Deck of the Week Sign-up Thread: Week 266, August 13 - August 19

[Agnes]

34 minutes ago, Wyrdkiss said:

that is part of the point of this group IMO.  To sort, and assess, and accurately determine what packs are going to most effectively serve our needs as tarot practitioners

It sure is a big part of what interests me in this thread. I have a bunch of decks from the last time I studied tarot, and I want to explore them before deciding whether or not to keep them. 

[Rachelcat]

3 hours ago, DesertRat said:

I am feeling rather meh about the Tarot of the White Cats. I think it's the cats dressed like people that's putting me off.  It's too bad really, the artwork is quite attractive. I think I'd like it better if i were just people instead of cats. I believe I will try to re-home this one and stick with more catty cat decks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi!  Yes, I let my White Cats go after I used it for a deck of the week for the same reasons.  But I have to admit, it has the best 10 of Swords!  I can just hear the cat saying "so long suckers!"

[Rachelcat]

Here I am with the Tarot of Japanese Poetry.  (Catching up already!)

 

Years ago I had the idea of creating a haiku tarot, but I didn’t get very far.  So I just backed one on Kickstarter instead!  The art is a pleasure to behold.  But I’m just not sure that, with the poems in the booklet, not on the cards, it will be readable.  So that’s my experiment for this week.

 

The suits are seasons, which makes sense because traditional collections of haiku are arranged by season.  From what I can see in the booklet, autumn is coins, winter is swords, spring is cups, and summer is wands (and that’s the order in the booklet).  (This would usually annoy me because it doesn’t fit with any astro organization, but since we’re dealing with a totally different culture, I’ll let it slide.)

 

There are 87 cards.  The extra cards are the “day before” each season and an additional court rank for each suit:  there are knave, princess, knight, queen, and king.  And the title card.

 

The booklet has for each card a poem (some are other short forms, not just haiku) with the author and dates and several keywords, faced by an unframed version of the card’s illustration.  (The book doesn’t say who is the translator of the poems into English, which I would like to know, but then I’m a nerd.)  The last pages of the booklet are “A Note for Using the Tarot of Japanese Poetry,” basically saying the illustrations illustrate the poems, and it was the poems that were chosen to correlate with tarot meanings.

 

 

Well, let’s give it a try with a regular interview spread.  I’m typing out my impressions from the cards, and then going back to read the poems.

 

 

Well, this looks pretty auspicious, with the 6 and all those majors.  (I swear I shuffled!)  But what’s that Devil doing there?

 

Most important characteristic:  6 of Summer

The deck did the difficult work of associating whole poems with each card, and succeeded.

Poem is about a glorious reputation of the soldier.  So the deck will gain a following more than we expect it to.

 

Strength:  5 of Summer

The deck is not afraid of a little opposition or controversy.  It thrives on conflict. 

Ok, for this one you get the full poem:

     Setting off to fight each other

     Two robber-monks

     Disappearing in the summer grass

A lot to unpack there, with robber-monks!  But it’s clear they enjoy their fighting, so it agrees with what I said above (even though I’d put that more with the 7.)

 

Weakness:  Moon

It could be considered too obscure or difficult to understand, like trying to read by moonlight.

Poem cites “vague sorrows.”  So the confusion element is there, along with the feeling part.

 

What I can learn from deck:  Devil

I can learn about obsession and fear?

The poem says basically even demons enjoy good poetry.  So that’s what I’ll learn!

 

How I can learn it:  Sun

Interesting combination indeed!  But if I stay in the light, I can put fear in its place, as well as the obscurity of the Moon.

This is the cover illustration.  Poem is about enjoying beauty and wishing others could see it too.  That ties in with the demons.  I can learn about beauty by sharing it, even with people I don’t agree with.

 

Outcome of our work together:  World

Well, this is promising a lot!  Oh, I get it.  It’s a good conclusion to my ideas about a haiku tarot.  It will successfully satisfy my wish for that.  It will deliver on its promises.

The poems (this card has two) refute the Buddhist idea that life in the world is a dream or illusion and claim that “life in this world is only life in this world.”  So the deck will help me enjoy beauty as I find it and wherever in the world I find it.  Sounds good to me!

Edited August 14, 2022 by Rachelcat

[Rachelcat]

And here's today's!

