Lenormand is a 36-card system, usually read in small spreads like three or five cards, though you can go bigger with a 9-card portrait. The most complex is the Grand Tableau, which uses all 36 cards. One key thing: Lenormand isn’t really about intuitively "reading the artwork" like tarot. Each card has a set meaning, so a blue house and a red house are both just… a house. Super simple visuals, like a tree, moon, or house.
Reading them is more like forming sentences—you combine the meanings of cards to tell a story. The significator (central card) sets the focus. You can choose it yourself or let the cards pick it. A lot of decks show the playing card pips too, but for beginners they can be a bit much — so it’s fine to ignore them at first. Later, learning them adds another layer to your readings.
Also, a few cards might look familiar if you know tarot — Moon, Sun, Tower, Star — but their meanings are different. For example, in tarot the Tower = upheaval, but in Lenormand it’s neutral, often just a building or bureaucratic thing. Tarot’s Moon = confusion or inner conflict, but Lenormand’s Moon is positive: recognition, creativity, honor. Confusing stuff in tarot is usually more like the Clouds card in Lenormand.
