Lenormand (Baralho Cigano)
What are the 36 Lenormand cards and what do they mean?
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The 36 Lenormand cards run from The Rider (1) to The Cross (36). Each one represents an everyday symbol and has a positive, negative or neutral tone. To study them, learn the numbering, the keywords for each card and the two cards that represent people, The Man and The Woman.
The traditional order
The cards follow a fixed numbering: 1 The Rider, 2 The Clover, 3 The Ship, 4 The House, 5 The Tree, 6 The Clouds, 7 The Snake, 8 The Coffin, 9 The Bouquet and 10 The Scythe. Then come The Whip, The Birds, The Child, The Fox, The Bear, The Stars, The Stork, The Dog, The Tower and The Garden.
The sequence continues with The Mountain, The Crossroads, The Mice, The Heart, The Ring, The Book, The Letter, The Man, The Woman, The Lilies, The Sun, The Moon, The Key, The Fish, The Anchor and The Cross, which is card 36.
Positive, negative and neutral cards
Each card has a general polarity. The Clover, The House, The Stars and The Sun, for example, lean positive. The Snake, The Coffin, The Scythe and The Mice usually point to challenges, losses or wear and tear.
There are also neutral cards, such as The Ship, The Book, The Crossroads and The Tower, whose tone depends on context. This polarity is a starting point, not a verdict, because neighboring cards can soften or reinforce the meaning.
How to study without getting lost
Instead of memorizing everything at once, study in blocks of six to nine cards. For each one, keep the image, three keywords and the polarity. Then practice by joining two cards and writing a sentence.
The Man (28) and The Woman (29) deserve special attention, since they often represent the querent. Each card has its own page on this site with symbolism, keywords and meaning in love, work and advice.
- Learn the image and the number.
- Fix three keywords.
- Note the polarity (positive, negative or neutral).
Frequently asked questions
- What are the first and last cards of the Lenormand?
- The first is The Rider (1) and the last is The Cross (36). The numerical order follows the Petit Lenormand tradition.
- Are there bad cards in the Lenormand?
- Some cards, such as The Snake and The Scythe, have a challenging tone. Even so, they point to areas of attention to reflect on, and the surrounding cards change the meaning a great deal.
- Which cards represent people?
- The Man (28) usually represents a man and The Woman (29) a woman. Many readings use one of them as the significator for the person asking.
Educational content, for reflection. Tarot does not replace medical, legal or financial advice.