LENORMAND

LIFE OF HIMM
https://lifeofhimm.wordpress.com

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When the Lenormand and “Days of Our Lives” Meet ........................................... 3
The Lenormand Meets “Days of Our Lives,” Part 2: The Portrait of Will Horton ....... 4
The Lenormand Meets “Days of Our Lives,” Part 3: Will Horton’s Line of Five ....... 10
The Lenormand Looks In On “Larias” .............................................................. 14
Lenormand Meets “Days” Update: Sonny Leaves Will—for Paris.......................... 16
The Answer Spread for Will Horton ................................................................. 19
Looking for Love in Lenormand ...................................................................... 24
The Lenormand Talks about My Dreams .......................................................... 29
The Cards Agree .......................................................................................... 32
Talkin’ Tarot with the Lenormand ................................................................... 35
Learning the Lenormand: Straight from the Cards ............................................ 41

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When the Lenormand and “Days of Our Lives” Meet
Posted on March 24, 2015by James Himm

Watching another reader’s approach to a spread inspired me to bring the

Lenormand into the world of soaps–particularly “Days of Our Lives.”

As many of you know, I’ve taken up studying and reading the Lenormand,
documenting some of my experiencesin this very space.
And, just like when I started my relationship with Tarot, I’ve been doing a
lot of personal readings, getting a feel for reading with this oracle.

I took a page from my own book (the experience of reading Tarot with a
group of Reiki practitioners) and came up with the idea of doing readings for
fictitious people. This would allow me a way to gain experience doing
readings for “people” while still in my learning stage (which is funny, I
suppose, because 16 years in with Tarot and I still consider myself a
student).
I decided I wanted to do a reading for a character on “Days of Our Lives.”
(Yes, I confess—I’m a soap watcher, have been for decades—and I still
watch “Days” and “General Hospital.” No shame here.)

I chose Will Horton.

If you watch the show, Will cheated on his husband Sonny with Sonny’s ex,
Paul. So, I wanted to do a reading in which Will has come to see me asking
about his marriage—and if it can be saved.

I recently found an approach that another Lenormand reader, Australia’s

well-known “Fortune Teller” Paris Debono, uses for some of his celebrity
relationship readings, and it excited me enough to give it a try.
Keeping with the soap opera storyline theme, I call it my “Storyline Style”
reading of the cards.

This video below presents the situation, the players in the drama, and the
reading:

It will be fun to see how things play out from this point on with the storyline
on the show.

And it’s set the stage for me wanting to do another one of these. This time,
I’m thinking of a couple in Port Charles… (If you watch GH, I’ve got my
sights on Elizabeth and Jake–who we all know is really Jason…)

Crushing on the cards,

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The Lenormand Meets “Days of Our Lives,” Part 2: The
Portrait of Will Horton
Posted on March 27, 2015by James Himm

While doing my “storyline style” of reading the Lenormand about Will

Horton’s marriage, some intriguing patterns prompted me to explore
further.

In the first episode of this drama, I combined two of my guilty pleasures—

the Lenormand Oracle and “Days of Our Lives”—by doing a reading about
the character Will Horton and his marriage to Sonny Kiriakis, which is in a
state of crisis, because Will slept with Sonny’s ex, Paul.
I sat down with the cards and did what I call the “Storyline Style” of reading
the cards, one by one, each new card adding a new element to the story on
the table.

Sonny (The Man, on the left) and Will (The Gentleman, on the right), from
the Malpertuis Lenormand.

I had designated particular cards to represent Will, Sonny, and Paul. If you
recall, the reading had turned up both Will’s card and Paul’s card—but not
Sonny’s. Sonny was absent from the story. Uh-oh…

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Out of curiosity, I turned over the remaining facedown cards on the table to
see where Sonny was hiding. A startling revelation: Sonny’s card was
actually next to Will’s the entire time!
And then I noticed that Sonny’s card, Will’s card, and the card that
represented their daughter, Arianna, were all next to one another in a row.

The Horton-Kiriakis family: Sonny (The Man), Will (The Gentleman), and
their daughter, Arianna (The Child).

Intrigued by this, I turned over the cards beneath each of them to create
what is called a “Portrait Spread,” which is a box of nine cards. The center
card is Will’s card, because Will is the focus of the reading.
So these are the cards that make up Will’s Portrait: The Crossroads, The
Moon, andThe Bouquet (top row); The Man (Sonny), The
Gentleman (Will), and The Child(Arianna; middle row); The Scythe, The
Lilies, and The Mountain (bottom row).

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 Will Horton’s Portrait Spread. Cards from the Malpertuis Lenormand.

What additional information did these cards give me? Check out the video
below:

If you prefer to read all about it, here you go:

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The columns of Will’s Portrait represent the past (far left column), the
present (middle column), and the future (far right column). Sonny, to the
left of Will, places him in Will’s past. I note this in addition to the fact the
card was originally facedown, and not a part of the larger reading.

The cards above and below Sonny are The

Crossroads and The Scythe.
The Crossroads, as I said in the previous video post, is a card that can
suggest being at a crossroads and needing to make a choice of some
kind. The Crossroads can suggest options and alternatives.
The Scythe is a card that can indicate something painful, some type of hurt,
wound, or injury, and a swift course of action. In relationship readings, it
can suggest a break, a split, or something being cut/severed.
On the show, when Sonny found out about Will being with Paul, he went to
confront his husband. On the way, Sonny was attacked and stabbed. He was
rushed to the hospital and had to have emergency surgery. (The Scythe can
indicate a dangerous situation as well as surgery.) After he recovered, he
left town suddenly (Scythe, with Crossroads, which can mean a departure)
so he could decide what he was going to do (Crossroads).
The line reads, “The choice (Crossroads) Sonny (Man) made to ‘split’
suddenly.”(Scythe)
Also, “A choice (Crossroads) affects Sonny (Man), causing him great
pain.” (Scythe)

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 The Moon, which is positioned above Will, is a card that points
toward work and career. Will’s work as a writer plays a big part in the story,
as he is trying to make a name for himself (Moon is a card for fame and
recognition), and has been a source of contention between Will and Sonny.
Below Will is The Lilies, which can represent wisdom and experience.
For Will, the line of cards suggests he (Gentleman) sees (Moon; seeing is a
form of recognition) what the lesson (wisdom) of having this
experience (Lilies) is for him.

