Jewel-ry
darwinia said:
Can you tell me more about this? What is Fandex Family Field Guide? Sorry to be stupid but I don't understand.
So many decks, so little time--how to connect?
Can you tell me more about this? What is Fandex Family Field Guide? Sorry to be stupid but I don't understand.
darwinia
Jewel-ry said:
Sure, I should have posted a visual so you could see what it was. Words don't describe them well:
http://www.gardenscapetools.com/pages/Fandex.htm
As well as nature ones, they have Egyptian, Mythology, Explorers, Composers, Painters, Civil War, Cities, American Presidents, States, Indians, Dinosaurs etc. They have an ISBN number just like a book and can be found on amazon if you search under "Fandex."
They are die-cut with gorgeous art reproductions and photographs on them--pretty large. Because of the odd shapes you have to be careful not to bend or crease them. I don't consider them a toy but they are marketed to older children and teens I think because of their reference value.
Any kid I know would destroy these in a couple of days, but for those of us who are adults and take care of our books and cards, I find them a fantastic and fun reference--a little bit different and they are printed on both sides.
darwinia
Jewel-ry said:
I usually grab a book I feel like using and then open a page and stick my finger on a passage. If you're in the middle of a sentence you take that sentence or perhaps the one before and after it for clarity--whatever you feel is necessary to make sense.
Then I pick a card from a deck I feel like using. I don't think I've ever used several cards, but it would be up to you. You know how some days you want a long, luxurious play with your cards? Well, on a day like that you might pull several cards or if you prefer, use a 3-card spread or something.
I find I get enough with one card and a paragraph.
One of the things you can do with a book is get the author's picture in there or a biography of the author or a short paragraph on what their life was about and how it relates to what they wrote. I did this once with a passage about Bertrand Russell from Alistair Cooke's book "Six Men." I doubt if you could condense Russell down to a paragraph but simply knowing more about him helps you tie-in the card to the passage.
It really depends on you, how you feel that day, time constraints, your mood. That's why I like it, it's all about YOU and what you need. I think any sort of daily work with cards is very uplifting--meditative, not divinatory, so it's up to you.
The other thing: we are busy, busy people, yes? And busy people often forget to play and have fun. We need to relax, we need to refresh our minds doing things we love. I have found these experiences most beneficial both mentally and emotionally. Watching TV is not enough for the human spirit, we need to involve ourselves quietly with the Self.
urbandryad
me, I only try to buy decks I already FEEL connecte to in some way. Either its one card that just strikes out to me (Hanged Man from Art Neuveau Tarot) or the whole deck just blows my mind (Osho Zen) I try to go for connection. If I'm feeling particularly drawn to a deck I see on the net or in a store, I'll research it, probably fall in love with it, and then buy it if I can.
Some decks I have I have no connection to right now cause I just impulse bought them. I got a free Starter Deck from somebody and have no urge to use it. I have the Celestial Tarot and Dragon Tarot, which are pretty, but I don't really pull them out at all.
Then I have the Osho, Hanson-Roberts, and the Gay tarot, which I connect to completely, and I use frequently. Only a commandment from an angel coming down from the clouds would part me from these decks. XD
And the Art Nouveaux? Still experimenting on this one.
Go with your guts, and with what speaks to you, I say, and what doesn't, give some thoughts to giving them to somebody who will use them. UNLESS you are like me and collect tarot decks for the art as well. ^__^
Some decks I have I have no connection to right now cause I just impulse bought them. I got a free Starter Deck from somebody and have no urge to use it. I have the Celestial Tarot and Dragon Tarot, which are pretty, but I don't really pull them out at all.
Then I have the Osho, Hanson-Roberts, and the Gay tarot, which I connect to completely, and I use frequently. Only a commandment from an angel coming down from the clouds would part me from these decks. XD
And the Art Nouveaux? Still experimenting on this one.
Go with your guts, and with what speaks to you, I say, and what doesn't, give some thoughts to giving them to somebody who will use them. UNLESS you are like me and collect tarot decks for the art as well. ^__^
Bean Feasa
Hey Star Spirit,
I remember when you only had one deck - wasn't it the Hudes, and you thought you'd never want another
Seriously though, the issue of time, and resistance/reluctance to do certain things is one I've struggled with over the years on a range of issues from housework to writing. One thing I've learned is that there's absolutely no point in beating yourself up over it.
Don't spend every minute you're not working or playing with Tarot saying 'I should, should, should be' to yourself. If you catch the little voice in your head nagging like that, engage it in dialogue (sounds nuts I know but it works). Stop and ask the questions: 'should I really...?' 'why should I then?' 'is the sky going to fall if I spend the next hour doing something else, or even absolutely nothing?'
See if you can allow yourself a wholehearted, deliberate break. Maybe the fields need to lie fallow for a while - it might look and feel like a desert to you, but there could be a real replenishing going on under the surface. In the meantime be kind to yourself, let yourself off the hook for a while.
Then when you're feeling ready (or even a little bit readier) allow yourself to dabble just a little. Maybe you have a belief that if you sit down with the cards at all, it must be a long, serious, focussed session. So how about allowing yourself a ten minute shuffle and browse, even with one eye on some favourite TV programme... if you watch TV.
You could also create layers of priority with your decks. Pick the three most important and put the rest on the back-burner. If you're sick of reading for yourself, I agree with a previous poster that reading for fictional characters can be great fun. The book Tarot Tells the Tale is great for examples of this (sorry, can't for the life of me remember the author's name).
