Combining Froud's Faeries' Oracle and Heart of Faerie

FLizarraga said:

jolie-amethyst, you have been chosen. What for, only time will tell, but that is special. The faeries have obviously spoken.

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AHA! So this is the truth Sylvanius tried to get across to me this morning? *smacks forehead*

*snicker* I'm not sure I want to know what the Fae are choosing me for. Probably to be the butt of their jokes!

I think you're right about the various printings being cut differently. I was really surprised to see the difference in cardstock too--the HoF is significantly thicker than the FO, and a bit glossier too.

For now, I think I'll keep the decks separate though. They have such a different feel to them--I was kind of surprised by the sense I got from HoF, even though I've seen the scans many times. And besides, I've got a ways to go on learning the original deck still. I think HoF will wait a bit. I'm sure they'll let me know when/if it's time to combine them.

Huh. Mine seem to be exactly the same size, rounded corners and all. I haven't tried mixing them all in together yet, though.

Those of you who see a difference in your decks, how noticeable is it? Should I be able to see the difference or is it very slight?

My two decks are exactly the same size...
Early editions of Both decks..
Color me puzzled...

Mine were noticeably different.

The HoF cards were the tiniest bit larger (maybe a tenth of a millimeter), and the corners were definitely different. Like I said before, the FO's were cut at 5mm, the HoF's were (mostly) cut at 2.5mm, with some 5mm thrown into the mix, sometimes for the same card. Who knows?

It took some sanding and a corner rounder to make them look and feel the same. I haven't checked how early or late the editions are, I got them both here at the Trading Forum, either from delitz or from Myrrha, I forget (sorry, girls).

swedishfish612 said:

Huh. Mine seem to be exactly the same size, rounded corners and all. I haven't tried mixing them all in together yet, though.

Those of you who see a difference in your decks, how noticeable is it? Should I be able to see the difference or is it very slight?

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I did attach an extreme closeup picture (shot with a macro lens) on post 9 of a card from each deck, stacked on top of one another. My cards are the reverse of FLizarraga's...it's my original Faeries' Oracle that would need to have all the corners cut with a 5mm rounder to make both decks the same. Both decks were secondhand, from eBay.

I haven't done anything with them yet--I'm still using them separately while learning both decks.

Curious...those of you who combined decks, did you do it when you were still learning or only after you were comfortable with both decks? I feel like I want to put them all together now, even though I'm new to both of them.

swedishfish612 said:

Curious...those of you who combined decks, did you do it when you were still learning or only after you were comfortable with both decks? I feel like I want to put them all together now, even though I'm new to both of them.

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I combined them from the start and never looked back. But of course I don't do complex readings with them --only card of the day stuff, and I do pull a card or two to complement a Tarot reading, usually with good results.

Each of them has an internal structure that's worth learning --i.e., "helpers" and "singers" and "kings and queens" and so forth--, so you can do that before or after you put them together.

There's also the fact that Heart of Faerie suffers from a much more inferior book, so knowing the place of the card in one of those "suits" is probably more important that learning the given meanings, while Faeries' Oracle is the complete opposite ---less structure, more substance.

P.S. This is my Froud Megadeck and its magic bag --by our very own Winterchild, Fairy Godmother Extraordinaire...

Ooh, very nice bag you've got there! I will definitely have to look for something, because when I put the decks together, it's a bit much for any of my current bags. I don't want to feel like I'm shoving them into a too-tight bag.

I already see what you mean about the books. I actually flipped through the HoF book first, because I'd read that it was weaker and I didn't see what the fuss was about. Seemed great to me! But then I started reading the FO book, and now I see what everyone means. It seems like the first writer really KNOWS the Fae. She's lived with them, learned with them, partied with them, etc. lol She wants to help us develop a relationship with them. The second writer is just telling us what the cards mean. Big difference!

OK. The point I was trying to make previously (and obviously failed to make) is that combining both Froud decks may work for some, but not for others. It depends on how you read with them, and how much you want to depend on the books.

Some cards (or maybe a lot) are repeated in both decks, but there is a different feel to them. Look at the Green Woman in each, for instance. One is playful and whimsical, the other hints at some sort of shamanic ecstasy.

swedishfish612 said:

It seems like the first writer really KNOWS the Fae. She's lived with them, learned with them, partied with them, etc. lol She wants to help us develop a relationship with them. The second writer is just telling us what the cards mean. Big difference!

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Very well put, yeah!