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Author Topic: Creating a divination system -- What to study?  (Read 4924 times)

Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #15 on: January 18, 2016, 10:38:46 pm »
Quote from: SunflowerP;185403
Maybe Morgan's Tarot (which isn't a tarot at all, but it was designed before 'oracle deck' became the common way to describe non-tarot cartomancy decks) is worth a look? I imagine the older self-published versions are hard to find, but according to Aeclectic, US Games did a publication of it in 2009.

Sunflower

Thanks!  I'll check it out.

Is there a particular reason you're recommending it?
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Jack

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2016, 11:30:49 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185400
This is part of the process I'm planning, too. That's why I'm looking at other systems -- to get an idea of what archetypes, etc. are needed.

How long did it take you to work with and refine the system before you felt it was solid?

 
I checked my blog archive and it looks like I got the first batch of cards printed in late 2012. I'm still revising but I feel like I've been getting solid readings for at least a year, so maybe a year and a half or two years to get a real working prototype.
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Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2016, 12:29:16 am »
Quote from: Jack;185408
maybe a year and a half or two years to get a real working prototype.

Thanks!  

I'm kinda hoping my project will go a little faster...... ;-)
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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #18 on: January 19, 2016, 08:16:49 am »
Quote from: Mama Fortuna;185385
The main difference I've noticed is that the cards in Froud's deck fall into categories. While not quite as rigid as suits, each card is classified as sidhe, singers, challengers, help line, or guardians and guides. Whether or not you choose to use this facet of the cards is entirely up to the reader - my sister has owned this deck since she was a teenager, and I don't think she's ever consciously used the categories in a reading aside from noting the 'singers' because visually they are quite different. I on the other hand probably would look to their categories, because I enjoy a bit of structure. (I read almost exclusively tarot.)

 
This is one of the things I liked about this one too.  I don't always recognize all of the categories, but one thing I did do (which the companion book suggested and I found really helpful) when I first got the deck was, I sorted through the whole thing a couple of times, by sort of categories...I think I did light/dark, then by main color, also by abstract/realistic.  There are definitely themes within the art which I like.  I have seen some decks (especially tarot where the minor arcana are just essentially pips of the suit and then similarly themed people for the court cards) that just sort of blend together in my mind, which doesn't work well for me.
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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2016, 07:49:49 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185407
Is there a particular reason you're recommending it?

 
Mostly because the list you already had lean quite strongly toward older cartomancy systems, or are based on or take their tone from older systems. Morgan's is very much a product of the '60s/'70s zeitgeist, and as such could be an interesting contrast.

(After poking around online for a while checking out some of the decks you mentioned that weren't familiar to me, I realized I should have said that Morgan's was created before the term 'oracle' was revived as the common descriptor for cartomancy systems - I hadn't realized it had been that common previously.)

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Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #20 on: January 19, 2016, 11:31:15 pm »
Quote from: SunflowerP;185439
Mostly because the list you already had lean quite strongly toward older cartomancy systems, or are based on or take their tone from older systems. Morgan's is very much a product of the '60s/'70s zeitgeist, and as such could be an interesting contrast.

Gotcha.  Thanks!
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Guided by Stars

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #21 on: January 19, 2016, 11:43:06 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
I'm going to be working with a group to create our own oracle/divination system.

To prepare, I've collected a variety of systems (mostly cards) to study how they're constructed -- what areas of life are usually included, how the messages are phrased, the reading process, etc. (My collection is listed below.)

Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?  I'm especially interested in systems that take a different approach or have some other marked difference from how oracles are generally structured.

~ Aster


Just throwing this out there as I don't know if it's helpful at all but have you looked into the divination process using cowrie shells? I've just recently begun to research it and found it rather interesting. Also, if it hasn't been mentioned, the Gypsy Oracle cards by Lo Scarabeo. One of my favorite decks...:)
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Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2016, 06:18:01 am »
Quote from: Guided by Stars;185447
Just throwing this out there as I don't know if it's helpful at all but have you looked into the divination process using cowrie shells? I've just recently begun to research it and found it rather interesting. Also, if it hasn't been mentioned, the Gypsy Oracle cards by Lo Scarabeo. One of my favorite decks...:)

I believe the Lo Scarabeo Gypsy Oracle deck falls into the category of "Sibilla" decks, of which I do have 1 example (the Lo Scarabeo Sibilla Vera, aka the Every Day Oracle). But I'll check to make sure.

