Eight

Zones and Shadows

Cartomancy is a science which can only be attained through reflection and practice, inasmuch as the permutations of the cards represent thousands of possible occurrences, and it is through comparison of their respective positions, changing at each deal, that we arrive at their full meaning. Spreading before your eyes a panorama of events passed and present, it becomes easy to institute wise reflections on the past and speculate upon events announced to happen. This is one of the aims of the science, which forewarns you of threatened danger, so that you can avert it in anticipation of its occurrence. The panorama of past events shows to us in what we have failed, and hence we must shun past errors. In a word, cartomancy teaches the individual the art of self-government.

—Fortune-Telling by Cards, 1872

In this lesson we will consider the whole Grand Tableau and a few smaller areas for your practice. We will look at our own personal and contemporary methods of considering the whole GT with zones, making use of correspondences from other systems. Whilst we only cover the basics here, there are many more templates that can be usefully applied to the GT to provide a reading’s clarification, correlation, and confirmation.

The Zones

We can consider the GT a scenario that reflects upon all aspects of our sitter’s field, form, and fate (see the book of that same name, Field, Form and Fate by Michael Conforti). When seen as a field, we can divide it into different zones. Whilst some zones are dependent on how the cards fall, others can be seen in the fixed matrix of the GT. When we layer the two, we get a very comprehensive and flexible way of reading Lenormand.

In these illustrations, we will use the 8 x 4 + 4 layout so we can learn to use this variation by considering the bottom four cards as a new set called “label cards.”

In this illustration, we see the cards around the edge of the GT are considered the frame. These are often useful to be read together midway through the reading in order to give some overall context and summary. We can break this frame down into distinct components.

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Figure 81. The Frame

Past and Future Frame

Read the column to the left as a past frame and the column to the right as a future frame, irrespective of the deck or other elements of the reading.

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Figure 82. Past Frame and Future Frame

The four cards in the left column give us an indication of the past of the current situation, or effectively what sitters always return to when considering their life, old visions, patterns, habits, strongest memories, etc. This column shows us what has made them who they are in the present as well as what may need uncovering or even redeeming to make substantial changes in the present scenario.

The four cards in the right column give us an indication of the future—where sitters can see from where they are right now. This may be limiting or stretching them, depending on the other cards and contexts we have already read in the GT.

Note that these two columns are sort of different from the past/future columns dictated by the position and perspective of the charged card, e.g., the Gentleman. Where the card falls in a male sitter’s reading may indicate that most of the GT to the right is the future. If his card has fallen in the left column and he faces right, it means that he’s stuck in the patterns of his past.

As the epigraph of this chapter illustrates, the aim of our reading should be to promote self-governance; the use of these frames in combination with our previous lessons gives a powerful mechanism for layering a GT reading.

Zones of the Spiritual and Mundane Life

You can consider the top and bottom rows as the spiritual frame (highest aspirations) and material frame (manifestation, practicalities), which is useful in some questions, particularly when pairing.

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Figure 83. Upper and Lower Frame

As with the past/future columns, you can pair/compare cards to drill down into the detail of the overall reading without losing the gestalt of the whole.

Here is an example of a reading we did where we have taken out just the top row and bottom row of our GT and read them as two rows, then paired.

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Figure 84. Example of Above and Below Frame

The above cards speak of a spiritual life motivated by the giving of communications; this is evident with card number 1, the Rider. This is powered by the energy of the Sun, so the willpower to carry on is there, and the resources will be provided with the presence of the Fish card so long as the intent is true.

The Cross represents a certain burden that accompanies the journey, yet reassures. The work is done quietly and steadily, prolific and slow in nature, in the spirit of the Mice card. The Lily warns against neglecting one’s inner life, and it cautions against thinking the goal has been reached—things have only just begun. It would be better to maintain a life of simple discipline than to aim too high and be left wanting.

This lifetime is about showing the best of what one is, rather than being superficial. As Shakespeare wrote, “lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.” The focus is on not putting off one’s duties. The Clover is about “knowing thyself”—personal identity, with the Lily also indicating an inner purity that must be preserved even if taken into the garden of external life.

The Garden is the “social self,” which must be presented in integrity with the “inner self” of the Lily. The Garden must not be a place where one is seduced into behaving in an inauthentic manner.

