Every week, for the last year and a half, I have gotten emails about when and if I will be doing a reprint of the Melissa Lenormand. At first, I didn’t want to consider it because I wanted to focus on other card products. Then I didn’t want to consider it because I didn’t think I could raise the money for a large print run. Then I put out the Postmark Lenormand. I don’t have any more Postmark decks now anyway either.

I feel so much resistance in selling the cards because I’m simply terrible at it! It takes a lot of time to communicate, order, receive and distribute the cards. An order of cards from an offset printer requires a large upfront investment, which I can’t make. And having a lot of cards — even a modest order of 250 decks, like I had with the Melissa, or 400, which was the order I made of the Postmark, means that a great deal of my living space is taken up by cards. I share a modest 900 sq. feet of living space with my two children. I have no office space any more. I have had nightmares of my house exploding and cards raining down on the neighborhood… So you can imagine how having the materials for assembling the decks, packaging orders and shipping out things is quite a production for me. I don’t have an assistant. I run every aspect of my business myself (I’m still morbidly curious about taking on a business partner or hiring an assistant, if you’re interested…). I also spend a lot of time running from a couple of toddlers who are quite smitten by Mommy’s cards…

So I’m stuck. On one hand, I love the cards. I want to make them available to others who will love them too. But I truly just want to focus on writing and teaching. Making cards is my reluctant hobby.

I’ve been trying to figure out a way I can get the cards out AND maintain some measure of ease.

So this is my plan:

1. You may preorder a Melissa Lenormand or Postmark Lenormand (or some combination of those) from NOW until October 31, 2011. On November 1, I will order cards for those who have ordered. I will NOT be ordering extra cards. I cannot “hold” or “reserve” a deck for you without payment. I can’t afford it and I don’t have space or interest in keeping track of that.
2. It will probably take about 10-14 days from the time I order the cards to when they arrive at my door. I will then package and send out the orders. This way I can hopefully get the cards out by Thanksgiving, before things get hectic for me with the holidays. I just don’t want to bother with continually shipping physical items.
3. If you cannot order in this round, I will offer ordering again sometime in 2012 — perhaps May — or whenever I have another set of cards finished.
4. I reserve the right to change the decks, cards, anything, before I offer ordering again.

The Melissa Lenormand that I’m prepared to order is different than the first edition. It has 40 cards instead of 45. No box, but a velvet bag. I will include a key booklet. The font in the title is different and the title now includes card numbers. I have drafted new artwork for alternate Man & Woman cards. The backs of the cards are now a jewel-toned blue. I have updated, touched up and re-colored some of the artwork.

There are a few ways you can order. You can order just one deck, order a bundle of both, or order the decks with the Lenormand 101 class, etc. Shipping is priority, of course, flat rate. Payment is through paypal. I’m sorry, I cannot accept checks or money orders any longer. To place an order, follow this link and check out here.

I know two weeks isn’t a lot of time for some of you to prepare to order. And I apologize for that. But I really want to make this as quick and painless as humanly possible for me. Like a shot in the arm. Except it’s a Lenormand deck instead of a flu shot. Which I should probably also get, since I’ve been under the weather the past few weeks…

I know I promise a reading with the Tombstone blueprint. At this point, I don’t think it’s going to happen! I started getting sick last Wednesday and it’s been Week of the Living Dead at my house ever since. I love the fall, but you know what really scares me? Cold and flu season.

And yet, I have a few items of note to share with you:

Did you know I write cartoscopes (horoscopes cast on a Grand Tableau using Lenormand cards) for Wild Sister?

Issue 4 dropped on Monday and once again, the Jen, the beautiful editor, has outdone herself. The theme is magic — which is lovely for this time of year. It’s an instant download and is beautifully illustrated with photographs and art (not to mention fantastic and inspiring writing from members of the community).

 

Lenormand.info has been re-designed and Lenormand 101 is now live!

You can expect another re-design in the near future as well! Though the course is functional, the overwhelming response I’ve gotten has made management a little tedious. My tech team (eh hem…) has discovered a better way to handle registration and I’ll be implementing that in the near future. In the meanwhile, I’ve been blown away by the feedback and testimonials I’ve generously received from my tribe.

I had the pleasure and the privilege of meeting Melissa and hearing her talk about the Lenormand at the Reader’s Studio 2011.  These cards and her method drew me in instantly, and I KNEW I had found the missing link. I have just finished with her Lenormand 101 class which is nothing short of brilliant…easy to access, easy to understand and the cards, within minutes, come alive!! The few questions that I had were answered instantly on email and clarified anything I wanted to know. I look forward to further lessons with the Sassy Sybil, as FAST as she can possibly prepare them. Thank you for your overwhelming generosity, Melissa, in sharing this information with us.

