Deck of The Week: Sign-up Thread: Week 183 : January 9 - January 16

[VGimlet]

This thread is for those who would like to work through their collection of decks.  Each week we will be picking a deck (or decks) to work with for the week.

 

All are welcome. Please join us!      The only rules we have are the Tarot Tea & Me rules; be respectful to each other.    

 

You can drop in and out,  time and real life permitting.   New to tarot?  Long time reader?   Come on in.  

 

1. Please post with your chosen deck for the week.

 

2. Chat away about your deck, how you're finding it etc., or NOT - it's all up to you.  

 

Participants:

 

1.  VGimlet - Mary-el Tarot

2.  AlbaTross - Tarot of the 78 Doors

3.  Amberjune - Art Oracles and the Lumina Tarot

4.  Bodhiseed - Fey Tarot paired with the I Misteri Sibilla.

5.  vulprix - The Golden Tarot

6.  Ekati - Shadowscapes Tarot

7. Mi-Shell - John Bauer Tarot + Ironwing

8. AJ-ish/Sharyn - Sola Busca

 

 

 

(493)

Edited January 14, 2021 by VGimlet

[VGimlet]

One more week with the Mary-El.  Maybe 2, I'll see what my mood is like next week.  

 

[AlbaTross]

I've never participated in this, but as 3/4 of my order won't be arriving for a few days, I'll probably be spending the better part of this week with my Tarot in Wonderland set.  It's off to a more interesting start than I had anticipated.  Suffice to say, the interview spread went fantastic, and a deck I thought would just be a fun novelty, may be one that holds plenty of wisdom that's especially applicable to more recent events in my life.  I'm so looking forward to my Everyday Tarot, Tarot of the 78 Doors and Ghost Tarot sets arriving, as that last one especially is one I feel especially drawn to.  But, maybe it was fate that I would be able to spent one-on-one time with the deck I received today.  It is one that seems to demand considerably more time due to the nature of its guidebook, and I probably would have set it aside for a bit had I also received those other decks today.  

[Amberjune]

Thank you for the new thread @VGimlet!

 

Welcome to DotW @AlbaTross, wishing you continued joy in getting to know your new Tarot in Wonderland.

 

I'll be working with the Art Oracles and the Lumina Tarot.

The Lumina is one of the decks in which the people depicted in it look like people in Instagram ads,  which is something I struggle with.  I am very glad it has come up for this week and am looking forward to discover how we work and play together.

[Bodhiseed]

Welcome @AlbaTross!

 

I'm in this week with the Fey Tarot paired with the I Misteri Sibilla.

Thank you VG!

Edited January 9, 2021 by Bodhiseed

[vulprix]

A new week is upon us!!

 

The Golden Tarot by Kat Black will be accompanying me this week!

 

Welcome AlbaTross 🙂 

Edited January 8, 2021 by vulprix
changed my DOTW!

[Ekati]

Hello guys!

i would like to join please 🙂

 with my Shadowscapes deck.

 

 

[VGimlet]

Welcome to the Deck of the Week AlbaTross and Ekati!    

 

We are a very easy-going group - enjoy!        If you have any questions, feel free to ask away, someone here will almost always answer.   🙂    

 

 

[Mi-Shell]

For me it will be week 3 with the John Bauer Tarot

 

Although - the 11th is the burial of my MIL in Germany, without us and under Covid 19 restrictions and I will need to hold on to my Ironwing for some consolation and reflections.....

[AlbaTross]

4 hours ago, VGimlet said:

Welcome to the Deck of the Week AlbaTross and Ekati!    

 

We are a very easy-going group - enjoy!        If you have any questions, feel free to ask away, someone here will almost always answer.   🙂    

 

 

Sure thing.👍🏻 So, to my understanding I post about how things are going with my new deck?  

 

Thank you for the well wishes everyone! 

 

Today I decided to try one of the deck-specific spreads included in the impressive guidebook, so I went with Falling Down the Rabbit Hole.  It actually ended up being quite enlightening.  When all was said and done, three of the four cards I picked were majors, other than the one I specifically chose to represent myself.  Overall, what I ended up with was encouraging.  In the order I picked, I ended up with Judgement, Three of Pentacles, The Devil, and The World.  It's as if the cards are saying that the path I'm on is the right one, but in order to get to The World (representing the end of my journey), there are certain things that need to happen, and they all make perfect sense.  I need to embrace my higher self, accept that I will be working as part of a team, and deal with any bad habits that are holding me back.  Only then, will I see completion.  

