What do you do to learn a new deck?

Hedera said:

A while ago, I came across a blog post where someone described selecting two cards from the deck; the one they liked best, and the one they liked least.

They then read the two cards - but I can't remember what kinds of meanings they put with each card.

Does that ring a bell with anyone?

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I heard of this before to but it was years and years ago.

I don't remember it perfectly but I think that you were supposed to pick the cards by the card images and the feelings they made you feel.

And it was something like the one you liked most/ felt most drawn to represented the real authentic you (?) And the one you liked least represented the part of you that you most would like to change.(?) Or something like that...

Babs

MadeiraDarling said:

Typically I flip through a new deck, check out the cards, see if there are any that stand out to me as very different from what I'm used to, check the book or booklet for those, and then sort of start doing readings with them and check the book a bit. I don't journal for every new deck because frankly I'm a bit of a collector and so... well yeah.

I do journal a bit on sort of "general" meanings for each card. I feel so much less organized than other readers with my scattershot approach. I can't be the only one though.

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Very much like you, MaderiaDarling. I go through the deck, card by card and look at it. First to make sure each card is there and none are missing, but also to look at the cards and really get to know them. Admiring the artwork, etc. Then, I go through the book that accompanies the deck too. I don't really read it word by word cover to cover--I skim through it. After that, I shuffle it a bit to see how well it shuffles and then I begin playing with it and I do reading after reading after reading. I will spend much time with a new deck doing this over and over again and in between reading with it and admiring the artwork, I'll put it back into order again.

I really don't journal. I'm just not good at journaling. However, I did just go through a box that was moved here from 2006 and stuck in the attic for the last 11 yrs. Going through it, I found 3 large notebooks where I apparently did journal about all the readings I did for myself and family and friends--and then noted any fb I rec'd from them on it. I forgot I did that--and I did skim through them, but decided to throw them out. No room in the new house for them....

SunChariot said:

I heard of this before to but it was years and years ago.

I don't remember it perfectly but I think that you were supposed to pick the cards by the card images and the feelings they made you feel.

And it was something like the one you liked most/ felt most drawn to represented the real authentic you (?) And the one you liked least represented the part of you that you most would like to change.(?) Or something like that...

Babs

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Yes, something like that... but different.

I wish I could find it again, the blog post was not that long ago!
I spent some time googling, but all I could find were various new-deck-spreads. And lists of favorite/least favorite cards, but nothing about actually *doing* anything with those.

In-depth study of my deck du jour with as many relevant books as I can lay my hands on, saving and gorging on as many online resources and videos as I can find, and taking copious notes for later perusal. Just as I would when I'm working on mastering something new for work, tho of course Tarot is not nearly as objective and technical.

The "New Deck Interview" that rwcarter mentioned has helped me because I am somewhat of a procrastinator when it comes to forcing myself to take a studied approach to something new that I am excited about. I'm real good at opening the package and doing a quick flip over of the cards to see the artwork!
The other suggestions made on this thread are interesting also. Thanks.

Heh. I forgot to mention one other thing I like to do with a new deck ... smell it. I love the smell of a brand new, out of the wrapper deck. Many of them have an astringent smell of the fresh ink, paper and coating. If it's a used deck, the smells are considerably different ... the new deck smell is gone, but other smells come out. Sometimes there's incense, other times a musty smell, often it's just a homey smell.

Soooo .... yeah, I do that.