Tarot Hand Attire....

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

jakyle	03 Dec 2002
Any fake nails out there? Any HUGE jewelry that you wear while reading the cards? Manicure? Any advice for really dry hands?

Jeanette	03 Dec 2002
I don't wear fake nails or even any nail polish. But, I do try to keep my hands looking nice. I try and keep my nails on the shorter side and keep them filed, cuticles pushed back and especially make sure they're clean (no dirt from the garden!) You can buff your nails, which gives them a nice shiny look. I got a tube of buffing cream and a chamois buffer at a beauty supply store. A beauty supply store will carry lots of other implements and products to help keep your hands looking nice. And don't forget to use hand cream to moisturize them, and if it's cold wear gloves and if you're using harsh detergents use rubber gloves!!

Silverlotus	03 Dec 2002
If I could, I'd like to suggest using something like Udder Cream for a hand cream. It does a great job keeping your hands soft, but it is grease-less, so your cards will stay nice. I'm a cross stitcher as well as a being addicted to Tarot, and I use Udder Cream when I'm stitching to keep my projects clean. Not to sound weird, but I do think it's a very good idea to keep your hands nice. When you are reading for someone else, they are sure to look at your hands while you are laying out the cards. And seeing yucky, dry, cracked hands with awful long fingernails and HUGE! rings is pretty icky IMHO. Yes, I'm one of those people that notices hands. :)

HudsonGray	03 Dec 2002
I do a lot of hand sewing & the fabric just sucks the oils out of my fingers. The udder cream is ok, but sort of greasy. The BEST thing I've found when it's mid-winter & my hands are so dry they're ready to crack is to plunk them in warm water just before bed, dry them off (pat, not scrub) so there's still some moisture on them, then take a gob of vasoline & just rub it into the fingers & backs of your hands. Keep them sort of greasy, and go to bed with them like that. It makes a phenominal difference when you get up the next day & they're all soft & mostly healed. For some reason vasoline helps the healing process a lot faster than any hand cream I've tried.

Linda698	03 Dec 2002
I am going to try the vaseline! I am having real trouble with my hands. They are itchy, dry and cracked. Just as well i'm not good enough to give anyone a reading yet!

mrsjvan	03 Dec 2002
In addition to the vasoline, wear a pair of mittens if you can stand it. Otherwise I find that my pillow case and linens get little oily spots on them and I end up whiping off a lot in my sleep. mrsjvan

Mystica	03 Dec 2002
I went through the acrylic nail stage about 4 or 5 years ago, but they were never super-long. Just a medium length with a French manicure. I do oil painting, and I found it was too much hassle to keep my nails looking nice. The paint, turpentine, etc. was very tough on them. I just keep my nails natural, short and unpolished now. I notice hands too, and I think it's good to try to keep the skin as nice as possible. I'm not really into rings, but I LOVE bracelets! I don't wear the bangle type, wide ones, but I'm always wearing 2 to 3 different, delicate chain bracelets on each wrist. Sometimes with my special favorite, an emerald tennis bracelet, a Christmas gift several years ago.

Jeanette	03 Dec 2002
There's plain cotton gloves that you can wear when you go to bed to keep the vaseline from getting all over. I guess they're the kind people wear in museums and quilt galleries and stuff like that, but I don't know where you get them. I also read a long time ago that if you're nails and nice and you have to go do something dirty, to scrape them along some soap (so it gets all under them). That way, dirt won't get under the nails. I've never tried it, but it sounded like a good idea.

Umbrae	03 Dec 2002
Rings…fewer the better…nothing too large, they detract from the cards – folks will be watching your hands and not paying attention to the reading. Fake nails…no…you are a reader. Everything, your dress, your hair, your nails, and your jewelry should be subtle; and not speak louder than your presence itself. Never cheapen our craft by attempting to dress as a gypsy fortune-teller from 1932, it is 2002.

