On Kipperkarten...

 

There is an old thread at a ruined message board where someone asked about the difference between Lenormand and Kippers, and for some reason, my brain only decided to say something about the difference between scenic and non-scenic cards today. Brains are ornery and a little bit evil. Ask Hannah Hillam.

 So I thought I'd talk about that briefly today. The difference is not "Stop Cards." I never found any German readers who had heard of them prior to Toni's book. It's a useful book*, and direction is important, but we don't have to let that shove us all over the board.

Rather, the difference is this: those scenic Kippers have mnemonics all over them! Lenormand images might or might not have background imagery that gives extra clues, like trees on the Park, House, Sun and Roads, as a visual cue for the "many trees" rule from the PL Sheet. But the Rider is essentially about the Rider, the Clover about the Clover, etc. But the Kipper cards have a lot going on in each card, and you can use that. It's a little like RWS that way, but don't go off on a tangent and say things like "I feel like she's the whip the carriage driver is holding." Everything has its own intended meaning. Here's a simple one:

The title translates to "Good outcome in love." And we have paired doves - that meaning is obvious. But there's a dog, too - it can also be about friendship and loyalty. Ivy clings, but the fact that it's green and growing shows it's a good kind of clinging. The low wall encloses and protects, but it's not impassable. "Hold on loosely", as the old song says.

So it's not "The Birds", or "The Dog." It's about a successful relationship with someone. It might or might not have a sexual component, but it's deep.

Here's another:  

It's the Meeting card. The man looks amorous. The woman is still unsure, she hasn't decided one way or another. She's still thinking about it. Now look at the Cupid on the wall, the Cupids in this deck are important. Cupid holds his arrow aloft, but we don't see his bow. The arrow isn't even nocked, the point is up, and he certainly hasn't shot it. This could progress into romance, friendship, business, or enmity. It's simply a card of getting together. Que sera sera. 

Now, in case anyone tries to read a "Fool's journey" type numerical progression into the cards, we have No. 3: the Marriage card. We're only at 3, but this couple is already committed, and the woman is pregnant. It doesn't have to be literal, but it does indicate an established relationship, whether love, marriage, friendship, or business. There's a strong bond here: 

Trees and mountains form a protective barrier behind their backs. There's ivy again, and a house to show that they're settled. And there's that low wall again.

So you can see it's very different from Lenormand. But it's not RWS, either. Kipper is very much its own thing, and it makes a superb reading deck. 

For those who don't know, I blogged some basic Kipper meanings back in 2013. You can find them here. https://fennario.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/a-traditional-kipperkarten-primer/
Feel free to use them as you wish, but do not share them without attribution or claim them as your own. They're copyrighted under the DMCA.

*I do strongly object to the fact that she advocates using the opposite sex Hauptperson/Main Person card as the gay partner. A feminine lesbian should not be represented by the bearded male Hauptperson, nor a gay man who identifies as 100%  MALE by the female Hauptperson. When in doubt, always, ALWAYS ASK.

PS - URGENT. Help trans kids and their families escape Texas:

 https://www.gofundme.com/f/fundraising-to-protect-my-daughter

 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-move-our-trans-teen-out-of-texas  

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-move-isa-to-safety  

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-mother-of-trans-child-in-texas  

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-move-my-daughter-to-a-safe-state 

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-trans-family-get-out-of-texas 

Etc. Help somebody, even if it's just a little. Every dollar counts.

And keep a good thought for the people in Ukraine. Please take a moment to watch this: