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II127:The Blue Owl Takes Flight: A Look at the Mlle Lenormand Lenormand Deck

 Mlle Lenormand Blue Owl


II127

The Mlle Lenormand Blue Owl deck (also known as Baralho Cigano da Coruja Azul) is the English version of the famous divination deck used by Mlle Lenormand. Let’s explore more about this deck:

  • Manufacturer: AGM-Urania (Germany)
  • Number of Cards: 36 cards
  • Size: 56mm x 87mm

Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand (1772–1843) was a renowned French professional fortune-teller during the Napoleonic era. In France, Lenormand was considered the most famous card reader of all time and had a significant influence on the French cartomancy wave that began in the late 18th century. Lenormand claimed to have read cards for many famous individuals, including leaders of the French Revolution (such as Marat, Robespierre, and St-Just), Empress Josephine, and Emperor Alexander I. She practiced her craft for over 40 years.

After Lenormand’s passing, her name was associated with several cartomancy decks, including the 36-card deck known as Petit Lenormand, or simply Lenormand, which is still widely used today. This deck is the “younger sibling” of the Grand Lenormand (see the link at the end of the page), but Petit Lenormand is not a subset of the Grand Lenormand—there are no overlapping cards between the two decks.

The imagery on the Grand Lenormand deck appears classical and mythological, while the images on the Petit Lenormand focus more on everyday life. The popular Blue Owl deck (named after its back design) by AGM-Urania is displayed here. According to their advertising materials, this design is believed to originate from the 19th century. The displayed version includes regular playing cards associated with each card, inserted as small insets into the main design. However, the exact significance of this feature remains unclear based on the accompanying guidebook. Other Blue Owl decks have also existed, featuring enigmatic verses instead of playing cards. Curiously, these poetic decks also seem to be available in a Red Owl variant.

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