McCracken 2015

Fish + Anchor + Mice
I should show my flexibility (ability to 'go with the flow'), and that I can provide a firm foundation or stability in times of trouble. They need someone who can think on their feet and also be a voice of reason in the midst of constant niggling hiccups.


Will I enjoy this job? 


Wings of Change Lenormand, Chloe McCracken 2015
Stork + Paths + Dog
The job would involve moving house, going in a new direction, and making new friends. All good things. All good cards. Three red cards (Hearts, Diamonds, Hearts) are a Yes, Maybe Yes, Yes...Based on the character of each suit, I would enjoy the change in domestic situation, and might also enjoy the energy of working in this new place. 


And my blessing for the day:

13 + 9 + 7 = 29

Today, may I recognise and honour my feminine traits of sensitivity and intuition. 

Tuesday, 11 August 2015

Lenormand Daily Draw: Wonderful counselor

Midnight Madness Lenormand, Bridgett Trejo 2014 
My draw today from Bridgett Trejo's Midnight Madness Lenormand is Snake + Sun + Clouds. Complications melt away and the unclear becomes clear. Maybe not crystal clear, but things are looking up.

This could apply to many areas, of course. It remains to be seen today what winding path I gain some clarity on. I'll check back in this evening with an update.

Trejo, 2014 
My blessing for the day:

12 (Queen) + 1 + 13 (King) = 26 Book

Through study and reflection, may what lies hidden be revealed to me today.

Monday, 10 August 2015

Lenormand Study: A blessing

Celtic Lenormand, US Games 2014, McCracken (art by Worthington)
Today I've drawn Child + Ship + Woman. Interestingly, the child is also playing with a ship! A promise of new prosperity for me.

Of course the first thing that comes to mind is the first thing that came to mind when I woke up this morning: I have an interview on Wednesday! I need to prepare for it. I need to practice my 10-minute presentation (10 minutes isn't nearly long enough! It's not padding but reining it in that I have to work on).


Celtic Lenormand
If I use Caitlin Matthews' method of creating a blessing from this draw, I add together the pips (not card number) to reach a card number for a blessing:

11 (Jack) + 10 + 1 = 22.

May I make choices today that will take me down the path that leads to my greatest good.

Saturday, 8 August 2015

Job grand tableau



I'm doing a Grand Tableau specifically to examine this job interview on Wednesday and how it might affect my life. Will I I get the job? Will my life change? Time to take a look.

The first three cards are Scythe - Woman - Clover. Something will come to an abrupt end for me but that will be a good thing.

The four corners Scythe - Clouds - Letter - Book. Confusion comes to an abrupt end when a letter (email or other message) reveals a secret. The outcome of my interview will seem unclear to me until I get word of it. In other words, I won't be able to tell on the day how I've done. It could also be that the interview panel have a tough time making the decision and need to scrupulously look at the scoring to determine the successful candidate. Looks like it might be a tight race.

The cards near me are Scythe, Clover, Coffin, Rider, Lilies. Man, Child, Moon, Anchor, Stars, Snake. All these cards are about endings and beginnings, hopes, stability, complications to be worked out. These are the sorts of things that one would expect to be surrounding me when going for a new job. I think it's a good sign that they are near me.

The cards near Clouds (which is far from me) are Heart, Ship, Dog, Path, Birds, Key, Flowers, Tree. Clouds is about as far from as you can get, and the cards of love, movement, loyalty, choices, gifts and health are around it. This might sound odd, but given that the Clouds is so far from me, I take that to mean that I DON'T have to worry about anything bad in these areas. Traditionally, if Tree and Birds are far from you, they denote good health and a prosperous journey. Given that the topic of this spread is specifically a job interview and its outcome, I believe this means these areas will not be adversely affected by whatever happens.

Scythe and Coffin are to my left, so their effect is weakened. Coffin is not only to my left but below me, so its effects are more weakened. I don't need to worry that this abrupt ending, whatever it may be, is horrible. Plus, with Coffin - Rider, I see this as being the cost of commuting if I'm successful. I'm at the top of the spread, so I am in a very strong position. This bodes well for me, I believe. Top of the heap?

In the centre of the spread, we have Child - Ring - Moon - House. A new work contract and work base? Could be!

The last row of four: Storks - Mountain - Fish - Whips. Change blocked by money troubles. The biggest obstacle to change is financial and this is a repeated worry or concern. It occurs to me there might be some trouble in payroll, pensions, or my own personal financial situation.

The chain from me to work (Moon) is Lilies. I am seeing this as my customer service skills and staff training skills being key to my getting the job. Lilies is associated with calm, mentoring, and even social work. I should bring out my skills in these areas to make a good impression.

In summary, most of what I've already come to believe about this job has been reflected in this grand tableau. I might get it, I might not. If I don't get it, I'll still feel fine. If I do get it, I will probably like it. There will be big changes to be made, and money will be a concern, of course.

I have to be honest and say, overall I get the impression that the outlook isn't 100% positive for my getting this job. But you never know.

Friday, 7 August 2015

Daily Draw with more distant echoes

Esmeralda Lenormand, Karla Souza
My daily draw for today is Fish + Child + Storks. There are two cards here that deal with change or fresh starts. I can think of two contexts in which to apply these cards.

My son has had some domestic issues, so Fish + Child + Storks could be his receiving his settlement and moving house. I doubt that would happen today, but maybe he will get some word about the money in any case. Or maybe he will just spend some time thinking about it today and tell me about it when we chat on Skype today.

The other is regarding my job interview. I may be thinking today about the financial implications of a new beginning and a move to a new place. It's possible that, as this would be more or less a lateral move as far as salary goes, I might be financially worse off. If I see the Child as the pivot point of the spread, the issue of a new start, then I would be weighing in the balance the value of money (or lack of it) vs the value of a new place to work and live. The Child does seem to be swinging toward the change, though.

Interestingly, the Storks card has a little notation climbing up the right side of it that says: February / Thursday. As the interview is next Wednesday, I will probably know by Thursday if they even offer me the job. And who knows, perhaps February points to when my son might be making his move.

Thursday, 6 August 2015

Lenormand Daily Draw: Work work

Blaue Eule Lenormand, Konigsfurt Urania
Today's draw shows me that I will be most concerned with working on my presentation for next week's job interview, and thinking about how it will affect me long term.

I may also be focused on 'institutional' aspects of my work, such as the service plan, mission statement, and other policies.

Will update tonight!

ETA --
Update: I spent most of my free time today working on my presentation for next week. So spot on.

Wednesday, 5 August 2015

Daily Draw = Two extremes!

ASS Lenormand, Konigsfurt-Urania 
A quick daily draw. Working today. In my capacity as supervisor/manager (currently deputizing for manager as she is on annual leave), I will experience success and trouble. There are two main tasks I need to accomplish today. I see this as saying one will go well and the other maybe not so well. Sehr interessant.

This could also mean that in my role today I will feel very positive and also quite confused.

I might receive positive and negative feedback from a female supervisor who is the person I'm meant to refer any problems to. And in fact it could be that I speak to her about something both good and bad.

Certainly the draw seems work related, and shows a variable day, but it is a daily draw, and so whatever happens will almost certainly not be as dramatic as this draw first appears.

I'll update you tonight.

ETA -- Update
The Bear (me) did try to be sunny today, but it was received with gloom. I felt hopeful, then felt confused and defeated. But then later in the day I went to a different work base and enjoyed my time with an older work colleague, so now I can also see 'Cheerful older woman dispels gloom.'  All of these things came to pass, so I can say that this draw did reflect the reality of my day.

Monday, 3 August 2015

A Lenormand notebook

Yesterday I found this You Tube suggesting a way to make a little book to explore Lenormand cards. It's for beginners, but it looked like a fun thing to do:



So today, I found an old blank book with the first few pages ripped out, my Blue Owl Lenormand with verses that I hate, a glue stick and some highlighters and thought I'd make a start. But those verses were SO dreadful, I couldn't face them, so I cut out little bits of paper and drew my own playing card insets and glued them to the cards before gluing the cards into the book.

My work area (I don't have a table, so it was in the middle of the living room floor. I bought the bears at a charity shop today. Well! I had to. If you'd seen the looks on their faces you'd have bought them, too. Monkey has a weighted bottom -- I know how he feels -- and makes a very effective page holder.):


The cover of the book. (After all the playing cards are glued in, it won't lie flat. This is what it looks like!):



Title page (note ripped out section -- no point spending money on a new book for a little project like this! Plus that would mean I'd have to get dressed and go buy it. Ugh.): 


Playing card insets in production: 


A finished page before notes start being added: 


And some pages with a few color-coded notes on (yes, that is a chocolate smear on the Rider page):  





This was fun to do and I may keep adding notes to it, if I don't lose interest. :) That's how I roll. When I am feeling brave, I may do a few drawings on the left page like Makiel did...

Has anyone else done anything like this? 




Sunday, 2 August 2015

Lenormand Study: Card Effects

Traditionally, Lenormand cards are not read in isolation, but by their proximity to one another, and in combinations. Therefore, it is important to learn the effect that certain cards will have on those around them. Andy Boroveshengra and Caitlin Matthews, whose books I am working with at the moment, both address this. Today I'm making some notes (as this blog is my Lenormand journal) on how the cards affect one another, as described by Andy and Caitlin.

In Lenormand: 36 Cards, Andy places all the Lenormand cards on a single scale that runs from positive to negative like this:

 As you can see, most cards in the pack are 'neutral' (though some are on the positive or negative ends of neutral), and 16 cards are more extreme. Laid out, they run thus, from most positive in upper left corner to most negative in lower right, with Clover apparently the most positive, and Cross the most negative:

Piatnik Lenormand

In Andy's method, no two cards occupy different subsets at the same time. For example, he doesn't show a negative card as being also in the positive or neutral subsets. That is why he has created the Positive-Neutral and Neutral-Negative runs, presumably. Also, take note that while there is a mixture of red and black in the progression, the majority of the Clubs suit is in the Negative run. 

Caitlin Matthews also presents the concept of card effects in her book, The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook. She divides the pack into three segments: Fortunate, Challenging and Neutral. The cards are not listed in a progressive order in any of these groupings, but rather remain in Lenormand order. I gather from this that she does not consider any one card better or worse than any other within its own subset. Also, she has a few cards that occupy spaces in two subsets at the same time:

Postmark Lenormand, Melissa Hill 2011
As with Andy's system, Caitlin presents the majority of the deck as neutral, though she includes nine Fortunate (or positive) cards and nine Challenging (or negative) cards. It's also interesting to note that Caitlin's negative cards are mostly from the Clubs suit as well.

Let's compare them: 
Boroveshengra, Andy. Lenormand: Thirty-Six Cards. 2014, pages 116-117.
Matthews, Caitlin. The Complete Lenormand Handbook. Rochester: Destiny Books, 2014, page 106.











I'll be looking at how to apply this knowledge through proximity and attendance over the coming week. :)