Are you interested in learning to read Lenormand cards, but aren’t sure which deck to start with? Today, I’m going to talk you through the experience I went through as a beginner, and how I came to choose these three Lenormand decks as my top recommendations for anyone starting out.
A few years ago, I became aware of the existence of Lenormand reading, and I was immediately interested in learning the skill myself. I love to try all forms of card reading, and Lenormand cards are cute, tiny and so beautiful. I was also still developing my tarot reading skills, which relies more on how to read the images in the cards. I was aware that Lenormand reading requires memorising the meanings of the cards, rather than interpreting images. There are only 36 cards in a Lenormand deck, and the idea of dabbling in this system was appealing, for those days when I wanted something different to my beloved tarot.
Although I was keen to try Lenormand reading, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it, be good at it, nor if I would stick with the system once I’d tried it. I didn’t want to spend too much money on a deck in case I decided for whatever reason, Lenormand wasn’t for me.
I decided I wanted an inexpensive deck, with clear images that were true to the Lenormand tradition. I had heard that larger Lenormand cards can be difficult to lay out if you’re trying to learn how to read a Grand Tableau, so I also wanted the cards to be reasonably small. I ended up choosing the Blaue Eule Lenormand as my first deck.
‘Blaue Eule’ is German for ‘blue owl’. This appealed to me, as I love both owls and the colour blue. This deck is fantastic for readers of any language/nationality, as there are no words written on the cards. Although I would have probably preferred the English names to help me learn, the images are obvious enough to work out what they are.
I was, and still am, thrilled with my choice. The card stock is nice, and I love the images and the backs. The box has become a little beaten up, but that doesn’t bother me, as I plan to make tiny bags for my decks over time, anyway. For a deck that was under ten bucks, I can’t see any downsides.
I did end up enjoying Lenormand cards, but this deck was an excellent choice for me, since I wouldn’t have felt as though I’d wasted much money if I’d decided I didn’t want to stick with it. I would rate this deck a 4/5 for beginners, and the only reason I took one point off, is because they didn’t have the card names on them. But again, the price was so good, I truly didn’t care, but others might.
The next Lenormand deck I purchased was the Blue Bird Lenormand. This deck is a little larger, but I wouldn’t say it’s huge. I was keen to get this one, again, because I loved the aesthetic: I mean, who doesn’t love blue birds, right? I was drawn to the distressed vintage vibe it gives off, but most of all, I was interested in getting a deck with poems on each card to represent the meaning.
I will admit, I’ve barely used the poems to teach me at all, but they did come in handy in the early days as a prompt, if I felt I was stuck on a meaning and was too lazy to pick up a book to work it out. Sometimes, those poems were just enough to push me to work out the meaning myself. They’re a little like training wheels on a bike. They also have the names of the image on each card, which is always appreciated when you’re a beginner.
I really wouldn’t bother using the Blue Bird Lenormand in a Grand Tableau reading, unless of course, if it was the only deck I owned. They would be fine in that case, but you’ll always just wish they were a little bit smaller. This deck wasn’t as cheap as my Blaue Eule, but it’s certainly still in the affordable price range. The images and backs are so beautiful, that they keep the beginner interested and engaged in learning. I have given this deck 5/5.
I almost gave them a 4/5, due to the size being larger than I’d prefer, but having a slightly larger size can be handy when you’re learning the Grand Tableau, if they have the card names printed on them. What I like to do with the Blue Bird Lenormand, is when I’m doing a Grand Tableau, I will lay this deck out in order, to create the placement of houses. Some people like to use a Grand Tableau cloth for this purpose with the houses printed or embroidered on. I like to use this deck, because it’s so handy.
Because I have trimmed my Blaue Eule Lenormand, I am able to use those for the Grand Tableau reading, with the Blue Bird house names peeking out underneath! It looks great, and I find it’s helped me to learn the Grand Tableau in a simple, yet appealing way.
So, as you can see, the larger size of the Blue Bird can be an advantage if you use it to mark out houses.
I want to show off how fantastic both of these decks look and work with the Tarot Mucha, which I like to use together quite often.
When I use the Blaue Eule with the Tarot Mucha, (bottom row), they look beautiful when I layer the Lenormand on top of the tarot cards. I enjoy the extra depth this brings to my readings. Because I trimmed this deck, they’re now small enough that I can still see a good amount of the tarot card underneath. In the top two rows are the Blue Bird Lenormand and Tarot Mucha. The Blue Bird cards are too large to lay on top, but see how gorgeous they look next to each other? So, when I do it this way, I read the lenormand card together with the tarot card below or next to it, which still adds that fabulous depth, in a slightly different way.
I enjoy trying to choose decks that compliment each other in their colours and/or art style, because certain colour palettes activate something in my mind that seems to ‘switch’ my brain on for a reading. Is anyone else like that?
The last deck I would recommend for beginners, is pretty much the Blaue Eule Lenormand, but in a different colour palette. It’s the Weisse Eule Lenormand (white owl). Now, this is my favourite lenormand deck of all time. I bought this later down the track, simply because it didn’t occur to me to get it sooner, and yes, I’m kicking myself for that!
The Weisse Eule Lenormand is dirt cheap just like its blue cousin, but there is absolutely nothing dirt cheap about its production or presentation. It has a delicate pastel palette, which reminds me of Spring; lots of pinks and light purples. I also wanted to show you this deck so you can see roughly what the border would look like on an untrimmed Blaue Eule deck, since I have trimmed mine. The borders are the same on both decks.
One thing that shocked me about the Weisse Eule deck was that the silver print on the backs of the cards are a shimmery, metallic finish! Look!
I couldn’t believe this was under ten bucks when I bought it. I think it sits right on ten dollars, at the moment, which is still excellent value. I plan to buy another Weisse Eule deck, so I can have one trimmed, and one untrimmed. I have given this one 5/5, even though it doesn’t have names on it, simply because I feel as though they’ve outdone themselves with the sheer beauty of it, for such a low price.
Below are some photos of the backs of the three decks, and the fronts.
The most surprising discovery for me about these three decks, was that not only are they excellent beginners’ decks, but they have become beloved staples in my collection. They do the job well in a reading, and I like to think they do it with style.
Do you have any of these decks? Which one or ones do you like? Let me know in the comments below.
Decks featured:
Blaue Eule Lenormand
Weisse Eule Lenormand
Blue Bird Lenormand
Tarot Mucha
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Tarot of Gwyneth 