Help! I’m suffering from tarot malaise!

Hi all!

I’m having a bit of a tarot-related crisis: lately I’ve become bored with tarot reading (!!!), or perhaps restless is a better word. Not bored exactly, but I don’t have the same spark of enthusiasm when it comes to reading as I used to. All of my readings seem flat lately; before, my readings seemed to be like a conversation between myself and the cards, if that makes any sense. It was all just so much fun! Now, it’s almost as if my intuition has been turned off.

At first I thought I was bored with the decks I’ve been using: the Radiant Rider Waite, the 1JJ Swiss, and occasionally the International Icon. I love each of these decks just so much, so I didn’t think that was it, but I dug into my large box of decks anyway. Not surprisingly, I really didn’t find any other deck that sparked that old enthusiasm either.

I love working with the cards, and I cannot list the number of ways they’ve helped me over the years. I want to recharge my interest in them, so to speak. I know this has happened to other people (I remember reading threads about this, but I couldn’t find them).

I had thought to put my decks away and try reading with oracles exclusively for a while to mix things up a bit. Or maybe buying a new deck, a deck I never thought to own in a system I’m not quite used to, to give myself a bit of a challenge (I was specifically thinking of a Minchiate deck here, which would deffinately be different).

I also tried re-evaluating why I read tarot cards, and who I read them for, and that was a very useful but didn’t help me sort this situation out. My answers to these questions haven’t changed recently, so what happened? Why did my readings get so flat and lifeless?

Any suggestions? If this has happened to you, what did you end up doing?

Hi I know how you feel, they are telling you that you need to rest from reading, and you need to do something else until their rested same with you, it will come back its just a cosmic message telling you "REST" I have had overload, so basically its not just you I think if someone reads so much for so long it gets dull, breaks are a wonder and when you come back you will have the same zest, so dont worry its not only you. Hope that helped.

Serpenta

Hi Serpenta,

I was afraid that would be the advice. I love reading, I don't want to take a break. But I'm afraid that is what the cards are telling me. Take a break, come back to them renewed. Which is not exactly what I want to do, but maybe it is what I need to do.

Thanks for your advice!

Hi, your welcome for the advice, I know how you feel. I learned it needs to happen sometimes, after awhile it will be normal, you both need the break. Hope soon you will feel better.

Serpenta

(((bleuivy)))

To be honest I think a little break would be not such a bad idea. But that is not what you want. Then why not change the accent a bit? Perhaps you can spend some more time to astrology, or kabalah, I Ching or herbs etc. There is so much out there and there is so much to learn from. But still... if you don't spend so much time on tarot as you used to you will find you have more time for friends, family, petanimals, gardening, going outdoors, nature, sports and anything else. You would be amazed how much energy that will give and how it will contribute to your readings in future. Well, at least it helped me a lot. Why not give it a try, nothing to lose, and who knows what will inspire you! I wish you all the best and if I can think of something else I will sure let you know.
Warm blessings, Elisa

I change the way I use cards, that can help.

Sometimes I'll look at books like "Tarot Tells the Tale" and think of which deck might suggest an interesting story. I like to use the Secrets Tarot for this. The characters are curious. The small mini-cards are interesting to use.

Sometimes I'll remember a movie I like and wonder if I can storyboard the scenes. For sci-fi, the Ananda Tarot works for me...for romantic mystery, strangely, again the Secrets Tarot works well for me.

If I was doing a kid's story, I'd use Trevisan's Renaissance Tarot, the new mini one (very pretty and all the meanings are in the tiny booklet, just like the larger deck)...

I sometimes will carry one of those study decks where I only get to read bits and pieces of the book...my favorite for this is the Egyptien Tarot with book (Lo Scarabeo)...

Or I'll just write in my journal and not do tarot readings...but it's comforting to have a mini deck nearby just in case. A few times I've taken the small deck on a coffee-shop me and cards and checkbook/bills date and if I really don't feel like reading, at least my bills get paid and my checkbook gets balanced. Usually after a quick half-hour of this, I can also feel it would be a treat to do a reading instead!

Or you might want to write poetry and use a tarot card as a prompt or scribble notes about your day and say to yourself...I just talked to friend X...for her, it was a two-of-swords kind of day...for me, it was a three-of-cups time, remembering...just some ideas.

But if not, maybe enjoy a break...gardening, walking, sketching, reading good books or watching movies...and when you feel inclined, likely the cards will feel 'beckoning' again...

Have a wonderful 'break' if you decide that works,

Cerulean

Yes take a Short break.

I use to take LONG breaks. Months at a time when i got Board or lost the spark u spoke about. But now i got 2 new decks it added to fun to do a reading. Plus now i got a Little Online Bizz going on so yea i gotta read
(ALOT!)

Hi Elisa,

You're right: a break would probably be a good idea, but it isn't what I want to do right now. Your suggestions are great - change the accent. I like that. I had thought to do that by using a different type of tarot (the Minchiate) or oracles, but your suggestions work too. I know nothing about I Ching, for example.

I've taken breaks from tarot reading in the past, and my readings actually improved when I got back to it!

Thanks for your suggestions!

Hi bleuivy,
Taking a break is a sound advice. I am pretty sure lots of us have suffered similar crises (there are several threads about this subject out there), so don't worry.

In case you cannot without a deck, take one with you, play with it, don't try to read with it, just look at the cards, shove them on the table, maybe some nice spreads will result from it.

((((bleuivy))))

Cerulean, your suggestions are excellent!

Honestly, I think that those things are exactly what my tarot reading has been missing lately - creativity. I posted about how the cards seem flat and lifeless. Maybe it's just because I only use them in the same way again and again. Your suggestions are priceless.

I think I'm not quite ready to commit myself to a "break" just yet. I think I'm going to try changing the accent first. I Ching maybe, or trying other creative uses of tarot cards like the ones you list. I love the suggestion of storyboarding films with them, or writing in my journal. Writing poetry or short stories based on tarot also sounds like fun.

Basically, I think I need to shake it up a bit and get creative.

Ooooh, all of a sudden tarot cards seem fun again!