How is everyones 78 week study going?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Jan 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

TemperanceAngel	11 Jan 2004
As you know, I have started at Temperance and I decided not to read any other posts first so as not to influence my thoughts on the card. Instead I will read them in my reflections.... The is not an easy task, because it is a few more weeks before I can start reading your insights... How many of us are doing the study? I am interested to know and look forward to meeting you all in the Minor studies :D How many of us will make it to the end? Keep up the jolly good work ;) XTAX

jmd	11 Jan 2004
I do not know how many are participating in the regular daily work... as some may be participating but not posting. Personally, I like you, only read the posts after I have posted my own personal reflections - and it is always a delight to read the work of others through the week. What I also find fascinating are the various ways in which we seem to approach the work - various yet so similar. For those who wish to participate, by the way, it is never too late to do so - either at a card you wish, or joining either TemperanceAngel in her sequence or a number of us in a different sequence - yet commonly participating :) As to how many of us are doing the study... I wonder?!

TemperanceAngel	11 Jan 2004
Why don't we do a poll, jmd? XTAX

Mimers	11 Jan 2004
I am really loving it. I have not yet posted my reflections on the Empress but will do that tonight. I find that I am not doing the 5 min a day. Instead, I ended up doing like a half hour one day and then maybe skipping a day. This is going to be a great process, and I dont see myself getting bored at all. See you in the Minors TA! Mimi

Imagemaker	11 Jan 2004
I'm really enjoying the study. Posting each week (on Haindl) gives me a focus for doing the study, the journal writing, and the eagerness each week to move to the next card. I'd love to see more people posting or reacting to posts on each card. I'm also doing the study on World Spirit and value reading what others post to lead me through that deck. I hope more people will join us.

Nevada	11 Jan 2004
I'm learning a lot from this. I'm spending a little time each day on this study. I haven't yet managed to zero in on a specific same time each day, but usually I do this in the evening before bed. Whatever the card is for the week, things seem to keep happening or coming up to remind me of that card in the course of the week. I've also been organizing my Tarot study materials at home, so my mind is on Tarot a lot while I do that. I started out using about 6 or 7 decks, but I've found that for each card I tend to choose my favorite version or two of the card, and since these tend to be from different decks I am switching between decks as I go, rather than studying all the decks at once. I like this, and it's helping me with my thoughts about creating a deck too, because I'm learning what cards I like and don't like in each deck I own. I will be late with most of my posts, but I'm journaling a little as I go. This will be my last evening with the Empress. It's one of my favorite cards, so I'll miss it when we move on. Nevada

TemperanceAngel	11 Jan 2004
*gosh*, I only spend 1 day (or part of it) with my card! I think about it during the week though and reflect on it.... XTAX

Majecot	12 Jan 2004
I make time every day, it is not always the same time of day for my and it is usually more than five minutes because I am working with two decks. I love it. I am becoming more disciplined in journalling and I love the comparitive study. I am finding that my favorite time of day is now, when the house is quite and everyone has gone to bed, and right before I go to bed. That way it my card of the week is the last thing I am thinking about before I go to sleep.This has worked out well for the last two weeks for me. I like to read the other posts after I have post mine. I too would like to see more people joining us.

ultraviolet	12 Jan 2004
I have been following along with this study, although I haven't posted any of my journal entries yet. I started with The Fool so I am a week behind most people. I read the threads after I complete my work. It is an excellent way to wrap up my studies at the end of the week. Anyway, I've been pretty consistent with journaling about every other day. I structure my journal entires so that I am able to look at each card and learn from many different perspectives. For example, at the beginning of the week I look for common symbols among cards from different decks. Then throughout the week I write about the different symbols in terms of how they relate to the card I am studying. I also write lists such as keywords and times in my life that I exemplify the energy of the card. This has been very good for me, I've learned so much already. I hope to stay with it. ultraviolet

Jewel-ry	12 Jan 2004
I absolutely love this study, so much so that I started this thread if anyone wants to participate. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21161 I do read posts purely so that I can try to incorporate something different into my post. For instance, I know that Imagemaker is using the Haindl Tarot too so I dont see any point in repeating what has already been said. I dont find this a problem because I am looking at so many different cards and books. I am meditating which always seems to throw something different into the reflection and I also try to incorporate the current card into my personal life. Before this study, I would do comparative studies but without any real thought about the deeper meanings but now I am learning so much from these personal reflections. I think this was a great idea of jmd's. Thanks again jmd (how many times have I thanked you???) J :)

Darla	12 Jan 2004
Now I finally decided to join you in your studies. I will use two decks but I'm not sure yet which ones. I want to use a "dark" deck (probably my Gothic Vampires) and a "light" deck but I still have to decide which one. I think to have these two different points of view of each card will be very interesting. Talk to you soon! Edited to add: I decided to use the Hudes and the Gothic Vampires. That's also interesting for me because the Hudes has this medieval style whereas all the persons in the Gothic Vampires are modern.