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 In the column that represents the future, The Bouquet is a
card that can indicate a surprise, a gift, or an invitation. It can also mean
something is pleasant, beautiful and wonderful.
The Child can indicate something new, small, or in its early stage of
development.
The Mountain indicates blocks, challenges, and obstacles; something is
either coming to a halt, or experiencing a setback or delay. Whatever the
case may be, The Mountain suggests that there is something that will take a
long time to overcome.
The line, as the future, reads, “A surprise (Bouquet) leads to a
new(Child) challenge (Mountain).”
My guess: Sonny will find out that Will has been plotting to get Paul to leave
town—in addition to the surprise (Bouquet) of Paul’s paternity (Child being
Paul) when that is revealed—which will also be a result of Will’s scheming.

The upper and lower rows can also be read.

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 The row
of Crossroads + Moon + Bouquet reads
as “Choices (Crossroads) involving work (Moon) lead to an
emotional (Moon can also indicate emotions) surprise(Bouquet).”

The row of Scythe +

Lilies + Mountain reads as “A split (Scythe), the result of a sexual
experience (Lilies), is a challenge that will take a long time to
overcome(Mountain).”
It’s cool to see how the cards have depicted what’s already happened as
they hint at what’s to come.

In this next—and final—chapter of “The Lenormand Oracle Meets Days of

Our Lives” drama, I perform a method called “Counting Round,” pulling
some cards from Will’s Portrait designed to give us the final answer to the
question as to whether or not the Horton-Kiriakis marriage can be saved.

Stay tuned…

The Lenormand Meets “Days of Our Lives,” Part 3: Will

Horton’s Line of Five
Posted on March 29, 2015by James Himm
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 Doing Will Horton’s Lenormand Portrait Spread prompted me to extract
cards to produce a bottom line reading, called the “Line of Five.” Here, I
begin by “Counting Round” the Portrait for the cards that will make up the
answer.

Previously, in this drama of The Lenormand Meets “Days of Our

Lives,” I did a Portrait Spread for the character of Will Horton, exploring the
question of whether or not he could save his marriage to Sonny Kiriakis.

Will Horton’s Portrait Spread. Cards from the Malpertuis Lenormand.

At the end of that video/post, I shared that there was another technique I
would use to serve as the bottom line answer for this question—and bring
this drama to its denouement.

The technique, which I learned from divination expert Caitlin Matthews (in
her wonderful book “The Lenormand Oracle Handbook”) is called “Counting
Round” and produces a reading known as a “Line of Five.”
To get Will Horton’s “Line,” we take his Portrait, and starting with his card in
the center, count two and remove the second card each time, for a total of
five cards.

What do these cards tell us? Check out the video below:

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If you prefer to read all about it, here you go:
So, Will’s “Line” will consist of these cards, in this order: The Gentleman,
The Scythe, The Mountain, The Moon, and The Man.

Will Horton’s Line of Five Lenormand reading.

In this reading, we have The Mountain as the focus card,

because it’s in the middle of the line. As I’ve said in the past, The Mountain
indicates blocks, obstacles, challenges, setbacks, anddelays. It says that
whatever the situation, it will take a long time to overcome.

The topic in-depth is represented by the pairing

of Scythe + Moon, which is read as an
emotional (Moon) disconnection(Scythe).

The outer cards, which can represent

the summation, are Gentleman + Man, which are Will and Sonny,
respectively. These cards offer no additional information because they
represent the people the reading is about.

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 The cards representing what’s influencing the
situationare Gentleman + Scythe. This pairing points to Will (the blade of
the scythe is pointing at Will) as the reason for the disconnection between
he and Sonny.
The Scythe, being a card of pain and hurt, acknowledges that, while
Sonny is hurting from Will’s actions, Will is also causing himself hurt
and pain. The Scythe is a card of removal, and with the blade pointing at
him, it suggests that, because of his own actions, he may have
removed himself from Sonny’s life.

The cards that represent the most likely

outcome are Moon + Man, which I see as telling us that Sonny(Man) has
been hit emotionally (Moon) from this blow (Scythe) from
Will (Gentleman)—it’s like a knifein the heart.

The playing card insert on The Moon is the 8 of Hearts,

also known as the 8 of Cups in Tarot. This aspect of the card indicates
a departure, and leaving the past behind. It can mean moving on from a
situation that has been emotionally painful—and moving on alone.
As a timing device, it can suggest an emotional decision will be made in a
month’s time (The Moon and the 8 of Hearts represent a full lunar cycle,
which is a month). So, it will be interesting to see where things go from here
in the next month.

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 Taking the pair of Scythe
+ Mountain, I read it as a disconnection (Scythe)that will take a long
time to overcome(Mountain). And the pair of Mountain + Moon can be
read as an emotional (Moon) challenge (Mountain).
So, the bottom line here looks like Will has possibly cut himself out of
Sonny’s life and that Sonny will choose to move on. The Mountain, as the
central card, suggests that the challenges facing this couple may be just too
much to overcome.
Being a soap opera, expect more setbacks and delays to come.
And, with that, our reading—and our series The Lenormand Meets “Days
of Our Lives”—come to their conclusions.
I will post future updates letting you know how things develop.

