Intensive Deck Study (IDS) Support Lounge ~ Part IV

Oh my goodness! I'm away for 24 hours and the thread is so much longer. I need to start checking in more than once per day....

I don't have time to respond to everything, but I did want to comment on my experience with the RWS, which is where many people say to start. (This is sort of a riff on yukinkoicy's RWS question from earlier today.)

thorhammer and I seem to have similar taste in decks, the "wacked out" variety.

I started with the Universal Waite. (Dear god, was it really a decade ago now??) I didn't get along with that deck, and doubt I ever really will. But everywhere I looked people said, "start with a RWS, it will be easier." And so I started with UW and worked with it for months before I finally gave up. I didn't pick up a deck of cards again for a few years, and when I did I finally went with cards that spoke to me. None of the decks I like and use regularly are the RWS or RWS clones.

My favorite decks are (in no particular order): Fey, Archeon, Four Elements, and the Wheel of Change; the newest addition to the list is the MRP Fairytale. Tarot didn't really start to click for me until I broke away from the RWS formula and started using other decks. That might mean the deck is not as popular, not discussed as much, or not used often, but they work for me and so I've learned to go with what works. (Really, how many people even own the Four Elements? Show of hands?? lol)

Going with what works has opened up a whole new world for me. You'd think this would be an easy realization, but it wasn't.

2_Journey said:

Going with what works has opened up a whole new world for me. You'd think this would be an easy realization, but it wasn't.

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Sometimes I think some of the easier things to accept and realize are what take us longer - for that exact reason. Maybe its just me, though. I tend to stumble over 'simple' and 'obvious' things and delve right onto the more complicated stuff that is easier for me to understand. Ironically enough Tarot is not like that to me. I'm okay at doing readings with less cards and jsut taking the meanings of the cards - but the last time I did Tarot it was very hard for me to see the whole picture and connect them, which is something that usually I am very good at.

now, I kinda wanna jump into the cultural discussion, if I may?

I knwo for a fact that part of my strong connection to Shapeshifters and Celtic Dragon is the Celtic roots. I'm american but other than that it's a veritable melting pot. Native American, Swedish, Scottish, Irish, British, Dutch, German, French, Polish, etc, etc. I have it all. But the part of myself that I feel the most connection to is the German and the Celtic-rooted ancestry. I started taking German when I was 10 and moved to another school, which meant I had to stop my class, just half a year later. I wanted to take both German and Gaelic in High School but they only had one so I took Deutsch.

I digress. Anyways now that I know the roots behind Shapeshifter, which I didn't when I first saw it and it called me, I know that that was part of the pull. The connection. The wonderful spirituality of this deck, the art, and the meanings, the connection to that part of me that I want to be more in tune with. I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but it does to me

Wow, so many things I want to respond to...I'll have to think on some things for a bit!

I understand the policy on posting blog links, so I totally understand and respect that. I don't want to take any traffic away from this site, but I also am not sure that an entire thread created by me on this forum would be appropriate too to record my thoughts and musings on my IDS. Like what someone else wrote, they created a blog to collect their thoughts etc. and that is what I like to do. I usually have a physical journal and an online one. My joints stiffening up like they are, typing is easier then handwriting sometimes! (I'm not that old now, am I? )

I will think some more on this.

Pulled Balance today, along with the Hagalaz Rune. With what is going on with me today, I feel that I need to ground and center myself and prepare myself for an internship job appointment later today. I am to use my wits and common sense. I am envisioning the balance of the parking lot at City Hall and a parking spot open just for me!

I am starting my intensive study on the Ancestor card and jotting a few things here and there...I did scan the card and cropped it. I like the idea of making a working deck to take with me so I don't have to worry about losing a card or the deck!

I did post on the Ancestry? thread that was started by Daisy Dragonfly, some great postings there. I love seeing where everyone is coming from.

Ok...narrowing the choice down to Blogger and Wordpress, but don't want to take away from this site.

HeyI just had an idea! Is there a way to create a special IDS thread where we can make one entry in it and record all our thoughts under our own posting under the thread? At another forum that I used to belong to created a Thread and a person would post their thoughts in it and it was a space reserved for them under their name. Each time they posted, it was in their thread...but is it fair to ask for a whole thing so we each can post under it on our own respective threads? Oh nevermind....I'm just musing out loud....that would require creating a whole bulletin board just for IDS so everyone could post their own thread with their own studies....it would just seem easier to blog and then post thoughts on here from that, so as to keep it all here....

Ok....can you all tell that I need my second cup of coffee already? Have a good one everyone!

After getting a bit lost last week, I am trying to get back on track.

Pulled Huson's out again and let myself get lost in History. I really do love it and it reminds me why I started all this. It is wonderful.

Lewen said:

Wow, so many things I want to respond to...I'll have to think on some things for a bit!

I understand the policy on posting blog links, so I totally understand and respect that. I don't want to take any traffic away from this site, but I also am not sure that an entire thread created by me on this forum would be appropriate too to record my thoughts and musings on my IDS. Like what someone else wrote, they created a blog to collect their thoughts etc. and that is what I like to do. I usually have a physical journal and an online one. My joints stiffening up like they are, typing is easier then handwriting sometimes! (I'm not that old now, am I? )
.....
Ok...narrowing the choice down to Blogger and Wordpress, but don't want to take away from this site.

