Intensive Deck Study Support Thread ~ Part 2

thorhammer

Good on you guys!!! It's so inspiring to hear the stories of success - coming thick and fast now!

I'm really winding down now :D I've still got one level of the Tarot Tree to journal, which I'll do my best to get done while I'm in exile :| I mean, onsite for Tues, Wed and Thurs of this week. But we'll see. Might turn out to be really busy, no time to journal!

Thankyou all for posting your stories - it's keeping me going!

And I'm still interested in that "Simple" Cross spread . . . though I still don't think it's at all simple!!! :laugh:

\m/ Kat
 

Disa

Well.... as much as I love love LOVE my Buckland Romani, I have paid virtually no attention to the Bohemian Gothic during this IDS. I remember putting it on the list because I knew as soon as the air changed from stifling, sticky, and humid to crisp and cool I would want to start thinking about Halloween and decks that made me feel "Halloweeny" As the seasons change, so does my anticipation of a deck that blends with it. Sooo...I think I'll work on the Bohemian Gothic a while. I will still have the option of using the Romani deck when I read for others(some people don't want me to use the Gothic?I can't imagine why)

Oh welcome back Prism(did I already say that)- I'm quite a slacker, too. I'll get in line behind you so Rodney can give us a kick :)
 

rwcarter

Disa said:
I'll get in line behind you so Rodney can give us a kick :)
A (kinder and gentler) kick! :heart:

I haven't really given any updates of my own, have I? I believe I've done 13 readings for people on this forum. With a bump or two, I think they all went pretty well. So I'm definitely seeing the fruits of my IDS labor!

I've discussed it in another thread, but something amazing happened in the last reading I did. After interpreting the cards, I like to do a more detailed analysis of the cards - patterns and groupings, designs, numbers, etc. Well, I noticed that the Cups in this spread formed a lambda symbol. Since lambda is in the middle of the Greek alphabet, I took that as a sign that where emotions are concerned, the situation was somewhere in the middle of the process. Although I haven't gotten full feedback from the Querent yet, they told me that lambda is very significant to the other person involved in the reading. That really doesn't have anything directly to do with my IDS but it does point to how intimately I've gotten to know the deck, that it could throw out a shape like that and I'd pick it up.

I'm also two cards away from finishing my study of the last tarot constellation. (I've used Mary K. Greer's book of the same name to group and study the cards by numerical association.) I should be able to get all 9 constellations posted this week since I'm on vacation.

Now that I've realized after many months of working with the deck that it's Thoth-based and not RWS-based (D'Oh!), I'm going to go back over some cards that I wasn't connecting with/understanding and look at them through a Thoth lens and see what comes out.

There are also two spreads I wanna give a whirl. One is QJ's and the other is a whole-deck spread (The Rings by Ranna - see Spreads forum). Since many of the cards are arranged in groups of 3, I'm gonna tackle that puppy as a lot of elemental triads. That way I may even get through the whole thing!

Rodney
 

SolSionnach

Hooked on TdM said:
*rubs sore bum* yep I needed that! All my good intentions last night never happened. I journaled the last few days I was behind, reordered my deck and got engrossed in a movie! That was the end of that! I will try again tonight. *looks sheepish*Hooked
lol. I definitely have days like that. In fact, I've had *weeks* like that!
I found a teeny little bag for my mini Jodo/Camoin deck, and I'm now carrying that one around in my bag. it's much lighter than the Hadar.
rwcarter said:
I'm a RWS baby. And I'm now into my 7th month with a Thoth-inspired deck. I'll get to TdMs one of these days....

But thanks for that heads up. Avoid the TdM forum until/unless I'm ready to be mesmerized.... :bugeyed: :laugh:Rodney
Well, you have been warned! No telling what funtastic directions you'll be pointed in if you peek into that forum! :) :) :p
Alamaris said:
Isn't it just a lovely TDM? I had my eye on a Fournir (sp?) for a while, but decided it was too colorful. The Hadar is just right.

EE's methods just plain baffled me, actually. Was reading through pages of people gushing over it and here I'm going HUH?? Mel's methods baffle me too, but I'm closer to understanding those...they seem more "concrete" somehow. EE's seem wonderful, but a little ephemeral for my taste. I'm thinking of posting something over in the Astrological Spread area for you and the rest of the die-hards to help me dissect. :p It might be a day or two, though, since I'm having many guests at a gathering/sleepover tonight -- I have a feeling alcohol may become involved somehow, in which case I'm going to have to play nanny and tuck most of them into bed...!
I have the Fournier as well, and while I do love it, it is a bit of an eyeful. The warm blues in the Hadar are so appealing...

I'm glad that I wasn't the only one who looked at EE's stuff and went all "baroo???" (to quote Cute Overload - it's accompanied by a canine head tilt). Satori absolutely rocks with his methods - me, not so much. Do post in the Astrological thread - we can be baffled together!
Promise said:
I'm having some trouble with The Pole Star; it's one of my favorite cards in the deck, but I'm just struggling with it. I don't know where to start, and once I start, I don't have the right words to put across what my brain is thinking. So many thoughts, so few words...
I really REALLY love that card - and the Ancestor is my fav Hierophant-type card of them all. Perhaps if you just sit with it for a while... Oh, I see that you did get it done. Did you have sweet dreams of the Pole Star? ;)
Hooked on TdM said:
I finally got some cards done! I did the last 5 coupe pips! All the coupe is done now. Only 30 more cards to go! :p

I did a daily draw too. I'm now using two cards to be read as one, for what tomorrow's focus will be. I drew le Pendu and La Force. I took this to mean that I will have to summon the courage to see and do things in a different manner. I will be challenged to step outside my box.

