Breaking in a New Deck - what are your habits?

I open up the deck, look at each card and then cook dinner... then after supper, I get out the deck and look at the cards, maybe page through the companion book, see what kinds of spreads there are, shuffle the deck and try one out, write down what I see and think and then see what the authors had to say about those cards and what it adds to what I got from it.

I don't believe in sleeping with my decks because I'd rather they didn't get bent or fall behind the headboard or give me a crink in my neck... most of the time they are inches away from my head, so if they want to connect with me, they have to do the short distance osmosis method, what ever that is.

I like to go through the deck few times to get familiar with the imagery, colour palette and etc. Generally they hang around where I watch TV for several days and I look at them during commercials etc. I don't sleep with them, partly because I would want to risk damage to them or me, and partly because I don't really believe in that.

Alta said:

Generally they hang around where I watch TV for several days and I look at them during commercials etc. I don't sleep with them, partly because I would want to risk damage to them or me, and partly because I don't really believe in that.

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And you are an incredibly incisive reader, so you can't be doing too much wrong.

The crowned one said:

Jes, my last WooWo deck was a few weeks ago. I found a very very nice White box "A" Llewellyn Hong-Kong Thoth for 45 bucks at a antique store, complete with sales card. I was thrilled

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*kills TCO with a single look*

If you EVER decide to sell, I am TOP of your list, OK ?

I open them, and if I owe a reading and it is the closest deck to me, I'll likely use it ! Otherwise - it joins the queue ! I don't woo woo anything; it takes time better used on LOOKING at the cards .

Alta said:

I like to go through the deck few times to get familiar with the imagery, colour palette and etc. Generally they hang around where I watch TV for several days and I look at them during commercials etc. I don't sleep with them, partly because I would want to risk damage to them or me, and partly because I don't really believe in that.

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Confused as to what damage would be done to you by sleeping with a deck of cards... I fall asleep sometimes with tarot decks, a guitar and an amp, maybe a cat, and almost always a cell phone or iPod. Other than any psycological issues, I think I'm just fine.


As for breaking in a deck. I read about two pages of the lwb before I say #$%$ this, and just shuffle the deck and start doing spreads.

I'm a very impatient person when it comes to new things. ^^

Check the deck and make sure there are no missing cards/extra cards. Then a look at each card just to get a feel for whether it was a good purchase for me. Then plenty of shuffling and a quick three card reading. I have slept with decks under my pillow before but don't anymore. I do however carry them around with me for a while when they're new and then they join their companions.

Middy

Middy1452 said:

Check the deck and make sure there are no missing cards/extra cards. Middy

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I should add that rather practical tip to my list of must do's!

I only do it for decks I like.. a lot.

Shuffling, lots and lots of shuffling. Then, I do a reading with the question, "What will our journey together be like?" to kind of get a baseline for how this deck and I will work together. Then more shuffling, more baseline readings, like, "What message do you have for me?" etc.

Then I offer free readings to a group of friends with the deck, so I can see how it interacts with other people.

After that, it's either added to my rotation of decks used with clients, relegated to the shelf of pretties, or given to a student.

The crowned one said:

I should add that rather practical tip to my list of must do's!

I only do it for decks I like.. a lot.

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I'll be honest I never do this! Thinking about it that's incredibley stupid of me ha

I go through the deck one card at a time and I spend just a few minutes on each card to jot down the first impressions I get from the card--what is new about it, what reinforces what I already think about the card, what expands the meaning, limits the meaning. I used to go through the deck first to make sure all the cards were there, etc, but I've found it is more beneficial for me to work off my first impressions.