Sweet retro Lenormand deck

[Pretzel]

I wish I had bookmarked it, but does anymore remember seeing a sweet retro style Lenormand deck on this forum? All I remember is a picture of a little girl posting a letter. 

Sort of like this, but I don't think you could see the little girl's face. I'd love to know the name of the deck.

[Aeona]

@Pretzel

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1054701416/grannys-postcards-lenormand-36-cards?ref=user_profile&frs=1

 

 

[katrinka]

I do like old postcards, but this deck looks extremely problematic:

 

The Letter looks like a Child card.
The Crossroads doesn't even appear to show a crossroads, it looks more like a bad Tower card.
The Garden also has some kind of tower in the background.
The Fox card could just as easily be a Tree card.
The Book looks like it's sitting on scattered letters.
The Gentleman has a Clover, the Lady has a Letter. (And yes, the Piatnik Gent holds a letter - but that deck isn't infested with multiple issues.)
The Rats are barely noticeable, what jumps out is that cat on a jack-o-lantern.
The Stars - what's that kid doing there? And that clock tower?
And this is just 9 cards - 1/4 of the deck. How bad are the others? How much of a headache would reading a GT with this be?

Titles on Lenormand cards are a major red flag. You should be able to identify an image instantly, without a title. And using glyphs instead of insets can slow you down when you're looking for a preponderance of a certain suit.

 

Additionally, the images don't express the card essences. The Fox doesn't look so clever or devious when there's a crow getting the better of him. That cartoon artist bear doesn't speak of accumulation, power or possessiveness. The Stars card looks like it's about Christmas. Mountains aren't really obstacles to people on ski trips, they're recreation. I'm not getting options or decisions from a Crossroads card with no crossroads. The rats aren't doing any damage, they've been pressed into service. There is no reason for the Gent to be carrying a ladder. And why are they cats? This isn't a cat deck. If you were doing some kind of cat Lenormand, wouldn't it make sense to have a cat Child? And playing card insets with cat courts? It would be wonky, but at least it would be consistent.

I did google black storks, and apparently they exist, so they get a pass, sort of. But I did have to look them up. At first sight, they look like some kind of weird cranes. And there's a mountain in the background.

Aesthetically, there's no consistency. The whole deck looks very obviously scavenged by someone who just wanted to throw something together and make a few bucks, without learning anything about Lenormand. I don't detect any humor or irony in it, so it doesn't even work as a wonky deck, like the Legendary. If you just love the images, get it to look at, or for an art project. This is not a reading deck, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by katrinka

[Decan]

[katrinka]

5 minutes ago, Decan said:

 

That deck:
 

 

[Aeona]

5 hours ago, katrinka said:

I do like old postcards, but this deck looks extremely problematic:

 

The Letter looks like a Child card.
The Crossroads doesn't even appear to show a crossroads, it looks more like a bad Tower card.
The Garden also has some kind of tower in the background.
The Fox card could just as easily be a Tree card.
The Book looks like it's sitting on scattered letters.
The Gentleman has a Clover, the Lady has a Letter. (And yes, the Piatnik Gent holds a letter - but that deck isn't infested with multiple issues.)
The Rats are barely noticeable, what jumps out is that cat on a jack-o-lantern.
The Stars - what's that kid doing there? And that clock tower?
And this is just 9 cards - 1/4 of the deck. How bad are the others? How much of a headache would reading a GT with this be?

Titles on Lenormand cards are a major red flag. You should be able to identify an image instantly, without a title. And using glyphs instead of insets can slow you down when you're looking for a preponderance of a certain suit.

 

Additionally, the images don't express the card essences. The Fox doesn't look so clever or devious when there's a crow getting the better of him. That cartoon artist bear doesn't speak of accumulation, power or possessiveness. The Stars card looks like it's about Christmas. Mountains aren't really obstacles to people on ski trips, they're recreation. I'm not getting options or decisions from a Crossroads card with no crossroads. The rats aren't doing any damage, they've been pressed into service. There is no reason for the Gent to be carrying a ladder. And why are they cats? This isn't a cat deck. If you were doing some kind of cat Lenormand, wouldn't it make sense to have a cat Child? And playing card insets with cat courts? It would be wonky, but at least it would be consistent.

I did google black storks, and apparently they exist, so they get a pass, sort of. But I did have to look them up. At first sight, they look like some kind of weird cranes. And there's a mountain in the background.

Aesthetically, there's no consistency. The whole deck looks very obviously scavenged by someone who just wanted to throw something together and make a few bucks, without learning anything about Lenormand. I don't detect any humor or irony in it, so it doesn't even work as a wonky deck, like the Legendary. If you just love the images, get it to look at, or for an art project. This is not a reading deck, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Thank you for your detailed thoughts in this deck.  While I'm not interested in this one, I have been browsing Lenormand decks recently, after seeing how active and helpful the Lenormand corner of the forum is.  I've never had a lenormand deck or even been curious about Lenormand before.  I hope the OP can make a good decision about the deck now that I think I've found the one they were curious about, and you've provided a helpful critical analysis of it.

[Decan]

The one who created this deck doesn't know Lenormand at all IMO.

Well, "prevention is better than cure" as the saying goes, and otherwise I'm sure there is a cute retro Lenormand somewhere which is usable.