Warm regards from Belgium/Israel

Joy Lerner

I can’t stress enough: If you have no experience with cards. If you’ve never picked up a deck of cards, but have always been interested. If you’re overwhelmed with the prospect of learning a divinatory system. If you’ve been reading tarot for years, but can’t wrap your mind around a different deck of cards, this class is for you.

And finally…

I’ve started writing letters. See that fancy new button at the top of my blog? Yeah, here’s the scoop on that.

I have a new tarot blueprint. I think I’ll release it into the wild tomorrow, since I am unable to make a video with a reading sample (well, I could, but no one wants to see me hacking all over my webcam and wiping my nose while reading cards…). Until then, gentle readers, exes and ohs!

As you may have guessed from the few cards I threw up on facebook, I am considering a second edition of the Melissa Lenormand. I can get the cards printed easily enough — just trying to wrap my head around whatever I’ll be wrapping the cards in. Of course I have a few options, some easier than others. Full color tuckboxes are out unless I can raise the funds for printing *before* — and do a very large card order. I’ve found some indie craftspeople who specialize in custom packaging for artisans who may be able to help with unique and functional boxes. The other (quickie) option is to put them in satin bags. I haven’t thought through the logistics of deck distribution — but in the past two weeks I’ve gotten no less than two dozen requests for the deck… and I’m figuring that it’s a sign from The Universe that this is something I should at least think about.

The second edition will have cream borders, a different title font, will include the card number and have a different jewel-toned blue back. I think they’re more beautiful than the first edition. The proof prints I’ve gotten — the colors are more vibrant. I’ve only tinkered with the art minimally. I’ll also design two new alternative Man & Woman cards to go with the deck. Maybe a Happy Squirrel or a Cat card…

The Postmark Lenormand is sold out!

I’ll order new cards as soon as I am able to. I don’t see any changes to the artwork in the future, but if you have any ideas or suggestions of what you’d like to see in a second print-run, now is the time to manifest those desires!

Lenormand 101

Since I had to record all of the lecture material for the webinar separate from the webinar anyway (there was some funky technical issues)… I’m thinking I may make Lenormand 101 a stand-alone digital download. This way you can watch the videos and go through the workbooks at your own pace. Since this is fresh in my mind and I’ve thought of almost nothing else all week, this is the priority project for me.

This would also solve the dilemma I’ve had about adding new class material — I can just serve up the additional material as additional modules. This way you can pick the learning bundle you’re most interested in. Modules I’m working on right now include:

• The language of Lenormand
• Creating strong narrative in your Grand Tableau
• Lenormand for fiction writers
• Writing Cartoscopes with the Grand Tableau
• Timing theory in Lenormand
• Lenormand symbolism in popular culture
• And a few others that are still baby ideas in my brain…

With the class, you would get the core information — the 2 hours of lectures on videos and the 2 PDF guides. And then you could add the additional modules as you like — to customize your learning experience. Alternately, if you decide after taking the 101 class that you’d like to deepen your Lenormand studies, you could purchase the modules separately.

The only hesitation I have for this model is — I honestly cannot provide good email support for Q&A. I am already totally overwhelmed by email as it is. But I feel like if I’m teaching I need to be available to answer questions. So my question to you is: Would you be interested in monthly tele-jam Think Tanks? Where we have a conference call scheduled for Q&A with me on any Lenormand 101 topics? My cursory thoughts:

• This would require some kind of RSVP because if no one wants to chat, I won’t hire a babysitter
• This would require some kind of small monetary investment (because you won’t show up when you say you will if it doesn’t)
• We can cover Lenormand basics, card combinations and readings — even a Tableau if you’re stuck
• We can work together using Orphalese or my GT Widget. I have my “tech team” working on a web-based Lenormand app… but for now, those two programs will have to work.

If you’re interested, take a moment to fill out this form:

The Wicked Sibyl

Shelved. Again. We’ll see… A pumpkin-spiced coffee might just get me in the mood…

Looking forward to your thoughts! Tell me what you want to see me working on!

I’m happy to announce that I’m finally able to offer my introductory Lenormand workshop in an online format!

I’m having a webinar on September 8, at 7p.m. EST.

What is a webinar, you ask? Well, it’s kind of like a conference call + a slide show + maybe my smiling face looking right back at you. It’s all the great interactive learning of a seminar, but you know, on the web.