In day-to-day life, these cards show, particularly with the Tree and the House bordering either end of this row, the importance of keeping one’s resources close to hand. If used wisely, the Tree can provide a self-sustaining resource and shelter—but it can also be wasted and turned into planks which then rot. The Moon casts a light on the sitter’s practical life, showing a need to connect to intuition along the Ways card—that inner voice should be listened to, and the sitter should find the Bear’s strength in the ability to communicate (the Letter). The Star shows that the sitter’s day-to-day life must be steady and not at risk of burnout; the sitter should favor long-term planning and avoid crash-and-burn syndrome.

When we look at the pairs of Above and Below, we can delve into the sitter’s most profound spiritual life issues, how it relates to their practical life, and vice versa. I provide a brief note here of what might be explored; you can see that this is a session in itself.

We hope yet again you will see that even whilst these pairs provide us acres of information to relate to the sitter, we would be best served by seeing them in the full GT and expanding outwards from each pair. In providing these zones, the aim is to give you lots of diving boards into the full ocean.

The Four Pin Cards

We can then look at what we call the pin cards. These are the four cards that would pin the GT up if it were hung on a wall, and show a sibyl how the sitter is holding him- or herself in a life situation. These four cards are the sitter’s unique signature or strategy for dealing with the stresses (and tranquilities) of his or her life.

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Figure 85. The Four Pin Cards

The Label Cards

Finally, we can also look at those lower four cards in the 4 x 8 + 4 version of the GT, which we call the label cards. If we imagine the GT as a picture, a tableau vivant, then the four cards at the bottom are the label. They give the essential details or characteristics of the image. In cartomantic tradition, these are the “verdict.”

The label cards tell us, in no particular order:

As an example, if we had the following four cards in the label area:

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Figure 86. Label Cards

This would tell us the following about the sitter’s life:

We would suspect that the sitter had been employed or in a relationship for a long time, and had now been thrust into a totally new situation. Whilst for many it is a common subject to “find one’s place,”, this sitter has a unique position (the in medias res aspect), and any immediate decisions will set the course for some time to come.

You can assign four fixed positional meanings to these four label cards, but we find that closes off the elegance, grace, and profound power of L-space to easily express complex situations.

The Hidden Cross

A more advanced template you can consider is the “hidden cross,” which comprises of the following cards.

The four cards in the centre of the GT give the hidden cross its pivot point and can be taken as the “hub” or “crux” of the matter, particularly in the sitter’s daily or mundane world. Since these four cards are the “hub” of the matter, sometimes I take a peek at these first before I start navigating the whole GT in order to get my bearings, then I go look at the charged card and read on.

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Figure 87. The Hidden Cross

Reading Whole or Linear

In all these templates, the cards are read as we have learnt—together. They have no unique positional meaning; they are always arising as a whole scenario. If you lay them out as a block or a row, you can decide if you wish to read them left to right, or right to left, in a linear fashion.

If you do, you need to decide in advance which card impacts on the other. Does the first card apply to the second you read, or vice versa?

As an example, in a linear reading, you might have the first two cards of the Key and the Coffin.

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Figure 88. The Key and the Coffin

We might consider it like this: is the Key in the Coffin, or on the outside? It might really make a difference! This is where most of the books remain somewhat unclear—when they provide pairings (many do), they maintain the same interpretation no matter the relative position of the two cards. This is fine in a holistic-type reading where all the cards are seen together and as a whole, but it is problematic—well, confusing (mainly to T-space readers)—when reading in a linear fashion. Unsurprisingly, everyone asks, particularly those travelling from T-Space to L-Space.

If we read the Key then the Coffin, according to Treppner, we get a simple interpretation: “It will get better soon.” However, if we read the Coffin then the Key, we get much the same, but with a proviso, “It will get better soon, [however] there will be a minor misfortune affecting your security, but nothing dramatic.” That is to say, the Key (locked) will be breached by the Coffin’s impact.

Generally, a good rule is to say the second card applies to or modifies the reading of the first. In this case, “security” first from the key, then the “change” implied by the Coffin. If we were to read them the other way around, it would be the change of the Coffin being locked down by the Key—quite the opposite interpretation.

As usual, find what works best for you, and once you have decided on a method, stick to it, review it often, and gradually develop your own methodology. We are all unique oracles.

Shadowing

Shadowing is a slightly quirky element I (Tali) have added to my own readings over time, as I believe that when a card is very close to another, it is sometimes not so obviously reading as “strong influence” but rather “too close to see.”

