Unboxings and First Impressions

[katrinka]

The Conjure Cards I ordered a couple of days ago have already arrived. I was talking about them with @Decan over at the Postman thread:
 

 

First, I want to say that I like that box everybody complains about. It's cigar-box style, it's sturdy and it's textured somehow so the cardboard feels like wood. Yes, there's an issue with it not closing all the way, even when it's empty. It might loosen up in time, though. In the meantime, I tied a loop of twine around it, loose enough to slip on and off but snug enough that even if the box gets knocked off the table, the cards and LWB won't go scattering all over the place. I think the twine fits the cabin aesthetic of the deck. I'm keeping the box. 😁

 

And check out the interior - it even has a fake water stain. With all the effort that was put into this, I think "What deck will you be dealt?" was intentional. People there have their own way of talking.

 

The card size is larger than I would prefer for a deck like this, but just fine for smaller spreads. And it's such a cool deck, I'm willing to overlook it.

 

But they are NOT "oracle deck size" like some people have said. They're a little shorter and fatter than a standard Tarot.

 

 

The LWB is very good. There's a clear explanation of each card. Mr. Richards says they're derived from a playing card method he learned from his mother, matched up with traditional Appalachian dream symbols. He did a really good job. It's a very effective collection of symbols. I think this is going to be one of those rare great reading decks.

 

The King and Queen of Hearts are the male and female significators, but he makes it a point to note that the binary gender approach is not a requirement, and offers an alternative way of choosing significators: basically, using the card you identify with most for yourself, and the one you're most drawn to for your partner. So, while this is a "hillbilly deck", it's not narrow minded.

Since these are playing card based, some (not all) of the cards have reversed meanings. I normally don't use reversals, but after reading through the Spades meanings, I think I'll use them with this deck. If I were to leave all those Spades upright, I'd probably be convinced that I was doomed. 🤣 The reversals take the edge off! This is a deck that does not pussyfoot around. There's death and bad juju and all kinds of things it can warn you about. And there are some very nice things, as well. It's balanced.

 

The last part of the LWB is spreads. They're classic: a Line of 3 that he suggests reading PPF, or alternately, using as a yes/no spread. A 3x3 relationship spread where the outer columns are the people and the center column is what's between them. And one he calls "The Bullfrog", which is a 9x4 GT that employs a counting method. I'm tempted to clear the table and try that one. (And yes, I'd have to clear the table. The cards are big.)

 

All in all, it's a very well done reading deck and it's atmospheric. Something that brings to mind plank tables, kerosene lamps and people playing old murder ballads on the porch at night. I love it already. 😁

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by katrinka

[Decan]

Thank you for that Katrinka!

Actually I ordered it on impulse yesterday evening (I couldn't really resist and I knew about the size!), and I bought as well his last book (Doctoring the Devil, Kindle edition); I just began it and it is well written! It was to have more information about the lores and beliefs behind the symbols, I hope I'll have that, anyway it is pleasant to read.

 

Quote

With all the effort that was put into this, I think "What deck will you be dealt?" was intentional. People there have their own way of talking.

Yes, it's probably intentional, you find that in his book, some words like people were pronuncing them (and deformed them a little) in his community.

I'll receive my deck today! 🙂

Edited November 17, 2021 by Decan

[katrinka]

9 hours ago, Decan said:

Actually I ordered it on impulse yesterday evening (I couldn't really resist and I knew about the size!), and I bought as well his last book (Doctoring the Devil, Kindle edition); I just began it and it is well written! It was to have more information about the lores and beliefs behind the symbols, I hope I'll have that, anyway it is pleasant to read.

Woohoo! Awesome.
We're thinking alike, I'm reading his Backwoods Witchcraft. The little moth on the cover made me think it would be a good expansion on the deck, and it is.

TBH, I was skeptical about everything when I first ordered the deck. I could tell it was a good reading deck, but I thought he might have cobbled it together from things he found in books and on the internet. "Grandmother stories" sell, and misattribution has been a common practice with deck creators since Etteilla said his Tarot was "Egyptian." But after spending not even 24 hours with the book and deck, I'm convinced this is authentic Appalachian folklore and Jake is the real deal. He just knows too much history and folklore. It's even more impressive because he looks really young. He couldn't have gained this depth of understanding from google. He had to have actually grown up with all this. I believe him when he says this:

 

I'm going to read all his stuff eventually. It's that good. 😁

Edited November 17, 2021 by katrinka

[Decan]

Great indeed! I also hesitated regarding this book you ordered (never heard about him).

From what I read until now it's very close to hoodoo TBH, and I appreciate the way he writes.