 

[Wyrdkiss]

4 hours ago, DesertRat said:

 

Hi @Wyrdkiss   Is there a difference between the two editions other than the color of the backs?

 

Yes --- the cards are white bordered on second printing, and black on pressings first and third.  I'll post an example later.

If you fancy this tarot deck it is going to be reprinted again from what I hear.

 

@RachelcatI love the look and theme of that deck. But do you recommend it at this point?

 

 

[DesertRat]

 

9 hours ago, Rachelcat said:

Here I am with the Tarot of Japanese Poetry.  (Catching up already!)

 

 

 

@Rachelcat Do you find the large borders make using this deck less satisfying?  

 

[DesertRat]

3 hours ago, Wyrdkiss said:

Yes --- the cards are white bordered on second printing, and black on pressings first and third.  I'll post an example later.

If you fancy this tarot deck it is going to be reprinted again from what I hear.

 

 

Thank you. I have the black version already and didn't know he published a white version, so I was wondering if there was a significant difference between the two. 

[Rachelcat]

17 hours ago, Wyrdkiss said:

@RachelcatI love the look and theme of that deck. But do you recommend it at this point?

 

 

 

14 hours ago, DesertRat said:

 

@Rachelcat Do you find the large borders make using this deck less satisfying?  

 

 

Hi guys! 

 

I'm not sure yet about it as a reading deck.  We're (or at least I'm) so used to thinking "you're not a real reader if you have to look stuff up in the book" that I feel strange looking up the poems in the book during a reading.  Like I said before, maybe it would have been better to just have the poems on the cards.  But then we wouldn't have the lovely artwork . . . .  Hey, maybe I'll type up the poems onto cards and try reading with them!  (With proper attribution, of course.)  That might be a project I could get into.  But as far as a reading deck, I'm still figuring that out.  I have the rest of the week!

 

I actually like the borders.  They give the cards a more special, elegant feel to me.  Although the titles are kind of large.  But then I don't mind that either because of my aging eyes!  So one question I have an answer for!  No, I don't mind the borders, or yes, I like them!

 

In the meantime, here's today's reading.  In which I engage with the artwork, so maybe getting closer to an answer on the usefulness question!

 

[Wyrdkiss]

14 hours ago, DesertRat said:

 

Thank you. I have the black version already and didn't know he published a white version, so I was wondering if there was a significant difference between the two. 

Here's an example of the white. I prefer the dark border, but I read for clients with this white edged one. Feels a bit softer.

[Mi-Shell]

I am still here and alive - although barely.....

Since I was on national TV - talking about the problem with the Pope and the "Doctrine of Discovery " it is a bit crazzzzzzy here....

So my Soulflower Orakle is giving me a good dose of positive Energy every morning ♥

[fire cat pickles]

Welcome back @Mi-Shell!

[Agnes]

I decided to set up a journal and then forgot to post a link here. 
 

This is an examination of the suit of Brooms (Wands)

 

and this is today’s reading. 

[DesertRat]

 

This deck has been giving me very clear readings this week. I'm starting to feel a little guilty about not liking it much.

But I DO have a lot of cat decks, too many really, and should send this on to someone who might like it more. 😟

 

 

17 hours ago, Mi-Shell said:

I am still here and alive - although barely.....

Since I was on national TV - talking about the problem with the Pope and the "Doctrine of Discovery " it is a bit crazzzzzzy here....

So my Soulflower Orakle is giving me a good dose of positive Energy every morning ♥

 

@Mi-Shell Wow! You were on TV?! That's amazing. I'm sure you were fabulous. I wish I could see it - such a topic would be very interesting.  As an ex-Catholic there's much I could say about the Church, but I will refrain.  Suffice it to say most of the readings I do for myself involve working thru religious/spiritual issues. 

 

 

[Agnes]

Still pondering how I want to do this.  I like seeing other people's posts in this thread so that's what I'm doing today.  

 

Day three of Unique Tarot Card Deck, Haitian Art, Rider Waite Inspired

 

I started off looking at the whole suit of cups and comparing it to my comfortable WS.  This suit is very similar in both decks except for the lack of water in the king & queen.  I love the use of the wavy, watery fabric in each of the court cards.  

 

Differences that might affect readings: 

Ace: the cup is receiving water instead of emitting it

 

Ten: to me the shape of the couple's arms is quite different in the two decks.  In the WS they say "behold this wonderful life".  In this deck, the more mannered arm shape implies will or control "behold this wonderful life which we have created".  Just a thought.

