One Deck Wonder Resurrected

[sapienza]

Hi Vee. I think Carla is right about a deck that will challenge you. I would always make sure you choose a deck that has some substance so if you are focusing all your energies on it you don't get bored. A deck like the Thoth for example could take a lifetime of study and you'd still find new things to learn. By contrast, a RWS clone with pretty images but not much depth may not stand the test of time. Go for substance and traction over gushy deck love, if that makes sense.

 

[vee]

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!

Wow, what freeing advice! Now instead of stressing over what deck is ~*MINE*~, I can just go for something terrifying--which is exciting! Thank you! I'll still have to think it over a bit and pull out the decks, but I have a few possibilities already.

Sapienza, I think that's really good advice, although combined with Carla's comment, it almost makes me WANT to pick a RWS clone--to show that I can find the meat in it. Just my inner contrarian, I suppose.

Hopefully I'll figure something out in the next few days and join y'all.

 

[vee]

I have chosen. I went with the first deck my mind went to. One that enchants and terrifies and sings to me!

The Navigators Tarot of the Mystic SEA.

I am starting off with just one month. Deck fidelity does not come easily to me. Baby steps. I'd rather try something I think I can do than overcommit and give up.

Glad to join you all! Did a very promising deck interview tonight.

 

[sapienza]

Welcome vee. What a great deck choice, I'll look forward to hearing how you go with it.

Still enjoying my Nigel Jackson. I laid out the minors last night and compared suits and courts and also looked at the number cards as sets, ie. all the fours, all the fives etc. It was interesting, it really is such a beautiful deck. Hopefully I'll find some time later in the week to add some more study group threads.

 

[Carla]

Great choice, Vee! I'm not continuing with the One Deck Wonder for now. I will continue to use the Thoth, but also will go back to using a Deck of the Week on my blog. This week it's Wicca Moon.

 

[Madame Squee]

Thank you.

I've been adding a few posts to the Nigel Jackson study thread, although I don't expect to have any company there. But I have to say, the process of going through the cards and journalling with them is wonderful. I'd forgotten how good it is to really connect with a deck and get to know every little detail. I'm really enjoying it and am finding using the Ancient Italian as well is a perfect combination. Because the Nigel Jackson is based on a more traditional model, rather than being a straight RWS clone, it's a good place to start to get a sense of the card. Lots of fun. So pleased to have started this.

I know it's only a day but I have no desire to work with any other deck and in fact I feel SO much less pressure now. It's such a relief! No choices to make, just enjoying the cards.

I think Nigel Jackson is such a wonderful ODW choice that I don't dare think about it too long!

 

[Madame Squee]

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?"<snip>

Yes, they can! The last time I had to deal with a brick, days of determined riffle-shuffling only resulted in a terrible deep pain in my poor space-bar thumb, and the process didn't even touch the cards. They mocked me and my pain. I retaliated by massaging each card by hand, back and forth so fiercely that the deck turned out twice it's original thickness. The cards now resemble the curved wings of a insects in flight while they flutter and whisper in a riffle-shuffle. I would do it again in a heart-beat!

 

[Madame Squee]

I have chosen. I went with the first deck my mind went to. One that enchants and terrifies and sings to me!

The Navigators Tarot of the Mystic SEA.

I am starting off with just one month. Deck fidelity does not come easily to me. Baby steps. I'd rather try something I think I can do than overcommit and give up.

Glad to join you all! Did a very promising deck interview tonight.

Welcome, vee! Great deck choice! I love the Navigators of the Mystic SEA soooo much! I've gotten many great readings out of that one. (Why am I doing ODW again? )

 

[Tarot Orat]

I've been completely away from the computer since Friday morning, and yikes is there a lot to catch up on!

I'm not continuing with the One Deck Wonder for now. I will continue to use the Thoth, but also will go back to using a Deck of the Week on my blog. This week it's Wicca Moon.

It was wonderful having you with us on the ODW journey, Carla! It was great to see your relationship with the Thoth develop. Best wishes on your future deck studies!

I've been adding a few posts to the Nigel Jackson study thread, although I don't expect to have any company there. But I have to say, the process of going through the cards and journalling with them is wonderful. I'd forgotten how good it is to really connect with a deck and get to know every little detail. I'm really enjoying it and am finding using the Ancient Italian as well is a perfect combination. Because the Nigel Jackson is based on a more traditional model, rather than being a straight RWS clone, it's a good place to start to get a sense of the card. Lots of fun. So pleased to have started this.

I know it's only a day but I have no desire to work with any other deck and in fact I feel SO much less pressure now. It's such a relief! No choices to make, just enjoying the cards.

It's so great to hear this! Welcome to the joy of the ODW LOL I'm another person who's trying not to think too hard about the Nigel Jackson as an ODW deck right now And it sounds like it's a perfect combination with your Ancient Italian!

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.

So glad you're continuing and finding it so rewarding! And (((hugs))) for the nausea and fatigue and everything, hoping that it will pass soon, and blessings on your pregnancy!

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?
...

My 2nd ed. Dark Carnival is like that, it's a huge brick of a thing. I was riffle-shuffling one corner only and then pushing the cards into a single block again to cut them, if that makes any sense. I still had to stretch my whole hand to hold the cards but only needed to flex my thumbs. (Now that the smaller 3rd ed. is out, I've been shuffling and drawing with that, and if I feel like I need a larger card image to study, I pull the same card from the 2nd ed.)

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"?

I have chosen. I went with the first deck my mind went to. One that enchants and terrifies and sings to me!

The Navigators Tarot of the Mystic SEA.

I am starting off with just one month. Deck fidelity does not come easily to me. Baby steps. I'd rather try something I think I can do than overcommit and give up.

Glad to join you all! Did a very promising deck interview tonight.

Welcome, vee! If I'd been around for your first post I'd've said the same thing, my decks challenge me every day and it's so rewarding to dig into them and figure out the meanings instead of having something handed to me on a platter. Great deck choice! I think a lot of us had deck-fidelity difficulty before the ODW but have found it easy to stay with it once we started - in fact, I don't even *want* to use other decks now! Enjoy the journey

 

[Chiriku]

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.

I actually already do have a back-up of the original printing. But there are a few different reasons I don't want to use the black-bordered deck for regular readings--- first off, the colors in the older printing are not as saturated as those in the newer printing; second, the black borders are, for me. more conducive to involved meditations than to readings; and third, I want to pour my energy into softening up the newer printing so that it becomes enjoyable to work with.

Yes, they can!

Oh. That's unfortunate.

They mocked me and my pain. I retaliated by massaging each card by hand, back and forth so fiercely that the deck turned out twice it's original thickness. The cards now resemble the curved wings of a insects in flight while they flutter and whisper in a riffle-shuffle. I would do it again in a heart-beat!

I've done that with other decks I didn't care all that much about, but this deck is already thicker/higher than average and I don't want it getting much bigger. I need it to be compact so I can carry it around with me often. And I already have a very snug-fitting case for it that's ideal for the deck and that I don't want it to outgrow.

It's odd because individually, when looking at each card on its own, the card stock is great. It's just when it's stacked together that it becomes a problem.

My 2nd ed. Dark Carnival is like that, it's a huge brick of a thing. I was riffle-shuffling one corner only and then pushing the cards into a single block again to cut them, if that makes any sense. I still had to stretch my whole hand to hold the cards but only needed to flex my thumbs. (Now that the smaller 3rd ed. is out, I've been shuffling and drawing with that, and if I feel like I need a larger card image to study, I pull the same card from the 2nd ed.)

That's great that a more manageable edition of your deck came out so soon into your ODW. Happy coincidence, or serendipity?