Another book I'd recommend is Tarot for Every Day, by Cait Johnson. She takes Tarot right out of left-brain/study mode and brings it into everyday life. So she gives directions for things like a Queen of Wands Bath, and other simple rituals and recipes. She shows how to live the Tarot, rather than just working it, if you know what I mean.
Anyway... hope some of this helps, and that you'll soon have a wonderful resurgence of Tarot enthusiasm.
brightest blessings,
Kate
I remember when you only had one deck - wasn't it the Hudes, and you thought you'd never want another
Seriously though, the issue of time, and resistance/reluctance to do certain things is one I've struggled with over the years on a range of issues from housework to writing. One thing I've learned is that there's absolutely no point in beating yourself up over it.
Don't spend every minute you're not working or playing with Tarot saying 'I should, should, should be' to yourself. If you catch the little voice in your head nagging like that, engage it in dialogue (sounds nuts I know but it works). Stop and ask the questions: 'should I really...?' 'why should I then?' 'is the sky going to fall if I spend the next hour doing something else, or even absolutely nothing?'
See if you can allow yourself a wholehearted, deliberate break. Maybe the fields need to lie fallow for a while - it might look and feel like a desert to you, but there could be a real replenishing going on under the surface. In the meantime be kind to yourself, let yourself off the hook for a while.
Then when you're feeling ready (or even a little bit readier) allow yourself to dabble just a little. Maybe you have a belief that if you sit down with the cards at all, it must be a long, serious, focussed session. So how about allowing yourself a ten minute shuffle and browse, even with one eye on some favourite TV programme... if you watch TV.
You could also create layers of priority with your decks. Pick the three most important and put the rest on the back-burner. If you're sick of reading for yourself, I agree with a previous poster that reading for fictional characters can be great fun. The book Tarot Tells the Tale is great for examples of this (sorry, can't for the life of me remember the author's name).
Another book I'd recommend is Tarot for Every Day, by Cait Johnson. She takes Tarot right out of left-brain/study mode and brings it into everyday life. So she gives directions for things like a Queen of Wands Bath, and other simple rituals and recipes. She shows how to live the Tarot, rather than just working it, if you know what I mean.
Anyway... hope some of this helps, and that you'll soon have a wonderful resurgence of Tarot enthusiasm.
brightest blessings,
Kate
tarobones
Author
The book is wonderful! It's called "Tarot tells the tale" by James Ricklef, Llewellyn Publications. It explores in depth the 3 card reading and it is a wonderful resource. He and Robert Place both speak of the power of the under-valued 3 card reading, and he uses it creatively to do readings for such as Beauty and the Beast, Dorothy and Toto, Joan of Arc, and Hamlet, to name a few. Well worth acquiring. BB, Michael
The book is wonderful! It's called "Tarot tells the tale" by James Ricklef, Llewellyn Publications. It explores in depth the 3 card reading and it is a wonderful resource. He and Robert Place both speak of the power of the under-valued 3 card reading, and he uses it creatively to do readings for such as Beauty and the Beast, Dorothy and Toto, Joan of Arc, and Hamlet, to name a few. Well worth acquiring. BB, Michael
Aura Wolf
Thanks you guys--I like your idea Bean Feasa, and maybe it would be useful for me to acquire another book or two. Those sound interesting.
I'm glad this thread has been jump-started all of a sudden and that more people are finding it useful
I'm glad this thread has been jump-started all of a sudden and that more people are finding it useful
rosesred
This is such a nice thread! I, unlike some others here, can't get used to owning more deck than I have fingers on my hands, but I think that's a very personal sentiment. Power to the people who own the amount of decks they want!!
About connecting with decks... I'm not sure I really have to. It seems to matter very little with which deck I do the spread. My like or dislike of a deck is not based on ability to read with it. It’s more an extension of everything I do in my live. I don’t like sugar-coated fairytales, so I probably won’t like the Hanson Roberts. I do like slightly disturbing paintings, so I spend quite a lot of time and money in getting the Vertigo. This, however, does not mean I have a special reading connection with the vertigo that I would not have with the Hanson Roberts.
All card based readings (actually, make that all readings, not just card based) to me are part of a bigger whole. That means that if I have a connection with the RW, the faerie oracle is already whispering to me through the five of pentacles…
The bigger my connection is with whatever enables me to do readings, the better I will read with any deck.
It’s not a very clear post, but it’s kind of hard to express the sentiment in under 5 pages. Sorry for that!
Best wishes,
Rosesred
About connecting with decks... I'm not sure I really have to. It seems to matter very little with which deck I do the spread. My like or dislike of a deck is not based on ability to read with it. It’s more an extension of everything I do in my live. I don’t like sugar-coated fairytales, so I probably won’t like the Hanson Roberts. I do like slightly disturbing paintings, so I spend quite a lot of time and money in getting the Vertigo. This, however, does not mean I have a special reading connection with the vertigo that I would not have with the Hanson Roberts.
All card based readings (actually, make that all readings, not just card based) to me are part of a bigger whole. That means that if I have a connection with the RW, the faerie oracle is already whispering to me through the five of pentacles…
The bigger my connection is with whatever enables me to do readings, the better I will read with any deck.
It’s not a very clear post, but it’s kind of hard to express the sentiment in under 5 pages. Sorry for that!
Best wishes,
Rosesred
