Lenormand Problem Solving Spread

23 May 2008 at 9:23 am | In Anchor, Card Spreads, Fish, Heart, House, Lenormand, Lenormand Trivia, Owls, Birds, Paths, Roads. Crossroads, Ship, Sun, lenormand readings |
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I got the idea for this spread from a spread by Kattelein over at Kat’s Oracle Corner.

You can use this for a general outlook on life, or for help in solving a specific problem during those times when you feel like you’re banging your head against a brick wall - it’s very good for providing insight.

The spread uses eight cards, and I lay them in a straight line, though if you have room, putting them in a circle will work, too. You can start by looking at the cards individually, and if you combine them in the traditional manner, you’ll see a whole related story unfold. There are also some pairs worth looking at, especially cards 1 and 8 - they’ll give you a pretty good snapshot as to how you currently see the problem compared to how you see you, and your ability to cope with it.

If you do a general read, and come up all negatives (like the one we did here a little while ago), then this might be a good follow-up spread.

Card 1: How do I see my problem?
Card 2: How do I feel about what I want?
Card 3: What things/people/situations around me can I learn from?
Card 4: What’s blocking me/my desires?
Card 5: What changes do I need to make?
Card 6: What can help me make those changes?
Card 7: Where am I getting it right?
Card 8: How is my self-confidence?

Here’s a reading I did for myself using this technique. It’s not impossible to interpret for yourself in these kinds of spreads, but it’s a lot easier when you’re reading for somebody else!

The cards are: Ship, Owls, Paths, Heart, Sun, Fish, Anchor, House

How do I see my problem? Ship

How do I feel about what I want? Owls

What things/people/situations around me can I learn from? Paths

What’s blocking me/my desires? Heart

What changes do I need to make? Sun

What can help me make those changes? Fish

Where am I getting it right? Anchor

How is my self-confidence? House

Let’s take a quick glance at the spread first. Notice that travel, of all things, comes up as a major theme in the first three cards. The Ship is about long journeys, the Owls is an indicator of short trips, or multiple trips, and the Paths can indicate multiple journeys, as well. Three cards in a row with a similar theme tells me - well, this is a - theme.

But let’s look at the other end of the spread - Anchor + House are both about settling down, being stable.

I think it’s that pull that’s at the crux of the matter. And the Heart is near smack in the middle. What do I love? Good question. But I know myself reasonably well, and I tend to do best when I have a solid home base and get to travel a lot.

So let’s take it positionally:

How do I see my problems? The Ship is saying anywhere is better than here - and also making me think of a vessel being tossed on the sea - something totally out of my control. Remember, we’re in the realm of feeling, or subjective perception right now, and the Ship often indicates deep longing, as well as travel. I desperately do not want to be where I am. My neighbourhood has been nicknamed ‘The Blocks of Hell’ and it’s a pretty apt description. And the audit can quite easily be filed under the No Fun At All category. I want to run away.

How do I feel about what I want? The Owls are indicating both a lot of anxiety, and ambivalence - being in two minds about the matter. I feel like I ought to be grateful that I live someplace at all (I’ve been homeless before, and it’s not a party), but but but…

On another level, I know that the ‘two minds’ means there are things in my life I’m very happy about. I’m really enjoying writing and doing readings again, something I didn’t think would ever happen. I’m loving doing some work over at Silk Naturals, and when I’m not involved in that or oracles, I’m studying Victorian flower language (which is an Owls kind of thing, when you think about it). So while I’m not enjoying my surroundings and seem to be pretty much paralysed as far as the audit goes (as in ‘I simply can’t fight this fight anymore’), and not as healthy as I want to be, it’s not all bad.

What around me can I learn from? The Paths tell me that learning to make decisions more easily will help. I used to be able to do that. These days, it’s a horror. And I think it’s also saying to look around for alternatives - maybe decisions don’t always have to be extreme, and there are compromises that can be made. Since this is a ‘what’s around me’ question, I think that the options are there, I just need to find them.

What’s blocking me? The Heart. That’s a tricky one. Maybe because I just don’t trust myself to follow my heart anymore but Paths + Heart are saying that wouldn’t be such a bad thing to do. That really is a block, because on another level I’m feeling like I don’t deserve love or happiness, and I don’t see an easy resolution. I know that could be a whole psychotherapy session, but I really do think it’s the living situation. Between the poverty in the house, and seeing the constant poverty, violence, suffering, and death outside the house, the idea of anything more than survival feels like an absolute luxury sometimes - especially being suddenly thrown back into it after some months of relative comfort in America. There’s more heart stuff, but I think this is enough to give you an idea.

