One Deck Wonder Resurrected

Madame Squee said:

Thank you, Eyebright & Tarot Orat!

I'm very excited to begin this project with you all!

I've done IDS several times and never got far (a few days!). This time, I have a different feeling, like this is going to be fun, and I'm going to succeed. This time, I'm going whole hog...

1. I'm putting away all of my cards.
2. I'm putting all my energy into figuring out how to read my cards (not looking for or buying new cards).

Even though non-tarot decks might be considered irrelevant to a tarot challenge/exercise like this, I want to mention that I will also keep out and continue to use my newest deck of playing cards, a birthday gift from my youngest son. Sometimes, I think that playing cards might turn out to be my favorite divinatory tool. This might be the year I discover whether or not that is the case!

This morning, I'm experimenting with reading both tarot decks to feel which is speaking to me most clearly and perhaps understand why.

Squee

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LOL. ROLFOL. I checked out your deck collection. If you make it I'll buy you a beer.

So, does this mean you can't touch another deck for however the allotted time is?? I'm thinking about it with Sweet Twilight that I got for Christmas that I've barely looked at because of, well, depression. I think I need to do something like this. Convince me people? I am so fickle.

Come on, canid you can do it. I know you are very strong!

You get to make up your own rules to some degree...you can do it! We can help

Madame Squee said:

Oooo... A One Deck Wonder thread!

I'm ready to go with an Illuminated Tarot deck and a Grimaud TdM.

My commitment is for one year.

And now, the work begins...

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If that's not the most succinct (and brave) set of personal guidelines for a ODW or an Intensive Deck Study (IDS) I've ever heard, I'll be surprised.

I wish you enjoyment in your endeavors.

Meanwhile, I and my pals kalliope, Tarot Orat and Disa have been spending time with our decks over in the Daily Draws thread (sorry if I missed anyone else; I can't always read through the thread each day). Although I am instinctively averse to frequent self-readings and especially to "daily draws," I have not been bored or indifferent once in the past couple of weeks.

Of course, it helps that the cards have been speaking uncommonly directly to me about circumstances that are inherently high in tension and learning potential. (And it always helps that I've been procrastinating an unpleasant task--a daily draw suddenly seems much more appealing).

It is interesting that in a deck (Matthews' Arthurian) that has no human figures in the numbered Minors, I have been receiving mostly cards with people (Majors and Courts). The examples of their lives (or rather, the myths around them) have been very instructive.

In addition to the companion literature of the deck (about which I've posted a question/complaint in the Study Group discussion thread, if anyone wants to contribute to an answer), I have been reading some of John Matthews' non-tarot Arthurian works. I feel it is best to start with his work and then push outward because he will likely focus on the stories and interpretations that relate to what he's chosen to put into he and his wife's deck.

I am also considering reading, when I have time again, some Arthurian fiction that is new to me. I've read lots of it over the years, but there is still quite a lot more about there.

And I haven't even yet taken any plunges (or dips) into the year-long meditative course the Matthewses created for their deck.

As you can see, I could easily remain occupied for a full year or more but unlike Madame Squee's formidable resolution, I am content to stick with "for as long as I feel like it."

I've just read through the daily draw thread for the group and realised that I also drew the 2 of swords on the infamous 2 of swords day! I drew it in my week ahead spread in, "The Unexpected" position. I've been mulling it over for the last week and the only choice/decision that I made that could be considered unexpected was that I had an inexplicable urge to get out the Mary-el and use it for a reading!

I ummed and ahhed for quite a while as I deliberated using it, and bad Eyebright but I did use it! I just shuffled and drew a card...but you know what I'm glad I did, because staring at that card I felt absolutely nothing. The deck would just not connect with me. It was just an image and it sparked nothing in me. So I happily skipped back to my Lo Scarabeo tarot and I haven't felt the urge to pick up another deck.

