Dearest Friends,
On fateful last Friday, The Ghastly Lenormand From the Grave finally emerged on Kickstarter! The anticipation had me feeling like a tightly wound violin string – a potent mix of excitement, terror, and pure joy that comes with unleashing your creation onto the world.
Until then, I was the sole guardian of this macabre deck. I meticulously refined every detail, nurturing it like a most peculiar Dr. Frankenstein. Now, it belongs to everyone who embraces its unique spirit. You'll weave your own stories, unearth hidden meanings, and discover entirely new ways of using this deck.
As an artist, I often encounter the misconception that the creator should hold the sole key to understanding their work. However, the meanings, purposes, and depths I imbue in my creations are just one perspective among many. My ideas should not be considered dogma or absolute truth.
There's a tradition I hold dear. After the vernissage of one of my exhibitions, I used to go "incognito" and walk around people. I would silently get closer, pretending to be just another observer, and listen to them describe their emotions and feelings inspired by my art, their ideas and points of view. In this way, I discovered incredibly deep and amazing interpretations of my art. People were able to see, reflected in my works, aspects of my soul with my fears and dreams so deep that I myself was not aware of them until someone else revealed them to me.
One instance stands out... A couple of young ladies were observing "The Nymph's Room", one of the paintings I am most attached to (so much so that I always refused to sell it, and it is still with me!). In the painting, you see a room, mysterious and warm. They were unaware of the background story. The only thing everyone knew was the title of the painting. They didn't even know it was a real room. They started to make comments about how the room looked like the inside of a heart, expanding. They found a rhythm. Everything inside is warm and full of life, while outside, there is the cold night with its demons. They started to describe their feelings, pointing their attention to different objects and different elements of the painting, finding them as symbols for a wound, a gash in the soul that wanted to heal, and hope and joy and the promises of tomorrow. I was flabbergasted and presented myself, thanking them for their deep insight. I never thought I had put so much of myself in that painting.
I painted it to celebrate a special moment in my life when I had lost my job and my relationship with my partner had gone into smithereens. I needed a place to stay, and my mother offered me a couch in her drawing room. That is the room I painted. I stayed there for a few weeks, then found a place and started to be a full-time artist. My new house became my first studio, but in that room, I found shelter, love, and the time to rebuild myself and take the most important decision of my life: put all my energy into the realization of my artistic dream.
This experience has always reminded me of the power of interpretation, and I can't wait to see how The Ghastly Lenormand resonates with each of you. With your perspectives, it will take on a life beyond anything I could have imagined. Uncover new uses, readings, questions, answers, passions, and discover your own favorite cards. The Ghastly Lenormand now belongs to all of you!
A Deck Full of Surprises: Unveiling the Unexpected
If I have to be honest, this deck has revealed a few surprises since I started creating it. Everything began with my passion for macabre art and Victorian Gothic. I wanted to express my dark humour through a Lenormand deck, but the more I dug and studied, the more windows to the past opened. It was like falling into the rabbit hole again! And what a world was on the other side! :)
What was supposed to be an artistic adventure became an exploration into history and philosophy, from resurrectionists stealing corpses and mortsafes (the iron structures built around graves) to prevent body snatching, to the darkest parts of the Middle Ages with the Totentanz, the Dance Macabre depicting skeletons dancing with the living, whispering their uncomfortable truth: "What you are, we were; what we are, you will be". Memento mori (remember you will die)! Only by facing our mortality can we fully seize the moment and live life to the fullest. As Confucius wrote, "We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one"...what a journey indeed!
Unveiling New Spreads
The deck's unique coffin shape revealed another unexpected layer. One day while I was disposing them them to take some photos for the upcoming Kicstarter Campaign, I discovered they could form captivating shapes – flowers, arcs, circles – rich with symbolic potential. These shapes became the foundation for brand new spreads and ways of using Lenormand for divination. Reading Lenormand cards is akin to reading sentences in a narrative. The way they interact and influence each other's meanings is a core aspect of the system. While traditional spreads utilize lines and squares, these new shapes allow for novel connections and narratives, opening doors to readings beyond the "classic" Lenormand experience, allowing for deeper and incredibly intriguing readings.
For the Kickstarter campaign, I've compiled the most captivating and insightful of these new spreads, along with detailed instructions and interpretations. The sheer volume of information couldn't fit within the booklet, so I created special tiers dedicated to these innovative card configurations.
Join me on Kickstarter as we embark on this macabre and magnificent adventure together, there is eerie and magical world awaiting to be discovered!
The First Reading
Before living you to your day, I would like to share the first reading I did for a friend! The Ghastly Lenormand in action (the full deck with 52 cards)!
Question:
Will we be able to rent the house for several months this winter in the area we're looking at? We're having trouble finding any rentals left.
Answer
(Let's simplify a bit...)
The market seems challenging and unclear. People might be taking advantage of the situation, perhaps even exploiting it cruelly. However, this won't last forever.
Finding a house will take some time and effort, but it's achievable. Cleverness and strategic thinking will be your allies. Perhaps befriending a landlord or presenting yourself as an ideal tenant could give you an edge.
Be prepared for some difficulties. Finding the right house requires being proactive and seizing opportunities. Don't overthink things or get caught up in unrealistic expectations. Be present in the moment, assess the situation, and take action (like the Watch card suggests).
Persistence is crucial. The pistols symbolize your "foes," which could be competitors or the stressful housing situation itself. Stay calm, firm, and persistent – the solution will come, and it might surprise you in a positive way.
Expect an unexpected but happy outcome (the Stork). The transition may involve changes, but ultimately it will be a positive one. You might find a house that exceeded your expectations, perhaps in a better location. Whatever the outcome, it's a good sign!
This is just a sequential reading, but we can also analyze the spread through different lens. We can look at each column as Past, Present, and Future, or even interpret the diagonals. The most intriguing card is the Star in the centre. This card represents your dreams and wishes, but it also brings hope, inspiration, and the ability to find beauty in the present moment. It is like to say: till you keep your dreams alive they can become real... :)
If you enjoy the macabre art of The Ghastly Lenormand, please spread this article
There is an eerie world waiting to be discovered, if you dare, come into my… graveyard :)
With warmest macabre and morbid regards,
Andrea
Every time I see the fox he makes me laugh with those guilty eyes saying woops.
Thank you for sharing - everything! And bless your mother for giving you the space you needed, and the love, so that you could get your life back together!