Ironwing Tarot by Lorena B. Moore

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 25 Jun 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Fulgour	25 Jun 2004
The Ironwing Tarot by Lorena B. Moore is complete: http://www.mineralarts.com/artwork/IronwingTAROT.html Lorena is not accepting pre-orders, but will reply to requests when the deck is available. What an amazing century!

SongDeva	25 Jun 2004
Nice one, thanks for the post!

tao51	25 Jun 2004
The design is unique with the concept of the blacksmith and shaman. Thanks for posting!--Tao

Fulgour	30 Jun 2004
You may if you wish be added to a mailing list to be notified when the deck is available.

rota	30 Jun 2004
Stunning! A visual treat. Lovely work, Lorena! (Also, this deck out-goths all the goth-on-purpose decks out there.)

TygrEyes	07 Dec 2004
In case you don't know it's available now! I ordered mine Thurs. night (12/2) and it arrived yesterday (12/6)! I've only looked through it quickly last night, but it's VERY nicely done. It's the same card/laminating quality you'd get from the big publishers. I'd describe it as an amazing melding of the styles of the Greenwood, Terrestrial and the Light & Shadow Tarots. It's signed & numbered - mine is 31/200. When you order you get to choose from three different bag styles. You might want to know the cards aren't titled. I think it's very interesting. You'll have to get to know the cards as individuals - no cheating! I think it will make for a very intimate relationship.

SongDeva	07 Dec 2004
I just ordered mine about 10 minutes ago. I've been using it with lovely results online. Looking forward to it...in its moss green velvet bag!

TygrEyes	07 Dec 2004
The moss green bag is gorgeous! That's the one I chose.

Asher	07 Dec 2004
That's also the one I chose! I ordered it last week, so hope it arrives soon. I really want to stretch myself a bit, and this deck will just fit the bill. Asher

Keslynn	07 Dec 2004
Thank you, Fulguor, for starting this thread and to others for adding your insight. I had glanced at this deck before from a link on Joanna Colbert's page, but it didn't really strike my fancy at the time. Still, I decided to take another look after seeing this thread. I'm glad I did! The deck is beautiful and feminine and haunting. I really think it will be one of those rare decks, like the Triple Goddess, that actually speaks to me in a clear voice and hits on a very spiritual level. I can't wait to find out if it's true. I ordered one today. :) Kes

darwinia	08 Dec 2004
I sent my money order off last week too. It's going to be very good for people who want to stretch and leave conventional symbolism behind. I might be the only one, but I chose the Natural Jute bag. It seemed to fit the flavour of the deck, even though it wasn't as beautiful. "Jute fibers are composed primarily of the plant materials cellulose, lignin, and pectin. Both the fiber and the plant from which it comes are commonly called jute. It belongs to the genus Corchorus in the basswood family, Tiliaceae. Jute is used chiefly to make cloth for wrapping bales of raw cotton, and to make gunny sacks and gunny cloth. The fibers are also woven into curtains, chair coverings, carpets, and burlap. However, jute is being replaced by synthetic materials for these uses. Very fine threads of jute are made into imitation silk. The fibers are used alone or blended with other types of fibers to make twine and rope. Jute butts, the coarse ends of the plants, are used to make inexpensive cloth. Jute, a rainy season crop, grows best in warm, humid climates. China, India, and Bangladesh are the main producers of jute. To grow jute, farmers scatter the seeds on cultivated soil. When the plants are about 6 inches (15 centimeters) tall, they are thinned out. About four months after planting, harvesting begins. The plants are usually harvested after they bloom, but before the blossoms go to seed. Workers cut the stalks off close to the ground. The stalks are tied into bundles and steeped (soaked). This process softens the tissues and permits the fibers to be separated. The fibers are then stripped from the stalks in long strands and washed in clear, running water. Then they are hung up or spread on thatched roofs to dry. After two or three days of drying, the fibers are tied into bundles." That's the great thing about this deck, Lorena has plants and animals from all over the world. It's going to be quite an experience to work with it.

