sapienza
Walking away from the Thoth is never easy. Somehow it changes how you see tarot even when you work with different decks. Will you do another one deck wonder, or play the field for awhile?
One Deck Wonder Resurrected
Flaxen
My ODW with the Dame Fortune's Wheel has also reached the original cut-off date I set. I'm going to continue with it though - I'm enjoying spending time with it.
It reminds me of my early tarot days when I only had 2 decks - Thoth and Ancestral Path - I used them for everything. It's so rewarding to develop an ongoing relationship with one deck.
My blogging has been very slack though as I've suffering from the nausea and fatigue of early pregnancy. Hoping that will improve soon and then I can make a more meaningful contribution to threads.
It reminds me of my early tarot days when I only had 2 decks - Thoth and Ancestral Path - I used them for everything. It's so rewarding to develop an ongoing relationship with one deck.
My blogging has been very slack though as I've suffering from the nausea and fatigue of early pregnancy. Hoping that will improve soon and then I can make a more meaningful contribution to threads.
Chiriku
What do you do when your One Deck Wonder deck--the deck you spend the most possible time with--is a real bummer to shuffle or handle?
I only use the 2007 reprint (white borders) of the Hallowquest/Arthurian as my reading deck, as I save the black-bordered original printing for meditative/less mundane purposes. The former has such sturdy cardstock that last year when I was using the deck for a few weeks, I considered starting a thread entitled "Can shuffling certain decks give you arthritis?"
The strange thing is, when take on their own, each individual card benefits from the card stock, which is sturdy without being unwieldy, and which has just the right amount of gloss to bring out the colors in the paintings without obscuring the art with glare or feeling like credit cards.
But when you stack them all up together, they form a very sturdy little brick that's hard to bend into a riffle-shuffle, even for my large and fairly powerful hands.
You might ask, "Why riffle-shuffle, then? Don't you know of alternate randomization techniques?"
Many, I answer. I am a consummate randomizer-without-need-for-shuffling.
But I really want to break down this little brick and get it weathered and floppy enough that I can one day enjoy using it from day to day. And riffle-shuffling is supposed to best achieve that.
With a deck this chunky and resistant, riffle-shuffling will likely achieve a weathering of my hands, as well.
I only use the 2007 reprint (white borders) of the Hallowquest/Arthurian as my reading deck, as I save the black-bordered original printing for meditative/less mundane purposes. The former has such sturdy cardstock that last year when I was using the deck for a few weeks, I considered starting a thread entitled "Can shuffling certain decks give you arthritis?"
The strange thing is, when take on their own, each individual card benefits from the card stock, which is sturdy without being unwieldy, and which has just the right amount of gloss to bring out the colors in the paintings without obscuring the art with glare or feeling like credit cards.
But when you stack them all up together, they form a very sturdy little brick that's hard to bend into a riffle-shuffle, even for my large and fairly powerful hands.
You might ask, "Why riffle-shuffle, then? Don't you know of alternate randomization techniques?"
Many, I answer. I am a consummate randomizer-without-need-for-shuffling.
But I really want to break down this little brick and get it weathered and floppy enough that I can one day enjoy using it from day to day. And riffle-shuffling is supposed to best achieve that.
With a deck this chunky and resistant, riffle-shuffling will likely achieve a weathering of my hands, as well.
Chiriku
That's a very good choice for a ODW. Not too RWS-y, with enough to explore, but still familiar. Nigel Jackson Tarot was one of my favorites before I went on my tarot hiatus. Over a recent holiday break (a year or two ago), I came across an old Polaroid photo I had taken of an outdoor reading I did with it.
That's how I used to record images of my readings, Polaroid photographs. I've heard they fade, but mine seem to have lasted so far.
WolfyJames
I received the Heart of Faerie Oracle which was already on my wish list. The deck is very lovely and I love it. Faerie's Oracle was in sale too so I took that one as well. I've been haunting the Faerie's Oracle subforums since, and I have to admit after adding the Faerie's Oracle study group in my database, the deck has grown on me, so I'll probably like it more once I get it and use it too.
sapienza
This is a tough one and I definitely understand your issue. While I don't riffle shuffle, I do find shuffling to be an almost therapeutic part of the process and if a deck just doesn't 'feel' right in my hands then it is a struggle. Sometimes time helps, but there are some decks that just won't be broken in.
I have the Arthurian with the black borders and I once had a back-up but now seem to have lost it. In fact I think I traded or sold it but can't remember. I got the back-up because I didn't want to trash such a beautiful deck with regular use, so I get why you are using the other copy as a back-up. Personally, if I were going to do a ODW with this deck I'd try to seek out a back-up with the black borders for everyday use. They can be expensive to find but you never know when you might get lucky.
Otherwise, I wonder if working with each card individually, bending it slightly back and forward front to back and side to side to try and loosen it up, and going through the whole deck might help. Also a good opportunity for bonding perhaps?
Carla
I've just trimmed my large green box Thoth of all borders and titles. I don't know how I feel about it yet. I've spent so much time with it having borders...it's almost like seeing a respected elder who's always been in a suit and tie, suddenly talking to you with his shirt off. Disconcerting!
I think I may continue my ODW, or a variation of it, with this borderless Thoth. It certainly changes the way I look at the cards! (Fortunately I have the 1986 deck which I will never trim, and the little purple box Thoth as well).
I've put Crowley's Book of Thoth in my shopping cart at amazon. Now to get up the courage to click buy. Gulp.
sapienza
Congratulations on taking the plunge and trimming the Thoth Carla. I loved mine so much more once it was trimmed as when you lay out cards together the colours worked so much better. Actually, that's one of my favourite things about using the thoth, the colour. As for Book of Thoth, I was lucky to pick up a copy second hand and I'm pleased to have it. I've never read the thing cover to cover and instead found that I would dip in and out of it as required. I was actually surprised as I found it quite readable but perhaps this would have been different had I wanted to start at the beginning and read the whole thing through.
vee
I keep wanting to do a ODW--I'm so fickle and have difficulty concentrating that I think it would be a really worthwhile exercise in teaching me to sit down and really focus on/connect with a deck.
...but I can't seem to pick one! Any tips on how to choose a deck? Or did you all just "know"?
...but I can't seem to pick one! Any tips on how to choose a deck? Or did you all just "know"?
Carla
I chose a deck that I had feared, and now I'm completely lost in love with it. I would recommend that you choose a deck that befuddles you. Commit to it. Do all your tarot-related work with it, regardless of initial reactions, confusion, or even distaste for it. That includes client readings! Using it and only it will force you to get to know it. Try choosing the deck you feel you would be least likely to choose. Seriously!
