The purpose of this page is to summarize my preferred Lenormand spreads, reading techniques and conventions. Everyone needs to decide their own preferences for themselves. The spread chosen and techniques used will ultimately depend on the reading question and time constraints.
These spreads are independent of my card meanings which are listed in my Lenormand dictionary. Note that my cards do not eat, diminish, cut or cancel neighbouring cards and I do not generally take into account the directions people or objects are facing and the light and dark side of the clouds (card order is more important for me).
As a general rule, cards to the left and top relate to the past-present, what is known or given and what is outside of the enquirer's control. Cards to the right and below relate to the present-future, what is yet to be determined, options and possibilities. While a past-present-future (PPF) timeline may not be especially relevant to the context and interpretation, the grammatical order still flows from left to right and from top to bottom.
Line of Three:
1 2 3
♦ Read 1+2+3 and reflect 1+3.
Line of Five:
1 2 3 4 5
♦ Central focus card is not preselected.
♦ Read the heart (2+3+4), then 1+2 and 4+5, then reflect 1+5 and 2+4.
Square of Nine:
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
♦ Central focus card is not preselected.
♦ Relate the central focus card to the first card (the "trigger").
♦ Read the columns 1+4+7 (past), 2+5+8 (present), 3+6+9 (future).
♦ Read the rows 1+2+3, 4+5+6 and 7+8+9 (all PPF).
♦ Read the diagonals 1+5+9 and 7+5+3 (both PPF).
♦ Read the corners 1+9 and 3+7.
♦ Read the central cross 2+4+5+6+8.
♦ Read the triangles 1+3+8 and 7+9+2.
Grand Tableau (big picture):
01.......09
10.......18
19.......27
28.......36
♦ 9x4 layout
♦ Combine corners for main theme (1+36 and 9+28).
♦ Interpret the first 3 cards as a message for the enquirer (1+2+3).
♦ Scan the board for the relative positions of important cards.
♦ For the present situation, imagine the significator cards for key people and topics are lighthouses shining a light from the card on their immediate left to the card immediately beneath them in a clockwise direction. Using the square of nine number template above, interpret cards 4+2+6+8 in the context of each significator (5).
♦ If required, incorporate the houses and 3 mirroring cards (via vertical and horizontal reflection and correspondence) of specific cards to obtain further information about the topics represented by these cards. A card landing in its own house adds emphasis to whatever is represented by that card.
♦ For a question about the timing of a specific event, choose a card to represent that event, lay out a separate 9x4 board and identify the house in which the card is found. The timing association for each house (per Treppner) is listed in my Lenormand dictionary.
♦ For a question about the location of a lost object, choose a card to represent the lost object (Mice and/or a card that describes the object), lay out a separate 9x4 board and identify the house in which the card is found. The location associations for each house are listed in my Lenormand dictionary.
Note:
Grand Tableau reading techniques may be broadly divided into two types: techniques based on position (which are mainly time-based) and techniques based on patterns (reflection, correspondence, knighting, etc.). Some authors focus on one or the other. According to Ferrer who covers both, these two different types of reading techniques both work well but are generally incompatible and furthermore in order to avoid contradictory information additional techniques should only be used if further information is required.
Bibliography:
Cartomantes' Cabinet by Andy Cerru
Confessions of a Freaky Fortune Teller by Chanah
Easy to learn Fortune Telling by Britta Kienle
El Método Lenormand by Juan García Ferrer (in Spanish)
Journal of a Cartomante by Andy Cerru
Treppner Lenormand Correspondence Course by Iris Treppner
Under the Roses, How to get TONS of info from a small card spread! by Stella