starsongs	08 Dec 2004
darwinia wrote: It's going to be very good for people who want to stretch and leave conventional symbolism behind. I might be the only one, but I chose the Natural Jute bag. It seemed to fit the flavour of the deck, even though it wasn't as beautiful. That's the great thing about this deck, Lorena has plants and animals from all over the world. It's going to be quite an experience to work with it. I also chose the jute bag for the same reasons you did, darwinia. My Ironwing deck set arrived 2 days ago. Its just incredible. Watching Lorena's progress has been fun. What a fantastic job. I look forward to working with it and in hearing others insights too. Thanks for sharing all the info on jute! how interesting :) Congratulations, Lorena, and much luck and success with your wonderful deck! starsongs

Asher	09 Dec 2004
My copy just arrived today and I am blown away by it! The artwork is just stunning, the theme is amazing, the quality of the cards, books and bag is just great! This will take some study/learning on my part, but I'm looking forward to it. It's been a long time since I've stretched the ol' brain cells, especially around such a unique work of art. Asher

Keslynn	10 Dec 2004
I received mine yesterday and I am captivated! This deck really does speak to me (sometimes in full sentences). I did find it a little odd that the cards are not labelled but now I'm actually happy with that feature. It makes the whole deck a more intuitive experience. In fact, I'm thinking about ignoring the book altogether, or at least until I'm already comfortable using the deck. I don't want the book to paralyze my intuition, which has been pushing to try to understand this deck totally on its own terms. I'm usually very attached to traditional meanings, but with this deck, I can feel that going out the window. Another thing that really strikes me about this deck is its deep femininity. However, it's not feminine in the same way as Motherpeace or Daughters of the Moon. This deck doesn't set itself up as feminine in contrast to masculine. It just is feminine in a quiet and powerful way. It's very Goddess-y without being overtly so. It's not something that's easily described. It's quite beautiful. I really feel like this is a deck that can hit your deep spiritual depths. I don't know if I'll ever use it to read for someone else. :) Kes

rosyelf	15 Dec 2004
Ironwing, just to say the deck arrived this morning-I found it on my doorstep when I came back from some shopping.( I love getting parcels, especially long-distance ones !) What can I say except I'm delighted to have these cards in my hands, the bag and book are just superb, and I'm looking forward to working with something that is so deep and, may I say, unusual. The lack of titles is a challenge, making me look much deeper at the details in the image. Best of all, I know this deck has been born very slowly out of your experience of shamanism, blacksmithing and nature, in a word LIFE-that makes it a very precious thing to have and hold. Thank you. :) :) :) love and blessings to all, rosyelf

darwinia	19 Dec 2004
I finally got my deck on Friday--59/200. Unfortunately my father-in-law died that day and I just had time to quickly check the cards, so I'm spending some time with them now. This thing about not numbering pleases me. I read a review recently which dismissed a card as not having "more realized archetypes." This seems typical to me of a mind in a coffin. If someone creates a new system, what archetype is there? There isn't one, wake up to reality and begin to see and discuss what's really there. Proof that there are followers and there are creators. Lorena Moore knows the standard archetypes, but doesn't have that number slapped on each card so that you automatically assume or adopt a preset. It's totally new, we get the joy of exploring. Don't doubt that it IS totally joyful!!!

Alta	19 Dec 2004
I finally got my deck on Friday. What an amazing expression of the archetypes. And the book is enthralling, I lay on the sofa last evening and read most of it. I too found the lack of numbers disorienting at first, but I think her cards are better without labels. Her vision is awe-inspiring. I have yet to read with the deck, but have explored the cards and book. It is a deeply feminine deck, I agree with that. In the sense of conveying the eternal feminine, not in the woman-centred sense of the Blue Moon (which I also love, for different layers it touches), or in any strident sense, such as some decks we have discussed her which are more anti-male than anything else, the deck is completely sucessful.

darwinia	25 Dec 2004
I was browsing through this today during a quiet moment, and came to VI Connection which is one of the most interesting treatments of The Lovers card I have seen. Apart from the tie-in to connections and the different ways of joining two pieces of iron, which Lorena uses as a metaphor for the level of commitment between two people (is that the freshest approach, or what??--marvelous!!), I loved the information on the Partridgeberry. Here are some links I found to read further on this plant. I live on the edge of 100 acres of woods, and I'm sure we have this, so I'm going to look for it in late spring (before the blackflies make the woods unbearable!) So there we go, and thanks Lorena for opening the world--I knew this deck would do this: http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/mitchellarepe.html http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H147.htm http://scienceviews.com/plants/partridgeberry.html I liked this one because of all the common names and the note that it's often used in ornamental terraria. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/1110/ http://www.shamanshop.net/store/proddetail.cfm/ItemID/16846.0/CategoryID/15500.0/SubCatID/3685.0/file.htm Lots of medicinal information about it here.

