Tarot & Oracle Decks

Yes!

sounds like a "meant to be" to me Smile that's the best way to get a deck!

Indeed, I wanted a crystal ball because I had the impression it would help me get a deeper understanding of life and maybe go into past lives.
But the shapeshifter tarot actually told me its purpose is to help me explore the one-ness of life (past/present, human/animals, human/spiritual, wisdom and spirit) and also help me go deeper in my psychic talents (healing, divination and channelling) and there was something about past lives.
So I guess the crystal ball was just the sign to attract me to the one shop I hoped I would find one (as I don't one to buy one on the internet) and thus find the decks.
Especially since the shopkeeper told me someone had almost bought it not long before me

Hum, amethyst... Must be very pretty... I'm sure once it is the right moment, one will appear on my way

I do the same, I'll feel attracted by one deck or the other and will find exactly what I needed...

Shanouche wrote:

But the shapeshifter tarot actually told me its purpose is to help me explore the one-ness of life (past/present, human/animals, human/spiritual, wisdom and spirit) and also help me go deeper in my psychic talents (healing, divination and channelling) and there was something about past lives.

right on targer!

Here is the deck i'm so eager to get!

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by clicking on the arrow at the bottom you can see all the cards one by one and also she put the pic of the box

@Shanouche

I have several Past lives Spreads that i can share if you need some for your new Tarot! 

It's just gorgeous artwork! I'm sure you'll love it.

Hum, you do! Yeah, that'd be awesome!!!

Shanouche wrote:

Hum, you do! Yeah, that'd be awesome!!! Smile

okey dokey! i'll post them in our spreads topic!

Takaki made a Tarot!?! her art is sooo gorgeous!!! (have lots of wallpapers from her) that deck looks amazing, i love it!!!
wow, that's one i have to get soon!

Héhéhé, Sib you were right, Lakshmi has fallen for the deck
Yes, Lakshmi, it really looks beautiful!

Sib, your new avvie is so sweet. Love it

Lakshmi wrote:

 Takaki made a Tarot!?!  her art is sooo gorgeous!!! (have lots of wallpapers from her) that deck looks amazing, i love it!!!
wow, that's one i have to get soon!

i'm not surprised!

Shanouche wrote:

Héhéhé, Sib you were right, Lakshmi has fallen for the deck
Yes, Lakshmi, it really looks beautiful!

Sib, your new avvie is so sweet. Love it

Yeay!!! I just received my Gilded Reverie Lenormand deck!!!
Oh it is so beautiful, I love it already

so happy for you! yes, you'll enjoy it i have it since last year, and still love to use it!

that is a very nice one

i've fallen in love with another Tarot! and especially because of its "Death" card. i'm posting it and i'm sure you'll easily guess why...


I actually found a wallpaper size on the net and it has been on my monitor since Tiger left. If it was a better time i would have bought it right now, because this death card is so comforting to me!

It is called "Mystical Cats Tarot" by  Lunaea Weatherstone et Mickie Mueller.

You can see every cards here:

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Nonetheless, i wonder if it would not be difficult to use, if it would not be confusing. I'm used to the RW but this version is somewhat similar while being far stretched from it. it is actually said that it doesn't really follow any traditional tarot, like it follows its own system. The cats have not been personified to represent the usual images of the RW. Several majors got renamed and don't really look like what they use to be like the Hermit:

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Here is the list of the majors with their new names:

The Fool = The Cat
The Magician = Cat Magic
The High Priestess = The Priestess
The Hierophant = The Priest
The Wheel of Fortune = The Wheel
Justice = Consequences
The Hanged Man = The Floating Cat
Temperance = Grace
The Devil = Demon Cat
Judgement = Good Kitty

and the Minor suits:

Wands = Fire Clan
Cups = Sea Clan
Swords = Sky Clan
Pentacles = Earth Clan

Judgment aka Good Kitty

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The Lovers is a sweet card that shows well a kind of a yin/yang situation, which i think is smart:

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I like the rendition of the Strength:

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That deck comes with a book which gives explanations about the clans aka suits, and of course a short description for each card, as well as the Wisdom of the cat and the reversed meaning. They also give some spreads as usual.

