A Hardcore Tarotist's First Lenormand: Under the Roses Lenormand

I’ve been a tarotist for nearly thirty years. I am holding my very first Lenormand deck in my hands today. Well, that’s not quite right. What started my journey into card-reading originally was the Lenormand-based “Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Cards” that Santa brought me as a curiosity when I was eight years old.  It was those cards that first showed me the truth inherent in oracular divination.

My first Lenormand is “Under the Roses Lenormand” by Kendra Hurteau and Katrina Hill, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

The ‘”Sub Rosa” theme speaks to me. We can use the cards to create a sacred space where secrets are revealed. The rose theme plays into the lovely artwork of the deck.

The deck is the size of a small playing deck. There are thirty-nine cards and a Little White Book (LWB).

The LWB is clear, concise and informative. Within just a few minutes I was able to do some basic self-readings.

The thirty-nine cards include the thirty-six card deck, along with an alternate Gentleman, Lady and Child.  The second set of characters offers a choice in the characters’ ethnicity.

It’s no secret that European cartomancy, both tarot and Lenormand, can be rather classist, racist and sexist. Modern tarot artists and authors have made a real effort to allow tarot images to reflect all people and to depict relatable culture.  It’s nice to see this happening in the Lenormand world as well.

One of the first things we are instructed to do in the LWB is to choose which of the Ladies, Gentlemen and Children we will use. At first choosing between the black people and the white people felt a little forced, and even a little smarmy to me. It reminded me of the Lovers card choices, one lesbian and one sort of androgynous couple, in the ground-breaking “Daughter of the Moon Tarot.” Certainly anything that makes an effort to make cartomancy images more inclusive is a great thing. Some attempts just seem a wee bit clumsy to me.

Then I decided I was overthinking things. I looked at the two Child cards. Based purely on aesthetics and vibes, I chose the child with the yellow dress. Then I looked at the two Lady cards. I choose the Lady who was holding a rose. One of the two Gentlemen looked a little emo to me. I chose the other guy. Suddenly the cards looked very much like my own family – a hodge-podge of cultures and ethnicities. Then I saw the wisdom in offering the alternative card choices. The deck already felt more personally attuned to me.

An early lesson I learned from “Under the Roses Lenormand,” then, is this.

Not everything has to have grand socio-political implications. Sometimes you just have to look at the pictures.

Lenormand decks are typically visually different from tarot.  The Lenormand structure is based on a subset of a playing deck. In many cases, Lenormand cards feature the suit icons in the appropriate number, as well as the card name and some image associated with the name. In “Under the Roses Lenormand,” the number and suit icon appear in a small box in the lower right hand corner of each card.  Card numbers one through thirty-six appear in a circle in the upper left hand corner of each card.

“Under the Roses” is beautifully illustrated. Lenormand images are traditionally simpler than tarot images.  The “Under the Roses” images are lovely and evocative. As the LWB tells us, Lenormand is typically read analytically, rather than intuitively. However, the images of “Under the Roses Lenormand” have enough depth and texture to stimulate the intuition.

The cards are colored in brown and beige tones. This makes them look deliciously old-fashioned. The art has a Victorian feel. Some of the cards are significantly more colorful than others. The Dog is adorable, looking cuddly with a rose in its mouth. The Whip is a sexy redhead in a corset.

The card backs feature a red rose, stylized with curly-cue vines.

I had already done several practice readings, following the directions in the LWB, when I noticed that in the background of each card, in very light scroll, are key words. This is brilliant. The key words are not visible enough to be distracting, or to limit the deck’s usefulness. But, for a Lenormand beginner like me, they are certainly helpful.

The LWB offers small two-and three card spreads as a way of teaching card-combining, which is a cornerstone of Lenormand interpretation technique. The LWB also includes instructions for more complex spreads, such as the traditional Grand Tableau.

I can already see ways in which Lenormand cards could fit into my divinatory practices, both personally and professionally.

