Getting to know your cards

I've been purchasing a few new tarots this year... I've started with the traditional Tarot of Marseille and the other decks I have are of course quite different in the meaning, the symbols used, sometimes even the names...

So, I was wondering do you have a special way of connecting and bonding with your new decks? Do you have a go-to deck that you use as a reference or do you use the different decks with their own 'personality' and how do you get to know it?

Here's how I do: I do a deck interview - who are you, what are you here to teach me, how can I best learn from you. Then I look at the cards, see what feeling comes out of the deck, and I do daily draws with it. Sometimes I take like all the kings or the king and queen of cups and get the feel of each of them and journal it...

But I'm not yet an expert about tarot, and I have 5 main decks (traditionnal TM, my new ancient egyptian tarot, the Tarot of a moon garden, the shapeshifter's tarot and my wizard's tarot), all 4 new from these past months. I mean 76cards, it takes time to get to know them... !

The shapeshifter is very specific in its interpretation so I kind of need the book. The T of a MG does not have a companion book, the Egyptian one requires some (even light) research on ancient Egypt wisdom and mysticism. So, do you have a quick way to get going with your deck?

i don't think there is a quick way! i take each day basically for what they are, although my decks are pretty much similar. so to say, there's the rider waite flare for all of them. so that helps. for the rider waite i'm reading this book that talks about the symbols which is very interesting. 

for the other deck while it is similar in ways, i still let my intuition ride in too help along. (which still comes in for all decks regardless)

for all those decks that are made by artists with companion books, well i think reading the book is a good thing to do.

Hi,

Thanks Lakshmi for this.

I'm realising that in fact my decks are very different... That might be the reason for my confusion.

Anyway, as I mentioned already, I've decided to stop, or pause at least and use my Joie de Vivre tarot as my main deck, working with it to get to know it better. Sometime I'll go with my hidden realm too because I just love it so much.
I've started a journal. Now I take one card and just stay with it for 10 min, writing down all that comes to my mind. I realised I don't take the time, I go too quickly.

Also, in order to better connect with my cards, I've created a little altar in my living room, so I can see the card I want to work with every day. I placed my deck there. For ex, this week, my main theme is the magician, so I've pulled out that card and placed it on my altar. And I look at it everyday, connecting with its energy and trying to understand it better, trying to listen more closely to the message it has for me. I'll do that each week with the card that comes out as the focus.

Then I have the 8 swords as the 'how to deal with that', so one day this week I'll take that card and do a healing with it. Either I'll meditate with it, or just try to really connect with it to see how I can integrate the message.


So, I'll try to keep that pattern for my weeklies: one card for the main focus and I'll work with it every day of the week, one card as the 'how to deal with this' and do deeper healing or connecting work with it.

I thought you might get some inspiration from this, or that you'd want to share your own way of connecting...


Here is my 'altar', it might change but for now, that's how it is...

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There is a freeing yogi, a gift from Arnaud, my deck, a clear quartz heart crystal and an emerald and a candle salt lamp. And above is my witch hat that one of my friends gave to me recently...

  for sharing! this is really cool! i love the witch hat and your little altar!
I also put a card to meditate upon in my office room on my bookcase.
Well, right now i don't know if i really have a "go to" deck! So far, i'm not really sticking with one! not so faithful!   i've been using the Vision Quest, Crystal Vision. Tarot of the Sts and RW but like you i have the desire to have like "one tarot best friend" 
I think i've got that with oracles, as i find myself turning instinctively to the Lenormand. Maybe it's because it is the deck that got me into cartomancy when i was a teen and because it found me instead of me looking for it...

Otherwise, when i get a deck, i cleanse it, consecrate it which includes looking at each card, saying it's name out loud, etc... then i usually dive into reading with it! but since you've posted the "Interview" spread i've hooked up with it.... still have to do those interviews with my new decks but didn't have a zip of time.

I think that meditating on each card, feeling the energy is a good way to get closer to a deck. Some say to sleep with your deck close by. I did it for the TM and did dream about certain cards even though i had not meditated upon them. So there must be something about that practice and i'll have to do that with each of my new decks!

Well, honestly I feel you don't need a 'go to' deck because you connect so well with whatever deck you use... You are great with le Lenormand, but any other you have used in readings for me have spoken to you so clearly, I am just amazed... Acknowledge your own gift.
I don't have that instant connection, so I needed to find one deck and now I have to build a relationship with it. You don't need to do that, be grateful

I would like to do the interview spread for my Joie de Vive, T. of the hidden realm and the shapeshifters oracles... Maybe this w-e.

