So in this post, I wanted to look again at the issue of Lenormand questions, but even more importantly, what the questions we ask tell us about how we frame the world, our problems, as well as our beliefs about the cards and how they “work” – spiritually, psychologically and in the big picture, the wider frame of our lives.
Now, I’ve done many, many Lenormand readings over the years, both for myself and for others. Obviously some questions work better for me personally than others, and I’m sure that is true of all of you as well. But it’s also true to say that they may not be the same questions, depending on who we are and the beliefs that we hold. You might want to check out my post here, by the way, on asking Lenormand questions to get good results:
How To Ask Lenormand Questions To Get The Best Results
What I’ve found when reading for others (and if you too are doing so, you might find this useful to note) that Lenormand readers can tell a HUGE amount about situations and your response to them, just from the sorts of questions you ask the cards or in a reading. And knowing this can help you frame the most useful answers, too.
Here’s what I’ve found a Lenormand reader can tell about a situation from the way you’ve asked about it pretty quickly:
What You Assume Is and Isn’t True or Possible About The Issue At Hand
Very often, this comes up in how open or closed your question is, and the use of the word “will”.
“When will X happen?” means that you are sure that X, whether it’s getting a particular job, a lover returning or you getting together or some other event is definitely going to happen, no question. It’s just that you don’t know when.
“How will I get the money/this job/see this person again?”Again, you are assuming that these things ARE definitely going to happen, and you really want them to happen. You just don’t know how.
Challenges for a reading: You’re unlikely to have considered other possibilities or options and may be resistant to them, especially if the cards show something completely different. This is especially true if you are very emotionally invested in something. As a reader, if you’re reading for someone else, try to be sensitive to the nuances of this. I would always advocate being honest and not sugar-coating, but do try to empower and be supportive to the person you’re reading for it’s not necessarily what they want to hear.
How Troubling An Issue Is To You at This Point
Quite often, people come to a reading or a reader, or you’ll read the cards almost as a last resort, when a situation just feels impossible and there is no other place to turn.
- You’ll quite often notice there’s an emotiveness to the question, or a kind of rapid quickfire to it. A circularity or even muddledness in the questions, or indications just from the situation that you or someone else is in a confusing mess.
- Sometimes there’s a whole mix of things, but again, quite often you will find that “will”, handing the control of the problem over to the cards or reader, which again indicates the need for clarity and certainty, the clearest possible path, simplicity. And bear in mind, in tough situations, wanting clarity so we know how to act is a pretty normal human response.
“Tell me what to do!”
“What will happen in X situation?”
- Be aware also that romantic situations can often be at the top of the list for these. Why? Because they’re intimate, emotional and people are often at their most vulnerable, and can be hard to think clearly when in the throes of big emotion. Remember, it’s hard to get an accurate reading when you are over-emotional.
Challenges for a reading: Reading for someone very troubled by a situation or in a real mess can be either positive or negative.
- Sometimes not having any ready-made answers at all and coming to you means there’s a self awareness along with an openness to exploring possibilities and what might really be going on. Just an “I’m fed up with this, but want some outside perspective as I know I can’t think clearly or see other possibilities.” This is where a reading can bring some much-needed clarity or objectivity.
- Other times, though, someone might be stuck in a loop of their own making, but not yet aware of it. So tread carefully with these. If you’re reading for yourself, remember that it’s always best to read with a clear head and NOT when you’re feeling overemotional. Try and take a step back before diving in.
- For very serious issues, though, card reading isn’t really appropriate. Watch out for red flags in questions that seem perhaps inappropriate for a card reading or a card reader to sort out. You’ll generally know if these cross a line for you or are indicative of something more serious, that really needs to be handled by the person themselves, or that requires professional help.
- . I do not feel comfortable reading for health issues, for instance, beyond general wellbeing type things. Health concerns need medical professionals to diagnose, not card readers. Sometimes, a person is in crisis, whether psychologically or otherwise. If it’s not something someone can handle themselves, it’s probably one for a professional in that area, whether that’s a therapist or a lawyer.
Want to know more on this? Check out my post Are You Using Lenormand In The Healthiest Ways? and also take the Quiz!
