What's The Postman Bringing? Part 2

[DanielJUK]

Tarot cards showed me my eyesight was worsening as I got older 😂. I kept misreading the numbers on cards and numerals and getting the wrong cards. Went for an eye test and needed glasses. Honestly it makes reading SO much easier now, I can actually read text in front of me at a distance 🙂 . I need them all the time these days.

[Eugenie]

9 minutes ago, akiva said:

Is this solely for reading? If so, you don't need to go to the opticians, you can buy reading glasses from many different shops... Quite cheaply too compared to prescription glasses. They come in different strengths (they are basically just magnifying things for you to be able to read). Are you in the UK? My partner said he got his from a random chemist shop here 😊

 

Thank you! We are in Uzbekistan, and I could probably buy glasses myself but frankly I am afraid to wear them without a prescription, and also my right eye is visibly worse. Ugh, will have to go to an optician at some point just to know about the dynamics. 

[akiva]

Just now, Eugenie said:

 

Thank you! We are in Uzbekistan, and I could probably buy glasses myself but frankly I am afraid to wear them without a prescription, and also my right eye is visibly worse. Ugh, will have to go to an optician at some point just to know about the dynamics. 

Oh I see, maybe an optician is the best option then! Until then you can always get a trusty magnifying glass like the good ol' days 🔍 😁

[Raggydoll]

24 minutes ago, Eugenie said:

 

Goodness, this European VAT is a pain for Etsy sellers. I have an Etsy shop (vintage textiles) and when this was introduced it caused severe disruptions. At some point I stopped selling to Europe because the losses incurred were too high (people kept complaining about being charged twice, etc). However, I thought that this was now largely settled, procedures worked out and customs officers fully trained? When I have a sale to a country for which Etsy charges (and then transfers to the revenue authorities) the VAT, I have an IOSS number assigned to that item automatically and a message on my control panel: "You must share Etsy's IOSS number, IM37*******24, with your courier for this order (use it only for this purpose). This helps ensure that your buyer won't be charged VAT twice. Make sure to write the value of this order in euros, €*****, on your package, too". So we put this number on the package, and we haven't had any complaints from the customers this whole year, thank goodness! On the other hand, I tried opening a Shopify store and had to give it up, exactly because they don't charge VAT and they leave this to me, and it is extremely difficult and almost impossible to do (have to buy and install special plug-ins for that), and if I don't charge and transfer those VAT I can't sell to Europe at all... gosh... 

So yes, the easiest way must be if a friend buys a deck and sends it as a gift. 

When I talked to customs they said that apparently there must be some information on the parcel that they can scan and see the VAT information online. Maybe it is that number thing you mention. It’s odd that this deck creator would not know about that, we have had the issue multiple times and I know she was looking into what went wrong. I’m glad that it’s all worked so well for you though, that’s a relief to hear and it gives me hope!

 

I did have a friend help me with one purchase previously, but I also don’t want to bother friends too much. And I can’t say that I need new decks that badly 😄 But if it was one deck that I was super keen on, I do have some people I could ask. It’s nice to have tarot friends. I have helped UK friends to acquire EU things as well, the issues goes both ways. It’s crazy the amount of extra charges that people can have to face! 

[Eugenie]

@Raggydoll, we write the number by hand on the parcels and it works just fine, thankfully! My mother sends them and she doesn't have a printer, so she writes addresses and the number manually. People from Europe now buy less, because the tax is significant, but they do buy and report no issues, to my relief. We had problems two years ago, but not in 2023. Hope that other sellers have these issues worked out, too, because it is so unpleasant to have additional disruptions, the post is bad enough by itself.

[Raggydoll]

1 minute ago, Eugenie said:

@Raggydoll, we write the number by hand on the parcels and it works just fine, thankfully! My mother sends them and she doesn't have a printer, so she writes addresses and the number manually. People from Europe now buy less, because the tax is significant, but they do buy and report no issues, to my relief. We had problems two years ago, but not in 2023. Hope that other sellers have these issues worked out, too, because it is so unpleasant to have additional disruptions, the post is bad enough by itself.

This is very good to know! If I’m ever buying from that seller again, I’ll be sure to double check beforehand that she knows that this number need to be on the package! 

[gregory]

6 hours ago, akiva said:

Is this solely for reading? If so, you don't need to go to the opticians, you can buy reading glasses from many different shops... Quite cheaply too compared to prescription glasses. They come in different strengths (they are basically just magnifying things for you to be able to read). Are you in the UK? My partner said he got his from a random chemist shop here 😊

 

I need separate glasses for reading - BUT - when we are travelling, I need to be able to read maps and also to look out of the car window - so I bought a magnifying glass with built in LED lights. It has REVOLUTIONISED my route finding, not least in the dark as it is really hard for the driver when you have to turn the lights on or use a big torch. I can also use it for reading when I can't (um) find my (er) reading glasses.... 

 

Much like this one, but mine was a lot cheaper !

