Calling all WW Tarot Users

[WildWoman71]

I would love to get this study group going again but most of the posts are old - is there anyone still on the forum using this deck that would like to continue?

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

the beauty of the study groups is that they are always there. Ten years later people can add to the mix, complete missing cards. It can be lonely, but if you jump in hopefully other will be inspired to add to the mix also. Please don't be dissuaded from continuing on with the study even though it isn't really a chat along thing. At some point others will appreciate you did, and I know there are a number of Wildwood fans here. 

 

If I haven't said it already, welcome! Please make it your tarot home, and post often, they are the lifeblood of the forum. consider becoming a subscriber so you can enjoy all of it 🙂

[Guest]

I am waiting for my deck to arrive, so I would be up for a study group.

[Wanderer]

I'm still around - just mostly occupied with non-tarot stuff recently!

@SilverLeaf has also joined recently and loves the deck, so there are definitely a few of us active...

 

So yes, by all means join in, Wildwoman and Hazel both - it'll be great to have some new contributions! All I'd ask is that you try to follow the format built in so far, so that it stays roughly consistent. Maybe start by adding thoughts to some of the threads and card discussions already there, and see how it goes from there? If you've got a burning desire to do different cards straight away, please start a new thread for each, and ideally include an image of the card, and then discuss the imagery, the symbolism, and how the card reads for you. Looking forward to seeing your ideas and interpretations! 😎

[WildWoman71]

Thank you AJ and Wanderer - will do as suggested - but I am excited there are a couple of other users so we can discuss.

 

Blessings

WW

[SilverLeaf]

@WildWoman71 and @Hazel, welcome, I'd love to keep up on ongoing discussion of work with this deck, I hope we can engage in conversation on this!

[CharlotteK]

I'd really like to get involved. I've been a member here for a long time but have been on a huge break from forums and also tarot. There are a small number of decks I want to work with on a deeper level and WW is one of them. Ready to dive in 🙂

[Guest]

I would love to study and talk with people. How does the group study work? Is it on the forums or also with Skype?

[Wanderer]

Hi @CharlotteK and @Hazel - and great to have you on board! When I started this, there weren't many other people contributing, and it rather ground to a halt... so this ought to give it new life.

 

How does it work? Well, study groups can very quickly get chaotic and impossible to navigate if we're not careful, so we'll have to try to be logical. This is as much a future reference, or encylopedia, of our ideas, so is quite different to a chat thread (all the 'light' nattering should be kept in threads like this, ideally). Please first have a read of what is there already, so that we avoid duplicating things, or multiplying them. It's important to keep threads on topic (or the meanderings will just be lost), and is always better to use an existsing thread rather than creating a new one, where it's applicable. For example, I've just seen Wildwoman's new thread on the suits themselves (which was a big gap - thank you! 😎) and any discussion of the nature of the individual suits should go there.

 

The core will probably be the discussions of the cards themselves, each in its own thread. I made a start on this, and you'll notice there's an index thread as well, but I didn't get very far. Please add your own interpretations for the cards already there!

     There's also no reason why it should be just me starting those threads, but I think it would be ideal for the first post to follow a similar format, whoever writes it. In other words, a fairly detailed discussion of the symbolism, story behind the meaning, 'book meaning' and our own perspectives on it, to form the basis of discussion. We can then each add our own interpretations, where they differ or add to the first post, and discuss variations. I'll try to start to some new cards soon as well - although life is very busy right now.

     (I've wondered at adding basic entries for all the cards first, but that actually doesn't help, because the index wouldn't show which ones are worth reading yet - it would just get frustrating, I think.)

 

Any thoughts or suggestions, or shall we begin?

[Wanderer]

4 hours ago, Hazel said:

Is it on the forums or also with Skype?

It's just here for the moment, so it's all there fore posterity - it's how these study groups generally work. I don't think there's anything stopping us having an additional Zoom meeting, though, or something like that, if we felt the need!