What changes do I need to make? The Sun tells me to look for some positives, they’re out there. And that building a bit more confidence in me wouldn’t be such a bad idea, either. Or believing that I deserve some happiness (see above about being ground down). A trip south might be a good idea, too, if I can possibly swing it.

What can help me make those changes? The Fish. Well, money is an obvious one, but that’s in short supply. The Fish are pretty fluid creatures, though, and we’re looking at the sea here, too. Don’t be so rigid, and realise that things do change. Spend some time near the sea. Not difficult, as its only about 200 metres from me. Since the Fish is also the King of Diamonds, there might be some assistance forthcoming from an older man.

Where am I getting it right? The Anchor indicates that I do have some stability and amn’t afraid of work and commitment, so that’s a good thing. Nor do I expect everything to magically change overnight - much as I wish it would.

How is my self-confidence? The House, which again, indicates at least some stability. I’m not in horrible shape, at least in some ways. But I think that finding a place to be that feels comfortable is what will really help. You know something’s wrong when you’ve been home for a month and you still haven’t quite managed to unpack. I’m feeling very unsettled, like I’m here, but here isn’t really a home, and that’s knocking the confidence for a loop.

When I read it as a story, it doesn’t seem so bad. It looks like a lot of travel is coming up, though I haven’t a clue how - but we’ve got Ship + Owls + Paths right in a row. Alternatively, it may be a lot of communication and business dealings, or maybe a mix of both. It will make me feel a lot happer (Heart + Sun), especially travel and/or news from the south. I can also expect some lucrative opportunities and contracts from the south (Sun + Fish + Anchor). That one is interesting, because every penny I’ve made this month has come from somewhere - you guessed it - far south of me.

And if I follow this path (Paths + Heart + Sun), it will eventually lead to a happier, and more stable (Anchor + House) life. Or so I hope.

This really is a great spread to use with clients. As you can see, it does go deep, and sometimes shows a ray of light in what might otherwise be a complete murk. And it can help you personally, too, but like I said - it’s not easy to read for yourself on these levels, because some shockingly personal stuff can, and often will, come up. I’m not as good at it as I’d like to be, but it’s a worthwhile skill to develop.

5 Comments »

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  1. Hey Chanah.. this is a wholesome spread– it is fascinating to see how the Lenormand works when you have some defined positions for draws– i am curious how you drew the cards to fill in the positions?

    The cards are: Ship, Owls, Paths, Heart, Sun, Fish, Anchor, House

    How do I see my problem? Ship- this is about feelings of displacement- ship in the middle sea- your internal compass sort of out of whack- do i stay or do i go?

    How do I feel about what I want? Owls- comfort of companionship- the owls have the growing old together feel- do u think u’d like to have that in your life?

    What things/people/situations around me can I learn from? Paths- the presence of options and the value of diplomacy– its the Libra symbol- finding the balance- pro’s and cons of the situation

    What’s blocking me/my desires? Heart- heart over head :) you are feeling emotional- sometimes it is necessary to trust your heart- logical thinking with the crossroads can help

    What changes do I need to make? Sun- this to me the give away– where are you at? is it cold? a little warmth of the sun- could do you good- also- the courage of taking the step of change- the masculine ego- brave the change and see how you come out of it-

    What can help me make those changes? Fish– speaking to people– plenty of fish equals plenty of opportunities- recognising the possibilities and making some money out of it- I do think gettin creative with business (represnted with fish) might give you the boost you need

    Where am I getting it right? Anchor- the endurance factor- you have it in your to pull a plan to fruition because you are consistent and dedicated- its an achor trait– in it for the long haul

    How is my self-confidence? House- this is ironic- the home can be double edged sword- it can either mean you are getting too comfortable in a routine and afraid of change or your home life is of importance and you need to see what you are in need of replenishing in your personal space?

    to complete the circle- House-ship- the state of
    mind- is my home right now really my home or is it just another port before i move on?

    tell me what you think–
    Stormy

    ps: sorry i wrote so much–

    Comment by indianstorm — 24 May 2008 #

  2. Don’t be sorry - look at the way I ramble on in posts :)

    I can’t remember how I drew the cards for this one - probably my usual ‘rhyming question’ (I make one up before I read to kind of set the question mentally), then shuffling whilst not thinking about anything til the cards felt ‘cooked’, then drew eight cards - whether randomly or off the top of the pack, I don’t honestly remember.

