Deck of the Week Sign-up Thread, Week 371: Aug 12 - Aug 18

[fire cat pickles]

A unique version of Reading Circle for those who would like to work through their collection of decks, participants choose decks from their collections to work with for the week. Some use one deck, others use two or more. Some combine methods: Tarot, non-tarot (e.g. oracle), playing cards, or any other divinatory method is welcome. All we ask is that you use at least one tarot or oracle deck.

 

No collection is too large or too small. The only rules we have are the Tarot, Tea & Me Rules; Be respectful of one other. Please join us!

• Please post with your choice of deck(s) for the week
• Chat away about your deck, how you're finding it (or not), etc., it's all up to you 
• 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 it here
• Yet others may even have an offline journal in paper & pencil/pen form

Share as often, as much, or as little as you like. You can drop in and out at anytime—reality and life permitting. New to tarot? Long time reader? Come on in!

 

Participants

1. fire cat pickles: Infernal Tarot
2. Rachelcat: Norse Goddess Rune Oracle : Divine Feminine Perspectives On The Elder Futhark
3. Natural Mystic Guide: Ark Tarot and Oracle Cards by Bernadette King
4. vulprix: Tarot Apokalypsis
5. Pathwalker: Tarot of the Cloisters

 

Click here for DoW 370 (8/5 - 8/11)

Click here for DoW 372 (8/19 - 8/25)

Edited August 19, 2024 by fire cat pickles

[fire cat pickles]

I'm staying with the Infernal for another week, really liking this one 🙂 

 

[Rachelcat]

Hiya @fire cat pickles!  Here I am!

 

This week will be Norse Goddess Rune Oracle: Divine Feminine Perspectives on the Elder Futhark, a Blue Angel deck.  It’s interesting because some runes have traditional attributions to Norse gods, but this deck associates a goddess with each rune and reversed rune (“merkstave” in rune lingo).  It took me a minute to figure out why not all of runes have reversal cards:  it’s because the rune is the same upright and reversed!  And I never get tired of learning about goddesses, even though some seem made up, like Lady Elk (the cover image), but not sure if that’s true. 

 

The art is what I would call “naïve,” not beautifully accomplished but charming, colorful, and effective at illustrating the myths and meanings.  (And 1000% better than anything I could ever do!)

 

 

I’ve already done a quick readthrough of the book’s “lore” section for each card to get familiar with the goddesses, but I might dip back in and check the “divination meaning” sections as I go. 

 

Small confusion:  The book uses the letter ð, and says it’s pronounced voiced th (like “the”), which seems correct according to Wikipedia.  However, in words I’m familiar with, it seems to be usually pronounced d, for example, Miðgarðr, pronounced Midgard.  (I’ve read about the silent extra r on the end of words before, so no problem with that.)  And there are a lot of other words in the book with ð that I’ve heard or seen otherwise pronounced d.  So are all other authors wrong?  Does it matter?  I guess not for now. (The book also uses the letter þ (the thorn) for unvoiced th, Thor, etc., which is pretty easy to get used to.) 

 

Linguistics aside, there’s still a lot to learn here, so let’s get started!

 

 

What is your most important characteristic?  Wunjo merkstave, Angrboda

She is the mother of the three main monsters of Norse mythology, Fenrir the wolf, the world serpent, and Hel.  They were taken away from her. 

Wunjo is joy, so reversed it’s sadness.

The deck has too many negative cards because of all the reversals included.

 

What is your strength?  Laguz merkstave, Ran

The negative aspect of water, Ran is the ocean goddess who drags sailors down to drown.

Same.  The deck doesn’t shy away from negativity.  It can express negative emotions.

 

Your weakness?  Laguz, Saga

These probably stuck together even though I shuffled!  She is the lady of the lake.

The problem with an all-goddess deck is that people perceive it as more about emotionality, even if that’s not necessarily the case.

 

What can I learn from you?  Ehwaz merkstave, Var

She is the goddess who people swore oaths to.  She’s holding the ring on which oaths are sworn. Ehwaz is the rune of partnership, so I guess reversed it’s the rune of not trusting, therefore requiring oaths.  And since it’s the opposite of partnership, it’s solitude.

I can learn to trust my own version of runes.  My personal ideas are just as valid as anyone’s.  I can learn to trust myself and maybe not be so trusting of others.

 

How can I learn it?  Ingwaz, Seed of Life

I think this is one of the made-up goddesses?  Because the rune usually associated with Ing, a god of masculine fertility.