The deck is there and isn't too large. I need to use it a bit!

[katrinka]

Yes, it's very close to hoodoo, I don't think it's completely separate at all.

People who were raised in Appalachia are recognizing the things he talks about, so it definitely passes the authenticity test. And I enjoyed listening to this lady. She would be fun to hang out with, she has a lot of stories. 😁

 

 

 

[Decan]

Yes, I also think he is authentic, and it's very important!

The deck reads very well, I pull lines of 5 cards (minimum) because with the meanings of some cards with 3 cards it can lack of nuance; I mean that a few cards are pretty harsh so I want to be sure if a particular situation is very worrying or not.

Great deck and a very good surprise (I also read your review on Amazon). 

 

Concerning the box, it is very nice (and really gives the impression of wood) apart that the lid stays a bit open, that's true; so I simply let the LWB upon the lid with the cards inside!

Edited November 18, 2021 by Decan

[Decan]

On 11/17/2021 at 5:03 AM, katrinka said:

Regarding this particular card (the 3 of Hearts) I read a comment saying that he really should have redrawn the card instead of letting his mistakes (3 of Diamonds); but here as well I think it's intentional. I checked the meaning of that card and among them you have "wrongs will be righted" lol, great! 🙂

Edited November 18, 2021 by Decan

[katrinka]

3 hours ago, Decan said:

The deck reads very well, I pull lines of 5 cards (minimum) because with the meanings of some cards with 3 cards it can lack of nuance; I mean that a few cards are pretty harsh so I want to be sure if a particular situation is very worrying or not.

 

Are you using the reversals? They can really take the edge off the more dire cards. Sometimes things are bad, but not THAT bad. 😁
I think nuance comes with use. I like that he's taken the cards down to the essence and gets straight to the point.
 

3 hours ago, Decan said:

Great deck and a very good surprise (I also read your review on Amazon).

 

LOL. The deck made me go all fangirl. 🤣

 

3 hours ago, Decan said:

Concerning the box, it is very nice (and really gives the impression of wood) apart that the lid stays a bit open, that's true; so I simply let the LWB upon the lid with the cards inside!

 

That's actually kind of brilliant in its simplicity. 😸

 

3 hours ago, Decan said:

Regarding this particular card (the 3 of Hearts) I read a comment saying that he really should have redrawn the card instead of letting his mistakes (3 of Diamonds);

 

I saw that! The person said they returned it. I wonder what they'd say about Austin Osman Spare's Tarot. 😜

 

3 hours ago, Decan said:

but here as well I think it's intentional. I checked the meaning of that card and among them you have "wrongs will be righted" lol, great!

 

Yes, I agree. It fits with the homemade style of the deck AND it's a great mnemonic. Very smart and subtle!

[Decan]

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

Are you using the reversals? They can really take the edge off the more dire cards. Sometimes things are bad, but not THAT bad. 😁
I think nuance comes with use. I like that he's taken the cards down to the essence and gets straight to the point.

Yes absolutely, I use reversals, since some bad Spades when reversed are pleasant to see 🙂

Otherwise yes, nuance comes with use, I agree, but presently I feel more comfortable with 5 cards than only 3, I must be a chicken LOL

[katrinka]

I think you're probably just going for a bit more narrative. Everybody likes a good story.

And this deck will certainly provide that! All the salient points, plus haints and devil dogs, lol. It not only works, it's fun. 😆

Edited November 18, 2021 by katrinka

[AlbaTross]

On 11/16/2021 at 1:07 PM, Rose Lalonde said:

Wow, that is awful. Images look like they came out of a random generator.

 

For 30 on the Hanged Man... I wonder if they were making a poor attempt to put the number value of the Hebrew letter assigned by the Golden Dawn, like the Haindl tarot does. But if that was their intent, they got it wrong, since Hanged Man would be 40. 

I didn't know about the Hebrew letter thing, so thanks for sharing that with me.  I wouldn't think this was a good deck even if it got that right, but I guess I learned something new that I wouldn't have had I not wasted $10 on it, so there's that.  

[katrinka]

I just received a deck that I preordered some time ago and forgot about. From photos in the ad, it was obvious that it wasn't medieval (though the people are dressed that way) but probably late 19th/early 20th century art. And it may have been intended as a fancy gaming deck rather than a reading deck. LS has a long tradition of giving their decks misleading titles. But I ordered it anyway. It's lovely: german suits and gorgeous lithographs. On the 2 of Bells it says Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik, Schneider & Co., Altenburg S.A. And the 2 of Acorns is signed L. Burger. There's a tax stamp on the 2 of Hearts, as well. So it should be easy to research the actual history of the deck.

 

 

 

The cards are numbered 0, 2, and then 6-K with no Queens/Obers, for a total of 36 cards. Or more likely, the 0's are the Obers and there are no aces, as in the german suited insets on Das Spiel der Hoffnung. LS would see a '0' and assume to put it in RWS order. 🙄 And, as is usual for them, the LWB is full of interpretations that are totally unrelated to the images, and a lot of the deck doesn't fit my skat notes, either. But the images are expressive and engaging. I think it could work for reading.

I think it's important to remember that Leaves are growth and not try to make a trouble suit of them just because they're the german version of Spades and these are hunting scenes. The men look like they're thoroughly enjoying themselves. And that 2 looks very auspicious. It's got St. Eustace's stag...and those twigs appear to form the Ing rune. In a reading, it might also be referring to Jägermeister, lol. Whatever the case, it's a nice card!

 

More here:

 

The trouble suit, as in Lenormand, is Acorns (Clubs.) Lots of armored knights, war scenes and overcast skies in that one.

 

The packaging is like their Piatnik repro/"Grand Tableau Lenormand." The box is linen but the cards are smooth. (Go figure.) Still good stock, though. The cards are a little larger than normal playing card size, but all in all, it's a good deck. 🥰

Edited November 25, 2021 by katrinka

[Lydian]

4 hours ago, katrinka said:

I just received a deck that I preordered some time ago and forgot about. From photos in the ad, it was obvious that it wasn't medieval (though the people are dressed that way) but probably late 19th/early 20th century art. And it may have been intended as a fancy gaming deck rather than a reading deck. LS has a long tradition of giving their decks misleading titles. But I ordered it anyway. It's lovely: german suits and gorgeous lithographs. On the 2 of Bells it says Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik, Schneider & Co., Altenburg S.A. And the 2 of Acorns is signed L. Burger. There's a tax stamp on the 2 of Hearts, as well. So it should be easy to research the actual history of the deck.

 

I got my pre-ordered pack last week and found some useful background information on Peter Endebrock's site. Apparently they were first printed in 1885 as part of a games collection presented to Friedrich III and his wife to commemorate their silver wedding anniversary. 

 

http://www.endebrock.de/coll/pages/d1248.html

[katrinka]

1 hour ago, Lydian said:

 

I got my pre-ordered pack last week and found some useful background information on Peter Endebrock's site. Apparently they were first printed in 1885 as part of a games collection presented to Friedrich III and his wife to commemorate their silver wedding anniversary. 

 

http://www.endebrock.de/coll/pages/d1248.html

 

Thank you! That's exactly the information I wanted.
The LS pack is taken from a later edition, then. And the backs are original - I didn't know that!
It's a lovely deck. It makes sense that it was created as a gift for a royal couple.

[stephanelli]

Totally unplanned purchase... Found it in my local crystal/tarot shop...

Latest reprint of the Wildwood Tarot!

I've been after this deck for a while, I've always loved the artwork since I first discovered it on this forum!

The box is huge:

 

But this is mostly to contain the beautiful and what seems very informative book. I haven't read it yet though!  The cards are a pretty standard size.

 

I hate this box though and the splitting of the deck into two stacks.  This will very quickly get a pouch made for it!  Possibly this afternoon 😆

 

Cards are nice, beautiful and detailed. Backs are lovely. Nice cardstock, sturdy but easy to shuffle. A little on the glossy side but not the worst I've got in my (very small) collection!

 

This is probably going to be my 'depth' deck for next year, but right now I'm going to spend some time getting to know this deck and how it reads for me!

[Raggydoll]

1 hour ago, stephanelli said:

Totally unplanned purchase... Found it in my local crystal/tarot shop...

Latest reprint of the Wildwood Tarot!

I've been after this deck for a while, I've always loved the artwork since I first discovered it on this forum!

The box is huge:

 

But this is mostly to contain the beautiful and what seems very informative book. I haven't read it yet though!  The cards are a pretty standard size.

 

I hate this box though and the splitting of the deck into two stacks.  This will very quickly get a pouch made for it!  Possibly this afternoon 😆

 

Cards are nice, beautiful and detailed. Backs are lovely. Nice cardstock, sturdy but easy to shuffle. A little on the glossy side but not the worst I've got in my (very small) collection!

 

This is probably going to be my 'depth' deck for next year, but right now I'm going to spend some time getting to know this deck and how it reads for me!

How exciting! 

