Gentry Lenormand Card Deck

The Gentry Lenormand was the first deck that I completed, although it was not the first card project that I began. Originally, my first attempt was a tarot deck. The inspiration for the twenty-two tarot majors was flowing almost faster than I could execute them. And then…the creativity suddenly dried up. The task of generating ideas for the minor cards seemed overwhelming and much too daunting for a first run. Finally, I decided to temporarily put that project aside in favor of producing a Lenormand deck.

If the tarot is like an editorial magazine giving full license of interpretation, the Lenormand is a newspaper with exacting journalistic guidelines. I was excited about this deck because I found the Lenormand to be utterly fascinating in the sheer amount of detailed information delivered succinctly and accurately through the style of reading that these decks offer. While the Lenormand does not allow for the same liberties in design that the tarot does, those artistic constraints made this project easier to actualize. Unlike tarot, every Lenormand deck has exactly the same meanings for the cards. Depictions must be clear and easy to read without intricate symbolism getting in the way, therefore the only mandate was to create the thirty-six images according to the aesthetic I envisioned.

The resulting Gentry Lenormand deck is a reflection of my love for both history and Europe. Described as reminiscent of a genteel society from a bygone era, the cards form a visually cohesive deck of sepia-washed tones and faded patterns that evoke the mood of an old-world aristocracy. This is a genuinely pretty card deck that easily conveys the messages of a Lenormand reading with astounding verity.