Emily	12 Jan 2004
This is proving to be an interesting study to do - I usually don't have time to do alot of studying but its amazing how you can get 5 minutes just to sit down and just look at the card. I'm still just doing it with the Morgan Greer but later on I might add the Thoth too as this is a deck I would like to get to know better. I haven't started on the Emperor yet, still finishing off with the Empress, I can't wait to get to the Minors either. :)

jmd	16 Jan 2004
With regards to the threads on each of our reflections, it occurs to me that these stand as wonderful reflections, but also as posts which make for more difficult departure points for discussions... I suppose that these discussions occur, also as a result, elsewhere on the boards, yet it would be useful to at times maybe take some of our reflections (or another's with due acknowledgement) and maybe re-post it in differing language which leads to further questions and discussions... ...without thereby negating the worth of the insight by the individual concerned - for it is a fine line which one may tread when both accepting the wonderful reflections, yet also taking a comment which may have broader implcations and applications, and doing the opposite of what may also want to encourage: that it just sits there for further silent reflection :) How to balance to two... PS glad to see others joining us in this ongoing work :)

Imagemaker	16 Jan 2004
I'd like to see this too. For example, I posted in my Haindl about the Empress and Emperor that I'd like someone to explain or expand on the crystals over their heads. Or maybe I should start another thread on crystals that appear in the cards? What do they mean and what's the history behind them?

jmd	16 Jan 2004
Thanks for that comment, Imagemaker, for you bring to light exactly the kind of issue I had in mind. I remembered reading your comment in the 78 weeks Empress thread about the crystal, but it seems quite difficult to pick up certain definite points and discuss them in those more generalised threads for our reflections. Why not post a thread: Crystal prisms on the Empress and Emperor cards: to what do they refer? ...or something similar - with mention, maybe, of the source of the enquiry. The discussion can then be quite specific, even though it arose from the 78weeks thread.

Phoenyx*	17 Jan 2004
I'm waiting for some free time to actually be able to sit down and get past more than just the idle thoughts running through my head that won't allow me to put them into words.

Majecot	17 Jan 2004
Triquetra, Every week I start out that way.. then I put fingers to keyboard and start typing..( I alwasy pre type in word first). It seems like my random thoughts just all of a sudden pull together.

inanna_tarot	17 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Majecot Triquetra, Every week I start out that way.. then I put fingers to keyboard and start typing..( I alwasy pre type in word first). It seems like my random thoughts just all of a sudden pull together. So you form a sort of on the computer tarot journal?! Thats a very interesting idea! I could do that, i think lol. I do write alot of my stuff down in my folder but it seems abit clincal sometimes. Hmm if i could find some time and quite, put on some Clannad or general meditating type music and then muse for a while OMG i think thats a plan?!?! Hmm dont know which deck to use for the 78 weeks. I want to use my Tarot of the Old Path, perhaps compare it with my Universal RW and ohh something dark to balance it, perhaps my Barbara Walker deck? I really connect with this card, maybe its because i do have a tendency to jump on my feminist soap box! Hmm another sign of a plan?! Sezo x

spoonbender	17 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by jmd With regards to the threads on each of our reflections, it occurs to me that these stand as wonderful reflections, but also as posts which make for more difficult departure points for discussions... I've noticed this too. I think I'd learn much more if there were some more comments or discussions about symbolism, meaning, etc... Among the decks I use for the study are the Dürer and the Secret Tarots, but as there's some odd symbolism on these cards, I always feel insecure writing about them. It would be helpful to get some feedback, even if you totally disagree with me. Maybe we could make the 78-Week-threads a little more active, in the sense that, if some questions arise, the poster could indicate them clearly, so that the fellow-posters could try answering that question? You know, since they are studying the same card... - I think that would be very meaningful. Do you know what I mean, 'cause I'm having trouble expressing myself properly again... I just feel that, now, I post my thoughts and that's that. But I think that starting a new thread for every question is a bit drastic... I really have to go sleep now, as you've all noticed :D... Spoonbender *edited to add: I'm a little behind on the study now, but that's because it's awfully busy here (what is it with teachers and the week before the holidays???). I'll hopefully catch up next week...*

The How is everyones 78 week study going? thread was originally posted on 11 Jan 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.