Tomorrow should be interesting! hehe

I feel much better now that I've actually accomplished something. :)

Hooked
Yes, I always feel better when I accomplish stuff, too!
My card of the day was the 4/Epees! yikes. While my day wasn't as bad as all *that* it certainly wasn't restful or pleasant. I'm dealing with a transit of Saturn conjunct my natal sun, and it is NOT fun. That one will be over on the 16th (praise god!), but after that the old bugger will be draaaaaaging over all the rest of my planets (I have a bowl chart, fwiw). ick.
Quantum James said:
I pledged to work daily with Mel's Simple Cross, which I really like, as part of my IDS. Yesterday on a whim I tried the 8 Obelisks spread that is in outlined the Liber T LWB, and boy does it pack a punch! It really invigorated my energy for IDS and I was journalling happily away about that spread.

I also had an idea for combining Mel's simple cross with the 8 Obelisks spread (because it too contains a cross). I think my slump is over - Much fun! :D
I was going to ask you about the Obelisks spread, but then I remembered that I have Liber T, and can look it up for myself when I'm back home. :p Glad that your slump is over, I think mine is just beginning.

I am going into another phase of my life, and all this endless studying (whether tarot or Japanese) isn't really appealing to me right now... particularly as I don't feel that I'm making much progress. I'm not ditching the Hadar and the IDS (or Japanese), but I'm going to be giving myself some time to do some other fun things, hopefully that will give me more energy for this when I get some RL things done!

:)
 

thorhammer

rwcarter said:
I've discussed it in another thread, but something amazing happened in the last reading I did. After interpreting the cards, I like to do a more detailed analysis of the cards - patterns and groupings, designs, numbers, etc. Well, I noticed that the Cups in this spread formed a lambda symbol. Since lambda is in the middle of the Greek alphabet, I took that as a sign that where emotions are concerned, the situation was somewhere in the middle of the process. Although I haven't gotten full feedback from the Querent yet, they told me that lambda is very significant to the other person involved in the reading. That really doesn't have anything directly to do with my IDS but it does point to how intimately I've gotten to know the deck, that it could throw out a shape like that and I'd pick it up.
What an interesting observation! I've had moments like that, where you just realise suddenly that there's a whole overarching message in the spread, and you slowly feel that grin spread across not only your face but your whole mind :) I love that feeling.

Going away for a few days, so I hope to get time to journal those last five cards! I've been reading with other decks, too :| (as you know, Rodney :D). It's not as scary as I thought - the Moon Garden had a lot to say to me, especially. Next up is the Golden, and the Faeries :) I love my Faeries :)

\m/ Kat
 

Quantum James

sravana said:
I am going into another phase of my life, and all this endless studying (whether tarot or Japanese) isn't really appealing to me right now... particularly as I don't feel that I'm making much progress. I'm not ditching the Hadar and the IDS (or Japanese), but I'm going to be giving myself some time to do some other fun things, hopefully that will give me more energy for this when I get some RL things done!

:)

I can totally sympathize with this Sravana - sometimes a small break is the best thing. And one gets back to whatever you are taking a break from, with fresh eyes and heart. Enjoy!
 

Hooked on TdM

Hooked on TdM said:
I did a daily draw too. I'm now using two cards to be read as one, for what tomorrow's focus will be. I drew le Pendu and La Force. I took this to mean that I will have to summon the courage to see and do things in a different manner. I will be challenged to step outside my box.

Hehe, quoting myself now... Well today was interesting. I was challenged to do something different. I had to figure out a way to make a pattern for my afghan that I'm crocheting that will work. The pattern I was using was some messed up. After two years of puttering on it, I now have to start over. So I sat down today and figured out what will work. It was a lot of mucking around.

Then I got all rambunctious and decided to make up a pattern for something I want. So lot's of thinking outside the box today! ;)

I started to read Tarot by Joseph Maxwell and that was about it today. I had crocheting on the brain. LOL

Hooked
 

Promise

I just wrapped up my entry for the Archer, and I am absolutely exhausted at this point. I'm taking my uncle to the airport in the morning, but that' about all I've got on my schedule, so I am hoping that I'll have the time and energy to work on Justice, my next card. This is yet another beautiful card with such powerful imagery. Actually, I haven't found a single card in this deck that I don't find beautiful in some way, even if it's a more primitive beauty.

I think that maybe I'll take the Greenwood companion book and a small journal to the airport with me in the morning and at least consider being productive while I wait. Hey, it's the thought that counts, right?
 

Prism

Hooked on TdM said:
I'm now using two cards to be read as one, for what tomorrow's focus will be.
I'm using a similar system, only in the morning for what the day will be like. Since I'm just beginning with this deck, I'm also using it to journal the individual cards as they come up, note similarities, differences, etc., between the two cards. It's working for me presently, and thankfully I'm often drawing only one "new" card each time. That's pretty much all I'm doing at the moment, except for joining in the exchanges. It's keeping me occupied enough for now.

Prism
 

Jamil

It's the end of my first week of doing the IDS with the Robin Wood deck. It seems to be going well (though one week doesn't give a lot of room for catastrophe, and it's not like my chosen guidelines were draconian).

I've analyzed and journaled six cards, posting thoughts on a couple of them on the Robin Wood study group; done a weekly draw last Sunday and written a daily journal entry on how each card compared to the day. I've done a couple of personal readings, and a few just for fun--like the Mystery Person readings here on Aeclectic, and some "fictional person" readings for the journal.

Truthfully I have missed reaching for whatever deck takes my fancy, but it's only been a niggle so far. To my surprise, I haven't experienced any particular withdrawal from abstaining from deck shopping: I've glanced at a few new decks on Amazon, but keep thinking they don't seem to offer anything that my existing decks don't offer. Maybe I'm just moving out of my acquisitive phase.

On the whole, the first week has been okay.