Edited January 9, 2021 by AlbaTross

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

Waves at everyone! AlbaTross I think my (one of the many Alice decks) Wonderland was the first deck I used based on a book, so I ordered alice in wonderland and through the looking glass annotated books to study with it. I'm glad I did (there was no big accompanying book with the Wonderland, published in 1989) It made a lot of difference in understanding the images chosen for the cards as it turned out I only thought I knew the stories...I hadn't a clue what most of the characters were up to or why they might have been chosen. 

I did the same thing when I bought Vampire Tarot by Place, got the annotated book Dracula the deck is based on. 

And then...there were a lot of Shakespeare decks, so I ordered the entire works of Shakespeare annotated. Three volumes I could barely lift all at once 🙂 but I can say I've read Shakespeare now. 

Just shared to show you can do a get acquainted reading and nothing else, or you can throw yourself into a sometimes ridiculous deck study...no rules here! 

 

VG, I'm using the Sola Busca this week. Thank you! 

[Bodhiseed]

Welcome @Ekati!

[VGimlet]

23 hours ago, AlbaTross said:

Sure thing.👍🏻 So, to my understanding I post about how things are going with my new deck?  

 

 

 

You can talk about your deck as much or as little as you like - we don't really have any hard and fast rules or guidelines here. 

 

I did a three card spread - 1. change  2. First change 3. Alternate to change 1 ....laughed and laughed when card 1was the tower.   change 1 was 10 of Swords - which I read that the thing I'm dreading may happen and Alternate was the Hermit,, which I read that things are going to stay as they are.     I felt it was VERY work related as I'm working from home 2 of my 5 days a week, and right now dreading going back into the library even for one more day,  as my in-library time is very physically demanding, and I'm NOT up for it - or I may end up working the same or more days from home, if things with Covid get worse.    So - we'll see.   Then a letter came out from our director that said, basically, we aren't do anything different right now, and will stay the same until things are safer.    (Plus we have lost a LOT of staff via folks retiring/not wanting to return to in-library work, and are in a hiring freeze.)   So, yeah, things will change, but probably not right now, although I may experience some changes.

 

[AlbaTross]

10 hours ago, AJ-ish/Sharyn said:

Waves at everyone! AlbaTross I think my (one of the many Alice decks) Wonderland was the first deck I used based on a book, so I ordered alice in wonderland and through the looking glass annotated books to study with it. I'm glad I did (there was no big accompanying book with the Wonderland, published in 1989) It made a lot of difference in understanding the images chosen for the cards as it turned out I only thought I knew the stories...I hadn't a clue what most of the characters were up to or why they might have been chosen. 

I did the same thing when I bought Vampire Tarot by Place, got the annotated book Dracula the deck is based on. 

And then...there were a lot of Shakespeare decks, so I ordered the entire works of Shakespeare annotated. Three volumes I could barely lift all at once 🙂 but I can say I've read Shakespeare now. 

Just shared to show you can do a get acquainted reading and nothing else, or you can throw yourself into a sometimes ridiculous deck study...no rules here! 

 

VG, I'm using the Sola Busca this week. Thank you! 

That's dedication.  I don't think I have it in me to read the entire works of Shakespeare (maybe some, but I'd probably fall into an eternal slumber before long).  I don't even think I'd make it through the complete works if it were presented in a Netflix series.😅  But, Alice I can do.  I previously read both books a few years ago when I borrowed a book containing both from my dad.  After getting this deck I kind of want to reread it, but I'll have to give it some thought.  It's all madness anyways, and I remember enough that I don't feel lost with my deck.  But yeah, I'll keep in mind that Tarot is something I can study as much or as little as I see fit.  It's one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. 

[AlbaTross]

2 hours ago, VGimlet said:

 

You can talk about your deck as much or as little as you like - we don't really have any hard and fast rules or guidelines here. 

 

 

 

Awesome!  My new decks should be arriving tomorrow.  I'm not sure how I'll feel about each or whether I want to spend a week each with all three of them, or just one or two, but I guess I'll find out when they get here.  