The main thing is that the images must embody the meaning of the cards, as a visual reminder.

For example a teddy bear (or similar) for the Bear card is a mistake that I also saw elsewhere, because this card shows force and domination, it can be army and police at times, and while it is a fortunate card it can be jealousy too. Nothing really cute.

Likely no Lenormand is "absolutely perfect", but this one cumulate problems, indeed... 🥴

Edited December 29, 2021 by Decan

[Pretzel]

On 12/28/2021 at 10:43 PM, Aeona said:

@Pretzel

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1054701416/grannys-postcards-lenormand-36-cards?ref=user_profile&frs=1

 

 

That's the one! Thank you so much. Such a sweet deck

[Pretzel]

Okay, just read through the rest of the thread. Wow. That's such a shame as I love the vintage look. 
Thanks @Aeona @katrinka and @Decan

[Ziev]

@Pretzel Here is vintage looking one. HERE Not sure if its your style but I thought I'd share it. My friend just got the deck and loves it. 

 

[edit]After looking at it again its more retro than vintage. 😃 

Edited January 15, 2022 by Ziev
Added comment.

[katrinka]

@Decan

 

 

[Decan]

2 hours ago, katrinka said:

@Decan

 

 

Lol, I took a glance at it and as I said previously it wasn’t the first time I saw a teddy bear for the Bear card, but if only it was just that with this one too.

It’s not possible to create Lenormand decks like that, well, it’s likely the « dark age » that some spiritual traditions are talking about.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help in the de-enabling thread for this one if necessary, there is so much to say 😁

[katrinka]

9 minutes ago, Decan said:

Lol, I took a glance at it and as I said previously it wasn’t the first time I saw a teddy bear for the Bear card, but if only it was just that with this one too.

It’s not possible to create Lenormand decks like that, well, it’s likely the « dark age » that some spiritual traditions are talking about.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help in the de-enabling thread for this one if necessary, there is so much to say 😁

 

I can't even find one card that expresses the meaning. They all say something else.
Ears aside, I'm not seeing gnawing vermin here:



 

[Decan]

Yes, in this deck the Mice card looks like a group of young having fun and dancing, or playing guitar at a party... 🥴

 

Not really this...

[Decan]

I looked at all, Oh boy!!

 

Another one, the Cross (I even don't understand what it is about: eating something in front of the tv?)

[katrinka]

The Anchor is a fish hook and the Key is a typewriter. So yeah. The Cross is eating in front of the TV.

[Decan]

9 minutes ago, katrinka said:

The Anchor is a fish hook and the Key is a typewriter. So yeah. The Cross is eating in front of the TV.

Hmm, it's likely a job for Saint Jude, Patron of things despaired of! 🤪

[gregory]

3 hours ago, Decan said:

Lol, I took a glance at it and as I said previously it wasn’t the first time I saw a teddy bear for the Bear card, but if only it was just that with this one too.

It’s not possible to create Lenormand decks like that, well, it’s likely the « dark age » that some spiritual traditions are talking about.

Don’t hesitate to ask for help in the de-enabling thread for this one if necessary, there is so much to say 😁

 

That's - simply not a Lenormand deck. I'm just a beginner but - no. I can't even begin....

 

ETA Dear gods - CLOUDS ?

Is sex EVERYWHERE now ?

 

Edited January 15, 2022 by gregory

[DanielJUK]

I think they are using old Victorian cards as the images in that, I recognise some of the Halloween / Samhain images and Christmas images. Victorians loved sending cards to each other and had (slightly surreal) artwork for them. They are public domain images now, you can get huge collections of the artwork to use digitally these days. So I guess it is vintage of the era but they were not made for the actual cards as a design and being pushed to fit into the Lenormand traditional cards 😮 .

 

Yeah it says on the ebay listing it uses vintage postcards from Europe, USA and Russia, you can tell the different styles in the cards 🙂

I have an oracle deck from the Victorian Halloween / Samhain images and it's fun to read with (also very surreal) but I would not want to make them fit Lenormand or Tarot set cards at all.

[katrinka]

Virtually any standard Lenormand originally published before 1950 is "retro style." Dondorf, Brepols, Piatnik, Blue Owl, Game of Hope...

Schneider, Dondorf, Madame Morrow, Wüst, Frommann & Bünte, Stralsunder, Dutch, Brepols, Daveluy, McLoughlin's, and Geûens-Willaert here:

http://gameofhopelenormand.bigcartel.com/

 

Piatnik:
https://smile.amazon.com/Mlle-Lenormand-Cartomancy-Deck-Cards/dp/B00008D9U3

 

Older version Piatnik:
https://smile.amazon.com/Grand-Tableau-Lenormand-Marie/dp/0738769614/

 

Brepols at a lower price:
https://smile.amazon.com/Lenormand-Fortune-Telling-Playing-Cards/dp/091386658X

[Pretzel]

On 1/15/2022 at 12:51 PM, Ziev said:

@Pretzel Here is vintage looking one. HERE Not sure if its your style but I thought I'd share it. My friend just got the deck and loves it. 

 

[edit]After looking at it again its more retro than vintage. 😃 

Thank you Ziev! I'm sorry I missed your reply back in January, but much appreciated 🙂