One of the ideas I tossed around when I was looking at challenges to create for myself for the #100DaysOfTarot, one of the ideas I tossed around was a deck bonding challenge; to take my “Start Here” material and organize it into small chunks that someone could do daily while still using their deck for regular readings. I initially scrapped the idea since I don’t have a new deck I’m working with at the moment but my girlfriend asked me to write the challenge out for her to do with her deck.
If you want to see someone doing this challenge in June, I’d recommend checking out @petrosophia, she’s kickass. I’m biased of course but she’s also just objectively a very reflective person, which is helpful if you want someone to follow along with.
Before You Start
I’d recommend reading all of my “Start Here” section but especially my posts on not learning tarot cards like flashcards and on reading vertically.
The important concepts here are the narrative approach to the Major Arcana/the suits and, well, reading vertically – taking all of the 1′s then all of the 2′s and so on.
What to Do Each Day
On days the prompt says to ask the deck a question, shuffle and draw three cards. Use the book to look up the meanings if you need to. Make any notes you might want to keep or make a post about it.
On the other days, select the cards listed and start with your first impressions. What story do you think is being told? What’s the emotion of each card? What’s the action? After you’ve made notes of your first impressions, make notes of the book’s definitions for each card as well. When you’ve completed a suit – say all of the pentacles – write a brief one or two sentence summary of the story being told. When working vertically, jot down three keywords after you’ve finished taking notes.
For the two signifier questions, feel free to either select one and reflect on it or shuffle and draw one then reflect on it. Or hell do both. See how closely your pick matches you deck.
You might also consider combining these prompts with the SOAP Journaling framework.
Why Do This Challenge
The benefit I see with this challenge is that it allows you to develop a framework understanding of your deck over the course of several weeks which I think is more approachable for a lot of folks. I’m also just a firm believer that a little structure goes a long way.
But feel free to play with this structure. Do all the Pentacles at once if you please. Maybe you need to break down the Vertical Reading into smaller chunks. Maybe you’re using a playing card deck so you just omit all of the Major Arcana. This is just a starting point.
And I’m excited to see what y’all do with it!
The Prompts
1 Ask the Deck: What are your
Strengths? (Draw 3 Cards)2 Ask the Deck: What are your
Weaknesses? (Draw 3 Cards)3 Pentacles 1-4
4 Pentacles 5-7
5 Pentacles 8-10
6 Pentacles Page & Knight
7 Pentacles Queen &
King8 Swords 1-4
9 Swords 5-7
10 Swords 8-10
11 Swords Page &
Knight12 Swords Queen &
King13 Wands 1-4
14 Wands 5-7
15 Wands 8-10
16 Wands Page & Knight
17 Wands Queen & King
18 Cups 1-4
19 Cups 5-7
20 Cups 8-10
21 Cups P&K
22 Cups Q&K
23 Major Arcana 0
& 2124 Major Arcana 1-5
25 Major Arcana 6-10
26 Major Arcana 11-15
27 Major Arcana 16-20
28 Vertical Reading –
The 1’s29 Vertical Reading –
The 2’s30 Vertical Reading –
The 3’s31 Vertical Reading –
The 4’s32 Vertical Reading –
The 5’s33 Vertical Reading –
The 6’s34 Vertical Reading –
The 7’s35 Vertical Reading –
The 8’s36 Vertical Reading –
The 9’s37 Vertical Reading –
The 10’s38 Internal Signifier – Who am I Internally (Select or Draw
a Card)39 External Signifier – Who am I Externally (Select or Draw a
Card)40 Ask the Deck: What do you want me to know? (Draw 3)
The Deck Bonding Challenge
Published
may the bridges I burn light the way 