How Much Power or Confidence You Feel You Have (Or Don’t) In A Given Situation or In General
It’s true that not everything that happens to us in life is within our control. Stuff happens; that is life, whether it’s unwanted breakups, unpleasant people, unexpected circumstances, illnesses, accidents, global pandemics….
But, as they say, it is often our approach to things that shows how confident we are in at least our abilities to handle what gets thrown at us and how much power we personally think we have to influence things.
“Will I make money/become famous/get the guy?” Well, these are legitimate questions, of course and you can get yes/no answers for these. That said, it kind of implies that you don’t really think that’s got much to do with actions you might or might not take yourself. “How could I make money?” might give you more interesting answers, something to explore. “What would I have to do to attract this guy?” likewise.
“WHEN will I make money/get the guy?”
Again, as in the first point, this implies that a) You definitely believe you will and b) that this fact you will it’s already set in stone, perhaps without you having to do anything. All you have to do is sit and wait, right? Hmm.
Also, questions where you look to the cards to specifically tell you what to do can sometimes imply that you don’t have the confidence or think you have the power to decide things for yourself. Generally, the more you hand over the power to the cards or a reader, the less confident you tend to be in your own abilities
Challenges for a reading: Personally, I’d prefer to go for a more empowered approach, or at least try to dig down a bit to explore ways the person I’m reading for can have a bit more of a say in the situation, or that their actions could get better results.
10 Tips For Empowering Lenormand Questions
What You are Hoping For From The Reading — And How Invested You Are in Getting A Particular Answer
Often, people come to a reader just to get confirmation of something they hope or fervently believe is true.
Love is a particularly tricky one for this, again, because people are very emotionally invested in particular outcomes. If you’ve just met someone you think is your soulmate and are full of all these crazy (and delicious) feelings, you tend to want a reading to confirm that what you “know” is true, not for it to point out that that person’s pesky spouse and kids MIGHT prove something of a real-life obstacle to love’s young dream.
If you have the hots for someone, you may not necessarily want to hear that actually, they’re a big player who is likely to make you unhappy, or aren’t interested, or fancy your best friend instead. You might need to hear that, but you might not be ready to actually hear it.
Challenges for a reading: The more invested someone is in one fixed answer, the trickier it can be if you’re not going to be giving that answer. Sometimes people – or you – just don’t want to hear it and aren’t ready to hear it. I never just tell people I’m reading what they want to hear if it’s not there and prefer to be honest. Sometimes this will help, sometimes it won’t. All you can do is try and tailor your response to the situation as best you can.
For more on what to do if you don’t like a reading, check out:
How To Deal With A “Bad” Reading
Where You Are On The Fate Versus Free Will Belief Continuum
The type of questions you ask are also pretty indicative of your beliefs with regard to your views on Fate versus Free Will. I am generally in the middle somewhere but slightly more towards the free will or ‘multiple possibilities’; others are all about the more one fixed fate and fortune side of things.
If you are more on the Fate & Destiny end (and all the beliefs about personal power, spirituality etc that entails) your questions are more likely to reflect fixed timelines & a belief that all is pre-ordained for us, perhaps by an outside power.
“When will X happen?”
“Will this… yes or no?”
“Will I marry this person? Are they my soulmate?”
It can be a challenge with very Fate-based, yes/no questions to make a reading empowering or involve the person being read to take necessary actions to achieve what they are hoping for. On the other hand, it sometimes is helpful in giving guidance as to whether a goal is worth their time or not. The difficulty, I find, is more in definitive yesses. If you tell someone, yes, they’re going to be rich, are they just going to sit back and wait for the lottery win to drop into their lap? So generally, I try to find the “Hows” or any clues in the reading.
People who tend more to the Free Will end are often more interested in possibilities, in what they can create for themselves, in exploring things more deeply. There tends to be less of an emphasis on outside powers and more on personal action.
“What might happen if…?”
“How could I…?”
“What influences are there around this? What should I consider?”
Of course, nothing cartomancy-wise is ever truly free of ideas about destiny and fortune. Random events still happen after all and I find these often do show up in cards as influences, but it’s more how active we are in creating our destinies that marks the difference in approach. You can check out more in the post below:
The Future Fate & Free Will In Lenormand Readings
Do You Need More Guidance?
Go to my Lenormand Tips page for more tips about common issues and problems.
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SAMPLE ONE QUESTION 9-CARD READING