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@Nemia You can do some proper fortune-telling with 'em Tarots, too, as you are well aware, I bet. But... I noted that I did apparently feel entitled to flippantly diss the "Only Positivity"- stance in the end, despite my initial effort to leave it some room, which made me wonder what it is making me go "Can't! No!" - and arrived at a most peculiar answer. It undermines our instinctive understanding of form and pattern, forming part of each informed readers approach to cards. Whether instinct is present and aligned with heart, soul and understanding is what makes an approach informed in the first place. And part of that is that you just look at a card and feel something. Take XIII, TdM-style, look at it without thinking for a moment. "Look good and long, and let it step in through the inner door, now do you dare? Ah. What a nice fellow we have here, don't we?" -made up on the spot- And here is why I go "Can't!": The feeling each card evokes inside of us is an essential part of how we approach its core, how we align with it. It is part of where we go looking for what's most useful - Very often, once we are entirely clear about our resonance with the core, the character of the card has settled, too, and we say "it clicked" for us, and each "click" is so precious to us that it enriches the entirety of our craft. Here's where I arrived at: I'll discourage the above discussed praxis, it's prone to lead into accidents down the road. If someone feels the need for a purely positive read and would feel the need to make the troublesome cards less or not so to arrive there, the more beneficial approach will likely be to exclude them from the pack in their entirety for the period one is in need of affirmation. It's better for the mind, you need not doctor around with stuff and can be honest with you about not feeling up for troubling impact. There's a good chance that it will feel like you've grown a bit once you feel ready to take them on once more, too.

Good morning my friends. I hope all is well with you. Stress shopping has brought me two new decks, so another new deck this week, The Literary Oracle Deck: A Guide to the Hidden Lore of Classic Literature. Each card is a character from literature with an archetype-ish label. The booklet has additional keywords, “guidance,” a rather verbose affirmation, a brief summary, and a short quote. It also has a checklist at the end to check off the books you’ve read. I’ve taken the challenge and even made a spreadsheet of what I’ve read, what I need to reread, and what I haven’t yet read. So wish me luck in my new project! I just finished rereading Alice from the old book my mom used to read it to us, and I’m deep in King Lear today. (My son and I were both English majors, so I guess it’s not too surprising how many copies on the list are on my upstairs bookshelves. And on my Kindle of course.) A few cards are characters from the same book (Marmee and Jo from Little Women and Elizabeth and Darcy & Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice) and some from the same author (P&P and Emma; Huck Finn and A Connecticut Yankee; A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, and Great Expectations; and Iliad and Odessey). But generally it has a good variety for 55 cards, including a book of poems, two plays, and two nonfiction. Let’s see what these characters have to say. [I'm having trouble posting photos . . .] What is your most important characteristic? Destruction, Colonel Kurtz, Heart of Darkness That doesn’t bode well! The deck is deceptively subversive and can destroy preconceived notions, of literature and life. What is your strength? Rebirth, Rebecca Sharp, Vanity Fair Becky reinvented herself, sometimes by nefarious means. Again, it’s a subversive deck, but one that will help me make needed changes. Your weakness? Empathy, Mary, The Secret Garden Ok, now we’re going to fight. Being chronically online makes me bristle when anybody says anything negative about empathy. People are so eager to get people to hate the people THEY hate. Maybe the deck’s weakness is showing empathy as small and childlike instead of as a force to be reckoned with? What can you teach me? The Journey, Sacajawea, Journals of Lewis and Clark Reading is about the journey, not finishing off a list. But I still want to do that. (The thing I remember most about Sacajawea is that basically she was expendable to her people, so they sent her off as a guide, but that made her as much of a great explorer as her employers.) So not so much about a journey, but she can teach me that one’s value and accomplishments aren’t limited to what other people think about you. How can I learn it? The Underdog, Oliver Twist I’m relatively privileged. If people of much less privilege can become explorers, or whatever they want to be, so can I. What will be the outcome of our work together? Obsession, Captain Ahab, Moby-Dick I’ll be obsessed with my reading list! The deck really doesn’t pull any punches, starting with Destruction and ending with Obsession. We’ll see if it’s so stark this week.

Very true - I should have written, what use would a TAROT deck without these cards be. I tried to work with Lenormand many many years ago, using a German book and the good old Blue Owl deck, and I liked it. However, I always return to tarot... One great thing about Lenormand is the many layers of meaning in one card. I keep thinking: I have to get back to it. Lenormand is proper fortune telling ;-) not all this self-reflective stuff. However, I seem to be in need some self-reflective stuff, so there we are...

I will work with the Hanson-Roberts this week.

Thank you Fire cat! I'm in this week with the Ferret Tarot paired with Nature's Wisdom Oracle Ferret Tarot; Three of Swords; Nature's Wisdom Oracle, Coyote We must rediscover the distinction between hope and expectation. ―Ivan Illich I read a monostich poem by Rafiq Kathwari this morning that illustrates the pain of the Three of Swords: "As I fling my arms wide, he extends his hand." As Illich's quote implies, we often set ourselves up for disappointment. Having hope is understanding that the outcome is a possibility (even if only a slim chance); it's not a sure thing. Expectation is a one-sided mental contract that we demand be delivered. And what happens when that doesn't occur? We think of ourselves as a victim, in anguish due to another's cruelty. We never consider that what we expected was never agreed to by the other person. Coyote is associated with adaptability because no matter how its environment has changed, it has managed to adapt to it. Coyote encourages us to live lightly - without taking everything personally and seeing from a self-centered perspective. We can have more joy untainted by resentment by doing so.