And if you happen to be a “Days” watcher, I’d love for you to join in the fun,
sharing your thoughts and keeping me in the know (as I don’t get to tune in
to the show everyday).
And be on the lookout for my next Lenormand “storyline style” reading,
which will focus on the budding relationship between Elizabeth Webber and
Jake Doe (who is really Jason Morgan!) on “General Hospital.”

The Lenormand Looks In On “Larias”

Posted on June 2, 2015by James Himm

Okay…so I first did this with Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis from “Days of
Our Lives.” Then I did it with Elizabeth Webber and Jake Doe/Jason
Morgan on “General Hospital.”
And recently, I went and did it for a third time.
If you’re new here, you may be wondering just what “it” is. And what does
“it” have to do with couples from soap operas?

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 Back at the table with the Lenormand, exploring the romance of yet
another soap couple.

What I’ve been doing is using my Lenormand Oracle for readings on these
fictitious couples as a way to gain some experience, focusing on people
other than myself all the time, with the cards.
Plus, these are storylines I’m actually following on these shows (yes, soaps
have been one of my guilty pleasures for years), and thought it would be fun
to see what kind of sneak peek the cards would allow me.

A storyline on the Finnish soap, “Salatut Elämät” (Secret Lives), piqued my

interest–and set the stage for another of my “Storyline Style” readings.

Because I’ve been regularly posting my Tarot videos on my YouTube

channel, I get lots of recommended videos to watch. That’s how I found clips
of a soap named “Salatut Elämät,” which is Finnish (it takes places in
Helsinki, Finland) for “Secret Lives.”
A fellow YouTuber, who goes by the handle “missfinlandia88,” started
posting clips of the show featuring a couple, Elias Vikstedt and Lari
Väänänen, two young men falling in love amidst a lot of complications (it is a
soap, after all—Finland’s one and only, which has been running for 16 years
now). I’m guessing this was recommended to me due to my posting
Lenormand readings about a gay couple on this side of the globe (the United
States).

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 The couple that’s become a sensation on YouTube: Lari Väänänen (played
by Ronny Roslof, left) and Elias Vikstedt (played by Petteri Paavola, right)
on “Salatut Elämät.”

This poster’s dedication and diligence to regularly posting these clips has
helped to create a sensation called “Larias” (a hybrid of the names Lari and
Elias), making the characters and the actors who play them (Ronny Roslof
and Petteri Paavola, respectively) immensely popular.

I started watching, and got hooked on their story. And because of that, I
thought I would do another “Storyline Style” reading on “Larias,” to see
what the Lenormand might reveal, and as a way for me to continue to get in
some more practice and experience with the cards.

The video below presents more on the situation, the players in the drama,
and the reading itself:

It will be fun to see how things play out from this point on with the storyline
on the show (as I continue to get caught up on what has happened in the
past with older clips).

And I already have an idea for my next couple, shifting from daytime
dramas to one in primetime…

As they say on the soaps, “Stay tuned!”

Lenormand Meets “Days” Update: Sonny Leaves Will—

for Paris
Posted on August 20, 2015by James Himm

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 A few months ago, I did a three-part
video series reading the Lenormand about the marriage of Will Horton and
Sonny Kiriakis on “Days of Our Lives.”
It began as a way for me to get some experience with the cards, which I’d
only been working with since the end of 2014. At the time, I was only doing
my own personal readings with the cards, and didn’t feel comfortable using
them with other people like I do with Tarot.

Using the fictional characters of the soaps (successive readings were

about Elizabeth Webber and Jake Doe/Jason Morgan from “General
Hospital,” and Elias Vikstedt and Lari Väänänen from “Salatut Elämät”)
served two purposes: One, I would be doing readings about people other
than myself; and two, I would also be able to get verifiable answers, one
way or another (either the predictions made would happen or not happen).
As I wrapped that initial series on Will and Sonny, I said I would provide
updates as things unfolded. And every time something did occur, my
intuition would tell me, “Wait. Wait for it.”

And what kind of intuitive would I be if I didn’t listen to my intuition when it

spoke?
So, I waited.

This week, Sonny Kiriakis (played by Freddie Smith) said, “Au revoir” to
both his husband and Salem.

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And this week, I knew why. Tuesday, on the August 18th episode of “Days”
that aired, Sonny Kiriakis shocked his husband, Will, when he suddenly
announced he was leaving him. And it wasn’t for Paul, Sonny’s ex—and the
man Will cheated on Sonny with (and who was just as shocked
when heheard the news)—but for Paris. He was bidding Salem, “Au revoir.”
He told Will that he couldn’t take his constant scheming and manipulations
to hold onto him anymore.

Just as I had gleaned from the information throughout all three readings, in
various ways, in the end I sensed the cards were saying that Sonny would
have a “change of heart” and make the emotional decision to depart—and
possibly quite suddenly and abruptly.

The cards kept repeating for me–in different ways–that Sonny could make
the decision to leave Will.

And he did. He had already made the decision to leave—and all the
preparations—before telling his husband. By the time he told Will, Sonny
was heading to the airport where the Kiriakis jet was waiting for him, ready
to go. He was going off to Paris to handle running some nightclubs, for his
Uncle Victor, that are having operational difficulties.

It was the perfect way for Victor to get Sonny away from Will, who he was
angry at for cheating on his nephew.

And while Sonny said he needed space to think things through, one of two
things could happen, at this point: One, Will receives some communication
from Sonny that the marriage is over (like being sent divorce papers in the
mail) at some time in the future; or two, Sonny does return, after some time
has passed, possibly ready to pick things up with Will.

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 The pair of Moon and Man revealed something that would happen on-
camera for Sonny–and off-camera for his portrayer, Freddie Smith. Cards
are from the Malpertuis Lenormand.

And here’s an interesting, behind-the-scenes nod the cards gave: In the final
reading I did, the Line of 5 for Will, there was the pair of Moon + Man. At
the time, I interpreted the pair to mean that Sonny would make the
emotional decision to leave the marriage because he’d had enough and it
was just getting to be too toxic, which he did.
Behind the scenes, actor Freddie Smith, who played Sonny, had won a
Daytime Emmy for his portrayal in the role, right before it was announced he
was leaving the soap. Moon is a card of career and recognition, and one of
the ways that can show up is being honored or receiving some kind
of award. How cool is that?
So, over the course of these past few months, the cards were right about
these points:

 Will did learn the truth about Paul’s paternity, and tried to conceal it to
get Paul out of town.
 It was revealed in a public place that John Black was Paul’s father—with
Sonny, Will, Marlena, John, Paul, and Paul’s mother Tori all present—and
all affected by the revelation, in one way or another.
 Paul decided to stay in Salem after all.
 Will continued to scheme against his rival Paul—and repeatedly got
caught in his manipulations.
 And, of course, Sonny deciding to leave Will.
So, the question that remains is if—or when—Sonny returns. And right now,
that remains to be seen. I’ll just have to stay tuned…

The Answer Spread for Will Horton

Posted on December 17, 2017by James Himm

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When I started out with Lenormand, one of the things I did was use the
cards to predict what would happen on the TV shows I watch. It was a nice
way to ease into doing readings for other people and their situations.

One of the first public Lenormand readings I did centered on the marriage
of Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis from the soap “Days of Our Lives.”

One of the shows I did readings on was “Days of Our Lives,” and I focused
on the couple of Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis, in particular. In this space, I
shared what I called my “storyline style reading,” and followed up with
periodic updates.
In the last update I shared, Sonny, Will’s husband, left him and moved to
Paris to work for his (Sonny’s) uncle, Victor.
And a short time later, Will Horton had been killed by the “Necktie Killer,”
Ben Weston.

End of the story, right? Well, not quite.

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Will Horton (portrayed by Chandler Massey) returns to the land of the living
on “Days of Our Lives.”

Two years later, Will Horton is back (it turns out he wasn’t killed, after all)—
the only thing is he doesn’t remember anything about his former life, which
includes his husband.
Since I had done readings regarding this couple before, I thought it would
only be right to see what’s in the cards concerning this latest development.

Since I’m really loving reading with playing cards for myself at the moment,
I wanted to work with an Answer Spread, asking the question, “Is Will
Horton going to regain his memory on ‘Days of Our Lives’?”
The Answer Spread is a layout I discovered in the book Card Reader’s
Handbook by Regina Russell. It consists of 6 cards, laid out in two rows of
three.

The cards are

read in pairs vertically. The first two cards represent aspects of the situation.
The middle cards answer the question (at this point, I should say that the
Answer Spread is read only for the specific question being asked). The last
two cards are contributing factors yet to be considered. The final card in the
reading is the “pivot card,” and can share some insight about the outcome to
the situation.
Using the Bicycle® Flying Machines playing card deck (I chose this one
because the situation is so “up in the air” right now, and air is the element

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associated with the mind, and I’m asking about memory), I drew 3 of
Spades, 9 of Hearts, 9 of Clubs, 8 of Diamonds, King of Hearts, and 6
of Spades.

The 3 of
Spades and 8 of Diamonds represent aspects of the situation.

I love seeing the 3 of Spades first, as this is a card of

confusion, and Will is experiencing memory loss, and the situation is
confusing to him. The 3 of Spades is also a card of interference by a third
party, and points to Susan Banks, a woman who purposely kept Will from his
family for the past two years.

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The 8 of Diamonds can represent limitation on a physical level, and following
the 3 of Spades, can suggest an illness, some kind on imbalance with health
(the number 8). The number 3, when connected to Spades can suggest a
decrease (memory loss could be considered a decrease).

The 9 of Hearts and the King of Hearts answer the question.

The 9 of Hearts is the wish card, so this I would consider a yes.

The King of Hearts can represent a married man being read by the cards, so
this is Will. Both cards being red (positive) is a definite yes, that Will is going
to regain his memory.

The 9 of Clubs and 6 of Spades provide additional information to be

considered.

The 9 of Clubs is a card of good luck or getting a lucky break.

It’s also a card of “distance,” and can suggest something far away. The 9 of
Clubs can signify a journey of the self, and implies one of a psychological

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nature (keeping with Will’s condition). So, I see the 9 of Clubs saying that
Will regaining his memory might be “some time down the road.”
And that brings me to the pivot card, the 6 of Spades.

First, being a Spades card, it can suggest a block, which would reinforce the
9 of Clubs suggesting a long duration. The 6 of Spades is a card of
completion, of a matter being ended once and for all, again pointing toward
a resolution. The 6 is also a number of psychology, again a reference to the
condition Will is experiencing.

The 6 of Spades is also a card of divorce, which might not bode well for
Sonny, Will’s husband…
But I have to remember that the Answer Spread is designed to address
the specificquestion, so I’m digressing…
I’ll post an update when I know more. As they say in soap opera land—stay
tuned…

Update

On the January 3, 2018 episode of “Days,” Will told Sonny he was filing for
divorce (remember that pivot card, the 6 of Spades, which can indicate
divorce…?).

On the January 31, 2018 episode of “Days,” Will handed Sonny the divorce
papers. Sonny signed them on the February 1 episode.

