Ever experience issues connecting with a deck?

[dfaithberry]

I was wondering if anyone has experience with the Angel Wisdom Deck or has had the experience of struggling connecting with a deck. I have worked with this deck for about a month (2 to 3 times a day) and just in the last week I feel I am starting to build a connection with these cards, but only when I don't use a spread. I also feel my readings are off when I pull from the top of the deck and instead use the fallout shuffle method. I have tried cleansing them, blessing them, and doing spread to "get to know" the deck. Does anyone have any techniques they use to build a better relationship with your deck? 

[euripides]

I wonder if this is one of those decks where it's a bit one-sided and you're not really going to build a friendship. This deck looks rather didactic to me, and it's designed around a quite specific theme, so I think it would be quite difficult to ask more of it. A bit like asking your Physics professor for advice on literary analysis or auto maintenance - it's not a blight on their expertise in their field, it's just not their job.

 

Two to three times a day with one deck is a lot. Also decks, I find, go a bit quiet when you nag them.

 

Do you work with other decks too?

Edited July 20, 2021 by euripides

[dfaithberry]

3 hours ago, euripides said:

I wonder if this is one of those decks where it's a bit one-sided and you're not really going to build a friendship. This deck looks rather didactic to me, and it's designed around a quite specific theme, so I think it would be quite difficult to ask more of it. A bit like asking your Physics professor for advice on literary analysis or auto maintenance - it's not a blight on their expertise in their field, it's just not their job.

 

Two to three times a day with one deck is a lot. Also decks, I find, go a bit quiet when you nag them.

 

Do you work with other decks too?

I never thought of that. I normally switch between decks depending on the type of question or the person asking the question. Other times a deck seems to call to me. I enjoy the light seer's, gilded and favorite is Mystical Moments. 

[AlbaTross]

I have had it go both ways with decks.  I have ones that I was really excited about and when I finally got them, I used them a couple times but have since only used them on occasion.  To be fair, I do sometimes use all of my decks...there are just some I use far more than others.  On the other hand, there have been ones that I figured I would think are alright, and while something compelled me to order them, I didn't think I'd actually use them all that much, only to find that actually, I have and I do.  It's an interesting phenomenon really.

 

As has been stated above, I do tend to use different decks for different readings.  I find that I get better readings if the tone of the imagery closely reflects the tone of what I want to ask the cards.  If I'm feeling anxious or nervous about something I may "face my fears" with my Gothic Horror Tarot set, knowing full well that the imagery tends to just put a horror spin on the traditional RWS cards to make them seem more frightening than they are (and likewise, my mind may be making something upcoming to be more anxiety-inducing than it needs to be).  Maybe I just want to take a trip with the cards, and I'm consistently impressed with Tarot in Wonderland's ability to do just that.  In fact, much like the stories it's based on, it can really help put real life things into context, and that just impresses me even more.  One common theme with all of the above though is, if I were to try and use any of them for other types of inquiries, I may get mixed results.  So, I have other decks for inquiries where they would be more fitting.

[dfaithberry]

2 hours ago, AlbaTross said:

I have had it go both ways with decks.  I have ones that I was really excited about and when I finally got them, I used them a couple times but have since only used them on occasion.  To be fair, I do sometimes use all of my decks...there are just some I use far more than others.  On the other hand, there have been ones that I figured I would think are alright, and while something compelled me to order them, I didn't think I'd actually use them all that much, only to find that actually, I have and I do.  It's an interesting phenomenon really.

 

As has been stated above, I do tend to use different decks for different readings.  I find that I get better readings if the tone of the imagery closely reflects the tone of what I want to ask the cards.  If I'm feeling anxious or nervous about something I may "face my fears" with my Gothic Horror Tarot set, knowing full well that the imagery tends to just put a horror spin on the traditional RWS cards to make them seem more frightening than they are (and likewise, my mind may be making something upcoming to be more anxiety-inducing than it needs to be).  Maybe I just want to take a trip with the cards, and I'm consistently impressed with Tarot in Wonderland's ability to do just that.  In fact, much like the stories it's based on, it can really help put real life things into context, and that just impresses me even more.  One common theme with all of the above though is, if I were to try and use any of them for other types of inquiries, I may get mixed results.  So, I have other decks for inquiries where they would be more fitting.