I can learn to trust myself by being more open to gender fluid and nonbinary esoteric concepts!

 

What will be the outcome of our work together?  Algiz merkstave, Syn

Algiz is the rune of protection.  Syn is the doorkeeper and judge of trials by combat, a Justice figure.  She protects by denying entry to the unworthy (losers).

There will continue to be an emphasis on negatives, but I will learn about that and will further refine my rune understandings, what to leave in, what to leave out.

 

Cool!  I’m enjoying these ladies already!

 

[Natural Mystic Guide]

1 hour ago, Rachelcat said:

This week will be Norse Goddess Rune Oracle: Divine Feminine Perspectives on the Elder Futhark, a Blue Angel deck.

This is really cool.  Thanks for sharing.  I'm just getting my feet wet with the Elder Futhark.  A card deck would probably be a nice study aid for me and I like the Divine Feminine perspective.  Putting this on my wish list.  Big Thanks for the exposure to this new (to me) deck.

[Natural Mystic Guide]

I am continuing my study of the Ark Tarot and Oracle cards by Bernadette King.

[fire cat pickles]

Welcome back @Rachelcat and @Natural Mystic Guide!

[vulprix]

Hello! 🙂 I’m working with the Tarot Apokalypsis this week (and maybe others too. Been loving small pocket-sized decks).

 

It’s been a long time for me, I hope you have been well here at TT&M!

[fire cat pickles]

Welcome back @vulprix 😀 It's been while! Good to see you.

 

As you know, the DoW Group is a fun and enlightening way to share how your decks can work for others, to highlight new or unique reading techniques and spreads, and perhaps to introduce new decks for other members.

 

 

Edited August 13, 2024 by fire cat pickles

[PathWalker]

I am enjoying Tarot of the Cloisters this week

 

https://www.thetarotforum.com/forums/topic/16481-under-the-tree/?do=findComment&comment=279148

 

 

 

 

Edited August 17, 2024 by PathWalker

[fire cat pickles]

Welcome back @PathWalker!

[PathWalker]

Here's a question that folks are welcome to comment on

I'm doing the first half of a deck interview spread for this deck  and I'm got stuck with the following:

 

"What are your limits as a deck?"  THE STAR

?What? Any thoughts?

 

I'm thinking that the deck is just so lovely, and gives me such positive happy vibes that I read it always too positively, too hopefully, ad don't see the dark sides?

 

I find it difficult to "read for a deck" so I may need another exercise to work through every week.

 

Anyway, input very welcome - I hope this is the right place to ask? Just among ourselves?

[Misterei]

4 hours ago, PathWalker said:

"What are your limits as a deck?"  THE STAR

?What? Any thoughts?

Kinda depends on you -- but here are some possiblitites:

Star as a health card = it's not good for health readings

Star as literal = the sky's the limit [no limits].

Star as a celestial body = it gives very celestial / spiritual reads. Not for mundane topics.

 

Just some thoughts

[dancing_moon]

5 hours ago, PathWalker said:

"What are your limits as a deck?"  THE STAR

?What? Any thoughts?

Ideally, I'd need to see the whole spread, especially the first 2 positions (the deck's main characteristic and the deck's strengths - I'm assuming this is the spread you used). Without the context, I'd say esoteric and spiritual questions are not this deck's forte - but again, it depends on what the rest of the spread says.

 

(sneaks out the back door before anyone realizes she isn't a DotW participant)

[PathWalker]

Thank you both

I find this kind of sideways thinking rather difficult for 78 pieces of cardboard -  I need to find something real to read about in future I think, or re-phrase the questions or something.

[Misterei]

2 hours ago, PathWalker said:

 ...  I need to find something real to read about in future I think, or re-phrase the questions or something.

I thought deck interview spreads were stupid for many years. I recently got into it on this forum aftr seeing others have fun with it. But it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's a recent development, too. Back in the day NO ONE interviewed their deck. 😉 Tarot got along just fine for 600 years with no deck interviews.

[PathWalker]

18 hours ago, Misterei said:

I thought deck interview spreads were stupid for many years. I recently got into it on this forum aftr seeing others have fun with it. But it's not everyone's cup of tea. It's a recent development, too. Back in the day NO ONE interviewed their deck. 😉 Tarot got along just fine for 600 years with no deck interviews.

Thank you

[PathWalker]

Reading for me LOL

https://www.thetarotforum.com/forums/topic/16481-under-the-tree/?do=findComment&comment=279480

 

[fire cat pickles]

The new circle is now open: