Marie Anne Lenormand was a French professional fortune-teller of the Napoleonic era. Although she didn’t exclusively use tarot cards, her influence on cartomancy was profound:
- She became famous for her accurate predictions for notable figures like Empress Josephine and Robespierre.
- The Lenormand deck, created after her death, was named in her honor and is still widely used today.
- Her methods influenced the development of tarot reading techniques.
Lenormand’s life reads like a novel. Orphaned at a young age, she was educated in a convent where she first began practicing divination. Her rise to fame was meteoric; by her early twenties, she had established herself as the go-to fortune-teller for the Parisian elite. Lenormand’s predictions were so respected that she was arrested several times for her political forecasts. She even claimed to have predicted Napoleon’s fall from power, which, if true, is a testament to the remarkable accuracy that made her legendary.
Marie Anne Lenormand, born in 1772, was one of the most famous and influential fortune tellers of her time. Known as the “Sibyl of the Faubourg Saint-Germain,” Lenormand gained renown for her prophetic abilities and her clientele, which included some of the most powerful figures in European history. This article explores the life, career, and lasting impact of this remarkable woman who helped shape the modern practice of cartomancy.
Early Life and Background
Marie Anne Adelaide Lenormand was born on May 27, 1772, in Alençon, Normandy, France. She was orphaned at a young age, she was educated in a convent where she first began to develop her interest in divination and fortune-telling. Even as a child, Lenormand displayed an uncanny ability to predict future events, which both fascinated and troubled those around her.
Prophetic Beginnings
Life was unkind to many in 1700s France, a lesson Madame Lenormand learned quickly. Following the death of her mother and father, Lenormand was placed in a convent school at the age of five. Surviving legend has Lenormand predicting the removal of the standing Superior, at her Benedictine convent, and then predicting her successor. She was age seven at the time. This set her on the path to be one of France’s most famous cartomancers, to this day.
At the age of 14, she left the convent and moved to Paris, where she would eventually establish herself as one of the most sought-after fortune tellers in the city. It was in Paris that Lenormand began to refine her skills and develop the unique methods that would eventually make her famous.
Famous Clients and Predictions
Lenormand’s client list read like a who’s who of early 19th-century Europe. Some of her most famous clients included:
1. Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte
2. Tsar Alexander I of Russia
3. Robespierre, leader of the French Revolution
4. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
5. Perhaps her most famous client was Napoleon Bonaparte himself. Lenormand allegedly predicted Napoleon’s rise to power, his divorce from Josephine, and his eventual downfall.
6. Fun Fact: Lenormand once gave a reading to a young artillery officer, telling him he would become a greater leader than Alexander the Great. That officer was none other than Napoleon Bonaparte!
Career as a Fortune Teller
Lenormand’s career as a fortune teller took off during the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. She quickly gained a reputation for her accurate predictions and insightful readings. Her fame grew to such an extent that she was arrested several times on suspicion of being a spy or conspirator, but her influential clients often came to her rescue.
Lenormand’s Methods and Tools
While Lenormand is often associated with tarot cards, she actually used a variety of divination methods, including:
- Playing cards
- Astrology
- Palmistry
- Numerology
- A special deck of 36 cards, now known as the Petit Lenormand
Lenormand’s readings were known for their detail and accuracy. She often combined multiple methods to provide comprehensive insights into her clients’ past, present, and future.
Marie-Anne Lenormand met Josephine de Beaharnais who would later become known as Josephine Bonaparte, Empress of France.
Predicting the Future of the Bonapartes
Josephine
The close friendship between Josephine Bonaparte and Madame Lenormand started when they were both in jail. At the time Josephine was Josephine de Beaharnais. In jail with her husband, Josephine feared death was imminent. Upon hearing that Madame Lenormand was in the same jail as she was, she desperately sought her services.
As a child, a fortune-teller had told Josephine that she was set to have an advantageous marriage. Sitting in a jail waiting for her death, Josephine was especially desperate to have this prediction come true. Madame Lenormand told Josephine that she would make it out of prison, but her current husband would not. She also told her she was destined for fame and glory in her second marriage.