Deck of the Week Sign-up Thread, Week 480: Sep. 14 - Sep. 20 - Deck of the Week - Tarot, Tea, & Me - A Tarot Reader's Community

A unique version of Reading Circle for those who would like to work through their collection of decks, participants choose decks from their collections to work with for the week. Some use one deck, others use two or more. Some combine methods: Tarot, non-tarot (e.g. oracle), playing cards, or any other divinatory method is welcome. All we ask is that you use at least one tarot or oracle deck. No collection is too large or too small. The only rules we have are the Tarot, Tea & Me Rules; Be respectful of one other. Please join us! Please post with your choice of deck(s) for the week Chat away about your deck, how you're finding it (or not), etc., it's all up to you Participants may either choose to share their readings here in this discussion thread or opt to have their own journal in the Journals Forum and link it here Yet others may even have an offline journal in paper & pencil/pen form Share as often, as much, or as little as you like. You can drop in and out at any time—reality and life permitting. New to tarot? Long time reader? Come on in! Participants fire cat pickles: Tarot de la Rea Click here for DOTW 479 (9/7 - 9/13)

Love that strength card... Any more pics???

Plenty. Apparently, there's this stuff, Leno-something-or-other - or so I hear. Absent. And try pairing. I don't like it when it comes around as an intro. I much prefer it in the future and outcome.

When I read for a tarot site professionally, the owners of the site insisted we give each card a positive twist, and that was the only thing that I found difficult about the job. Life is full of unpleasant experiences, big or small, there are disruptions, shadows that we carry from our past, and the results of mistakes that we make. That's just life, there is no smooth path for anyone, and we shouldn't expect it. One thing I love about the tarot (as opposed to some oracle decks that are only, only positive) is its honesty. It reflects happy times, balanced situations and great opportunities, but also times of tension and misery, lack of balance and botched opportunities. And that's how it should be. Otherwise, what use would a deck without the Hanged Man, the Seven of Swords, or the Three of Swords be? Of course, each of these "negative-at-first-sight" has a potentially positive twist. It can serve as a speed bump, preventing us from crashing into more difficult situations. It can turn into a wake-up call. It can reveal unpleasant truths that we don't want to acknowledge. It can tell us clearly: move on, this ship has sailed. But the "positive" cards have the same potential. There is a warning hidden even in the most idyllic and harmonious card. In the RWS, a subtle hint can be the line that indicates a set painting for a theatrical stage. Oh, just look at the beautiful Ten of Cups! Everything is hunky-dory, isn't it? But maybe this is just a painted set, an illusion, a fata morgana? Maybe it's a performance for our family, our neighbours and ourselves? There is no card without hidden depth. We don't even have to use reversals to find it. Decks like the Tarot of Oppositions spell it out for us and helps us find the hidden potential of each card, but we can do the same with any tarot deck, just digging a little deeper. If a seemingly positive card makes us feel uncomfortable, that's a place where we should dig. I have never really connected to the idea of white light in visualisations, as a spiritual cleansing experience. When I think of light healing or cleansing me, it's rainbow coloured or flecked with shadows, like on a sunny day with clouds, or the purple light of Yesod, or the light of the Moon... all kinds of light. That's probably a bit weird of me... Anyway, I don't want purely uplifting messages from my tarot deck, I want the truth. I want it from my husband, my children, my friends, and I want it from the tarot as well. And that's what I can give others. Tactfully, yes, non-confrontational, yes. But no sugarcoating. Where is the learning experience, the challenge, the opportunity for growth?

I get the hesitation around cultural appropriation and commercial vibes from creators. For quick, clear answers without those concerns, I use yes no oracle for my own readings. It’s a straightforward, intuitive tool that helps me stay grounded and focused on my questions. The personal journal feature is a nice bonus too.

How to approach the future. Yep. That's a good one. It's more specific than "Advice." I'll remember that. Thanks!

In my earlier years, if sh** hit the fan, I used to look at the fan to see what can be done. Which is, deal three cards in a bundle for a follow-up. Around three years ago, a spread I used and used again (a 5-card-cross-type) began incorporating that feature on its own - What happened was the following: The position used as "how to arrive at the outcome" became "how to approach the future", thus incorporating the aspect of guarding if danger is afoot. Remarkable was that it just clicked; I did my usual, and then it wasn't needed anymore, because something happened - and it happened entirely in stride.

This is exactly why I always include an 'Advice' card in my readings, no matter which spread I choose. The Advice card gives the querent something to do. If the reading is otherwise 'negative' this Advice card will point the way towards either reversing the negativity, preventing the negativity, or surviving the negativity and moving on.