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The card that kind of makes me wonder how to take it is the 3 of Sky aka 3 of Swords. See the comparison between the Mystical Cats and the Traditional RW

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I don't really see the heartache here, unless the broken pots at the bottom right are what gives you the idea of some kind of distress. The cats don't seem to have any issue... what do you think? Do you see any similarity with the RW 3 of Swords?

that's a nice looking deck, and yea i'd agree, it probably has to do with the broken pots...

it's a bit confusing for some cards though. but it is nicely done

Lakshmi for sharing your opinion, yep i guess that must be that... well, when i get it i'll let you know what the book says about it! can't wait to have the money to spare on another Tarot! i think this one will come even before the Alchemia as if i could i would have had it yesterday! i believe that's what that deck do to many in my position as i read a review where the person said she bought the deck because she had lost 3 cats and visibly the images did the same they did to me when i saw it!

Hello dears!

Ok, there has been some excitement regarding tarot in my life recently...
So, to sum up a little...

The tarot of a moon garden
I love it, it is one of my favourites. However, it is not very realistic, actually totally fantastical. So I'm not sure yet how I can best use it... For a word of wisdom, to explore my dreams and my subconscious definitely. But for ex it does not speak to me to use it for clients...

The shapeshifters tarot
I like it and most images are very beautiful.
One downside: the deck is very fragile. I've had it for barely 2 months and already the cards are becoming all white on the borders, loosing their colours. Very disappointing!
Other negative: it is very complicated. One because it has extra cards. 2 because the names differ a lot and it is not necessarily clear why (it is based on shamanism, and I'm not familiar enough with that). 3 it is very complicated. The meanings are not self explanatory. You need to read, it is a 'long story' rather than keywords, it does not seem to explain the images nor the symbolism so it makes it very difficult to connect I find...

The wizards'tarot
I loooove the book. I like the deck in general, there are just a few cards I don't like, but not so many. But I find it very specific, connected to 'witches magic' so not a go-to deck. But I enjoy it a lot and have yet to read the book and learn more about astrology, runes and all. It is probably my 3rd favorite, after the Tarot of a moon garden.

The ancient Egyptian tarot
For the most part it is very beautiful. I love the minors a lot, much more than I like the majors, at least there are a few that are quite difficult to understand without the knowledge of Ancient Egypt and the Gods. The book is very well explained however, very interesting, providing a good basis about the mythology and it is well connected to everyday lives. But once again, it requires much studying before being able to use it, and it is quite specific. But I love it. My nb4...


In fact, I'm fed up with studying, memorizing and all. I don't want to study what others have found, I want to do my own experience of tarot and discover my own symbolism. This is what bugs me with these...  Also, I really wanted a 'go-to' deck that I can use for myself and for clients, that I can easily connect with, that would speak to me quite loudly and enough that I would want to study it or work with it in the long term to really develop a relationship with.

I also bought the witches tarot. I do love most of the cards, with a few exceptions (I really hate these cards, not just dislike them...) but it is the book I am most dissatisfied with. The author, Ellen Dugan, is a 'witch', that I would describe as a 'television witch' or 'entertainment witch': she has made spells that rhyme and all for each cards, she has all sorts of rituals like you see in movies. So, in short, hate the book! To me witchcraft is not about 'impressing with a show' but doing simple magic - ok, we've established I'm a solitary witch, so that explains I guess


So I would say this year I have mainly learnt from what did not work for me... Like I had booked this cruise but my cancelling it has taught me a lot about who I've become, what I no longer want (people who say they know it all and therefore vomit it on you for example) or these decks I've purchased and that have shown to me what I am not (someone who wants chanting spells or too much dreamy fantasy or having to study extensively...).



Then I found the tarot of the hidden realm by Barbara Moore. I had heard a review about it a few weeks ago (I have to admit I have watch a dozen reviews because I really wanted to find out more about tarot decks out there and ensure to not be disappointed again) and felt drawn to it instantly, and I found it by chance in a bookshop though I had forgotten about it... And I'm in love. I think I have found my go-to deck at last!!!  

