tarot burnout recovery

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

truthsayer	21 Sep 2003
i set most of my decks and tarot books aside in a shed beside the house in june. we were doing major house cleaning and needed room. i had been collecting hard and heavy for over a year and i was feeling burned out on tarot. there also weren't any new decks out that interested me. i did keep out my hanson roberts for general readings. i kept coming to AT and moderating. i stopped trading any decks. new decks that interested me began coming out but i resisted temptation. i did carry out a couple of trades and my interest stirred. i decided i had to have the mari-el, artists inner vision, tarot of prague and golden tarot. first decks that have interested me in months other than tarot of the crone. i was beginning to miss them particularly when a discussion was being held on a certain deck but it was a lot of trouble to find one deck in the midst of over 100. yesterday i had to go through my shed to make room for stuff from the camper that got destroyed in the hurricane. i discovered my decks again! it was like christmas. now i plan to make room in the house so i can pick up decks and look through them when we discuss them here. certain decks stir certain fond memories like fun trades or prior discussions. i also have a few deck trades in the works for the OZ, stargate, mermaid, etc. decks are becoming a source of excitement to me again. i'm glad i didn't trade away my babies while i was feeling burned out. anyone else ever go thru something like this?

Astraea	21 Sep 2003
Yes, I've experienced several periods like this and each time I return to tarot I think, "whatever could have possessed me to lose interest in these beauties?" I liken it to the process of metabolism: we obtain a deck, integrate it into our experience, assimilate its beauty and meaning, and then we are satisfied for awhile (until the next craving comes along).

nexyjo	21 Sep 2003
yes, most definately. i put away all my tarot stuff for over a year, and just recently got back into it. it's like the hnaged man - a new perspective. the excitement and enthusiasm has returned. i did buy one deck during my "vacation", though it's not a tarot deck. the goddesses knowledge cards, by susan seddon boulet. what beautifully rendered artwork! i also bought her book, which shows many of the cards in full size. other than that though, i hadn't even pulled a card of the day. now, i'm back into it, full speed, and happy that i took the rest.

wavebreaker	21 Sep 2003
As often when I start something new, I overdid a bit when first starting with tarot... ;) I bought loads of decks, didn't even have time to get to know them, let alone read with them, was doing a lot of readings for other people to practise etc. And it turned out to be too much, so I took a long break, during which I hardly did any readings at all, just a few for myself. And I went through my tarot collection and got rid of the decks that I bought at a whim and didn't like anymore. Right now, I'm very slowly getting back into it... ;)

fairyhedgehog	21 Sep 2003
I seem to have hit a lull at the moment - maybe after all the excitement of Glastonbury. So it was encouraging to think that it probably won't last :)

darwinia	21 Sep 2003
Yes, most definitely. I like the way you refer to them as your babies, I'm like that with mine which is also the way I treat my books. I don't trade too often but I recently traded a deck with someone here for The Flower Speaks, and it's turned out to be a lovely little deck for me with more significance than I thought. I bought the Thoth and then got interested in the Parrott tarot because of it, so I have that on order, and I've been waiting for The Golden Tarot for over a year so it's now on backorder at the store for me until the deck is published. I also have mail ordered the lovely Gita deck. But the others I own I use regularly at least for meditation, so if I'm in a burnout period I might take them out and look through them all to feel that joy. I LOVED the way you mentioned the happiness that fun trades have brought you, I find the same with the few decks and books I've traded for.

Logiatrix	22 Sep 2003
I can especially relate to tarotlady... I got in over my head with collecting, felt burnout hugely, then finally decided to get rid of most of my decks. Now I'm back at being enthusiastic about tarot. I'm happier being focused on a few absolute favorite decks, rather than trying to extend my energy over the 150+ decks I had amassed. I've decided to be a wonderfully gifted card reader, not a deck collector. Right now, at least, I cannot handle both. :)

wavebreaker	22 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Tauni I'm happier being focused on a few absolute favorite decks, rather than trying to extend my energy over the 150+ decks I had amassed. And here was I thinking I was already overdoing it with 20+ decks... :D

catlin	22 Sep 2003
I felt a kind of burn out concerning readings. 2 weeks ago I had the feeling that my reading ability has gone (it happended amidst a reading!!) but strangely enough, when the next querent arrived (at first he was an extremely unwelcoming guy with a lot of frustration and anger oozing from him), my reading "flow" came back and I did a spendid reading on this man. He was deeply moved and suddenly all his anger and frustration seemed to have gone.

Jen	22 Sep 2003
I can totally relate to T.B.S (Tarot Burnout Syndrom). When I first got into Tarot I went over the top, spending all my free time reading Tarot books and buying decks - hoping to find "the one". When I first started, I couldn't stand the artwork of the RW deck, so I decided to go with the Osho Zen Tarot as my first deck, it was pretty challenging for me. Then I went on to buying lots of other decks - only to find I had no rapore with them as soon as I got them home, yet still trying to read with them. I later decided to get into the Thoth, which created a very strange and somewhat uncomfortable energy within me. I thought I would love it, because I've always been into the "deep stuff". But it just wasn't right for me. To make a very long Tarot story short - I gave up all Tarot related things for 8 months. My interest had totally left me. My decks and books sat on the shelf collecting dust. People would ask me, "Do you read cards?" I'd reply, "I used to. But I don't anymore." Fast forward 8 months. Out of nowhere the entoxicating wind of Tarot blew through my hair, smelling of soft and beautiful flowers. I ran to my decks, flipping through them all . Not a single one spoke to me. I knew my energy had changed significantly since my last tarot phase. Most of my decks seemed dark and cold. As I was sifting through Aeclectic one day, I silently told my angels, "I wish you guys would help me find the deck that's right for me." One day later I found it and you'll never guess what deck it is - The Whimiscal Tarot! Before this new phase of my life I would have totally written this deck off. I would have considered it too light and not serious enough. This deck totally speaks to me or maybe I should say my inner child. To me, the energy of this deck is light and airy. One of my favorite sayings from Dianna Cooper is this: "Remember, angels fly because they take themselves lightly." That's what this deck says to me. Life is more fun when we take ourselves lightly. So, to anyone who's currently experiencing T.B.S. Hang in there. It will pass. Channel your creative energy into a new hobbie and most likely you'll come back to tarot when the time is right for you. :-)

Khatruman	22 Sep 2003
I understand where you are coming from, truth... and I think I am in the period from which you are just emerging. I came on heavy and intense in tarot for about nine months. Then, this summer, I needed to break off. It wasn't a conscious decision, but more of an instinctual thing. I was also getting some tough responses from someone who's opinion I highly valued, so I told myself I needed to step back and take stock. I haven't come out of it yet, which is partially a practicality, since school has changed significantly this year and I need all the time I can find to sort out the new year and get on track. I know the itch will come, and I anticipate that Christmas feeling of unfolding will arrive. I think it is a healthy thing, to step back and take a break in any deep study that reaches to the soul. I am calling it cocooning (yes, I am making a verb out of a noun... I can do it, I am an English teacher })). It lets ideas compost and become fertile in the mind. A few people have sent wonderful, tactful messages wondering if I am ok. It is heartening to know that I had at least a little significance to people here, and I know I will be back with both barrels loaded soon enough...:D

nexyjo	22 Sep 2003
wouldn't that be "cocooning"?

Khatruman	23 Sep 2003
Quote: Originally posted by nexyjo wouldn't that be "cocooning"? Whoops... spelled it correctly in the subject line, but not in the text... arrgghhh, and I an English teacher also... :(... thanks, for the correction!!

The tarot burnout recovery thread was originally posted on 21 Sep 2003 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.