Brand new, with question

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 19 Feb 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Talisman	19 Feb 2002
'Lo all, Have just discovered tarot and am wildly excited and enthusiastic. So, I rushed out and bought my first deck. My question is, how do I get them out of the box? Talisman (P.S. I am not being snotty and trying to discourage questions. Please, please, if you are new, ask them. I promise, I'll read your questions, and all the answers, and most probably learn something new. Remember, there are NO (none, nada) dumb questions. Just dumb answers. I've suggested a few. (I am just campaigning for the resurrection of the Tarobear FAQs.)

Geenius at Wrok	19 Feb 2002
Quote: Talisman (20 Feb, 2002 02:05): Remember, there are NO (none, nada) dumb questions. Actually, in my experience, there are dumb questions. The rule of thumb is, the dumber you think your question is, the less dumb it really is, and the more important it is that you ask it. The truly dumb questions are always asked by people who haven't the faintest idea just how dumb they are. ;D

Jewel	19 Feb 2002
Talisman I agree with you, there are no dumb questions ... but there are smartasses that do not respect others' ignorance and make them feel dumb. I am with you in terms of trying to help newbies. Too bad we cannot keep something like Tarotbear FAQ's and the deck suggestions topic easily available to those who come to the site for the first time. To be a supportive community we need to respect all questions. Just my humble opinion. Love & Light,

sif	19 Feb 2002
I secretly thought that was funny. ;)

Logiatrix	19 Feb 2002
i suggested a beginner section a long, long time ago. there was one for a while...but now it's gone. :( i remember what it's like to be a newbie--new to tarot AND new to online stuff! there are other forums out there, but aeclectic is especially friendly, and it's greatest appeal, IMO, is how welcoming and understanding it/we are to beginners.

blue	19 Feb 2002
sif; That WAS secretly funny! I too remember what it was like to be new on the forum. I didn't have a lot of Tarot questions because I had be working with them for a while but the forum itself baffled me. I really wasn't sure how it all worked and didn't what to post something dumb. Now I just post whatever dumb thing comes to mind. So Talisman couldn't get his cards out of the box and Blue couldn't figure out the difference between a reply and a post. Somewhere there are two villages that are missing their idiots!

Liliana	19 Feb 2002
uh, yeah, Im new to tarot and I just got the Rider Waite deck, but mine must be a misprint or something, all thecards have this same blue and black pliadpattern, I mean, how what does that mean?;)

faunabay	19 Feb 2002
Liliana, ;D ROFLMAO ;D

Greenman	20 Feb 2002
why are there no dumb questions?

kayne	20 Feb 2002
Welcome Newbie Talisman! Thankyou for joining us :) When I get a new tarot deck I always start by... I like answering questions that may 'seem' simple. Makes me feel intelligent and I also like reading how much variation there is in the answers. I usually learn so much more, even though I thought I knew the answer...

Pollux	20 Feb 2002
There's sheer humorism on these forums... :D :D :D :D There's a question that still haunts me: when I've made my deck-bag, should I keep the deck cardboard pack and LWB all the same? ??? Is it dumb enough? However, I AM asking *lol*? ??? :D :D :D

Jewel	20 Feb 2002
Quote: Greenman (20 Feb, 2002 17:12): why are there no dumb questions? For many people it is hard to ask questions due to their fear of being ridiculed, the fact that someone has the courage to ask and wants to learn is to be commended not labled as dumb. A lot of mis-information can be believed and spread by not asking the questions. One thing is someone just trying to be funny or cute, the other is hurting someone who really does not know or undersrand something because we label it "dumb" based on our experience. On the Forums it is very simple, if you think a question is not worth answering, you have the choice to answer it or not. What may be dumb to one person is not to another ... the beauty of our diversity I suppose ... but lets never discourage those who are trully trying to learn, that is what I was really trying to say. Love & Light,

Thirteen	20 Feb 2002
Quote: Pollux (21 Feb, 2002 05:02): There's a question that still haunts me: when I've made my deck-bag, should I keep the deck cardboard pack and LWB all the same? ??? Toss out the cardboard pack; keeping it just clutters up the house. Keep the LWB *only* if it refers to your specific deck. If it's generic, applicable to any deck, then get rid of it. And that was a very intelligent question ;)