As a result, I often read the cards immediately surrounding a card as “shadowing” it. This might be compared very loosely to tarot reversals; it adds a certain angle to readings that often provokes sudden intuitive insight. You might like to try this and see if it works for you also.

Any card immediately next to another can be seen as shadowing it. The potential readings are endless because you may be looking at several cards shadowing your key card, the Gentleman or Lady, or a few cards shadowing a card which you have knighted and is in a particular house of interest—this is where we cannot really give rules.

The best analogy to this is not chess but the game of Go. With just a few very simple rules and a couple of differently sized boards, the mind cannot really fathom fixed rules like chess. Go offers a graceful and elegant flow of patterns and is played through like the best Lenormand reading.

You might like to read Go! More Than a Game by Peter Shotwell for more on the game’s mechanics and aesthetics. The science of “pattern recognition”—particularly as it applies to chess and tarot—is something Marcus Katz has written about in Tarosophy.

  1. The Rider/Messenger: Communications/Liaison
    Shadow Words: Noise, chatter, gossip
    An example could be the Bear and Anchor shadowed by the Rider. This might indicate internal chatter, doubts and uncertainty, paranoia, and bouts of depression that may affect health and mental/emotional well-being. Another example could be the Mice and Child shadowed by the Rider: the state of being unaware of an impending problem due to misinformation.
  2. The Clover: Identity/Luck
    Shadow Words: Bereft/Misfortune
    The Clover I feel can be about identity, in that the clover (shamrock) is considered as the national flower of Ireland, and the symbol is very rooted in national identity there.
    The Stars and Tree cards shadowed by the Clover could indicate weariness, fatigue, and feeling that your life is dull and no longer what you want. A lack of belonging, alienation, a lack of feeling appreciated, losing track of our faith, spiritual identity. This could be a time of midlife crisis and a feeling of regret for what you have not created.
    It is interesting to note that if the Clover card is combined with the Mountain card, it can signify the discovery and journeying toward spiritual “identity,” the reason for this being that “when clover is located upon a mountain it comes to signify knowledge of the divine ‘essence” gained by hard endeavour” (Cirlot).
  3. The Ship: Adventure
    Shadow Word: Speculation
    A reckless energy could be at work. The Snake and Book cards shadowed by the Ship would be a blatant misuse of information for ulterior motives; however the Ship shadowing this would show that the deception is easily discovered. It might show that someone is risking discovery because they have become carried away with their own cleverness.
  4. The House: Security
    Shadow Word: Possessiveness
    The House casts a shadow that, whilst providing cover and sanctuary, also leaves one outside. This cutting-off from resources can lead to possessiveness and neediness through fear of losing security. The shadow of the House then can bring caution, introversion, and passiveness, the proverbial “sticking one’s head in the sand.”
    The Key and Stork cards shadowed by the House card indicate misuse of power due to putting too much emphasis on gaining wealth. There could be a misuse of credit cards, spending beyond your means, in order to keep up with those you deem to be successful. Not be able to pay back, not be able to deliver what you have promised!
  5. The Tree: Longevity
    Shadow Word: Stubbornness. An act of overreaching and straying from the source.
    The Tree shadowing the Scythe and Heart can mean being too intent on being overly disciplined, overly motivated, and not enjoying life’s pleasures as a result. All that’s left is exhaustion. Life is also about pacing the journey and enjoying the moment. It is not merely how quickly you reach the destination; take time to enjoy the scenery. Is this a lesson the sitter needs to learn?
  6. The Clouds: Transition
    Shadow Words: Unpredictability, variability
    The warning of those we may describe as fair-weather friends. Be wary of putting too much faith in those you do not truly know; they may shift their allegiance. Does this ring true? Stormy relationships portended.
    If we apply this to the Ship and Fox cards, abandonment is very much suggested here—rats abandon the sinking ship, travel is not advised without planning well beforehand. Beware of shifty behaviour; somebody could let you down. Does something seem too good to be true? Invariably, gut feelings are the correct ones, so you must trust these instincts and act accordingly to make changes.
  7. The Snake: Stealth
    Shadow Word: Sabotage
    There are things at work we are hardly aware of; we carry on day to day, perhaps oblivious to the external forces that can wreak havoc. You cannot prepare for every eventuality and just have to accept the inevitable. Or do you?
    The Snake shadowing the Mountain and Anchor implies that a longstanding stubborn situation is not going to go away on its own, insidious problems that have built up over time and have not been addressed are going to come to the fore …or the warning could be that this could happen in the future if you do not act now!
  8. The Coffin: Initiation
    Shadow Word: Tribulation