So far my experience is working quite well. Having the card out like this is great I find, it's so much easier to work with that energy.
I'd love to sleep with my deck. I've tried quite a while ago but not consistently enough to get results.

  that's a cool altar you have Shanouche! so cute! (the witch hat)

i don't really do any meditating on cards, mostly because i'm never much around in one spot for long, and then there's the time...it would just slip out of my mind lol

Shanouche wrote:

Well, honestly I feel you don't need a 'go to' deck because you connect so well with whatever deck you use... You are great with le Lenormand, but any other you have used in readings for me have spoken to you so clearly, I am just amazed... Acknowledge your own gift.
I don't have that instant connection, so I needed to find one deck and now I have to build a relationship with it. You don't need to do that, be grateful [Only admins are allowed to see this image]

Thanks for what you said Shanouche, i'll follow your advice! I guess i'm just a polygamist when it comes to decks! 

@ Lakshmi

You do get good results nonetheless and that's all that matter! 

Hello dears,

It's been a while, I hope you are doing well and things are going as you wish.

For my part I've been quite busy, but more on the inside. My business is still quite sleeping, therefore I've been doing a lot of soulsearching, trying to figure out what is wrong. Apparently it seems there is a need for me to be more authentic. I'm quite afraid of the image I would have as a tarot reader, and of not being up for it. Therefore I've tried to move more towards psychology, crystals, and all. But I see it is not bringing me neither the success (even the beginning of it) nor the joy and passion.
So I've come back to what I love most: cards.

I have bought a few decks, mainly oracles.
I have the ceccoli tarot, not sure I mentioned that yet, and the wild unknown, with which I am completely in love!

As for oracles, I've bought the wild wisdom of the faery, as Sib saw , the earth magic by S. Farmer, the earth power just recently (love it, but tricky as there is no guidebook...), the sacred rebels, I've wanted that one for a while and I looooove it.

And I've studied tarot a lot. I've also started teaching about tarot (people come with their own tarot and we see how to create the bond, it's great), so it is helping me to go deeper. I'm currently studying the minors, I have good hopes to be able to understand them all soon :p


As I said, I'll start doing deck reviews, simply because I love that. No idea if it'll impact my business. We'll see.
And I'll come back to let you know more about my decks if you like.
I've also a brand new altar - one shelve is no longer possible, I have a whole little desk. I'll post a picture later.

So, how about you? Have you been working with your decks, bought new ones, deepened your relationship to one in particular?

Talk to you soon!

Shanouche!

well, perhaps that is just what is meant to be, i'd say it's not like you're sitting still, you're searching and that's good. who knows what the future brings!

having joy\passion in what you do is important too

i agree, the wild wisdom of the faery looks lovely!

well for me, it's been a little quiet. not much time so i only doing a reading now and then for stuff i would like guidance on. i've not bought anything, and mainly when i use the cards i'm focusing on the Wisdom of the house of night oracle and the Crystal Visions Tarot. i was studying the Rider waite, but as things got busy i had switched to the CV, because i want to take a more "free" approach to this deck and let it speak to me.
this is working well, i've gotten more connected with this deck and it's becoming easier to work with.

the Wisdom of the house of night, i really enjoy. it has a tendency to be frank and straight to the point (almost sassy) which i love.
for an oracle it really pins down well i think.

Hello Lakshmi,

Yes, it is true that I tend to complaint that not much is happening, but in fact things are, just not so very apparent for the moment. But I've been doing a lot of reorienting and that has taken me a while. I've also let go of old barriers that were stopping me from moving forward, with fears and all. I guess it has to be done.


Well, it seems you have found 'your' oracle, and you have a great connection with it. It's cool to have a deck you can rely on so much like this.

By the way, Loooooove your cat. It makes me laugh so much! And that is what I'm going to do now, my nails need some tending, in front of a nice movie, I'm guessing twilight :p

Enjoy the moment

Hi gals!

it's nice that you have followed your heart to do what you enjoy the most! I believe it is the way to go to bear fruits!
And i understand you "fears" about stepping out with it, I tend to act the same way... and right now, i have to step out and we'll see...

@ Lakshmi
well, it seems you are in a season of life when the few decks you have are just what you need so you do the right thing to just stick with them. It's better to follow your heart on the matter and only buy one when you are drawn to do so.