 

Queen: she seems cut off from the water of intuition which is her source of power in the WS.  But also this water looks icky and I'm glad she's protected from it.    I will have to think about this card more; it's not my favorite.

 

King: in the WS deck he is cut off from the water.  Here he straddles it -- even though his feet are still dry.  

 

The change that really struck me is in the 2 of cups. 

There's a snake on the ground between them!  I think it's probably a reference to the caduceus that's above and between them in the WS, but visually the stand of the sculpture fills the same space here.  It looks like the snake is keeping the people apart but that's not how it's described in the LWB which says the meaning of this card is "connection" and does not restrict it to lovers.  The sculpture is described as "snake, by Andre Eugene: Danballa.  The healer, the serpent god is the oldest of the Voodoo pantheon.  He is said to have created the world."  So this is transforming the two snakes on the caduceus to one snake; does that affect readings? Things to think about.

 

On to a reading.  Three cards, defined positions.

What should I do today : 2 of brooms, reversed.  Waite says "surprise, wonder, enchantment, trouble and fear." Upright the card shows staying home & planning and suggests some boredom.  Reversed it shows jumping into new experience.  

What should I avoid doing today: Lovers, reversed: destructive love, bad marriage.

Something to think about today: 2 of cups.  That seems like a clear contrast to the Lovers reversed.  Today is a big day in our family as my husband steps into a new and demanding position at work; it will require readjustment of some household routines and responsibilities.  I think this reading suggests embracing the changes but taking care to do so in a way that supports our partnership with each other.

 

And now for some mundane advice.  Yesterday I asked about washing wool pants vs taking them to the cleaners and got encouragement to do it myself. They seem to have turned out well; the stain is gone and there hasn't been damage to the fabric or interfacing. So today I asked about a health matter that I will refrain from describing in detail.  "How can I best avoid a recurrance today?"  The advice card I drew is Strength which at first annoyed me; if I could just "be strong" I would but what does that mean?  The most appropriate passage in her passage on the card suggests "look to the needs of your body" and talks about diet, exercise, etc.  I interpreted this as choosing the more holistic of the two treatments I had in mind.  I hope it helps!

 

[Rachelcat]

I really like that Strength card!  And the Cups King and Queen robe is on point!

 

Here's my reading for today.

 

[Agnes]

Day four of Unique Tarot Card Deck, Haitian Art, Rider Waite Inspired

 

I started off looking at the suit of Machetes.  

 

The color flow is really interesting to me.  Very blue in the ace, then paler, then pale yellow, then pale again, then RED that shifts to BLUE but still with some red.

 

 

Oh, look, that's very similar to my WS.  

 

Overall, this suit is very similar to the standard WS.  I don't see any changes that are likely to affect readings, except that these are one-sided blades.

 

It's interesting that the king and queen have the same robe as the cups court cards, but surmounted with a blue veil -- thought over emotion? Yes, the LWB suggests that this is reason tempering emotion.

 

I love the depiction of the king's symbols.  

 

And look at the guys in the background of the 7 -- they really emphasize the "impulsive & possibly useless action" aspect of this card.

 

 

Now the suit of pentacles.

 

 

Again, very close to my WS.  The 2 looks a little more unsure about this balancing act, maybe it's more precarious.  The foreground figure in the 10 has that special fabric as a cloak -- and the LWB talks about spiritual as well as material richness.

 

The 3 of Pentacles in this deck does feel quite different from WS to me.

 

 

 

 

WS looks like they are working together as a group, or perhaps that the lower figures are giving instructions to the craftsman on the bench.  But in this card it looks to me like the upper figure is instructing the lower two, or perhaps marrying them.  It seems like one figure in relation to a pair, not three together.  The LWB doesn't mention any of this and says the primary meaning of the card is "teamwork". Hmm.

 

Then I decided to look at all of the court cards together.

 

 

All of the pages are played by Wesner Bazil, and all of the knights by Jean Robert Palanquet.  The same two actors portray the king and queen of cups and pentacles, but brooms and machetes each have their own pair. Having the same actor play all the variants of one role is an interesting idea; it would have been more consistent to do it with all court cards.  But also I feel like the king and queen are more distinct personalities than the page or knight who are more of an aspect.  So then maybe four different pairs would make more sense than three.

