To accompany our Lenormand Crosswords series on Instagram, here is a handy lexicon of contemporary Lenormand card meanings.
This is derived from our original research into the Lenormand, Game of Hope and Coffee Cards, so is a good starting point for your Lenormand readings.
If you would like to read more or discover Lenormand Card reading, the fastest guide is 7 Day Lenormand by Andrea Green.
You can read more history and in-depth methods in Learning Lenormand by Marcus Katz & Tali Goodwin.
A range of comphensive online video Lenormand Reading courses are available through the Association.
The Lenormand Lexicon
Rider/Messenger: News, new information, innovation, surprise.
The Clover Leaf: A little bit of luck, small gains, a little success.
The Ship: Travel, risk, adventure, speculation.
The House: Home, family, security.
The Tree: Health, longevity, strong roots.
The Clouds: Confusion, uncertainty, change, loss of direction.
The Snake: Betrayal, deception, deceit, lies, distrust, danger.
The Coffin: End, stop, completion.
The Bouquet: Gift, appreciation, bonus.
The Scythe: Cutting, clearing, doing away with, harvesting.
The Rod/Whip: Strife, conflict, argument, ill feeling, punishment, retribution.
The Birds: Gossip, chatter, social media, distraction.
The Child: Innocence, immaturity.
The Fox: Cunning, sly, work, self-sufficiency, devious, manipulator.
The Bear: Authority, mother, headstrong, power.
The Star(s): Direction, navigation, luck.
The Stork: Delivery, return, birth.
The Dog: Faithful friend, close companion, trust.
The Tower: Bureaucracy, institutions, government, authority, border, separation, law.
The Garden: Networking, socialising, parties, conferences, meetings, society.
The Mountain: Obstacle, diversion.
The Ways: Choice, decision, crossroads.
The Mice: Loss, theft, small steps, bits or bites.
The Heart: Love, romance, relationship, union.
The Ring: Contract, marriage, agreement, oath, commitment.
The Book: Secret, knowledge, learning.
The Letter: Written Word, Record, text.
The Gentleman: Man, analytical, masculine, force.
The Lady: Woman, intuitive, feminine, form.
The Lily: Purity, simplicity, alternatively sex or older age.
The Sun: A lot of luck, development, growth, success.
The Moon: Fame, recognition, dreams, how others see you.
The Key: Opening, (or closing), access, discovery, revealing.
The Fish: Resources, business, money, market, potential.
The Anchor: Hope, long time, standstill, stability.
The Cross: Suffering, burdens, problems, trouble.
In the Lenormand Crosswords, we have read 1-5 cards in sequence for every clue, reading either direction to provide challenge & variation.
The cards will usually only fit one way!
These Lenormand games are a fun way to practice reading the Grand Tableaux and without fixed positions in a spread.
You may find yourself reading Lenormand with more ease by just playing a few crosswords!
Example 1: Someone called Alice is in your way (2 cards) = LADY (‘Alice’) + MOUNTAIN (‘obstacle’).
Example 2: The local business office will give you your license – jut not in one go (4 cards) = TOWER (business office) + BOUQUET (gift) + LETTER (license) + MICE (little bits).
Which means that the more you practice, you’ll soon look at a card layout of SNAKE + MOUNTAIN + RING and simply say “Someone will try and get one over you by putting obstacles in the way of you getting that contract”, because you’ll have practice of doing it the other way round!
Nb. These keywords are drawn from practical experience, teaching and historical sources, with a review of books published over the last few decades in German, French, and other languages.
We have not yet found any significant, convincing or consistent evidence of particular ‘schools’ or ‘traditions’ (historical, geographical, etc.) so tend not to apply those terms to Lenormand card interpretations.