The Dreams Of Gaia Tarot

sibbysgirl said:

I have had my deck for less than a week, but am enjoying it very much! After several days of reading the guidebook, I did my first draw, which was spot-on.

I think that while the cards are lovely, the real gift is the guidebook. There is so much true advice about the way we see our lives and what we can do to have a better experience every day. Those who purchase the cards and avoid the book are missing what makes this deck such a healer. If the cards didn't exist, I would have bought your book all alone for its wisdom. Thank you for sharing it with us!

Click to expand...

Such a great compliment! I can't wait to read it.

Ayram said:

p.s. the publishing co. is sending me a new deck for the issues with the decks' corners. They were so great about it. I know mine is one of the first decks out as it has that XIV typo but...why do I find that kinda cool, to have the typo card?!! I don't want to give it up, should they ask for the deck back! I feel like it's symbolic of this deck "straying" from the norm hahaha (danger! Rogue deck!!) - and the resistance you've been met with. It's kinda perfect! This deck is clearly on its way to being a great success (already is) and I think it will be special to have the "flaw" that most people won't get in the newer decks - the collector's card!
Thanks for reading all this...

Click to expand...

After unwrapping mine I had a very quick check through but didn't spot there are 2 XIV cards until now! Good job I spotted this thread. The issue with the corners- mine are sort of curled over on one side- is this what you mean?

I haven't had a chance to grapple with the new fangledness yet but looking forward to it. The artwork is gorgeous- all the feelgood factor of DV without being DV.

I hope it's okay to ask this here. Earlier in this thread Conurelover noticed that "there are 5 non court cards with a 3rd eye. All of the Courts EXCEPT AIR have a the 3rd eye."

I'm disturbed by these quite prominent "realistic" third eyes, only because I don't understand their intended meaning in those specific cards and suits. They jump out at me like a big question mark when I come across them. I've also noticed that there are many other cards with only a hint of brightening of the third eye area. Can anyone share their understanding of this please?

dreamsofgaia said:

Tarotlova - thank you. Believe me, at 47 years of age, I am no longer inclined to try and change myself to fit in with society. I know from experience that it does not work, and for someone like me, it can actually be quite detrimental to try to conform. We must be who we are not who we believe others want or expect us to be.

Thankfully, I only have - in the present - a mild form of bipolar which I only became aware of about five years ago when I experienced a stress-induced hypomanic episode that saw me doing several very out of character things before falling into a depressed state. Sitting down with my doctor and going over my history, it became clear that I had been misdiagnosed with depression and that it was more along the lines of a cyclothymic disorder that can be maintained by self-care. I have to make sure I sleep enough. Manage my stress triggers and anxiety. Make sure I have the right diet and take the right supplements, and never allow myself to believe that just because I am feeling better that I am all fixed (which you will more than likely be aware of being one of the biggest traps. We feel better and that can be dangerous because we believe that we no longer need to self-care) My past experiences make it clear that I was lucky to survive my teenage years up to my early twenties as I was rapid-cycling and out of control, but a partner and children brought a level of stability and order to my life. My children saved my life, and for all that my relationship with my partner was not perfect, it provided me with sense of security that reduced the anxiety that triggers me, so the disorder gentled somewhat into long periods of depression broken up with random explosions of chaos.

So I have lived with it for longer than I have been aware of it. It's made sense of some very confusing times and situations for me. I now also understand that while my Bipolar is under control now, without care, it can become extreme again.

It's something that's made me very mindful. Working on the tarot taught me a lot about myself which I now use to navigate my way forward with a little more ease. It is no longer something I see as a cause of suffering though. I have a disordered brain, not an illness. It has the potential to make me ill if I don't look after myself, but when the disorder is being managed, it just becomes something that is a part of you. I have a brain that works in an atypical manner instead of a typical one, and a lot of my recent past involved learning how to use it to my advantage. If I could change something about myself, I'd probably change something else, like not having to struggle with my weight, as opposed to no longer being Bipolar.

It's played a key role in my becoming and being an artist. It's played a key role in my choosing to write. It's played a key role in my choice to create tools for others. Without it, I would not be me ... I'd be someone very different, and I like who I am now. I see my being Bipolar as a key and necessary ingredient to the mix, and one that gives to me far more than it takes from me.




Achlys - I want to respond to your comment, and I do hope my words do not give offence. Believe me, there is none intended.

That being said, I get the sense that to some degree you are blaming the tool because you do not understand how the tool works or cannot make the tool work how you want it to. What exactly were you looking for in this deck? Beyond the quality issues, which I have no control over, I sense that you have purchased this deck with some level of expectation that it be like other tarots, and are attempting to use it the same way. Which may explain why it's not working for you.

