The Wild Unknown Tarot

[Laura Borealis]

You're Laura B, there really isn't anything at all wrong with the deck as it is now. My only gripe was that it wasn't what I expected, and the earlier runs were MUCH nicer....lol. Nevertheless, I'll gonna be checking periodically to see what happens.

Michael

Oh, I understand. I didn't mean to imply you're wrong to take issue with it. I would have been disappointed too.

But some folks like the newer stock, like Mand Maud... and it doesn't sound like it's sticky or weird or any of the things that we all hate in cardstock

I'm glad mine's one of the older ones though... at least I assume it is, it's not marked China, and it's thicker, about 1 and 3/8" thick. Though it occurs to me, I got it from someone in the Trading Forum so I don't know if it ever had a China sticker on it. But I think it's one of the older ones.

It's super nice cardstock, smooth and silky and matte, so whatever it is, I'm keeping it.

I bought mine a couple of weeks ago and if there's a way to get the shorter deck/older card stock from the company I'd love to exchange it. I'm really enjoying the one I have except that with my small hands the cards are a challenge to shuffle. Thank you for the updates!

If you have one of the new ones, my understanding is it's thinner, so you actually might want to hang onto it.

 

[Snowhunter]

If you have one of the new ones, my understanding is it's thinner, so you actually might want to hang onto it.

Oh shoot, you're right. I had the decks confused. I need bigger hands!

 

[Pixna]

Oh shoot, you're right. I had the decks confused. I need bigger hands!

I'm very petite with very small hands too. I shuffle my deck the "over-under" method and don't have a problem with the size of the cards. Maybe give that a try?

 

[MandMaud]

Oh shoot, you're right. I had the decks confused. I need bigger hands!

And I ditto'd you!

I'm very petite with very small hands too. I shuffle my deck the "over-under" method and don't have a problem with the size of the cards. Maybe give that a try?

What's the "over-under" method?
Maybe it's what I do already... but if not maybe it would help me.

 

[Snowhunter]

I tried to google "over-under" and just got false shuffles in the results. Is that where you take the deck and drop it little by little into your other hand? That's what I do and it works fine but it just annoys me when I can't hold the whole deck in one hand.

 

[prudence]

When a deck is too large for my hands, I riffle them side to side rather than end to end. I have even been able to do this with the GIANT version of the Lunatic tarot. (I don't do the "bridge" part though, just the riffle)

 

[Laura Borealis]

What's the "over-under" method?
Maybe it's what I do already... but if not maybe it would help me.

Maybe it's where you take a card from the top and then one from the bottom, and repeat till you've gone through the whole deck? It's also called, hmm... Mongean shuffle, or Monge's shuffle (had to look it up).

I should give overhand another try... I always end up with cards flying everywhere though. I suspect people who have a lot of "jumpers" are overhand shufflers

 

[Pixna]

Yeah, the "over-under" method goes by a lot of different names. I used to always use a regular riff method when I used small decks, but I've gotten quite comfortable with this method now with TWU. I do have "jumpers" (great word! lol!) now and then but far fewer now that I'm getting better at this shuffling method.

 

[MandMaud]

@ Snowhunter, prudence, Laura B. and Pixna: I managed to miss that you'd all replied to my question! And you've prompted me to find Wikipedia's 'Shuffling' article - after all my wondering and bluffing about the different styles!

Turns out my usual way is the plain n simple overhand - the riffle is what I'd thought (was beginning to doubt myself) - and I've never thought of the Mongean shuffle. When I've tried a large deck, which is rare, or when my hands are bad, which is often, I do the pile shuffle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuffling#Pile_shuffle which is boring but works.

But so far I've had no trouble with the WU and the overhand shuffle, even though it's slightly longer relative to its width than I'm used to. The odd thing is, I'm getting accidental reversals quite a lot and that never happens. So I think it's the deck, or the deck/MandMaud combination, rather than anything in my technique.

Actually I've started a thread for my own responses to this deck and questions on it, so as to refer back more easily. Only because I can see this journey taking a while.
http://tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=4215036#post4215036 I'll also join in the study threads sooner or later.

 

[Pixna]

Yes, I guess the Mongean shuffle is the official name for the shuffle I use (although "over-under" describes it better for me). With this shuffle, I don't get any reversals (and that's the way I like it). I hold the cards on their long side in my palm, so it makes it pretty easy to do for someone with petite hands like mine.

Certain cards have haunted me too, but they go in cycles. I think it has more to do with me and my life at the time than the deck itself. I imagine another deck would also have regularly appearing cards, even though they might be slightly different ones than what appear when I use TWU.