new cards and if there is any specific....

bella71

Heya im new to tarot and i was just wondering if there was anything specific you have to do when you first open your deck, like clean them or something, it sounds silly i know but my sister has put a fear in me because i bought my own cards and she said that it was bad luck to buy your own. Can anyone advice me please. Thankyou Bella
 

memries

No. no it is not bad luck to buy your own cards. As you go through life buy yourself lots of good things, like flowers, jewellery, good stuff you like !
We do we always have to wait for other people to buy things for us ?
I would just play with them for a while, make sure they are all there and shuffle them. What kind did you buy ?
Lots of sites on here for different types of cards. I am sure someone else will answer you as well. Happy Taroting.

P.S. There are many people on here from Australia !
 

HudsonGray

If we didn't buy them for ourselves most of the people on this list wouldn't even have their first deck yet, so don't buy into an old myth. That's all it is, really.

Play with them, handle them, get to know them. Don't listen to old wives tales. There are no rules in this. You learn as you go and stick with what feels right, not what's being pushed on you for fear.
 

Brock Johnson

I am once again backing up Hudson Gray's wise words. I bought all of my decks except one which was a gift but at that time, it was deck#5. In fact, I just ordered 5 more decks tonight! Don't be afraid of the little tales that people like to tell to get a cheap thrill out of.

If you are just starting, it's probably best starting with a classic like Rider-Waite or Thoth or many of the 'clones' of these. Thoth might be too hard for a beginner but the two I mentioned are very well known in the tarot world and you can find help about either almost anywhere you go.

Good luck with the tarot,

Brock Johnson
 

full deck

Please try reading this: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/faq.shtml

This contains useful information for people new to Tarot.

One does not need to clean cards unless they are dirty too.

Guys, I'm really beginning to believe that some sort of super FAQ needs to be mandatory that people must read and check off on before they directly post in the forums; a super FAQ that includes the many common myths about Tarot and its usage and — yes — it should have some depth to it so as to counter the incredible amount of superstition that one keeps running into in more than a few threads. What is currently in the FAQ is not enough.
 

Michael

To backup what the others say, it's not bad luck to buy your own cards. :)

You could spend time just shuffling your deck, look at each card and maybe even meditate on them. There are no rules. What works for you is correct. :)

Michael
 

Sophie

Hi Bella! Welcome to Aeclectic. You joined on my birthday :D

Echoing what others have said about buying your own cards - I certainly did (nearly a decade ago) and so have most people here. No bad luck so far!

As for what to do with them - the most important is to get to know them. Go through them, look at them, one by one. Maybe jot down your first impressions, group the cards that have a similar look (not only in the same suits), pick out details that strike you, decide those that draw you, those that repel you, that kind of thing. Don't rush - enjoy. Tarot is an intimate occupation and it takes time and effort until your deck becomes a part of you. At its best, getting to know a deck of cards is like getting to know a new friend. You treat it well, with respect and learn to see it truly, it will reward you more and more.

Enjoy! And don't listen to those who put fear in you. Tarot is a gift you have given to your highest Self :)
 

le fey

I think there's potential for a lot of power in selecting and paying for your own deck! It's the initial transaction of energy - you give, you get.

As for how to first handle that new deck, I have never done much other than glance through the cards (I'm learning from this forum to always make sure there are no cards missing!) and shuffle until they start to feel comfortable.

I just picked up Mary K. Greer's "21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card" and she makes a suggestion that I think I'm going to incorporate as a way to break open a new deck - go through the deck and say the name of each card out loud as you turn it over. It has the practical effect of making sure they're all there, and I like the idea of speaking the name to the air. That idea 'feels' right to me (I'm drawn to the idea of little rituals, but most that I've heard of don't sound like something I could do without a lot of intent effort - this one feels entirely natural to me. We get a new 'baby', we name it, right? It's just seems like a good greeting for what I hope will become a good relationship)

But there are no must-dos or oogabooga bad luck ways of dealing with your cards. Well... maybe not take them into the tub with you, because they might get wet...
 

Brock Johnson

I will have to agree with you full deck about the super FAQ. I have seen a lot of repeat threads just out of the week and a half or so that I've been here. For that reason, I have looked far and wide on the website before I post a fact question. If it is an opinion question, usually I'll just post it unless there is something similar already.

Bella, another thing some people do (I don't) is pass each card over a candle or through incense smoke.

There are other things people do but it isn't mandatory at all. I usually like to do a reading as soon as it is out of the box anyway :D

Brock