Study Hall #1

And so begins the study group! Remember, the key ideas are communication and interaction!

Outline:

*Group will run through December

*You may use any deck, at any time.

*One discussion post/week (minimum, more optional): This is merely to share information that may have been interesting during the week. New spreads, old posts you may have liked, new meanings you've found for a card/card combo, ideas from a book you've read, progress in the 21 ways program, ask for help/opinions regarding a reading, ritualing & spellwork, journaling, ect ect. If you think it was cool or important, share it! I for one LOVE hearing other people's ideas.

*One exchange every 2 weeks: Mini reading circle. Feedback mandatory. Jes suggested using the Mind, Body, and Spirit spread to start with [Readings to be done in Exchange forum] Study Hall Reading Thread: [Click me!]

*One card writeup per week (any deck you like, you pick your card): A card you like, a card you hate, one you have no opinion about. Look at it, write about it- anything that comes to mind, any tidbits you've picked up about it.

*If you wish to join the study hall, please PM Kosjitov!

*Please remember to TITLE your discussion post for the week, and your card of the week with the dates. (eg, "Card of the Week Oct 1-8").

Intro

really looking forward to this

Do you want some back ground info from me? hmmm... Have been reading since I was 11 (13 years) and was given my first deck by a friend of my mums. Tarot of the Old Path. Worked with it until recently when i found the Legacy of Divine deck which I am in love with...

I read with a combo basic meanings foundations and intuition and I learn something new every reading I do. i am working on some other talents i have, other than the term empath, which is new to me, i don't really know how to categorise them lol

I am currently working with the LOD deck and using Shadowscapes as a comparative deck. its interesting.

Introduction

I started tarot 11 months ago with the Dragon Tarot. I found it too difficult and my studies slipped until I found the Shadowscapes Deck. I tend to read from Shadowscapes, Revelations, and the Dragon Tarot now. A more intuitive approach to the reading is favored but I am obviously trying to familiarize myself more with the keywords so I have a healthier pool of information to draw from.

Current interests are in spread collecting, reading with minors/majors only, and possibly some tree of life work.

I started reading tarot last June, with my first deck being Tarot of Vampyres. I bought it primarily for a Role playing game Character generation tool, i didnt take it seriously at the time, but then my friend asked for "the longest and most complicated reading i knew", which was a 10-card spread tree of life. After that, i got hit with quite the empathic punch in the face, and since then i have been entirely into the cards myself. And a few months later, i become a witch. Anything else anyone want to know?

RE: Study Hall Exchange

Yeah, everything you know about the Tree of Life


Exchange
Exchanges are on the to do list- Need to be completed by the 15. Jes picked the Mind, Body, Spirit spread so we'll do that this go round. Zechariah, you can pick the one for the 16-31st As per the normal guidelines, they have to be done in the appropriate forum (Reading Exchange). I will leave the thread there for us.

This time I will read for Jes, Jes will read for Zechariah, Zechariah will read for me On the 16-31st, it'll reverse (Zechariah reds for Jes, Jes reads for me, I read for Zechariah). Any issues? post below

Jes' Discussion Point

Excellent. It all seems to be rolling nicely.

I thought I would post something for 'discussion'.

I have been working through the 21 ways to read a tarot card book by Mary K Greer, which I am finding is a great resource. The only thing I find ... well... a little time consuming with the whole 21 steps... So I have been looking at which steps worked the best for me and I have been working to make a list of my 'steps' for when I want to learn to go deeper with my cards and that I can use to boost my readings.

I thought I would share the list of steps I have come to really find useful while reading.
1. Describing in detail what you see on the card in first person. (eg. I am a strong, passionate woman wearing a red gown with golden stitched patterns; my hair is braided and elaborately twisted on my head. I have red facial makeup on and I have created it to look like fire is twisting around my eyes. I have lavish golden jewellery and I stare provocatively right at you - Queen of Wands LOD deck)
2. First Impressions. The things that stick out, the emotions in the card and the colours in the card that jump at me.
3. Mode Suit and Element.
-Modes are broken into Major Arcarna, Court Cards, Numbers 2 thru 10, and Aces
-Suite are Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins (or pentacles)
- Elements related to each suit. Wands/Fire, Cups/Water, Swords/Air, Coins/Earth (Some decks are different to this, these are the elements i assign and work with in all of my decks)
4. Asking Questions (this was as aspect of MKG’s Step Nine)
Snapshots that come to mind when I look at the cards/spreads.
5. Keywords