[SilverLeaf]

5 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

It's just here for the moment, so it's all there fore posterity - it's how these study groups generally work. I don't think there's anything stopping us having an additional Zoom meeting, though, or something like that, if we felt the need!

@Wanderer, looks like @WildWoman71 began a discussion, beginning to tackle the suit of arrows, hope you'll join us, your extensive experience with the deck would be a welcome source of wisdom!

[WildWoman71]

Yes Wanderer - please 

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

Hi @CharlotteK and @Hazel - and great to have you on board! When I started this, there weren't many other people contributing, and it rather ground to a halt... so this ought to give it new life.

 

How does it work? Well, study groups can very quickly get chaotic and impossible to navigate if we're not careful, so we'll have to try to be logical. This is as much a future reference, or encylopedia, of our ideas, so is quite different to a chat thread (all the 'light' nattering should be kept in threads like this, ideally). Please first have a read of what is there already, so that we avoid duplicating things, or multiplying them. It's important to keep threads on topic (or the meanderings will just be lost), and is always better to use an existsing thread rather than creating a new one, where it's applicable. For example, I've just seen Wildwoman's new thread on the suits themselves (which was a big gap - thank you! 😎) and any discussion of the nature of the individual suits should go there.

 

The core will probably be the discussions of the cards themselves, each in its own thread. I made a start on this, and you'll notice there's an index thread as well, but I didn't get very far. Please add your own interpretations for the cards already there!

     There's also no reason why it should be just me starting those threads, but I think it would be ideal for the first post to follow a similar format, whoever writes it. In other words, a fairly detailed discussion of the symbolism, story behind the meaning, 'book meaning' and our own perspectives on it, to form the basis of discussion. We can then each add our own interpretations, where they differ or add to the first post, and discuss variations. I'll try to start to some new cards soon as well - although life is very busy right now.

     (I've wondered at adding basic entries for all the cards first, but that actually doesn't help, because the index wouldn't show which ones are worth reading yet - it would just get frustrating, I think.)

 

Any thoughts or suggestions, or shall we begin?

I can join as soon as my deck has arrived. Hopefully before the end of this month. I have only just begun with Tarot so there is much I need to learn. 

[Wanderer]

33 minutes ago, Hazel said:

I can join as soon as my deck has arrived. Hopefully before the end of this month. I have only just begun with Tarot so there is much I need to learn. 

No worries, and we'll look forward to it! Sometimes completely new, fresh insights are just what we need, especially in a deck where the normal Tarot traditions only partly apply... this deck is very much its own thing, in a lot of ways.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

No worries, and we'll look forward to it! Sometimes completely new, fresh insights are just what we need, especially in a deck where the normal Tarot traditions only partly apply... this deck is very much its own thing, in a lot of ways.

It is why I wanted the deck. It spoke to me. I realise I have much to learn and for that a deck that is RW based is the best approach for me, but I also wanted a deck whereby the traditions are, as you said, only partly.

[WildWoman71]

Quote

 this deck is very much its own thing, in a lot of ways.

Which is why I love it so!

[surreal]

Hi
I found this deck in a charity shop some time ago and believing that you are ment to find some things I feel that I would like to take a look at it. Knowing nothing about it I hope to learn something here.

[WildWoman71]

Quote

 found this deck in a charity shop some time ago and believing that you are ment to find some things I feel that I would like to take a look at it. Knowing nothing about it I hope to learn something here.

for sure - one man's garbage is another's treasures...so exciting - clear the deck's energy if you havent used it yet...sage smoke - light of the full moon - the sun's warmth

[Kristin]

Just joined the forums and I'm excited to see a WW study group started. I'm hoping to add some new posts and input soon if anybody is still interested.

[Wanderer]

On 9/9/2022 at 9:33 PM, Kristin said:

Just joined the forums and I'm excited to see a WW study group started. I'm hoping to add some new posts and input soon if anybody is still interested.

