wytchwood
Well I finally got my hands on the much coveted Maat. First impressions were that it is much bigger (even though everyone said big) than I expected, and thinner. The cards are quite thin and very shiny which I had not expected. The artwork is every bit as stunning as I thought it would be, even more breathtaking on account of the large shiny cards! When I started looking through the book (which is very special indeed) I felt the lazy me start to wriggle impatiently. The 'traditional' order seems to be made a muddle of by Julie Cuccia-Watts' lunar system. However, as the cards are unnumbered, there's no reason to despair! The deck can be used without learning it from scratch, and the system studied at leisure. When I tried a little reading with it I was pleasantly surprised how well it reads. Yes, it's VERY difficult to shuffle for those of us with dollies' hands, but the readings jump out at you when you turn the cards over. There is enough familiarity there to make it readable out of the box, and the depth of the imagery makes it extremely easy to connect with the cards.
I have to admit that, both with this deck and the Ancestral Path, I have found that if I read what the artist has to say, I can relate to it, but I don't always see the cards the same way. Ultimately she uses similar meanings to those I would use, but associates it with things that to me seem to have little relevance as they are perhaps personal musings of hers, and we all have our own different ways of making sense of the Tarot. That said, I do resonate well with much of what she writes. Having started to use the deck, I don't think this has to be an issue for me if I keep an open mind and remain flexible in my approach.
It was a bit pricier than your average deck, but it's not an average deck. I would certainly say it's well worth having. It's a very beautiful deck and I expect I'll get some good readings with it!
Come on Julie CW- how about a smaller size one for everyday use???? Eh??
Zoe xx
I have to admit that, both with this deck and the Ancestral Path, I have found that if I read what the artist has to say, I can relate to it, but I don't always see the cards the same way. Ultimately she uses similar meanings to those I would use, but associates it with things that to me seem to have little relevance as they are perhaps personal musings of hers, and we all have our own different ways of making sense of the Tarot. That said, I do resonate well with much of what she writes. Having started to use the deck, I don't think this has to be an issue for me if I keep an open mind and remain flexible in my approach.
It was a bit pricier than your average deck, but it's not an average deck. I would certainly say it's well worth having. It's a very beautiful deck and I expect I'll get some good readings with it!
Come on Julie CW- how about a smaller size one for everyday use???? Eh??
Zoe xx
's her Maat greatly
Yes the cards are huge aren't they. Quite unwieldy. But then the art is just so exquisite having that large a size just takes your breath away when layed out in spreads or for study.