Looking for Love in Lenormand

Posted on April 28, 2016by James Himm

If you follow my Lenormand video postings over on my YouTube channel,

you’ll know that I recently finished up a series I was doing on how I read a
Grand Tableau. The series was inspired by the requests of some of my
regular viewers who enjoy how I read the cards.
This week, Sejla, a new viewer who found this series, sent me a lovely
message about the videos. In it, she asked about the possibility of doing
Lenormand readings on love and relationship situations.

The request intrigued me. And, if you’ve been following this blog for any
length of time, you know I always turn to the cards to see what they have to
say about embarking on anything new connected to divination. And this time
was no different.

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So, picking up the Under the Roses Lenormand (by Kendra Hurteau &
Katrina Hill, and published by U. S. Games Systems, Inc.), I decided to do a
Line of 5 Reading to answer the question, “What do I need to know about
doing Lenormand love and relationship video readings?”
The cards that made up the line were Mountain, Bouquet, Grave, Owls,
and Gentleman.

Mountain, Bouquet, Grave, Owls, and Gentleman, from the Under the
Roses Lenormand.

The thing that immediately caught me eye was the last card in the
line, Gentleman. Gentleman typically represents a man significant to the
situation, or the questioner, if male. So, in this case, the card would
represent me.

The Gentlemen cards in the Under the Roses Lenormand.

In this deck, though, there’s an additional Gentleman card; that Gentleman

is African. This feature was one of the reasons I bought the deck (it was my
first Lenormand), being African-American. I made the conscious decision,
from the beginning, that this Gentleman would always represent me.

So, this man in the line is anotherman.

And seeing this set the reading in a different direction. (If you want to know
how I answered the question with these cards, you can check out the first
part of the video presentation of this reading here.)
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Owls, next to Gentleman, can indicate a partnership (relationship), so I
began seeing a relationship scenario unfolding in the cards, and went with it.
The Relationship in the Line

The focus card being Grave can indicate an ending, or limitation and
restriction. So I read this as the central issue being presented is the ending
(demise) of a relationship.

Bouquet and Owls, the cards flanking Grave, can point out two possible
reasons for the relationship ending. On the one side, Bouquet, can suggest
appreciation and being appreciated was an issue; on the other, Owls, aside
from being a partnership, can mean that communication was also an issue.

The outer cards, Mountain + Gentleman, point to one of the people in the
relationship. Mountain is a card that can indicate a challenge or block, and
with Gentleman having his back to Mountain, can mean the man had a
challenge or block in the past, which may have affected the relationship.
The pair could also describe the man as having been remote or distant in the
relationship.

Mountain, being the trigger card in the line, says to me that the
relationship was challenging at the start (I had the words “a rocky start”
come to mind). Paired with Bouquet, one of the things here is that the
challenge was surprising. A challenge, in particular, was with appreciation
(Bouquet), which was mentioned before.
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The pair of Bouquet + Grave further adds these possibilities: no
appreciation; limited appreciation; and appreciation comes to an end.

Grave + Owls also reinforces communication as another challenge, as the

pair can mean a limitation (Grave) of communication (Owls).

Owls + Gentleman indicates that these challenges (Mountain) were the

cause of frustration (Owls) for the man (Gentleman)—or that there was
frustration with the man, from the perspective of the other person in the
relationship.

Grave + Gentleman suggests that, as a result of the frustration (Owls)

with the relationship (Owls), the man (Gentleman) was closed off (Grave)
and shut down (Grave).

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And Mountain + Grave suggests that, after a time of “postponing the
inevitable,” a challenge (Mountain) comes to an end (Grave). Grave + Owls
follows up with the end (Grave) of a frustrating (Owls) partnership (Owls).
And despite ending the relationship, Owls indicates there was still a sense of
sorrow (Owls following Grave).

Summing Up the Line

Taking the information from all the various combinations in the line, I like to
sum things up by reading the cards from left to right.

For this line, one possibility is, “The challenge (Mountain) of being
appreciated(Bouquet + Grave being limited appreciation) ends (Grave) a
frustrating partnership(Owls) with the man (Gentleman).” This would
be from the perspective of the other party.

From the perspective of the man, the line could suggest, “The
challenge (Mountain) of being appreciated (Bouquet + Grave being
limited appreciation) ends (Grave) a frustrating
partnership (Owls) for the man (Gentleman).” One word change changes
the perspective.
Either way, with Gentleman not facing any of the cards, he’s outta there.
This situation is now in his past.

In the next post, I’ll look at both the playing card inserts and the numerical
values of the cards for any additional insights.

Until then…

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The Lenormand Talks about My Dreams
Posted on August 21, 2015by James Himm

The Clouds card of the Lenormand sparked a synchronistic moment

between me and the Universe.

A few days ago, I shared a synchronistic moment between me and the

Lenormand; it involved the appearance of the Clouds card, and my inability
to recall the details of a string of dreams the Lenormand had appeared
significantly in.
The Universe had Clouds appear in my daily draw that morning, after having
yet another dream about reading and working with the Lenormand—and
again, not being able to recall any specifics. (Yes, even Dream Decoders go
through periods like this!)

I had stated the intention of doing a Line of 5 reading with the Clouds card
as the focus card (to represent the “fogginess” of not being able to
remember the details of the dreams)—and then that very card was in the
center of the daily draw!
And the message? A message being delivered (Rider) that is confusing
and uncertain (Clouds) and abruptly cut off (Scythe). The cards were
directly relating my experience back at me.
I took this as a nod to go ahead and actually do the Line of 5 reading,
although I didn’t feel the need to use Clouds again as the focus card, since it
had just appeared. I decided to let the deck pick the focus card for me.

So, with this question in mind, “What are my dreams about Lenormand
telling me?” I shuffled, cut, and pulled 5 cards from the Dondorf
Lenormand for my reading.
The cards were Whip, Tree, Fox, Coffin, and Fish.

