Hidden Waters Tarot aka the one with the inkblots!

Scarlet Woodland

Pipistrelle said:
Well, my deck has been shipped so I've just got to sit tight now and wait for it to arrive. I see it's your deck of the week Scarlet Woodland...I hope you have fun with it. :)

I'm glad I ordered it. I'm really hoping that I get on well with it. There shouldn't really be any reason not to, seeing as the imagery doesn't put up any barriers to entry.

I'm slightly surprised no one else seems to have it here. I have found a few blogs/tumblrs that talk about it but not many in any depth. Maybe because by its nature, it's a deck that encourages introspection and personal meaning.
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We're getting on great so far :D and can I just say the cardstock is delicious! Don't know who the printer is but feels like it might be printer studio? I've only experienced their linen stock so far and this is definitely smooth but it has that same, hefty weight and buttery softness + firm 'flick' that I love. Could shuffle this for days. Really pleased with the size too... it feels goldilocks right :)

Am clearly not wildly imaginative as I mostly see people, landscapes and invertibrates in the images :D but they work so well. Being abstract, the right nuance of meaning of that particular card can just pop out at you. You're not limited as with literal images that can only illustrate certain aspects of each card.

Think I like every single thing about this deck. Lovely to have such attention to detail in the wrapping and a little personal message too :)
 

Pipistrelle

Blimey o'reilly - deck has arrived from US to UK in 4 days! Will be opening later.

Sorry didn't reply Farzon and Scarlet Woodland. Hope yours arrives soon too Farzon. We can compare notes!
 

Scarlet Woodland

Pipistrelle said:
Blimey o'reilly - deck has arrived from US to UK in 4 days! Will be opening later.

Sorry didn't reply Farzon and Scarlet Woodland. Hope yours arrives soon too Farzon. We can compare notes!
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I think that might be a record :bugeyed: :party:
 

Pipistrelle

Scarlet Woodland said:
I think that might be a record :bugeyed: :party:
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I know - even Ana was surprised. I was expecting more like 2 weeks with customs charges on top (there was no charge either)!

Can I just give a big 'oh my' for how beautifully packaged the deck is. It was like unwrapping the best birthday present ever. I counted 7/8 layers!

And the cards are lovely. I didn't really appreciate how colourful they are until I saw them all spread out together.
 

Farzon

Pipistrelle said:
Blimey o'reilly - deck has arrived from US to UK in 4 days! Will be opening later.

Sorry didn't reply Farzon and Scarlet Woodland. Hope yours arrives soon too Farzon. We can compare notes!
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Would love to do so! Maybe a study group? I have no experience with these yet...

Mine arrived in not even one week! I'm using it now as my to-go-deck since Monday.

I was really skeptical about this deck. How it would read, IF it would read at all. But looking at it twice I feel l for it. And here it is. I'd like to share some of my impressions:

The deck was packed with so much care! An individual note and the black silk paper... beautiful. Thumbs up for Ana Tourian on the first impression!

I really like that the minors are so colorful and lively, contrasting to the mostly black majors. The majors, with their reduced color scheme, have a shroud of ethereal mystery and dignity about them.

Looking through the minors, I do recognize some RWS imagery. The courts are very beautifully executed: each court seems to be influenced by a certain culture... I can see Native Americans in the Cups and Chinese royalty in the Pentacles. But it might just be my imagination. That's also something wonderful about this deck: it sets my imagination in motion nearly immediately.
And look at that Tower! See these Gothic flyings, holding a strong structure. And in the upper part - just - boom! Only black ink and such eruptive force...

Now to the reading part: I think this is a highly advanced deck, if you want to use it as a Tarot and not as a random Oracle. You should have an idea about the cards already maybe even beyond the classical imagery. At least my style of reading requires this.

While laying out the cards I read only the titles. That way I get a first impression about the reading. When the spread is complete I switch to the active reading part. Usually I would interpret the imagery of the used deck in a quite rational part if possible. With this deck, I first get an emotional impression of every card. These impressions are of course predetermined through my knowledge about the cards but it is remarkable how the colors and structures evoke emotions and thoughts! Just like you would expect from a genuine Rohrschach test.

To close my praise of this deck:
The Hidden Waters really manages to evoke the card meanings in a psychological way and merges it intuitive pictures beautifully with the structure of the Tarot. The cards trigger different pictures, sometimes vaguely, sometimes more directly while in the end still remaining ambiguous and mysterious. It feels very spiritual to me in a non-symbolic and direct way.
 

Pyrrha

I'm so delighted that I found out about this because just the other day I was thinking about how reading for yourself is a little like a Rorschach test- you have the cards, and you can sort of tell by your reaction to the images on them, what your subconscious thinks, and determine what you should do based on that? idk it sounded better in my head honestly but
BUT this deck is so, so beautiful! I love how just scrolling through the major arcana images on the website I can kind of guess what the cards are without looking at the numbers or names! Oh my non-specific deity, I want this deck so badly!
*rushes to update wishlist*
EDIT: Has anyone looked at the other tarot that the artist is working on, tarot of the abyss? http://tarotofabyss.wix.com/tarotoftheabyss
It's so beautiful I might just cry!
 

Pipistrelle

Farzon said:
While laying out the cards I read only the titles. That way I get a first impression about the reading. When the spread is complete I switch to the active reading part. Usually I would interpret the imagery of the used deck in a quite rational part if possible. With this deck, I first get an emotional impression of every card. These impressions are of course predetermined through my knowledge about the cards but it is remarkable how the colors and structures evoke emotions and thoughts! Just like you would expect from a genuine Rohrschach test.
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Hi Farzon! Thank you for sharing how you read with this deck. I have not really had a chance to do anything with it yet, apart from oohing and aahing over it when it arrived. I'm hoping to get more time with it this weekend. I was thinking I might try a similar approach to you - reading just by the titles first and then 'adding in' any intuitive thoughts that are inspired by the inkblots. I'll let you know how I get on. :)
 

Asher

Mine just arrived today, and I am oohing and aahing over it too!

This is probably the most unique deck I own, and I think I will take baby steps with it. One card at a time for awhile, then work my way up.

I have couple of therapist friends who incorporate Tarot into their practices. Can't wait to share this with then!
 

Lain_82

In case anyone's interested, the 2nd edition of this deck is open for pre sale on etsy :) some of the cards have been redesigned, 4 new oracle cards will be added, and the deck won't come in a tin but in a box.
 
Chrysalis tarot So much Twin Peaks!