Inspired by nail stylist and Mlle Lenormand

How I started my Tarot Salon. Because I was inspired by my nail stylist Debby and Mlle Lenormand, a famous 18th-century French fortune-teller.

Being interested in all things tarot-related for years, I have also read a lot about this over the years.

Not only about tarot, also the Lenormand fortune-telling cards fascinated me immensely. The Lenormand cards are 36 playing card-based divination cards, once designed by Mademoiselle Lenormand, a famous French fortune-teller from the 18th century.

Marie Anne Adelaïde Lenormand was born on 27 May 1772 in Alencon, France. At the boarding school where she attended, she was already predicting the future to the nuns.

After the death of her father, the Lenormand family moves to Paris, where Marie Anne is initiated into divination with playing cards by French fortune-teller Madame Gilbert in the old French tradition.

Together with Madame Gilbert, Marie Anne starts a salon where people can have their future predicted through card readings and astrology: Salon De Sybille of the Faubourg Saint Germain on Rue de Tournon in Paris.

Napoleon and Joséphine

Through the salon, she meets Joséphine de Beauharnais, who is married to officer Napoleon Bonaparte at the time.

When her prediction that Joséphine and Napoleon would one day ascend the throne actually came true, Mlle Lenormand was instantly famous and appointed court card reader.

No more important decision is taken before Madame Lenormand has considered the issue with her cards.

When I read this story, my first thought was: If I ever start my own tarot practice, I will call it: 'the Tarot Salon'.

To my ears, it sounded chic and cosy at the same time. The Tarot Salon, a place where people love to come and will also feel right at home.

But yes. I was still busy raising my children who I had at an early age and, unfortunately, did not have any 'Tarot Salon money' either. So this idea disappeared back on the shelf as quickly as it had fallen off.

Nail stylist

Years later, as I sat with my nail technician one day and looked around her cosy little studio in fascination, it suddenly occurred to me that this would be a perfect space for a Tarot Salon! Not too big, but bright and spacious enough to do your thing nicely.

By now, my children had become young adults and I had been working as a tarotist/astrologist for various media for some time, which had allowed me to save some pennies in the meantime.

I took the plunge and asked her how she got this fine space and what she paid for it. When she told me how and what, I was bowled over. I wanted this too!

Determined to make my dream come true, I started looking for a practice space that very night. I crawled into bed with my phone and searched for suitable spaces there until 3am.

Deep under the duvet - so as not to wake my husband - I became increasingly enthusiastic and wrote to tig real estate agents who I thought could help me further.

VIP Tarot Salon

Unfortunately, it turned out that I was not the only one looking for a nice property; the next day, it turned out that every unit I was interested in had been snatched just in front of my nose.

At the end of the afternoon, fate turned out to be in my favour after all. One of the estate agents I had spoken to earlier that day informed me that he still had one unit left in the 'De Palmboom' building, which had meanwhile been taken over by property developer 'De Bedrijvige Bij'.

The person who wanted to rent it had not heard from me for a week, so he wanted to make an appointment with me for a viewing anyway, under reserve, in case the lady in question still came up with her details.

The lady did not show herself again and the rest is history

Inspired by the nail stylist and Mlle Lenormand, my own VIP Tarot Salon is finally a reality after years of dreaming. 

VIP Tarot Salon? Yes VIP. Because everyone is special in their own way. And therefore a Very Important Person. At my salon, it's all about you!

UPDATE: The VIP Tarot Salon is now closed.

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