 

As it stands, I was able to spend the better part of a week with a deck I knew I'd like, but didn't actually expect to be so fond of.  I did the Through the Looking Glass spread today, and that's another weird guidebook exclusive spread.  Each time, this deck has been speaking eloquently and accurately into my life, and it's crazy. 

 

If I had a couple minor issues, it's that, much like with my Revelations Tarot set by the same publisher, the actual card stock itself isn't the greatest, and the glossy finish on the cards easily shows fingerprints.  I'm sure I'll get some years out of this set, but it will definitely show wear and tear faster than most of my other decks.  Also, I read reversals, and the deck really isn't designed to be read that way.  But, those two things are comparatively minor next to the positives.

 

The art is great, and it's clear that considerable care went into carrying over the meaning of the RWS in the imagery of the cards.  The star of the show is definitely the guidebook.  As with Revelations Tarot, it's clear that the guidebook (and to an extent, the box) is where most of the budget for this set was allocated to, and in this case, the guidebook is even nicer.  It's full colour, with high quality paper.  With a set like this, I especially like having a good guidebook to explain the relationship the imagery has with the RWS meanings, as well as the thought process behind it all, and some fun spreads to boot. 

 

I would definitely recommend this set for anyone who likes the idea of it, and/or wants something more upbeat.  It's also a great set for taking a trip with the cards (metaphorically speaking, as I suppose one other fairly minor thing is that this set isn't as easy to pack around as most others).  I can definitely see myself using this one fairly regularly once the dust settles and I get past the honeymoon phase.  I'll probably still default to my RWS and Prisma Visions sets, but I might occasionally want to dive down the rabbit hole or go through the looking glass too.  

[Bodhiseed]

This week I'll be using the Fey Tarot, a book and deck set created by Riccardo Minetti and Mara Aghem. This set was published by Lo Scarabeo. The oracle deck I'll be using is the I Misteri della Sibilla, created by Ettore Maiotti and published by Dal Negro. Today's draws are the Six of Pentacles and Money (6 of Hearts):

          My first thought upon seeing this card was 'manna' - originally a biblical term that has also come to mean an unexpected or gratuitous benefit. This giant fey doesn't seem to be making judgments about who will or won't receive her goodwill. Her kind of generosity doesn't worry about worthiness, only need. Denaro shows a fellow deep in thought with a pile of gold on his table. Perhaps he is someone who has learned to live modestly and now wonders what in the world he should do with his good fortune. Surely there are repairs to make, bills to pay and a nest egg to add to, but what about the excess? He could wade into the sea of humanity and exercise goodwill when he encounters distress or destitution. In the words of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, "It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert."

[AlbaTross]

I think I've chosen which of my new decks to focus on this week: Tarot of the 78 Doors.  It arrived yesterday, and I was able to do a quick interview spread with it and the other two decks, plus I took the time to do a spread from each deck's guidebook.  So, I did The Key, and it was quite enlightening.  TBH, I was kind of unsure about this deck due to its seemingly loose theme.  But then, I did an annual reading for one of my friends, and she chose this deck. 

 

Suffice to say, I believed in this deck enough to purchase it, but I now believe even more in the theme.  The seemingly eclectic nature of the images used in the deck actually supports the theme rather than detracting from it, as the theme is doors and keys.  Said doors and keys can reveal any number of things, so it's actually fitting that the imagery reflects that.  The theme itself is reflected in the imagery, but it's below the surface. 

 

So...yeah, I think I'll spend a week getting to know this deck.  

[Mi-Shell]

@AlbaTross! I love reading about your discoveries with your deck♥

I feel, it is sooo much better to go deeper with just one deck that to superficially play with several at the same time.

It teaches you more - not only about the deck, but most importantly about yourself.

And you learn the process of how you learn while having fun ♥

I always have 1 new deck where I go deep and explore - right now, the John Bauer and as a companion, books about Swedish fairy tales and mythological beings.

That then leads to comparing these myths with Norwegian ones, comparing the renditions of the trolls by Bauer with those of other artists... and so on...

I opened a thread for my musings.

Maybe you too feel like putting your experiences into a thread about the deck you are currently working with. I am sure that will be of great interest to others that own this deck and in the long run, it will be easier to find then just here on the DOTW thread.

Have fun!

[vulprix]

Does anyone else like to delve deeper into a novel they’re reading, or characters in it, with the tarot?