It is very simple. In fact the cards do not depict symbols that you need to research but an atmosphere that is very easily perceptible by looking at the cards. At least I really get the mood of the image, so to me it is easy to understand the message. So no studying required Just looking and listening to the sensations and feelings. Love that!

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All cards are stunning. Love them all. Maybe just the magician I'm not so fond of, but it's the only one and it is not that bad.

The theme is nature and faeries, but not the rosy fairy world. It has a Celtic vibe but I don't mind because the drawings are so gorgeous. Some cards are actually 'darker' and I love that.

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I have an amazing feel about it. I've had it for a couple of days only but I can already read it without using the guidebook.

The book is really great. Simple, clear but you feel it is a unique experience of the tarot. I had heard B. Moore is quite amazing, I can confirm that!

A few names have been changed but I like it in fact. Like the devil is now the shadow dance, to me it really makes sense and is not as 'scary' as the devil. The tower is the blasted beech... I'm ok with that honestly.
The back of the cards is wonderful. The quality is great, they are quite thick, love that.

So really love it. Especially since I want to dive into shadow work. It is nice all that happy happy world we are pulled in with cards, but to me it is through the tests and hardships that we learn and grow and I want to stop pushing my shadows away and instead bring them back to light and heal them or at least befriend them. So another reason why I love this deck.
At the beginning of the book Barbara invites us to draw a card to see which fairy character would like to enter in contact with us, I pull 7 cups, that was totally to the point. That was 2 days ago. This afternoon I started reading the book and pull the card again, and got the 7 cups again! This shows how stunningly accurate this deck is and how we connect...



I've also ordered the tarot 'joie de vivre' by Paulina Cassidy. I have discovered her artwork and I'm completely in love with it. The tarot looks amazingly gorgeous. It also has darker cards, which I love, you got that
It is gorgeous, and a blend of the fantastical and the shadow. Honestly the devil is my favorite depiction of all times!!!

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Love the hanged man too
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The empress is truly adorable
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I should get it Thursday to the latest, will let you know.
So this will be the last one for this year. Promise, no more tarot!!! I have the tarot of the HR and hopefully the JV will be equally as good, and I'll journey with them for some time.

Ok, that's it for today...

Hope you enjoyed. Next I'll write a post on my oracles too

  so much for these reviews! i really enjoyed reading them and i like it because you just say it like it is, not like some reviews i've read. 
i've never owned the  Shapeshifters tarot but you are confirming what i thought about it. Otherwise, i totally relate to what you said:

Shanouche wrote:

I don't want to study what others have found, I want to do my own experience of tarot and discover my own symbolism. ... I can easily connect with, that would speak to me quite loudly and enough that I would want to study it or work with it in the long term to really develop a relationship with.

Yep, that's the way i feel also! and that's the way i've been reading my deck since i realized that! The Vision Quest, the Tarot of the Saints, the Crystal Vision have been eloquent so far and since i made that decision i have found more joy in reading my decks as well as more accuracy. I've read that technically that is the way Tarot should be read, the images and symbols should be resonating with our spirit so that we capture the message they bring to us... and knowing that we are all different we do have our own way of reacting to a symbol... it is even proven by reading how a certain symbol is viewed by diverse cultures! The Pig won't be viewed the same way in the Jewish world as it it in the Asian world, etc... I think there are some common grounds and we do react at times the same way, but not all the time which brings us back to the fact that taking someone else's meaning of a symbol becomes challenging, frustrating and many times fruitless...
So i think also that we need to find a rendition of the Tarot which symbolism, imagery resonate with us and that we can interpret on our own by letting ourselves react to them, listen to what each picture says to us... and i'm sure that by doing that, all 3 of us could buy the same deck and share what the symbolism means to us and at times, we would have 3 different messages!
I also feel that as we would not lock ourselves into a rigid set of meanings, we would end up discovering how a card would fluctuate in the messages that it gives while the picture remains the same... this "changes" occurring as we change or according to the fact that we don't feel the same way every day...
As for the HR tarot, i didn't know that one but I really like the Empress, Devil and 3 of cups.
I would have a hard time with the 10 of Swords... a bit too violent for me, not sure how i would interpret the 8 of swords.