    I think you’re pretty damn close with your interp. And as a note, if anyone’s made up a rule that you can’t read Lenormand positionally, I’ve not heard it (and they’re wrong). The combos can still come into play, but sometimes you need to look at things a different way, and there’s nothing that says you can’t.

    The Ship tossed on the sea was the same feeling I first got from it - everything’s out of control, too big, and there’s no safe harbour.

    On the Owls, it’s interesting - companionship would be nice (the Owls can sometimes denote a couple or siblings, but without some strong modifiers I find them more often indicative of superficial companionshp - now that may be a possibility, and certainly better than none), but sometimes the Owls bring grief, too - and that’s kind of the state I’m in over the companionship issue. I’ve lost too many people I’ve loved, and have some chronic health problems going on myself that weren’t fixable by surgery and aren’t going to get better. So in a sense, I’m thinking I wish companionship was possible, missing what I lost, and trying to come to terms with what I can’t have all at once. And not to put down the people I live around, but I’m not a drug addict, and I don’t even own a television set, so in some ways, there’s not much possibility of meeting of the minds. In other ways there are, though. I’m certainly no better than they are, and hey - I’m a crazy card reader, after all :) And we’re all a little too oppressed for anybody’s good.

    As an aside, I got Sylvie’s book last Thursday and threw a spread re: love and companionship using her method, my interps, which says it’ll happen - I shall post that today or tomorrow. I’m still doubtful, but like I said to Spirit, reading for yourself is always so much harder.

    With the Paths, I realise the value of diplomacy (and having alternatives), but I amn’t seeing a lot of it around me (as in my physical neighbourhood) - and that’s certainly throwing me for a loop. I used to be a pretty good mediator, but these days so much of my life comes down to absolutes, ultimatums, and so much horror that I can’t see a way to swing it. But the cards say it’s there, so I’m going to believe it is - I’m just not seeing it.

    Not sure if it’s that I’m feeling emotional, or trying to stop feeling all together (now there’s a new one for Paths + Heart!).

    I don’t feel like I have a lot of choices about change right now - or it could be that all the alternatives I currently see - well - suck. But I think with a bit more confidence in me, and finding some positives (Sun), it would definitely help. And tripping back to the Paths, I think it’s also realising that things can change for the good.

    As to the Fish and money, I do have multiple sources of income, pretty much have always tried to do that except when I was so ill after the accident, and then got the weird tumour of the year (and kept getting not diagnosed for almost six years while going steadily downhill). But I’m still only two months post-surgery - I desperately feel like I need some breathing space. It’s not there and I can’t make it happen unless I want to end up in the streets. Not that I mind working at the things I can work at, I don’t. I just don’t think I can make the money come in fast enough. Still, it’s helping, and the Fish are a helpful influence.

    Anchor we both have the right of, i think.

    As for the House - ‘home’, or where I am now, is just another port.

    So I guess we’ll see. But thanks very much for taking the time for the interp.

    Comment by Chanah — 25 May 2008 #

  3. I see- I am really sorry for what you have been through. For some reason– I see the changes are going to come through you- when ready-(sun).

    for what it is worth– you have us in this little kitsch collective to keep you company should u need it :) ps- we are not crazy.. :)

    Stormy

    Comment by indianstorm — 25 May 2008 #

  4. Thanks, Stormy - I am enjoying the blogging community.

    As for ‘not crazy’ - hmm - I think you have to be - just a little - to really pursue something like card reading. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, either. :D

    Comment by Chanah — 25 May 2008 #

  5. Hi Chanah,

    Yeah, crazy’s good. :)

    I’m glad you posted this spread because I had wondered if ‘real’ lenormand readers were using positional spreads like this.

    I also appreciate your candor in sharing your sample reading which obviously hits very close to the heart. I had no idea of what you’ve been through, and what you’re still going through since your writing comes across as so sassy and hip and totally together. :)

    I agree with Stormy that positive changes are coming for you. All of your recent readings reflect good things on the way, so I’m here on the sidelines cheering you on too!

    Aristede

    Comment by Aristede — 25 May 2008 #

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