Nina*
Dammit... you're so lucky! I can't get the hang of it, but maybe it's only due to my night shifts week. Perhaps next week will be easier for set off?!OctoberGwen said:
Intensive Deck Study Reboot!
OctoberGwen
Nina* said:
Yes, maybe your schedule just won't let you get in the swing of it. Try choosing an exercise that you like from the 21 Ways book - any exercise. (I've abandoned the "go in order" idea.)
And it's not like I've become a genius reader, LOL, I just love seeing the cards in a row and I do feel like I'm starting to be better at intuiting a story or message from them. Some days I draw in the morning and some at night, whatever it doesn't matter. And if I don't have time or space to do much more than hold them and shuffle, that's at least something.
Don't worry, Nina, just go at your own pace.
Nina*
Thank you, sweet Gwen. I will try what you suggest.OctoberGwen said:
I guess being in the middle of several trades doesn't make this easier (just got Silver Era and Fifth; both gorgeous and am now also getting Melissa Lenormand, Cosmic FX, Röhrig and Hoi Polloi.... eeeeek!!!). *bangs head into wall* When will I EVAR learn?
Kimberlee
First week of the IDS, and I haven't gotten to keeping as good of records as I'd like. I intended to record my daily draws, but neglected to do so. Maybe this week! 
I did do my first large spread with the Druidcraft, found here:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=2498124
On an important topic, so I will be sure to refer back to my interpretations! Nothing ho-hum about this one. I also drew one card each from the Druid Animal, Druid Plant, and Green Man Tree Oracles, but didn't include them there.
My current reading material is the Celtic Women's Spirituality by Edain McCoy. I've learned quite a bit, but feel a bit more confused than when I started. If you think about it, a lot of our magical/spiritual beliefs came out of the Celtic stories. To me at least, you could say that Celtic, Druidic, Pagan, Wiccan, and Witchcraft all have some cultural tie to the myths and folklore. Very interesting! And probably more that I'm neglecting to mention right now.
Another odd thing (which probably shouldn't seem so odd to me) is how feminist this book is. I'd imagine that even the most scholarly male would have a hard time reading it. There were aspects that I didn't understand why she was raising a fuss so loudly, and others where she claimed the Celts were treating women very well, yet I didn't think of them that way. Hmmm. Curiouser and curiouser....
Overall, I'm having a blast! Just needing to get organized.
Oh, and no major temptation yet. Yet.
I did do my first large spread with the Druidcraft, found here:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=2498124
On an important topic, so I will be sure to refer back to my interpretations! Nothing ho-hum about this one.
I also drew one card each from the Druid Animal, Druid Plant, and Green Man Tree Oracles, but didn't include them there.My current reading material is the Celtic Women's Spirituality by Edain McCoy. I've learned quite a bit, but feel a bit more confused than when I started. If you think about it, a lot of our magical/spiritual beliefs came out of the Celtic stories. To me at least, you could say that Celtic, Druidic, Pagan, Wiccan, and Witchcraft all have some cultural tie to the myths and folklore. Very interesting! And probably more that I'm neglecting to mention right now.
Another odd thing (which probably shouldn't seem so odd to me) is how feminist this book is. I'd imagine that even the most scholarly male would have a hard time reading it. There were aspects that I didn't understand why she was raising a fuss so loudly, and others where she claimed the Celts were treating women very well, yet I didn't think of them that way. Hmmm. Curiouser and curiouser....
Overall, I'm having a blast! Just needing to get organized.
Oh, and no major temptation yet. Yet.
Nerys
Hmm, well, I've been working like crazy the last couple of weeks and have only gotten in a couple of readings. The one I did today included the Death card and I had a thought about it that I haven't had before. The Deviant Moon Death shows a pregnant, skull-headed creature standing on the shore of a rather toxic-looking body of water, with her foot posed neatly over the head of a child skull-headed creature who is reaching up to her. You can see it on the AT samples here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/deviant-moon/
As I was looking at it I thought about how the child seems desperate to return to the womb (and maybe the LWB even says something like this - don't have it at hand right now), and how Death can have this element of change that's permanent and irrevocable, the feeling of crying out "Wait! I take it all back" to no avail. Even if the changes come about by our own choice. This is a nuance I hadn't thought about before (though maybe it's completely obvious to everyone else!). I always really liked this card because it is sort of disturbing.
The Ten of Wands also popped up in this spread, and I've begun to associate it not necessarily with a difficult burden but with work, physical work, like building or moving or even farming. It shows a typical DM-type creature carrying a load of ten sticks, but to me he seems to be in the middle of working, not just stumbling around holding up this heavy load.
Subtle changes in my view of certain cards, but I feel that even subtle changes are important!
In blingier news, I think I've decided to leave it untrimmed as I like the evenness of the card edges, but I would very much like to gild it... any suggestions for colours? Or has anyone done this to the DM yet?
I still don't like the white borders around the cards, and I was thinking of colouring them like someone, sorry, can't remember who, did to their Melissa Lenormand. It was lovely.
As I was looking at it I thought about how the child seems desperate to return to the womb (and maybe the LWB even says something like this - don't have it at hand right now), and how Death can have this element of change that's permanent and irrevocable, the feeling of crying out "Wait! I take it all back" to no avail. Even if the changes come about by our own choice. This is a nuance I hadn't thought about before (though maybe it's completely obvious to everyone else!
