Deck of the Week Sign-up Thread: Week 271, Sept. 17 - Sept. 23

[fire cat pickles]

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!

 

Participants may either choose to share their readings here in this discussion thread or opt to have their own journal in the Journals Forum and link them here. The second option requires that you contact a moderator to set up your personal Readings Journal.

     

The only rules we have are the Tarot Tea & Me Rules; be respectful to each other.

   

You can drop in and out anytime, 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. fire cat pickles: Tantra Tarot
2. DesertRat: Celtic Tarot
3. Agnes: Medieval Scapini
4. Mi-Shell: Herbcrafters Tarot
5. AnomalyTempest: TdM

 

Click here for DoW 270 (9/10 - 9/16)

Click here for DoW 272 (9/24 - 9/30)

Edited December 17, 2022 by fire cat pickles

[DesertRat]

Good Friday All!

 

Still with the Celtic Tarot for another week.

[Agnes]

This week I’m going to use the Medieval Scapini. When I read with it in the 90s I found that it told great stories but didn’t really speak to/about me.  I look forward to seeing how I interact with it now. 

[DesertRat]

5 minutes ago, Agnes said:

This week I’m going to use the Medieval Scapini. When I read with it in the 90s I found that it told great stories but didn’t really speak to/about me.  I look forward to seeing how I interact with it now. 

 

Wow! You've held on to it since the 90's - it ought to speak to you out of gratitude at least! I didn't get along with the Scapini. It came and went rather quickly. There was one card in that deck, I don't remember which, I swear was flipping me off. 

[fire cat pickles]

Welcome back, @DesertRat and @Agnes!

[Agnes]

10 hours ago, DesertRat said:

Wow! You've held on to it since the 90's - it ought to speak to you out of gratitude at least!

All my decks were in a box for about twenty years.  So I wasn’t actively choosing to keep it all that time. 

[Mi-Shell]

I have started to use my Herbcrafters Tarot on Wednesday and will continue with it.

For now I am all done with Oracles.....

[fire cat pickles]

Welcome back @Mi-Shell 🙂 

[Bodhiseed]

Late to the party this week!

 

This week I'll be using the Touchstone Tarot, created and self-published by Kat Black. Along with it I'll be using the John Waterhouse Oracle, created and self-published by Elaine Wilkinson. Today's draws are the Queen of Cups and Mariamne Leaving the Judgement Seat of Herod:

Emotions are really good at raising questions and really bad at answering them.

—Zach Teutsch

 

The Queen of Cups is the personification of compassion. She informs us that neither detached pity nor drowning in despair will help someone in pain. To be beneficial, compassion must be balanced with the wisdom of clarity, of being able to see a wider, realistic perspective. She tells us (in the words of Katy Butler), that emotions are "the vapor trails of unmet needs." Yet she cautions us not to think the trail is the answer - it is the finger pointing to the moon, not the moon itself. The painting of Mariamne illustrates the story of King Herod sentencing his favorite wife to death after she was accused of being unfaithful. In reality, Mariamne's sister Salome got the king worked up and convinced him of the truth of her lie. As Teutsch's quote emphasizes, emotions aren't very good at answering questions or solving problems. But if we follow their trail backwards, we might find the root of insecurity.

[Rachelcat]

I'm late too, but here I am!  Happy to be back to tarot this week!  I’ll be using Mystical Cats Tarot and Magical Dogs Tarot together.  Not sure how, but I’m going to try!  They’re by the same artist, Mickie Mueller, and have not only a similar look but also a similar concept. 

 

Suits in both are Fire, Sea, Sky, and Earth.  Cat courts are kitten, tom, queen, and king; dogs are puppy, guardian, alpha female, and alpha male.  As you’ll see the imagery is pretty naturalistic, but some gods and goddess make an appearance, and it looks like the cats have a temple and the dogs have a hut village.  But it all makes sense somehow!

 

I have gone out on a limb and named Mystical Cats as the best cat deck, but then there are always new ones coming out, so I might have to revise that evaluation at some point!

 

For full disclosure, I identify as a cat person who likes dogs. 

 

 

 

Let’s do separate interviews.  (And then I think spreads from their books, and then draw the same cards from the different decks.  How does that sound?)

 

 

Most important characteristic:  Sea Kitten

It’s cute!  It has a youthful, playful feel, and hit you in the feels!

