Love is in the Earth Crystal Tarot

[Wishcrafter]

Hello All

Thought you might want to know that I found a new Tarot deck
of the same name as the book that I have seen discussed on an
earlier thread..........Faunaboy.

Link: http://www.isisbooks.com/details.asp?item=092819085

[Wishcrafter]

Sorry, the link didn't work. I think it's case sensitive.

trying again.

http://www.isisbooks.com/Details.asp?item=092819085

[Wishcrafter]

I guess it's hopeless.

Just put in search, Love is in the Earth Crystal Tarot, at the link.

Please Forgive!!!!

[AutumnMoonfire]

I have seen this deck in the bookstore, It's very pretty, but her interpretations of stones do not always match up with traditional ones, I thought about it but decided it was not for me. I suppose if one really liked Melody's metaphysical crystal books it might be a cool deck to have around...

[darwinia]

Boy, this is an old thread.

I found this deck while searching the Aeclectic site for borderless decks. I also see that it has huge cards 3.75 x 5.25 inches.

I am not a Melody fan, but I do like decks that are pseudo-Thoth decks, no matter how lame they are, and the reviews seem to think this deck is pretty lame.

I also find the collaged elements to be less skillfully handled than in other decks--the artist in this case is Steve Goins.

Still, there is something charming about the little doodads in the pictures and the bright colours, and I wouldn't mind hunting it up for direct comparison with other Thoth decks I own and perhaps the Tarot of Gemstones and Crystals.

It's still available for purchase but too expensive. Unfortunately it was only sold in a set and I just want the cards.

[chrisam-crystals]

old thread indeed! lol

i bought this deck off martynuk last week and i am very.....erm....surprised by it, to say the least.

the cards are really large, the artwork needs lots of contemplation due to the symbology in them and as usual melody speaks in that new agey way that learned new agers do......in other words, in a way that normal people can't bloody understand! lol

the book is the falling down bit of the whole set as it doesn't explain much about the imagery in the cards, and i am really struggling to use them as they incorporate a lot of crowley - who she the master..hmmmmm - and a lot of cabbalistic symbols.

it would help if they were explained in relation to the card's meaning, but she just rambles on about stuff that i don't understand! lol

i am a crystal healer and have her books for reference and so this is the only reason why i wanted to have this deck, but i very much doubt that i will be using it at all....which is a shame as i was really looking forward to doing so. :(

so if you are only after the cards, then you won't be missing much by not having the book - just make sure that you understand cabbala!

jue xx

[darwinia]

so if you are only after the cards, then you won't be missing much by not having the book - just make sure that you understand cabbala!

Yeah, I didn't think I'd like the book which was why I didn't fancy paying $31 CAD for the set.

It's unlikely I will be able to hunt up a deck unless someone wants to keep the book and let the deck go.

Thanks for commenting though. Mmmm, I love BIG cards. Drat.

[chrisam-crystals]

don't get me wrong though, the cards are lovely but i just feel as though i will never be able to read them as i have no interest in cabbala and feel that a knowledge of it is needed in order to use them.

i COULD just ignore the imagery and go off the meanings of each card as laid down by others......but i don't like doing that at all.

don't forget as well that there is an extra major arcana card as well, so if you do just get the deck then you will need to find out the meaning of it - or just leave it out altogether! lol

can you tell that i am well mad that i can't use this deck? :D

jue xx

[darwinia]

can you tell that i am well mad that i can't use this deck? :D

Well, I never use Kabbalah associations with the Thoth deck (GASP!). Once a heretic, always a heretic, they'd never let me into the OTO.

Because the author uses a particular system does not mean that YOU can't discard it and associate your own system with the cards.

Other symbolism and the way she has associated crystals to the cards could be used while skimming off the Kabbalistic stuff. I often work with cards this way and just do my own thing.

OR to phrase it another way: In order to read with them the way the author does, you would have to follow her system, BUT why do you necessarily have to read with them the way the author intended?

Do you have a book on symbolism? I have several I use:

- Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
- The Dictionary of Christian Lore and Legend
- Dictionary of Word Origins
- Dictionary of Classical Mythology
- An Illustrated Encyclopedia opf Traditional Symbols
- Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art
- Miscellaneous Encyclopedias on mythology of various kinds and dictionaries of music and musical instruments--anything I can find used.

Also a basic reference on crystals, I use The Crystal Bible.

Armed with such books, you can pretty much pick out bits and pieces from the pictures and look up things about them, tie it in with crystals and thus read with the cards, assigning meaning to them yourself without the Kabbala stuff.

One of the things that struck me about the cards was the composition of them--the way the artist has plopped tiny things in there looking a bit alone and separate compositionally--pretty interesting to work with symbols piecemeal like this and thus build your own meaning.

