Would it Be alright to let Sombody use my Deck??

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Snuggle_69217	07 Feb 2004
Would it Be alright if i let Sombody use my deck?? Do they just Work For me or Would they work for anybody else?

Rusty Neon	07 Feb 2004
I have two answers, which contradict. I think it depends on how "personal" the deck is to you. (1) Lend the deck to them if you'd lend them your toothbrush. (2) Lend it to them as long as they won't damage the deck physically, nor use it for bad things.

starsongs	08 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Snuggle_69217 Would it Be alright if i let Sombody use my deck?? Do they just Work For me or Would they work for anybody else? Hi Snuggle... I've heard differing viewpoints on this. My own is that I would (and have) loaned my decks, but only to those persons that I trust would handle them with care. I believe they can work for others... Other persons I've heard will not allow anyone to even touch (much less use) their decks feeling that the energy exchanged would somehow be detrimental... there are likely alot of other thoughts/feelings on this too... hope this helps... starsongs

jmd	08 Feb 2004
I agree with Rusty Neon on that one... Personally, I do not mind allowing others using most of my decks, but there is one deck which I tend to feel uncomfortable others using - even those close to me. Likewise my toothbrush - hence the whiteness of my teeth, see: :D !?!

Majecot	08 Feb 2004
I have allowed a couple of good friends use my cards, but they did not leave the house with them ;)

lark	08 Feb 2004
I let people look through my decks to see the beautiful art work but nobody ever borrows a deck. So no, I don't let other people use my decks.

Melissa`	08 Feb 2004
I've never been confronted with someone else wanting to use my decks. However I will let trusting friends thumb through the cards of most of them. I wouldn't let anyone borrow them for a period of time. ~ Amaya

TemperanceAngel	08 Feb 2004
I take some of my older decks which I no longer use professionally to my workshops, for my students, so we are all working with RWS and can compare with their own decks :) I must say I would let people look at my decks, but not borrow them. I would be so worried about them. When I purchase a deck I don't let anyone else touch it for 2-4 weeks, until I have energised it properly... But hey, that's just me and we all do different things with our decks :D And readings :D XTAX

miss_apples	08 Feb 2004
I remember the first person I knew who read tarot cards completly freaked out when I simply picked up her cards to even look at them. Years later when I started getting into tarot myself I realized that the power is in me and the cards are just ink on cardboard....so I personally have no problems letting others play with my decks. Maybe if I had a deck that I really really didnt want getting wrecked, but I dont hold that much worth on material objects.

HudsonGray	08 Feb 2004
I've had people look through my decks with no problem. I've even taken one in to work so a co-worker could see what one looked like, her daughter was interested in a deck & she wanted to get familiar with it first. I showed her how to do a 5 card layout, shuffle & read from the booklet, then said 'go ahead and do a reading for yourself'. She did three, then another person tried the deck, and the guy from Finance came out & HE tried it several times. The deck was perfectly fine to work with later. The only qualms I'd have would be if someone bent the cards, damaged them, got them wet, or lost a card from the deck. Otherwise I feel they're ok to let people handle that are curious & want to know more about tarot. But everyone is different. A friend of mine won't let anyone touch her Thoth deck because it 'throws off the vibrations' for her.

Diana	08 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Snuggle_69217 Would it Be alright if i let Sombody use my deck?? That would be quite in order. :) Never ever mix up supersition and old wives' tales with Tarot. The two just don't fit together.

Agathe	08 Feb 2004
That is pretty odd for me to read that people lend their decks to someone else. I treat my crads very personally. They have my energy and they work for me and with me. I will stick to that. Agathe

Star Spirit	08 Feb 2004
The most important thing is that the power is in the reader. So you choose if you want someone to use/touch your cards or not, but I don't think it will effect them in any way as long as they don't wreck them somehow. Some people believe if a person has very negative energy they can pass that into the cards. But I'm sure if you encountered someone like that, you wouldn't let them hold your cards in the first place. As for someone using your deck, as long as you don't have a problem with it, I don't see how it would be a problem for them. Like I said, the power is in the reader, and the deck is just cardboard and ink. If they know how to read, and can do so with that particular deck (and by that I mean 'click' with it) there shouldn't be a problem.

Diana	08 Feb 2004
The original question did not mention LENDING one's deck to anyone. It asked if it's okay to let somebody USE the deck. There's a difference. I would find it difficult to lend my decks to someone, in case I needed that particular one to do a reading. I prefer my querents to shuffle and pick the cards for themselves, so it would be difficult for me not to let them use my decks. I have decks for professional purposes, but I always have my own Personal Deck on the table as well and if they ask to use it, I tell them "that's my personal deck, but you're welcome to use it" and the fact that it's my "personal deck" seems to make them feel like I'm doing them a big favour and they have a nice big grin on their face. :) And somehow it helps break down any walls that they may still be putting up. Of course, I'm not into white or black magic or any of that kind of ritualistic stuff, so maybe that makes a difference. I could understand that people who are Magicians or Apprentice-Magicians (that reminds me of that wonderful Walt Disney movie, one of the few worthy of seeing) would feel different. I couldn't care less whether people "transfer their energy" to my decks - I actually don't believe they do, but even if I did believe it, I wouldn't care. The more energy my deck has, the better! :)