It's not going to be an intuitive deck if you are looking for the familiar symbols and archetypes used in the RWS. Of course you are going to have to refer to the guidebook in order to understand the cards. It's a new system, and one that is very different to what you are familiar with, so it has to be learned. Which also means that to best understand it you have to stop comparing it.

Again, I hope my words do not offend, but one of the biggest obstacles I have seen with regards to connecting with the deck have been experienced by those who attempt to use it as they would a RWS deck. That won't work, because that's not what this deck is, and if you cannot move beyond that, then obviously this deck is not meant for you at this particular stage of your journey. No blame, just an imperfect fit. This tool is not the right tool for your purposes.

Click to expand...

I read every deck intuitively without looking for specific symbols. Regardless, this doesn't speak to me in the slightest.
I would hardly say I'm blaming the tool. Not everything works for everyone.

I think that while the cards are lovely, the real gift is the guidebook. There is so much true advice about the way we see our lives and what we can do to have a better experience every day. Those who purchase the cards and avoid the book are missing what makes this deck such a healer. If the cards didn't exist, I would have bought your book all alone for its wisdom. Thank you for sharing it with us!

Click to expand...

Sibbysgirl - Thank YOU. That is a truly lovely compliment. <3

I hope it's okay to ask this here. Earlier in this thread Conurelover noticed that "there are 5 non court cards with a 3rd eye. All of the Courts EXCEPT AIR have a the 3rd eye."

I'm disturbed by these quite prominent "realistic" third eyes, only because I don't understand their intended meaning in those specific cards and suits. They jump out at me like a big question mark when I come across them. I've also noticed that there are many other cards with only a hint of brightening of the third eye area. Can anyone share their understanding of this please?

Click to expand...

Brightcrow - Actually ALL of the court cards have eyes on them, even the air cards. Those on the air cards are just placed a little higher and have more of a 'void-like' nature to them. The eyes on the court cards are NOT third eyes. They do not sit in the middle of the forehead which is where our third eye is said to be, but above the head.

These eyes represent Spirit watching over us. There's a lot of Gaia woven in via the elements, the eye symbolises Spirit/God/Source of All/The Void.

If the eye, or light, is between the brow in the middle of the forehead, THEN it is definitely a third eye, and it symbolises having attained a certain level of enlightenment and awareness.

After unwrapping mine I had a very quick check through but didn't spot there are 2 XIV cards until now! Good job I spotted this thread. The issue with the corners- mine are sort of curled over on one side- is this what you mean?

Click to expand...

Earthair - Unfortunately, the deck has experienced a number of quality-based teething issues, the misprint and damage to the cards corners and surface by what I can only assume to be a guillotine misalignment/blunt blades. Many decks have been perfect, except for the misprint, while others have been flawed to different degrees. Thankfully more and more of the decks without issue are now starting to make their way out into the world.

If the curl to your card corners is a concern because it is unattractive, going to prevent you from being able to shuffle properly, and/or going to result in rapid deterioration of the corners, then PLEASE contact Blue Angel at info@blueangelonline.com ... Simply put, if the cards are damaged in ANY way, take a photo and send them an email. They will fix the issue by either sending you a replacement deck, or just the replacement card for the misprinted Faith card if that's all you require. Those of you who have purchased Blue Angel decks in the past will know how important quality is to them. It is just as important to me also. I want those that purchase the deck to have a deck they can use.

I want to clarify that my particular comment earlier showing hesitation was really about the fact that it's taken me YEARS to memorize (haha) the meanings of each of the traditional RWS tarot cards (I still have many of the court cards left to memorize in fact!) and I was whining a bit because of all that! Not because your system isn't worth the time to study and learn from it or isn't an improvement. At the risk of being criticized here - in the land of all things tarot - I'll be honest and say that IMO the traditional version of tarot could indeed use improvement! To begin with, it's outdated! There are a lot of "flaws" that I see (from original vagueness to redundancy to contradictory definitions to unrealistic generalizations to almost lazy, seemingly convenient descriptions that just don't hit home or seem very relevant...and the list could probably go on if I were to think about it some more)! But there are obviously conflicting feelings for me cos other times it all seems to work out quite magically!

Click to expand...

Ayram - I agree. The RWS system is a product of the era in which it was created. And, for all that I open myself to criticism, I feel it has a foundation in repression and patriarchal energy that no amount of reinterpreting and reimagining can dispel. It is what it is, and like ALL systems, including my own, it is flawed. Some people can work with it because they do not see the flaws. Others cannot, because they cannot connect, for the very same reasons I could not connect.

There need to be MORE alternative tarots created in my opinion, because the foundation - the structural bones of the tarot are SOLID. I'm not talking about the archetypes and symbolism, but the bones of the tarot - the major and minor arcana, the suits etc. This structure is something that can be built on and give rise to more tarots that embrace new archetypes and symbolism. In my humble opinion, having alternatives gives us more CHOICE. It means more people using a structured form of divination that gives them more than an oracle can. It gives more people a means to connect.

