Glitterbird
perfect analogylaura_borealis said:
Doreen Virtue - positive or just too fluffy?
Aerin
Glitterbird said:
Yes, I agree and I still have the Healing with Fairies, Angels, and the Archangels one - haven't pulled them out for ages though. When I needed a boost then a card was helfpul in making me feel better, less helpful in enabling me to take action or promote change though (which is why I don't use them as a regular deck).
For me, the Mermaids one and the Unicorns one were just a bridge too far - I was never that keen on Pollyanna either. I really did feel that these particular decks were very samey and too sugar coated, but the paintings are lovely and I'm sure they could work well for some. Just not me at the time I gpot them.
Interesting that she's married to Stephen Farmer, I've just "passed" on some of his decks.
Anyone with the Oracle of Shadows and Light, there's a very interesting passage in the book where the author talks about attending a festival with people who were so "good" and "happy" and so-on that it felt a bit fake (my paraphrasing). I was reminded of DV decks when I read this.
ETA and mdr's post reminded me of the above
Le Fanu
And yet we constantly hear that no tarot card is entirely good or entirely bad. A little imagination and deconstruction and thinking can make us interpret a card to fit the situation. We don't have to seek out an entirely positive deck.
I have to say I have never, ever been in a situation where I need something external, entirely positive, whooshing up happy-fun clouds of love for me. What I want is the truth. And, yes, life is painful. And, yes, I have been depressed.
If I try hard, positive thinking can come from within. Or the contemplation of nature. And if I was severely depressed and drew a 10 of Swords it wouldn't actually make me feel worse. Hey, if I'm feeling depressed and draw the 10 of Swords isn't that what you call affirmation?
I genuinely think that all the silliness which the outside world often sees in the New Age movement (I don't use that term and I don't think it is silly) are perpetuated by these decks. Many people think the New Age movement has done untold damage: full of people with their heads in the clouds, people who feel they have no control over their lives, who put their faith in cards and shell casting and aura-reading and crystal amulets, people who don't feel they can steer the course of their lives quite as they would have liked. These are the decks which the outside world finds laughable and associates with that type of person.
I think many of us hide behind what is commonly termed the "fluffiness" of these decks, as if "fluffiness" were something harmless. This so-called "fluffiness" for me is actually very sinister. It is actually more dangerous than many people think. Quite apart from the fact that the impetus of these decks is entirely based upon a gratificiation of "me/self/ego/me-feeling-better". It has no place in the sometimes painful search for the truth or how to actually live better. Or in truly seeking to get to the bottom of things. Or dealing with truths. I have come to realise that what others call "fluffiness", I label "danger". I sincerely believe that these decks are more poisonous than we think.
But what consoles me is that when the world sneers and titters at the New Age movement and its gullible folk, it is decks like these that are in the firing line. And so I invariably agree with them. These are the decks which make us a laughing stock.
I have to say I have never, ever been in a situation where I need something external, entirely positive, whooshing up happy-fun clouds of love for me. What I want is the truth. And, yes, life is painful. And, yes, I have been depressed.
If I try hard, positive thinking can come from within. Or the contemplation of nature. And if I was severely depressed and drew a 10 of Swords it wouldn't actually make me feel worse. Hey, if I'm feeling depressed and draw the 10 of Swords isn't that what you call affirmation?
I genuinely think that all the silliness which the outside world often sees in the New Age movement (I don't use that term and I don't think it is silly) are perpetuated by these decks. Many people think the New Age movement has done untold damage: full of people with their heads in the clouds, people who feel they have no control over their lives, who put their faith in cards and shell casting and aura-reading and crystal amulets, people who don't feel they can steer the course of their lives quite as they would have liked. These are the decks which the outside world finds laughable and associates with that type of person.
I think many of us hide behind what is commonly termed the "fluffiness" of these decks, as if "fluffiness" were something harmless. This so-called "fluffiness" for me is actually very sinister. It is actually more dangerous than many people think. Quite apart from the fact that the impetus of these decks is entirely based upon a gratificiation of "me/self/ego/me-feeling-better". It has no place in the sometimes painful search for the truth or how to actually live better. Or in truly seeking to get to the bottom of things. Or dealing with truths. I have come to realise that what others call "fluffiness", I label "danger". I sincerely believe that these decks are more poisonous than we think.
