First Impressions & Unpacking
Alright, so my shiny new Gilded Tarot deck finally arrived today. Honestly, I was pretty stoked – the box pictures looked amazing online. Ripped open the package like a kid on Christmas. Pulled the actual deck out and… wow. The cards feel thicker than my old deck, kinda stiff. The gold edges? Super fancy, catches the light real nice. Felt that little rush of “ooh, new stuff!” Ran my fingers over the top card, felt smooth and solid.
The Great Shuffle Struggle
Figured I’d start simple, right? Just shuffle and pull one card to test the vibe. Grabbed the whole deck and tried my usual bridge shuffle. BIG mistake. These cards were like bricks fresh out the box. Couldn’t bend them properly without feeling like they’d snap. Heard this awful cracking sound – freaked me out! Aborted the bridge shuffle fast. Switched to just gently pushing chunks together, overhand style. Felt clumsy and awkward as heck. Took like five minutes just to get them kinda mixed. Definitely not the smooth, zen shuffle I imagined. My fingers were already tired.
First Card Pull & The Glare War
Took a deep breath, cut the deck, and pulled the top card. Okay, Five of Cups. Instantly distracted. That beautiful gilded edge? Yeah, it acted like a tiny mirror in my lamp light. Massive glare right across the central figure on the card! Had to tilt the card all over the dang place to actually see the artwork without getting blinded. Moved my lamp, tilted my head… felt like playing Twister just to read the card. Ended up squinting to make out the details under the shiny assault. Kinda ruined the moment I was hoping for. The imagery itself was lovely once I fought past the shine, but seriously?
Adapting & Making It Work
Fine, needed a new approach. Decided:
- For shuffling: Forget bridge shuffling for now. Gotta just keep doing those gentle overhand shuffles or maybe pile shuffles till they loosen up. Patience is key, even if it feels slow.
- For reading: Lighting is CRUCIAL. My bright desk lamp directly overhead? Disaster. Found softer light from the side works way better to avoid the glare bomb. Diffused daylight seems good too.
- For handling: These cards demand a lighter touch. No aggressive maneuvers. Just slow, deliberate handling.
Tried another one-card pull in the softer light. Much better! Saw the details properly. They’re still stiff as boards, but hey, practice and patience. Gonna keep breaking them in gently. The artwork really is stunning once you fight past the new deck challenges and adjust your lighting. Frustrating start, but promising. Just gotta adapt my usual rhythm.