I'm also wondering if I should post my draws in the groups daily draw thread..I have been posting any draws that I have done (when I have the time) in my personal daily draw thread to keep them all together and easily locatable for me, but I now feel like I'm isolating myself from the group

Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday Disa! We share the same day!

brightest blessings on this day for you

Eyebright said:

I've just read through the daily draw thread for the group and realised that I also drew the 2 of swords on the infamous 2 of swords day!

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that's getting pretty synchronicitastic!

I'm also wondering if I should post my draws in the groups daily draw thread..I have been posting any draws that I have done (when I have the time) in my personal daily draw thread to keep them all together and easily locatable for me, but I now feel like I'm isolating myself from the group

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I've been doing a lot of my personal ramblings separately, then when I feel like I've got it more "figured out" I post in the ODW DD thread. I really like the companionship we have there. Obviously do what's comfortable for you, but we'd love to see you there

Eyebright said:

Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday Disa! We share the same day!

brightest blessings on this day for you

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Happy birthday to both of you! Also, check out the Parties thread

Yes, Happy Birthday to both/all.

By the way, for those who want a thread for more formal or elaborate spreads or readings that don't really qualify as "draws," FYI: when the Deck of the Week group put our threads in the main Your Readings forum, the mods moved it into the Daily Draws sub-forum.

So, I take it to mean that we can open a "One Deck Wonder: Spreads & Readings" thread in Daily Draws even though the readings are neither draws nor daily in nature.

Hello to all of the new people joining the ODW! I haven't been very vocal here, but I'm trying to post readings in the Daily Draw thread a couple of times a week.

Chiriku, I saw you mention that you were considering scanning or photographing cards for your draws. Since I'm a fan of seeing the cards in others' spreads, I want to encourage this!

I also have a tip for making it easier for anyone who has a smartphone who would like to start doing this:
--Get yourself a free Dropbox account if you don't already have one.
--Install Dropbox on your computer, and on your phone.
--Turn ON the "instant upload" feature in the Dropbox app on your phone. (You can set it to only upload when on a wireless network so you don't eat up your data.)
--Your photos will then be synced to your Dropbox folder on your computer.
--Don't forget to periodically delete or transfer your uploads out of your Dropbox folder so you don't run out of space, and so the uploads list doesn't get unmanageably long.

This way, as soon as you snap a picture of your spread it will upload the photo to your account. When you go to your computer to post your Daily Draw, your photo will be waiting for you in your Camera Uploads folder. You'll probably have to adjust the size of your image to be within Aeclectic's limit (I do). (If you have a Mac, I'd suggest quickly opening up the image in Preview and using the Adjust Size option in the Tools menu. There is a standard 1024x768 option in the drop-down that almost always works, and Preview is lightweight and fast compared to most image editing software.)

canid said:

So, does this mean you can't touch another deck for however the allotted time is?? I'm thinking about it with Sweet Twilight that I got for Christmas that I've barely looked at because of, well, depression. I think I need to do something like this. Convince me people? I am so fickle.

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Some people are doing a one-deck-only One Deck Wonder, others are doing the two-deck version (one illustrated and one unillustrated pip deck), I think there are some doing a two-deck version with two illustrated pip decks....and some people are not touching other decks at all, some are allowing other decks for Deck of the Week and/or reading exchanges, some are allowing another deck for when the ODW deck doesn't seem to speak to them clearly enough....and those are just a few of the variations I can remember right now!

The main thing is, get out a deck you really want to get to know - someone used the term 'befriend' - and really concentrate on it. Work with it as often as you can (some of us use it every day, others as time allows which may be every other day or twice a week or whatever they feel is right).

It's been enabling many of us to get a lot more out of the individual cards and readings, and learning more about Tarot and ourselves. Removing the distraction of multiple decks, eliminating the "choice fatigue" from having to decide which deck to use on any given occasion - I know I've been concentrating much more deeply and paying more attention to detail and symbolism, and finding it easier to see how the cards fit into my life.

You can do it! There is a lot of support here and we're all in it together.