). I always really liked this card because it is sort of disturbing. The Ten of Wands also popped up in this spread, and I've begun to associate it not necessarily with a difficult burden but with work, physical work, like building or moving or even farming. It shows a typical DM-type creature carrying a load of ten sticks, but to me he seems to be in the middle of working, not just stumbling around holding up this heavy load.
Subtle changes in my view of certain cards, but I feel that even subtle changes are important!
In blingier news, I think I've decided to leave it untrimmed as I like the evenness of the card edges, but I would very much like to gild it... any suggestions for colours? Or has anyone done this to the DM yet?
I still don't like the white borders around the cards, and I was thinking of colouring them like someone, sorry, can't remember who, did to their Melissa Lenormand. It was lovely.
Flaxen
Nina* said:
I know how difficult it can be to fit time with your IDS deck into your daily schedule. I leave for work very early in the morning so I've started to shuffle and pull one card while I have my breakfast, jot down a few notes on first impressions and delve into it a little deeper when I get home. So far, that seems to be working for me.
I'm really enjoying spending time with my IDS deck. In fact, I've decided to get myself a pocket version so I can carry it around with me. The version I've got is large - lovely for meditation but not so easy to pop into your bag and carry around.
Le Fanu
Herzog & I do one in-depth 3-card spread EACH per week (alternate; me at the beginning of the week, him Thursday-ish) and then each week we alternate with an in-depth personal reading which we both analyse (reader first, then querent gives feedback). For example, on Friday I read for him and this next week he'll read for me.
If you're lucky enough to be doing an IDS in pairs (like us & OctoberGwen and Nina), I think this is a great idea. Helps to keep up momentum.
Doing daily draws every day I think (just my opinion) can lead to a sense of guilt for not doing it, plus we don't always have time to analyse the cards in depth. Last week, Herzog & I spent over 3 days just analysing 3 cards, thinking of all manner of possibilities of meaning. I feel that I'd rather go for depth of analysis than simply feeling I have "done" my IDS for the day, tick the box and then feel guilt when I arrive exhausted from work and can't be a*sed.
For those of you who are studying in pairs, you might want to try this? I don't think that a long-term deck analysis has to involve laying out the cards every day (does it?). I walk around every day thinking about the deck anyway, which is a pleasure and also give me a comfy feeling that I'm involved with my deck...
If you're lucky enough to be doing an IDS in pairs (like us & OctoberGwen and Nina), I think this is a great idea. Helps to keep up momentum.
Doing daily draws every day I think (just my opinion) can lead to a sense of guilt for not doing it, plus we don't always have time to analyse the cards in depth. Last week, Herzog & I spent over 3 days just analysing 3 cards, thinking of all manner of possibilities of meaning. I feel that I'd rather go for depth of analysis than simply feeling I have "done" my IDS for the day, tick the box and then feel guilt when I arrive exhausted from work and can't be a*sed.
For those of you who are studying in pairs, you might want to try this? I don't think that a long-term deck analysis has to involve laying out the cards every day (does it?). I walk around every day thinking about the deck anyway, which is a pleasure and also give me a comfy feeling that I'm involved with my deck...
fairybugg
Update:
Hi all,
Since we are doing weekly updates I would like to play...
This week I was able to get my daily draws done, I did make my bag for my deck. And I have decided not to use Mary Greer's book. Instead, I am going to find poetry for each card (mostly Mary Olver) and see if that can make my mind shut up for a while.
I have struggled this week with keeping with my deck. I keep wanting to pick up my Rider-Waite and learn that more. I am guessing it is my minds way of blocking new information.
We'll see what this week brings...
fairybugg...
Hi all,
Since we are doing weekly updates I would like to play...
This week I was able to get my daily draws done, I did make my bag for my deck. And I have decided not to use Mary Greer's book. Instead, I am going to find poetry for each card (mostly Mary Olver) and see if that can make my mind shut up for a while.
I have struggled this week with keeping with my deck. I keep wanting to pick up my Rider-Waite and learn that more. I am guessing it is my minds way of blocking new information.
We'll see what this week brings...
fairybugg...
stefficus
i'm not doing too badly at this, except that i meant to post more (any) on the forum here. my biggest hang-ups so far are that i forget i can do as many readings as i like with that deck even if i'm not "omgstudyingsrsly" and that i'm not crazy about the book.
we're getting there, though, the deck and i. *grin*
we're getting there, though, the deck and i. *grin*
OctoberGwen
Le Fanu said:
This sounds like a great method and I'm glad it's working for you guys! Personally, I prefer daily draws because I have small children and I simply can't think about my deck all day.
Doing the draw gives me a few minutes to focus on the deck in the morning, gives me something specific to think on during the day when I have a chance, and then gives me a few more minutes of focus at night when I post about it. I don't worry about missing a day (and therefore I haven't so far), though sometimes I draw in the evening instead of the morning. It works for me. I try not to "do" guilt. I also think you & Herzog have a compatible study style & schedule, which is great but not all pairs may find that that's true. I'm hoping that Nina and I can compare notes and encourage each other as we go and I'm definitely down for exchanging mini readings or whatever else she wants to do!