As a novice, I don't think I am at the level where my intuition kicks in on which deck is best but hopefully over time and patience I too will be able to relate decks to questions. I love that 

[AlbaTross]

8 hours ago, dfaithberry said:

As a novice, I don't think I am at the level where my intuition kicks in on which deck is best but hopefully over time and patience I too will be able to relate decks to questions. I love that 

You give me way too much credit, friend.  It could even be a case of how I'm feeling determining what deck I choose.  It's usually based on what I'm wanting from the cards though.  In theory, any deck can work for any type of reading.  I've just noticed that for me, certain decks just feel right for certain readings and I tend to get better insight when the tone of the deck is reasonably consistent with the situation or inquiry than when its tone seems to be the opposite.  Of course, there are times when more than one deck feels right for a situation too.  If I'm feeling anxious about something, maybe I need Gothic Horror Tarot to tell me I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, or maybe I need The Dragon Tarot to tell me I need to be bold.  I also have a traditional RWS deck and an Everyday Tarot deck, both of which I turn to when I want simplicity, and I've never had a problem using either of them for a wide range of readings.  

 

I wouldn't characterize myself as an expert either.  Plus, intuition is as simple as trusting your gut sometimes.  What deck to use for a reading should be what feels right for you.  I tend to gravitate towards certain themes for certain inquiries, but maybe it's not that way for you.  Heck, there have even been times when I would normally choose a deck for a reading, but I feel really strongly that I should use a different one, and just go with that instead.  I wouldn't even say theme is everything.  My Oak, Ash and Thorn deck introduced itself as the King of Pentacles in a deck interview, so I go to it for financial-related inquiries, curiously enough.  It's probably just as well, since I'm more the type to face my emotions head-on rather than turning to an animal-themed deck to try and lift my mood or distract me from how I'm feeling.  

 

Come to think of it, have you tried interviewing your deck?  A deck interview spread can tell you a lot about your deck, and there are plenty that can be found online with a simple Google search.  I have personally settled into a simple three-card "who are you, who am I, how can we best work together?" spread, but there are many options out there.  I have long since made a point of doing it as my first reading when I get a deck, but it's never too late to do a deck interview if you haven't done one.  I didn't get into the habit until some time after I got my first deck, so I interviewed it retroactively.  

[PathWalker]

For me, it's like a deck has personality (which of course is a foolish way to describe it, try again)

The artwork style, and theme too, determined by the deck creator, can either really work with my brain wiring, or less so.

Some themes or images just leave me unmoved. It's like the deck is silent, nothing comes from it visually that sparks my mind.

 

Sometimes it can be obvious why - it can be a culture I know nothing about, or a area that I don't really feel a connection with (angels then for me ). Or an art style that really doesn't grab me at all.  Let it go back in the cupboard and try again in a few years?

[katrinka]

4 hours ago, PathWalker said:

For me, it's like a deck has personality (which of course is a foolish way to describe it, try again)

 

An artist does, and it comes through in the art, so that's actually not farfetched at all.
 

4 hours ago, PathWalker said:

The artwork style, and theme too, determined by the deck creator, can either really work with my brain wiring, or less so.

Some themes or images just leave me unmoved. It's like the deck is silent, nothing comes from it visually that sparks my mind.

Sometimes it can be obvious why - it can be a culture I know nothing about, or a area that I don't really feel a connection with (angels then for me ). Or an art style that really doesn't grab me at all.  Let it go back in the cupboard and try again in a few years?