SongDeva	28 Dec 2004
I am so enjoying mine. I'm still not done with an initial review of the majors, sans reading most of the descriptions. I'll go through with the book after. Very cool. I did draw the apprentice of ...dang it...blades? (air) last night for myself...what I love about her righting is that one card can exactly fit two very different aspects of the issues it tries to present. Maybe if I get around to it, I'll post an example. :)

starsongs	01 Jan 2005
I'm also enjoying Ironwing and am still getting acquainted with this incredible deck. I got the same impression of many different levels/aspects of interpretation readily apparent, Song Deva (and would love to hear examples) it has not been easy to put words to. Although this could be said of many decks if one digs deeply enough, this deck seems to connect the levels right away..acting as a bridge between many worlds.. Its really hard to describe. Its almost as if these cards are holographic as verses a two or three dimensional view. Its as if each one invites you to walk through a portal into another dimension..possibly traverse parallel universes...all within.. Is anyone else having these thoughts and experiences??.. The Hermits mirror spread has proven to be very rewarding too. I am delighted with the connection and merging of shamanism, blacksmithing and the Tarot through Lorena's vision...So far the exploration has been both powerful and meaningful.. :) starsongs

rosyelf	07 May 2005
Five months on, how are people finding the Ironwing deck ? I was rather hoping to read a review of it here on Aeclectic ! My reflections/questions : 1) I still think it's a wonderful deck-deep, meaningful, very feminine (but not in a way that excludes men, at least I hope not). I love the way Lorena has tied in shamanism, blacksmithing and geology, and not for a gimmick but because her very life is rooted in these things. I think the art style is fascinating but I believe even if you didn't like the style, you'd be bound to respect the endeavour. 2) I find it wonderful for meditation. I do find I need a lot of time around the deck, so days on which I'm rushing around the kids, the housework, my own creative work, etc. are not the best. This is no criticism of Lorena OR of the cards themselves-just an observation of their depth, which demands TIME. 3) Has anyone used this deck in their own shamanic practice ? Or for rituals ? 4) How is it for readings ? Is there a specific kind of client who would respond particularly well to it ? love and blessings to all, rosyelf

caridwen	08 May 2005
I would LOVE this Tarot deck! I think it's amazing, visually stunning, original and very very expensive - always a catch;) :)

Strange2	08 May 2005
rosyelf wrote: Five months on, how are people finding the Ironwing deck? Similar to rosyelf's reflections, I have found the Ironwig Tarot to be a deep, personal, visionary deck. IronWing has engendered many new insights, questions, and challenges as to how I perceive each card, which I feel is one of its greatest qualities. As I (so far) only perform readings for myself, the Ironwing's unique images are wonderful for meditation and fuel for visionary flights. And I concur that to explore the depths of the cards indeed takes time, which is another wonder-filled quality of this deck. I really enjoy the symetric dynamic in many of the cards, reflecting balance, contrast, and affinities with the particular energies of that card. I find the Ironwing to be inspiring, mysterious, informing, and transforming. I look forward to continuing to explore the paths that it hints and reveals.

bassetized	09 May 2005
I bought my Ironwing about two months ago, and am still absorbing the imagery in the cards. The deck is complex, deeply meaningful, and as others have said, the unique vision within it demands time. Of course, it is time well spent. This is one of the most powerful decks I've seen--in fact, only my Tarot of the Crone has equal power, for me at least. I've found that I'm learning the deck better by using it in ritual than with the usual method of a tarot journal, jotting meanings, reading the book, etc., although I'm deeply grateful for the book. I find the cards are powerful components to ritual, and I've used them in combination with stones, herbs, and feathers, as well as with Zuni fetish carvings. Knives/steel are very important to me magically, and the cards work well with my ritual blades and my drift-wood staff. Sometimes I do a reading to enhance the ritual; sometimes I look through the deck for cards that fit. I have some connection to the vulture and the raven anyway, so the deck resonates well with me shamanically. I agonized over the jute bag or the moss green one and finally decided on the green, because I already use a jute bag for my Shining Tribe deck. It's great to find this thread, and I hope we can keep posting insights as we get to know the Ironwing better. Nickie

