Orphalese Tarot Software

Strange2

Correction on the web site address for the Orphalese Tarot Card program:

http://www.orphalese.net/tarot/tarot.htm

It is a *very* nice program, and is free shareware to download (US $9.99 to register it). Some of the program's features:

- Uses your favourite tarot pack: The program lets you use choose any set of images for the card faces. You can download decks from the decks and links page, installing them with a single mouse click. You can scan in your own decks too: the help file which comes with the program explains how to store your images so they appear in the program's menu.

- Save your readings: You can save any reading, and then reload it for further study at a later time.

- Perfect for comparative readings: The ease with which you can switch between packs makes it perfect for doing comparative readings: you can lay out a spread and then examine it using different decks, at the touch of a button.

- Full Word Processor facilities for annotating readings: The program lets you save readings with extensive (in fact unlimited) notes, which you can format WP style. You can also export these notes to your favourite WP program, such as Microsoft Word.

- Full colour screen captures: Create full colour images, at the touch of a button.

- Infinite Spreads: The program creates spreads by reading data from special files which contain the co-ordinates of the card positions, the order they are laid and so on. You can download spreads from our decidated Tarot spreads page, and install them in seconds to make them available from the program's main menu. The following three spreads are supplied with the program and do not need to be downloaded separately:
Celtic Cross
Star
Three Card Spread

- Customisable background: You can use the cards without a background (like in the picture above) or load up a background to use as a kind of "virtual tabletop". You can then customise the colour of this backdrop, and set a background image too.

- Regular and "seeded shuffle": This program lets you optionally type in a name, number, question or phrase as a seed which is used for shuffling the pack.

- Flexible Sort Options and Free Card Selection: Sort the cards in ascending or descending order. Or, if you want to recreate a reading on screen, select just the cards you need.

- Reversed cards: The program has been designed to give your all the features of a physical set of cards (but with the convenience of a point-and-click interface), so it even produces reversed cards - and allows you to determine the frequency with which they appear.
 

Aerin

One thing bothers me. This .NET 20Mb worth of thing.

Will it install on my D: drive? And how much room does it snatch once installed?

My C: drive is chocka (yes, still on the old Windows 98).

A. Luddite
 

Aerin

Ok, since no-one here could answer me I eventually cracked and took the risk. It did work out OK (although .NET installation does some serious work on your computer which is scary to watch).

The software is excellent, and it is wonderful to experience using e.g. kayne's Celtic tarot, Mary-el, etc. (I registered so I can have as many decks as I want).

A bargain. And I like the look of some of their other software too...

Aerin
 

allibee

Please don't kill me for saying this buuuuuuutttttttt:
why would a person want to have an automated reading?
While I think that reading over the net is a wonderous thing, especially when you are 'on the money' hehehe, surely a software birthing of a reading cannot be truley accurate, unless it's the old thing of 'making it fit'. Surely it's randomness cannot be trusted.

You are welcome to Flambee me here, but I just don't see the point, sorry

allibee
AKA Jean Claude Flambee ;)
 

Macavity

I think opinion is divided! :D

I suspect that's why the author (wisely) adopts a principal of restricting the program role to displaying and manipulation, rather than entering the divination debate? I wrote a little graphics Java program that does most of the traditional things such programs do - Throws up "random" cards and possibly showing (user defined) "meanings". If it looks a "go-er" I will post the URL (You'll need 8MB of downloaded Java 1.3+ VM - No escape from such realities? ;)).

My use is: "Given a random set of cards can I interpret them?" - (The answer is often NO at this stage!) I do display the elemental dignities and bases, in a sort of "flash-card" way. I believe folk have employed such "drill" ideas for learning THIS particular aspect. I sometimes toy with the idea of getting it to CHECK my "card counting". The chances of me (not my PC) making mistakes are high in this area! OTOH what readers find easy to demonstrate can be difficult to simulate...

I think there might be a role for computers e.g. in the learning process. I believe (delude?) myself *I* learned something! Perhaps typing in "meanings" at a screen is analogous to keeping a journal? That said, doubtless computers encourage some folk NEVER to learn anything much. In my *opinion* it's probably best to let machines stick to what they do best - arithmetic? SAME for hooman beans too? :)

One remaining question (to me) is whether artificial "random" numbers are influenced by "synchronicity"? Perhaps an experienced reader could distinguish these in a test? Heheh. I'm sure many people have observed that the chance of e.g. discoveries in science are greatly increased by prediction. Divination? We call 'em Monte Carlo programs... :D

Mac
 

Ophiel

Have to agree with Allibee on this one. Interacting with the cards is so important. Sure, the universe seems to work on a sense of randomness, and yes, the electronic world can simulate that randomness as well. But shuffling through the cards is part of the tarot card meditation, and removing that is like taking the Latin out of the Catholic mass, not that I'm Catholic, mind you. It just ruined the ritual, is all.

Having said that <uncrosses legs, bends over, placing very red face down between knees in great shame> I have downloaded that program just to check it out, and while it looks good, I think I'll stick with cards.
 

allibee

Ophiel said:

Having said that <uncrosses legs, bends over, placing very red face down between knees in great shame> I have downloaded that program just to check it out

ROFLMAO we believe you, thousands wouldn't *snigger, snigger*
 

Major Tom

Personally, I think the programme is great! I've registered my copy. ;)

Aerin has suggested the First Aeclectic Community Tarot (as well as the second) be made available for use with this programme and I think that's a great idea!

Time after time, we debate card selection methods and the ultimate results of this debate are that it really doesn't matter how it's done.

The only real drawback I can see is the amount of downloading you have to do - but once you've overcome this - it's well worth having.

This programme deserves our support.
 

Khatruman

awww, man!!!

They are Mac-snubs!!!! :(

Well, you all have fun with it. It looks like a wonderful program and I would download it, get it, use it, register it, if they bothered to program it for MACINTOSH!!!!

Why do so many snub the best????

Peace!
 

Aerin

allibee said:
Please don't kill me for saying this buuuuuuutttttttt:
why would a person want to have an automated reading?
While I think that reading over the net is a wonderous thing, especially when you are 'on the money' hehehe, surely a software birthing of a reading cannot be truley accurate, unless it's the old thing of 'making it fit'. Surely it's randomness cannot be trusted.

You are welcome to Flambee me here, but I just don't see the point, sorry

allibee
AKA Jean Claude Flambee ;)

I was very skeptical, since I don't like the sort of program which just presents you with a spread and that's it. What I like about this program is that it doesn't feel at all like an automated reading. It feels like messing around with an actual deck, only with a mouse instead of hands. I like watching it sort, and shuffle, and playing with moving the cards around, just like with a real deck. The program treats it like a real deck too, it doesn't shuffle it unless you tell it to (yes, I'm dull, I checked :)).

Also, I like the way you can do a 'seeded shuffle' by e.g. putting a key word or phrase for the program to use. I have tried putting my question in there.

And, I love seeing decks I may or may not want to own - and decks I can't own because they are unpublished. Like Major Tom says, I've suggested putting the Aeclectic Community Tarots on there, because then we'll be able to read with them and also get a wider audience.

I have done some readings for myself with it, and they have been very accurate. Like people's opinions on decks, it is a personal thing and worth a go if you are at all curious.

Aerin