I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Thursday, November 17, 2016

New Deck - Elements of Recovery

          So here's my labor of love that I've been working on - Elements of Recovery. Next month, I will have been in recovery for 29 years. One thing that breaks my heart is to see people come into a 12 Step group, read the word "God" throughout all the literature (and hear it in the meetings), and leave; they assume this is another religious group that they don't fit in because they don't share these beliefs. I want people to find hope and health without feeling like they must find religion. As a friend who is a retired Episcopal priest often says, we all have to dig our own well to find the underground water. So this deck and booklet is my effort to take out the religious jargon and present the basic elements of recovery as I see them. My goal is to sell these at cost - a sort of 'pay it forward' kind of thing. The first batch of 12 will likely go to local folks, but I'm also trying to figure out the cheapest way to get these to my international friends. My cost for the set is $16 ($12 for the deck, $4 for the booklet). I am thinking of setting up a page at Printer Studio for people to order the deck directly and then I could send an attachment of what's in the booklet. I'd love to get some feedback on this. The booklet has 43 pages and is 8.5 x 7 inches (see below for what is written for card one). The cards are 2.25 x 3.5 inches, come in a plastic case, and are printed on Printer Studio's regular card stock. There are 30 cards, plus one title card and four blank cards. The honeycomb pattern is what is on the backs.

1. PowerlessnessCat paw holding down a rat’s tail

          No one likes to feel powerless, yet everyone is powerless over something. The natural laws that govern this physical world are an example. Can you stop yourself from aging? Suppose you get tossed out of an airplane – can you suspend gravity? Of course there are ways we try to get around those laws, such as cosmetics or parachutes. But our ideas and innovations are never 100% reliable; at some point they fail. And although they do, we still keep trying use those same ‘faulty parachutes’ (also known as harmful habits). Why? Because for a period of time our unhealthy habit brought us pleasure, distraction or relaxation, and we don’t want to give that up. However the reality is that what used to be a help has now become a hindrance, creating considerable problems and insignificant benefits.  We’re left feeling stressed and anxious instead of content and peaceful.  Yet being powerless doesn’t mean we are hopeless and without options. It’s just that all the options we’ve been able to come up with are no longer useful.

To become honest is in effect to become fully and robustly incarnated into powerlessness. ~ David Whyte

16 comments:

  1. How lovely. Count me in. Thank you for sharing your labor of love and I look forward to placing my order and spending time with your oracle.

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  2. These are wonderful! I would love to be able to order a deck :)

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    1. Thank you! I hope to be able to post ordering information later this month.

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  3. Let me congratulate you with the birth of you beautifl "baby"
    Your are such a creative artist. I love your drawings!!

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    1. Thank you my friend - I consider that high praise since I've seen what you can do artistically. :)

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  4. well done you! don't devalue you effort by giving it away, people don't respect free...

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    1. Well they will still have to pay what it costs me to print them. But in this case, I think if it will just help one person, it would be worth all the work. :)

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  5. The concept of the deck is great (the word God bothers me, too), and your drawings are lovely! I would personally prefer to have the keywords on the cards, as well - perhaps you could offer that as an option?

    The Printer's Studio page sounds like quite a good idea - they have a European branch, so that delivery is normally reasonably fast and not too expensive (plus without the added tax issues I often get buying stuff from the States, and having to pay an added handling fee, too!)

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    1. I appreciate the feedback about the delivery being fast and less expensive through PS. I just sent a deck and booklet in a simple envelop with cardboard inside as protection, and it cost $22.75 - more than what I was sending! I'm not sure about the keywords. :)

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  6. Anything with this many birds has got to be good. I am so proud of you Bev! I know you said you were creating your own art for a deck, but it's the depth of the writing too and the care you have taken that is excellent. I love it when people create decks with their own take on life, their own wisdom.

    It looks like the shipping cost will be too much, but I remain hopeful.

    Really, your perseverance is phenomenal. SO PROUD of you.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words, my friend. I think I will likely create a store at Printer Studio and sell the decks at no mark up there. It would be much cheaper that way. And instead of a booklet, I could just email an attachment like I'm currently doing for the lojong deck. I appreciate your 52 Weeks Challenge that you hosted - it gave me the confidence to do this! :)

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  7. Many congrats to you, dear soulsis! What an amazing labour of love! :) You should be proud as punch! ((((hugs)))) xoxox

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    1. Thank you for your well-wishes dear friend; they mean a lot!

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  8. Thank you SO MUCH for creating these cards! I saw a review on youtube and just purchased the deck via your PrintersStudio page...

    Could you tell me how to access the booklet pdf that comes with it? I know that's where so much of the richness and healing lies....

    I'm SO moved by this project of yours... it's beautiful, and I can't wait for the cards to arrive and start working with them... HUGE LOVE AND GRATITUDE TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!

    My email is: stephaniejmcwilliams@gmail.com - if you might be able to tell me how to get the booklet, or purchase that from you?

    THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! XOOXOXOXO

    Stephanie

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    1. Thank you, Stephanie. :) I appreciate your enthusiasm! I've sent you an email with the booklet attached.

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