Do cards carry "energy" from reading to reading?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Oct 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Fuzzmello	30 Oct 2002
In another thread about re-ordering the cards after a reading, one of the posts had this interesting notion: "I was under the impression that energies produced from previous readings could skew the results of current readings if the cards were not brought back to an arbitrarily ordered state. To put it more simply, doesn't it make sense that leaving cards shuffled could concievably "queer" a reading even more than if you reordered them?" My personal belief is that it's the universe itself that carries this energy and that it's not possible to separate it from anything else. The "charge of energy" we notice is just that IMO; our noticing an accumulation of energy. Anyway, do the cards hold some kind of remnant energy betrayed by the way they arrange themselves in spreads from one reading to the next? Fuzz

Talisman	30 Oct 2002
'Lo Fuzz, I believe the cards carry energy from one reading to the next only if you think they do. Talisman

DarkElectric	30 Oct 2002
Hi Fuzz! There are probably as many opinions on this as there are people on this forum. It might actually have to do with the manner in which you read, like, do you let your querents handle the cards, or not. I want to get as accurate a read as possible, so when I am one on one with someone (a live reading, not online or phone) I ask them to hold the cards themselves, and blend their personal energies with the energy of the cards. Since they are physically touching them, I believe that they transfer their "nergies" into them, and this in turn personalises the reading for them. Subsequently, I clear my cards out after each live reading I do. I'm fortunate to have a dear witchly friend, who is skilled in the art of incense making. She created a tarot card cleansing incense, just for me. I have a big bag of the stuff, and that's what I use to clear my cards after live readings. That, and I shuffle them really well. For online, or phone readings, I usually just do the shuffle well thing, since the querent hasn't physically touched the cards. But I clear them out with the incense anyway, at the end of the night, or whenever I'm all done. Hope this helps, It works for me!

Indigo	30 Oct 2002
Sometimes if I've been doing a really involved reading for someone else (or multiple readings on a similar subject), I'll arrange the cards in order and burn some cleansing incense. But... I'm not sure if it's to cleanse the cards or just to clear my own head. Then again, is any spiritual practice to manipulate outside energy, or one's own thoughts?

Mystica	30 Oct 2002
BTW DarkElectric, any chance your friend would be interested in selling some of her cleansing incense?

Umbrae	30 Oct 2002
I must state once again; there are a lot of superstitions perpetrated by folks who tend to believe that magic, lies outside of the human – a thing apart; and that the cards themselves are magic. Magic – lies within – the oracular device of the day, be they Tarot cards, Rune stones, or toothpicks are merely tools, which allow you to tap into the inner workings of the soul – nothing more, nothing less. Tarot cards are simply rectangles of cardboard and ink – it is what they become when they enter your head through your eyes. In your head, they become potent. Perhaps the cards do retain a hint of the last person. But the next person removes it (if such a thing does occur). In all my years reading, I have never reordered, cleansed, purified, set out in moonlight, any deck. Listen, The magic of the world is far simpler than anyone can imagine, unless they have already danced to the music. Do not dance to something that is not real. As ye believe, so shall you do. If you believe the magic comes from ‘out there’ and is separate…your readings will be less than. If you understand that the magic comes from within – your readings will be magic – and you can go an entire evening and never touch your deck…just read as it is passed from sitter to sitter… ...And be ready for anything.

HOLMES	30 Oct 2002
superstitins aside :O) i find that when i read my tarot for differnt clients in the same day that i have to use differnt decks as either my mind if preset with the previous readings looking for recurring in the cards subscounsiouly. or the card themselves like you said fuzz hold an energy which still pick up . only thing i do to break up the energye is run the cards through my hand charkas light and break the cards up into two or three packs. i do let my clients hold the cards as i believe i read their energy and their spirit guides energy in the cards. on line readings i still us differnt decks as the norm as i shuffle with my left believing it as the reciever hand recieve the universal mind energies to give me something to go on. otherwise for me the tarot becomes pieces of cardboards... however even cardboards can hold energy of the prevous person.

Alissa	30 Oct 2002
Overall, I weigh in with Umbrae on this one myself. I do nothing to cleanse my decks, but I do like the querent to touch the cards. On one level, it gets them involved into the reading and paying attention (i.e. sets their minds to listening). On another level, I do think they can influence the cards and their reading by being involved and contributing their personal energies. But I don't do anything to smudge or clean my decks. Every now and then i put them back in order from majors to suits, but that's more for me than it is for them. :D I do keep several crystals and other semi precious gemstones in the tarot bags I have, and these do have a reputation to cleanse and purify. I don't have them there for that purpose, so much as I tend to anthropomorphize my Cards and I like the idea that the crystals can keep Them company between uses.

Talisman	30 Oct 2002
'Lo all, Alissa said, "I tend to anthropomorphize my Cards . . ." Me too. I know -- but the cards are only cards -- that every shuffle I've made and every spread I've layed is still in the deck. If I've never reordered them. If I scorn others silly predilections, and I do, and invent my own rituals as I go along, and turn up a snooty nose at other people's "superstitions," well, perhaps that's just another way of "focusing." But I suspect, one way or another, to really tap the non-source, in some way you have to do what Umbrae suggested and "feel the wood -- REALLY FEEL THE WOOD." (Gosh, go somewhere and look up his toothpick thingy.) So, like Alissa, "I tend to anthropomorphize my Cards ." Talisman

The Do cards carry "energy" from reading to reading? thread was originally posted on 30 Oct 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.