Alright, so today I wanted to talk about my journey with an Egyptian Tarot deck. It’s been a bit of a ride, let me tell you.
How It All Started
I’d been using the good old Rider-Waite-Smith deck for ages, felt pretty comfortable with it, you know? But then I kept seeing these Egyptian themed decks popping up. People were saying they had this "ancient wisdom" vibe. Curiosity got the better of me, as it often does. I thought, okay, let's see what all the fuss is about. Maybe it’ll give me some different insights.
Getting My Hands on a Deck
Finding one wasn't hard. There are quite a few out there. I spent a bit of time looking at pictures online, trying to get a feel for the art style. Some looked super complicated, others a bit more modern in their interpretation. I eventually picked one that seemed to have a decent balance – looked traditional enough without being totally impossible to decipher at first glance. Or so I thought. It arrived, nicely packaged, and I was actually pretty excited to crack it open.
First Impressions and the Initial "Huh?"
So, I opened the box. The cards themselves felt good, decent cardstock. But the imagery… wow. It was a lot to take in. So many Egyptian gods and goddesses I barely knew, symbols everywhere. My first reaction was, "Okay, this is going to be different." Not bad different, just… a lot more homework than I anticipated. The little white book that came with it? Barely scratched the surface. It was like, "This is Thoth. He’s wise. Next card." Not super helpful, you know?
I laid out a few cards just to look at them. The usual Major Arcana names were there – The Magician, The High Priestess – but the pictures were totally different. The Magician wasn't the guy at the table; it was some deity I had to look up. This wasn't just a re-skin; it felt like a whole different system sometimes.
Trying to Make Sense of It
So, I did what I usually do when I’m stumped. I hit the books and the internet. This is where it got a bit messy.
- Some resources were super academic, talking about ancient Egyptian history and mythology, which was interesting but didn't always directly translate to "what does this card mean in a reading about my job?"
- Other interpretations felt like they were just taking RWS meanings and slapping them onto Egyptian images.
- Then there were the folks who seemed to have their own unique, very niche understanding.
It felt like there wasn't one single, solid path to understanding them, unlike the RWS where there's a lot of shared knowledge. I had to piece things together. I started a little notebook, jotting down gods, symbols, and what I thought they might mean in a tarot context. It was slow going.
My Actual Practice and Readings
I decided the best way to learn was to just start using them. I started with simple one-card draws for the day. Sometimes, the message felt clear, especially if the card had a vibe I could pick up on. Other times, I’d draw a card and just stare at it, then spend twenty minutes cross-referencing my notes and a couple of books. It wasn't the quick, intuitive hit I sometimes get with other decks.
For bigger spreads, it was even more challenging. Getting the cards to "talk" to each other, to tell a story, took a lot more mental effort. The imagery is so strong on its own that sometimes each card felt like an isolated statement rather than part of a flow. I had to really push myself to find the connections.
I remember one reading I did for myself about a creative project. The cards were visually stunning, all these grand figures. But figuring out the practical advice? That was tough. It felt more like I was getting a mythological story than straightforward guidance. Not bad, just different. It forced me to think in a more metaphorical, archetypal way, I guess.
Where I'm At With It Now
So, do I still use the Egyptian deck? Yeah, sometimes. It’s not my everyday go-to, if I'm being honest. That still tends to be my trusty old RWS or a couple of other simpler narrative decks when I need quick clarity.
But the Egyptian deck has its place. I pull it out when I want to go really deep into a specific archetype, or when I'm in a more contemplative mood and have the time to really sit with the imagery and do the research. It’s definitely not a beginner’s deck, in my opinion. Or at least, it wasn’t for me.
It made me appreciate the straightforwardness of other systems, but it also stretched my brain. I learned a lot about Egyptian mythology that I wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s like that one really complicated tool in your toolbox. You don’t use it for every job, but when you need it, you’re glad you took the time to figure it out. Mostly glad, anyway. There are still some cards that make me go, "Huh?"
