Differences between Lenormand Oracle and Rider Tarot

In this article I would like to clarify some doubts about the differences that exist between the Lenormand Oracle and the classical Tarot, taking the Rider Waite Tarot cards as a reference for comparison.

Both oracles can be used to predict events and as a self-knowledge tool, but there are very significant differences when it comes to making and interpreting the tests. Let's see how they differ.

 

 
Rider Waite or Classic Tarot

 

The classical Tarot is an oracular system composed of 78 cards that are divided into two groups, the Major Arcana (first 22 cards) and the Minor Arcana (56 remaining cards).

Each of the 22 Major Arcana represents an image of archetypal character. An archetype is a universal, eternal and independent pattern of time, culture or religion from which ideas, things and concepts arise.

The typical archetypes that we all know are, for example, the figure of the mother or the father, the figure of the hero, the wise man, love, death, the fall ...

The Minor Arcana represent everyday scenes of life and are classified into 4 suits or families (cups, golds, wands and swords).

They are exactly the same as the Spanish cards but with some small difference, for example, in the classic Tarot there are four cards of court characters for each of the suits while in the Spanish deck or in the poker deck we find only three figures .

    The word arcanum comes from the Latin "Arcanum", which means mystery or secret.

The images of the classical Tarot are complex and full of symbols. The structure of the deck is already symbolic by identifying each of the four suits of the deck with the four elements of nature (fire, air, water and earth).

The cards contain part of the western esoteric doctrines and astrology. We can see astrological symbols such as planets, zodiac signs, religious figures and mythological characters in addition to some Virtues such as justice, temperance and strength among others.

The classic tarot is interpreted in a symbolic and visual way, that is, each of the elements present in the card are taken into account. It does not have a predictive approach per se but this varies according to the interpreter and his personal methodology.

The Tarot is a tool for thinking and its main objective is to promote self-reflection in whoever consults. It is currently used as a psychological tool for self-knowledge and personal development.

 

The Lenormand oracle

 

The Lenormand Oracle was born as a board game published for the first time in Nuremberg (Germany) in 1799, under the name "The game of hope". The objective of the game was to advance to the end of the 35 squares using a die and a token for each player, all this avoiding the difficulties of the board until reaching the final square (the anchor).

The Lenormand oracle is made up of 36 cards, all of equal importance and without divisions. In some decks (if not almost all) the French deck drawings (hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades) are kept but, when interpreting a reading, these associations are not decisive.

The idea was that the person who bought these cards could play both games with the same cards so, for commercial reasons, both pictures were kept on each card.

Each letter of the Lenormand oracle consists of a single symbol that is, generally, an object, person, animal or place of daily life. We can find a bouquet of flowers, a ring, a book, a man, a woman, a rider riding a horse, a dog, a bear, a snake, a garden, a tower or a house.

Each card represents a set of meanings or concepts, without elemental, astrological or hermetic associations of any kind, only unique symbols that when combined give rise to their interpretation.

Each author has included his own artistic imprint on this oracular system but, when interpreting a reading, each card will only represent the figure that he has printed.

For example, the letter of the dog only symbolizes the dog, it does not matter if it is large or small, if it is from a German shepherd or a Yorkshire, whether it is lying or standing, the important thing are the concepts associated with the dog: fidelity, dependence, trust, friendship ... The other visual elements of the letter are merely decorative and do not count for anything.

Unlike the classical Tarot, the Lenormand Oracle does not use positions but is read linearly, from left to right and is based on the gypsy style, in which ordinary poker cards are used.

The meanings of their cards are limited, so, to build a complete and coherent message, we will need other cards to be able to make combinations.

There are a few classic prints such as "le Grand Tableau" or "The Portrait" which is the reduced version of "le Grand Tableau", then we do the linear spreads of 3, 5 and 7 cards and that's it. It is possible to develop new runs but the linear language of the oracle should always be maintained.

 

 

Conclusion

By way of conclusion I can say that they are very different but equally valid systems, there are people who prefer to dive into the complex and interpretive answers of the classical Tarot but there are also those who prefer the simple and precise answers that the Lenormand Oracle throws, it is a matter of taste .

To get the best out of each oracle, it is important to know the type of situation that is being consulted. For people who are going through a difficult or confusing time in their lives, the classic Tarot is much more successful because it will allow the person to delve into their feelings, their thoughts, their expectations and their attitudes in order to know themselves better and find a way out.

For specific issues such as signing an employment contract, news of a legal nature, a call from someone or waiting for a payment or money, the Lenormand oracle is much more accurate because it uses a more direct and concrete language.

 

 

You can buy your deck of the Lenormand Oracle and the Rider Waite Tarot clicking on the links.

 

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