i was sure i named this deck at some point but i can't remember what or where... arche arcana, maybe? anyway, i picked this one for its green, natural feel, ideal for spring. and the claude burdel wasn't really fitting anywhere in particular in the year, but it was one of those "safe bets" companions to balance out a wacky deck. not only is the arche majors-only, it's not very... what should i call it? i like a traditional marseille deck for its strong visuals - there's the clear outline, the foreground, the background, the symbol. the arche is more artistic, things don't stand out so much, there's no things like line of sight, often there's not even a full figure who could have any meaningful body language, interact with its neighbors etc. so it was a very experimental choice.
i thought my trip back home in the first part of the month would be ideal to work with the deck closer. i thought only taking one deck with me would force me to figure out how to read for all sorts of situations (for friends, family and myself) using only the majors, how to broaden their meanings, perhaps read more visually or literally.
two things happened, i guess. one - i was spectacularly tired throughout my stay and didn't really do all that many readings at all. two - i was also continuing with playing cards (since march) so... when i was spread too thin/couldn't muster the energy to be studious and/or creative, i just read with the playing cards. kind of failed at forcing myself into a study. but the few times i did use the arche i was positively surprised - they aren't complete duds. and i love the art, i think it's a deck i'll revisit in future months (which reminds me i need to update the ranking).
after my return i focused on the claude burdel - a very safe, comfortable deck. using it is kind of like using playing cards, but with the added satisfaction of it being actually tarot. so i enjoyed its simplicity and clarity for the last two weeks. it's my neutral comfort zone. although perhaps that can also be counted as its downside. i'm really yearning for some inspiration now. a deck with a flavor. (which i'm kind of trying to achieve through a creative exercise. it seems i need to add a section to the tarot corner! i will report over there.)
to sum it up, i think both of these are up there on the list of decks used so far. which is saying a lot, considering only 3 of the 8 used in the previous months have remained out within reach, packed everything else away.