Is there a specific reason you recommend it?

I have not looked into cowrie shell divination at all.  Can you suggest a good resource on that?

Thank you!
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RecycledBenedict

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #23 on: January 20, 2016, 03:33:58 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?


I didn't mention Livre du Destin in my list of rather early French oracles. The entire deck is reproduced online here:

http://www.wopc.co.uk/france/livre-du-destin/index
 
I have found it interesting to compare this one with Petit Etteilla, Petit Oracle des Dames, the Lenormand deck (which is actually German or Austrian), and the Parlour Sibyl. Please also note, that the Parlour Sibyl is not one of the Italian Sibilla decks, but follows an independent - French - tradition of cartomancy.

RecycledBenedict

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #24 on: January 20, 2016, 03:52:19 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?


The oldest known oracle deck was probably published by Lenthall (1st ed. 1690, 2nd ed. 1714). A modern printing of this deck is found here:

http://www.harrymargary.com/product_details.asp?id=10

Most of the cards in this one change divinatory meaning, depending on which card is placed nearby.

Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #25 on: January 20, 2016, 09:48:33 pm »
Quote from: FraterBenedict;185466
The oldest known oracle deck was probably published by Lenthall (1st ed. 1690, 2nd ed. 1714). A modern printing of this deck is found here:

http://www.harrymargary.com/product_details.asp?id=10

Most of the cards in this one change divinatory meaning, depending on which card is placed nearby.

Thank you for all your suggestions, but especially this one, which I haven't run across before.

A separate-but-related project that I'm working on is learning about the history of (non-tarot) fortune telling cards.  This deck looks like an important piece of that history.
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Gnowan

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #26 on: January 22, 2016, 11:00:33 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
I'm going to be working with a group to create our own oracle/divination system.


Aster. I read the thread and I think maybe I missed something.  WHY do you want to create a new divination system?

~Gnowan

Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #27 on: January 23, 2016, 01:51:49 am »
Quote from: Gnowan;185656
Aster. I read the thread and I think maybe I missed something.  WHY do you want to create a new divination system?

~Gnowan

I'm doing it with Clann Bhride, a group dedicated to Brighid. We want to create an augury specific to our group, using symbols that are particularly relevant to the group.
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Freesia

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #28 on: March 31, 2016, 08:25:53 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
I'm going to be working with a group to create our own oracle/divination system.

To prepare, I've collected a variety of systems (mostly cards) to study how they're constructed -- what areas of life are usually included, how the messages are phrased, the reading process, etc. (My collection is listed below.)

Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?  I'm especially interested in systems that take a different approach or have some other marked difference from how oracles are generally structured.

Similarly, if anyone has any advice about creating an oracle or divination system, I'd love to hear it!

Besides Lenormand cards, runes, ogham, I Ching, and pendulums (all of which I'm already familiar with), and tarot (which is FAR more complex than we're planning to do), I've also collected:

* the Brighid Oracle
* the Sibilla Vera deck (aka Every Day Oracle)
* the Gypsy Witch deck
* the Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling deck
* the Whitman deck
* the Biedermaier deck
* the Belline Oracle
* the Enchanted Map Oracle
* the Earth Magic Oracle
* the Celtic Book of the Dead deck
* the Celtic Wisdom Oracle
* the Hawaiian Mana deck
* the Psycards deck
* a couple other more obscure decks
And I'm planning to pick up a Kipper deck, as well.

Thank you!

~ Aster

 
I think it is awesome that there are so many people working on different Tarot and Oracle decks. I hope to design my own decks someday.

The Thoth Tarot was my first deck and is the most influential for me. I like the darker images in the Archeon Tarot, but several of the cards fall short as far as visual impact or design: the Star, the Devil, and many pips.

I don't like the Devils in any deck I've ever seen. The concept of the Devil is so individualized; no one will have the same temptations.

Are you doing the artwork?

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