The Lenormand Ship represents travel, and describes foreign people and exotic places. The Ship represents distance, and can reveal the things we long for that seem so far away from us. The ship can indicate a transition from one location or one state of being to another. It can denote a job transfer or a transfer of funds depending on surrounding cards. But in my own experience, the Ship most often represents transportation, and in a practical reading it usually represents the querent’s car.
I first realized this when I was reading for a client and the following combination appeared prominently in the spread:


The Ring + The Ship
My first impression was of a honeymoon (a marriage followed by a trip to distant lands). So I asked the client if she was getting married soon since I saw a honeymoon coming up for her. The blank look on her face was all I needed to tell me that I was way off the mark. My next impression was of a long-distance relationship, but by then the client had told me that she was not dating anyone. I thought of telling her that there was a long-distance relationship coming in her future, or that she would hook up with a foreign man, but neither of those options felt right in my gut. Then it dawned on me, and I blurted out, “Your getting a new car!” The client smiled, and told me that she had just signed the lease for a new car that very morning! The Ring showed the contract she had signed!
Since then I’ve had other similar instances. For example, an elderly gentleman came into the bookstore for a reading on a Saturday afternoon. I was surprised because I could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of men who have come in for a reading. The following card combination came up in this man’s reading that day:



The Lily + The Ship + The Moon
I wasn’t going to be tricked into reading another honeymoon this time! I asked the man if he drove older car that he cherished and kept in tip-top condition. The Ship of course represented the car, the Lily represented something older, and the Moon showed an emotional attachment. The man looked surprised, and told me that he was in town for the annual Antique Roadshow. He had a 1950-something Studebaker coupe that he was showing. Then it hit me that the Moon not only represented his love for his antique car, but also the fact that he was showing it off (fame & recognition)!
Of course, sometimes the Ship is just a trip, and sometimes it does denote a honeymoon or a foreign lover. But I’ve had the Ship come up enough times as a car or other type of motor vehicle that now it’s the first thing that pops into my head when the card turns up in a reading.
November 18, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Hey Aristede
It is good to see how these work out, I noticed that the card before ship, is either a action or describing word of the “ship” so that is something to keep in mind.
Phoenix
November 18, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Hi Phoenix,
I wouldn’t say that the card order is necessarily a key factor. It’s works the same as when you read the cards surrounding The Man or the Woman.
For example, Bouquet + Man = a handsome man. Bouquet + woman = a beautiful woman. So Bouquet + Ship = a luxury car.
Whips + Ship = a sports car.
November 18, 2008 at 11:26 pm
It’s good to see you back again, Aristede
For me, it’s the Rider that’s personal transport, but I think it just shows that in different parts of the world, the dialect of Lenormand has developed differently – but the language still works.
I often get the Flowers and Lady to describe me – which I think has less to do with my looks and more to do with my interest in flower language and my work with attars. That’s turned up quite literally a few times in readings.
Also glad to see that you’re doing Lenormand professionally – the world needs more good fortune tellers – or so says Chanah
November 19, 2008 at 11:37 am
Hi Chanah,
Thank you!
I’m glad to see you back on your blog as well!
It’s funny that for me the Horseman (Rider) can sometimes mean a motorcycle or even a bicycle.
I’m beginning to think that maybe the cards work the way we expect them to. Since I expect the Ship to represent a car, that’s how it works for me. Maybe you first learned to expect Rider to represent a car for you, and that’s how it works in your readings.
The more I work with the Lenormand cards, the more I appreciate how amazing they are! Sometimes they practically read themselves! Lol!
December 7, 2008 at 4:16 pm
I just love these combos! lol
Whips+Car – sports car!
I tend to forget at times, about the ship being transportation- but your musings certainly have made me stick it back in there
wonderful examples Aristede; I’ll have to remind myself next time I feel stuck with the Ship -
Spirity
December 8, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Thanks, SpiritSong!
It’s amazing how powerfully these cards trigger the intuition. I think it’s important to study the book, and learn from a mentor, but in the end the live readings have taught me more than any outside resource.
Aristede
December 24, 2008 at 3:17 am
Hello!
I did note in my book that the horseman does associate itself with bicycles verses the ship deals with cars! The definitions were updated from the traditional because as you have notice by being now a professional, Aristede, is that those two cards mean indeed that…
I enjoyed your exercises very much as it is how the cards talk to me in professional readings.
sylvie
December 24, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Hi Sylvie,
Thank you!
Yes, I did get that meaning for The Horseman from your book. Your updated meanings are always very accurate for me!
Aristede