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 Whip, Tree, Fox, Coffin, and Fish, from the Dondorf Lenormand.

Fox, being the focus card of the reading, for me, represents skill. In this
context, I see Fox as saying the dreams are about my skill level with the
cards. Fox is a work card, so it’s talking about my work with the cards.
Fox can also be about investigation, so the card is talking about my
investigation of these dreams.
I quickly noted this about the individual cards:

 Whip = something repetitive

 Tree = growth and development over time
 Fox = skill; work
 Coffin = sleep/rest; forget/blocking out; sleeping = unconscious state
 Fish = depth/deeper level
Seeing this right off, I really wanted to look at the pairs within the line.

The first is Tree + Coffin, which can be read as limited (Coffin) growth and
development (Tree) or that growth and development (Tree) is being
restricted (Coffin). The pair could also more accurately state the situation by
saying, forgetting (Coffin) the developments (Tree), which is about my not
being able to remember the dreams fully.
Next is Whip + Fish, which I read as trying to work and/or sort things
out (Whip) at a deeper level (Fish).
Moving to Whip + Tree, I see the pair as exercises (Whip) for growth and
development(Tree), as well as repetition (Whip) that is growing (Tree),
again commenting on the frequency of the lack of dream recall.
And finally, coming to Coffin + Fish, I read it as going deeper (Fish) when
sleeping(Coffin), and unconscious (Coffin) depths (Fish).
The triplet of Whip + Tree + Fox popped out next, as I see it as working
and sorting things out (Whip) to develop and grow (Tree) my skill (Fox).

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Going to the hidden dynamics next, the outer pips are 11 (Jack of Clubs;
Whip) + 13 (King of Diamonds; Fish), which add to 24. The 24th card in the
deck is Heart, which is a card of passion and enthusiasm.

The inner pips are 7 (7 of Hearts; Tree) + 9 (9 of Diamonds; Coffin), which

add to 16. The 16th card in the deck is Stars, a card of inspiration and
guidance. Stars is the card of dreams and prophecy, of the Divine and the
Universe.
So, the hidden dynamic here is that the dreams are focusing on working and
becoming skilled (Fox) with something (the Lenormand, which have been
the topic of the dreams) I’m passionate about (Heart) and see as a source of
inspiration and guidance (Stars).

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Adding all the pips together (11 + 7 + 9 + 9 + 13), the total is 39; 3 + 9 =
12. The 12th card in the deck is Birds, which is a card of communication—
and frustration. I see this card as again, noting my frustration about not
being able to get the message the dreams are trying to communicate to me.

And for the final word, adding all the numbers on the cards (11 + 5 + 14 +
8 + 34), the total is 72; 7 + 2 = 9. The 9th card in the deck is Bouquet, a
card of beautiful and wonderful surprises, as well as appreciation of talent.
What a nice way for the cards to sum up what the Lenormand dreams are
trying to tell me!

Now that we’ve had this discussion (Birds), perhaps it will now be easier to
remember the details of future dream appearances of the cards—especially if
those details can help me in my work with the cards (Fox) when I’m awake.

The Cards Agree

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Posted on August 18, 2015by James Himm

Garden was a card that appeared in one of a number of recent dreams I

had featuring the Lenormand. Card is from the Dondorf Lenormand.

This morning, I woke up, vaguely recalling a dream in which I was reading
or working with the Lenormand. It was another in a line of recent dreams.
And, just like the others, I woke with only the faintest of recollection. In
some, I can recall a particular card (a recent one had Garden in it) here and
there, but more often than not, I was left with the feeling of knowing that I
was reading or working with the cards.
As I prepared to pull my cards for the day, I had the thought of doing a
reading about my lack of concrete recall regarding these Lenormand dreams.
As I shuffled the cards of my Dondorf Lenormand deck, I said aloud, “I think
I’ll do a Line of 5 reading, and I’ll use Clouds as the central focus card,
since I can’t seem to remember these dreams, and see what the Lenormand
has to say about their possible messages to me.”
I cut the deck into three piles, put it back together, and fanned out the cards
facedown. I pulled three. I turned over the card in the middle first, as it was
the focus of the reading.

The card? Clouds!

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The cards in this morning’s daily draw: Rider, Clouds, and Scythe, from the
Dondorf Lenormand.

I turn over the other cards, to find Rider on the left, and Scythe on the
right. Rider can represent news and messages being delivered. Scythe can
represent something sudden and abrupt, something being cut off or cut
short.
Looking at the pairs within the triplet of cards, I read Rider +
Clouds as confusing news/messages; Clouds + Scythe as removing the
confusion; and Rider + Scythe as breaking news, or a message being
abruptly cut short.
Reading the line, in forward narration, from left to right, I see, “The
messages being delivered (Rider) are
confusing/uncertain (Clouds) and abruptly cut short (Scythe).”
The cards were in agreement with me about the dreams. The cards were
saying that the confusion (Clouds) was creating a disconnect (Scythe, which
can also mean disconnection) between me and the messages (Rider) the
dreams were attempting to deliver (Rider).

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Looking at the pips (playing card inserts), I added together their numerical
values: 9 (Rider has 9 of Hearts) + 13 (Clouds has King of Clubs, and Kings
have a value of 13) + 11 (Scythe has Jack of Diamonds; Jacks have a value
of 11) = 33. Card 33 in the Lenormand deck is Key, which can
mean something important and vital; keys unlock and reveal things–much in
the same way dreams do. Key can mean a discovery, and dreams help us
discover things about ourselves.