And to me, that's all that matters. Connection with inner self and Spirit.

For me, there is a place for tradition, and it should be honoured if it is worthy, but there is also room for the new and the untraditional. One of the beautiful aspects of being Bipolar is that I tend to see both the extremes and the spectrum that dwells in between. I need tradition, but I also need to be able to challenge tradition, because sometimes those traditions hold us back ... limit us ... prevent us from embracing change and growth ... and we cannot avoid or deny change. As it is written in my little Messenger Oracle - change is unavoidable, no matter how much we want to deny it or prevent it.

The tarot is changing.

I also want to make it clear that you don't really have to clarify things with me. I've not taken offence to any of the comments made here. I see this deck as being like an item of clothing of a particular size, cut, style ... it's going to fit some people, and not fit others. Should I be upset if people tell me it does not fit? It would be a pretty pointless waste of energy.

I've been an artist with my work out here in cyberspace for almost 15 years now, and I'm very aware that some people adore it, others like it, and still more are unmoved by it. Art is, to me, a personal experience. It's subjective. With a tarot being such a visual tool in nature, that some are not going to connect because they don't like my art style and subject matter, is par for the course. That people are going to express this disconnect, or even just say that they don't have the time or willingness to learn a new system, or even have a slight resistance to it is not going to offend or upset me.

Everything happens as it is meant to. If someone does not connect with the deck at this moment in time, it's because it's not meant to happen. If somebody does pick it up and falls in love with it, then that too was meant to happen. Those who love it now, might no longer need it or love it in a few years time. Those who don't connect with it now, might find themselves feeling compelled to give it a second chance further down the way.

For all that people like to hold on to tradition, we are fluid and ever-changing. The person we are now, is not the person we once were, or the person we will be a few years from now.

On a self-indulgent side note: I've temporarily quit several times throughout the last 10 years or so but then always come back to it.

Click to expand...

And this one sentence alone illustrates my point. We flow to and from, back and forth. At times, we step away, only to come back an look at something with a new and fresh perspective.

It's one of the reasons why this tarot took me ten years to complete. I had to cycle around, put it aside, come back to it and look at it from a different perspective. Sometimes, I just had to stop and have a break because the tarot threatened to overwhelm and consume. Every time I returned, I returned as a different person with a different level of understanding and awareness. I say in the notes in the back of the guidebook that there are beliefs expressed in the meanings that I no longer subscribe to on a personal level, because I am no longer that person.

I am proud of this deck. I use it myself, and believe me, that's a scary thing because this deck knows me as well as I do, and I can't hide from the truth the readings often smack me upside the head with. It's quite confronting.

But ... what others feel, how others perceive it, use it, understand it, embrace it, or reject it, will be determined by them and them alone.

I am a toolmaker, and I create my tools knowing that it will be a tool that some will use, others will not, and how the tool will be used overall will be determined by the users themselves.

dreamsofgaia said:

Brightcrow - Actually ALL of the court cards have eyes on them, even the air cards. Those on the air cards are just placed a little higher and have more of a 'void-like' nature to them. The eyes on the court cards are NOT third eyes. They do not sit in the middle of the forehead which is where our third eye is said to be, but above the head.

These eyes represent Spirit watching over us. There's a lot of Gaia woven in via the elements, the eye symbolises Spirit/God/Source of All/The Void.

If the eye, or light, is between the brow in the middle of the forehead, THEN it is definitely a third eye, and it symbolises having attained a certain level of enlightenment and awareness.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much for clearing that up! That's a much softer, more comforting perspective than what I'd feared was meant. Gotta go wake up my cards again now!

brightcrow said:

Thank you so much for clearing that up! That's a much softer, more comforting perspective than what I'd feared was meant. Gotta go wake up my cards again now!

Click to expand...

I thank her too for clarifying. I have thought of it as "seeing what is hidden." Justice in the Italian tarot has a 3rd eye that sees even though she is blindfolded. I am glad she could clear up what cards they are on too.

Thank you.

I am fascinated by Ravynne's new system and I can feel that this deck would be perfect for me because it makes so much sense. However, I'm hesitant to order it now with the printing faults. Any idea when the second printing will be released? Also, is it like for all decks out there that you have to ask for a replacement card due to a misprint with the number on this card (can't remember which one)???

My print is fine. Just for the record. I missed the misprint - if mine has one - and can't look just now....

I have the misprint but otherwise my cards look fine. Maybe a very small bend in one corner but it's tiny. So yeah, quality is fine on my copy but not perfect. I emailed Blue Angel and they're sending me a new card. I didn't even have to send a photo!