This is a Lenormand deck interpreted under the light of some world folk tales. The
number of cards is 36, which is what Lenormand cards are. This is so
because the Lenormand doesn't have suites, doesn't have reversed
meanings and, unlike the tarot, which has a spiritual and psychological
dimension, these cards are literal and are read syntactically. As the
guidebook says, Tarot readers wil interpret the same Tarot spread five
ways while five Lenormand readers will all come to nearly the identical
message when they read the same Lenormand layout. If you want to check
the differences between the Tarot and the Lenormand, check this blog post out.
THE ARTWORK
Lisa Hunt authored the magnificent Fairy Tale Tarot deck, so I was expecting great things from her. The images are very cute, some of the excellent, but they don't come close to the quality of her other deck. In fact, some of them feel like sketchy, more child-oriented and not as rich in symbols. In that regard, artistically speaking this deck doesn't suit my intuitive cravings, to put it that way. However, the reading cloth for the app is utterly beautiful and delicate.
The authors wanted to use mythology and folk tales within the straightforward structure of the Lenormand tarot, and they've done so. The tarot is not as intuitive as Hunt's previous one and the meanings are more set and less open to interpretation. That's all fine, but to me, this deck can be interpreted intuitively, it is just that the conception doesn't favour it as much as others.
THE GUIDEBOOK
The guidebook is short and sweet and comments on the folk tale image quite literally, providing a some summary keywords and how the meaning changes depending on the precedent and subsequent cards. Basic but practical. Yet, the keywords on the front of the card are also very useful and sum up the meaning very well. Good enough, practical and also uninspired.Yet, you can expect that from/for a Lenormand deck.
THE APP
This
Android app is fully functional and has all the pros of the Fool's Dog
apps, which make the experience very enjoyable. I've found that, once you get used
to the app, your readings are as precise as the ones you get from your
physical deck. My favourite app features are:
- > Great quality digital images.
- > Zoomable images, so that you can check every small detail in the picture.
- > The whole deck guidebook available.
- > Information about the deck's artist.
- > Customizable tablecloths.
- > Sound prompts for cards, which can be turned on/off.
- > You can add your personal meaning to the cards.
- > Journal.
- > Plenty of layouts to choose from.
- > Able to use the whole deck or just the major arcana for your readings.
- > Several ways of shuffling.
- > Several draw options to select your card (from the top, from a fan, from a list).
- > You can share your readings.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS DECK
Lenormand,
or just this deck, doesn't speak to me. Rather, the readings I get are a
mix bag, some of them seem to relate to my query and others not at all.
As I am an intuitive reader and I rely on imagery to anchor my
intuition, this deck doesn't specially speak to me.
This is one my favourite tarot decks among all of the many I own, and also my favourite fairy/folk tarot, because of the artwork, the concept, the guidebook and the app. It's the whole package, the real deal, the mother of all fairy tale decks.
ARTWORK
Lisa Hunt's artwork is fabulous. She has a great drawing technique, an earthy colour palette, and an eye for detail. Besides, she has captured the essence of each fairy tale with insight and playfulness, and with a deep knowledge of symbolism.
THE CONCEPT
This is a full tarot deck, somewhat reinvented to fit in the messages, archetypes and symbols that pervade most folklore and fairy tales. The tales come from all over the planet: Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Pacific Islands, although there is a predominance of European folk tales. The major arcana names have been readjusted to allow the folk archetypes and symbols to blend more naturally, but we can still find the major and minor arcana in this deck.
THE GUIDEBOOK
The guidebook is worth a browse in itself, and a fabulous addition to the deck. The short version of the meaning at the card back is insightful enough. However, if you click the 'Full text from the book' link at the bottom, you'll get an in-depth analysis of the folk tale:
- The name of the tale.
- The culture from which the tale comes from,
- Summary Keywords.
- The whole account of the tale.
- A Jungian-like analysis of the
tale and imagery symbols.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE DECK
I can honestly say that this deck is one of my favourites, not only because I love folk tales in general, but because the deck is versatile enough to be used intuitively (using the imagery as a main guide), or comprehensively (using the main summary info at the back of the deck, or delving into the Jungian interpretation of the symbols). It's up to you, your your query or how much you want to dig into each card message. Do you want a quickie or an extra nosey reading? You can do anything and everything with this deck. Beyond what I've said, this app brings many memories from my childhood, from all those fairy tales that I read on books, my mom told me about or watched movies about.
THE APP
This Android app is fully functional and has all the pros of the Fool's Dog apps, which make the experience very enjoyable. There is nothing like the physical deck, for sure. However, I've found that, once you get used to the app, your readings are as precise as the ones you get from your physical deck. My favourite app features are:
- > Great quality digital images.
- > Zoomable images, so that you can check every small detail in the picture.
- > The whole deck guidebook available.
- > Information about the deck's artist.
- > Customizable tablecloths.
- > Sound prompts for cards, which can be turned on/off.
- > You can add your personal meaning to the cards.
- > Journal.
- > Plenty of layouts to choose from.
- > Able to use the whole deck or just the major arcana for your readings.
- > Able to use upright and reverse readings, or just upright.
- > Several ways of shuffling.
- > Several draw options to select your card (from the top, from a fan, from a list).
- > You can share your readings.
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