 

Yes. And if I don't like something enough to invest the necessary time in study and practice, I won't be particularly good at it. Just because I can read cards already doesn't mean I can read all decks equally well.
The art is sometimes the problem, other times it's the subject matter. I never made the deep, obsessive study of alchemy that would be required to fully crack the Tarot of the Holy Light. even though I love the art.

[katrinka]

On 7/20/2021 at 10:58 AM, dfaithberry said:

I was wondering if anyone has experience with the Angel Wisdom Deck or has had the experience of struggling connecting with a deck. I have worked with this deck for about a month (2 to 3 times a day) and just in the last week I feel I am starting to build a connection with these cards, but only when I don't use a spread.

 

If you lay the cards on the table, you're using a spread. It makes no difference if you use named positions or not.
The dictionary defines a spread as "something spread out."

 

Please try to use words according to what they actually mean. We rely on that for clear communication.
 

On 7/20/2021 at 10:58 AM, dfaithberry said:

I also feel my readings are off when I pull from the top of the deck and instead use the fallout shuffle method.

 

On 7/20/2021 at 10:58 AM, dfaithberry said:

 

I have tried cleansing them, blessing them, and doing spread to "get to know" the deck. Does anyone have any techniques they use to build a better relationship with your deck? 

 

Yes: study and practice.

Edited July 23, 2021 by katrinka

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

I disagree heartily. Spread is what my bottom does in a chair. Spread in tarot, for me, is laying out the cards with positions. They help define the question, help stop the waffling and guessing and seeing what we want to see rather than what is there. 

dfaithberry, what you are doing is learning your way. None of us sprang from the womb able to tell practical, insightful, or divinatory stories from the cards. What works for you will stick eventually, all is well and will be well. And keep asking questions!

 

I've learned over the years what works for me, and what doesn't. I shuffle carefully so I don't have jumpers, if I do I ignore them, put them back in the deck and shuffle again.  I don't read the bottom card. I don't do reversals. I don't do fortune telling, if humans could see the future we wouldn't make so damn many mistakes in our lives. Our mistakes are our teachers, but the cards can help us do better. I also don't take issue with those readers who do fortune telling. It is all journey. 

 

Welcome to the forum, if I haven't already said. Each of us have opinions and that is all they are, singular, not gospel. 

[katrinka]

5 hours ago, AJ-ish/Sharyn said:

I disagree heartily. Spread is what my bottom does in a chair. Spread in tarot, for me, is laying out the cards with positions. They help define the question, help stop the waffling and guessing and seeing what we want to see rather than what is there. 

...

Welcome to the forum, if I haven't already said. Each of us have opinions and that is all they are, singular, not gospel. 

 

It's not an opinion, AJ, it's the actual definition of the word. I looked it up and verified it before posting that:

 

"...something spread out", "something spread on or over a surface".
Not "something spread out with each thing in a named space."

An opinion would be something like "Beans taste better if you add a little sugar to the pot." Some people think so, others don't. It's not the same thing as the definition of a word.

And my point wasn't that people shouldn't use named positions. I use them occasionally myself. My point was that people should make the effort to use words correctly. We're communicating here mainly with written words and occasional images, nothing else. What we say needs to be clear. If everyone makes up their own word definitions, it won't work.

Edited July 23, 2021 by katrinka

[bastetly]

On 7/20/2021 at 3:34 PM, euripides said:

Two to three times a day with one deck is a lot. Also decks, I find, go a bit quiet when you nag them.

 

 

 

I think so too.  In fact. mine go quiet or give me wrong answers if I try and use clarifying cards.  They are saying: " We gave the answer to the question YOU asked.  Now READ the d**m cards!"  My Lenormand cards are quite stubborn, but very generous w their accuracy.  I don't use Tarot often, but am still buying them every now and again.  (Artwork is paramount in those decisions, and feeling the artist can actually read cards!) 