Think of it--the author at one time was faced with a theme that she had to build card-by-card so that the meanings "fit" her theme. Why can't you do the same?

You are giving up too easily!!!

If you were a member and could post a picture of a card big enough that I could see it since I haven't got the deck, I would show you as an example, what you could do.

As a cross reference on meaning, I would use my Thoth deck and the DuQuette book on the Thoth, since this is supposed to be Thoth-based, and then I'd fit the crystals in there etc.

Is there anywhere on the Internet I could see one card big enough? I am hampered by my crummy monitor which has to be set at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 so the cards at Aeclectic, Tarot Passages, or Learn Tarot are too small to see all the symbols that are crammed into each card. I can hardly see the colours let alone the little doodads.

Oh, there's another idea--colour--the Thoth deck uses Golden Dawn associations with colour. Kabbalistic or not, colour is colour and can be used as symbolism.

Too exciting, you mustn't give up, think of the possibilities here to personalize the cards and make them more meaningful to you.

[darwinia]

Just another thought, speaking of getting the brain all active and excited about possibilities at 4 a.m. when you're having an asthma attack. . .

It might be challenging--depends on how much you like the deck--to create a tarot journal/binder just for studying this deck.

Scan in each card and place it in your document where you write about the things you have discovered about the card (I use e-mail in rich text format but you could use Word.)

Start with Keywords of conventional Thoth meaning for the card, and the name of the crystal you have to fit with those meanings, jot them down and then look up symbols and colour, and jot down their meanings. Then do a short essay, using your own words and discoveries about symbolism and the meaning of the crystal as applied to the card.

Then gradually build your own abbreviated book for the cards. Don't complicate it, but use the ideas and associations that mean something to YOU and yet still fit the meaning.

I love doing this because I love researching and writing--I used to be a librarian and still write my own essays and poetry regularly.

Other people might consider it too much work and throw the deck in a box, never to see the light of day again, but that's what appeals to me about it. I love to rescue and adopt lame decks that no one can use and then work with them.

Jue--TRY this, I know you'll have fun exploring the cards.

[chrisam-crystals]

but therein is the problem.....i cannot connect to thoth based decks.....:(

i really do think that this deck will just be one that pull out from time to time to pore over and look at, and not one that i will be using for readings.

and as far as crystal associations to the cards, there is hardly any at all - so as a crystal healer i am more than disappointed.

i was really surprised as i was expecting a hell of a lot from this deck and from melody, but she just seems so centred on pleasing the spirit of "master crowley" rather than bringing the metaphysical properties of crystals and healing stones to the cards.

maybe some time in the future i will start on a thoth path, but for the time being i can't see me doing any study with this deck at all....boo hoo!

jue xx

[gregory]

It is a fine deck for intuitive reading - in the sense of just using what's in front of you..... :D Big cards can even help with that.

[darwinia]

It is a fine deck for intuitive reading - in the sense of just using what's in front of you..... :D Big cards can even help with that.

Yes, yes, yes, I am disappointed I can't rev up Jue.

I might have known you had it gregory.

Now if someone wants to trade or sell the deck by itself. . . ? I am available to rescue the deck from an unwanted home.

[gregory]

Yes, yes, yes, I am disappointed I can't rev up Jue.

I might have known you had it gregory.

Now if someone wants to trade or sell the deck by itself. . . ? I am available to rescue the deck from an unwanted home.
Ahem. Why would I not have it :D

BUt seriously - quite often if a deck won't work in the "normal" way, it will respond to a different approach. This one is quite - different, I have to say ! But in the intuitive circle, it does work.... (not that I've used it in public there, but I tested it on the side :D) I don't even know the kabbalah - though I plan to start trying.....

[darwinia]

quite often if a deck won't work in the "normal" way, it will respond to a different approach.

Yes, absolutely, it's really only limited by the user's imagination or lack of imagination.

I've never been normal so I get a lot of mileage out of all my collection.

[Fulgour]

but therein is the problem.....i cannot connect to thoth based decks.....:(They're like chocolate with no cats,
or cats with no chocalate. ;) Ugh!

[chrisam-crystals]

oh darwinia......you ARE trying to get me revved up aren't you? lol

i suppose that i should be thinking outside of the box in regards to this deck, and going on a visualisation tour with each card.

i'll get there with you lot pushing me! :D

jue xx

[chrisam-crystals]

They're like chocolate with no cats,
or cats with no chocalate. ;) Ugh!

we must have cross posted..........you can't have cats without chocolate, cos i like to munch through a bar whilst stroking one of them.

the hairs in the mouth get tiresome though....lol