But what consoles me is that when the world sneers and titters at the New Age movement and its gullible folk, it is decks like these that are in the firing line. And so I invariably agree with them. These are the decks which make us a laughing stock.
Milfoil
I wholeheartedly agree Le Fanu. In fact, yesterday, I wrote this to a friend via PM:
Fluffy, feel-good stuff like this is insidious. It creates a false sense of calm instead of offering anything which can lead to positive change and truthful assessment of a situation. It is whitewash re labelled as holy water.
Fluffy, feel-good stuff like this is insidious. It creates a false sense of calm instead of offering anything which can lead to positive change and truthful assessment of a situation. It is whitewash re labelled as holy water.
Amanda
I agree with Le Fanu, that I'm a little disappointed that when I go to the bookstore, there's rarely any good tarot decks around, but instead these Angel oracles covering the shelves...
But, I do like the Daily Guidance from Your Angels deck. It seems to touch on what one needs to know (most of the time) - otherwise it's a good positive affirmation type deck. When I first got it, I was living in a house with about 10 other (young) people. I was going around having them to think of their question, and not telling me what it was and pulling cards- one thought he would be smart and think of the same question twice, and I surely did end up drawing the same card twice after a really hearty shuffle! Don't mess with the angels, I'm tellin' ya!
I bought the Healing With the Angels deck, and didn't know what to do with it. Hated the book- hated the meanings written in there- did not connect with it at all. It sat around for a couple of years collecting dust... being the practical sort that I am, I decided to make it useful and read it in my own way, as demonstrated here - and has since become one of my favorites. Otherwise, it might have gotten the boot off my shelf.
I can't stand the Fairy deck. Totally wrong, that one. I can't even make it into my "own" like the Healing with the Angels deck... it's just so messed up and "off" - as if it was made to keep up with the market or something.
But, for someone as blunt and as abrasive as I am, I think the Healing With the Angels oracle is good at tempering my emotions and toning things down a bit.
But, I do like the Daily Guidance from Your Angels deck. It seems to touch on what one needs to know (most of the time) - otherwise it's a good positive affirmation type deck. When I first got it, I was living in a house with about 10 other (young) people. I was going around having them to think of their question, and not telling me what it was and pulling cards- one thought he would be smart and think of the same question twice, and I surely did end up drawing the same card twice after a really hearty shuffle! Don't mess with the angels, I'm tellin' ya!
I bought the Healing With the Angels deck, and didn't know what to do with it. Hated the book- hated the meanings written in there- did not connect with it at all. It sat around for a couple of years collecting dust... being the practical sort that I am, I decided to make it useful and read it in my own way, as demonstrated here - and has since become one of my favorites. Otherwise, it might have gotten the boot off my shelf.
I can't stand the Fairy deck. Totally wrong, that one. I can't even make it into my "own" like the Healing with the Angels deck... it's just so messed up and "off" - as if it was made to keep up with the market or something.
But, for someone as blunt and as abrasive as I am, I think the Healing With the Angels oracle is good at tempering my emotions and toning things down a bit.
gregory
Yes indeed. And I am rather not into "affirmations" anyway.Milfoil said:
The other thing is - I find the cards ugly anyway..... and I LOATHE all the keywords stuff. I'd get more feel good from a nice picture with no "meanings" attached..
autumn star
deleted
HOLMES
hmm
looking back at my experiences with the deck,,
i have foudn they arent' too fluffy at all, as long as you look realistically at some of the keywords example one time i was using the oracle and i had children and mother mary show up so i felt like i was going to have to look after a child, later on that year i looked after a baby girl for about a week and 2 days.
then i used them earlier on this year and i told my freind i felt that it meant a young woman was going to try to move in here,,
and sure enough a young woman did for about close to 3 weeks with her son.
