In today’s Cartomancy untutored users who self-identify as “Intuitives” are the majority. They abhor tradition, so the rules which the Gen Xer blurred and bled over from one system to another have been completely cast out by Millennials like the baby’s bathwater . Indeed, this is a double entendre for a Baby Boomer who started with Tarot in the early 60’s! I can attest from then well into the 70’s, the Celtic Cross was the main layout used by US Tarot readers. No linear reads. No directionality.
Kipperkarten like lenormand is read by directions. However, it takes direction out of the line to kick it up, down and across in a layout. The Kippers use a 3D approach in smaller layouts as well as in the größen Blatt, the German name for the full 36 card layout.
In the standard deck of playing cards the Face cards have always expressed friendliness and enmity by what and who they face. Their line of sight is deck specific and does vary these days in novelty and art card decks.
Wii have already mentioned in a previous post the major indicator of direction in lenormand which is:
- The Significator/s or the Man and Woman card which represents the Querent.
There are four more levels of direction one can use to turn static layouts into active storyboard narratives.
- The Child. It is the third human figure standing and traditionally is an indicator of direction.
- The Double cards (see the previous post)
- The Animals of the deck, i.e. The Rider’s Horse, The Dog, The Fox, The Bear, The Snake and The Stork all give directional cues.
- The Face cards on the playing card inserts are a final layer of directionality. For example, The Queen’s line of sight can be used to define or fine tune the quality of relationship between female persons and the Querent. In the folklore of lenormand the Stork and the Serpent are said to be blood relations while the Ways and the Bouquet indicate acquaintance from a distance and close friendship respectively.
It helps to remember directionality as: who or what faces where. Such details are always deck in hand specific, hence the boons bestowed by using a traditional deck with playing card inserts (not emblem notations or codes) to learn structure (rank and ratings) and nuances (visual cues) by exercises and practice before dropping cards for others.