tarotbear	20 Feb 2002
Actually, I thought Talisman's question was VERY funny. How many times have you struggled to get something out of a package, check all the parts, then open the users' manual, and the first thing it says is 'Open The Box'. DUH!!! Most everything that existed BC (before the crash) was lost or corrupted and could not be restored. That is why so much posted material was lost, I believe. As a 'Read Only FAQ' file, I figure that it would be an open posting for a week or so; that way the oldsters here could make entries. Then the file would be closed and become 'Read Only'. That way if someone comes up with something really new or cool, the moderators can always add it, just like they could always delete anything posted that does not pertain. Someone posts the question: How do you store your cards? Why? Is your way better than other ways? Eight or ten or us talk about what we do or recommend, from those of us who put them in wooden boxes to Jade who keeps her reading deck in a particular sock. No judgements; just information. Anyone who asks for the millionth time ' How do you learn to read Tarot?' is simply told to read the FAQs. ***** Talisman, you have to do the secret 'opening the box ritual'. Get yourself two white candles in holders,a ritual knife, a package of a cheese such as a mild cheddar, a box of seasame flavored crackers, a ritual paper towel, and a glass of red wine or apple juice. Place all items on your altar or kitchen table in a semi circle, the candles on the ends. Turn out the kitchen light. Strike a match and light candles saying:"Tonight is the night when magic will happen." Open the box of crackers. Say "Open, Seasame!". Spread a handfull on the ritual paper towel. Use the ritual knife to open the package of cheese. Slice as many cheese slices as you have crackers. Intone: "tummy rumbles...tummy needs food " while you slice. Arrange crackers and cheese in a circle on paper towel. If you did not remember to open bottle of red wine, do it now and let wine breathe several minutes. Visualise your tummy becoming full. Pour yourself a glass of red wine. With a cracker in your left hand and the glass of wine in your right, look to the goddess and say: "Look out teeth! Watch out gums! Hold on stomach! Here it comes!" Devour cheese and cracker. Sip red wine. Do this until the paper towel is empty. Lay the tarot deck (thought I forgot, didn't you?) in it's box in the center of the towel. Holding ritual knife in right hand, slash the plastic cover, taking care not to destroy the cardboard box. Take thumb and rub end of box until you see a small slot. Slide thumb into slot and ease the tab out of box! Voila! The deck should slide out. Offer thanks to goddess as you handle your new deck. Extinguish candles and sleep with deck under pillow for three nights.

Greenman	20 Feb 2002
damn, i hate having to explain a joke...

Melvis	20 Feb 2002
"Visualize your tummy becoming full" -- Tarotbear ROTFLMAO :D :D :D T-Bear, that one is going into my little book of "Favorite Forum Quotes"! (Didn't know someone was keeping one of those, did ya? Better watch those dumb questions...they'll be captured on paper for posterity! ;P ) Now then, on to my question...ahem...Isn't there some way to just zap ALL the info about being a tarot card reader into my head so I can know how to do it by the time my party guests arrive in half an hour? Peace, Melvis

Marion	21 Feb 2002
Wait, hold the fort Tarotbear! True, the cards are out of the box, but they are still wrapped in that pesky cellophane. sniff. Now what?

arizonagirl	21 Feb 2002
Holding deck in my hand. They are wrapped in celophane. I slice the celophane with the ritual knife and start to peel it off the pack. So arid here in the high desert! The celophane is filled with static. It sticks to my fingers. Can't get if off my hands. Dunk hands in ritual water. Spill water on altar. Yank cards away before they get wet. Sleeve of ritual robe gets too near candle. Robe catches fire. No more ritual water! Tears off robe. Bare assed naked, stomps out flames. Ain't there an easier way?

kayne	21 Feb 2002
While stomping out the flames I step on a sharp rock! :o Jumping backwards, my arms flailing in the air the cards are flung in a scattered arc of paper through the air! Mysteriously they land in the form of the Celtic Cross!!! Spooky...... }>

Liliana	21 Feb 2002
Thats why you should perform all rituals skyclad :P (and no I will NOT be performing ours skyclad Pollux, dont get any ideas ;) )

Pollux	21 Feb 2002
Well, I'll have to look up for skyclad in the dictionary first! :D I've only a faint idea what it means...

Pollux	21 Feb 2002
Well, I'll have to look up for skyclad in the dictionary first! :D I've only a faint idea what it means...

Liliana	21 Feb 2002
*rolls her eyes* It means NAKED! in the nude! in the buff! wearing my birthday suit! Got it now? hehe

Marion	21 Feb 2002
arizonagirl, kayne, that nearly killed me. I feel like an idiot sitting here laughing head off!

tarotbear	22 Feb 2002
:) :) :) :) Oh - thank you all! This is the laugh I needed after a day of being villified by someone who should be banned from the forums! Bless all of you who know a joke when they see one and can run with the ball! :p :P :p :P :p :P

sif	22 Feb 2002
Tarotbear, you should tape yourself doing this ritual and sell it to all of us (proceeds to Solandia of course). I totally embarrassed myself laughing at a computer screen ;)

The Brand new, with question thread was originally posted on 19 Feb 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.