As the final word, I looked at the numbers on the cards, and just like the
pips, added those together: 1 (Rider) + 6 (Clouds) + 10 (Scythe) = 17. Card
17 in the deck is Stork. And, like Rider, the card can mean a delivery. Stork
also means improvement, and my thought on dreams is that they deliver
messages designed to help us improve all areas of our lives.
After all that, you might be wondering if I did that Line of 5 reading with the
cards. You bet I did!

In my next post, I’ll share what the cards had to tell me about working with
the cards in my sleep.

Until then, I wish you sweet dreams!

Talkin’ Tarot with the Lenormand

Posted on March 6, 2015by James Himm

Recently, my Reiki Master-Teacher called me while I was in the middle of

doing a practice reading with the Lenormand. The reason for the call was
that she wanted to know if I would be interested in giving a talk to our group
of practitioners at the Reiki clinic she heads up.

Having given a few talks for the group already (one on career guidance with
numerology; one on my dream decoding process; one on Tarot birth cards;

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and the last one was on the 4 principles of dream decoding), I paused for a
moment, wondering, “What would I talk about?”
No sooner than the words came from my mouth, the topic came: I told my
Teacher that the topic for my talk would be “Tapping Your Inner Tarot
Reader.”
Wrapping up the call, I turned my attention back to the reading I was doing,
cards out on the floor (I do all my personal readings on the floor of my
bedroom). Thinking this was a divine moment to ask the cards about this
opportunity to talk about something near and dear to me, I gathered up the
Lenormand (Under the Roses) and, shuffling the deck in my hands, focused
on this question:
“How will my talk go for Practitioner’s Night at the Reiki
Connection?”

As I continued to focus on the question while I shuffled, a card fell out from
the deck. I stopped to look at the card. It was The Journal (also known
as The Book).
If you’ve read about my previous Lenormand post, you may recall that The
Journal was spotlighted. One of the things The Journal can symbolize is a
deck of cards. This lets me know that the Lenormand is all for me looking at
this topic; it’s like the cards were saying, “Let’s talk about this!”
Keeping The Journal out, I finished shuffling and pulled the following cards
for a Line of 5 Reading, which is laying the cards in a horizontal line, from
left to right: The Locket, The Lilies, The Anchor, The Gentleman, and
The Bouquet.

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The Locket, The Lilies, The Anchor, The Gentleman, and The Bouquet, from
the Under the Roses Lenormand.

The first thing that catches my attention is that The Gentleman, the card
that represents the male involved in the situation, is in the line. This is my
card, representing me. This, like The Journal, is a positive indicator.

The Anchor, which is the middle card, is the focus of the reading. The
Anchor is a work card, which again, is a positive indicator, because the focus
of my presentation is my work with Tarot.

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Also, having done this a number of times, The Anchor can suggest a
situation that can be both long-term and routine.

The combination of Lilies + Gentleman tells me a bit more about the topic
in-depth. The Lilies, another card I’ve talked about in previous posts,
indicates experience. So, I read this pair as my experience (with Tarot).

The summation, which is represented by the pairing of Locket (also known

as The Heart) + Bouquet, is read as the gift (Bouquet) of
passion (Locket); hearts(Locket) and
flowers (Bouquet); and love (Locket) + gift(Bouquet), which I wrote
as love offering, which is a collection that is taken up and given to the
presenter.

The pair of Locket + Lilies, which is formed to show something that

influences the situation, I read as the experiences (Lilies) of
something (Tarot) that I have passion (Locket) for.

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The pair of Gentleman + Bouquet, which talks about a probable outcome,
I read as my gift or an inviting (Bouquet, which can mean an
invitation) man.
The Bouquet can also mean a surprise, so I also write a surprise for
me and a gift for me.

Lilies + Anchor gets read as a long-term (Anchor) experience (Lilies),

which is my 16 years working with the
Tarot; work (Anchor) experience (Lilies); and a
routine (Anchor) experience (Lilies).

The pairing of Anchor + Gentleman I read as

simply my (Gentleman) work (Anchor), and a routine (Anchor) for
me(Gentleman).
Stringing the cards together as a sentence, I read the line as “A
passionate (Locket) experience (Lilies) of my work (Anchor +
Gentleman) will be pleasant (Bouquet).”

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The Essence card, which comes from the total of the numbers on the cards
(24 + 30 + 35 + 28 +9 = 126; 1 + 2 + 6 = 9), is The Bouquet, a card
already in the line. As I mentioned before, The Bouquet can mean an
invitation, a gift, and a surprise. It can suggest a pleasant experience.
The final advice on the reading can come from adding the numbers of the
playing card inserts. Adding 11 (Jack of Hearts) + 13 (King of Spades) + 9
(of Spades) + 1 (Ace of Hearts) + 12 (Queen of Spades), I get 46; 4 + 6 =
10. The 10th card in the deck is The Sickle (also known as The Scythe).

I pause for a moment to consider the card. Its meanings can suggest
something fast, quick, swift, and sharp. The thought that comes is that the
card is advising me that the method I want to present to the group is a fast
and quick method to begin the reading process—but it is, by no means,
extensive or exhaustive.
This card can sometimes represent danger, so the phrase “knowing just
enough to make you dangerous” comes to mind.
So, the Lenormand told me to rely on my experiences with Tarot, that I
would be presenting a quick and easy way to start the reading process, and
that the night will end on a pleasant note.

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What Actually Happened: The Update

So, I conducted that reading on February 25, 2015. I gave the presentation
on March 3, 2015. As the cards predicted, the evening was
very pleasant (Bouquet).
I opened by talking about my attraction (Gentleman and Locket) to Tarot—
how it started and how it has grown and evolved over 16 years (Lilies can
mean maturity).
A lot of the Reiki practitioners that attended had no working knowledge of
Tarot, so after a brief talk about the structure of the deck, I invited
(Bouquet) the group to participate in a couple of activities that didn’t require
in-depth knowledge of the cards; rather, I wanted to create
something experiential (Lilies).