So it might not be Tarot for me, though i know there are Tarot for each season of our lives! so not for now 
I've contemplated the "Joie de Vivre" since it came out, but never got to the point of buying it. As you spoke about it, i look again at all the cards and I was left with the same feeling. I'm attracted to it but i'm not sure...

Anyhow, talking about Tarot deck i'm eagerly waiting for my Green Witch Tarot to be shipped to me! I've never been so close since I pre-ordered it as it should arrive around Sept 14th to 18th!!! We'll see if i have made the right choice!

Well, i've still didn't get the time to scan the decks i've acquired and still have to present them to you... hopefully, i'll be able to do that soon!

so coming up...

The Chakra oracle
The Earth Magic oracle
The Celtic Lenormand

Hi!

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed my reviews and in a way you got a confirmation of what you had sensed about some of them.

As far as reading the tarot, my main struggle was to find a deck I do resonate with 'totally'. But no more... I have found 'my' deck, it is the Joie de vivre. I'm absolutely and totally in love with it, with every single card, I just can't put it down! I also totally love the way Paulina describes and interpret it, it is really well thought and researched and experienced. She 'got' it.
My second deck is the Hidden Realm, but there are a couple of cards I'm not so found of, so it is number 2 after the JV.
So, one thing done. And I really feel I can use it for myself, for everyday readings or for very in-depth ones and also for clients - they should even appreciate it. So I'm really glad about this.


Now, yes, using one's meanings can be frustrating, but before flying on your own I feel I just need loads of practice until I get my own connection with each card. And I'm convinced it can take a lifetime for that connexion to just keep getting stronger and stronger!!

But first things first; I've been creating a list of keywords for all the majors, and I am now doing it for the wands and will keep going on. Because yes we need to let our intuition lead us, but I believe we need a basis, and I feel I don't have it rooted well enough, especially with the minors. I don't fully resonate with the keywords I have studied so far... I always have to go back to a book or website etc, and I don't want to do that anymore. So, I'm getting the keywords, comparing several decks and several books/interpretation until I find what works for me. Then I try to journal every day, in order to create a more thorough 'meanings' fiche (or book!!), but I will not memorise it, rather use it as a starting point to allow my own intuition to step up from there. And since I have found 'my' deck with the JV, it seems much easier now than with the other decks that I do like in general but do not 'merge' with like I do with the JV - if I may say so...

After that, I also intend to dig more in detail with the shadow work with this deck. So that should keep me busy for a while, ahaha!!


I've also decided not to buy another deck in order to avoid getting too confused, until I have my set of meanings quite clear. But I think the next purchase will be the Paulina tarot, which I find very beautiful too and since it is the same artist/author it should not be too confusing... I'll see if I can refrain myself until my birthday in April next year... Otherwise, I'll surrender to the temptation for Christmas!! :p


If you don't feel it, don't buy it. It'd just be yet another deck... I really wanted to find 'my' deck, so I kind of 'asked' the Universe to help me find it, and listened to almost all the reviews from Owlmoon until I found out about the JV. Then I kept watching a few more reviews but knew I had found it.

  reviews!! i had loved the Shapeshifters deck a lot too, but after awhile once past the "glamour" well the deck looks very complicated...
i loved the idea about the wizard tarot, but hated the deck after seeing it...
tarot of the hidden realm...i saw this at a store, and the cover\art intrigued me. i've just now looked over the deck pictures and i have to say there is something about the colors and the art that's very enticing. it's quite interesting. 

so far never went past what i have, though i do have some future plans. it's good to wait and see how decks pan out after seeing the images for awhile. some generally just get discarded with time. i'm still quite enticed with the Alchemia tarot by Takaki, and so that will be one i will buy soon. it's familiar ground for me, and it's clear. i've come to have a real appreciation for the Rider Waite, perhaps it didn't really satisfy my wants when it comes to art, but it's so much more complex then i realized. i agree i don't want to go and take someone's opinion on what they think the card means but, i am trying to discover the symbols of the rider waite and it's really becoming more and more clear now that i am understanding what every little thing is. even now i still find things about this deck i never noticed before and i've had this deck since 2011. i think the rider waite will remain on the top of my list simply for it's articulating design and potency in meanings. so i'm making my way slowly through the deck and writing a journal for all the symbols i want to keep and come back to.

