I printed my own copy of Chesca Potter's Greenwood tarot and her own words about her deck (both the contents available on Mi-Shell website, thanks to her), and I'm working on it and studying it. It's the only deck I pull a daily (or almost daily) card from.

Would anyone be interested in learning together? If so, any suggestion about how to do it? :)

I recently home printed the deck and book too, courtesy of Mi-Shell. I am very drawn to this deck. I need to tread with caution here because the prospect of learning together sounds fabulous, but experience has shown me that these study groups are difficult to sustain, and I'm probably one of the worst offenders when it comes to jumping on board and then ghosting. Daily participation is definitely off the table for me.

But if I were to proceed with such an endeavor, I think it would make the most sense to stick with the wheel of the year and study the cards in their seasons. So from now until Samhain, I would look at The Wheel, Reflection, Heron, Reindeer, the 6s. This would probably be the time to throw in The Seer and the 9s as well, although to be honest, that seems like a lot to me, so I could also see saving the center of the wheel for the end. Starting around Samhain, I would switch to Death, The Guardian, Wren, Wolf, and the 7s.

I have access to both the Potter and the Ryan versions of the book. I do have a low quality scan/photocopy of Potter's physical book which includes a few diagrams not found on the blog. The archived study group on AT is a good resource too, with some great insights from Mi-Shell and others, although they did not get around to all the cards. I'm also interested in looking into the art and artifacts that inspired Chesca, I just don't have the background to recognize all of them.

Edited October 7Oct 7 by cspacediva

Hi cspacediva :)

I'm in your same situation. Daily participation is off to me too. But perhaps we could consider one card/week?

I have a couple of pdf copies of Chesca's handbook, that includes the three diagrams and the Wheel. On fb there's a little private group named "The art of Chesca Potter study group" where the admin has shared a lot of links, files her own studies about it etc. I may ask her if I she gives the permission to download the contents she gathered, mentioning the source.

In her handbook Chesca says "The Greenwood Tarot is an initiatory cycle. I would advise that you at least once follow the cards and the text around the wheel". So I agree that this is the good point of start.

As we are already almost at the half of October, perhaps it's better to start from Samhain, to arrive prepared at the moment? As you already said: Death, The Guardian, Wren, Wolf, and the 7s. We may work on Death on the 1st week of November, The Guardian on the 2nd, Wren on the 3rd Wolf on the 4th, first two of the 7s on the 1st week of December, second two of the 7s on the 2nd week of December. So we should arrive at Winter Solstice.

From now to then, we could try to understand the Wheel system itself and/or other general topics related to the introduction of the handbook. I'm very new to this all, but deeply drawn to it.

Like you, I'm definitely interested into the art and the artifacts that inspired Chesca but, as you, I have not the background too. I hope we can go through it, anyway, as we can.

One thing: I'm not intended at all to consider Ryan's words about the Greenwood nor to mention him or the Wildwood at all.

Edited October 7Oct 7 by Muir
Integration of the previous version

Ok, that all sounds good. I think I can handle a card or two a week.

Having read Mark Ryan's book in its entirety, I can say that it adds very little, but I can't say that nothing in it has influenced my perception of the cards. However, going forward I will avoid making any direction mention of him or the Wildwood.

One thing that I think needs to be addressed from Chesca's book is when she says, "All the cards are based on European images." While the intent to not "steal imagery from other cultures" is admirable, I think there can be little question that she does at times reference works from outside Europe. For example, The Shaman references a photograph from the US (https://www.tworedroses.com/newsletters/newsletter09112015.html)and the 10 of Cups references a woodblock print from Japan (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/56139). It doesn't bother me that she did this; I consider her apparent breadth of knowledge of the world art to be an asset. I believe these cards tap into something that is both timeless and universal--I just think we should be honest about it. This is going to come up right away because I already have a piece in mind from the US that I think is plausible as a source of inspiration for the image on the Death card. I feel that should at least be open for discussion.

Also, I joined the Facebook group that you mentioned and I will start having a look through that.

Edited October 7Oct 7 by cspacediva

If you haven't seen it, @ilweran also has had a journal on the greenwood here for years that links to art sources, etc. You may already know all these sources, but passing along in case it's helpful. Even as someone who knows little about pagan decks, I found it interesting.

ilweran's Greenwood Tarot Journal - Tarot, Tea, & Me - A Tarot Reader's Community

Edited October 7Oct 7 by Rose Lalonde

Thank you, Rose. It looks like there's a lot there, so I will dive into that too.

I'm already falling out of my chair after reading the first post, because in addition to having a collection of tarot decks, I also have a collection of journals, both blank and filled. I always have several journals going at once--planning journals, reflection journals, nature journals....very special decks get their own dedicated journals, and then I have general tarot journals to keep track of readings for decks that don't have their own journals. Of course none of these are truly distinct categories and one area will bleed into another. I have tried to commit to finishing the journals I already have going before starting another new one. But, this deck is special and a dedicated journal seemed to be called for. I had a already picked out one of my blank journals that I've been holding on to for a few years. Yes, it's the same one @ilweran mentioned--Paperblanks Poetry in Bloom. That is CRAZY!!!

To be fair, it does coordinate very nicely with the deck. I am no stranger to these serendipitous moments that happen in tarot, but they still amaze me.

If you want to make a full study group with threads and things, you can request one here....

We are slowly transitioning all the old groups to the clubs, because they are more flexible to work with.

Someone needs to put their name on it as the "owner" of the club and request it on that page above, but then anyone can post and join in and keep it going.