 

[akiva]

1 hour ago, gregory said:

 

I need separate glasses for reading - BUT - when we are travelling, I need to be able to read maps and also to look out of the car window - so I bought a magnifying glass with built in LED lights. It has REVOLUTIONISED my route finding, not least in the dark as it is really hard for the driver when you have to turn the lights on or use a big torch. I can also use it for reading when I can't (um) find my (er) reading glasses.... 

 

Much like this one, but mine was a lot cheaper !

 

Just checked it out, it looks super handy! I'll add it to my basket for when I eventually get my eyes lasered (short sighted here), as I've heard you lose the ability to read text clearly afterwards, so end up needing reading glasses. 😯

[gregory]

It's brilliant - it really is. But run with Poundland if in the UK - that's where mine came from and it's fine. So I imagine dollar stores the world over would be likewise.

Edited January 1, 2024 by gregory

[RunningWild]

@DanielJUK  May you relish your new found sight 😅  Says the woman that has to wear trifocals.

 

I cleared out my Decks to get list on amazon and so I’m expecting one small Thoth, an extra Robin Wood Tarot and the Starman Tarot, a deck I’d put on and taken off the list several times.

 

And then I caught up on the latest on this forum and found myself happily ordering Library of Esoterica books.  Thanks all.  

Edited January 3, 2024 by RunningWild

[Natural Mystic Guide]

On 1/1/2024 at 2:39 PM, Eugenie said:

I almost stopped reading news

I have been on a permanent news fast for more than 50 years.  I feel fine.  I feel really fine in fact.  If something really important happens, I hear about it from friends.  And, I do care.

[Chariot]

O. M. G.

I just received my Majick Cottage oracle deck which I bought from the artist on Etsy.  I can't begin to say how much I love it already ...AND the presentation and service was stellar.

So much so—on both counts—that I've just ordered The Arboridium deck from the same artist - Jacqui Lovesey.
 

I've just spend a fortune (for me) on two oracle decks (I don't usually do oracle decks) that are probably seen by some as Cutesy—I don't do Cutesy.  Well, apparently I've had an epiphany, and am heading in a new direction.  I just love these!  🙂

[Raggydoll]

15 minutes ago, Chariot said:

O. M. G.

I just received my Majick Cottage oracle deck which I bought from the artist on Etsy.  I can't begin to say how much I love it already ...AND the presentation and service was stellar.

So much so—on both counts—that I've just ordered The Arboridium deck from the same artist - Jacqui Lovesey.
 

I've just spend a fortune (for me) on two oracle decks (I don't usually do oracle decks) that are probably seen by some as Cutesy—I don't do Cutesy.  Well, apparently I've had an epiphany, and am heading in a new direction.  I just love these!  🙂

I don’t do cutesy either, but these decks aren’t really in the cutesy category, as far as I’m concerned 🙂. They have way more complexity. I’m so glad you’re loving your new deck! 

[Hedera]

'Cutesy', you say...? 😄

 

I've just bought the Way of the Panda tarot, baby (pocket) edition, after skipping it for years.

And I love it SO much! Perfect for me right now, a very calm and 'open' deck.

So I have also purchased the regular sized edition. 🙂

 

And to have something to add-on, I ordered the Nathalie Hertz Faerie tarot.

Has that lovely old-fashioned USGames cardstock, thin but *very* dense and snappy, smooth but not crazy glossy.

It's an odd deck though! Some of the meanings are slightly skewed, which somehow makes sense for a faerie deck, and the seasons are different from any attribution I've ever used (I guess time runs differently in Faerie).

What surprised me though, is that a handful of cards (like the High Priestess and the 9 of Pentacles) are *very* clearly, ehm.... 'inspired' by a well-known oracle deck.

Rather odd, and they really stand out because they look very different from the rest of her artwork.

 

 

Oh, and there is an English version of the Jolanda / (Swedish) Witch tarot coming out this summer - WITH book!

Finally!!!

 

[Tom]

@Hedera I just got the Teddy Tarot in the mail yesterday.  It has all the emotional l essential meaning of the cards without being gruesome. Sometimes I like a Mello, less intense deck to well with like The Gummi Bear Tarot. 

[gregory]

WHICH Teddy Tarot ? (I have one, but I don't think it's the same...)

[Tom]

This one. I got the standard sized edition.  I don't like the mini decks, my hands are too big and it's harder to see detail in them. One thing about Amazon is that they always include the card dimensions. 

[Guest]

It's the new year, and my shackles have finally been rent lol. 

 

My first new deck to arrive this year is the Tarot of Vampyres. I sold my old copy with the flimsy cardboard packaging. This one shows a dramatic improvement compared to that ond. Aside from the sturdy box, the Phantasmagoria is printed on much nicer paper. The cards are better too, with more vibrant images and upgraded cardstock. 

 

 

I also ordered some (sorta) newly-released horror decks - the Tarot of the Vampires and the Necronomicon Tarot. 

[Tom]

@Akhilleus if you like dark decks you probably like the Tarot of Haunted House by Lo Scarabeo if you don't have it.  I like it a lot and the images aren't scary to me. 

[Hedera]

9 hours ago, Akhilleus said:

It's the new year, and my shackles have finally been rent lol. 

 

My first new deck to arrive this year is the Tarot of Vampyres. I sold my old copy with the flimsy cardboard packaging. This one shows a dramatic improvement compared to that ond. Aside from the sturdy box, the Phantasmagoria is printed on much nicer paper. The cards are better too, with more vibrant images and upgraded cardstock. 

 

 

I also ordered some (sorta) newly-released horror decks - the Tarot of the Vampires and the Necronomicon Tarot. 

 

 

Ooooh, is the cardstock better than the first edition?

Recent Llwellyn cardstock I've felt was not very impressive - but I have to admit I tapped out around the time of the Forest of Enchantment deck (too many very similar colourful, pretty but fussy decks for my taste).

 

Better paper in the book sounds good as well, although I don't  actually have any complaints about the first edition - it's a terrific book and if you ignore the image descriptions it works with many Thothy decks!

 

The upgraded box would actually be a (slight) negative for me; I don't have enough room to store big boxes so they end up in recycling, and I never quite know where to put the magnety bits... ;)

[Hedera]

On 1/4/2024 at 9:25 PM, Tom said:

@Hedera I just got the Teddy Tarot in the mail yesterday.  It has all the emotional l essential meaning of the cards without being gruesome. Sometimes I like a Mello, less intense deck to well with like The Gummi Bear Tarot. 

 

Haha, yes, the other deck I'm working a lot with at the moment (apart from the usual studying of RWS & Thoth) is the Serpentfire - so I guess they balance each other out.

 

Of course, it is the Panda that tends to slap me on the back of my head; yesterday it told me to be more like the Knight of Swords... ;)

[Hedera]

Not a deck, but guidebook-adjacent (soon very literally): I've just received some polypropylene contact paper.

Several of the books I want to read / use, including the Book of Pandas, have that horrible, icky-feeling rubbery / rose petal / soft touch finish.

 

I absolutely cannot handle books with that cover; not only does it set my teeth on edge, I also seem to have developed an allergy to it.

Slight, so far, luckily; I hope that by covering the books I can avoid it getting worse.

 

I really do wish that horrible trend would stop, but I'm not holding my breath; most people seem to like it, and printers sell it as a 'premium' option. :(

[Scandinavianhermit]

I've been using tarot since the 1980s, but it was thanks to the knowledgeable people here, I dared to take a look at Lenormand cards. Just before Epiphany day, Grand Tableau Lenormand Oracle Cards from Lo Scarabeo arrived. From what I gather, it is a reprint of a Lenormand deck printed by Piatnik (Vienna, Austria) in the 1890s, but long since replaced by more modern Piatnik Lenormand decks.

 

The emblems are very clear and uncluttered, and, unlike the Dondorf, there is no doubt, that the fox is a fox, the bear is a bear, and the work dog is a work dog.

 

The Rider moves from left to right, like the Dondorf and Wüst, but unlike the Stralsunder and Daveluy. The Clouds are darker on the right side. There is a pall covering the Coffin, but it falls to the right. The Scythe points upwards. The Birch rods includes a whip. Several Birds (not Owls) are flying through the sky, the two foremost presumably building a nest. The Stork stands on one leg in marshy terrain. The Book is closed, spine to the left. 

 

 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Tom said:

@Akhilleus if you like dark decks you probably like the Tarot of Haunted House by Lo Scarabeo if you don't have it.  I like it a lot and the images aren't scary to me. 

 

I played with a friend's copy and I liked it! Had the whole windswept-manor-in-a-Gothic-novel theme down pat. I remember how the King of Wands looks uncannily like my dad.

 

I do wish Graham was able to flesh it out into a more comprehensive companion book though. 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Hedera said:

Ooooh, is the cardstock better than the first edition?

Recent Llwellyn cardstock I've felt was not very impressive - but I have to admit I tapped out around the time of the Forest of Enchantment deck (too many very similar colourful, pretty but fussy decks for my taste).

 

Better paper in the book sounds good as well, although I don't  actually have any complaints about the first edition - it's a terrific book and if you ignore the image descriptions it works with many Thothy decks!

 

The upgraded box would actually be a (slight) negative for me; I don't have enough room to store big boxes so they end up in recycling, and I never quite know where to put the magnety bits... 😉

 

Yep, for me personally the tactile improvement is striking, although what people find pleasing to the touch differ. What really takes the cake though is the upgrade in the image quality - in their clarity and color intensity.

 

The pages of the previous companion book had a newsprint-y quality. Now they are a smooth, immaculate white. The book has never displayed the card images though, so yeah it's not exactly a distinct improvement. 

 

And yup, the box is now tough and hardy. 😈 The red inset image showing a monochromatic rendering of the deck's rose back reminds me of the card back of the Gothic Tarot of Vampires. It's a nice touch.