    To step into the unknown brings with it burden and responsibility.
    The Coffin shadowing the Dog and Child cards shows a test of loyalty, feelings of being judged by others, losing vigour and enthusiasm, being kept to heel, and not being allowed to be footloose and fancy-free due to responsibilities. Perhaps there is a feeling that all the fun has evaporated out of life.
    This shadow is about the burden of codependency and the accompanying pain attributed to the impending fear of losing a significant other or desired state. To love and to be loved back is a blessing and a curse. A loss of innocence is possible as well.
    Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
    Shades of the prison-house begin to close
    Upon the growing boy.
    —    William Wordsworth
  9. The Bouquet: Appreciation
    Shadow Word: Sycophancy
    Casting a shadow over the Lady and Gentleman cards is indicative of a superficial relationship grounded too much in flattery and not in speaking the truth. What is said is done to gain another’s favour and affection. A person’s motives may be suspect—be wary! Also question the motives if there a whiff of guilt in this emotional equation.
    This card shows sycophantic drudgery at work through the use of superficial words and false affections. One can end up forging their own chain of repression. Ulterior motives may be behind a gift.
  10. The Scythe: Clearing
    Shadow Words: Loss or mourning
    This card casting a shadow over the Garden and Lily cards implies that through rash action and curiosity, innocence will be lost that cannot be regained. The indication is painful longing for how things used to be, a state of nostalgia.
    I remember, I remember
    Where I was used to swing,
    And thought the air must rush as fresh
    To swallows on the wing;
    My spirit flew in feathers then
    That is so heavy now.
    —    Thomas Hood
  11. The Rod/Whip: Service
    Shadow Word: Drudgery
    This card casting a shadow over the Clouds and Ring talks of commitment to something or a duty that ends up changing rapidly from what you originally expected. You may have entered into a relationship or work situation thinking you were in charge of yourself and then find that another person is calling all the shots—and you are doing all the running. The outlook could be dismal if you do not take stock of your life and act on what you really want.
  12. The Birds: Divination
    Shadow Word: Receptivity
    There is a saying: “Too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing.” The Birds casting a shadow over the the Moon and the Cross can suggest an attitude of intense knowing that lends a false sense of security in dealing with other peoples’ sensitivities or emotions. Just because you know something does not mean you should express it without regard for how it may affect another person. The indication here can also be the pain and burden that comes with being sensitive and feeling too much.
  13. The Child/Little Girl: Ingénue, innocence
    Shadow Word: Gullibility
    The warning here is of being so naive that the sitter’s better nature is being abused.
    The Child casting a shadow over the Ways and the Snake could suggest that an ill-considered decision could end up developing into a compromising situation between the sitter and an untrustworthy person. Now is not the time to be so trusting when the sitter does not know the situation or the people very well.
  14. The Fox: Cunning
    Shadow Word: Malevolence
    There is a fine line between ambitious calculation and wishing ill intent on others. It is wise to bear in mind the act of going out and getting what you want merely for selfish ends does not come without repercussion. The Fox card casting a shadow over the Bear and Letter cards speaks of karma and “what goes around comes around.” It is never healthy to talk ill of others; news and gossip may grow out of control and come boomeranging home! There is never an action executed without a return.
  15. The Bear: Headstrong
    Shadow Word: Unyielding
    Ever thought about picking a fight with a bear? Probably not! Think about the Bear casting a shadow over the Tower and the Mice; it is about finally seeing what has been in plain sight all along, right in front of your nose. Perhaps you have been behaving like a timid little mouse—now is the time to release your inner Bear energy. Go on, release your beast, it won’t hurt a bit!
  16. The Star: Creation
    Shadow Word: Proliferation
    There is a school of thought that says we are the creator of our own reality; what we believe, we become. We therefore have to be mindful of what we wish, as one negative thought can create another, and so on. A restless state of mind grows out of control and we are no longer master of our reality, spun out of control into a black hole.
    So if the Star card casts a shadow over the Sun and Moon cards, there could be a bit of rollercoaster ride ahead; maybe your imagination gets the better of you and you become overconfident, plunging yourself into a situation well out of your comfort zone. Bear in mind that this stellar triangulation is pretty powerful; put to good use, the outcome could be used to your benefit, so take heed and be mindful of how you wish upon a star.
  17. The Stork: Deliverance
    Shadow Word: Reliance