DeLani	03 Dec 2002
I do have pretty long nails (natural), but I am meticulous about keeping them clean and nice looking. Rarely polish, but I agree about keeping your hands nice when doing readings. It's important; they will be looking at your hands a lot.

truthsayer	03 Dec 2002
i have really dry skin in the winter which is caused by the heating system drying out the air. if you have a vaporizer or something else to add moisture to the air that might help. keeping the heat at a steady but not excessively warm temp helps. try not to take a shower with extremely hot water. it dries the skin. one dermatologist advised me not to take a shower everyday during the winter b/c washing with soap also dries out skin. another source i have found is a severe vitamin B deficiency. after some treatment, mine's back to normal but i do take a B complex supplement. vitamin E oil is also good for dry skin. be sure to keep some kind of lip balm on your lips to keep the moisture in. i don't wear fake nails or huge jewelry. i usually wear my wedding bands and a simple pair of ear rings. occasionally a simple necklace or choker. i dress like i normally do. the only exception is at halloween when wearing a costume is really fun.

HudsonGray	04 Dec 2002
Oh, I forgot about oil supplements to diet! Primrose oil is great, as is flax oil - and both are cheap enough! MUCH better for your system than cod liver oil! Your liver has to work double time on the cod liver, but it passes along vegetable oils much easier. Yes, the right vitamins & supplements can really help once winter hits & we have to deal with all that dry furnace air. I've got a humidifier going occasionally, which does help, but I do recommend taking flax or primrose on the side just for help with the skin. If you can't find light gloves--try gardening gloves, the kind that are only 99 cents or so (cheap, thin, the nubblies on the underside don't hurt anything).

Kiama	04 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Umbrae Rings…fewer the better…nothing too large, they detract from the cards – folks will be watching your hands and not paying attention to the reading. When I was 16, I wore 17 rings on my two hands. Plus chippd black nail-varnish, and, quite often, doodles from the day's scool on the backs of my hands. Guess I broke that golden rule, eh? ;) Needless to say, I only wear one ring now, and my hands are very plain. Kiama

Alissa	04 Dec 2002
Since I have my own henna business, I often have my hands hennaed and it does often draw attention from the reading if they mention it midway. I usually answer their questions briefly and explain that I freelance as a henna artist, hand them a business card if they seem *really* interested, and then turn my attention back to the reading. I've never found it to be a problem though. Henna has many protective qualities associated with it for the wearer, it is thought to ward off evil spirits and to grant prayers, or bring blessings. So to me it's nice to have on when doing spiritual work.

Logiatrix	04 Dec 2002
since the care of my favorite tarot cards became more important than the adornment of my hands, i no longer where a half-dozen rings or long nails. both were a danger to my decks, with the risk of scratches and nicks, and snags on the textiles i wrap them in. i keep my nails short now, and i only wear one ring. as with kiama, my priorities have certainly changed! however, arizona remains very dry, so i am still mindful of dry hands. i keep TWO "chap-sticks" with me--one for my cuticles, as well as the usual for my lips. any bargain-priced lip-balm works for the nails, and it's easier to apply and haul around than lotion, so i'm more likely to use it. i've even seen products on the market now with just this purpose--but the cheaper lip stuff looks to be the same thing, so don't let 'em fool you! another thing i'll do before i handle my decks with lotioned hands is dust my palms and finger tips with baby powder (i use a big blush-brush). this seems to keep the oil off my cards. :)

LeaRay	07 Dec 2002
I don't wear fake nails, just can't be bothered with them. Some times I wear nail polish, ususally I have to really, really be in the mood to put it on. I like unusual colours though. Right now I have alternating red and green polish. Yule colours you know! lol =P I also have four silver rings that I wear most of the time. Three are of celtic design, and one is my high school ring. I feel weird when I do not have them on. I love rings! I have my eye on another really nice celtic one! blessings! LeaRay

Trillium	07 Dec 2002
I keep my nails fairly short because I spend all day typing and hate the click click click.... To keep them white I put a quick coat of clear polish on the undersides of the nail too. It only takes a second and keeps them from getting stained when I garden or paint. trill p.s. I don't wear rings but I have a small tatoo on one of the fingers of my right hand (a tibetan spiral of life with infinity symbols on either side). No one has ever mentioned it when I do tarot but I have one reiki client that swears that finger gets warmer than the rest.

The Tarot Hand Attire.... thread was originally posted on 03 Dec 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.