The course will cover the information I presented at The Readers Studio in New York this past spring — basic card meanings, some ideas on reading in combinations and lines, quick spreads and the introduction to the Grand Tableau. I’ve come up with some amazing visuals to use with the webinar, including a PDF workbook that is fully illustrated with my own two card decks and a historical Lenormand for comparative study. We’ll also be using my web-based Grand Tableau generator. This will let us do a collaborative and spontaneous reading during the webinar, that everyone can see and participate in.

In addition to the presentation and the Comparative Lenormand Workbook, participants will also get a PDF of the Little Book of the Grand Tableau — the booklet I gave away during my Readers Studio workshop. It’s been updated since I’ve been working on a more thorough manual, and includes directions on how to use my Grand Tableau widget as well. In case you can’t make the webinar, I’m sending everyone a recording of it afterward. So you can review the material over and over, as you like.

I announced the class on Facebook and the Tarot Forum on Friday, and seats are already starting to fill. There is a limit to how many people may be on the call, so if you’re interested, sign up now. Registration is $35. Full course information and registration link can be found here. 

So you’ve probably figured out the site is now live again! You can see I made some slight modifications to the theme/design. Including some fancy big old boxes up there at the top. I like those boxes. Expect to see more of them on other pages in the future!

But the real reason that I had to take the site down the past few weeks was that I realized that my business was broken. And I wanted to fix that first, without the added distractions of having to maintain my little virtual home base.

The Back Story

I struggled through the Melissa Lenormand, but it was doable. I struggled through the Postmark Lenormand and it was a hot mess. I pretty much effed everything up about that project. Orders were crossed, wires were crossed, my eyes were crossed. My very meticulous “old fashioned” filing¹ failed me and I spent weeks being confused and frazzled. These two big print-projects made me realize something about my business that was really causing me a lot of grief:

I’m bad at filing orders and I hate stuffing boxes.

You know, I am a fortune teller. I love reading cards for other people. It’s definitely part of my calling. But where I’m at in my life now², when I take a client on, it means I have to arrange child-care for my kids. Typically, people want to talk to me when they’re home from work in the evenings, which is exactly when it’s most stressful to find reliable and affordable child-care. And to be true, I really like having dinner with my adorable nuggets³.

And more and more I would find myself desperately wishing I could wean myself off of the income that my clients provided, but it was just impossible because the only time I could manage to squeeze out of my days to do anything was being spent working with people, one-on-one, in what turned out to be a very draining job. First I was booked a week out. Then two weeks out. Then I found myself taking clients for next month. Then I started telling people no.

See, I have this thing about jobs. I love my work. I hate jobs.

Which led me to startling realization #2 about the way I was approaching my business:

If I want to be anything other than a fortune teller – like a writer, for example – I need to use my working time doing something other than telling fortunes.

And to be true, the more time I devoted to my story-telling, the better things got! I have a few regular writing gigs now that I enjoy and I have been churning away on my Lenormand method manual.

And when I think about the parts of my livelihood that I really love – that I get all passionate and fired up about, the call for me to work on just that stuff is too strong to ignore. I love writing, I love blogging, I love teaching. I love creating the cards and such, but I just don’t have the means to produce it. I love reading for clients, but it’s too much of a time and energy drain for it to be sustainable.

So what does that mean?

Well, here’s basically what’s changed for me:

• I am no longer taking on private reading clients. I am happy to refer current clients to another reader I trust. Should I decide to take on private clients in the future, it will most certainly have to be on my terms.
• I am no longer selling physical things online. At least until I find a better method of production and distribution. I will sell things in person at conferences, fairs, festivals, shows, events and retreats, and perhaps through one-of-a-kind craft type online marketplaces like etsy.com (specifically for art and jewelry). This, unfortunately, means no more mass-market kind of self-published cards from me. I have such a huge love-hate relationship with creating decks of cards – love to do it, hate to produce it on a massive scale.

Side note: If you’re interested in forming a partnership with me to produce/distribute goods, please let me know!

What I will be offering here:

• You can download Little White Books, manuals, guides and such — some for free and some for a fee. The Postmark Lenormand is now available as a DIY printable deck of cards. I will be adding a few other guides over the next few days, starting a brand-new e-course and making my DIY Divination 101 class available as a downloadable product.
• I’ve started a list of my favorite resources for you here. This will include technical, personal wellness, spiritual and divination-specific links, along with the names of coaches, healers and readers who I have personally worked with. The list, obviously, is a work-in-progress, and meant to be helpful.
• Get Your Sass in Shape is a manifesto I’ve been working on that evolved out of the guide I was planning to release for my 30th birthday. This will be better. You can see a teaser pic on the page and expect more information and hints to come out in the next few weeks.

