LUMIERE D'ORIENT LENORMAND

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to the channel. Thank you as always for tuning back in. If you're new here, welcome. I'm Layla, the Lenormand Reader, and I use the amazing Lenormand deck. So have a look at the links that I have for you so you can explore and master this amazing deck. Welcome to a new deck review. I am doing another one today. As you know, I've been introducing some new decks this year, which I think is really high time. And it took me a while to do this because I travel and I'm not always in a place where I could receive these decks.

But I've got a few recently and I'm really happy to share them with you. And I've used this deck in one of our readings and then we'll decide if we're going to keep it. So this deck that I'm reviewing today is called the Oracle Lumiere d’Orient. It's by a French artist, her name is Emily Didier, and the deck is inspired by the East. She explains that it is inspired by countries like Japan, China, and Vietnam, and others.

So let's get into this deck. It comes in a box, a simple box like this one, which is pretty solid, but it sort of slips open, but the carton is really well-made. It doesn't come with a booklet, it comes with explanatory cards. So these are the introductory cards and explanatory cards. We'll get into them after we go through the deck. And there is one extra card with the deck, which is called Le Personage, which represents a person.

And so this is meant to be a neutral card that can be used instead of one of the Man or Woman cards. So here is the deck. The cards are bigger. This is one of the bigger decks that I have. I think it holds really nicely. I like the size, and I like the width as well. This is the back of the card, and it is, I think, some lanterns, Eastern lanterns, and you can easily tell if it is upright or reversed. As you know, in Lenormand, we don't read reversed cards.

CARD BY CARD

So the author, the artist, says that most of the cards are faithful to the original, except a few like the Rider. I don't see how they're exceptional. I think they're all pretty much aligned with the original symbols of the cards, and we're going to go through them.

But I suppose her point about the Rider is that it is normally a person on a horse, but in her case here with her illustration, it is someone walking through the woods, and it's a white and pretty cold, wintry setting. And it is a messenger carrying a little pack through the stick, and so it seems to be carrying something. So this is the first card. And as you can see, there's the name of the card. It's in French. It's Le Message, and then there's number one here, which is the card number. And at the top, we have the pip. And there are some decorative lines around the card. So a very charming setup. And I think the black is really nice. I think the frame is really nice. And I think the card pretty much stands out. So that's for the Rider.

Here is the Clover, and it's a really cute design with a clover. It's like you're walking and you find this lucky clover. You will notice that a lot of them have three, not four leaves. And it's true. If you've noticed, the three-leaf clovers are much more common than the four-leaf clovers. So it's like this person is walking, and then they land and they find this four-leaf clover. So it's like a lucky find, and I think it comes through pretty nicely in the card. So a very interesting interpretation.

Here is a Chinese junk. This is the Ship, and this is one of the cards I think she refers to as interchanging it with the Ship. And I'm not sure it's a change. I think it's just a different character using the Chinese junk. So obviously, it's on the sea. There's lots of green around it. I really see what kind of environment this is because when you go by sea in some of these areas around Thailand and Vietnam, you see a lot of these beautiful little islands, and they're all covered in green. So it's a very beautiful representation and really faithful, I think, to the landscape.

Here is the House. I think it's a pretty obvious design. It's nice and clear on the card. And we have the cherry blossom tree next to it, which is obviously very popular in Asia. And here's the Tree, a cherry blossom, an all pink tree. So very beautiful and I think really clear on the card as well.

This is the Clouds. So we have the blue clouds here and we have the gray one here. We have a kite that is being flown in front of the clouds. I think it distracts a little bit from the clouds, but I certainly see how it adds to the character of the cards. And the artist is faithful to the blue or I should say the light and the dark sides. Usually, they come across vertically on the card, but in this case, one is a little bit above and the other a little below.

Here is the Snake. We see the snake inside a home. So there is some Asian furniture here and we see the Snake. I would have liked the Snake to be a bit bigger in the card. And also the color tones are sort of similar so it doesn't stand out as much. But I suppose you get used to it and you sort of see you know the black and white lines of the Snake.

Here is the Coffin. So the Coffin is in the back. Again, I would have preferred the design to be a bit more on the forefront. And there is a person that seems to be guarding the Coffin. And we have some incense here, which is very commonly used in temples all around Asia. So another faithfully Asian representation here.

Here is the Bouquet. We have the flowers and then it seems to be on a table where there's also a bonsai tree and there seems to be a person in the back. There's a little card attached to the bouquet as well.

Here is the scythe. Again, the Scythe classically represented with wheat and in a field because it is representative of reaping. It also has a challenging side and it can go both ways. So it always helps to look at the cards around the Scythe.

Here is the Whip. The Whip is just here. I think it's a bit small on the overall design of the card. This is like a decorative statue. This seems to be more Hindu to me, and there is a Whip in the hand of the statue. So I feel it's a bit small relative to the rest of the representation here, and I would have liked the Whip to be a bit bigger.