Four days later, Josephine was free from prison. Her husband had been put to death. Two years after her release, Josephine married French officer Napoleon Bonaparte. Following a coup d’état in 1799, Napoleon became Emperor of France, Josephine became Empress. Throughout this time, Josephine and Madame Lenormand developed a close friendship.
To Madame Lenormand’s lament, she did not predict the death of her close friend. Josephine died suddenly in 1814, leaving Madame Lenormand devastated. She published an ode to her immediately after her death, later publishing a two-volume biography,
Napoleon
Napoleon certainly did not like his wife’s interest in prophesying, and he especially did not like her relationship with Madame Lenormand. especially, when her predictions turned to him. She made predictions about Napoleon’s divorce from Josephine (which transpired in 1809), his exile (rumored to be predicted to the exact day) and his death (in 1821).
Famous Predictions
- While she had many admirers and believers (among them, were Tsar Alexander the First of Russia), Madame Lenormand had to contend with many sceptics. Three such sceptics visited her one evening in 1792 Maximillen Robespierre Louis Antone de Saint-Just and John-Paul Marat.
Not one to simply tell people what they wished to hear, Madame Lenormand told Robespierre, Saint-Just and Marat that they would all die violent deaths.
Maximillen Robespierre
Robespierre was the Architect of the Reign of Terror in France. Two years after Madame Lenormand’s prediction, Robespierre was executed by guillotine, at the age of 36, in front of a cheering mob.
Louis Antone de Saint-Just
Saint-Just, at the young age of 26, was also killed by guillotine, the same day as Robespierre.
Despite his short life, Saint-Just left a powerful legacy. His proposals for the right to vote, the right to petition and equal eligibility, directly informed the French Constitution of 1793.
Just before his death, he famously gestured to the Constitution and stated, “I am the one who made that”.
Jean-Paul Marat
Marat wore many hats. He was a political theorist, physician and scientist. He survived much longer than his comrades Robespierre and Saint-Just. The violent death predicted by Madame Lenormand took 21 years to be realised.
An influential figure in the French Revolution, he was a man with many enemies. Whilst taking a bath one evening, he was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife. The murderer, Charlotte Corday, hid the knife in her corset and stabbed him in the chest. During her trial for his murder, she claimed, “I killed one man to save 100,000”.
Madame Lenormand’s Legacy
Marie Anne Lenormand’s influence on cartomancy and fortune-telling cannot be overstated. Her methods and the deck associated with her name continue to be used by cartomancers around the world. The Petit Lenormand deck has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with many modern practitioners rediscovering its unique symbolism and reading style.
Lenormand also wrote several books on her experiences and predictions, including “Memoirs of the Sybil of the Salons,” which was published posthumously in 1845.
Despite her fame as a fortune teller, Lenormand was also a successful businesswoman. She owned several properties in Paris and left behind a considerable fortune when she died.
She died in 1843 at the age of 71. Dying without an heir, her belongings and fortune were left to her nephew. A Catholic man, he refused to keep her occult paraphernalia — choosing to burn it all. His concern did not extend to her money, however. He kept Madame Lenormand’s fortune of 500,000 francs (
Two years after her death, a deck of cards, featuring Madame Lenormand, was published. These cards have been created by many others since, using the name Lenormand. The oldest surviving deck of Lenormand cards, dated back to the 1800s, can be viewed in the British Museum.
Madame Lenormand still generates interest today. She has been featured as a character in the 2014 video game Assassin’s Creed: Unity.
Her resting place is still visited by admirers. It is not unusual to see flowers placed on her grave
Conclusion
Marie Anne Lenormand’s life reads like a fascinating novel, full of intrigue, powerful personalities, and uncanny predictions. From her humble beginnings as an orphan in Normandy to becoming the most sought-after fortune teller in Europe, Lenormand’s story is a testament to her extraordinary gifts and her ability to navigate the complex social and political landscape of her time.
Her legacy lives on not only in the cartomancy practices she influenced but also in the enduring fascination with divination and the mystical arts. Whether one believes in her prophetic abilities or not, there’s no denying the impact Marie Anne Lenormand had on the world of fortune-telling and her place in the pantheon of great tarot readers.