Leo62	16 Jun 2005
Oh my god. I've just seen the images for this in the Decks section...went to Lorena's website...looked at all the cards. I'm in love...I've never seen anything like it...please someone talk me out of parting with $90!! I swore I wasn't going to buy any more decks this year. ;)

Alta	16 Jun 2005
If you want someone to talk you out of it: I can't read with the deck at all. However, it is lovely and meaningful in other ways. Does that help or not? Marion

Leo62	16 Jun 2005
Thanks Marion :) - it does help. I guess loving the images in a deck and being able to read with it can be two separate things... How do you use the deck if you don't read with it?

Fudugazi	16 Jun 2005
I gave it as a gift to myself and I love it! It is magical - but like Marion, I don't "read" with it. Instead, I will draw between one and three cards, and let myself be drawn into them. I will meditate and get into some kind of trance, in which the cards will have a very strong meaning and message - but not quite in the classic interpretative sense. Later, I might read the book entries for those cards to see what Loreena has to say of them. But my greatest joy just comes from this intense contemplation. Sometimes I do that by looking through the entire deck and following the patterns until I am thoroughly filled with them. I must add - I am fascinated by blacksmiths and shamanism. I can't think of any other deck that has that effect on me. That makes it special.

Leo62	16 Jun 2005
Helvetica wrote: But my greatest joy just comes from this intense contemplation. I can't think of any other deck that has that effect on me. That makes it special. Yes that was my first impression when I saw these images. I was instantly hypnotised and just wanted to stare and stare... However, I think I can understand why they might be difficult to do "conventional" readings with; all the cards are abstract and very complex. Each one draws you in hypnotically - it must be difficult to try to relate them to each other. Thanks Helvetica and Marion for your input...however, I'm not talked out of it yet! ;) Might have to raid the Piggy Bank...

Fudugazi	16 Jun 2005
I would think it quite impossible to do conventional readings with it! Not unless you were glued to the book. But I have plenty of other decks for that - the beauty of the Ironwing is that the message comes through when I am in this contemplative/hypnotic communion with it. I am quite a cerebral person and I welcome the opportunity to get out of my head. I always feel refreshed after an Ironwing session. For those people who are into scrying - I can imagine they'd have fun interpreting it too. I have discovered another deck that has that effect on me - though it is quite different. It's called the Universe Cards ;) (that's when I decide to put the book by and just let myself be drawn into those wonderful photos). If you're going to break the piggy bank for anything - it's worth it. I did without going to the hairdresser's and a new dress for it - and I don't regret it at all!

Leo62	16 Jun 2005
Helvetica wrote: I have discovered another deck that has that effect on me - though it is quite different. It's called the Universe Cards ;) (that's when I decide to put the book by and just let myself be drawn into those wonderful photos). Heheh - was that a plug? ;) Confession time - I've relented and ordered it. I just kept looking at those images and sighing with longing and...so the Ironwing is winging its way across the Atlantic and my Piggy Bank is considerably lighter ;)

Leo62	21 Jun 2005
My new Ironwing arrived yesterday. I only ordered it on Friday and it managed to get all the way from Arizona to London in less than 4 days! I'm well impressed. And it is beautiful, and I have no regrets. I decided on the virginal white muslin bag, even though I'm not really a virginal white muslin kinda girl, and that's beautiful too. I changed the white string tie for a thin, satiny black ribbon - I like the way the black/white contrast echoes that of the deck. I can understand the difficulties in doing conventional readings with this deck, even though I've barely looked at it. There is so much going on just in a single card - putting them together seems like overkill! I really don't know how I'm going to use these cards yet, but I'm very glad they are in my life. :)

The Ironwing Tarot by Lorena B. Moore thread was originally posted on 25 Jun 2004 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.