A gift I received from a participant at a recent talk on Tarot. Even though

the Lenormand predicted a gift, it still came as a surprise–which was also
predicted.

A love offering was taken up and given to me (Locket + Bouquet). Also, as

the participants were leaving, many stopped to share
their experiences (Lilies) of the activities with me.
One man stopped and handed me a small metallic Angel token statuette.
Thinking he was just showing it to me, I marveled it and went to hand it
back to him. “Oh, no,” he said, “I brought it here to give to you. It’s a gift.”
(Bouquet)
It’s a gift I’ve carried on my person since.

All in all, I think the Lenormand and I talk Tarot pretty well.

Learning the Lenormand: Straight from the Cards

Posted on February 14, 2015by James Himm

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 Learning how to work with my newest divination oracle, the Lenormand,
has got me acting like a squirrel with a nut. (The Happy Squirrel, from the
Malpertuis Lenormand)

In previous posts, I’ve been sharing about the newest divinatory tool in my
life these days, the Lenormand oracle. In those posts, I shared how the
Lenormand has appeared in my dreams, much like the Tarot has over the
years.

And, just like I did when I started my study and practice of Tarot, every
morning I have been pulling what is known as “daily draws,” consisting of
three cards to see what the Lenormand has to say about how my day will
go.

And, after I had the precognitive experience involving the cards The
Lilies and The Whip, I wanted to ask the cards (or “Lennie” as some
readers call them), “What do I need to know about my learning to
read the Lenormand?”
Unlike Tarot, where I could pull a single card and receive an answer, the
Lenormand is best read in pairs and triplets. So, I decided to pull three cards
from my Malpertuis Lenormanddeck to answer my question.
The first thing I decided was the use of a focus card, which would represent
the subject of the reading. Since I was asking about the Lenormand itself, I
decided to let The Book represent the deck (it is said The Book can
symbolize a deck of cards).
I shuffled the cards, and then looked through them for The Book, my focus
card. The cards that came before and after The Book would make up the
other two cards for the reading.

Here are the cards that made up the reading: The Lilies, The Book,
and The Crossroads.
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 The Lilies, The Book, and The Crossroads, from the Malpertuis Lenormnad.

I’ve heard it said that the Tarot is visual and the Lenormand is verbal. Here’s
why: Each card in the Lenormand system represents a word in the reading
overall. And then the words are strung together to make a sentence (also
called a “forward narration”).
But before that can happen, I needed to take a look at the pairs that are
present within this triplet. One is the pairing of The Lilies and The
Book (or Lilies + Book); another is The Book and The Crossroads (Book
+ Crossroads); and the final pairing, using a process called “mirroring” or
“reflecting,” is The Lilies and The Crossroads(Lilies + Crossroads).
When reading pairs, the first card typically represents the subject (noun),
and the second card modifies the first in some way (either as an adjective or
verb).

I already said that Book would represent the Lenormand deck; other
meanings are secrets, education, knowledge, and teachings.
Lilies (it seems like this card shows up for me often, doesn’t it?) can
mean experience, wisdom, elders, and maturity.
So, for the pair of Lilies + Book, I wrote in my journal: the
maturation (Lilies) of knowledge (Book); learning (Book) from
elders (Lilies); experience (Lilies) from reading the
cards (Book); knowledge (Book) of elders (Lilies); and teachings (Book) of
elders(Lilies).
This pairing suggests that my knowledge of reading will mature, and that the
knowledge and teachings of elders (knowledgeable and experienced
Lenormand readers) will play a part in my learning process. It also suggests
that experience itself will be the best and greatest teacher—I will learn just
by doing it (reading the cards).

Crossroads can represent choices, alternatives, options, multiples,

and direction.When I shifted to the pairing of Book + Crossroads, I
wrote: multiple (Crossroads) readings (Book); alternate (Crossroads) readin
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gs (Book); option (Crossroads) of readings (Book);
and choice (Crossroads) of decks (Book).
My thoughts on this pairing is that learning to read the Lenormand would
offer me (and possibly my clients) more options than just reading Tarot
solely; it also reinforced the dream in which the Lenormand was mixed in
with Tarot cards.
For the pairing of Lilies + Crossroads, I wrote: choice (Crossroads) of
elders (Lilies); choice (Crossroads) of
experiences (Lilies); path (Crossroads) to wisdom (Lilies);
and multiple (Crossroads) experiences.
I thought this pairing was telling me that possibly two (the two paths on
Crossroads card) elders (Lilies) would play a significant part in my learning.
This is coupled by the fact that both these cards can also represent people
(like the Court Cards in the Tarot).

For my summation, which is taking the meanings of the cards and stringing
them together to create a sentence (forward narration, going from left to
right), I came up with this: The experience (Lilies) gained from reading
and studying theLenormand (Book) will take me in new
directions (Crossroads). Not a bad summation, don’t you think?

The Anchor, from the Malpertuis Lenormand.

My final step allows me to use my playing card reading skills, which is to add
up the numerical values of the playing cards (known as the Pips) inserted
into the cards. The Lilies has the King of Spades, which is 13; The Book has
10 of Diamonds, which is 10; and the Crossroads has the Queen of
Diamonds, which is 12. Adding 13 + 10 + 12 together gives me a sum of 35.

The Lenormand oracle consists of 36 cards, so card 35 is my Advice Card.

The card is The Anchor. The Anchor is a work card, and can
represent stabilityand something that is long-term, becoming routine.With

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this card, I got the sense that my “work” with the Lenormand will be “long-
term” and that I will be using the cards “routinely.”
And the advice right now? “Stick with it.”
I’ll be doing just that.

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