Orphalese Tarot Software Version 10 about to be released

purple_scorp

Hello everyone.

I am writing with some exciting news about Orphalese Tarot Software.

The Orphalese software was created in 2002 and has since undergone extensive development. I've been using it myself since 2005 and have fielded a lot of questions about it on this forum.

Version 10 is currently in Beta testing and includes some brilliant new features (including the ability to create Deck subsets, and Deck Collections, and to nominate whether the 8th or 11th Major Tarot Card is Strength or Justice, and that’s just a few). The Menus, Options/Settings and many other windows have been revamped to make it a lot easier to navigate.

If you’re new to Orphalese, then, you’d be interested in some other great features including: the ability to show the Deck as a pile, or in a fanned formation; you can shuffle and/or sort the Deck in a number of ways. The Cards can be dealt Face-up or Face-down. Clicking on the Deck deals the Card, which can then be dragged anywhere on the Desktop. You can create two sets of Card Notes (Little White Book and Personal) and have them display on the screen when you hover the mouse over a Card. You can save the Reading (including Card Notes) and then email it to a friend. This is a great journaling tool for when you are starting on your Tarot journey.

You can create Deck subsets (which is like splitting your Deck into mini Decks). This is awesome if you want to separate the Majors from the Minors and the Wands from the Cups etc; or in Oracle Decks, you can separate the suits. You can create Deck Collections (which is basically a way of grouping Decks). You can load the Collections and/or Subset Decks to the screen at the same time and draw Cards from each. Loading a Deck Collection allows you to deal Cards then, switch to another Deck to see how the same layout looks with the different Cards.

You can even create and save a Spread, using multiple Decks or Subsets. My all-time favourite feature is the Compare Cards Tool, especially important if you are learning the Tarot and want to view the same Card from different Decks so you can get an understanding of how different artists have interpreted the Card.

Orphalese now has an extensive Help website and an Orphalese Facebook page. Plus, there’s some YouTube tutorials on how to use the software.

Version 10 is set to be released over the next couple of weeks but if you want a sneak peek, you can download the Beta version from this page. The Orphalese Software is available for free in the trial version but when you register, you receive an unlock code that opens access to everything, including a file exchange with more than 1000 files (Spreads, Card Notes, Backgrounds, and Decks). Seriously worth registering the software as it costs around the same price as a Deck.

Hey, but don't take my word for it. Download a copy and see for yourself how powerful and flexible this software really is.
 

gregory

TEN ????

Why am I still using 8.1 ? (don't answer that...) I can tell you, actually - it's because it works so well, I hadn't thought to check for an update. I have the paid up version and I've put in over 90 decks that I can use - awesome stuff when I'm away from home.And yes, the compare cards thing is seriously useful.

Now that you mention Orphalese - to which you know I am addicted - I do have a techy question, but I'll PM you that one, as it - is something that annoyed me yesterday and I know you can fix it !

I never understand why people pay for all these fancy programmes there are out there, when this one is free in its basic version, and can do far more than any of the other programmes out there. (Apps are different - I don't have any, but as I understand it they are very limited in terms of decks.)

In the new version, is it easier to get into the zone ? I have had issues with that at times; I get an annoying message, and I'm not sure what causes it. I did wonder if something changed and so the old "door" closed ? And - crucially for ME - will it run in XP ? I am about to get a Win10 machine, but it is quite happy on my XP PC, so I was inclined to leave it there....

PLEASE make sure nothing is exclusively on facebook, by the way. Quite a lot of us won't go there :D
 

purple_scorp

Hi gregory.

Hope you are well. We meet again, in an Orphalese thread. How unusual, not! I know how passionate you are about Orphalese because I share the same passion, only, I've taken it one step further by helping to educate the users by voluntarily setting up the new Help website and creating YouTube tutorials.

Given that the trial version is offered for free, and has no restrictions on its time use, I have never understood why every woman, man and their dogs (and in your case cats) well, the majority of the Tarot Reading Community at least, aren't using it. Particularly given that Richard, the programmer, is so open and receiving to enhancement suggestions which he has pretty much incorporated all of them into new versions. Richard has given so much to the Tarot Community by the free use of this program, that I felt I could give a little too by putting my professional IT and training skills into some good use.

