How to read Lenormand cards in pairs

Lenormand cards are read in combinations, with the order of the cards being the basis of how the cards are interpreted. When learning Lenormand, the starting point is to learn how to read the cards in pairs. Reading in pairs is the foundation for all other Lenormand techniques, so it is essential to learn this skill from the outset. 

To illustrate how to read Lenormand pairs, I’ll use simple key words for the below two cards:

• The Birds (communication/conversation)

• The Mountain (challenges/obstacles)

Cute Little Lenormand by Sara M. Lyons

Technique 1

Card 1 (Noun) + Card 2 (Adjective)

Traditionally, Lenormand pairs are read as Card 1 (Noun) + Card 2 (Adjective), which follows French syntax. For an English speaker, this can feel awkward at first, because in English the adjective comes before the noun. So, in English, you would say purple crystal (adjective, noun), whilst in French you would say cristal violet, which is crystal purple (noun, adjective).

Below is an example of how you can apply this technique to a Lenormand reading:

The Birds + The Mountain = a challenging conversation.

This can be broken down as follows:

• Card 1 - The Birds (Noun = conversation)

• Card 2 - The Mountain (Adjective = challenging)

• Paired meaning = a challenging conversation.

However, I don’t find the technique of Card 1 (Noun) + Card 2 (Adjective) to always hold strictly true, so I personally prefer to read pairs using this next technique.

Technique 2

Card 1 (subject) + Card 2 (describes the subject)

In my experience, Technique 2 is easier to grasp. Personally, thinking about nouns and adjectives disrupts the flow of my readings, so Technique 2 comes more naturally to me.

Technique 2 is as follows:

Card 1 (subject) + Card 2 (describes the subject)

So, if you flip the example from Technique 1 around, you get:

The Mountain + The Birds = an obstacle to communication

This can be broken down as:

• Card 1 - The Mountain (subject = an obstacle)

• Card 2 - The Birds (describes the subject = relates to communication)

• Paired meaning = an obstacle to communication

In both Techniques 1 and 2, the first card is a noun. But with Technique 2, the second card is not necessarily an adjective. In this example, the meaning for Card 2 (communication) is actually a noun. But that noun is being used to describe the subject (i.e. an obstacle to communication).

Technique 2 aligns with how I read Tarot cards. My Tarot style involves pulling clarifier cards to get further context for the cards in a spread. This Lenormand technique works in the same way. You pull the first card to get the general subject/theme/focus, and then you pull another card to narrow down the context.

Technique 3

Sequencing

Sequencing is used frequently in Lenormand readings. It is where the cards are read as a story. Like a timeline, the cards are read left to right. Sequencing can be interpreted in a couple of ways:

• Card 1 leads to Card 2.

• First Card 1 happened, then Card 2 happened.

For example:

• The Birds + The Mountain = there was a conversation that led to some challenges.

• The Mountain + The Birds = there was an obstacle that was later brought up in conversation.

In this technique, the cards are not modified by the cards around them, instead they stand alone. In both examples above, the conversation is separate to the obstacles/challenges. In the first example, the conversation led to a challenge, and in the second example, an obstacle was later brought up in conversation, but in neither instance do these cards say that the conversation itself was challenging.

Which technique to use

As you can see from the examples, each of the techniques create a variation in how a pair of cards are interpreted (sometimes the variations are minor, but other times it can entirely change the meaning). The most important thing is to be clear in your mind about which technique you will be using before you pull any cards. 

You will use a different technique depending on the question being asked. For example:

• If you ask “how will the meeting go today?”, the sequencing technique might be best suited.

  • The Birds + The Mountain = the initial discussion will draw attention to some obstacles.

• If you ask “what is the biggest problem in my relationship right now”, you might use Technique 2 - Card 1 (subject) + Card 2 (describes the subject).

  • The Birds + The Mountain = Communication is challenging.

Try out all three methods to see what resonates with you, but I suggest becoming comfortable with either Technique 1 or 2 (as they are very similar) and also with Technique 3 (sequencing) as you will need to draw on these skills once you start reading with more cards.