HeyI just had an idea! Is there a way to create a special IDS thread where we can make one entry in it and record all our thoughts under our own posting under the thread? At another forum that I used to belong to created a Thread and a person would post their thoughts in it and it was a space reserved for them under their name. Each time they posted, it was in their thread...but is it fair to ask for a whole thing so we each can post under it on our own respective threads? Oh nevermind....I'm just musing out loud....that would require creating a whole bulletin board just for IDS so everyone could post their own thread with their own studies....it would just seem easier to blog and then post thoughts on here from that, so as to keep it all here....

Ok....can you all tell that I need my second cup of coffee already? Have a good one everyone!

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That sounds like a neat idea, but I can definitely see the hassle it would make for the person who manages the forum and for the mods - plus on our own blogs we can veer off topic a bit and not worry about it. I would also feel a little weird and maybe uncomfortable starting a thread just to write my silly thoughts down in! ^^
I use a Xanga - for a similar reason that you said, with joint pain, hehe. I have dysgraphia and handwriting becomes pretty painful after a while. I do plan on handwriting everything into a journal but it is so much easier to type it out first and then copy by hand at my leisure. ^_^

Okay I am BOUNCING in my chair right now, my poor laptop is getting abused. But I can't help it!! I am so excited hoping my deck actually arrives today.

and I have been reading more and more. I've slowed down a little bit though. Been thinking on all the things Ive read - going back through if need be - and deciding how I want to go through this. Seeing the things I like and collecting them into a nice bundle in my mind so I know how I want to try to learn my deck, the things I want to try. Phew...

yukinkoicy said:

That sounds like a neat idea, but I can definitely see the hassle it would make for the person who manages the forum and for the mods - plus on our own blogs we can veer off topic a bit and not worry about it. I would also feel a little weird and maybe uncomfortable starting a thread just to write my silly thoughts down in! ^^

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I've actually created my own personal IDS/78 Week thread in the Daily Draws section of the forum:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=131741

I'm recording both my daily draws and 78 week study in this thread, and I'm hoping the mods don't mind . I guess I AM technically using the thread as it is intended (as a daily draws one). My personal thoughts and study are woven into my daily draw, so I THINK it's OK to do this...

emmsma, I'm so sorry you are having such a tough time. It's so nice when we can get at least on track enough to post and read. When we can't even self-soothe that way, things seem so bleak.

yukinkoicy, I hope your deck comes today!!!

teomat said:

I've actually created my own personal IDS/78 Week thread in the Daily Draws section of the forum:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=131741

I'm recording both my daily draws and 78 week study in this thread, and I'm hoping the mods don't mind . I guess I AM technically using the thread as it is intended (as a daily draws one). My personal thoughts and study are woven into my daily draw, so I THINK it's OK to do this...

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Daily Draws are organized by deck and not by person. Technically anyone using the Original Rider Waite can post in that thread.

However in practice, it will wind up being 'your' thread.

If any other IDS'ers wish to do this, just find the thread for your IDS thread and use that, and if there is none, then create one and let Sulis and/or me know and we'll add it to the Index. But again the proviso, any Aeclectic member using that deck who wishes to randomly post a Daily Draw may use the thread, you don't actually 'own' it. But, as I said earlier.....

Alta

ETA: I have now added the Original Rider Waite to the Daily Draws Index.

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=679025#post679025

emmsma said:

I'm too fragile this week to partake in any of the wonderful conversations going on now - Shamanism, Ancestry...

I feel too hollow and too small to add my puny Half-thoughts to anywhere.

But they will be there when I'm whole again.

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{{{emmsma}}}

emmsma said:

After getting a bit lost last week, I am trying to get back on track.

Pulled Huson's out again and let myself get lost in History. I really do love it and it reminds me why I started all this. It is wonderful.

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Perhaps you simply needed to wander a bit? I'm sorry that you were feeling so fragile. Last week was hard for me, too. I'm in a better place since Saturday, thankfully.

2_Journey said:

I don't have time to respond to everything, but I did want to comment on my experience with the RWS, which is where many people say to start. (This is sort of a riff on yukinkoicy's RWS question from earlier today.)...Tarot didn't really start to click for me until I broke away from the RWS formula and started using other decks.

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My RWS (UW, that is) experience was completely different.

I started with Thoth, and moved to Haindl. While I loved that deck, at the time I completely did not understand either of them! Eventually I picked up the UW, and while I did not love it, I did learn a lot.

I moved on to other decks (can't remember which), looking for "the ONE", and got incredibly confused. One day I picked up my UW and could not believe how easy it was to read with! I recently got a Golden Rider, and may do some work with it after the Greenwood.

re: ancestors/ancestry etc
The older I get, the more I see how the blood of my ancestors truly moves in my veins. I do not follow many of their practices (particularly religion), in fact, I pretty much reject the culture of my ancestors (very hard-core Lutherans... grim, I tell ya!), but I continue to see more and more of them in me.

I've come to the conclusion that you can run, but you can't hide.

Speaking of continuing my IDS - I've been absolutely awful. Perhaps that's because I've been in a funk (like emmsma). I started having vertigo again, and while I know why I'm having it (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), it's still not any fun.

That being said, images from the Universal Wirth keep popping into my head. I think I'll have a 1-day fling with that deck then back to the Greenwood. I think the U Wirth would be an excellent intuitive deck.

Thanks Alta

I'd be happy for others to use my thread for their draws...

But trust me, the Original RWS is a REALLY awful, hideous deck! You REALLY won't like it. You'd do much better with say, the Haindl...or the Ironwing...or the Greenwood...