Grand Tableau Mastery
Master the 36-card Grand Tableau with knight moves, mirrors, houses, and advanced interpretation techniques.
Knight Moves (Cavalier's Move)
The Knight's Move is a traditional Lenormand reading technique used primarily in Grand Tableau readings. Named after the chess knight's L-shaped movement, this technique reveals how cards influence each other across the tableau.
How Knight Moves Work
A knight moves 2 positions in one direction + 1 position perpendicular, forming an L-shape. In the 4×9 Grand Tableau grid, each card can influence 2-8 other cards via knight's move.
Example: From position 1
Position 1 can knight to position 11 (2 right, 1 down)
The 8 Knight Directions
Interpretation Guidelines
- Source → Target: The source card's energy flows into the target
- Cards of Fate (31-35) carry extra weight when knighting
- Chain reactions: Multiple knight moves create reading paths
- Key indicators: Knight moves involving topic cards (5, 24, 34) focus on those areas
Common Knight Move Interpretations
Rider (1) → Coffin (8)
News of ending or transformation
Sun (31) → Heart (24)
Happy love, romantic success
Key (33) → Mountain (21)
Solution to obstacle found
Moon (32) → Tree (5)
Health connected to emotions/dreams
Mice (23) → Coffin (8)
Stress period coming to an end
Crossroads (22) → Key (33)
Right choice opens door
Mirror Positions
When two cards are positioned directly opposite in the 36-card layout, they form a reflecting pair. Mirrors show the other side of a situation, often indicatingbalancing energy or revealing what the querent is not seeing.
How to Interpret Mirrors
- Check position: Mirrors occur when cards are in the same row or same column (directly opposite)
- Look for contrary meanings: Mirror cards often show the opposite of their usual interpretation, revealing hidden aspects
- Consider relationship: If Mirror of Man is Woman, it may reveal relationship dynamics between querent and second person
Heart (24) opposite Anchor (35) = stability of emotions versus emotional volatility
Tree (5) opposite Ship (3) = rooted stability versus journey and change
House Proximity
Distance matters significantly in the Grand Tableau. Cards touching the significator have more influence than cards further away.
Distance Weighting Guide
- Immediate zone: Cards in significator's row (touching) have strongest influence
- 2 cards away: Cards two positions from significator (diagonal) have medium influence
- 3+ cards away: Cards three or more positions away have weaker influence
- In diagonal zones: Cards diagonal from significator reveal hidden/unseen influences
- Same row/column: Cards in same line as significator have combined or opposing influence
- Four corners: Corner cards frame the entire reading and often indicate overall theme
Pip-Based Timing
Traditional Lenormand uses playing card values for precise timing. This is especially important in the Grand Tableau where timing is often the primary question.
Court Card Values
J, Q, K = weeks (Face cards in playing deck)
Number Card Values
Ace = 1, 2-10 = 1-10 days
10 = 10 = 10 days
House Position Values
Positions 1-4 = 1-4 months
House in position 4 represents months to years timeframe
Summary & Key Points
Knights reveal hidden patterns
L-shaped movements show what is happening beyond the surface reading
Mirrors expose blind spots
Opposition shows what you are not seeing about yourself or a situation
Proximity matters most
Cards touching significator have the strongest influence on interpretation.
Traditional system focuses on:
Card interactions, significator positioning, directional zones, knights, and mirrors