From my point of view, if you read all of the cards in a positive way, you do an affirmative read - there is a time and a place for that. It's just one style of reading, with a particular use and usefulness. If a decisive answer to a case is needed, you shift gears. Sticking with positive-only interpretations while reading a "What's to happen?" is something I'd feel iffy about. Worse, if all I knew were the sunny side to my cards - I wouldn't be able to face my people, nor could I answer their questions. Sometimes, I wonder: There are these tides in reading cards, they colour what's practiced - and there is need for a definite standpoint, especially when dealing with indefinite matter (the future, for example) so some do take recourse to "It shall be that and none other!" Which is still A-Okay! However, very often "... for you, too!" is added, either in words or in expectation, and that messes things up - it stiffles evolution. And it's wrong. There's a difference between our own reality and Reality, most markedly that the latter does incorporate way more elements and configurations of life. Which is also what makes it hard to straight out abolish the remarkably narrow-minded idea discussed here. Seeing as there is indeed a time and a place for a purely affirmative read, considering how vast reality can be, it wouldn't be too strange if there was time and space for a purely affirmative reader, too. I mean, we pretty much live in a strange place already. ETA: Just put that idea to Lenormand - some do! - Well. The hidden door lies elsewhere - it is to boldy aquaint yourself with the suit of acorns via the path signaled by the Cross. Once you have the obstacles figured out, the rest becomes much more manageable. And you can't figure them out if you shy away from them, which I'd classify as something to work on if you want to read cards. In Tarot terms, if the outcome of commitment is in question and my Devil occupies the spot, I know it is a bad idea to go there, which is a 'No.' And that is exactly what my Devil shall do: Warn me, when things aren't healthy. Be there, where things aren't healthy. Signal that area for me, so I can point it out and incorporate it into my answer. The cards dubbed "negative" are not the Negativity itself. We link them to it in order to warn us, to get a grip on things and a handle on situations. If we only link our cards to positive things, they can not talk about the negative stuff because we do not understand, and thus they can not warn us. It's operating the cards with decreased functionality. Something I do not recommend.

This is where perhaps a symbolic deck rather than an overly pictorial one could help. If you're experienced enough to read pip decks, that should solve any minor arcana 'scary' cards turning up. And there are decks where the majors aren't as scary as others either, without being cutesy. Personally I don't use pip decks, etc, but I've seen pictures of decks that seem designed for individual and neutral interpretation.

I think there are enough negative and positive cards in the deck to balance it out. I don't like decks that are completely positive or try to make negative cards like 10 Swords, 3 Swords, The Tower, Devil, Death more positive - they all have their places in a traditional deck and are needed to make balanced readings. I also don't do reversals because, again, I think that there are enough cards to get complete and balanced readings without reversing them.

Congrats! I don’t know much about this deck to be able to discuss it, but I do know how nice it is when you get to work with a deck you love. 🤩

@fire cat pickles Thank you for sharing your reading. I can relate to the health scare — I had a similar scenario last year. I’m glad you are ok! You are lucky to have your mother so close to you. Wishing you all the best with the move! In other news, I did my first reading with the Tattoo Tarot. When I read with a deck for the first time, I always let the deck tell me what it wants me to know. I drew the attached cards, with the Ace of Swords as base card. Until I started researching the symbols in the cards, I had no idea that tattoo has its own iconography. The hand issuing a letter with a rose bud underneath is, apparently, a standard theme, often associated with sailors, perhaps receiving or keeping a secret message of love (this is very strange because last night, two days after this draw, I had a dream in which a message of love was clearly relayed to me). The 3 of Coins shows the guild symbols of roofers and stonemasons - makes sense for the traditional RWS meaning of the card (here the deck cleverly combines the visuals of the Marseilles with the meaning of the RWS). The Ace emphasises the aspect of communication and messages. I will get recognition for my work, my dedication, my commitment. Funnily, the setting of the dream I just mentioned was my work place, but its atmosphere was much lighter and I was very happy (not always the case there in waking life) and in the company of the person who relayed the love message.

I absolutely love this deck even more in person than when I coveted it for nearly a year, perusing online. Finally landed this Italian printing from a reader in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. She rounded the corners, but that is fine by me. I would never sell it. The entire pack is dark and thoroughly captivating. Share your thoughts.

Hello @Marina ! Thank you for the welcome! I'm still learning, but I'll share my experiences as I go. Nice to meet you!

😉🤫

Hi everyone - I’ve just launched a new way to learn and explore Tarot — and I’d love to share it with the Tarot community. After years of working with Tarot, I’ve created a new Tarot Learning App designed to help you deepen your understanding of the cards, practice readings, and develop your own intuitive relationship with the Tarot. Whether you’re just starting out or have been reading for years, the app gives you a place to learn, practice, and explore Tarot at your own pace. I’ve opened up a free trial so you can try it for yourself and see what you think. Try the Tarot Learning App: https://studio.com/nathe/readtarot?c=c6a7iRMF I’d genuinely love feedback from the Tarot community — especially from experienced readers. What would you want in the ultimate Tarot learning app? What would make you use it regularly? Thanks, and happy reading! 🃏✨

As long as you know where the shop IS....