Interview with a Deck

Please give me something to work with!

I recently got my Hanson-Roberts in the mail and, after diligently working to remove the stink, it's ready and rearing to go. So we sat down and had an interview. The spread:

........3..........
...1...5...2......
........4..........
1: What I as the reader will bring to the table
2: What you as the deck will bring to the table
3: What challenges do you pose?
4: What rewards do you offer?
5: Relationship

1: The Sun: I bring joy and optimism. I am excited about having you and look forward to an interaction filled with learning and pleasure.
2: 10 of Swords: You will ruthlessly force me to face the harsh aspects of life.
3: King of Pentacles, rx.: You will make me release preconceived notions (of what???)
4: Queen of Swords: Appreciation of goodness and luck, peace and happiness through the juxtaposition of the messages of cards 2 and 3.
5: Knight of Swords: Our relationship will be fraught with conflict and we'll constantly be at loggerheads, striving to learn from experience and unify our purpose. But will we ever get there?

Does this deck hate me too???? *throws hands up in the air*

Can someone please help me? I really wanted to get along with this one, as I dislike the Universal Waite I have so very much.

In anticipation, \m/ Kat

What makes you think it hates you?

Sounds like it's promising to be a really honest, cut-through-the-crap deck for you. Maybe not lalala, hearts and flowers, tell you any bit of flattery you want to hear, but instead help you to get down to the truth of things. That's a good thing!

1: What I as the reader will bring to the table - Sun
2: What you as the deck will bring to the table - 10 of Swords

You bring all that optimism along with a desire to get things out into the light of day. The deck will be able to do that for you, but to do so its going to have to counterbalance your natural optimism and assumptions with some harsh truth. Two extremes, with the truth in the middle somewhere. The extreme isn't because the deck 'hates' you - it just needs to balance against the extreme where you already are.


3: What challenges do you pose? King Pent, rx
4: What rewards do you offer? Queen Swords
5: Relationship Knight Swords

All courts, so this deck is going to be able to help you try on various roles and work with aspects of your own identity.

Among the challenges this deck poses is (king Pents, rx) taking you out of your comfort zone and giving your practice at working with authority from that place.

As a result of stepping out of that comfort zone and getting insight on harsher realities you may have trouble accepting, you'll be rewarded with the ability to take on the positive role of the Queen of Swords - able to cut through the nonsense and think objectively and with clarity about the situations you ask this deck about.

Your relationship with the deck will focus on that sort of objective truth - it won't be warm and fuzzy and will often make you uncomfortable, but it can be a very valuable deck for you in matters that require you to clearly face challenging situations that require you to go beyond your feelings and wishes. Maybe not the most fun readings you'll ever do, but in certain situations, that sort of focus can be your greatest ally.

Thankyou, la fey, for that enlightening balance to my initial shock. It was the Knight of Swords who really made me stress out! I especially like your take on my Sun, wanting to get stuff out into the light of day, it kind of feeds nicely into what you said about the King of Pents, rx., getting out of the comfort zone.

I just interviewed another deck recently, when I probably wasn't in the best state of mind, so I was already wary of this one. Thanks for your help!

\m/ Kat

Note the juxtaposition of 19-The Sun & 10 of Swords. They compliment each other numerically: The Sun's 1+9=10, The Wheel of Fortune. & echoed in the 10 of Swords.

The deck will offer knowledge & truth, though may require some 'work' & perseverance. & given the influence of the Wheel, be alert to the synchronistic; those 'AHA' moments which will be appreciated all the more for their succinctness.

The preponderance of Swords to one Pentacle suggests there may be some challenging moments, but worth the opportunities to learn clarity of thought & directness. & to not judge a book by its cover--the deck's images belie its those afore-mentioned qualities.

If at all predisposed to the preconceived, this deck will make short work of that

A good beginning here.

King of Pentacles, rx, preconceived notions of what a deck should be. What you should be like as a reader. What tarot can do.

M~

I think the King of Pent suggesting that you will let go of preconcieved notions means that you will realize this deck does not hate you and that you have finally found a "friend". The Knight of Swords is the way you will both confront the world. You will battle together, so to speak. I might be wrong, though.

This is a great spread. I will use it on the two new decks I'm eagerly awaiting.