Okay so last Tuesday I finally got around to testing this Victorian Tarot thing everyone’s buzzing about. Honestly? I was kinda skeptical at first. Old cards, fancy pictures, felt like maybe just a historical curiosity, you know? But curiosity won out – figured, why not give it a real shot?
Digging Out My Dusty Deck
First step: finding the darn deck. Knew I had one buried somewhere from a flea market haul years back. Rummaged through my “mystic stuff” box (mostly gathering dust, no big whoop). Finally found it underneath a chipped crystal and some half-burnt incense. The box art was faded, super ornate, looked like a lady in a giant gown staring dramatically. Classic Victorian drama. Felt surprisingly heavy.
Setting the Vibe (Not Just Lighting Candles)
Didn’t just want to flip cards on the kitchen counter. Wanted to try it proper, see what the fuss was. Cleared my little reading table. Lit my least smoky candle – learned that lesson before! Put on some quiet, kinda melancholic classical music I found online (no words, just piano plinking away). Took a few deep breaths, tried to quiet the brain chatter about laundry and emails. Was harder than it sounds.
The First Shuffle Felt Weirdly… Ceremonial?
Opened the box. Cards felt thick, stiff. Not slippery like modern ones. They smelled faintly of old paper and maybe attic? Started shuffling. Real clumsy at first, kept dropping cards everywhere like a newbie dealer. Took my time, focusing on a simple question: “What energy should I be aware of right now?” No big life crisis question, just testing the waters. Felt kinda awkward, like talking to myself.
Laying Out the Cards: Okay, This Got Visual
Chose a super basic three-card spread: Past, Present, Future. Felt manageable. Placed them face down one by one on the tablecloth. My heart was beating a little faster, gotta admit. Maybe it was the anticipation, maybe the quiet focus felt intense. Flipped the first card – “Past”: The Hermit. Picture of an old guy with a lantern on a mountain. Huh. Made me think of last year, totally isolating myself after that freelance project bombed. Felt oddly spot-on, but maybe coincidence?
Flipped the “Present” card: Six of Cups. Two kids sharing flowers near a cottage. Instant childhood memory flash – playing with my sister in our grandma’s garden. Felt weirdly warm and nostalgic. Prompted me to actually call her later that day. Big surprise there.
“Future” card: Ace of Pentacles. A hand holding a bright gold coin. Felt… prosperous? Solid? Honestly didn’t have major cashflow hopes brewing, but it did make me think about a neglected savings plan.
So, Why Bother? My Honest Takeaways
Here’s the kicker. It wasn’t about fortune-telling. More like:
- Slowed me way down. You have to focus just to shuffle properly and look at the pictures. Forget rushing.
- Sparkled my imagination hard. Those Victorian images? Packed with details – flowers, animals, weird symbols. They triggered thoughts and feelings modern decks just… don’t, for me. It wasn’t abstract symbols, it was scenes.
- Felt like connecting dots. Seeing those three cards laid out made my brain draw connections between feeling isolated (Hermit), missing simple connections (Six of Cups), and maybe needing to build something tangible (Ace of Pentacles). Was it mystical guidance? Dunno. Felt like useful internal reflection though.
- Visually different = Mentally different. Using something so old and distinct shifted my perspective immediately. Broke the routine.
Bottom line? Trying Victorian Tarot felt less like a “reading” and more like a really focused, visual meditation prompt using antique art. Didn’t predict any lottery numbers, but it gave me surprising personal insights just by making me look and feel differently. Worth dusting off that old deck? For a different kind of inner look? Hell yeah. Just grab any Victorian deck, set a quiet 10 minutes, and see what pops into your head when you flip a card. No pressure, just see what sticks.