It’s evident that Lenormand is here to stay. I’m looking forward to a lot of great new Lenormand offerings over the next few years. No matter how many wonderful Lenormand decks are published, I believe that “Under the Roses Lenormand” is destined to become a well-loved classic, and one of my favorite divinatory tools.

Christiana Gaudet Reviews Under the Roses Lenormand

Video of Christiana Gaudet Reviews Under the Roses Lenormand

Authentic Voice

Writers struggle to "find their voice." But it is not just writers who need to know and use their authentic voice, it's all of us.

Many of us have different voices for different things we do; a "work voice" and a "mom voice," for instance. But what is your authentic voice?

Many people don't know their authentic voice because it wasn't allowed to develop in youth. Often children are told not to express their feelings, or that their voice doesn't matter.

Many people are shy, and afraid to use their voice.

But what does it mean to know and use your authentic voice? I think it means having the courage to speak what is on your mind and in your heart.

That doesn't mean being mean-spirited, even if you are angry. It does mean being honest.

The question is, is it possible to be honest and kind at the same time? And, if we operate with restraint, are we actually restraining our authentic voice?

As with anything else in life, using your authentic voice takes balance. It is possible to express feelings, even negative feelings, in a positive way. It is possible to be authentic and still have regard for the people around you.

Once in a while you run into a person who confuses meanness with honestly. A person who says "hey, I'm just telling the truth the way I see it," while indeed they are instead using their words as an opportunity to hurt someone.

The way to avoid this is simple. When it comes to communicating your truth, never have a second agenda. Never let it be about ego, or about trying to diminish someone else.

Your authentic voice, whether written or spoken, must be about expressing yourself, not your agenda.

The tarot suit of Swords, associated most often with the element of Air, is all about communication. That's why so many of the Swords cards often have very stark, unpleasant pictures. So often we are hurt by the words of others. Sometimes, the words we speak are hurtful to others.

Authenticity can be revealing - even shocking. But it is never intentionally hurtful.

In the literary world, and in the tarot world, reviews are an important part of our careers. Many of us write reviews of books, movies, tarot decks, and even restaurants. Reviews are important to writers and artists because those reviews help us to be better. One could argue that a bad review is the most helpful review of all. Constructive criticism is helpful when it is authentic.

When reviewers have a second agenda, their review is no longer authentic, and helps no one. Another way to honor our authentic voice is to dismiss the voices of others that are not authentic.

This is true, too, in the way that we see ourselves. We all have an inner critic. When that inner critic is authentic, it helps us to be better. When that inner critic comes from a place of anxiety and bad self-esteem, it is no longer authentic. When we think about the authentic voice, we must realize this refers to what we express to the world, and our inner dialogue that only we hear.

Finding your authentic voice is part of finding your identity. So many adults attach their identity to temporary things - things like raising small children, jobs and relationships. When that part of life is over, suddenly we don't know who we are anymore.

Sadly, sometimes we use the tragedies in our lives to define ourselves as well.

For me, tarot has been a great tool for finding identity, and finding the authentic voice, for both me and my clients.

Another great tool is to have an understanding of the chakras. To directly work with the throat chakra in meditation and breathing exercises is very helpful. To connect the throat chakra and the heart chakra is an amazing way to let the authentic voice present itself.

I often see the Ace of Swords as the "anti-bullsh*t device." I sometimes take this card and hold it to my throat chakra, breathing in its energy, that I may know my truth, speak my truth, and discern the things I hear as either truth or untruth.

This is one of the ways that tarot helps me find my authentic voice.

From my 78 Poems Project

The Ace of Swords

Forged steel of ingenuity
Communication, keen focus, acuity.
No tolerance for thieves in this blade
As Excalibur discerned a kingdom was made.
This Sword seeks no royalty
It 's a common but sacred thing, honesty.
This Sword of Air scourges lies
Reveals truth behind malicious disguise.
Questions ignorance, banishes confusion
And separates reality from delusion.
But do not take this Sword of Air
Without the strength the truth to bear.
And remember with faith, when truth is clear
It's never as dark as what you fear.