And Solandia has also given to Orphalese by allowing two Aeclectic Community Tarot Decks as part of one of the three ways to download the software (with the other two being one of Ciro Marchetti's Decks - Tarot of Dreams, and the third being two F.J. Campus Decks - Imperatrix Tarot and Traditional Tarot). All available for free. (Gets down from soapbox now.)

You're still on 8.1.....poor thing......the current version before the Beta 10 is 9.4.2.1. Usually the major version numbers are major releases, with the point version numbers attending to bugs and the like. So, you've probably missed some other important new features staying with 8.

I have been testing the Orphalese Beta 10 on a range of computers with a range of operating systems, including an old clunker computer with Windows XP. I have had no issues whatsoever with Orphalese Beta 10. The main thing would be that you would need an old version of .NET framework (which you obviously already have because you're running Orphalese 8.1 on it). There won't be any major programming changes from Beta 10 to the full release, so you shouldn't have any problems on the XP machine with either.

BTW, did you know that you can still run the unregistered version on as many computers as you like, so if you purchased the one licence, you can run the registered version on a different machine. Of course there are differences between the registered/unregistered version like access to the Deck Exchange and restrictions in the number of Decks that will be displayed in the My Decks list (hence only being able to display three cards in Compare Cards Tool in the trial/unregistered version).

But wait till you see the new Deck Subsets Tool and, the ability to create a Spread using multiple Decks. So helpful, and I was even thinking today, how you could use a Subset to store significators and another Subset for the rest of the Deck, so you could easily place a significator on the Desktop and shuffle the remaining Cards before you lay them out. Neat, hey? I don't know of any other tarot software that will let you pull out a specific card. And like you say, and I agree 100%, there isn't anything like Orphalese with its flexibility, ease of use, and functionality, on the market......and even if there were, I'm sure it wouldn't be offered for free (in an non-time-restricted trial version).

I have created 8 software tutorials (little videos) so far and am working my way through a list. I'll add the significator Subset to the list, but as you are an experienced user, if you can think of anything that you believe others would find useful, let me know.

The software help is now redirected to the new Orphalese Help website and I strongly suggest you check that out, as it has everything you ever wanted to know, or never thought to ask about Orphalese...and then some. And it's created in purple, of course! The help was written for version 9.4, so I'm working my way through updating information and screen shots to 10.

There really isn't much difference to what we are posting on Facebook versus what we are posting on the Orphalese forum. Just trying to cover all end-user points.

I received your PM and will reply to it via PM.

Feel free to ask any other questions or provide feedback on the software, the tutorials, the forum, the facebook page, and the help website.

The more people that use the software, the better. Be sure and spread the version 10 release news to other people that might be interested.

with love
 

Barleywine

Thanks for this! I never heard of Orphalese before today. I've been strictly a "cards-in-hand" guy. But our recent discussions of "how tarot works" made me realize that selecting cards for a spread (especially one-by-one) by pushing a button is little different from pulling them from a deck in the same way. It's subconscious intent that matters more than method. As long as the method is interactive and not all done by the computer in one fell swoop, I'm OK with it.
 

purple_scorp

Hi Barleywine,

how are you?

I agree, there is nothing like feeling the Deck in your hands, shuffling, thinking about your question. But, you can still use your physical Deck to do the Reading, and then use Orphalese to journal and record the Card layout and positions and notes.

If you spread the Deck using the Free Selection Mode, change the setting to Face-up and sort it in ascending order, it's really easy to replicate your physical Reading in the Orphalese software.

I've got a tutorial on how you do this, on my YouTube channel if you want a better idea. And there's another on how to do a Reading on the Fly which you also might find interesting. There's also a tutorial on how to change the Options/Settings.

Let me know if you have any questions or need help with anything.
 

gregory

OK purple - I am now on 9. I daren't try betas; Bad Things always happen. You're right - by comparison it is awesome ! But now I get why I couldn't access the zone :D NOW I can get there ! and I managed to do the other (techy boring) thing I couldn't do the other day as well.

Barleywine - it is one programme I REALLY feel does the biz. And if you register (as in pay !) it lasts forever, and you can put decks in - I have, as I say, 90 decks that I basically have with me at all times. That SO beats a big suitcase. (yeah, purple knows I am a huge fan. That said - there are reasons for that !)

But even if you feel iffy reading with it - the compare cards thing is brilliant. And it's kind of handy having positional notes on spreads, so you can't change your mind/forget. And having a spread laid out and being able to switch decks with the cards staying put is rather awesome. (I'm playing with the features I didn't have before - and now I am all excited about 10 !)

