I am so impressed that you are trying to learn the story behind each card. I find it virtually impossible to create a mnemonic link between what's in the book and the image on each card. I love the deck and never intend to part with it (it's a treasure to me), but I don't use it as apparently intended by the Matthews. I'd love to hear what strategy you are using to help you accomplish this!
I will gladly accept your impressed-ness, madam! The truth is not that I have a strength of iron will but that I have a mildly obsessive/pedantic need to use systems in the manner for which they were created. I believe on some level you must share this impulse or else you wouldn't have delved into the Qabalah and that morass of Crowley to work with a deck (Thoth) that is perfectly useable on its face, without knowledge of its underlying system.
It seems a crime to me to use the Arthurian either with Rider Waite Smith meanings (although many of the stories chosen for the Minors are clearly consonant with those) or by "intuitive" picture-analysis ("that queen's dress bears a neat pattern that reminds me to get organized"). I'd probably sooner not use the deck at all than use it without knowing what the creators intended for it.
Perhaps after I've mastered the 78 cards, I can get creative in interpretation, like the artist choosing to ignore their basic training, but for now, I must remain in pupil mode.
Your voice in the wilderness has been correct all along--it's true that there are many Minors that have no visual cue for their story. But I can't share a special way of dealing with them, because oddly enough, I haven't had many different repeat cards so I haven't been called upon to test my knowledge of the stories I've learned about. (That is, I've often had the phenomenon of repeating cards, but it's always been with the same 3-4 cards...whose meanings are always pretty clear from the card's painting, to begin with).
I do need to make up some sort of test for myself, though. Even if just to randomly draw cards until I get 5 I've dealt with before and see if I can recite the stories for them.
I have the workbook and from memory there was a way of working with the cards that linked them to a seasonal format and I remember being tempted by that. I wonder if that might work for you Chiriku? Rather than daily draws it was more about focusing on each card for a week or two over a period of a year and just reflecting on it that way.
Thanks, sapienza. I have every book the Matthews published on the deck save for the big one that compiles information from the others and I believe you're talking about the "course." That's what I was referring to above as the "meditations." Perhaps that's not the best term for it, but it's close enough to meditation or deep thought exercises for my purposes. Like many here, I plan to do the course but also like many, I say I'll get to it "later" when I'm able to undertake such a long and disciplined task.
The book that goes with the course is the best book, though, IMO, and I use it as a supplement to understand each card.
Also, I think that exploring the playing card or Lenormand systems would be fine. If you are drawn into that world at the expense of your ODW then so be it, the Arthurian will be waiting for you on your return. Follow your passion I say.
This is true, and you're right. The first Intensive Deck Study I ever did fizzled out quickly because, although I heartily approved of the deck and its system, I didn't feel an organic, fueling interest in using it the way I've later felt for later IDS/ODWs including this one.
Following one's passion seems the only way for us to keep up an IDS/ODW past a couple of weeks. Otherwise, it becomes a "should do," and lord knows most people don't respond well to "should dos."
ETA: If I do choose either the Playing Card Oracles or Lenormand as a supplement, I hope I can talk about them here, but I understand if I should save that for the Oracles section.
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