Agathe	08 Feb 2004
Well, by letting use someone your cards I, with my poor English, understand lending someone cards so that they could read with them. I do let people touch my cards when I do a reading for them . I never pick cards for them, unless they are in a different place. They can also go through a deck very quickly if they wish to. However, I would never let someone else read using my cards. In this sense using for me equals lending. Agathe

Astraea	08 Feb 2004
I'm very much in line with what Rusty Neon said (above). While the magic is certainly within ourselves, the cards both elicit and reflect those personal projections. In my view, this creates a subtle milieu, a context of relationship and a level of dialogue with the cards which would be impacted -- for better or worse, depending upon many factors -- by lending them (which is very different from allowing others to touch them).

Emily	08 Feb 2004
I wouldn't let anyone else use my main study or reading decks, I feel they are very personal to me but I wouldn't have a problem with friends trying out my other decks, if they showed an interest in them. They wouldn't however be able to take them away. I do feel like I build up a rapport with my main decks - All my decks are pretty special to me so if anyone else did use them it would have to be with me there and no rough shuffling.

Phoenyx*	08 Feb 2004
For me, it would depend on the person, and depend on the deck. My Rider can be used by any of my close friends, my Thoth on the other hand...no one touches that. I'll let them see it, and look through the cards, but never use it. As for my Dragon, only my fiance would be allowed to use that, but that's because he has one of his own, and he's developped a rapport with it.

Ruby7	08 Feb 2004
Last year I was at a tarot workshop with my Hanson Roberts deck and had all the cards laid out in front of me. Someone walked up behind me and reached over to touch my cards, I quickly responded by asking her to "please don't touch my cards because I don't like other people touching my cards". I felt very defensive of my cards as if they were about to be invaded and I had to protect them. I was embarassed at my strong reaction to this person especially since I don't mind people touching my cards for the most part. I realized afterwards that I don't have a problem with someone touching my cards, but I like to be asked if it is o.k. I would never lend a deck to anyone but I don't mind others touching my cards (as long as their hands are clean and they are being respectful). This is a personal issue and you should do what feels comfortable to you. I don't believe in energy or vibrations belonging to cards but you may feel this to be true, and there are many who do. Ruby7

Logiatrix	08 Feb 2004
Just the other evening I was at a friend's house to visit and do some readings for him and his new partner. Jason really wanted me to meet his new beau, partly because Barry is also a card reader, and he thought we could read for each other. When it came time for Barry to read for me, I just naturally began wrapping up my Visconti (my most precious baby of all my babies ;) ), and he looked at me questioningly; he expected me to pass my deck over to him! *gasp* Jason finally pulled out the Cosmic Tribe I'd gifted him last year, and we proceeded. I realized right at that moment that the answer is "NO," I don't want anyone else reading with my cards. If "use" means just to handle them to look them over, then I'm cool with that, no problem. With that experience at Jason's, I've found out that I'm more protective of my decks than I thought. I know they're just ink and cardboard, but they're MY ink and cardboard! :D POST SCRIPT: I just thought of another situation where you may usually let people look at your tarots, but once in a while a certain person comes along whom you don't want near your cards.... Anyone ever have that happen? (T.)

MeeWah	08 Feb 2004
Have not had anyone want to use my cards other than handling them during the course of a reading or out of curiosity. Oddly, most folks I have encountered both friends & strangers have an aversion to handling them outside of a reading session. Some of them have stated they heard one does not touch the cards (presumably, except for a reading). Guess some ideas reach a broader audience than would be expected. I would not mind someone using my cards as long as the cards were not leaving me with that someone. I have gotten a lot more cautious as my experience with loaning out books has been more enlightening than I ever expected. The only deck I reserve strictly for my use & handling is my first deck, now a very worn standard RWS published by Sam Weiser. Suppose that makes me a wee superstitious :D

LadyMedusa	08 Feb 2004
As long as I trust the person not to physically damage them, I have no problem allowing others to touch, look through, and even read with my decks. With 1 exception, no one shuffles my Greenwood but me and I trust only a very few people to touch it. The only reason I am overly protective of that one is that it is so very hard to find. I have that attitude with my decks because the very first deck I ever read with belonged to a friend. I had expressed my interest in learning to read and she handed me her deck, a book, then asked a question. After my attempt she offered to loan me the book for a dew days to take home to read. Loaning out a deck?... No one has ever asked to borrow one. I suppose as with any other possession, my answer would depend on how much I trusted the person to return it or replace it if something were to happen. LadyMedusa

Lady Eclipse	08 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Snuggle_69217 Would it Be alright if i let Sombody use my deck?? Do they just Work For me or Would they work for anybody else? Hi Snuggle_69217, Personally, I don't let anyone use my decks. My hubby and I share 2 but other than that, I don't touch his and he doesn't touch mine. I don't let others borrow my decks either. When doing that, they have a tendency to not be returned or if they are, the energy is all messed up and clearing them takes a long time. It's just not worth it IMO. Joy to you, Maralee

The Would it Be alright to let Sombody use my Deck?? thread was originally posted on 07 Feb 2004 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.