 

12 hours ago, AlbaTross said:

Come to think of it, have you tried interviewing your deck?  A deck interview spread can tell you a lot about your deck, and there are plenty that can be found online with a simple Google search.  I have personally settled into a simple three-card "who are you, who am I, how can we best work together?" spread, but there are many options out there.  I have long since made a point of doing it as my first reading when I get a deck, but it's never too late to do a deck interview if you haven't done one.  I didn't get into the habit until some time after I got my first deck, so I interviewed it retroactively.  

I see this kind of recommendation rather frequently.  It's time I started trying this out w my own decks.  I'll try your 3 card spread and see what happens.  Perhaps I could ID better which deck to use and when.  Perhaps I shall thin the herd as well 🙂

Edited July 23, 2021 by bastetly

[AlbaTross]

1 hour ago, bastetly said:

I see this kind of recommendation rather frequently.  It's time I started trying this out w my own decks.  I'll try your 3 card spread and see what happens.  Perhaps I could ID better which deck to use and when.  Perhaps I shall thin the herd as well 🙂

It's not a bad idea.  Feel free to share how it goes.🙂 

 

I actually arrived at that simple three-card deck interview spread after trying a whole bunch of them.  For some reason, when I first started I decided I would do a different deck interview spread for every deck.  I ended up doing these really complicated ones, sometimes with up to 12 cards, and I can tell you that I don't remember any of those deck interviews while I certainly do remember the ones where I kept it simple.  There are additional parameters that make sense, like "what are you here to teach me?", which is probably the parameter I would add if I ever were to add a fourth, but I ended up settling on three that work really well for me.  Besides, some of the really complex spreads add a whole bunch of things, not all of which I found were really needed, and only served to muddle the reading.  Of course, it probably didn't help that I was doing these spreads as a beginner, and even had to ask people on forums for help.  Good times...

 

"Who are you?" is an obvious one that can tell you a lot about what kind of readings the deck will be good for. 

 

"Who am I?" can tell you what the deck "thinks" of you.  I use quotations because while I lean a lot more into the mystical side of things than when I first started, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to accept decks as living, breathing entities and prefer to think of them in more conventional terms.  But, what that card can do is tell you something about yourself, whether it's something you've thought about or haven't, are conscious of or aren't.  Above all though, it can tell you a bit about the kind if insight a deck can give. 

 

"How can we best work together?" simply tells you something about the mind space you ought to be in if you want to get the best possible readings out of the deck.  It can also say a lot about how compatible you may be with the deck.  I've gotten cards that tell me I really have to focus my mind if I want to get the best readings out of the deck, or that I have to be bold and be ready to make things happen through my own actions.  I've even had The Lovers come up, which tells me that that deck and I are a great fit and can absolutely work really well together if I'm willing to "partner" with it.  

Edited July 23, 2021 by AlbaTross

[Guest]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:52 PM, katrinka said:

It's not an opinion, AJ, it's the actual definition of the word. I looked it up and verified it before posting that:

Yes.  Whether it is a Celtic Cross or a Line of Five it is spread. You are spreading the cards. 
 

What AJ refers to is a pattern. 
 

On 7/20/2021 at 4:58 PM, dfaithberry said:

or has had the experience of struggling connecting with a deck.

It is common. Just like you, a deck has an essence and temperament. These are formulated during its creation. Sometimes one can connect completely, other times you are at odds. 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Guest
Typo

[bastetly]

On 7/23/2021 at 1:36 PM, AlbaTross said:

I actually arrived at that simple three-card deck interview spread after trying a whole bunch of them.  For some reason, when I first started I decided I would do a different deck interview spread for every deck.  I ended up doing these really complicated ones, sometimes with up to 12 cards, and I can tell you that I don't remember any of those deck interviews while I certainly do remember the ones where I kept it simple.  There are additional parameters that make sense, like "what are you here to teach me?", which is probably the parameter I would add if I ever were to add a fourth, but I ended up settling on three that work really well for me.  Besides, some of the really complex spreads add a whole bunch of things, not all of which I found were really needed, and only served to muddle the reading.  Of course, it probably didn't help that I was doing these spreads as a beginner, and even had to ask people on forums for help.  Good times...

