Before using a new deck of Lenormand Oracle cards, I recommend “clearing” your deck of all energies and helping to bond it with your own energy. There are several ways to do this. I personally use white sage and blow smoke around a new deck of cards, and especially after someone has somehow managed to touch them.
Other ways are to surround the cards around a white candle, or use crystals or simply hold the pack of cards, visualize a white light soaking your cards and cleaning them and last but not least, remember to ask your angels, guides and your higher self. to provide you with insight and knowledge and to convey messages that you can interpret.
When you get a new Lenormand Oracle deck, the cards will be in numerical order from 1 to 36. The first thing to do is mix the deck well. An easy way to do this is to randomly deal the cards into three piles; reassemble the platform; Stir it and repeat the process two or three times. It’s a good idea to shuffle the deck this way after each read, especially if you’re dealing the cards rather than drawing them. This will ensure that the card runs are divided between each reading.
Two of the “people” cards have a special meaning. The Knight and the Lady represent the querent, respectively the male or female person for whom the oracle is consulted. These cards can also be used to represent the querent’s problem or question in some designs; for example, the card most associated with the problem can be used: the Heart for a question about love, the Boat for travel, and the Fish for money, etc. The card used to represent the questioner or problem is called “Significator” or “Key card”.
If your layout calls for a Significator placed in a particular location, then decide which card to use as a Significator and remove it from the deck and place it in front of you, usually this card will be placed in the center of the spread.
Now is the time to shuffle the cards before spreading the design. Shuffle the cards (but without using the card player’s riffle shuffle) or spread them face down on a table and shuffle them. While shuffling the cards, focus on the querent or the querent’s problem. Don’t rush this mix, it’s time for you to manipulate the cards and connect with them. Stop mixing when you feel good.
Next, cut the cards, either with a single cut or into three stacks that you then reassemble, still focusing on the querent or the querent’s problem. If you are using a Significator, remember to place it in the center of the table. You can now deal cards or draw cards to form your layout. Personally, I tend to draw cards for small designs, but deal the cards for full 36-card designs.
To draw cards, take the deck and spread it out so that the cards slightly overlap face down in a ribbon or fan shape on the table. Draw cards one at a time as needed from the fan with your left hand (the hand closest to the heart). Let your intuition guide you when it comes to drawing the cards – choose the card that ‘feels good’.
If you are dealing the cards, you can place them face up or face down in the appropriate place on your layout. If you are drawing the cards, you should keep them face down until the design is complete. This is to prevent any emotions, whether positive or negative, that you may feel when viewing a card from affecting subsequent drawings.
Once the design is complete, flip the cards face up to start reading!