Hi Kristin! Great to hear about another Wildwood fan - it's a wonderful deck, and for me it's the only one I use. I'm always still interested in what people think about it, how they use it, and so on, but I've not really been posting here for quite a long time. As for why that is... it's hard to put into words.

    I'm still reading Tarot, but have found that the more I've built up my relationship with the cards, the more personal it has become. By this I mean that I'm not sure any more whether my understanding of the deck is really useful to other people, or if it could actually be detrimental. Because the deck calls so deeply to those who love it, we end up with our own perspectives on it, building up rapidly beyond the point where the guidebook is useful (and let's face it, it's really not a great guidebook... 😊). Once we have that, our individual understanding becomes the one that matters, and I'm worried that the meanings of the cards, for me, may interfere with or dilute the meanings that other people have built up for themselves. Is it useful, or does it get in the way? I'm not sure... but that's probably the main reason why I've not been posting anything lately.

    Anyhow, I still enjoy hearing other views on the cards, and will be reading anything you post... so please do! Hopefully there are still a few others around who are interested in contributing as well, and if people are still feeling their way into the deck then this is probably still a very useful set of discussions! Looking forward to reading more... 😎

[Teemu]

Hello,

 

it has been quite some time since the last post, but - I recently bought a copy of WWT and my first reading, the Deck Interview Spread came out just awesome. I have never had such a clear message from any deck so far, so I untend to use it more often and dive deeper into it. The complimentary "Wald Magic" book is on the way; I should be able to pick it up this week.

 

@Wanderer: I see your point. Anyways, messages on the cards like "abundance" or "empowerment" should be clear enough, or did you disregard them as well? Be that as it may, the deeper meaning needs always to be revealed individually. All in all, different views should show new aspects, so I do not think it would get in the way. Moreover, I always ask myself if I do a reading - no matter if single card or spread - correctly, so I welcome other views.

[debs]

This is interesting, I've just been thinking of 'dusting' off my deck and book. I've had it since 2003 but as a beginner then I think I just found it very different, almost a system of its own, which is what is making it seem more attractive now.

@Wanderer how long have you only used the wild wood for? Would love to know more about how you came to decide to only work with this deck. I'll have a read through later of all of the old study group.

@Teemu which book have you ordered the Alison cross one or Mark Ryan book? I've been looking at both but can't decide.

[Wanderer]

10 hours ago, Teemu said:

Hello,

 

it has been quite some time since the last post, but - I recently bought a copy of WWT and my first reading, the Deck Interview Spread came out just awesome. I have never had such a clear message from any deck so far, so I untend to use it more often and dive deeper into it. The complimentary "Wald Magic" book is on the way; I should be able to pick it up this week.

 

@Wanderer: I see your point. Anyways, messages on the cards like "abundance" or "empowerment" should be clear enough, or did you disregard them as well? Be that as it may, the deeper meaning needs always to be revealed individually. All in all, different views should show new aspects, so I do not think it would get in the way. Moreover, I always ask myself if I do a reading - no matter if single card or spread - correctly, so I welcome other views.

Hi Teemu! Great to hear that it's started to talk to you on such a good level straight away - that's a really good sign. If you felt like posting the results of that reading, it would be very interesting to see.

   You're probably right that I'm being too cautious with regard to modified meanings, and indeed, many of the basic meanings are fundamentally the same and just differ in relatively subtle ways (although that can be significant). In most cases I wouldn't be able to say what the general rule is for interpreting any one card; it's more that there is a range of meaning to choose from, and how intuition works with the card in a particular situation is therefore more flexible. It's a particular aspect for the Wildwood because of the lack of formal 'reversed' meanings, and that each contains its shadow. Empowerment, for example, can also include aspects of the Knights (e.g. overconfidence, recklessness, and belligerance) in addition to the 'positive' meanings.

   Since writing the post above, I've also been thinking more deeply about how Tarot works, and how it relates to other aspects of philosophy and the paranormal, and that's also changing my perception of how the meanings evolve for an individual. I'm now getting back to the point of thinking that the risk of influencing someone detrimentally in this way is probably minimal, because that's not quite how it works.

