Deck of the Week : Sign-up Thread: Week 218 : October 3 - October 9

I had a slow start with my Victorian Romantic, a large part of the problem being that the cards are so gilded and big and special! Well, actually, they're a bit of a disappointment - the backs vary in colour saturation, there are imperfections on some of the backs, and the gilt comes off. I just haven't wanted to handle the cards in case I damage them. Anyway, ended up putting a light coat of hairspray on the edges to lock in the gilt, which seems to have worked so far.

I got around to doing a three card reading last night, and I got a very clear answer, in part using my textbook knowledge of the cards (especially for Two of Pents, for which I didn't draw from the image at all) and partly from the images (The Emperor).

So far I'm on the fence about this deck. I'll give it some more work to do and see.

I am so anxious about it that I just wrote to the creator to ask her what is it she had in mind!

Michellehihi said:

I am so anxious about it that I just wrote to the creator to ask her what is it she had in mind!

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Is there a guidebook? I don't have one myself but, maybe if you post on the Wild Unknown thread in the Tarot Decks section, someone who has the book can give you some insight.

Riverrunsdeep ( what a beautiful name ) I do have the book but there is no mention of it... And I wrote in the thread you proposed also. I am trying all opportunities!

Madrigal said:

RRD, do what is easiest for you and don't worry about keeping up on the daily draw thread if you go with a solo thread. Sounds like starting your own thread for that challenge might be the best way to go if you're planning on posting daily. You could link here once a week if you want to let folks know what you're up to.

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Thanks, Madrigal. After further thought, I've decided to keep my shadow work to myself. Posting online helps me to be more accountable, but I have a feeling things are going to get rather ugly with this challenge.

I think I'll choose one deck and keep a handwritten journal for the shadow work, but continue participating here as usual with my other decks.

RiverRunsDeep said:

I have a question for those of you who have been members of this forum for a while. I'm thinking of embarking on a 31 day shadow work challenge as outlined in this thread. It is a daily draw format, but if I post my draws in "our" thread, do I need to credit the original thread or blog each time I post? Would it be better if I start my own thread, like a shadow work journal? If so, where on the forum should I post it? Thanks in advance for helping.


Loving my Samhain Deck of the Bastard, as always. It is one of my favorites, and very difficult to move on to something else. I have the large size, with lovely custom crow-and-skull backs. Do you have a deck that you don't even need to read, that you are content to hold in your hands and mindlessly shuffle? For me, this is one of those decks.

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Working with the Shaman Wisdom deck this week has been so insightful! RiverRunsDeep, I am grateful you brought shadow work up and the input everyone else has offered too! I always find it interesting how things happen exactly when they're suppose to! I did a three card layout yesterday asking what to start, what to continue, and what to finish and the messages it offered included more personal time for inner work, to keep working on balance and also to stop overextending myself to others and leaving myself last. The shadow work discussion was in perfect alignment with this.
Acknowledging is the first step, the next is to take action.

I finally finished the companion book to the Faeries Oracle tonight. Some of the cards make a lot more sense to me now and I'm going to begin practicing some readings. Not sure really if I'm as in love with this deck or the Hidden Realm but I want to be... They're both beautiful but I think some actual time spent reading with them will help me make a final decision. I probably will spend another week with this deck just working with it this time

RiverRunsDeep said:

Thanks, Madrigal. After further thought, I've decided to keep my shadow work to myself. Posting online helps me to be more accountable, but I have a feeling things are going to get rather ugly with this challenge.

I think I'll choose one deck and keep a handwritten journal for the shadow work, but continue participating here as usual with my other decks.

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This is an ongoing question for me, too. I'm far more forthcoming about my issues now that I'm older and more inclined to post about them because I recognize that my experience can be helpful simply by virtue of naming it. Plus the older I get the more I realize that my issues aren't really mine at all, kind of a generic human ownership. For me times not to post are when wounds feel too tender to share, or when I'm in the middle of the process, or when seeds need more of the nourishing darkness to grow a bit before being exposed to the light of the manifest.

Your plan for a handwritten shadow journal combined with online general work sounds like just the right balance.

Madrigal said:

This is an ongoing question for me, too. I'm far more forthcoming about my issues now that I'm older and more inclined to post about them because I recognize that my experience can be helpful simply by virtue of naming it. Plus the older I get the more I realize that my issues aren't really mine at all, kind of a generic human ownership. For me times not to post are when wounds feel too tender to share, or when I'm in the middle of the process, or when seeds need more of the nourishing darkness to grow a bit before being exposed to the light of the manifest.

Your plan for a handwritten shadow journal combined with online general work sounds like just the right balance.

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"when seeds need more of the nourishing darkness to grow a bit before being exposed to the light to manifest". Madrigal, that really strikes me this morning. The way you express nourishing darkness in the process of manifestation is beautifully put!

The Shaman Wisdom deck has offered so much insight to me this week. My time has been somewhat limited but the time spent with it has been so profound in the fact that the messages it has offered leave me in contemplation throughout the day. They just stick. The cards themselves are very different than any other tarot or oracle deck I work with. The little white book describes them appropriately as "medicine" and they truly are! Working with the understanding of interconnectedness in everyone and everything the deck breaks down in to Moon Tribes, Animal Sisters, the Plant Clans, Tree brothers, Sacred Stones societies and the Seven great directions along with each elemental aspect. This mornings spread for example included Calamus (Plant Clan), Goldenseal (Plant Clan), West (Seven Great Directions), and Quartz (Sacred Stones Societies).Interpretation of each card is quite different also but I am remembering just exactly why I love this deck. It's perfect for inner work and healing and it's no surprise why it called to me to work with it this week and it's telling me that we will be spending more time together through the upcoming months.

Well dagnabbit. Finally got my Rohrig book in the post today... while I'm delighted to see it includes large, full colour pictures of the cards, the actual content is pretty disappointing.

There is a nice explanation of the symbolism for the major arcana, but the courts just get three lines maximum of divinatory meaning, and the minors only get one and a half! Basically it's a little white book with lovely pictures.

All that said though, I've found referring to other Thothy texts has helped just fine and the scans really are huge, so not that grumpy really. I paid very little for it and its a nice thing to have.

One shall have to continue winging it