of course it is with all decks, the more closer you feel to them perhaps the more information you might get.
i have to admit though i hardly use them, for the key words can be distracting, then again when i started out reading the tarot here on the atf sometimes i i would just look oh the devil and start writing about the devil without trying to look at the cards itself for psychic impressions.
i think that like for example the osho zen tarot, if people have a dislike for the author of the deck, you will have a mental block to the deck itself,
though i dont' think osho had anything to do with the deck design itself.
i am looking forward to her life purpose deck so i can add it to the multi deck reading i do,, i have avoided mermaids deck, eheh. it is too focused for me, as well as i didn't go out to buy angel therapy, or goddess deck as i got enough decks.
but a life purpose deck would be like my soul message card i use in my readings.
some of the decks i turn off due to the graphics but some of doreen virtue cards are beautiful indeed.
looking back at my experiences with the deck,,
i have foudn they arent' too fluffy at all, as long as you look realistically at some of the keywords example one time i was using the oracle and i had children and mother mary show up so i felt like i was going to have to look after a child, later on that year i looked after a baby girl for about a week and 2 days.
then i used them earlier on this year and i told my freind i felt that it meant a young woman was going to try to move in here,,
and sure enough a young woman did for about close to 3 weeks with her son.
of course it is with all decks, the more closer you feel to them perhaps the more information you might get.
i have to admit though i hardly use them, for the key words can be distracting, then again when i started out reading the tarot here on the atf sometimes i i would just look oh the devil and start writing about the devil without trying to look at the cards itself for psychic impressions.
i think that like for example the osho zen tarot, if people have a dislike for the author of the deck, you will have a mental block to the deck itself,
though i dont' think osho had anything to do with the deck design itself.
i am looking forward to her life purpose deck so i can add it to the multi deck reading i do,, i have avoided mermaids deck, eheh. it is too focused for me, as well as i didn't go out to buy angel therapy, or goddess deck as i got enough decks.
but a life purpose deck would be like my soul message card i use in my readings.
some of the decks i turn off due to the graphics but some of doreen virtue cards are beautiful indeed.
euripides
Milfoil said:
I agree to a point, but I'm wary of tarring the whole lot with the same brush. I haven't really seen the contents of many, except for a bit of the Unicorn one which I'd flicked through and thought would be nice for my teenager.
A few people have commented '24/7' or suggested that people use these cards as a replacement for thought or action, like self medication... and sure if people are habitually doing that, that is very bad.
But if you've ever clung to a cup of hot coffee in the morning, or sat back with a cold beer in the afternoon, or watched "You've Got Mail" then... maybe there's a connection?
Do you ONLY ever eat what is good for you and nutritious? Or do you sometimes have a doughnut, or a beer, or a coffee? Do you only read serious literature and watch arthouse movies, or do you like the occasional action thriller?
Seriously, I'm not going to draw these cards daily and surround myself with sweetness and light. But frankly I don't see anything wrong with the odd moment of escapism.
PsychicLord
Le Fanu, if you are still "......temporarily - in the 2nd biggest city and I have been to all the bookshops there are and every single shop has at least a dozen DV decks and (usually) not one single tarot deck. No RWS or Thoth in sight."
Just one hour by direct train, is Chesterfield, where our little town centre shop has over different 200 oracle (including Tarot) decks. Yes, RWS, and Thoth, amongst dozens of others are sitting on the shelf awaiting an owner.
Our policy is that even if a given deck sells but once a year, we will stock it so that the customer that is seeking it will not be disapppointed.
We do offer the complete set of DV's decks......... but this December they were outsold by the new kid on the block.
Just one hour by direct train, is Chesterfield, where our little town centre shop has over different 200 oracle (including Tarot) decks. Yes, RWS, and Thoth, amongst dozens of others are sitting on the shelf awaiting an owner.
Our policy is that even if a given deck sells but once a year, we will stock it so that the customer that is seeking it will not be disapppointed.
We do offer the complete set of DV's decks......... but this December they were outsold by the new kid on the block.