When I sat down to work out the details of my “business plan”, I used cards and this is what I came up with. I wanted to share it with the world at large because I believe very strongly that there is power in making intentions known. I want for you, a life filled with magic — which is no less than I want for myself! And I’m trusting that with this new plan, I can totally make it happen.

I invite you to share your thoughts and ideas with me in the comments or through email! Until then, I’m happy to get on with blog-as-normal.

Remember, you can preorder it here!

I’m pretty stoked to announce that I’ve finished another deck of cards!

If you’re a tarotist, you’ve probably heard of The Readers Studio. This is a year conference held in NYC and organized by The Tarot School. This year I’ll be presenting a PM Study Group on the topic of divination with the Lenormand Oracle. I started racking my brains back in September trying to figure out the best way to teach a class about a deck of cards that it was unlikely that everyone would have a copy of — so I decided that what I needed to do was bring copies of a deck to the conference for my Study Group atendees to use. I’m sadly out of Melissa Lenormands and the Wicked Sibyl isn’t exactly the most traditional deck out there (nor is it finished, stop chomping at the bit about that one for a few months now!! ). I started work on a simplified, clarified deck of cards that would convey the traditional symbols, titles, numbers and playing card suits. The result is the Lenormand below — which, for the purposes of differentiating it from all the other decks out there — I’m calling the Postmark Lenormand (the title card uses a postmark and a first class mail stamp).

The deck has 36 cards, one title card. It will come with a LWB pamphlet of keywords and be sent with a simple bag. I wish I had photos of the finished product to show you, but I need to take pre-orders to help offset printing costs. Here’s how orders on this Lenormand deck will work:

• If you’re going to be at my PM Study Group at Readers Studio, DON’T pre-order the deck. You will be given the opportunity to buy a copy at a discount after the workshop.

• If you’re planning on being at Readers Studio and want to pick one up from me there, you can pre-order one and NOT pay any shipping (just spend the funds for the deck via paypal to melissa@tarotbymelissa.com and let me know what it’s for and who you are).

• If you can’t make it to New York at the end of April and want me to mail you one in early May (when I get back from the conference), you can order one and pay extra shipping.

The deck will be $18 + shipping. 36 cards, 1 title card, LWB with keywords, in a nice little bag (that will NOT be organza, don’t worry!). The cards are poker-sized (so keep in mind when viewing the images I’ve posted that almost half an inch will be cut from the sides of each card).

You can pre-order the new deck at it’s new website http://lenormand.info.

I have three new cards done on the oracle deck. The Fox, the Woman and the Tree cards are all finished. You can see all of them on the oracle deck page. I have been having a ball working on this when I get the time. I really need about six extra hours in the day if I’m going to get anything done at all.

Oh, I also redid the readings page finally. Haha. I know a few of you have been pestering me about that! Let me know if something is confusing or unclear.

This week I probably won’t be able to do any more cards. I have a marathon sewing session ahead of me for Halloween. My husband needs me to sew him a lab coat a la Dr. Horrible. For me, I’m going as a fortune teller (of course!) and I’m going to try to sew a complete underbust corset. This will probably end with a lot of cursing and hanging out with my friend Jack (the seam ripper). I haven’t even decided what the kids are going to be — but probably something simple — using materials I already have in my fabric stash. I have a hunch I may just cut eye holes in a sheet for Sullivan. I know it’s a ridiculously simple costume, but in my head he’d love it and be so cute!

Halloween/Samhain is my absolute favorite time of the year. And then on Nov. 1st, we’re going to go to a Dia de los Muertos festival. I have my house all decorated for it. I probably decorate more for harvest season and Halloween than I do for Yule. And right now I’m batty (get it, batty!) about Halloween or skull themed tarot decks, of course!

I actually got some new tarot decks this week. Thanks to some great people on a certain tarot forum, I now have a copy of MRP’s Fairy Tale tarot. I also have the companion book for the Fantastic Menagerie finally! This is one of my absolute favorite decks, so I’m pretty happy about that. Once I’ve had a chance to sit down the Fairy Tale, I’ll post a review.

Next up on my wishlist would be Lisa Hunt’s Fairy Tale deck. Looks absolutely lovey and dreamy and soft! Maybe for Yule.

I have a novel to read before midnight tonight for my English Lit class and some Spanish homework to do for tomorrow! Have a great day everyone!