As for me, been ultra busy with work and didn't even finish the backing up of my PC it's really hard to find leisure time. I have too many responsibilities and there's no way around.
I've not read cards as much but did buy a new tarot that was on my wishlist:

The Cat tarot of Marseille, i think i had talked about it. It is as awesome as i thought it would be but didn't have a chance to prepare it so i didn't try it just yet.
And of course, my latest acquisition that is on the way as i ordered yesterday (thought they have not yet sent me the notification "shipped" so they might not have shipped it yet )
"The wild wisdom of the faery" that Shanouche had used to give a weekly forecast on FB and that was so on target for me! Saw a youtube of all the cards and fell in love at first sight!
I bought the cards/book set and love what i heard about the book, it gives more than just the meaning of the cards, it talks about the faeries! which is perfect as my desire to have a "faery" deck was born from my encounters with faeries.
I'll talk about it once i receive it!

And yeah, Shanouche do come back with your impressions on your new decks!

Hi,

Well, I don't know if you know Lucy Cavendish at all but I looooove her, I love her decks, and her books are amazing. They tend to go quite in depth on the subject, so in this case you'll learn a lot about faeries, how to contact them, how to work with them, and the description of the cards is indeed very thorough, a bit much when you start I find. Then when you get more used to it, it is ok. Because there is a description, the meaning and the reversal meaning as well. But it makes it even more incredible of course. My only downside is the quality of the cards, they stick too much, and I preferred the brown backing to the purple one... Being picky


Sure, I'll do that when I get some free time!

Have a beautiful day...

Yep, i had seen the pics of the brown background which i loved but that edition is older and costs more... now i like the fresh, soft look of the lavender color but will see when i get it in my hands.
Yeah, the quality of the card stock can be an issue, like for my Enchanted Lenormand... they are too thick and i'm disappointed to see few cards split! a regular more flexible card stock works better IMO

I like to use my Witchlings oracle and I enjoy the suggestion to put the Wisdom in practice. I don't know if i'm gonna use it for full readings, not sure about it yet. So far, i've just pulled one card from time to time and it's been enlightening. I like the card stock for that deck, easy to shuffle and i don't think the cards will get easily damaged like some other decks.

Talking about that, i'm not happy with the way many decks are made nowadays, they tend to be quite fragile. I guess like for everything else they want to make sure you 'll rebuy your deck as it gets damaged... problem is many of them don't remain on the market for long which is annoying especially when you really like a deck.

I don't think it is so we'll buy a second deck when it is used up, like you said they are out of the market rapidly and there are soooo many of them, it does not make sense. I think nowadays nobody cares that much anymore, it's all 'quick, quick, quick', to cost the least and bring the most benefits. It is very difficult to find good quality and people who will do good quality things.

Anyways, I do love the witchlings cards stock too, it's pretty good. Most of my decks are blue angel, and that is pretty good quality but the tarot of the hidden realm for ex is getting used up on the edges, which I find infuriating too...

I also like the mystic cat tarot card stock, that for me is nice to shuffle and use...

Shanouche wrote:

By the way, Loooooove your cat. It makes me laugh so much! And that is what I'm going to do now, my nails need some tending, in front of a nice movie, I'm guessing twilight  :p

Enjoy the moment

thank you!
aha, a twilight fan! i like those movies too.

LadySibella wrote:

well, it seems you are in a season of life when the few decks you have are just what you need so you do the right thing to just stick with them. It's better to follow your heart on the matter and only buy one when you are drawn to do so.

well, i guess. there's decks i like, but i never get around to it, so maybe that's just because that's the way it's suppose to be

Shanouche wrote:

I don't think it is so we'll buy a second deck when it is used up, like you said they are out of the market rapidly and there are soooo many of them, it does not make sense. I think nowadays nobody cares that much anymore, it's all 'quick, quick, quick', to cost the least and bring the most benefits. It is very difficult to find good quality and people who will do good quality things.

too true!
everything is cheap these days.
so far, my cards are holding up nicely, the only one that split was a Doreen Virtue one, but i don't really use it. (can't go deep with her decks)

Hi,
Ahah, yeah, we all agree with that! Doreen. She's good but it's not going in depth much. I'm not really using her decks anymore. I've discovered much more exciting oracles and authors.

Yeah, huge fan :p

well, my very first deck was an oracle from her, so for starters i think it works fine.
but after that it just doesn't do much besides having pretty images