 

Cups seem a little lacking in background -- so stony!  Machetes have blue for intellect so I guess that couldn't be used to imply water, but I do wish they'd found something other than this drainage ditch full of refuse.  It makes me think of repressed emotions and sewage.  I hope I can come up with a better interpretation because otherwise I'm loving this deck.

 

A reading for today

 

 

 

 

Something to do today : 9 of pentacles, reversed

Pollack : projects taken up and abandoned, inability to channel energy into useful purposes

Fairfield : inner sense of security is stable; nothing really that needs to be done in order to keep things flowing

 

Something to avoid today : Hermit

withdrawal

 

Something to think about : Chariot

(there's that fabric again! I really look forward to investigating the majors tomorrow)

willpower, conscious control of contradictions

 

I'm having a tough time interpreting that 9 of pentacles reversed as the right thing to do -- abandon projects? don't try to make myself be useful?  I'm tempted to read it as "don't abandon projects" but then I'm not interpreting the card as itself in the position it holds.  This is something to do, not something to avoid.  

 

While I was thinking this I was shuffling for the next & last step in my self-assigned program : advice on something.  I hadn't come up with a question when a card flew out of the deck and landed face up.  This doesn't happen to me often so I decided it was my advice card: the Queen of Pentacles.

 

 

Renee says she means "take on responsibility and look after the needs of others".  Since I was trying to understand the 9 of pentacles reversed, I'm going to use it to clarify that, and read the advice for what to do today as finishing off a bunch of half-done projects -- press a pair of pants for D, call the city about the sidewalk repair, etc. etc.

 

Overall I am really liking this deck.  I look forward to studying the major arcana tomorrow!

[Wyrdkiss]

Greetings all. Exciting news to share -- I'm reading tarot at a large craft fair at a Unitarian Church in November. Very stoked.  Going to be exhausting -- required to be there 5 hours, but I have an adjacent booth buddy to watch our setups during breaks.

I'm doing what i've done in the past for clubs, haunts, etc.  Three card, brief 10 minute sessions for only $10. I know that is low balling but I want to mainly provide a service to the community, and satisfy the curious. 

[Mi-Shell]

On 8/16/2022 at 10:36 AM, DesertRat said:

 

 Wow! You were on TV?! That's amazing. I'm sure you were fabulous. I wish I could see it - such a topic would be very interesting.  As an ex-Catholic there's much I could say about the Church, but I will refrain.  Suffice it to say most of the readings I do for myself involve working thru religious/spiritual issues. 

 

 

Oh well, thanks, but it is not sooo amazing, given the shamanic work and public speaking and teaching I do - I am on TV quite often.

However, just as often the messages are sanitized and heavily censored and re-arranged and turned about to fit into the current political climate and the prevailing mainstream worldview.

How good for you that the tarot provides you with a well functioning tool to work on your personal growth!♥

 

  

[Agnes]

Day five of Unique Tarot Card Deck, Haitian Art, Rider Waite Inspired

 

Major Arcana!

 

 

Overall the majors are quite similar to my WS but with fewer intensely colored backgrounds.

 

There are a few cards with minor changes -- the Wheel of Fortune is just a chalk drawing of the WS card which disappoints me a little.  Death does not include any living humans; the LWB definition is quite standard.  Justice (as I mentioned earlier this week) has unbalanced scales.

 

There are two with bigger changes.  This is the Devil.

 

 

The LWB offers a definition quite different from most.  "XV The Devil : Temptation.  Archetype: The Tempter, The Adversary.  Gifts: Finding and accepting your dark site (sic), procreation, vitality, indulgences, pride, strength to overcome your weakness, facing fears, letting go of misplaced shame and guilt, connecting to instincts.  Challenges: The collective shadow, acting against your convictions, forfeiting the sensual pleasures of life, love relationships that suffocate in physicality, lust for power, confused and hasty action, lack of self-knowledge, blind naivety,...." The description goes on much longer, including the description of this sculpture as Baron Kriminel, a murderer condemned to death who is invoked to pronounce swift justice.   This is in fact the longest description given to any card in the whole deck, and it seems disjointed and contradictory.  I think there are some interesting ideas here but it doesn't seem finished and doesn't provide a cohesive whole.

