Coming Up In The News: "The Game Of Hope" Grand Tableau Read Via Original Instructions

Week commencing Monday 23rd June 2025

Following on from yesterday’s post about the original way to read the “Lenormand” Grand Tableau back in the days when it was Hechtel’s Das Spiel der Hoffnung, or Game of Hope, I wanted to start the week with a news prediction reading that followed the same, loose method of reading.

If you missed that post, here’s that reminder about the different ways of playing the Game of Hope:

We’ll be using the Game of hope “divination” method, the precursor to the Lenormand Grand Tableau, in which the instructions largely consisted only of a directive to “spin a jocular tale” around the main significator cards.

Now, our tale for what’s coming up in the news won’t be “jocular” by any means, but we can use it to get practice in reading a story naturally around the given cards without the need to look up anything or worry about combinations.

Here’s the spread for what’s, apparently, coming up ahead, again using the Game of Hope cards, now manufactured as a direct copy under the name Primal Lenormand.

Since we don’t have a main significator or a personal reading, let’s read instead around each of the below four cards in particular, using the “spin a tale” method from the Game of Hope divination method.

• The Gentleman (a man in the news)

• The Lady (a woman or female-named figure/entity like a country in the news)

• The Letter (news that’s written about)

• The Rider (bringer of news, what’s upcoming)

When you’re looking at hese cards, rather than seek lists of card meanings, it’s worth instead attempting to keep your mind open, and think of the images as part of a storybook, a picturebook with each element influenced by, connecting and joining together with the elements around them to “spin their tale”.

If you want to practice reading cards more intuitively, take a good look first for yourself and think about what “tale” you would be spinning around these cards based on this layout.

Then, when you’re ready, see how I’ve interpreted the cards below in the context of the current news.

The Four “Tales”: Interpretation

The Gentleman (a man in the news)

We have the Tree sitting above the man concerned, which usually connects with energies, health and growth but above that you have the Mice nibbling away at the flowers (Bouquet) and the Tree. So there’s something kind of negative or eroded away about his energies. We’ve also got both the Snake and then the Fox next to him, which suggests lies, untrustworthiness, problems, falsehoods, trying to gain advantage and so on. To the left of the Snake, you have an outdoor space, the Garden or Park. Problems out in the world? A snake in the grass? Below that, you can see the Fox is looking back at a Scythe - a dagger, a sword, an attack, something dangerous, violence. A child has been harmed, too, it seems, the blade is facing down towards the Child playing beneath. There is a mighty Mountain next to the child, could be literal mountainous region but often suggests an enemy, a barrier, opposition. And next to that, we have the Rider, underneath the man. So the man is the one bringing the news here, and that’s what it’s about.

The Rider (bringer of news, what’s upcoming)

We only have three cards touching here; our Gentleman, so he’s bringing the news, the Fox, so something supposedly “cunning” and strategic and possibly untrue that he’s doing, and the Mountain. It could be shielding him from what’s happening to the Child.

The Letter (news that’s written about)

Let’s turn next to the Letter. It tells us that there is news of death (Coffin), and below that the Birds which is another form of communication. Everyone will be talking about this death. There is a Tower next to the Birds, so suggesting someone broadcasting from their ‘castle’ which even looks a little like a minaret. Could be media. Above that is the Lilies, which can be a sign of purity - trying to get news with integrity out and broadcast, perhaps?

Underneath the Letter, we have a Ring, so there’s news of a marriage, promise or a bond there which has something to do with a Lady. To the left of the Letter, we have Sun, for happiness and joy but also light and it’s shining on a particular House. A “house of love” associated with the Lady. The lady has wealth and riches (Fish) and knowledge or secrets about this (Book) connected with the Tower, with the highest powers in the land.

The Lady (a woman in the news)

Below the Lady, we have the ominous stormclouds (Clouds) next to the Key, and below that, the bloodied Whip, for war. It has the Cross next to it so might be a religious war, crusades. There are Crossroads or Paths above the Cross, showing different directions or all directions, far and wide, and the Ship next to it, which shows overseas, the international and movement. Notably, just as per Saturday’s reading (always interesting when that happens), this is appearing next to the Bear. So the story here is about power and ‘assets’ being everywhere.

On the other side of the Key, we have the Dog, for friendships and loyalty, and above it, the Lady is looking at love (Heart) and the Stars, perhaps dreams, perhaps the grand scheme of things. Next to the House above, we have the Moon with that Star below it, coincidentally echoing the symbolism of Islam.

So, the “tale” in summary then:

A significant male figure in the news will be concerned with his energies, health and growth that is being eroded and lost, with detriments nibbling away at anything positive about thems whittling it all away. He is associated with lies, untrustworthiness, problems, falsehoods, trying to gain advantage and so on and these problems are apparent out in the wider world and to the public in general. The untruths, games and deceptions involve danger, literal attacks, violence. Children are being harmed. This could be happening in a literal mountainous region where the mountains are forming borders but the cards also show an implacable enemy, a barrier, opposition being brought. And the man is the one providing the news here, and all of the above is what that news is about.

The news he’s bringing or contributing to, then, is something supposedly “cunning” and strategic and possibly false that he’s doing aroun that opposition, and the barriers or mountains or his own enmity could be shielding him from what’s happening to the children

The cards suggest that there will be news of death or deaths which will be communicated verbally. Everyone will be talking about this death. Someone could be broadcasting from their ‘castle’ which looks a little like a minaret. Could be media, and there may be a “purity” element, so perhaps someone will be trying to get news with integrity out and broadcast, perhaps?

There’ll also be news of a marriage, promise or a bond there which has something to do with a particular woman or an entity that is given a female persona, like a country. Happiness and joy may also be in the news but there’s light and it’s shining on a particular house or place. A “house of love” associated with the woman or female figure. She has wealth and riches and knowledge or secrets about this connected with the tower, the highest powers in the land.

Below her so influenced by her, we have the ominous stormclouds that seem fated and for a bloody war. It involves sacrifices, might be a religious war, even crusade-like. There are many different choices and directions for it to go in far and wide, all over the world, so it will be spreading. All over the world, power and ‘assets’ everywhere, even empire-building.

There are fated and important friendships and loyalty, and a female figure looking at love, her heart, perhaps dreams, perhaps the grand scheme of things in her home. We also have the “house of the moon and stars”, coincidentally echoing the symbolism of Islam.