 

Yes, the Good Times had me chuckling there.  My brain likes to keep spreads as simple as possible.  And get stretched again w a larger spread.  But I find them exhausting and exhilerating w all the extra info.  On a deck onterview I agree that 3-4 sounds about right.

 

On 7/23/2021 at 1:36 PM, AlbaTross said:

"Who am I?" can tell you what the deck "thinks" of you.  I use quotations because while I lean a lot more into the mystical side of things than when I first started, I'm not sure I'm quite ready to accept decks as living, breathing entities and prefer to think of them in more conventional terms.  But, what that card can do is tell you something about yourself, whether it's something you've thought about or haven't, are conscious of or aren't.  Above all though, it can tell you a bit about the kind if insight a deck can give. 

My first thought was "yikes!"  But I love that last sentence and it's the important one for me.

Your whole response in elaborating that process was generous and helpful, aaaaand I thank you AlbaTross! (also one of my favorite songs by the late Peter Greenbaum, RiP 2020)

[AlbaTross]

On 7/26/2021 at 4:22 AM, bastetly said:

Yes, the Good Times had me chuckling there.  My brain likes to keep spreads as simple as possible.  And get stretched again w a larger spread.  But I find them exhausting and exhilerating w all the extra info.  On a deck onterview I agree that 3-4 sounds about right.

 

My first thought was "yikes!"  But I love that last sentence and it's the important one for me.

Your whole response in elaborating that process was generous and helpful, aaaaand I thank you AlbaTross! (also one of my favorite songs by the late Peter Greenbaum, RiP 2020)

Oh yeah we lost Peter Greenbaum last year. ☹️

 

Glad I can help though.🙂  At the end of the day there really isn’t much in the way of wrong ways to approach Tarot, and you will surely develop your own personal approaches to any number of things from spreads, to deck choices, to even how you shuffle and cut a deck.  All I can do is share what works for me and why, but if it’s helpful to you then great.😄

[dfaithberry]

On 7/23/2021 at 2:48 AM, AlbaTross said:

You give me way too much credit, friend.  It could even be a case of how I'm feeling determining what deck I choose.  It's usually based on what I'm wanting from the cards though.  In theory, any deck can work for any type of reading.  I've just noticed that for me, certain decks just feel right for certain readings and I tend to get better insight when the tone of the deck is reasonably consistent with the situation or inquiry than when its tone seems to be the opposite.  Of course, there are times when more than one deck feels right for a situation too.  If I'm feeling anxious about something, maybe I need Gothic Horror Tarot to tell me I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, or maybe I need The Dragon Tarot to tell me I need to be bold.  I also have a traditional RWS deck and an Everyday Tarot deck, both of which I turn to when I want simplicity, and I've never had a problem using either of them for a wide range of readings.  

 

I wouldn't characterize myself as an expert either.  Plus, intuition is as simple as trusting your gut sometimes.  What deck to use for a reading should be what feels right for you.  I tend to gravitate towards certain themes for certain inquiries, but maybe it's not that way for you.  Heck, there have even been times when I would normally choose a deck for a reading, but I feel really strongly that I should use a different one, and just go with that instead.  I wouldn't even say theme is everything.  My Oak, Ash and Thorn deck introduced itself as the King of Pentacles in a deck interview, so I go to it for financial-related inquiries, curiously enough.  It's probably just as well, since I'm more the type to face my emotions head-on rather than turning to an animal-themed deck to try and lift my mood or distract me from how I'm feeling.  

 

Come to think of it, have you tried interviewing your deck?  A deck interview spread can tell you a lot about your deck, and there are plenty that can be found online with a simple Google search.  I have personally settled into a simple three-card "who are you, who am I, how can we best work together?" spread, but there are many options out there.  I have long since made a point of doing it as my first reading when I get a deck, but it's never too late to do a deck interview if you haven't done one.  I didn't get into the habit until some time after I got my first deck, so I interviewed it retroactively.  

