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Hi all! Work got in the way of tarot yesterday, but here I am now. This week for me will be the newly received Visconti Brambilla Tarot, Milan, 1442-1447, A treasure from the Renaissance, a recent Lo Scarabeo offering. I’m a little disappointed because the box and book are basically the same as those of the Visconti Modrone, which is a treasure, but the cards themselves are smaller, and smaller than the originals according to the book. The backgrounds are gilded, majors and courts in gold and minors in silver, as in the original. According to the book, this deck is mostly a reconstruction because only 2 majors (Emperor and Wheel of Fortune) and 7 courts are extant, but all the pips are extant except the 4 of Coins, which interestingly may have been lost in a museum fire in 1904. The rest of the extant cards were owned by the Brambilla family from about the 1880s until 1971, when it was bought by the Italian government and put in a museum. The reconstruction is based on the Modrone for the courts and the Visconti Sforza for the majors. Backs are marbled green. I don’t know if that is a reproduction or a choice. Not sure this is going to stay in my collection, given that it’s mostly a reconstruction, but we’ll see. Interview time. What is your most important characteristic? World She’s not Judgment even though she has a horn. She has a landscape behind her and her dress is adorned with sketches of buildings. This is an all-or-nothing deck. You either like it or hate it. What is your strength? Page of Cups As in the Modrone, the cups and other attributes are engraved or pressed into the gilding, so sometimes you really have to look to see what the courts are holding. There’s a lot to learn, but you have to want to learn it. Your weakness? Temperance Ok, according to the book, not ALL the majors are based on the Sforza. Some are a combination of Sforza and Modrone and some are made up by the artist. Temperance is based on Hebe, cupbearer to the gods, and Pandora. The problem is it’s not a balanced combination of tradition and art. What can you teach me? Ace of Coins All three very gold coins with very silvery background. The deck can teach me how to enjoy it as a work of art. How can I learn it? 2 Coins By balancing its reality with my expectations. What will be the outcome of our work together? 5 Coins But that won’t work too well. I might have to let it go. We’ll see at the end of the week.

We could have had it all. But the shipping price is ridiculous. Thanks, but no thanks

Not every reader cares whether they face each other or not (I myself am one example). I have the Dondorf deck, and the Gentleman and Lady cards look exactly like the picture you posted. To my understanding, those who care about it mainly use the convention in relationship readings to see if the parties agree with each other or not; if they have their backs turned to one another, it's seen as a problematic dynamic. Personally, to gauge the relationship between the Gentleman and the Lady, I note the cards they intersect at, the chain formed between them, and the card each one of them looks at (as that can show what they're interested in). Directionality can create its own problems; for instance, those who use the ppf tableau often (past, present, future), have noted that if the Lady faces left and the Gentleman right, they could only face each other if the Lady ends up in the Man's future and the Man in the Lady's past. If you were to rigidly note whether these two are facing each other in every single reading you did, a Man is always going to have some problem with the Lady in her past, lol. Some readers also read the cards based on which direction the significators are facing. For example, if the Lady faces left, you'd read her cards from right to left rather than the usual left to right. So, to sum up, in my opinion, the direction that the emblems are facing is secondary compared to card combinations, distance, etc. I think Andy explains it better than I could, so I refer you to this amazing article published by him on his blog. It should answer your questions: https://thecartomante.com/2026/08/08/the-lord-and-the-lady/

I love the IDEA of Lenormand, and own several Lenormand decks. I can certainly get a lucid story from any layout I've done. However, I have NOT EVER been able to get a story that has proved remotely accurate about my actual life, or things that have happened to me. And what you mentioned, @Marina is one aspect of Lenormand that I find ...unusable. The way a figure FACES on the card? So if the sideways-on dog is pointing towards your significator card, that is your friend. But if the dog is pointing away from your significator card, it's not your friend? And etc. Which side the clouds are on, versus the sun? And where the mountains are placed in the illustration? These sorts of things—which are supposed to be significant in a reading—come down to the particular illustrations in the deck you've chosen. They make any reading incredibly complicated. I think ...well, I don't think this works, actually. It certainly doesn't work for me. Lenormand is usually spoken about as if it's a simpler, more exact method of divination than Tarot. But for me, the myriad permutations that the layouts encourage (including which way certain images face) makes the whole thing unmanageable. I know there are many Lenormand users out there who would disagree with me, but I'm not sure how they manage to get accurate readings if they take all these permutations on board. I have no doubt they do, but I have no notion HOW.

Lo Scarabeo released The Key to the Tarot this year - it's a fairly faithful reproduction of the original release of the Rider Waite (as it was called in 1909) down to the crackle/mud cardbacks. The images have been adjusted so that they are consistently placed within the card. As one might guess from the name of the set, it comes with a version of The Key to the Tarot. I haven't compared this set to either my Pam B or Pam D yet. The deck is thick and sturdy - ~35mm/1-3/8" thick. I think the cardstock is comparable to that of the Rider Waite I bought in the early 90's. I bought the set with one of Llewellyn's 35% off coupons. The copy on Llewellyn's site says: I wrote to their customer support to tell them the copy was likely wrong cause the "original" book that came with the deck was The Key to the Tarot, NOT The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. The response I got back was that it was Lo Scarabeo's listing, and they were just the distributor, and they don't go around changing the copy the receive. OK. Whatever. Once I received my deck and confirmed The Key to the Tarot is the book that's included, I wrote back to the person from Llewellyn, confirmed that the listing is wrong, and explained the difference between the two books in case they didn't know. I also let them know that the "we're just the distributor" line is BS because it's sold on their website, and the deck contains their ISBN. So when customers complain about Bait & Switch and want their money back because they didn't get the book with the pictures in it as advertised, Llewellyn is going to have to deal with that... That was a week ago, with no response. And the description on the website has not been updated. I ended my followup email with: Getting what I expected to get, I'm fine (especially at 35% off!). But anyone who buys this set expecting a book that includes pictures of the cards will be sorely disappointed...

Hi everyone! I am not very good with Lenormand, and only ever had one deck (I'm not even sure counts as a real Lenormand - it's the Titania's Fortune Cards). Recently, I came across a Lenormand deck I found interesting, but I have a question about the Lady and the Gentleman cards in it: Shouldn't these cards be facing each other? So that, in a spread, they could look at each other, or have their backs turned to each other? Like I said, I know very little about Lenormand so I may be wrong here, but I have always had the impression that the direction the cards are placed in relation to the others is very important. Would the cards, facing the same direction, be detrimental in a layout? Or is it just an aesthetic difference? Thanks!

J'aime Le Tarot de la Grande Ourse! Thinking it over if I am going to back it ❤️

I recommend having a look at it! I seem to recall earlier versions were Thoth but this is definitely an RWS version now.

@Niobium I really like that moon card. Big fan of when the moon is portrayed as a maze or labyrinth, I’ve just realized. The knight of cups is beautiful too. Might have to check out a flip through 🥷

I'm a reversal reader though I'll admit I feel like with pips decks it's less...effective, generally, since in many reversed pips decks the art can be symmetrical and so you just get the same image up or down. Which isn't to say I can't intuit it from knowing the card upright, but I find a fully arted deck of minors to make reversals there a lot more meaningful. ...this would be why I only have a few pips decks, of course. 👀

My Jonasa Jaus Stunning 6th Edition arrived; I had sold off my previous edition of this (1st or 2nd, I forget which) some time back because it really didn't do anything for me, but this time the art was a real draw.

I have been waiting on this one (and the Vonnart deck) for sooooo loooong as well! Very glad to see it live and funding quickly. Spacious Tarot is doing a reprint as well, the campaign is over but they'll no doubt get extras so for anyone who missed it first time and was wanting it, that's going to be available. Fantasy Garden, the pen-drawn deck from Ukraine, is also getting a second version; I don't especially need another copy but I like to support Ukrainian artists when I can, so I'll likely gift the deck. A lovely RWS in a traditional media if that's of interest to anyone. Looks like the campaign is done but you can pre-order via Etsy.

Welcome back @Bodhiseed and @BrightEye 😀

I’ll spend another week with the Knapp-Hall Tarot.

Thank you Fire cat! I'm in this week with the Granny Jones Australian Tarot paired with a Button Oracle I created. All things are difficult before they are easy. —Thomas Fuller When we decide to move out of our current state of affairs and cross into unknown territory, it can be both an exciting and scary transition. Like the cat keeping his balance on the clothesline, we no longer have what was familiar as a safety net. There are new skills and knowledge to acquire as well as new people to connect with. We must let go of the old methods and put our energy into this new version of life. Eastern dragons are portrayed as good, kind, and intelligent, and so the Dragon button represents preserving our well-being. Learning new ways of doing things can make us feel incompetent and awkward, but we don't need think we're burned-out light bulbs. Instead, we can be kind to ourselves, recognizing that mistakes are natural as we adapt and get the hang of things.

Deck of the Week Sign-up Thread, Week 483: Oct. 5 - Oct. 11 - 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 Bodhiseed: Granny Jones Australian Tarot paired with a Button Oracle BrightEye: Hanson-Roberts Click here for DOTW 482 (9/28- 10/4)

Deck of the Week Sign-up Thread, Week 482: Sep. 28 - Oct. 4 - Deck of the Week - Tarot, Tea, & Me - A Tarot Reader's Community

How do you like it so far? I'm on and off with this one, didn't buy it yet.