14 hours ago, Rose Lalonde said:

If you haven't seen it, @ilweran also has had a journal on the greenwood here for years that links to art sources, etc. You may already know all these sources, but passing along in case it's helpful. Even as someone who knows little about pagan decks, I found it interesting.

ilweran's Greenwood Tarot Journal - Tarot, Tea, & Me - A Tarot Reader's Community

Oh, wonderful! I didn't see it :) We could also join that thread, if ilweran doesn't mind @cspacediva

12 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

If you want to make a full study group with threads and things, you can request one here....

We are slowly transitioning all the old groups to the clubs, because they are more flexible to work with.

Someone needs to put their name on it as the "owner" of the club and request it on that page above, but then anyone can post and join in and keep it going.

Ilweran's work that @Rose Lalonde recalled here https://www.thetarotforum.com/forums/topic/3316-ilwerans-greenwood-tarot-journal/ seems too be precious not to be included in a "Club". If @ilweran were disposed to put their name as the owner of the club, I would be more than happy to join and try to give my contribution

Edited October 8Oct 8 by Muir
grammar editing :D

15 hours ago, cspacediva said:

One thing that I think needs to be addressed from Chesca's book is when she says, "All the cards are based on European images." While the intent to not "steal imagery from other cultures" is admirable, I think there can be little question that she does at times reference works from outside Europe. For example, The Shaman references a photograph from the US (https://www.tworedroses.com/newsletters/newsletter09112015.html)and the 10 of Cups references a woodblock print from Japan (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/56139).

No problem at all. I was re-reading the passage of the handbook. About this, she says "All the cards are based on European images; apparent similarities between our deck and other ‘native’ mythologies are because of similarities in early climate and lifestyles. For instance the continent that is now the USA had Ice Ages like Europe with the same prehistoric animals, i.e., mammoth; Przewalski horses and cave bears. A human in bison skin and horns was painted in a French cave (Chauvet) c. 28,000 BCE, echoing the contemporary Native American sacred bison dancers." Apart from that, the creative process of the cards, that tried to trace try to trace the universal archetypes, may have been influenced by images and pictures that she had seen and studied before starting it, I think

13 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

We are slowly transitioning all the old groups to the clubs, because they are more flexible to work with.

Someone needs to put their name on it as the "owner" of the club and request it on that page above, but then anyone can post and join in and keep it going.

I think that is a very regrettable decision; someone looking for a study group is not going to look to "clubs" which is an area that several here - including me - see as a sort of "members only" thing. Not least because each has an "owner." Please reconsider.

ETA They may be "flexible" - whatever that means to you; can't see it myself. But the footfall will be significantly less. Yuu don't go to "clubs" for a study.

Edited October 8Oct 8 by gregory

I have found that making groups exclusive discourages participation, if you consider that participation could include those that don't want to actively post but only want to browse. For example, I don't own the Greenwood but this doesn't mean I wouldn't want to follow along reading the discussion. If there was a club I wouldn't feel the need the join.

Exactly this, @fire cat pickles I have joined one club here - and nothing ever happens there ! I'm not joining any more.

Thank you gregory and fire cat pickles. I appreciate your insights as experienced participants in this forum. If the concern is cluttering up the main forum, couldn't we just keep our responses in this one thread? I don't anticipate a high level of participation so there's probably no need to create a bunch of separate threads for all the cards. That way no one needs to assert ownership and anyone can jump in at anytime with whatever level of participation they're comfortable with (including following along silently). Wherever we are in the year will determine which cards we're discussing, at least for the next year. Then assuming we make it that far, we would move into the center of the wheel around November 2027. Chesca writes that the minor arcana are fragmented parts of the major arcana, so it kind of makes sense to keep those discussions in the same thread anyway.

My point is that the study groups work fine as they are. Why fix it - it isn't broken. As they stand, anyone can join in. With a club you have to sign up. Ugh.

But "Clubs" are somehow exclusive? I thought it was just a different name and perhaps format for the same function of the Study Groups

Please leave the word "clubs" behind at this point, I feel like it's being hyperfixated on.

A study group can be run in a group quite efficiently. Here is the example: https://www.thetarotforum.com/clubs/19-example-reading-group/

You can have it made public so folks don't have to join it to talk in there, but it's as easy as clicking a button.

The owner doesn't matter, but perhaps somebody who would like to organize it a little bit to add different "sub-forums" (see the menu in the example.

I

What is wrong with the way it is ? It works fine.

22 hours ago, Little Fang said:

A study group can be run in a group quite efficiently. Here is the example: https://www.thetarotforum.com/clubs/19-example-reading-group/

You can have it made public so folks don't have to join it to talk in there, but it's as easy as clicking a button.

The owner doesn't matter, but perhaps somebody who would like to organize it a little bit to add different "sub-forums" (see the menu in the example.

I

I'm not allowed to see the link...

Nor am I, and I am fully paid up. I go to "all clubs" and see a total of four.

This is exactly the kind of thing that says to me - please leave things as they are,

I get an error message at that link:

Oops!

The page you are trying to access is not available for your account.

Error code: 2C350/2

That's exactly what I get.

On 10/8/2026 at 1:00 PM, Muir said:

Oh, wonderful! I didn't see it :) We could also join that thread, if ilweran doesn't mind @cspacediva

I'm very happy for people to post on my thread.

I'm also the admin of the Chesca Potter Facebook group 😄 nice to see you here!

Oooooh!!!! @ilweran! What a nice surprise!! I recommended the fb group here :D Did you see it?

Wonderful if we can join your thread <3

@Muir I did see, yes 😊 and the more the merrier there and on my thread. I'm always happy to share my love of Chesca's art and the Greenwood Tarot.