Hi Lakshmi,

Nice, what you say...

I've been thinking about what you mentioned for myself for a few days or weeks because I realised I'm not fully happy about the 'traditional' Tarot de Marseille, I don't like it, I've always had great results with it - except with the minors that really do not speak to me, but I don't feel a real connexion to it... But though I've bought a few other decks, and look at many, none has reached the depth I've been able to find with the TM...

For example, the T of the HR is amazing, and it is my #2 deck after the Joie de vivre, but it reflects an atmosphere - that I can connect with - but it lacks details to 'grab' and dig from. With the TM I've learnt divination, psychological readings, personal development readings, chakras readings etc but I don't feel I could do that with the T of the HR... I'm checking if I could transpose that to the Joie de Vivre because I really want to make this one 'my' deck, the one I can reach for for any purpose reading. So wait and see...

But maybe it is because I took a class with someone who had really studied the TM in a very through and deep manner, and therefore her use of the tarot is simply powerful and amazing, and I just need to do the same for myself, with whichever deck I resonate with...

Just like I had to find 'my' deck, now I have to find 'my' way of using it and 'my' way of reading, for me and for people... I don't need to copy all I have learnt from that teacher, however great it is, because that is her way of using it and I am a different person and I need to find my own way...
That's also the reason why I want to stop buying tarot decks now and just use these 2, as much as possible to make them my own...


It seems you are already on your way That's great!!!

You're doing a good study on your deck Shanouche! never got down to do that just yet... so far, i've always consecrated my decks and jumped in the water doing readings with them.
I use all my tarot decks in turn, just taking the one that i'm drawn to, but as you speak about it I don't know if i can say that i have "one" that is my main one. Though the idea is enticing! Which one then should it be??? i'll have to ponder about it. I really love the Crystal Vision except for the fact that the cards are a bit to dark like if the original image got darkened by the printer... some details are hard to notice.
The Vision Quest is much brighter, the images a neat and crisp that i like better but it seems to work best for spiritual work, for insights on a situation.

I agree with you Lakshmi... though i still didn't care much for the art that is so simplistic; the RW is a very good deck, that has good system of symbols and the images are crisp and clear. This deck speaks to me straight forward and you make me think that maybe i should go back to it!
It is not cluttered like some other decks, the images really speak loud no ambiguity... it is always obvious

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really not difficult to relate to that card, and know what it is all about... been there, done that!

so maybe, the RW would be my "go to deck"? but, but, but.... i'm still wanting to have it all!!! the beautiful art AND the straight forward images and symbols of the RW!

and ... well, i've got to see what the Green Witch tarot will prove to be... i love the art, but?
and... the Mystical cat? would the images speak to me enough though at time they differ from the RW? now the Takaki, Alchemia seems to be a real clone of the RW but i know i will lose some symbols

we'll see!

you're wish list is getting too big!!

@Shanouche, sure i'd be glad to do a review

My review of the Wisdom of the House of Night.
If memory serves I got this deck last year. The deck was inspired by a teenage book series called the House of Night. (which is about teens who discover that they are vampires and go to a school where they are taught to harness their powers. It’s quite witch oriented as well). You don’t have to be aware of the story though to get along with the deck. You can get along perfectly fine without, but this will make clear the reason why some cards have a name reference in parenthesis like:
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There is 50 cards for this deck, and it comes with a nice little booklet. The cards stock is not as thick like a Doreen Virtue but it’s still quite durable and is pliable. It has a glossy finish on there as well. When I first got the deck, some cards were a bit stuck against the other, but after separating them, it has not happened again. The back of the card looks like this:
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I can’t say how well they hold up really, because as I don’t have a lot of time, I have not been an “aggressive” user with the cards. So up to now, they are still in great shape, no nicks or splitting of the cards. The deck has a “silver” edge, which has faded slightly but that’s normal. The booklet consists of information for each card, and the usual “how to use the cards”, “the purpose of the cards”, “how to ask a question”, and “examples and sample readings”. And also a little story about how this deck came to be (fictional).

