Yuletide Lenormand, the Review & Interview

The Review

I’m glad to begin with one of the sweetest Lenormands: the Yuletide Lenormand, a wonderful creation of Kendra Hurteau and Katrina Hill. This is an excellent option for Yule (Xmas), since that is precisely, its main topic.

The Yuletide Lenormand is a very sweet Lenormand deck which introduces you into the Lenormand while enjoying your Winter Holidays. A perfect deck to enjoy with your family and friends while being around a Xmas Tree, enjoying some Xmas cakes or just while enjoying the idea of snowing outside while being warm at home.

The paper quality of the deck is gorgeous, and it’s very easy to shuffle. Easy to shuffle and long-lasting are a plus to get your hands on this deck (if you shuffle the cards in a correct way, obviously). It comes with a clear case where you can keep it safe, plus a red bag to keep everything in order.

The design of the deck it’s just perfect. The soft colors, and the traditional Xmas colors makes of it a perfect choice for Winter Holidays. You’ll find 10 explanation cards about the Yuletide Lenormand: a wish message on the first card, some basics in the second, 3 cards with layouts, and 5 cards with some explanations about each of the cards.

The deck includes 36 Lenormand cards plus 5 extra cards you can exchange for other more traditional cards in the deck. For example: the puppy for the kitten, the Ring for the Wreath, the Gentleman for the Snowman, the Lady for the Snowlady, or the broken Candy Cane for the Cross. Some of the 36 traditional cards have been changed into Yule characters to keep with the main topic of the deck- Yule. You will find a cool Reindeer in the place of the Rider, Acorns instead of Clovers, a Sleigh for a Ship, the Humbug instead of a Snake, the Yule Log instead of the Coffin, the Stocking instead of the Bouquet, Father Time with a Scythe in the place of the Scythe, some Gingerbread in the place of the Garden, a North Pole direction Sign for the crossroads, Mistletoe with a Heart in the place of the Heart, the Greeting Card instead of a Letter, Poinsettias instead of Lilies, and the Fireplace instead of the Sun. I personally think that these changes are well thought since all the meanings of the Lenormand are perfectly kept. Thus, the deck is consistent both with the topic and the Lenormand itself.

The deck is sweet, so sweet, that some of the “bad” cards are too cute to stand. However its cuteness, meanings are kept. Thus, both tradition lovers and new age followers will find a good deck to read with.

The Interview

Kendra Hurteau has kindly answered a small interview. I hope you can enjoy some of the insights of creating a Lenormand deck. It might be challenging at times, and somewhat too much work when you’re in the middle of your creation process. But, at the end is gratifing. I hope you enjoy this deck as much as I do!

Pepi: Why Yuletide?

Kendra: The holidays have played a large part in our family and the traditions we create. Stockings, evergreens, swaths of pine and twinkling lights always lift our hearts. That, naturally, inspired us to share that experience. Yuletide Lenormand is not specific to one particular winter holiday and is a bit universal. However, I have no doubt that it has symbols that everyone can relate to.

P: Was it difficult to design it being a team of 2 people?

K: Some of the hardest images to design were those first two Under the Roses Lenormand images we call “Concept Art.” Once we were past that our communication about the designs and theme became much clearer. By the time we were working on Yuletide Lenormand we were pretty clear with each other. Some cards are difficult to create together in every deck, such as the mountain and the whip. In the case of Yuletide Lenormand this was also the case and we did take some time with the back.
Katrina and I have a good relationship and are very fortunate to experience very little tension between us. In addition, we kept a schedule and each had our roles so that kept things clear and moving.
The most difficult thing we experienced with Yuletide Lenormand was the time restraint. We had the ideas in the works for months but many of the images had to be done in a short amount of time. We sometimes worked until 10, 11, or 12 o’clock at night in our effort to get it finished.
All-in-all working as a team has been a good experience. Because we did so we were able to produce the project in half the time.

P: Which layouts do you think will fit best your deck?

K: Included in the deck is a Wreath layout that uses all 36 cards to lay out a year’s reading. Because this time of year is a turning point we thought this would be an excellent time to do this type of reading. Three cards are pulled for each month that follows the holiday you celebrate. In addition, we’ve included a “Create-A-Story” card. This is not a reading at all but an opportunity to use one’s imagination. Have fun with it!

P: Which is the most gratifying thing/emotion you got from creating this wonderful deck?

K: The most amazing thing about Yuletide Lenormand is the response from people who see or buy it. Their eyes light up or their typed response is that of delight. It is very rewarding to create a project simply out of our love for the season and then find that others love it too!

P: Any tips for readers?

K: Some tips for Yuletide Lenormand:

• Have fun with it! One of the magical things about Lenormand is that it can be used for both the serious and the mundane.
• Take liberties with the keywords. If the keywords included don’t work for you simply decide what each card means to you. Then, use your own keywords and it will work wonderfully.
• Trust yourself and your instincts. YOU are capable of deciding how you will read the cards. I recommend that you avoid reading the 3 D’s (Death, Disease and Disaster) but outside of that you know how to combine two keywords and make something of it. There are no wrong ways to read cards, especially this one themed for the holidays.
• And lastly, have fun! I know, I know, I said that. Now you know I really mean it. Bring some life into those cards readings, get-togethers, and parties. It will really enhance your experience.