[gregory]

1 hour ago, stephanelli said:

Totally unplanned purchase... Found it in my local crystal/tarot shop...

Latest reprint of the Wildwood Tarot!

I've been after this deck for a while, I've always loved the artwork since I first discovered it on this forum!

The box is huge:

 

But this is mostly to contain the beautiful and what seems very informative book. I haven't read it yet though!  The cards are a pretty standard size.

 

 

Let me know how you find the book. I hope they have changed it; when I got mine, several of the card descriptions matched the Greenwood cards, rather than the Wildwood ones. This was both confusing and annoying - not least because of Mark Ryan's whole attitude... He should have rewritten the book - made it fit the deck. But the art of the cards is very good.

Edited November 25, 2021 by gregory

[ilweran]

2 minutes ago, gregory said:

 

Let me know how you find the book. I hope they have changed it; when I got mine, several of the card descriptions matched the Greenwood cards, rather than the Wildwood ones. This was both confusing and annoying - not least because of Mark Ryan's whole attitude... He should have rewritten the book - made it fit the deck. But the art of the cards is very good.

I think I rather annoyed John Matthews by pointing it out 🙄 Having had to proofread in the past, I was nice about it as well...

 

Liked Will Worthington's art for a long time though, ever since picking up the Druid Animal Oracle for next to nothing in a discount book shop. I loved it when those shops had random oracle decks for cheap.

[katrinka]

25 minutes ago, ilweran said:

I think I rather annoyed John Matthews by pointing it out 🙄 Having had to proofread in the past, I was nice about it as well...

Why can't some people just own their mistakes? We all make them from time to time. He'd have come out looking a lot better if he'd just done that.
He intended people to read the book, right? How can he expect them not to notice?

[gregory]

What he intended was for people to believe the Wildwood was the new Greenwood. I am very sorry for Worthington - a good artist - having got caught up in all this. DO enjoy the deck, Stephanelli - I love the cards myself - but unless the book is much changed it may not be as informative as you hope.

[stephanelli]

55 minutes ago, gregory said:

 

Let me know how you find the book. I hope they have changed it; when I got mine, several of the card descriptions matched the Greenwood cards, rather than the Wildwood ones. This was both confusing and annoying - not least because of Mark Ryan's whole attitude... He should have rewritten the book - made it fit the deck. But the art of the cards is very good.

Ah interesting, I didn't realise that!

I will bear that in mind as I begin reading the book and working with it!

[katrinka]

16 minutes ago, gregory said:

What he intended was for people to believe the Wildwood was the new Greenwood. I am very sorry for Worthington - a good artist - having got caught up in all this. DO enjoy the deck, Stephanelli - I love the cards myself - but unless the book is much changed it may not be as informative as you hope.

 

Yeah. Worthington tends to get caught up in things. Like when they hired him to do that Lenormand without explaining anything. It's lovely art, but a lot of the images don't say what they should. Or the Druid Animal Oracle - people should have known from the beginning that it isn't really "Druid" - we know very little about what the Druids did. Everybody loved it in the beginning, then I started seeing people bashing it when they finally realized it isn't authentic. But it's a wonderful animal oracle. And again, NOT Worthington's fault that it was marketed as "Druid."

[Ziev]

3 hours ago, gregory said:

What he intended was for people to believe the Wildwood was the new Greenwood. I am very sorry for Worthington - a good artist - having got caught up in all this. DO enjoy the deck, Stephanelli - I love the cards myself - but unless the book is much changed it may not be as informative as you hope.

 

Hi Gregory. Yes the book was slightly redone awhile back. Not too many changes in it though. They added more meanings to the court cards and did a few other tweaks like that. They did it at the same time they put that decoration on the back of the cards. I don't remember when that was but the deck I have does not have that design on it. 

 

Love this deck! I do like the artwork for sure. 

 

3 hours ago, katrinka said:

Like when they hired him to do that Lenormand without explaining anything

 

I love the Lenormand deck he did too. But as I learn more about how to read those cards that deck is a bit harder for me to read. Maybe its just me, idk. 

 

[gregory]

How's the description on that Archer card ???  

[katrinka]

1 hour ago, Ziev said:

I love the Lenormand deck he did too. But as I learn more about how to read those cards that deck is a bit harder for me to read. Maybe its just me, idk. 

 

No, it's the images, like that Heart. And the extra details like the Snake shedding its skin - the Lenormand Snake isn't about the continual renewal of life.
If you love the deck, by all means hang on to it and use it from time to time! I have a couple of wonky decks I love, too. They're fun to use, they're just not my go-to Lenormands when it's vital to get a clear answer.