Digital deck design and marketing and a maths question
I'm going to think some more on how computers, phones, digital format and interactive media (ucky phrase) can add to the use of Tarot (and other oracles really).
For example, following up on the idea that a card can occur more than once in a reading. That now opens up a new level of interpretation of the significance of that number. Let us look at the math really quick.
I use the Celtic Cross reading, with the deck choosing the significator. That is 11 cards. So, any one card always has odds of 11/78 to show up in a reading at all...that is, 1/7. (Note: I've started charting which cards historically have been showing up in readings for me, and over the last six months, the list of cards that have *not* shown up is quite interesting. I digress.)
What are the odds of a card showing up twice? I think it's 1/49. Somebody check my thinking on this. That would be once a year if doing one reading a week. So, a card showing up twice is pretty significant. More than twice would be very significant. I suppose one could assign meanings on that occurance based on numerological principles...that seems artifical to me, sticking to system for system's sake. Rather, a card reoccuring is a matter of increasing *emphasis*.
What are some other advantages...well, on a phone, one can do an entire reading, including a very long or large one in a small space. The easiest readings would be somewhat linear though...so the simplest "spreads" would be of the narrative sort, like the three and five card spreads that are in lines.
To make connections between positions that are non-linear--as in say the central two axes of the Celtic Cross--it would help if the software pointed to those relationships and reminded the querant of them. Not easy to be flipping around a layout on the subway on one's cellphone. This involves the software designers looking at spreads and breaking out their axes, adjacencies, and sequences; then having the software point them up.
In a way, the software is a Sooper LWB. Most LWB's give definitions of spread positions and cards, it's up to the reader to slot the card into the spread position *and* take into account relationships between card meanings and stations in combinations.
And of course software that saved readings, or emailed readings to an archive location; the ability to search saved readings; the ability to correlate card appearances with astronomical (astrological) events or one's birth chart progressions, that tabulated card appearances by frequency and position. (I had gotten the Queen of Swords Reversed *four readings in a row* before I found out about the troubles at the Club and how much money was being stolen from me.)
I'm not so jazzed about having software that provides interpretations, that is, functions as a Tarot reader. That is what many web sites do and commercial packages. It could be cool; a lot of interesting programming; responding to keywords to typed in questions and so on; but this is really not what your deck is about: roboreader. It's about making an engaging psychic tool for the user. I think having the contents of LWB's as reference material would be good, and certainly your designer's notes and insights, but ultimately the user does the reading.
Spousal Unit Greggiboo likes the Subscription Model: an artiste sets a $$$ threshold and fans throw money until it's reached. There's a website set up to do this, I can't remember...foo, will come back to this.) The problem with that is that per project it isn't scaleable: a very successful project earns no more than a moderately successful project. the increased payoff comes on later projects (which, to a certain extent, did happen here, I think; your donor no doubt ponied up the development $$$ based on the strength of the Golden Tarot.) The other problem is the factor of time. Games in general and I imagine Tarot decks can take a long time to become "evergreens" and reach full market potential. They are very sensitive to word-of-mouth.
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The club has changed me as I have changed it. It's well on track moneywise after seven months.
It has also been a magical experience. By this I mean, that I did come in after a few weeks "come out" as a Tarotist and a Wiccan. Spokane is supposedly a very conservative small city, with billboards advertising the benefits of marriage, voting Republican, anti-abortion rights protestors with huge horrible photos on the streetcorner opposite the Zip's Burger (glad I'm not trying to run *that* place.) I've been pleasantly surprised at the number of Wiccans, Druids, Pagans who have turned up to work at Bluz or have turned out to be family members of people already working at Bluz.
I've done Tarot readings for just about all of my employees and use the Tarot weekly for management and business questions!
It has been wonderful. I've lost 15 pounds and dance five nights a week when we have live music. I did miss the two car chases and the one bar fight though, being out of town. Darn.
I'm back in Seattle now and I sure do miss the place.