 

[Wanderer]

53 minutes ago, debs said:

This is interesting, I've just been thinking of 'dusting' off my deck and book. I've had it since 2003 but as a beginner then I think I just found it very different, almost a system of its own, which is what is making it seem more attractive now.

@Wanderer how long have you only used the wild wood for? Would love to know more about how you came to decide to only work with this deck. I'll have a read through later of all of the old study group.

About 10 years, Debs. I was living in China at the time, and stumbled across it online - and was immediately obsessed by the imagery, in a weirdly deep and powerful way. I'd been reading with the RW for many years by then, but it had never made sense to me intuitively; I still had to check meanings, and even though it worked, it wasn't satisfying. As soon as I saw the WW, I knew it was a revelation. The symbolism made far more sense to me than the Christian and formal occult overtones of the RW, and even when I didn't know the stories behind particular characters, they felt somehow familiar... as if I knew them on some deeper level (like Jung's archetypes, I guess).

    As soon as I got back to the UK I ordered a deck, and just fell into it. There was an instant connection, and I immediately felt as though there was a personality behind the cards. Reading with them was a conversation, as if with a new friend that I somehow already knew at a very deep level. There was a period of feeling my way through the readings, including discovering that it got very sarcastic when I thought I'd drawn the "wrong" cards, or when I gave up to easily. It demanded investment and effort, and gave back accordingly.

   After a while it started to feel as though using another deck would be somehow wrong... as if the WW was jealous of my attention, and would be offended by dalliances with others. At the same time, I felt that I didn't need another deck, because (like all good Tarot decks) it contained within it everything I needed to know. The cards are a window onto the totality of life, and if they represent aspects of life in a way that is familiar, then what advantage is there in having another deck? Perhaps there are different moods that can come through from different decks, but they should be accessible through any one deck as well. The more familiar one gets with a single deck, the more subtleties it can contain, and the less one needs another angle.

    So, I'm fully aware that the 'jealousy' of the WW is probably just me projecting my own thoughts and feelings onto the deck, because I believe that reading is basically a conversation with our subconscious. The WW captures my subconscious landscape almost perfectly (or, at least, better than any other commercial deck), and so that's the one I need. There may be other decks that capture particular momentary moods better, but those are not my subconscious... so they might be easier to read at that time, but there's a risk they are not representing the message that was intended.

    I hope this all makes some sort of sense, even though it's quite different to how many people see the cards - I've never had to put it into words, before!  Perhaps it's different for others, and using multiple decks is genuinely beneficial for them. For me, though, as much as certain decks appeal (either aesthetically or through their mythology) they don't match my underlying psyche as well as the Wildwood does. As a result, the WW is better for me, in an absolute way... and using other decks is probably a waste of time.

    As a final thought, when reading for others one could make a case for using a deck that matches their underlying personality instead of our own... but I don't think that works, either, unless you're reading for another reader... in which case it has become collaborative. To give the best answers, we read in the language we know best... and, if needed, translate afterwards into the language the sitter needs. 

 

[Teemu]

2 hours ago, debs said:

which book have you ordered the Alison cross one or Mark Ryan book? I've been looking at both but can't decide.

It is the Mark Ryan book.

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

 I'd been reading with the RW for many years by then, but it had never made sense to me intuitively; I still had to check meanings, and even though it worked, it wasn't satisfying. As soon as I saw the WW, I knew it was a revelation. The symbolism made far more sense to me than the Christian and formal occult overtones of the RW, and even when I didn't know the stories behind particular characters, they felt somehow familiar... as if I knew them on some deeper level (like Jung's archetypes, I guess).

Yes, same here. I was undecided at first if I should buy it, since I have already too many decks for my taste. But now I am happy I did.

  

1 hour ago, Wanderer said:

If you felt like posting the results of that reading, it would be very interesting to see.

Yes, can do. Will look for a/the proper place.