 

Strength:  Empress

It’s a successful, even opulent, labor of love.

 

Weakness:  Eight of Sky

It can be difficult for a cat lover to see them in distress, as is necessary in a tarot.  It’s limited by the tarot form?

 

What I can learn from the deck:  Nine of Fire

I can learn to defend my love of cats and cat decks!  It’s great to be a crazy cat lady with one very spoiled indoor cat and four self-recruited outdoor cats!

 

How I can learn it:  The Wheel

Just go with it!  I’ll see the cats in the cards and learn and remember what I need to know about cats and cat behavior.  I love the mosaic elements and ohm.  And the cat spinning it is what makes it magical!

 

Outcome of our work together:  Seven of Fire

Here we see more of the magical side of the cards.  The defending cat has visible energy support.  This is very similar in meaning to the Nine:  I will enjoy defending my position as a cat lover and cat deck collector!

 

Now for the dogs!

 

 

Most important characteristic:  Sea Alpha Female

Huh.  A court for the other interview, too!  The deck is a good divination tool, like the dog’s crystal/water sphere.  It has a certain dignity about it, even though it shows many different kinds of dogs.  (BTW, I looked up the breed in the book; this is a poodle with dreads.)

 

Strength:  Nine of Sky

Opposite of cats reading.  It depicts the negative, difficult situations of dogs well.  Many dogs are afraid of thunder (as is my cat).

 

Weakness:  Strength

Why is there a cat in a dog deck!?  Just kidding.  Not sure how to read this as a weakness.  I’ll have to think about that.  I like the mountains in the background for strength.

 

What I can learn from the deck:  Four of Sky

Here is one of the hut homes of the dogs.  This is a card of recuperation.  It looks like the other dogs have banded together to heal the wounded German shepherd.  I can learn about rest, recouperation, and community.

 

How I can learn it:  Eight of Sea

Doggie is leaving the beach and the seashells behind.  Hopefully for something better.  I can learn about recuperation by leaving behind how I usually feel about it?

 

Outcome of our work together:  Moon

The call of the wild!  The dog’s inner wildness comes out on a full moon.  There’s the little lobster/crayfish at the bottom!  Working with this deck will help me see some things about myself that are now hidden.

 

That was fun!  I feel happy back in my comfortable tarot space!

 

I’ll be back with today’s readings!

[Rachelcat]

Here's my reading with the kitties for today!

 

[DesertRat]

 

Geez. I'm sorry guys...I don't know why I can't get my photos to upload in the correct orientation. I've posted it anyway because I wanted to gush over the Ace of Cups. This is me gushing. The other cards are beautiful as well, but I always get excited over an excellent Ace of Cups card. I am liking the deck despite it being pippy and will be holding on to it.

 

[Agnes]

Over the weekend I've been looking at the cards in the Medieval Scapini and reading the little booklet.  It's such an individual deck.  He created it after he painted the missing cards for US Games' Visconti Sforza deck -- I wonder if he had much interest in tarot before that? The deck seems to synthesize a lot of symbolism from Wirth, Papus, etc, and it varies pretty widely from the Waite-Smith cards I'm familiar with.  When I bought this deck in the mid 90s, I remember having a hard time doing readings with it, but liking it a lot for story-telling.  But today I did a three card situation/do/don't do reading that seemed very clear, using the meanings in the accompanying booklet.  I don't know that it would make sense using my typical sources and I didn't try to draw on my standard set of meanings.  It will be an interesting week!

 

 

[Rachelcat]

Hi gang!  Here's my reading today with the dogs!

 

[Rachelcat]

17 hours ago, DesertRat said:

 

Geez. I'm sorry guys...I don't know why I can't get my photos to upload in the correct orientation. I've posted it anyway because I wanted to gush over the Ace of Cups. This is me gushing. The other cards are beautiful as well, but I always get excited over an excellent Ace of Cups card. I am liking the deck despite it being pippy and will be holding on to it.

 

 

This is such a beautiful deck!  And a non-historical decks that's easy for me to read the pips!  (Although the cardstock of my copy is evilly shiny and sticky . . .!)  

 

I found that if I crop my photo on my phone, even a little bit, then it will keep its orientation, even if I don't change the orientation or if I do.  I'm no techie, that may just be my phone but you could give it a try!

