A Lenormand oracle deck for La Santa Muerte devotees, this beautifully crafted deck, both as thought form and fine art, will aid you in love, health, abundance, dealing with substance use, removing blockages, and working through legal troubles. Our Lady of the Holy Death is known for answering prayers that other saints will not; and likewise, this 38-card Lenormand oracle might take you where other Lenormand decks have not.

La Santa Muerte (Spanish for “Our Lady of the Holy Death”) is theorized to have originated from the Aztec deity Mictēcacihuātl, Goddess of Death. An alternate theory is a lineage to the Moirai of Greece, in the form of Parca Morta, the Fate of Death. La Parca is the feminized Grim Reaper dating back to the bubonic plague. Señora de la Noche, our Lady of the Night, is beloved and venerated by many communities across the Americas.

Santisima Muerte is associated with love, healing, protection, financial well-being, justice, and safe journeys into the afterlife. Meanwhile Senora de las Sombras (Lady of the Shadows) is oft invoked for protection by workers of the night and those who live on the fringes of society. A Santa Muerte oracle deck would need to pay homage to those elements, and this Lenormand deck delivers.

The modern Lenormand was first published in Nuremberg, Germany around 1799 as The Game of Hope and around 1850, the cards evolved into the Petit Lenormand, named after the famous fortune-teller Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand (1772 – 1843). While the guidebook doesn’t purport to be a deep-dive discourse into the Lenormand, it offers a great summary of its origins, history, and the cultural context from which it came.

From its inception, the cards did not require full literacy to read, nor did you need study of volumes of texts on the subject. The symbols were intended to be for plain and easy understanding, naturally augmenting one’s innate intuitions. Likewise, a Lenormand deck must feature the symbolism cogently, which this deck absolutely does.

The guidebook offers great insights into how to read the Lenormand. In a reading, consider what purpose the object pictured serves, or what our common associations are to that symbol. Those correspondences are the connecting link to revealing the answer to your question.

In La Santa Muerte Lenormand, published by Red Feather, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing, author Dan Pelletier and artist Callie French merge their talents to create an exquisite deck for devotees of Santa Muerte and avid Lenormand readers.

French’s art is detailed and narrative. She’s a master at both the landscape and portrait, and you can see the reverence with which these illustrations were created. Her style is absolutely exquisite, and in every deck she has illustrated, you’ll see meticulous attention to detail and meaningful use of color. There’s no exception here.

The deck comes with two versions of Caballero, or the Man card, and two versions of Senora, the Woman card. Thus, you can choose how you want to combine the cards into the 36-card set for oracle use.

French integrates the seven colors of La Santa Muerte into these works of art. Where you see blue, think knowledge, understanding, education, and insight. Red is for love and passion. Green for law, justice, and legal matters, but also the land and fertility. White brings peace, harmony, and protection. Black can both protect and send out potent energy workings for an entire spectrum of intentions. Gold is for prosperity and material success. Purple enhances healing and well-being.

Pelletier’s guidebook is comprehensive and everything you need to get oriented. Color symbolism was carefully thought through. Each and every card is the result of hours of research, contemplation, and deep discussion between Pelletier and French.

Everything I’ve cited about La Santa Muerte and Lenormand cards are sourced from the accompanying guidebook. And there’s so much more. Your cartomancy practice and deck collection will truly be enriched by the addition of this deck in your library. Pelletier’s ability to pack in a wealth of knowledge yet stay concise and to the point is impressive.

By the way I’m loving the product design, the matte finish, rich colors, the card titles in Spanish, sigil on the card backs, and the perfect little companion guidebook by Pelletier that comes with this deck set.

Every party who contributed to La Santa Muerte Lenormand knocked it out of the park. The artwork invites you into the deck’s world, activates your intuition, and the illustrations are powerful as both standalone works of fine art and as Lenormand cards, which is an incredible feat on its own.

The guidebook is a great primer into the Lenormand, even while Pelletier remains humble and quick to say that this isn’t a comprehensive text on the system. The depth and cultural sensitivity the creators have achieved in their research and presentation of the subject is laudable. And the final production value of the physical product you get to hold in your hands is spectacular.

La Santa Muerte Lenormand is one of the shining gems of 2022. You’ll definitely want to get your hands on a copy!

FTC Disclosure: In accordance with Title 16 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 255, “Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” I received the deck from the publisher for prospective review. Everything I’ve said here is sincere and accurately reflects my opinion of the deck and book.

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