 

The Lovers here face out from the cards instead of even partially towards each other.  The angel above them has its wings closed, not spread over them.  The LWB describes this as Heart's Decision, and links it to love "in all manifestations" but also to choices; in choosing one thing you choose against all other options.  Perhaps this couple has made their choice and face the world together.

 

Daily reading

 

 

 

Something to do: Knight of Machetes, reversed

Pollack : someone who leaps wildly into the storm -- extravagant, careless, excessive -- how do I make this a thing to do? Be extravagant? Be careless?

Renee : maintain calm detachment.  Wait to act.

 

Something to avoid doing:  4 of Machetes, reversed

avoid returning to the world & its responsibilities

 

Something to think about:  Knight of Brooms, reversed

Pollack: confusion, disrupted projects, disharmony from inability to deal with opposition

Renee: don't take on new projects now.  Beware of scattering your energies.  Also, don't be so in love with your own plans/your own voice that you cut others out of the loop/upstage them

 

Mundane advice card

Would it be better for G to tackle the sidewalk repair or to let the city do it?

 

 

Look who's back.  I think that clearly says "it's not the greatest idea for your teenager to tackle this."

[DesertRat]

3 hours ago, Mi-Shell said:

Oh well, thanks, but it is not sooo amazing, given the shamanic work and public speaking and teaching I do - I am on TV quite often.

However, just as often the messages are sanitized and heavily censored and re-arranged and turned about to fit into the current political climate and the prevailing mainstream worldview.

How good for you that the tarot provides you with a well functioning tool to work on your personal growth!♥

 

  

 

@Mi-Shell Tarot has been a blessing, to be sure. ❤️

 

I still think your work is fabulous, although it must be very frustrating to have your words so heavily edited. I hope you are able to continue in your efforts to speak truth. 

 

22 hours ago, Wyrdkiss said:

Greetings all. Exciting news to share -- I'm reading tarot at a large craft fair at a Unitarian Church in November. Very stoked.  Going to be exhausting -- required to be there 5 hours, but I have an adjacent booth buddy to watch our setups during breaks.

I'm doing what i've done in the past for clubs, haunts, etc.  Three card, brief 10 minute sessions for only $10. I know that is low balling but I want to mainly provide a service to the community, and satisfy the curious. 

 

@Wyrdkiss This sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you have a great time!

 

54 minutes ago, Agnes said:

 

 

The LWB offers a definition quite different from most.  "XV The Devil : Temptation.  Archetype: The Tempter, The Adversary.  Gifts: Finding and accepting your dark site (sic), procreation, vitality, indulgences, pride, strength to overcome your weakness, facing fears, letting go of misplaced shame and guilt, connecting to instincts.  Challenges: The collective shadow, acting against your convictions, forfeiting the sensual pleasures of life, love relationships that suffocate in physicality, lust for power, confused and hasty action, lack of self-knowledge, blind naivety,...." The description goes on much longer, including the description of this sculpture as Baron Kriminel, a murderer condemned to death who is invoked to pronounce swift justice.   This is in fact the longest description given to any card in the whole deck, and it seems disjointed and contradictory.  I think there are some interesting ideas here but it doesn't seem finished and doesn't provide a cohesive whole.

 

 

@Agnes Wow, that Devil card is really unique. It feel uncomfortable and disturbing to me, like a murderer might, but I've never associated the Devil card with "swift justice" before. So that would definitely be a new take for me.

 

[Agnes]

15 hours ago, DesertRat said:

Wow, that Devil card is really unique. It feel uncomfortable and disturbing to me, like a murderer might, but I've never associated the Devil card with "swift justice" before. So that would

Yes, me too. I spent some time reading about Baron Kriminel last night and am no closer to meshing him with the tarot Devil. I think perhaps this description comes from a discussion between a tarotist and a practitioner of Haitian vodou that didn’t really get resolved. The card is very striking though!

[Agnes]

Here's my final day with what we have listed as Unique Tarot Card Deck, Haitian Art, Rider Waite Inspired.  My focus was on how I want to refer to this deck in the future -- by its published title or in some other way.  This is a long angsty posting so I just put it in my journal; read it if you like!  My conclusion is that I will be calling it the Haitian Waite Smith or something like that.

 

I really like this deck, and spending a week focusing on it has been a great experience.  And I've enjoyed seeing others posts about their decks as well.