ETA and another thing - I do also use it for two or three terminally fragile decks I own - I shuffle, draw - and then lay out the cards from the physical deck I daren't shuffle IRL !

But seriously - I use real decks as well - and I truly don't feel in any way mechanised using Orphalese. Sure you don't feel the cards go through your hands - but the over-all results seem comparable.

OOH and there is a discount for retired people. (I registered YEARS ago while still in work, so I had no idea - if it was even there then.)
 

tarotlova

You know twice I lost my code for the paid version and Richard found it! Most recently only last week as my computer got a virus and everything got wiped out, then Richard emailed about the new version so I got my code back and I have been playing like mad the last few days. So Purple Scorp I have a question for you I have loaded Titanias spread of Lenormand cards in my spreads section but is there a way to choose the card from the 9 you originally drew to place in the centre? I have joined the FB group too and have been watching the tutorials and have learned stuff I didn't know :)
 

purple_scorp

Hello tarotlova,

Of course there's a way. There's always a way....or two.....it's not programmed though and might take a couple of steps......just thinking through how it could work in my head (as I'm firing up my computer with the registered version so I can check if I loaded Titania's 36-card spread to the Spread Exchange (which I think I did)).

I assume you are talking about using the middle card in the 9 Card Reading to place in the middle of the 36-Card Reading? And you want the 36-Card Reading to be automated (launched from a saved Spread)?

You don't ask for much......haha.

Let me start with Method 1 - using a manual 36 Card layout:
Deal your 9 Cards. Note the Centre Card. Click on the other 8 Cards to turn them over and drag them each back to the Deck. Dragging them over the Deck places them back into the Deck. Shuffle the Deck. Either use Free Selection Mode or Deck Pile and start laying out your Cards, manually into position. You have to do some drag and dropping.

Method 2 - automated 36 Card saved Spread.
Do your 9 Card Reading.
Create your middle Card as a Subset, calling it something you will remember like Titania Subset 1.
Create the rest of the Deck as a Titania Subset 2.
Create your 36 Card spread (using the two Subsets.....Card 1 will be from Titania Subset 1. The other 35 positions will be from Titania Subset 2.
When the spread is launched the middle Card will always be the one you saved in Subset 1 (as there is no other choice - there is only one Card).

BUT and it's a big but, it means that everytime you do a 9 Card Reading, you're going to have to edit the Subset to reselect and save the appropriate middle Card as Titania Subset 1 and reselect the rest as Titania Subset 2. (You can just override the existing Subset with the new Subset each time). There is a quick select option to select all Cards, then you can deselect the middle Card (which is possibly a quicker way than manually selecting the 35 remaining Cards).

but (and this one's a little but), you only have to create the 36 Card Spread ONCE (and yes, I thought that was worth putting in uppercase).

Both involve work of a different kind. So, have a play and see which one works best for you.

Hmm, I have outsmarted myself even with this workaround. I will add it to my list of tutorials to create as I think it is something that other people might want to do, even with a Tarot Deck if you want to expand on just one Card in the Reading (using the remainder of the Deck).

Meanwhile, I will also mention it to Richard. We already have a future version list ;) you know and he hasn't even launched 10 yet.

with love
 

purple_scorp

Woohoo for technology and gregory! So, I should tell Richard you're sweet now?

I am telling you, wait till you see 10. Richard has smartened up the Menus and Options screens so they are now logically laid out. And then there's the new features........well....just get the darn Beta already!

OK purple - I am now on 9. I daren't try betas; Bad Things always happen. You're right - by comparison it is awesome ! But now I get why I couldn't access the zone :D NOW I can get there ! and I managed to do the other (techy boring) thing I couldn't do the other day as well.

..........
(I'm playing with the features I didn't have before - and now I am all excited about 10 !)

..........

ETA and another thing - I do also use it for two or three terminally fragile decks I own - I shuffle, draw - and then lay out the cards from the physical deck I daren't shuffle IRL !
 

gregory

Woohoo for technology and gregory! So, I should tell Richard you're sweet now?
No - because I am still locked out of the forum :( - after I changed my email from the one I no longer use (probably why I missed so many upgrades actually !! I'd like my forum account reactivated, but that's all I need now :)