 

 

[AnomalyTempest]

I'm late to the party again. It's becoming a habit. The past 30 days or so have seemed like a whirlwind but I think I'm finally going to be able to slow down a bit. I am at my mother's still. She was supposed to have knee surgery on the 23rd of August but it got postponed due to faulty equipment. My father passed on the 21st, the day before my birthday. Bedbugs got into my house from who knows where. My mother's surgery got postponed a second time. Oh yeah, a memorial for  my father in a third city. This is all a little out of order but just a LOT has been going on for me. That being said, I am perfectly fine just busy and a lot of riding around. 😄 I do love me a road trip though.

 

Upside, I got the Urban tarot for my birthday, I'm using it for my daily draws this month and loving it. Then my mother and I found a little bookstore and I was able to pick up a Manga Deck and a Marseilles deck from the bargain bin. $10 each. Then we went to a Five Below (discount store) and I found a Kawaii deck for $5 so three new decks this week. I am going to use the Marseilles this week so here is my weekly reading. 

 

 

Despite being a pip deck this seemed remarkably easy to read. I am really loving it.

 

1. What to prioritize this week. Five of Batons

I know this is kind of a strife card but I see it as a letting go of that competitive spirit and just focus on helping my mom recuperate after her surgery. Cooperation, not competition. (We have started a jigsaw puzzle as opposed to playing games on the switch. 😄 )

 

2. How can I better organize my time?

Keep my head, More cooperation and compromise. Helping my mom heal.

 

3. A way to be productive without feeling overwhelmed: Seven of Pentacles

Wow, More take it slow. Have patience.

 

4. How can I incorporate what I love? Three of Cups

Kool and the Gang in my head singing, "Celebrate good times, Cmon!" This is time to just chill and enjoy the extra time with my mom. Not everyone would be able to just go where they want, when they want as I get to do. Keeping my mom laughing and dancing (well not right after knee surgery maybe, but soon. 😛 ) is where it's right now.

 

5. Something new to increase self care: Knight of Wands

Don't be in a hurry, there is plenty of time. Be receptive, not reactive. I know he's on a horse but I just have the feeling he "racing to a red light" so to speak.

 

Overall this spread seems to be telling me that I can and should just relax more. I am not behind. Everything happens when and as it should and trying to race ahead solves nothing. We only miss the scenery that way.  I don't know if I just have more experience now or if this deck just speaks to me because I tend to, well, not embrace pip decks. This reading was so smooth and I just seemed to know what the cards had to say. I'm looking forward to using it more and I will (hopefully) make a deck of the week thread in the journals section because I really want to read more. I just get distracted. 😄

 

@Rachelcat I'm loving both those decks.

 

@DesertRat those cards are so colorful. I really like them.

 

@Agnes it appears we are both using similarish decks this weeks. The art on yours is really nice. That Death card is gorgeous.

[fire cat pickles]

Welcome back @AnomalyTempest 😀

[Rachelcat]

Here's mine for today.  

 

I'm going to try to get ahead instead of always being behind, so stay tuned for tomorrow's reading today!

[Rachelcat]

Here is tomorrow's reading today!

 

[Agnes]

@AnomalyTempest and I are partners in the Newbies circle this month, so my reading there doubles as my Scapini reading for today.  It was interesting but involved a lot of outside reading to try and track down some of the symbolism Scapini coded into the cards.  I'm sure there's lots more I'm missing.

 

 

[DesertRat]

 

Some progress in the photo uploading department. Thanks for the advice @Rachelcat

[fire cat pickles]

Next week's 🙂

 

 

[Rachelcat]

Here's my equinox reading for yesterday.  I'll be back for one last reading with the dogs and cats.

 

[Agnes]

My week with the Scapini has been interesting but inconclusive.  I think working well with this deck would involve a serious study of his symbolism and references, and I don't really know if I want to do that when there are other decks that appeal to me more.  I also wonder if the deck would make more sense if I understood TdM meanings better, or if it would still seem idiosyncratic.  I guess I will keep an eye out for the book about the deck at a price I'm willing to pay, and try again another time.  (Note for later: I think the small images may refer to the negative possibilities of the card e.g. the KKK on the Queen of Swords.  Explore further.)

 

Here's today's reading.  I tried an undirected reading -- which for me lately seems to mean I get cards about a current major concern rather than, say, something I'm not aware of but could stand to learn about.

 

 

[Rachelcat]

Last reading with dogs and cats!  See you in next week's thread!