tilia
I've mentioned in some of my other posts that I'm working with the Hermetic Deck for my first foray into the tarot. I have several questions about how to make the most of this relationship. I do feel like this was the right deck for me. I feel intensely connected to the deck itself and the artwork on the cards speaks to me in a way that the RW deck doesn't. To be completely honest, I did order before realizing just how many decks there were out there, but I have no complaints on my choice. The only fear is seeing how many people say this is NOT a deck for beginners.
So, to begin with, I received the deck about a week ago, after 2-3 months studying books and materials on history, reading rituals, spreads, and card meanings. The majority of my work with this deck so far has been memorizing the cards and the images within flashcard style, reading lots of material (though the interpretation of a lot of the cards, especially court cards varies wildly from publication to publication) and going through the entire deck with "practice" spreads, generally with a general topic in mind. For example, today has been romantic spreads.
After several days of memorization, I decided to interview and get to know my deck. I asked it how it sees itself. Inverse Devil. Breaker of chains, conqueror of bad habits. That's good! It's a deck that wants to help people with tough love and overcoming bad habits.
It sees me as a two of wands. That card comes up a lot when I read for myself. I take this to mean that it finds me capable and brave as well as a planner, maybe in relation to my recent move to NY (which has been difficult and was in the wake of a different planned move that fell through) or in relation to learning as much as I can about the tarot before espousing myself a reader. Either way it seems positive.
When I ask how to keep it happy or what it wants from me, without fail I seem to get the three of cups. So I ordered a very nice embroidered silk bag for it and have been storing it in a vintage lace nightgown with my quartz necklace in the meantime.
If I sound insane or like I am giving way too much autonomy to a deck of cards, feel free to say.
The deck itself seems to really dislike romance and find the whole concept of it ridiculous. I suspected this earlier on when it just never seemed to come up. Working through practice romance spreads today, the advice all seems really dry and like these things are nice and all, but you should really focus on your career.
I asked the deck what it thinks of romance and got a reversed two of cups. Yeesh. Harsh.
I suppose my question here is whether I should just avoid romance all together while reading for friends and family during this learning process. Or will the deck come around to the subject as we learn and work together? For the foreseeable future, this is my only deck, and because it is my first, I suspect it will always be my most kindred. I would hate to think an entire subject is completely off limits, especially as it is a popular one for querents.
My second question is whether anyone can recommend a book or resource to me that may help me get to know the symbols in my deck. I have scoured and taken note of many things at face value in each card, but knowing, for example, what the swans mean in the four of wands: http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LOwsG0ni58s/U...npRzwzRigU/s200/hermetic-25_four_of_wands.jpg
In general, if anyone has any basic advice about a beginner who was drawn to an advanced deck I would be thrilled to hear it. I want to undertake this with confidence and awareness, and build the best possible relationship with my new deck and my new skill.
So, to begin with, I received the deck about a week ago, after 2-3 months studying books and materials on history, reading rituals, spreads, and card meanings. The majority of my work with this deck so far has been memorizing the cards and the images within flashcard style, reading lots of material (though the interpretation of a lot of the cards, especially court cards varies wildly from publication to publication) and going through the entire deck with "practice" spreads, generally with a general topic in mind. For example, today has been romantic spreads.
After several days of memorization, I decided to interview and get to know my deck. I asked it how it sees itself. Inverse Devil. Breaker of chains, conqueror of bad habits. That's good! It's a deck that wants to help people with tough love and overcoming bad habits.
It sees me as a two of wands. That card comes up a lot when I read for myself. I take this to mean that it finds me capable and brave as well as a planner, maybe in relation to my recent move to NY (which has been difficult and was in the wake of a different planned move that fell through) or in relation to learning as much as I can about the tarot before espousing myself a reader. Either way it seems positive.
When I ask how to keep it happy or what it wants from me, without fail I seem to get the three of cups. So I ordered a very nice embroidered silk bag for it and have been storing it in a vintage lace nightgown with my quartz necklace in the meantime.
If I sound insane or like I am giving way too much autonomy to a deck of cards, feel free to say.
The deck itself seems to really dislike romance and find the whole concept of it ridiculous. I suspected this earlier on when it just never seemed to come up. Working through practice romance spreads today, the advice all seems really dry and like these things are nice and all, but you should really focus on your career.
I asked the deck what it thinks of romance and got a reversed two of cups. Yeesh. Harsh.
I suppose my question here is whether I should just avoid romance all together while reading for friends and family during this learning process. Or will the deck come around to the subject as we learn and work together? For the foreseeable future, this is my only deck, and because it is my first, I suspect it will always be my most kindred. I would hate to think an entire subject is completely off limits, especially as it is a popular one for querents.
My second question is whether anyone can recommend a book or resource to me that may help me get to know the symbols in my deck. I have scoured and taken note of many things at face value in each card, but knowing, for example, what the swans mean in the four of wands: http://lh5.ggpht.com/-LOwsG0ni58s/U...npRzwzRigU/s200/hermetic-25_four_of_wands.jpg
In general, if anyone has any basic advice about a beginner who was drawn to an advanced deck I would be thrilled to hear it. I want to undertake this with confidence and awareness, and build the best possible relationship with my new deck and my new skill.