 

I am reading Normal People by Sally Rooney, which i purchased on a real whim with gift money. I am loving it so far. I have no idea why I was intrigued by this book; not something that typically attracts me plot-wise.

 

One of my draws this past week with the Golden Tarot was, “What will I think of this book?” Seven of Swords. I was very intrigued by this card at first (would I feel swindled by choosing this book to read? Ha)! But as I get further along in the story, the more apparent it becomes that this book delves into the hidden sides of ourselves. The things said and unsaid between humans, and how that impacts the heart, and therefore choices made. Really cool stuff.

 

The two main characters, Marianne and Connell, are the Hierophant (Rx) and Emperor (Rx), respectively.

 

I hope you are all enjoying your decks from this past week 🙂

[AlbaTross]

4 hours ago, Mi-Shell said:

@AlbaTross! I love reading about your discoveries with your deck♥

I feel, it is sooo much better to go deeper with just one deck that to superficially play with several at the same time.

It teaches you more - not only about the deck, but most importantly about yourself.

And you learn the process of how you learn while having fun ♥

I always have 1 new deck where I go deep and explore - right now, the John Bauer and as a companion, books about Swedish fairy tales and mythological beings.

That then leads to comparing these myths with Norwegian ones, comparing the renditions of the trolls by Bauer with those of other artists... and so on...

I opened a thread for my musings.

Maybe you too feel like putting your experiences into a thread about the deck you are currently working with. I am sure that will be of great interest to others that own this deck and in the long run, it will be easier to find then just here on the DOTW thread.

Have fun!

That's a good idea, actually.  I'll have to give it some thought though.  I have two other decks I recently purchased, and am planning to spend a week with each of them, but I don't think I'll start a thread for all of them.  That said, I have come to believe that Tarot of the 78 Doors truly is something special, so I may decide to make a thread for it afterwards.  Maybe after a couple more weeks, I'll take some time to reflect on all the decks I recently purchased and choose one or two that I think warrant their own discussion.  

 

I will say, Tarot of the 78 Doors isn't without its flaws.  The multiple language thing doesn't bother me at all, but when I did a reading for a friend over video chat and decided to take a picture of the New Year's spread and send it to her, I ended up choosing to split it into multiple pictures as the text is so small that it's difficult at best to read it in a shot from further back.  That would probably be a non-issue if I were reading for someone in-person, but it probably wouldn't be the best choice for someone who's visually impaired either.  

 

Secondly, while I'm quite intrigued by the way some of the imagery departs from the RWS, it sometimes deviates a bit too far, and the guidebook doesn't include enough of an explanation to make it very easy to figure out the mindset behind it.  The lack of much of a guidebook certainly seems to be a problem in general with Lo Scarabeo decks, so I guess it's the opposite to the drawback of Llewellyn, which is all about the guidebook, but the card quality is...passable, but certainly not on par with other decks.

 

That said, I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.  This deck and my other Lo Scarabeo one are of my favourite type of card stock.  They may not be overly fancy, but they shuffle really well, don't get bent out of shape easily, and tend to be resistant to showing visible damage.  In terms of specifics to this deck, I really like the art style.  As I touched upon before, I like that the theme is below the surface, as that clearly freed up the artist to not have to adhere to a strict theme.  I said the imagery is ecclectic, but not in a way that makes the cards feel out of harmony with one another.  All in all...my week with this deck is going well.  I actually think it's going to be an uphill battle for the next two decks to follow this one, though time will tell how that goes.  

[Amberjune]

On 1/14/2021 at 9:09 PM, vulprix said:

Does anyone else like to delve deeper into a novel they’re reading, or characters in it, with the tarot?

 

I am reading Normal People by Sally Rooney, which i purchased on a real whim with gift money. I am loving it so far. I have no idea why I was intrigued by this book; not something that typically attracts me plot-wise.

 

One of my draws this past week with the Golden Tarot was, “What will I think of this book?” Seven of Swords. I was very intrigued by this card at first (would I feel swindled by choosing this book to read? Ha)! But as I get further along in the story, the more apparent it becomes that this book delves into the hidden sides of ourselves. The things said and unsaid between humans, and how that impacts the heart, and therefore choices made. Really cool stuff.