    This speaks of the danger of becoming too reliant on others for long-term stability—there is a risk attached to the belief that you will be assured security no matter what. You may have surrounded yourself with people you can rely on, a band of supporters who bolster your sense of self-worth. You may expect them to always be there for you when times get tough. In truth, they may not be there for you when you really need them. This in itself can be devestating to your stability.
    The Stork casting a shadow over the Clover and the Ways can indicate insecurity about your identity. You may be aware of where you came from, but what comes next? Questions like “Who am I?”, “Where am I going?”, “What is my life purpose?”, “What’s the point of it all?”, will be very prominent in the sitter’s life. The theme here is a fear of moving forward, potentially losing what one has already.
  18. The Dog: Codependency
    Shadow Word: Selfishness
    Be honest about your true motivation for doing things for others. Are you being pleasant and friendly merely to achieve a certain outcome? Do you want someone else to do a favour for you and are therefore being extra nice? Is someone your friend on your terms, only on your good side when they tell you things you want to hear rather than what you should hear?
    The Dog card shadowing the Key and the Garden indicates a situation where somebody is being kept in the dark. Something is locked away and hidden to avoid a bad reaction, and it is preventing an opportunity to learn and grow via the the outside world and the experiences it holds. The sitter needs to go out, attend events, meet and mix.
  19. The Tower: Vision
    Shadow Word: Surveillance
    The ability to have vision can bring with it the burden of seeing too much and knowing too much. The shadow this card casts is one of surveillance—we live in times where everything we do is monitored, recorded, and reported. At times it feels as though there’s no place to hide from the prying eyes of the Orwellian Big Brother. We are vulnerable to identity theft, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, illegal tapping of communications, and endless other invasions of privacy and boundaries.
    The Tower card shadowing the Ring and the Fish speaks of jealous, possessive relationships; somebody could be being stalked. The Tower shadow could also indicate that the sitter is consulting the cards too much; they may expect the cards to impart information about someone else to whom they should not be privy. This shadow could be drawing attention to the dangers of obsessive curiosity, in that there are so things that you or another would be better off not knowing. Curiosity killed the cat(fish)!
  20. The Garden: Communing
    Shadow Word: Social media addiction
    There is a so-called condition dubbed social network addiction, coming off the proposed idea that social media is more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol. Facebook, twitter, et al., have become more and more prevalent, must-have, must-do, essential parts of our lives. They expand and enlarge our toolkit of interaction, but also shrink other types of interaction, namely face-to-face, real-life interaction. Maybe we feel we must invest more and more time “feeding the beast” to receive validation of own social worth.
    The Garden card shadowing the Birds and Rider cards speaks of Internet bullying, gossip, and an overdependence on social networking for one’s sense of self-worth. You need to get back to the basics of socializing: make a phone call, write a letter, go visit somebody in person. Attend an event and make friends in person.
    Social networks have changed the ways we interact with each other enormously. One thing that has changed dramatically is the concept of meeting people. This principle was brought to my personal attention a couple of weeks ago when I met a musician for the first time whom I had casually encountered a couple of times online. Oddly enough, neither of us acted as if this were a first meeting.
    Users derive a variety of uses and gratifications from social networking sites, including traditional content gratification alongside building social capital, communication, surveillance, and social network enhancement. The different uses and gratifications relate differentially to patterns of usage, with social connection gratifications tending to lead to increased frequency of use, and content gratifications to increased time spent on sites.
  21. The Mountain: Durability
    Shadow Word: Toughness
    We all will have at sometime in our lives been accused of being too tough, not having shown enough compassion or understanding when it may have been more appropriate to do so. We may have learnt over the years that those who are too soft get walked all over. The Mountain depicted in the Mountain card has been around a very long time, and it has survived and proved to be durable. The hardships we go through make us tough.
    The Mountain card casting a shadow over the Fox card and the Lily can speak of being too calculating and overly forceful, not being flexible and giving way for a change. Remember that spoken of lilies by Shakespeare, in his Sonnet XCIV:
    They that have power to hurt, and will do none,
    That do not do the thing they most do show,
    Who, moving others, are themselves as stone,
    Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow;
    They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces.
    And that:
    For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;
    Lilies that fester, smell far worse than weeds.
