I've had to curb my Kickstarter backing, but I'm still tempted by the occasional deck by friends/creators.
One such deck was the Star Seeker Oracle by Nicky Ferrada. Nicky is one of my "go to" readers/creators - there is a pure beauty to everything she does, and I adore the Star Seeker Tarot...even more in the pocket edition. So I had to get this one...and noticed something about my own practice as I did...
I shuffle decks in a way Mark Ryan taught me when I had a reading with him - I've adapted it a bit over the years to change the layout due to the table space I have available...but the way it goes is that I deal cards into seven piles to separate them out and then shuffle them as well on top.
But I'd never given much thought to the layout until I did the same with the Star Seeker Oracle. It's a key...tiny change formed by a logistical need, but it means that every reading, every spread, every interaction I have with a deck always start with a key, like I'm unlocking the messages within the deck.
The deck itself is lovely, really good to read with, and also pairs brilliantly (unsurprisingly) with the Star Seeker Tarot.
I'll be incorporating it into my own client readings very soon!