Regarding the Secrets of Wand Wood oracle by Phil and Jacqui Lovesey ...unfortunately the deck I received from eBay turns out to be counterfeit—a good quality knock-off, printed in China, but with absolutely NO reference anywhere as to who created it. It was new, shrink-wrapped, etc ...and not particularly inexpensive. Did not include the book. I have reviewed it as such. I considered alerting Phil and Jacqui to this rip-off, but it appears this version is no longer for sale. (The out-of-print cards are not on sale on their own site either, which is why I turned to eBay in the first place.) The company on eBay that sold it to me does not specialise in cards ...sells lots of unrelated stuff. I guess I'll just live with it, but it's very annoying. Okay the original deck is out of print, but still....grrrr.... Lesson learned.

I’m obsessed with the Zoomies Tarot I received this month. It’s almost a conversation with the RWS as much as it is a RWS deck itself… if that makes sense. Like the Ace of Swords saying, “buckle up, bitchlings” as a nod to the difficult suit to come. I love the common cuckoo as the Fool. (Animals only in this deck) The cards are very positive and at the same time open about things sometimes being $**t. The artist was an NHS psychiatrist who went viral while posting a quick picture a day during maternity leave. She became so popular she left her day job. She’s currently out of this deck but hopes to self print again soon. Watkins Books in London has the last copies and ships anywhere. Cardstock isn’t amazing but the price is lower than most indie decks. She has an oracle deck for sale on etsy (zeppelinmoon) Also received the Sacred Spring deck I backed on kickstarter. I like the art style and crossover with playing cards. Nice and unique . Had not seen this before.

Like a few others here, I prefer to read cards upright. I’m still fairly new to Tarot, so keeping it helps me avoid confusion for now. That said, I’d definitely like to try reading reversals in the future, especially with the Grand Etteilla Tarot, where reversed cards are an essential part of the system. I’m actually waiting for the Lo Scarabeo Etteilla III to arrive, so I’ll save studying reversals for later! 😊

I read positional spreads--but my take is fluid. I often DO take the advice card as predictive. I.e., 10 swords as ADVICE: a warning xyz bad thing is going to happen in spite of my best efforts to avoid it. For example, I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. 10 swords advice card is warning me: no there is no benefit of the doubt here. This person will betray your kindness. Thus ADVICE is a nuance to OUTCOME. I got 10 swords as ADVICE warning me this person would betray any benefit of the doubt. Final outcome card, for example, 8 cups. After much reflection, I part company from this person because I don't wish to have in my life someone who takes advantage of my kind nature--and is predicted to continue such behavior in future. Every spread is different, but I make what I call a card yoga between ADVICE and OUTCOME. To me they are intimately related and often [not always] ADVICE card is either a predictive or a timing card. I often take a positive or neutral ADVICE card as advice. I often take a malefic ADVICE card as predictive. I figure if Tarot is bothering to serve a malefic card in a helpful position it's trying to warn me. None of this is 100%. It's always context dependent. Frex I have gotten Devil as straight-up advice. Slightly off topic but related: In one respect I've had to read ADVICE card as predictive/timing for the occasional client who has zero interest in advice. They ONLY wish to know what will happen. Not the way I usually read--most people DO want advice. I want advice when i self-read. Just something I've observed. My 2 main spreads which I use 95% of the time have an ADVICE position. I get a laugh when I start to read the ADVICE card and the client demands: nevermind all that--just tell me what's going to happen!

I remember you posting on that some time ago. An interesting context. A 1% special circumstance, nec'est pas? Mostly the other 99% 10 Swords is, shall we say, a chance to develop accept the life lesson skills 😇

The empress shows up in my readings as a wife, girlfriend, someone’s mom, my mom, pregnant women or the mother of a man’s child. If the reading involves a crush or a man that a woman is talking to I’ve seen it mainly 2 ways the man feels the woman is highly attractive. She’s his ideal woman and she checks majority all the boxes that he’s looking for in a woman. On the other hand, I have seen this card to pop up for a woman that a man is going to prioritize. So it could be that he already has a girlfriend, he’s married and has a wife or if he is single there’s a woman that he’s going to prioritize over you. Like a ex or even if he is talking to you, there is a woman present that he just likes more than you. For example, a man who is still friends with his ex and she can call him at 10 o’clock at night needing help, he’s going to leave you to go see about her. I’ve also seen the Empress pop-up for something that was in the making like two friends starting a business together and they’re just getting everything worked out before they officially launch it. The Empress also pops up for me when I’m getting done up so hair done, nails done and make up done just looking extra pretty. And the empress is also a big card when it’s telling me just be girly and feminine and womanly especially if I’m asking about like what type of outfit I should wear or the kind of energy I have for the day so that’s what I’ve seen it pop up for me as.