  22. The Ways: Choice/decision
    Shadow Word: Responsibility
    The saying “the buck stops here” comes to mind here, meaning that the individual who takes or makes the decision ends up taking full responsibility if all goes wrong at the outcome. We all have to make choices and decisions, and we are aware that along with the process of decision making comes a burden of responsibility. We have to go ahead and bite the bullet.
    The Ways card casting a shadow over the Lady card and the Cross card could speak of putting too much emphasis on nurturing and fussing over somebody in our lives, not allowing them space to make their own mistakes.
  23. The Mice: Productivity
    Shadow Word: Dilution
    It can be very easy to stretch oneself a little too far, to push the limit of our limitations in order to keep up with the unnecessary want that has become the norm of our times. We need to slow down to avoid losing sight of what matters most and concentrate on quality rather than quantity. Less is certainly more, especially if the resource is special. For instance, compare the quality and unique creation of limited-edition handmade craftwork compared to the uniform, mass-produced products that come off the production line.
    The Mice card casting a shadow over the Letter and Moon brings to mind the ever-expanding world of social media. We are in danger of losing the personal touch of a phone call or personal letter to friends of old—we no longer have the time. We exist in a cyberworld that has reshaped our reality and sacrificed true one-on-one intimacy.
  24. The Heart: Courage
    Shadow Words: Foolhardiness/daredevil
    There is a propensity to being courageous, and then there is being foolhardy. Certainly the former can easily become the latter at times. You would have to have courage to walk across Niagara Falls by tightrope, however many would consider the attempt foolhardy.
    The Heart card casting a shadow over the Clouds and Anchor would warn against ignoring warnings to take care and advises taking action when the safest course and line of least resistance would be to stay at home and do nothing at all. Is it that you think you know it all? Is your behaviour a bit rash?
  25. The Ring: Continuity
    Shadow Word: Predictability
    When a situation carries on and on without any change, no end in sight, this can result in life becoming very boring. We have such an addiction to or reliance on routine and habit that we have almost forgotten what it was like to be spontaneous. Life becomes very predictable, and we are a prisoner of our own devices. Round and round we go in our vigorous little circle, never moving forward.
    Therefore, the Ring card casting a shadow over the Sun and Anchor signifies a stalemate or fixed position; it is a refusal to rest, not allowing the sun to go down, not allowing the anchor to drop. The advice here is to harness the willpower of the Sun and halting power of the Anchor, granting time to plot a new course so change can take place.
  26. The Book: Knowledge
    Shadow Word: Responsibility
    It has been said that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, such as in the myth of the Pierian Spring at Mount Olympus, a source of knowledge and inspiration, sacred to the Muses. The warning is in reference to how, when we first become familiar with a subject of interest and dip into it, it is like sipping the “shallow draughts” of the Pierian Spring. It can go to our heads and we can easily fool ourselves into believing we know more than we actually do. We all know a know-it-all like that.
    The Book casting a shadow over the Rider and the Cross would be very much about someone with a messiah complex. You are advised not to allow yourself to get carried away with your newly found belief or knowledge, resisting the urge to tell everyone about it. There is a need to pull back and take a deep breath. Think deeply but keep these ideas to yourself. Remember that not everyone will appreciate your enthusiasm! So, a little learning can be a dangerous thing!
    … drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
    there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
    and drinking largely sobers us again.
    —Alexander Pope, “An Essay on Criticism”
  27. The Letter: Sentiment
    Shadow Word: Regression
    Consider old-fashioned letter writing to our nearest and dearest, the care invested in a more pensive approach to communicating our thoughts and feelings. Such letters can be kept and treasured in a sentimental manner, and it would not be quite the same to keep our laptop or iPad under our pillow! However, the downside to letter communications is that in reality, it is time consuming and very slow on all levels.
  28. The Gentleman: Analytical
    Shadow Word: Cynical
    Here we have a male figure in your circle who is prone to being a little bit cynical. It is almost guaranteed that if you believe in something truly, he will want to disprove it. There could be an argument waiting in the wings.
    The Gentleman card casting a shadow over the Sun and Anchor could spell out a period of unrest and agitation. If the sitter is asking about a relationship issue, this could mean the sitter is in for a very rocky ride or that they just aren’t going anywhere in the relationship; the two energies just feed off each other.
  29. The Lady: Intuitive
    Shadow Word: Nervousness
