3 cards a day...

I'm really enjoying seeing all the different reading methods people are using. It's great to see how the interpretations change subtly but still give a message that is relevant to the situation. It actually makes me feel much more confident with the TdM decks.

Satori said:

Lee I just pulled out the Noblet to look at the cards you pulled, to see the progressions, and the effect is not so pronounced as with the deck you used.[...[ I'm searching for my Hadar to look at the progressions of these three cards in that deck....I'm interested now to see how the images look. What made you choose this deck, and sorry to say I don't recognize it...what deck is it?

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I'll reply to le_charior's post tonight when I have more time (so many readings, so little time, LOL), but I just wanted to quickly reply to Satori about decks.

I've been separated from my Noblet for over two years now (I'm living in another state, away from most of my decks, due to work opportunities), but it's being shipped to me now so I'm eager to take a look for myself.

As le_charior says, the deck I used is the Grimaud. The Grimaud was the only TdM available when I bought it in the early '80s in New York City. I never particularly liked it, but lately I have learned to love it. The lines are smooth and streamlined, the character-rich facial expressions are retained, and it has none of the silly additions of the "restored" decks. I used to dislike the overuse of the flesh color for non-flesh items, but now this doesn't bother me anymore, and I appreciate the simple, mostly red-and-blue coloring.

This particular Grimaud is from the early '70s with the super-thick cardstock and English titles. I originally wanted one with French titles but I was having trouble finding one. I got this one on eBay a few weeks ago and I love it. (My Grimaud that I bought in the '80s has bilingual titles, which I find distracting.)

Flaxen said:

I'm really enjoying seeing all the different reading methods people are using. It's great to see how the interpretations change subtly but still give a message that is relevant to the situation. It actually makes me feel much more confident with the TdM decks.

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Me too!

3 card pull using Meneghello Soprafino for question 'What do I need to know?'

I've left the question quite vague to see if I can pull a reading from a more general focus.

I'll come back with my thoughts later.

ETA Have decided to attach the picture instead.

My interpretation

This is what I came up with for the above 3 cards.

The Cavalier of Cups is rushing off with his prize. He is going back to something while the horse looks like it is trying to turn and move forward. He seems to think his holy grail lies in a past and is determined to recapture it. The horse on the other hand seems to know that there is no going back – the past is a different country as they say.
The 8 of Swords are a sign of confrontation – is it this that our knight is running away from? It’s pressing in from all sides. He glances back furtively in the hope it won’t follow!
Beyond the 8 of swords lies the 9 of coins – here is the crux of the matter. Our knight has grown too comfortable and is now too afraid of failure to move in the right direction. Who knows what could lie beyond the 9 of coins!
The 8 of swords is still there though – that confrontation of the reality of the situation and that actually now is the time to move forward and start to grow again. Time to follow the instincts of the horse rather than the reason of the man.

In other words, I've got to stop running backwards and face the fact that my instincts are right. It is time to move on. I've got to stop feeling scared of failure and start to charge forward.

You know flaxen I looked at your spread. This will sound lame, but I have a mental block with certain Marseille decks. For instance, the pips in the Soprafino decks do not speak to me at all. The Visconti is another deck that also just draws a blank.

I can work with the Tarot of the Master, but that isn't totally unillustrated or should I say non-scenic. I liked your take on your throw.

Satori said:

You know flaxen I looked at your spread. This will sound lame, but I have a mental block with certain Marseille decks. For instance, the pips in the Soprafino decks do not speak to me at all. The Visconti is another deck that also just draws a blank.

I can work with the Tarot of the Master, but that isn't totally unillustrated or should I say non-scenic. I liked your take on your throw.

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I'm like that with some decks too. I think it helps me that I use Mel's pips as a jumping off point and then it starts to flow a bit better.

Hi Flaxen, I'll post an interpretation later, but I thought I'd help out by posting your cards to make them easier to see.

Satori,

Same here. I can't really read the TdM that is not as bright and colored close to Grimaud. They don't speak to me, specially Italian ones. I don't know if it is the flowering, the faded color, the brownish design, but it brings to my mind smells of old and moldy stuff, and then a marked aversion. Can't read 'em.

What I can say about the throw is this.

There seems to be a movement from congestion to a more open and free expression. The center card is rigid, ordered, leaving little room for breath and spontaneity.

The Pentacles seem like seeds sprinkled across a field and the existing flowers sort of hint at the prize that might sprout from the seeds.

I think that the message for the man on the horse is about trying to think in terms of what his actions and his journey is going to yield. Order is okay, can be good, but when we are choking out other input it can be too limiting. The center point of the middle card is so tight....so....confining.

I like the end card because it seems to breathe, there seems to be a freedom and a sense of hope to me there.

The red strap across the chest of the horse becomes the places where the sword tips rest...and in the last card the reds are distributed across the field of seeds, comprising them.

Could the seeds be held in the cup? Is she out in a field about to seed a field with these possibilities?