Here is the Birds card, classically represented as two birds. I don't know the name of these birds, but I think I've seen them. And obviously, it's a very beautiful sky and some flowers around it.

Here is the Child. This is looking like a very happy girl that seems to be dancing around. This reminds me of Hindu dances as well, and there is an elaborate floor design. And the angle of the card is from the top. So a really interesting angle for the card.

Here is the Fox. I think the fox is well-represented and it stands out nicely. It is a silhouette and it's being held by hands here. So I don't know if you've seen them, but there are these puppet shows that are done with silhouettes, and they are also popular in Asia. They would do a day show and children would go and visit. So a clear representation of the Fox.

This is the Bear, which the author substitutes with the panda because the panda is a favorite in Asia. And I think it stands out really clearly with the bamboo shoots here, a very lovely representation, and certainly very faithful to the Asian landscape.

This is the Stars. We see the Stars in the background, and there's like some lotus leaves and lotus flowers here. And there's a beautiful sky and a bit of a couple of dragonflies here. So again, I feel they're a bit on the background. I think they should be more on the foreground as the main symbol, but it's very pretty to look at. And the colors are also, I have to say, all of the colors are so peaceful and so easy to look at.

This is the Stork. I think she also mentions that she has substituted the Stork with a more local species. I do not know the exact name of this species, but it is, I think, in the family of the Stork. And there's a couple of them here as well. They seem to be on the snow, and this seems to be like a winter landscape.

This is the Dog lying down on a rug. I couldn't make out that it was Dog a hundred percent. I thought it was something like an otter to tell you the truth. But it seems to be a sleeping dog and an easy, happy dog.

This is the Tower. Obviously, this is a pagoda, which I think is a really fun interpretation of the Tower. Makes perfect sense with the theme of the deck. I think it stands out clearly, and there's a beautiful pink and orange sky in the back.

This is the Garden, another faithful connection with the Asian landscape. I've seen a lot of these in Japan. They are very beautiful, very beautiful gardens to walk through, and many of them have these bridges over small or large bodies of water. So a very beautiful representation of the garden.

And here is the Mountain. Obviously, this would be a representation of Mount Fuji, a very beautiful and iconic symbol all over Asia, and these very beautiful cherry blossoms here in the foreground. A very beautiful card with a lovely background sky as well.

This is the Road. I think it's more mountainous, but I think it's a representation of the rice fields on the mountains. And there are two directions here. I think this is Vietnamese, and it represents the different directions that the Road can take and this element of choice that is often associated with the Road.

Here are the Mice. They are on a table with a tea set, an Asian or Japanese tea set. There's a couple of them in the foreground. Often, there are several mice because the card tends to represent multiplicity.

This is the Heart. It's being cut out of some origami paper. We see some origami bird in the back and maybe an envelope. I'm not sure the hand comes over it. But there is a lot of these Asian origami papers and other sorts of paper. So clearly a representation of the Heart.

This is the card of the Ring. The ring is on the hand. Actually, there's two rings on the hands of the woman. This is obviously a Hindu person, a Hindu woman with all of the classical Hindu decorations and jewelry. I would have liked the Ring to be bigger. I think this can be confusing the card with a person - like the Woman. So I think it's always best when the main symbol of the card is the focus of the card.

This is the Book. It has on it the lovely classical Japanese wave. And these designs are all Japanese. They're very beautiful. And it is on a table with a teacup. You see a bit of the steam here. I think the floor is also tatami, and it's just a very classical kind of Japanese setup. So a very beautiful card here. This too is very beautiful. I think this is Chinese pictograms. And we've got an image of a pagoda.

This is the Letter. So this is classical Asian writing. I think the card is pretty clear as well. Very beautiful references here.

Here is the Man and the Woman. They are Asian characters, which I have to say is not common in the cards. I've seen black people represented in the cards, but not so much Asian. So this is actually a really nice take for the variety of people in the world and the natural diversity. Very nice background. Also nice contrast and nice colors in the cards. Very beautiful, these two.

This is the Lilies. We see the Lily on the back of this person. Again, like the Ring, I think a person card should be avoided to have the Man and Woman stand out, but it's still a very beautiful design, obviously. And these are the Lilies and yes, I think maybe on her hair as well. So a very pretty card.

This is the Sun. Again, it's a little bit in the background, but we see the celebrations. So I think this really imparts the idea of celebrating and there's a sense of being in the sky. So a very lovely energy that comes through the card.

This is the Moon, again, being seen through those classical Asian windows. I think this is more on the Chinese side. And we see the Moon in the background. This is the key that is close to opening a box. So again, a clear symbol, although a little bit small, but very beautiful designs. And the whole context is just really pretty.

This is the Fish. I think this must be one of my favorite cards. I love these Asian fish. They put them in these little ponds and restaurants and elsewhere. And they're meant to bring a lot of luck. This is a classical feng shui thing. And we see here this beautiful fish. It's probably a goldfish because of the tail. And we have some lotus leaves and flowers. Very beautiful.

