Lenormand and Astrology: Strange Bedfellows?

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I prefer to keep my Lenormand practice free of entanglement with other modes of divination: that means no mingling with tarot or astrology and no psychic conjecture based on free-association from the images. I’m more practical and literal than eclectic and improvisational in my interpretation, and my use of intuition in Lenormand reading is limited to deciding which of the handful of meanings for each card in a combination should take precedence in the narrative.

That said, a recent online conversation made me aware that some people are bringing Lenormand and astrology together in much the same way that tarot has been freighted with astrological associations, often to good effect if used sparingly. I was struck by the fact that in the “natural” (i.e. Aries-rising) zodiac there are 36 ten-degree decanates or decans (three in each of the twelve signs), while there are also 36 Lenormand cards. The Minor Arcana cards of the tarot have long been linked to these decans via the “Chaldean” approach of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, so the obvious conclusion is that the Lenormand cards could perhaps be introduced into a similar model.

However, as I see it, this is not as simple as sticking the Rider in the first decan of Aries and placing the Cross in the last decan of Pisces. I like to think that a little rational judgment can be applied to the selection process. With that in mind, here is my proposed arrangement; some of these are provisional but most have a firm basis in my life-long study and practice of astrology. In each case, the first card listed carries the “keynote” message of the sign and the rest are open to reassignment among the decans as experience suggests.

Note that the sign meanings are blended with their native house meanings to create a composite definition. The 6th, 8th and 12th are the most difficult zones in Lenormand terms, and also for the most part in astrology. The locations of the negative cards are somewhat interchangeable — the Scythe could be a “backstabber” and the Whip an adversary in either the 7th or the 12th House — so I made the choices that seem to be the most reasonable; examples are the Coffin, the eighth card in the 8th House of Death, and the Tree in the 6th House of Health.

Aries/1st: Gentleman; Sun; Clover (as “self-mastery and personal advantage”)
Taurus/2nd: Fish (as “income”); Bear (as “finances/investments”); Moon (as “work”)
Gemini/3rd: Rider; Birds; Letter (as “contacts” and “modes of communication”)
Cancer/4th: House (as “home”); Lilies (as “family matters”); Anchor (as “stability”)
Leo/5th: Heart; Ring; Child (as “love, marriage and children”)
Virgo/6th: Tree; Mice; Roads (as “poor health or weakness and the road to recovery”)
Libra/7th: Lady (as “partner”); Dog (as “good friends”); Scythe (as “known enemies”)
Scorpio/8th: Snake; Fox; Coffin (as “devious moves or encounters; abrupt endings”)
Sagittarius/9th: Book; Storks; Bouquet (as “education, relocation and opportunity”)
Capricorn/10th: Ship; Tower; Mountain (as “enterprise, establishment and rivalry”)
Aquarius/11th: Stars; Garden; Key (as “idealism, community focus and affirmation”)
Pisces/12th: Clouds; Whip; Cross (as “obscure troubles; conflicts; and/or burdens); in The Game of Hope the third one is a “stop card” [the other two are the Mountain and the Coffin] that prevent advancement until overcome)

Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on January 5, 2025.