Regaining control

I hope this doesn't sound too silly, but I need to reign in one of my decks a little bit. It, being the typical cat deck, ignores me most of the time & says exactly as it pleases.

Alright, today I did a reading for someone, & when I let her choose the deck she wanted, she went straight for the Cat People. Not my fondest, I agreed, but warned her about them. Every time I've done a reading, my cat people do not give straight answers, but will dance about & gives me strange answers & often go straight off onto another subject altogether.
How I read is I have a basic book meaning for the cards, which I then apply when applicable & use pictures & intuition for the rest. For example "This card means X, Y, & Z, & here on the card I see an overturned goblet, which for some reason, reminds me of a pumpkin. Speaking of pumpkins, Charlie Brown was on last night, & the episode reminded me of your question, so you should probably take Linus' advice &..."(example only) I only go off on such wildly random adventures with this deck. If fact, all the answers I got had absolutely nothing to do with her questions, which were about her kids & money. (On the up side, she said I told her what she really needed to hear, but that's rarely the case).

I appologise if I lost anyone in the above. I've stated before that my decks each have thier own "personalities" & the personality of my Cat People is certainly not the most cooperative. Is there a way to, pardon the euphanism, domesticate my kitties? Or will this deck only be useful for general, no subject readings?

This is the personality you have projected onto it. It is likely you are stuck with it short of reprogramming yourself. It sounds like fun!

Doesn't sound like a problem to me! Don't try and rein it in, but suggest that you only use it as it works best.

Alta

Generally I've found that my decks will do as they will, before I even thought about "projecting" something onto them. I never know what each deck is going to be like when I first use it. I find out through using them, and then let them do their thing.

Despite being told several times that I'm projecting my feelings onto the deck due to the pictures, I don't think that's the whole of it. The pictures on my decks give me one feeling, the actual personality is another.

For example, my unicorn deck. From the images, you would think this deck would be very soft, polite, & would rather give a wrong answer than risk hurting someone's feelings. Instead, I get straightforward, sometimes harsh answers, & I soften the blow when I interpret.

My cat people SHOULD then, in theory, be a condescending but honest & straight forward deck. I should be able to ask a question & get a quick, simple answer. Since the day I've opened the box I've yet to get a quick, simple answer from my Cat People. It can't be completely me projecting, because they tend to reject my projections & go thier own way. My other decks tend to cooperate at least to a helpful degree.

I would give FireRaven's Deck Interview Spread (check the Spreads forum) a try. It will give you a better idea of the types of questions to use/not use with the deck. I interview every deck I use with that spread cause I've found it to be so on the money!

Rodney

rabidwolfie said:

Despite being told several times that I'm projecting my feelings onto the deck due to the pictures, I don't think that's the whole of it. The pictures on my decks give me one feeling, the actual personality is another.

It can't be completely me projecting, because they tend to reject my projections & go thier own way. My other decks tend to cooperate at least to a helpful degree.

Click to expand...

That would mean the cards are living, if I take you literally, and I just can not accept that personally. I suppose if one believes that cards can channel the dead that would be a explanation. Again only personally for me..I do not believe that. But what is reality really? A schizophrenic's world is just as real as a person who is dreaming, which is just as real while in that state as mine is now.

I do not know if I truly believes that the cards have their minds of their own. After all they are "just" 78 pieves of paper. However, wherever the influences is coming from (maybe your own subonscious?) the idea of actually trying to decide for what questions that particular deck can be used for sounds like an excellent idea! Gonna try it for my own lovely deck of LEgend later tonight.

The more harsh solution is to not make that particular deck available when you feel you are going to do a reading where you can not be rambling with the risk of not be taken seriously.

I know what you mean.

I really think it's because I haven't taken the time to really study it as much as I should.

My worst one is the Gothic Vargo. It's like she has stage fright or something. One of these days I will take the time to give her the attention she needs so she's not so crass with me. Another deck of mine seems almost bored and gives me short to the point answers. Like, "Couldn't you have asked me something more exciting?" While I have other decks that won't shut up!

Some decks we just connect better with. I certainly wouldn't give up on a deck.

I think it's a good idea to do that interview spread and then maybe do a daily draw until she warms up to you.

I don't think it's projecting, don't be so literal!

Take more time. Warm her up first.

Yeah, I'll have to try that interview. I did one such deck interview with my Favole, & as usual it had me cracking up the whole time. I just keep thinking back to my freind saying my deck is flirting with me & then I laugh even harder.

I've never considered my cards channelling the dead, & I admit, it's hard to think of the innanimate as alive in any way, but my take on it so far, is a deck of cards is just a deck of cards until you start working with them. Once your energy starts getting transferred, (I sound so new-ager don't I) they become a bit more. Not really alive, per se, but I think it's more than a pile of waxed cardboard.

One of these days I'll do my own personal IDS. I have several decks I'd love to study in more detail, including my white cats & Druid animal oracle. Although, the personality of my decks rarely changes with familiarity. When I had my dragon deck, that deck loved to give me negative replies & only grudingly gave good news. Often I had to give neutral replies so I wouldn't completely depress the person asking. And despite the amount of details surrounding the cards, they were very quiet. And that was my very first deck, don't think I didn't study it intensly. Irony is I gave them to a freind of mine because the dragon is her totem animal, & she was happy as anything, but I listened to some of her readings & she had a lot of warnings & negative replies. It can't be completely me. Although, those two did fit each other rather well... personality wise....