Hello, Beauties! After seriously immersing myself in writing last week, I can happily report that the guidebook is finished! I’ve already placed an order with the printer and I expect the proofs to arrive within the next couple of days.

The final guidebook length is 98 pages–much closer to my original estimate.  I cut out a bit during the editing process and decided not to elaborate as much on the history and use of tarot; I made this choice because I believe that it’s much better if a newcomer reads a high-quality tarot book rather than relies on the paltry few pages commonly offered in guidebooks. If you’re new to tarot and you’d like to learn more, I recommend 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack and Tarot 101 by Kim Huggens.

Speaking of newbies, I’d like to take this opportunity to provide a little info about the nature of gilded (or shimmering gold) edging: it’s made by crushing gold-toned plates into a very fine powder which is then applied to the card edges using very high pressure and heat. The effect is absolutely stunning, so I knew from the get-go that the Genius Garden Tarot would be gilded. Because of the nature of gilded edging and the process through which it’s created, however, the edging on gilded decks is naturally more delicate than the edging on decks without it.

If you’re like tarot maven Benebell Wen, you enjoy how gilded edging matures with time and use. To see what that looks like, read Benebell’s blog post.

If you’d rather take measures to reduce wear and tear on your deck, this “gentle shuffling” tutorial will show you how:

Regardless of where you fall on the continuum, I’d still advise against shuffling your deck harshly. This includes bending the card stock beyond its flexibility point, slamming the cards against each other, scraping or tapping your fingernails against the card backs, or bridging the deck as these practices will likely damage it. 

That being said, the only way to keep your deck (and its edges) pristine is to never use it. If you use your deck, minor scratching and/or gilding fall-out will occur–it’s all part of your dance with the cards!

This is likely my last update until the decks arrive (I’m so excited I could burst!). If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or message me directly!

Much Love, 

Jessi