Here is the Anchor. Unlike many designs, this is at the bottom of the sea. So this, I have to say, is pretty exceptional. It's a wonderful perspective on the design of the Anchor. You sort of see the ship from the bottom of the sea and then the rope that carries the Anchor and it is at the bottom of the sea. So very exceptional. I think it's the first time I have seen an Anchor being pictured from underwater. So very, very beautiful and different.

Here is the Cross. I can't say that the Cross is clear. These are branches. To be fair, crosses are not really found in Asia. I think some Feng Shui schools consider them as negative energy because they cross, and you know it's one of those. So I think the artist and the author have these two branches sort of crossing. But again, I don't feel they stand out enough against the more colorful background.

So it would take a bit of getting used to with some of the designs, but the overall theme is really beautiful. And I think some things are outright refreshing and different. So this might be a deck you would like to explore for these unique features in it.

Before I get to the booklet and the guide, there is an extra card in the deck. And this is meant to be a neutral person, a man or a woman, and it can be used as a substitute for either the man or woman as the person prefers.

INFORMATION CARDS

So there isn't a booklet with the deck, but there are some cards that operate like a booklet. They offer guidance and an introduction and card meanings and also even layouts.

The first card is just a welcome card, and it's a bit like the box where there's a few cards to sort of show what's in there. And then there is the introduction. In one of the cards, the author and artist explains her intention with the deck, how she made some changes from the classical deck to accommodate this Asian inspiration.

And there is an instruction card about Lenormand in general, how to approach it, you know using your intuition, how to deal with a question that isn't so clear or an answer that isn't so clear, and using keywords, and just some general guidance around how to use Lenormand. And then she has a couple of cards that cover the card meanings. So it's on both sides, and that covers all 36 cards, and also the 37th card. She says that it's a neutral card and to be used to replace the Man or the Woman in case it is needed.

And she has the main card name, and also its effect, which is the negative, positive, or neutral effect of the card, and then a few keywords to represent and explain the cards. So for example, the Snake is negative, and it suggests an enemy, jealousy, and manipulation. Let's see, the Stork is positive, suggests changes, relocations, but also possibly pregnancy, which is quite classical with the Stork. I would want a combination for that and not just the Stork itself. The Heart is positive, suggests love, connection, tenderness, kindness, passion, and romance. So I think the card keywords are pretty standard, but they are also a nice summary of the card meanings. They are in French, so this would be an ideal deck or at least a starter deck for French-speaking folk.

And then the author offers three layouts. Actually, this would be this side. So there's a three-card reading, which is on two information cards, actually, on its own card, and also on the back of the cross. So it's just a repeat. It's just a duplication. And then there is a cross spread, and there is some explanation of the Grand Tableau.

So these are some really interesting explanations of the Grand Tableau. Before we look at it, let's just go over the cross a little. So the cross is a pretty popular spread, and it's just two lines of three cards each, with the central card being common to both. Now, the way she explains both the three-card and the cross layout is that each card represents something in the reading, which I have to tell you, is not very standard in Lenormand. What is more standard in Lenormand is Tableau-style layouts where you read the lines altogether and they tell you the story. So assigning a meaning to each card is not so common in Lenormand.

She does this with the three cards. I think she's got a focus on the present situation, looking at where the red is, what are some things coming up in the future, what are some issues that influence the present situation? And of course, you can change for any three cards or actually any line and layout. You can assign the card positions as you like.

In the cross, like I was saying, we have two lines that intersect in the middle. Often the middle represents the readee, and then the cards around it can represent different things. Usually, the card on the left represents the past. The card on the bottom represents supportive influences. The card on the right supports the future, and the card at the top usually represents the future or aspirations and things like that. So it's a pretty standard way of doing the cross.

Now she has a card for the Grand Tableau. She has an explanation, and she has a really interesting focus on the Grand Tableau. She suggests that we locate the Man or the Woman, which represents the readee, and different lines that connect with this card represent different aspects of the query and situation. The line to the left represents the past and to the right represents the future. This is pretty typical in a tableau. In fact, the location of the significator, which is the card of the readee, splits the Tableau into past, present, and future. Of course, this is an optional way to slice a Tableau. You don't have to do this. And then the other cards suggest different things.

If you want to look up this author's deck, you can discover what she suggests in here. But something else I want to say is that you yourself can assign what these different lines that come out of the significator suggest, it is up to you. It's pretty standard, though, to read the left side as past and the right side as future.

So this is it for the Lumiere d’Orient Lenormand. I hope you enjoyed it. I will consider if it's a keeper for our monthly and weekly readings. It is quite colorful, and I think having a lighter colored background brings out the deck better. Like I said, I did use it, I think once in one of our readings, a weekly reading. And with my other darker background, I don't think the cards stood out so much. But I think on a lighter background, they can look really pretty.

So let me know in the comments what you make of this deck. How do you like it? Would you try it? And if you think we should keep it for our weekly and monthly readings. As always, I look forward to your thoughts and comments. Thank you for tuning into this deck review, and I look forward to our next time together. Until then, take very good care of yourself.

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