One Deck Wonder

[bleuivy]

Disaster!

Alright, not exactly a disaster , but....

Two of my friends had birthdays within the past week, and as part of their birthday gifts, I offerred to give each an in depth reading for the coming year. But now I'm wondering if I'm ready to read with the Marseilles for others. I'm still getting to know it myself and how it speaks to me. Often when I turn over the cards, I get impressions, emotions, profound messages, but nothing I can turn into words. It's all a bit too new.

So I'm wondering. For these upcoming readings, should I stick with the Marseilles, and hope for the best? I want these readings to be as accurate as possible as they are part of a gift, and really the first in depth readings I'll have done for either person. I was thinking of switching back to the Archeon for the two readings. It's different enough from the Marseilles that it won't jog me out of my Marseilles mode. Or perhaps the International Icon, which is bare bones like the Marseilles. Hmmm...

 

[Annabelle]

So I'm wondering. For these upcoming readings, should I stick with the Marseilles, and hope for the best? I want these readings to be as accurate as possible as they are part of a gift, and really the first in depth readings I'll have done for either person.

I vote YES - stick with the Marseille .

I've only just started using my Marseille to read for others (admittedly in a safe environment, here online) so I definitely sympathize . . . but don't psych yourself out. You can read for others with the Marseille - you can do a great job of it, too! Trust what you see in the cards and you'll be fine.

 

[Annabelle]

My "one deck wonder" study with the Fournier TdM is now officially ended, after roughly 11 weeks.

It was fun . . . and a very valuable learning experience. Definitely worth doing. I'm no longer confused by the Marseille, or afraid of the Marseille.

I'm a collector at heart, though, and love using different decks. So I'm looking forward to going back to a variety of options.

At least until JMD's correspondence course starts up in October, anyhow, when I'll start spending a lot of time with a different Marseille (the Noblet) .

 

[Cocobird55]

My one deck wonder with the Hudes is also officially over. I think I lasted about three months. It was a good experience, and I was getting accurate readings and starting to feel comfortable with the deck. But what I found was that I didn't enjoy using the deck the same way as my Victorian Romantic, so I have gone back to that. Eventually I will try another deck...

 

[Knight of Wands]

I stuck with the Universal Marseille for about two months I think

I am glad I did - it's now one of my favourite reading decks

 

[EarthAngel2911]

Ok, I actually have run into a bit of a snag... I've been working with my Universal Fantasy Tarot since mid March, and though I drool over other decks, I've yet been brave enough to actually use any others for readings.

I *want* to, but I just can't seem to bring myself to. This deck has really opened up for me, and I've come to rely on it. I've never used a deck exclusively for this long, and it's almost as if I have "stage fright" to read with any other decks, especially for other people, as if it won't speak to me as loudly. Aaaaiiigggh!

Hopefully soon I'll take the plunge. Who woulda thunk it?

 

[Umbrae]

Often when I turn over the cards, I get impressions, emotions, profound messages, but nothing I can turn into words. It's all a bit too new.

YES!!!

Ya know, even if you can begin with ONE word. Ya have to start voicing it (practice) to get it to start verbalizing on an understandable level.

Those little things MEAN something.

Here’s the thing…

They mean nothing to you (which is why you have such a difficult time putting them into words).

But they do have context with your sitter.

So dig it…

 

[Grizabella]

Well, here we are in September and I'm still going strong.

 

[Sheri]

YES!!!

Ya know, even if you can begin with ONE word. Ya have to start voicing it (practice) to get it to start verbalizing on an understandable level.

Those little things MEAN something.

Here’s the thing…

They mean nothing to you (which is why you have such a difficult time putting them into words).

But they do have context with your sitter.

So dig it…

This is so true! Some of the weirdest, kookiest stuff is the most spot on! I was participating in a circle and reading for a woman - the woman who was leading the circle actually, and she was telling me not to 'edit' anything just blurt out whatever I saw. So I did.

I saw fields, large expansive flat fields. I saw a road. Then I felt a rocking motion but it was front to back (not side to side). A red car with a tan interior. A man.

At that point, she spoke up - 'yes, that's right' she told me. WTF?!!?!? I was so surprised, it shocked me right out of the reading and I didn't get anything else.

Afterwards, she told me that I was an accident her husband had had the previous winter in the middle of nowhere, he had hit an icy spot and landed his RED car (tan interior) on a fence, centered in such a way that it rocked front to back.

Spew what you get, all of it, no matter how crazy it sounds or hard to articulate. Just blurt things out if you have to in order to get started. It's like the writer looking at the blank page.

 

[Sheri]

Coming to the end of 4 months and still going strong!

Actually, I didn't stop in to post the above, I just wanted to give a status on my ODW study of my Grimaud TdM. I can't say it's the prettiest deck, or the best printing of a Marseille, but I am loving working with it! I don't know what it is - maybe it IS haunted

I think I have finally worked out my own way of reading non-scenic pips. Lee Bursten's book really helped as it gave methods of looking at the cards in different ways to develop a basis of meanings - which you really can see in the cards!

I know there are alot of people who are afraid to read TdMs because they have so much history and tradition associated with them. Yes, but I have found that they also seem to be the LEAST documented as far as card meanings go (OK I haven't done an exhaustive search - but a reasonable one). Nearly every book I have looked at regarding Tarot is based in the Waite Smith tradition with scenic pips. The only Marseilles book I found (outside of the LWBs with the decks) has been Lee's book, which doesn't give meanings for the pips at all, and is intended to encourage free thinking to develop one's own meanings and interpretations. AWESOME!!!

What I am discovering, is that, at least THIS TdM deck is much more liberating to read with than any other deck I have used. No one can really second guess a card meaning by quoting a book meaning - because there isn't any! No negative keywords in the borders to freak anyone out...

At this point, I have decided to continue working with this deck. You might be surprised to know that since I have started this study, my deck collection has nearly doubled in size - and with some GREAT decks - such as the lovely Tarot de Paris, a Ship of Fools, and a spectacularly stunning Der Jen original Chinese Tarot. Oh and several TdMs!

I think really the only deck that could steal my attention from this Grimaud would be a Jacques Vieville, and one is coming in exchange for a trimmed Thoth - so we will see... this could turn into a threesome!