    Just as a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, as seen in the Book’s shadow entry, the ability to tune into the energies around us can also be detrimental. If not kept grounded, this way of being can leave us open to exhaustion. There are times when we need to be able to withdraw, and conserve and consolidate our energy on all levels, emotional and physical. We cannot be all things to all people all the time.
    The Lady card casting a shadow over the Fish and the Owl/Birds card brings in a swarm of nervous energy; this combination showing up for the sitter in regards to a home/money/security situation would warn of not responding to the situation with a knee-jerk reaction. The person needs to look at areas in life where general resources and personal energy resources are being drained. The sitter need to ask who in his or her life acts out the role of psychic vampire, and then take necessary actions of self-protection.
  30. The Lily: Purity
    Shadow Word: Reservation
    A man who loves with purity considers
    not the gift of the lover, but the love of the giver.
    —Thomas à Kempis
    This shadow is about holding back and not giving. There is an air of reservation or being reserved when the Lily card casts its shadow over the Heart and Key. If these combinations materialise in the session, the sitter needs to delve deep into their heart and ask what they are holding back from expressing to another in their life, or who is holding back from them.
    You give little when you give of your possessions;
    it is when you give truly of yourself that you truly give.
    —Kahlil Gibran
  31. The Sun: Will
    Shadow Word: Obsession
    When we get the bit between our teeth and let ourselves get carried away with the buzz of creating, it’s hard to take a break. The urge of completion compulsion kicks right in, and you keep on at it until you are satisfied. This state of being ends up being the shadow of the Sun card, casting its shadow of obsession on the Anchor card and Heart card. The situation recalls to mind the movie Groundhog Day, an endless repetition of the same old thing over and over again. In a reading on relationships, well, you can imagine what that implies…Visualise the Anchor and the Heart being one entity, thrown overboard constantly. Just as you settle down, the heart (stability) gets tugged up again. This sort of relationship is in a state of constant flux—something has got to give.
  32. The Moon: Dreams
    Shadow Word: Fantasy
    Some dreams are beautiful, and some can turn into nightmares literally overnight. This is especially so if we lose our grasp on reality, which is never good. We may find ourselves trying to live out those fantastical dreams in our daylight hours, and in the stark daylight there is no grounding or reality to them at all.
    The Moon card casting a shadow over the Cross and Clover cautions against taking a gamble or speculation gone too far. The sitter may be fooling themselves that a situation they are embroiled in is going to change for the better. They may need to reassess and think about pulling out.
  33. The Key: Access
    Shadow Word: Control
    The Key can be a tool for release, or it can used to lock something away. In certain circumstances this can promote oppression and control. The Key card casting a shadow (control) over the Ship and Whip cards during a sitting speaks of a life not being lived, opportunities being missed. This could be a career situation where a promotion is not forthcoming, and there is a feeling of not being valued for the hard work and dedication shown. It can also be about a relationship that has become hard work and is not moving forward; there is a feeling of being all washed up.
  34. The Fish: Resources
    Shadow Word: Need
    The Fish card can be all about resources and making the most of your abilities in order to obtain these precious resources. We carry on working to achieve this result. The downside is that we may find ourselves driven by need alone. We may end up compromising what we really want in life to satisfy this need. Thus the shadow of the Fish card is need. If this card casts a shadow over the Book and Rider during a sitting, it could indicate that the sitter is not following a route in life true to their purpose. Perhaps they need to undergo a period of learning or training to fulfil their true purpose in life rather than to keep the proverbial wolf from the door.
  35. The Anchor: Standstill
    Shadow Words: Burden, obsolescence
    The appearance of the Anchor as a symbol in the Lenormand draws attention to an aspect of the sitter’s life that needs to become grounded in some way. There has been too much movement in their life, and the Anchor speaks of a need to settle down and stop seeking. In addition to being about a situation, it could also be about a person to whom the sitter is close. The Anchor casting a shadow across the Dog and Fox is about male energy out of control.
  36. The Cross: Faith
    Shadow Word: Hope

The Cross’s shadow is about a false sense of reality, wishing on a star, and/or things that may be beyond one’s reach. The Cross card casting a shadow upon the House and the Ways suggests that there is an important choice to be made, and a bad decision based on pie-in-the-sky dreams could bring the situation instability. The sitter may need to take a more realistic approach to the situation, and perhaps accept that they may be deceiving themselves.

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