 

The two main characters, Marianne and Connell, are the Hierophant (Rx) and Emperor (Rx), respectively.

 

I hope you are all enjoying your decks from this past week 🙂

I love this idea! Thanks for sharing. Will give it a try today.  (Like you I had picked up Normal People on a whim and liked it.  And her other book,  Conversations with friends,  too. There's something in the central relationship between the two women that really got to me.)

[vulprix]

16 hours ago, Amberjune said:

I love this idea! Thanks for sharing. Will give it a try today.  (Like you I had picked up Normal People on a whim and liked it.  And her other book,  Conversations with friends,  too. There's something in the central relationship between the two women that really got to me.)

Thank you Amberjune!! I will probably be reading Conversations with Friends this year too 😉 

[Amberjune]

Still somewhat frosty relations with the Lumina Tarot, not sure we have a lot of overlap. For instance the Queen of Pentacles in this deck looks like Melania Trump (to my eyes, I don't think the artist was going for this intentionally). Now there is an argument to be made that this is a fitting pairing, pentacles can be wealth, she is a wealthy woman and money might play a big role in her life or might be important to her. But I don't know how to connect to such a Queen of Pentacles. I feel that this deck, esp the people in it, activate my projections, and could be useful in that way. However the pips, while pretty, don't engage me very much. I am keeping it for now. Let's see where we stand when next I pick it up.

 

Art Oracles was a lot of fun. Kept pulling Georgia O'Keefe, an artist I've always wanted to learn more about and will pick up a book about her work soon.

 

@vulprix The pulling cards for books is fantastic and a lot of fun! I used my beloved Tyldwick and picked one card for the overall theme of the book, a short story collection. I received the 5 of wands, the title of the book is 'Battleborn' by Claire Vaye Watkins. Isn't that great?! For my overall experience I received the 9 of Cups and indeed, this was one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

 

For the first story I pulled the Star and it was about the Spahn Ranch, which was used a location for movies and TV productions, and a woman who's father was part of the Manson family and she herself has a certain renown because of that.  Star in a very literal sense here. And so on...it really worked out in a neat way for each story.

 

 

 

[AlbaTross]

9 hours ago, Amberjune said:

Still somewhat frosty relations with the Lumina Tarot, not sure we have a lot of overlap. For instance the Queen of Pentacles in this deck looks like Melania Trump (to my eyes, I don't think the artist was going for this intentionally). Now there is an argument to be made that this is a fitting pairing, pentacles can be wealth, she is a wealthy woman and money might play a big role in her life or might be important to her. But I don't know how to connect to such a Queen of Pentacles.

 

 

 

At least you didn't get Donald as the King of Pentacles.😅  I totally get it though.  I just want to forget about the last four years of White House drama, and you probably do too.

[vulprix]

On 1/27/2021 at 7:08 AM, Amberjune said:

Still somewhat frosty relations with the Lumina Tarot, not sure we have a lot of overlap. For instance the Queen of Pentacles in this deck looks like Melania Trump (to my eyes, I don't think the artist was going for this intentionally). Now there is an argument to be made that this is a fitting pairing, pentacles can be wealth, she is a wealthy woman and money might play a big role in her life or might be important to her. But I don't know how to connect to such a Queen of Pentacles. I feel that this deck, esp the people in it, activate my projections, and could be useful in that way. However the pips, while pretty, don't engage me very much. I am keeping it for now. Let's see where we stand when next I pick it up.

 

Art Oracles was a lot of fun. Kept pulling Georgia O'Keefe, an artist I've always wanted to learn more about and will pick up a book about her work soon.

 

@vulprix The pulling cards for books is fantastic and a lot of fun! I used my beloved Tyldwick and picked one card for the overall theme of the book, a short story collection. I received the 5 of wands, the title of the book is 'Battleborn' by Claire Vaye Watkins. Isn't that great?! For my overall experience I received the 9 of Cups and indeed, this was one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

 

For the first story I pulled the Star and it was about the Spahn Ranch, which was used a location for movies and TV productions, and a woman who's father was part of the Manson family and she herself has a certain renown because of that.  Star in a very literal sense here. And so on...it really worked out in a neat way for each story.

 

 

 

I’m so glad you had such cool draws for your reading life!! Also, I LOVE the Art Oracles but haven’t worked with it nearly at all yet. I hear a deck calling...