Special moment I'd like to share

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Nov 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

lawguy51	17 Nov 2002
Last night a close friend of mine gave me three gifts, an Aquarian Deck, a beautiful tourquoise silk cloth with silver dragons and flowers embroidered into it, and most cherished, they were given to me in a ceremonial visualization. My friend is a professional clairvoyant. I have referred to her in several posts. Because she encouraged my Tarot reading, she wanted to give me a deck and as well, give me her 'blessing', a flowing of her energy to me. My hands tingled as we both held the deck. I will keep private the actual procedure, but I felt very honoured to have a deck given to me in this way. Have any of you had a deck given to you or have you given someone else a deck in a ceremonial manner? Lawguy51

DarkElectric	17 Nov 2002
Hi Lawguy! This is such a cool and beautiful thing to have happen to you, blessed you are. I never received a deck ceremonially, but I was given my beloved Voyager deck by a friend, who was a hypnotherapist. She purchased the deck at a conference, where the creator of the deck, Dr James Wanless, was a guest speaker (He's a hypnotherapist as well.) Upon attempting to read with it, she realised that she just couldn't connect with it at all. Even with the accompanying book, (Signed by Dr Wanless) she just wasn't grokking the deck. So, it sat in her desk drawer for a year, unused. I met her through another friend's psychic skills class, which we were both taking. I told her of my interest in tarot, and she said "Oooh, have I got a deck for you to see!" The next class, she brought the Voyager, and book. At the first sight of this deck, I knew it was amazing, and the symbols spoke to me in a way no other deck I owned ever had. I connected to it immediately, and as I reluctantly handed it back to my friend, she pushed my hand away and said "Oh, no, you keep it. I have no use for it, and I know you will be able to read it, so please, keep it". She gave me the deck and the book. I had never used the Voyager before, but I knew I loved it. However, I fervently wished I would get an opportunity to see one being used by someone who was familiar with it, since it's so different. A week later, this same lady called me, in frantic excitement. She had just found out that Dr Wanless was making an unexpected visit to Western Massachusetts (where I live) and was going to be doing readings for people in a little shop, in a tiny town called East Longmeadow. She asked me if I knew where this place was, and suggested I call the store for information. I nearly fell over. East Longmeadow is my hometown, my folks live 5 minutes away from the store. So, I called to see if I could sign up for a reading. The lady said Dr Wanless was completely booked up. I persisted. I asked her if it was alright if I come down there anyway, to meet him, say hi, and tell him how much I liked his deck. She said she'd check with him, to see if he had time, since this was sort of an unexpected stop, and he was on a schedule. She told me she'd call me back when she found out. 5 minutes later, the phone rang. It was the lady from the shop. She said "This is strange, but the 2 appointments he had just cancelled. He has an hour open, do you still want a reading?" I hopped in my car and blasted down there. He not only gave me a reading, he only charged me for 1, gave me 2, and told me the history of the deck, how he and his co creator had designed it, some inside info on how he reads with it, etc. He even gave me a hug when he left. I never expected anything like this to happen. And the Voyager deck and I are continuing our mission! (We're out past Pluto now...)

Mystica	17 Nov 2002
Hi Lawguy, What a wonderful experience that must have been, and your friend sounds like a very gifted and special person! And DE, it seems that the Voyager is meant to be the deck that really speaks to you. Such an opportunity to be able to meet the creator of the deck. Thanks to you both, for sharing your experiences.

Cerulean	17 Nov 2002
That is so cool, all your stories. I've had a friendly tarot exchange experiences with a friend, let's call him Guy. I have given decks with joy to others, but the most magic time was when Guy and his partner announced they were going into coupledom..I had just met Guys romantic partner and had given the friend the now-named Tarot of the Hidden Folk.. My friend Guy and I had bought decks together the previous holiday season. He had chosen Tarot of the Spirit and I think I had bought the Chinese Tarot...I ended up sending the Chinese to him, as he is more interested in Feng Shui and Chinese culture. Now Guy takes me to the most interesting fabric, New Age and other places in the same town when we go visit Midwestern family and I get usually a great homestyle lunch/tea with him once a year---so we both have a good time and I usually leave a tarot-style token with him. It might be a reading, a card with a tarot archetype or a book that I'm no longer using. Tarot is a fun interest to share. And if we feel stuck or sad about something, sometimes a reading to share helps us both reflect on that topic...by the way, sometimes I think Guy is one of my best girlfriends and we share many auntie-like traits.

SlyR	17 Nov 2002
I received my Thoth deck in a very powerful and oft-repeated ceremony. I selected it from a pile on a bookshelf at a bookseller. Then i carried it down an aisle to a man whose job it was to take my money in exchange for the deck. I left with the deck, and my money remained in the seller's till. There is great symbolic significance to this. Ponder it well.

Kiama	18 Nov 2002
I haven't ever given or recieved a deck ceremonially, thoug hwhat you discribed, LawGuy, sounds beautiful! I have, however, found something utterly magickal in the shocked yet pleased smie of the person who had been wanting a deck for so long but could not afford one, when I reached into my bag and handed her my Connolly, which she had the week before been admiring. :D:D:D Kiama

allibee	18 Nov 2002
Thank you for sharing, Lawguy. It's one of those moments which will stay with you forever. Beautiful allibee

lawguy51	18 Nov 2002
SlyR; I am wiping away a tear as I type this. Very moving. Thank you for sharing. ;)

The Special moment I'd like to share thread was originally posted on 17 Nov 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.