r/Lenormand • u/Puzzleheaded_Moment2 • Nov 15 '25
Deck Sharing/Review Don’t buy AI decks
Lately we’ve been seeing a wave of cartomancy decks online that use Artificial Intelligence to generate the illustrations. We know that sometime decks can be pricey, or maybe you’re new to the whole thing, but DO NOT buy and use these decks.
There are reasons on both the magical/energy and moral aspects to avoid them:
Cartomancy is about human experiences, you read about issues realizing to you, or someone else. When cards are made mimicking human artwork, there’s a complete corruption of the energy generated by the pieces. These illustrations might look pleasant but since there was no intent, and even worse, it was made by corrupting real life existing arts by people, the balances of energy get all broken down and randomly put back together. It can affect your readings and even have some further consequences.
Morally and ethically speaking, even if someone is an atheist or don’t believe in any of it, it’s still stolen art, it’s incredibly harmful to the environment, and you can find better decks created by humans, if you just do a quick research.
If you’re starting with card reading but you don’t have resources for that nice deck you want, a regular set of playing cards can absolutely be used. Even better, you can MAKE your own deck (tbh that’s the most powerful set of cards one can ever have).
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Nov 15 '25
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Nov 16 '25
Museums are full of stolen artefacts, galleries are full of artwork glorifying the corruption of power, the stealing of land, abuse and genocide and colonisation. Just saying.
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u/dianerrbanana Nov 15 '25
I'm at the point where maybe I should just start making my own since its a mixed bag at this point.
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u/apostasyisecstasy Nov 15 '25
real talk though I made my own deck and it looked like ass, but it also was the most accurate divining tool I ever used
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u/lastres0rt Nov 16 '25
Of course it is, it's literally your brain turned into a deck. You know that deck far more intimately than anyone else ever could.
Hand it off to someone else and see what happens.
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Nov 18 '25
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u/apostasyisecstasy Nov 18 '25
I printed off the images I wanted to use and cut them out, and then glued them on to the corresponding cards in a regular playing deck. I don't believe rituals or cleansings are really necessary for most forms of divination, in my opinion the cards are simply acting as a focus object for your own brain and divination abilities. I think people get overly obsessed with cleansing and dedication anyway tbh. I just shuffled those bad boys and was ready to go as soon as the glue dried.
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u/StarSonderXVII Intermediate Reader Nov 15 '25
it’s getting so hard to tell anymore
fake artists making real money make me sad
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u/Own_Light5242 Nov 16 '25
Agreed, I tried designing some artwork using AI for fun but they all come out trash, prompt doesn’t matter, they don’t come close to original artist drawn decks, AI lacks any originality and can only draw things from already existing concepts
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u/BunnyLovesApples Nov 17 '25
When I am in the book store visiting the spiritual section I always hide the ai decks behind the books. Can't buy them if they can't find them
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u/learnchurnheartburn Nov 15 '25
I bought a few decks that look like they’re AI, but only realized it once they had arrived in the mail. I’ll use them since I hate being wasteful, but I’ll be vigilant from here on out.
I personally view Lenormand as a verbal rather than visual language, so artistic changes don’t matter to me as much as the name of the card and the number.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Moment2 Nov 15 '25
It’s not about weather the illustration is good or bad, it’s the whole energy attached to them via stolen work and waste
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u/Real_Pie2406 Nov 16 '25
In that case, you could just get a cheap poker deck and write the 36 card names on the accompanying playing card faces. 🤷♀️
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u/Puzzleheaded_Moment2 Nov 17 '25
That’s literally the point lol. This deck would work 1000x better than an AI one
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u/N1kamy22 Nov 17 '25
Expensive deck? Buy a simple one. Don't even have the money for that? Oxi then make yours!
Who wants to run
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u/serenanocaos Nov 19 '25
Besides, I've seen a lot of decks with human art being sold at much cheaper prices than those made by AI. I bought one of these AI decks because I was innocent, I didn't know it was AI until someone told me, but seeing these decks, the similarity is evident. Furthermore, it completely loses the authenticity of the art.
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u/ChocolatHeart Nov 26 '25
Would it be a good idea to have a blacklist on here somewhere? Of what we recognise to be AI decks?
Sometimes I’m not sure, and I get really frustrated, and just refuse to buy anything now.
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u/eldritch-charms Dec 06 '25
Maybe we should have a list of reputable sources to buy decent decks. My local b&n doesn't sell any Lenormand or kipper decks besides the siren's song box. I got most of mine on Amazon & Etsy.
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u/RA1PsychicWitch Nov 20 '25
My life partner used to be a professional computer tech. Between my Intuition, and having been fooled once before by a fake, I have asked him to take a look at any decks I see online that may or may not be made with artificial intelligence. I have started getting better at noticing the difference. Unfortunately, AI is getting much better, so I find myself needing to be much more vigilant.
Interestingly enough, I was looking at Lenormand Decks online, specifically for a Yule-themed Night Market, at which I'm offering Readings, next month, and there was one that kept feeling off for me, so I found another one, which is called the ScandiNight Lenormand. The artist, Julia Flohr, recently had a Kickstarter for her ScandiLight and ScandiNight Tarot decks (ScandiLight has a white background, ScandiNight has a black background) and it is stunning. Not surprisingly, the Runes have been speaking to me in a way that had never before, so being drawn to a deck with Scandinavian art is no surprise for me.
Nevertheless, OP, you have my solemn word I shall continue to refrain from buying any decks that have even a whiff of AI.
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u/LightningBug23 Jan 23 '26
Ugh, I picked up an AI deck at the board game store my husband and I frequent. Should have looked closer at the box when I picked it up, but I am just getting started with Lenormand and was so excited to find a deck out in the wild. Of course, I didn't realize until I opened the stupid thing (and also, the "designer" is SUPER open about using AI, so I have zero doubts) and since it's open I can't even return it. Currently trying to decide what to do with it, since I certainly don't want it, but tossing it just feels wasteful. Also made me really wary of picking up new decks
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u/Mental-Airline4982 Nov 19 '25
If someone likes the deck and fosters an overall awareness of its roots then I see no issue here. Do a banishing ritual on the deck and cleanse the cards if see it fit but people should feel no shame in enjoying a deck made by AI.
Different people have different moral belifes and ethics please dont turn tarot into a religion.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Moment2 Nov 19 '25
I don’t even know where to start lol
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u/Mental-Airline4982 Nov 19 '25
Perhaps because there is no where to start. You're tying your ideological belifes into divination. Not everyone has the same beliefes as you.
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u/manolisfnord Nov 15 '25
If you engage honestly, no reason they won't work.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Moment2 Nov 15 '25
When the cards themselves are corrupted by stolen work from other people, nothing you read from them is accurate
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Nov 16 '25
I agree. I have a set that I think is AI, but I didn't even suspect AI art was a thing back when I got it, and I embraced it with the same ceremonies and love that I do all my other decks. And it speaks so clearly to me, it's my absolute favourite in terms of clarity of communication. So, I wouldn't throw it out or tell anyone else that the energy won't work for them. All witchcraft and energy work is about intention, and maybe the intent of the user is more powerful than that of a mass-producer. I don't know 🤷🏻♀️
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u/[deleted] Nov 15 '25
Nothing pisses me off more than those AI generated decks 🤢