The Lenormand Cards

The Lenormand cards are named after the famous Lenormand oracle, which was
named after Mile Marie Anne Lenormand. She was a famous fortune teller and excelled
in cartomancy during the late 18th and early 19th century. Her fame stemmed from
many accurate cartomancy readings and predictions. She even drew the attention of
rich noble people like Josephine de Beauharnais, who later became the wife of Napoleon
Bonaparte. Her name is the only thing that connects with Lenormand oracle, the cardS
were not designed by her. She used other devices such as necromancy, scrying,
palmistry, and other divinatory methods for readings. She also used unique divinatory
methods such as readings through coffee grounds and egg whites. To the extent of our
knowledge, she used French Piquet cards for cartomancy. Sadly, she never described
her method of interpreting the tarots even though she was a prolific writer.
Two years after the death of Mile Marie Anne Lenormand, cartomancy became very
popular among a wider set of people on the internet. Grimaud, an enterprising publisher
printed a deck of cards, it was named after Mile Lenormand. It was popularly known as
Le Grand Jeu de Mlle Lenormand or simply as the Lenormand cards. The mechanics of
reading the cards were said to be leaked by Mile Lenormands apprentice. The deck was
made up of 54 cards, each compromising of a separate set of symbol and meaning. The
cards held images of star pictures, Greek mythology, 22 letters (Kabbala), geomantic
symbols, 7 talismans, flowers, and playing cards.
Following the popularity of these cards, many other publishers released decks under the
name of Lenormand, which contained various assortments of cards from playing cards
to additional symbols. A smaller concise version of the cards was released, it had 36
cards and was called Petit Jeu. During the year 1850 in Germany, the Lenormand cards
were made into an easier and simpler design. Each card had a mnemonic image with a
number, it had a total of 36 cards. It is also believed that these cards were based on a
deck printed in 1800, it used a dice and number cards for cartomancy
readings. The numbered cards had smaller playing card images overlapping a larger
image in the background. It was marketed with an instruction booklet that explained the

mechanics of the cards. These cards were simple to understand and still hold popularity
in Europe, some western areas, and in Germany.
There are various versions of Lenormand cards, however, a standard Lenormand card
deck has 36 cards and has an assortment of images like a house, a tree, a clover, a cross,
a heart, amongst others. Each version of the cards has its own set of interpretations for
cartomancy readings. According to Dummett, Depaulis, and Decker, these set of
cards were based on a game in Nuremberg in the year 1799. This game was called The
Game of Hope, the subjects and number used in this game are identical to Petit Le
Normand version of the Lenormand cards. Visit our website to know more in details.