I have been trying to do this with all my readings. I don’t always use all of them, but I like the diversity it gives me and I like that I have things to fall back on if I stare at the cards and have a mental blank . (And it isn’t 21 steps!) I also go with my gut. If my instincts tell me to talk about something that is completely left field then I do. I am learning to trust myself, something that I still have a little trouble doing ALL the time, but something that I think is important.

any thoughts?

reply to Jes

I have found part of the 21 ways to be useful, granted, I did NOT stick all the way through it. It merited a printout and a space in my my journal and I usually go as far as step 7. Of the most use to me have been the following:

Elements, First Impressions, Mentioning what's in the card.

Strangely enough, sometimes my "first impressions" change. I'll have seen a card once before and the next time I look at it... well, it's not quite the same, but I say what I'm seeing regardless. I know the picture doesn't change but somehow the tone I feel it in does.

Elements have become more and more important to me, to the point where I'm considering dropping reversals and focusing on the elements more to see what happens. Seeing several cards of opposing alignments helps me get some clearer views at times when there's real conflict going on. I'll probably take another overview look at the 21 ways and see if anything else jumps out at me to study on. Ty Jes

Card of the Week Oct. 2-8

Deck: The Gilded Tarot
Card: Strength

Although I don't often use my Gilded deck, I felt compelled to take it out for this week. When I did my deck interview, Strength appeared in the mix, and I took this as a positive sign. I later named the deck "Sovereign"; it is both beautiful and bold (almost to the point of being rude).

The Strength card is #8 in this deck. A woman in a seemingly court appropriate dress stands behind a lion. Her tresses are gold and red, wavy when not bound in the cap on her head (also gemmed with gold and reds). The dress is green, with red and gold embroidery, and little gold stars. The sleeves are stripped with a lighter green. She wears two rings on her left hand, one on her index and middle fingers. Notice that the traditional ring finger is barren- she is neither promised nor married. Behind our verdant lady is the sky, with the stars above the clouds by her head and the dusk closest to the lion. The lion is held to her by a leash of odd gold links but it's held loosely in her hand. She does not pull or wrestle for control but keeps the beast close by.

The only thing that rattles about my head when I look at this card is an echo from the Ly de Angeles book on tarot: "soft control". I cannot for the life of me get my brain to move on and say anything else. The casual grace with which the "leash" is held and the lack of concern about how this strong proud animal is walking at her side baffles me. She's focused on something in the distance while the lion seems skittish of something that may be approaching- or perhaps about to warn his mistress?

Now I'm slightly fixated on that... almost torn look on the lion's face. Hmm. Food for thought And so ends my "Card of the Week" contribution.

Exchange Thread

Study Hall Exchange Oct 1-15 It's up and ready to go when you're ready. Jes, hit me up if that wasn't the spread you intended and I will edit and fix

Well, just to continue conversation:
Tarot of Vampyres: Moon
Possibly one of my favorite cards, and not solely since it is the card that dictates my moon sign

Beautiful imagery: a pale vampire bride, the moon full and bright right behind her. Blood trickles from her lips, her eyeshadow runs, her hair floating behind her to the left, and shifting into a veil covering her right eye. She wears a beautiful dress of pale lace, her wan bosom beginning to show. Behind her is a path leading to a ruined castle, shrouded in mist. The only real color here is the dark metal of the sickle she holds in her hand, the blade towards her neck, dripping with blood.
What i find most striking about this image is the complete mystery. Why is this happening? what does she want? where did she come from? why is the sickle pointed that way? It's not poised to hurt anyone, but its still bloody. What is safe and what is not? Why do her blank eyes pull me in?
She reminds me of the brides from Dracula, only less trampy. Dangerous and beautiful.

And then there is an ever present sense of change and movement, not in her actions, but in her hair and dress. Like something that moves, but shouldnt be moving at all.
Totally dreamy. Anyone else seen this card?