It’s funny how this deck has been for me. I had no question as to whether I could connect or not to the deck, and I loved the imagery. I was as happy when receiving it. But as time went by I realized that for whatever reason the cards weren’t speaking coherently to me and I was often confused as to why I had gotten a card. I couldn’t understand why. And it was frustrating because I adore the imagery, and loved looking at the cards. But now (it’s been quite a few month now) I’m much more in tune with the deck, and the incoherency has stopped. Perhaps for whatever reason it was a deck I had to grow into, perhaps my intuition needed some growth before getting good communication from this deck.

I really enjoy it, it offers earthly matter, spiritual matters, “reminders” and such. It’s witchy and native in feel. There are cards for the elements (earth, water, fire, air) labeled as: ‘The High Priestess of –‘ as well as one for “Spirit” (The High Priestess of Spirit). That card is one of my favorites from the deck, it shows the Priestess of Spirit, but on the top all the Priestess of the elements are present.

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For the guidance tip per card in the booklet, I find it helpful and it’s speaking to me, but I also get better results letting my intuition speak as well. So I tend to use the booklet as an extra insight, but not before letting the card speak to me first.
Oh and yes, the box is the nice thick and sturdy type; the lid isn’t tight so it’s very easy to open and close.
So now, here are some more pics from the deck!



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Hi,

Oh what an impressive review Thanks for this. I had no idea there was another series on witchy matters that I've missed out. Must check it out!!!!!

"I really enjoy it, it offers earthly matter, spiritual matters, “reminders” and such."

Could you explain what you mean by that?

Funny, you did answer a question I just posted in the 'daily', as I was saying that my dailies seem off and I don't understand. Now after reading your post, I see my dailies have been off since I started using the Hidden realm tarot and the joie de vivre tarot, both very very new decks. So maybe I need to connect with them more first. Funny as it has never happened to me before (needing time to connect...) and with the witchlings it does not seem necessary either.

Well, I hope you get to use it more and give another kind of insight about your experience with it, I'm more interested in that than in the look, package and others, even if it is an important aspect to take into account.

Have a great day

Yes, great review indeed! 

I love this deck and i've been enjoying getting wisdom from it. Never did a full reading with it just yet, so i don't know if it would work well. But up to 3 cards this deck was very accurate.

I also go by the images i always prefer to listen first to my intuition but after i got my message i like to go to the booklet as it is nicely done! Which is what the book advises also if i remember well...

You posted beautiful samples! I also love "Playful" which was the advise i got on one of my daily this week! I do intend to continue to follow the advice and hope that tomorrow i'll be able to spend time playing a board game with my daughter! 

Well, i really have to go, i spent longer than i should have! 

  everyone, this is my first ever review lol

Shanouche wrote:

"I really enjoy it, it offers earthly matter, spiritual matters, “reminders” and such."

Could you explain what you mean by that?

some decks are more oriented towards a certain theme, like it can be more for spiritual matters, or just simple every day reminders. 
this deck has a little bit of everything  

 

Shanouche wrote:

Well, I hope you get to use it more and give another kind of insight about your experience with it, I'm more interested in that than in the look, package and others, even if it is an important aspect to take into account. 

 oh yes, i should try to do some experiments with it, like Sibella, i've never tried anything major with it. but i think it would be pretty accurate!

Hi,

I'm moving the topic here about the connexion with a deck, as it seems most relevant.

So, Sib, Lakshmi thanks, that was very helpful. In fact it is because I've never had to do that... Clear, cleanse and all I mean. But it is true that this 'joie de vivre' tarot kind of stinks! It has this glossy finish that smells very strongly.

So, following your post, I did clear my deck, using incense and then attuned to it.
What is funny though is that for others, the deck was providing very clear and precise info, but for me, for the daily it did not resonate. So maybe it is more me and the daily than the deck.

Anyway, it is always nice to cleanse a deck, and now it is done

 gotta cleanse some of mine tomorrow! I usually store them with a crystal quartz as it is said to absorb energies. When i cleanse them, i use incense and i also say a little "prayer", adding that they are purified and back to their neutral state, ready to perform according to their consecration.