Sorry for the delayed response. I did try interviewing my deck but I will try again. The simple three card spread seems like a good option to tryout. Thank you!

[dfaithberry]

On 7/23/2021 at 2:56 AM, PathWalker said:

For me, it's like a deck has personality (which of course is a foolish way to describe it, try again)

The artwork style, and theme too, determined by the deck creator, can either really work with my brain wiring, or less so.

Some themes or images just leave me unmoved. It's like the deck is silent, nothing comes from it visually that sparks my mind.

 

Sometimes it can be obvious why - it can be a culture I know nothing about, or a area that I don't really feel a connection with (angels then for me ). Or an art style that really doesn't grab me at all.  Let it go back in the cupboard and try again in a few years?

It is weird. When I first used by Light Seer's deck and felt this energy and the cards have spoken to me ever since. I still struggle connecting to the Angel Wisdom deck, perhaps it is the imagery and how it connect with me and how I see then visually (interpretation of the cards)

[dfaithberry]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:54 AM, katrinka said:

 

An artist does, and it comes through in the art, so that's actually not farfetched at all.
 

 

Yes. And if I don't like something enough to invest the necessary time in study and practice, I won't be particularly good at it. Just because I can read cards already doesn't mean I can read all decks equally well.
The art is sometimes the problem, other times it's the subject matter. I never made the deep, obsessive study of alchemy that would be required to fully crack the Tarot of the Holy Light. even though I love the art.

This last part 100%

[dfaithberry]

On 7/23/2021 at 10:28 AM, AJ-ish/Sharyn said:

I disagree heartily. Spread is what my bottom does in a chair. Spread in tarot, for me, is laying out the cards with positions. They help define the question, help stop the waffling and guessing and seeing what we want to see rather than what is there. 

dfaithberry, what you are doing is learning your way. None of us sprang from the womb able to tell practical, insightful, or divinatory stories from the cards. What works for you will stick eventually, all is well and will be well. And keep asking questions!

 

I've learned over the years what works for me, and what doesn't. I shuffle carefully so I don't have jumpers, if I do I ignore them, put them back in the deck and shuffle again.  I don't read the bottom card. I don't do reversals. I don't do fortune telling, if humans could see the future we wouldn't make so damn many mistakes in our lives. Our mistakes are our teachers, but the cards can help us do better. I also don't take issue with those readers who do fortune telling. It is all journey. 

 

Welcome to the forum, if I haven't already said. Each of us have opinions and that is all they are, singular, not gospel. 

I welcome all thoughts and opinions. I assume good intent and appreciate the intuition of others. Thank you!

[dfaithberry]

On 7/23/2021 at 3:23 PM, bastetly said:

I think so too.  In fact. mine go quiet or give me wrong answers if I try and use clarifying cards.  They are saying: " We gave the answer to the question YOU asked.  Now READ the d**m cards!"  My Lenormand cards are quite stubborn, but very generous w their accuracy.  I don't use Tarot often, but am still buying them every now and again.  (Artwork is paramount in those decisions, and feeling the artist can actually read cards!) 

 

I see this kind of recommendation rather frequently.  It's time I started trying this out w my own decks.  I'll try your 3 card spread and see what happens.  Perhaps I could ID better which deck to use and when.  Perhaps I shall thin the herd as well 🙂

I am starting to witness the "go quiet" pattern when using a deck too much too. I am starting to reduce the number of readings I do a day and alternate more between my decks. 

[katrinka]

6 hours ago, dfaithberry said:

Sorry for the delayed response. I did try interviewing my deck but I will try again. The simple three card spread seems like a good option to tryout. Thank you!

 

Just FYI, deck interviews are by no means required or even standard practice. I do know perfectly good readers who use them, but it's an option, no more than that.
I can't recall ever doing one, and my cards work fine.