Does trimming your cards make you read better?

Just out of sheer curiosity:
do you feel trimming your cards make you read better, or makes reading easier (except for the visual improvement trimming gives)?

Today I've just trimmed my two first decks, after stumbling across a post about trimming cards. I had never thought of that and thought it was a bold and brillant idea! I knew I just hád to do that too.
I did my Golden Tarot (I know, I know, some people are totally against 'ruining the golden', but I very much needed to free myself from those muddy beige rims plus numbers/words - and mind you, this is my favorite deck), and the Voyager deck. Only need to buy a corner rounder to finish the job, maybe seal the edges (or gilt them -> GOLDEN Tarot right...).

Both turned out lovely until thusfar, especially the Voyager deck. I had it sitting in the closet, collecting dust, for a year or two now. Although I loved the pictures, I hated the key words and the combination with the normal tarot numbers/names, it was very limiting and also confusing (since Mr Wanless uses his ówn system, so for example three of crystals = three of swords, had the keyword creativity on it... come on!).
I also thought the border dulled the pictures somewhat, plus the deck was way too big too handle. I didn't give it away, because I found it a beautiful deck, but didn't read with it either, which I found a pity.
But now: so gorgeous without those rims and words, like little pieces of artwork! Real gems, I so enjoy them. And so easy to handle in this smaller size!

I've already played a bit with the cards, and boy, what a difference it makes not having borders and words and numbers guiding (or annoying) you.
I feel it gives me more freedom. The act of trimming them felt freeing in itself... As if I was getting rid of certain reading limitations. I hope it will show in my reading skill too, I expect I'll develop my intuitive skills more this way.

How about you all? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

I think I've trimmed 4 or 5 decks now, all were improved by it. But not all decks need it that have borders.

I've really wondered about the Golden though (Kat Black, right?)
That gosh awful white spot where the numbers are, what were they thinking. I've tried 4 different markers to blend it in, no dice, won't stay because of the lamination. It isn't a deck I want to trim. I'd never say never though.

edited to add, hasn't made a lick's worth of difference in my reading ability, only time and practice has made improvments apparent.

It makes the cards even more of a joy to look at and work with. Sometimes it helps me to look at them more closely in order to figure out what card I'm looking at because I don't have the crutch or distraction of the words, so I find it more easy to concentrate on the details of the cards. I think it does help me use less "air energy" (logic and rote knowledge) and more "cup energy" (intuition and imagination), which is part of my goal with trimming.

I've trimmed a few decks and it didn't help me to read any better with them. What has helped, though, is just lots and lots and lots of study and practice with several decks over the years.

What has helped the most is to learn to just read the cards in my own way and not try to memorize everything everyone else does and copy it. I did do that at first, though. I thought there was a right way and a wrong way and I kept switching decks, trimming decks, searching for "THE ONE" deck. Finally I got over all that and now I relax and read the cards as they appear before me.

I don't trim decks anymore and whenever I see people talking about having done it, I just cringe. Poor, poor decks! LOL

I woundn't think of trimming my deck.

I love trimming decks

The large (green box) Thoth is my favorite. The Druidcraft... the images are released from their border "bondage." I'm currently eyeing up my Wise Woman's Tarot (wouldn't an elongated oval card shape be COOL?) and believe it or not, the Bohemian Gothic Silver that I just got. I love the fact it doesn't have borders, but I'm not feeling it for the titles at the bottom (so it would be really easy and fast). I also think the Llewellyn Tarot would be spectacular with a trim.

I don't have the courage to trim an OOP deck though - I can only proceed confidently when I know that if I screw up, I can get a replacement


valeria

I've trimmed several of my decks, especially the ones with the most obtrusive keywords. But I'm a very language oriented left brain person and I found that I tended to just read the name of the card and work from that without looking at the picture. So for me, trimming is a way to circumvent my left brain and force me to actually look at the card. But it's possible that I might have reached that stage eventually without trimming anyway, I don't know.
Anyway, I'd say: trimming in itself doesn't make you read better, but for people like me, it may be a necessary although not sufficient condition for actually improving your learning. It takes away external obstacles, but it doesn't add internal skills.

I agree that trimming itself probably won't make you the world's best reader, as if it's magic.
I never thought of trimming, although I oftentimes wished for a borderless deck, even with the Golden Tarot (which I find really really beautiful, but at first didn't like the beige borderds and stark white text boxes, it does grow on you though). But when I first read about it, it was like: 'Wow, people just actually do that? Why didn't I think of that?'
The Voyager I'd probably never really use, but now it's like a total new deck.
And the Golden Tarot visually doesn't need any trimming, it's fine as is (and yes, I do have a spare), however, I think Mariana best sums it up.
Personally I am a very language oriented person too (I'm a writer), and it's hard to get past that and let the images guide me (I'm also very visually oriented, but words are the things I notice first) . The words and numbers, even if it just says XV The Devil, act like keywords in my case, and it's hard for me to just ignore them. So a little snip snip was needed. Now I háve to let the images guide me (even though I know every card by its number and name, the words don't act as obtrusively as before), and must say that that does give different readings.
Thanks for all the answers!

I think it depends on the deck.

For my Druidcraft it did, but those cards begged to be trimmed...they're gigantic. I also lopped of the titles, too, though, which is odd for me. But it made them instantly more 'open.'

I also had to do it with the Druid...I could not shuffle them!

But they look a lot better without trim also...I love them the way they are...
I can focus better on the images and they are easy to use...

that is the only deck I have trimmed but it is something I might do again ...

xoxoox
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