Tarot-olism

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Dec 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Diana	23 Dec 2004
When one uses the term "olism", (like in alcoholism), it refers to something that is excessive and compulsive. It refers to addiction, a compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance. Now I realise that when numerous people on Aeclectic refer to themselves as "taroholics", they are saying it in a kind of a jest... I'm aware of that. But at the same time... I always get the feeling that there is some kind of addiction, some compulsive need to constantly buy Tarot decks in order to get that "high" which they sometimes feel when they acquire a new deck. Just like a heroin addict is always seeking for that "high" as well... the "high" that makes him feel at peace with the world and with himself. I see people constantly going ecstatic about some new decks, and then a few weeks, or a couple of months later... these decks are not even mentioned anymore. There are some exceptions, like the Marseilles, the Thoth or the Tarot of Prague though. It makes me uneasy when people actually celebrate their taro-holism. As if it were some kind of badge of distinction. I don't laugh anymore when I read that term... I think I don't see real collectors as tarot-holics, because collecting is something else. Like stamp-collecting - it's more of a hobby than an addiction. I've been wanting to mention my un-ease about this term "tarot-holic" for a long time. It was coined here on Aeclectic a few years ago (about two to three years ago, if my memory serves me well). People even celebrate in being "enablers" and actually push other people further into their addiction. Enablers are often tarot-holics themselves. I question whether this addiction is healthy (apart from it being healthy for the bank accounts of the deck publishers - there is no doubt that money is useful in this world, and our economy thrives on money being made and circulating). Is tarot just some kind of drug for some people? Do some people not confuse Tarot with tarot decks? Is Tarot not something more than just pictures on cardboard?

Fudugazi	23 Dec 2004
Diana wrote: Now I realise that when numerous people on Aeclectic refer to themselves as "taroholics", they are saying it in a kind of a jest... I'm aware of that. But at the same time... I always get the feeling that there is some kind of addiction, some compulsive need to constantly buy Tarot decks in order to get that "high" which they sometimes feel when they acquire a new deck. Just like a heroin addict is always seeking for that "high" as well... the "high" that makes him feel at peace with the world and with himself. I am not addicted in that way - buying large quantities of decks - though I can see how on such a site one could easily become so. But I have gone through one period where I had to stop reading cards for myself because I was becoming compulsive and addicted, and it had ceased to be a reflective and intelligent excercise. Linked, of course, to outside circumstances, but it had an unpleasant effect on me, I could no longer think straight for a while, and eventually my cards began to repulse me. The shadow of the Devil - in his most difficult manifestation - fell over me. It took a good friend's no-nonsense approach to reading and good advice to get me back to really look at my cards and reflect on them. I don't feel at all addicted any more, though I have been going through an unstable period. Rather I feel tarot - the Tarot de Marseille, which as you know I am just beginning to learn, and the Tarot of Prague, has been accompanying and helping me make sense of my life. Which is as it should be. I also have more fun with Tarot, participating in reading excercises, etc. But I wonder if buying decks specifically is an addiction, or if we are not just talking about a species of shopaholism, like buying lots of shoes. If Imelda Marcos had been into tarot...Internet makes buying anything so easy! And how do you distinguish the collector from the deck shopaholic?

Alta	23 Dec 2004
There are lots of reasons that folks buy decks. Some, as you comment, are genuine collectors, like Gerbear, Kiama and Asher and a few others). Sometimes, it's just shopping. Like Freud says, "Sometimes a cigar is just a smoke". I would really not like to see too much being read into this. It takes something light, amusing and enjoyable and makes it seem almost dark and sinister. An addiction??? I have a great deal of trouble with such a serious label, conjuring up trembling herion addicts driven to life of crime and pushed over the edge of sanity. There is entirely too much of this kind of over-reacting going on around here. For goodness sake, people are buying decks, not hits. And they enjoy talking about it. Let's get some perspective here.

Flavio	23 Dec 2004
Diana wrote: Is tarot just some kind of drug for some people? Do some people not confuse Tarot with tarot decks? Let's see the welcome phrase of AT: Welcome to the Aeclectic Tarot Forum community, a group of Tarot students, collectors, readers and enthusiasts who enjoy discussing all aspects of Tarot. So Tarot can be addictive for people for different reasons, I've myself had considered addict to this Forum :) , some other will be addicted to buy decks, do readings in a compulsive way etc, thank you very much to bring to our attention that purchasing Tarot decks is not "doing" Tarot. Helvetica wrote: And how do you distinguish the collector from the deck shopaholic? I think a collector is someone who carefully selects those decks to be included in her/his collection, and a deck shopaholic buys anything that comes out in the market sometimes without thinking two times why they want that deck.

Alta	23 Dec 2004
Diana wrote: I see people constantly going ecstatic about some new decks, and then a few weeks, or a couple of months later... these decks are not even mentioned anymore. Of course they don't get talked about in quite the intense way that something new will. That's because most know about them. But then a thread starts about "Ten fav's", or something, and all of a sudden those not-mentioned decks turns out to main readings decks.

Clau	23 Dec 2004
Hi! please check the "USing your tarot cards" forum, in the "How many of you use a 2nd copy of your favourite deck for reading?" thread around the third page, a discussion about this is going on... maybe you want to check it..

Fulgour	23 Dec 2004
The plethora of new decks that began in the 80's has peaked, as reflected by the emphasis of retailers, like Barnes & Noble. The little corners of small-shop inventory are vanishing daily, consolidating back to the specialty catalogues and marketers. If you see a deck you want, get it now, and at a discount price. Quality is once again replacing quantity, and it's great to see :)

Moongold	23 Dec 2004
I see many people here as simply collectors and all power to them. At different times in my life I've collected owls and porcelain butterflies - all sorts of butterfly items actually. Many collectors are singleminded about collecting which seems to simply go with the territory. Something significant to watch though - and this has affected me much more - is the balance of time spent here along side other things in the real world. With the discovery of Tarot and such kindred spirits it is easy to spend a LOT of time here. People have often mentioned this. Another thing to be aware of (for me) is falling in love with the Tarot - the ideas, the refreshing spirituality of it - without sufficient reflection and integration into one's daily life. Addiction? Not so sure about that. Certainly problems of balance - and maybe addiction is ultimately a problem of balance.

DollieAnna	23 Dec 2004
If you like something, why not collect them? I collect purses and cat figurines...oh and ELVIS paraphrenalia. Doesn't make me feel high, not an addict...I just like it. Addiction is when it interferes with daily living.

Diana	23 Dec 2004
adam_atom wrote: Addiction is when it interferes with daily living. That's a good point...

Fudugazi	23 Dec 2004
Fulgour wrote: If you see a deck you want, get it now, and at a discount price. Quality is once again replacing quantity, and it's great to see :) I wish Dusserre would start re-editing the comlete Jean Dodal TdM deck. Or that M. Flornoy were able to find an editor for the 56 minors (Majors on the way - call me a holic, Diana!!!) That would be quality and, for me, money well spent.

contrascarpe	23 Dec 2004
I just did a reading with all 90 of my decks, and a few dozen of Gardeners ..... nope, the cards tell me I'm not addicted. Now, back to typing in the keyword "tarot" on eBay ....... Dan "One Day At A Time" Contrascarpe

Diana	23 Dec 2004
Helvetica wrote: (Majors on the way - call me a holic, Diana!!!) Well... seeing as you ask me so nicely... okay. "Holic". :D

Tarot Sparrow	23 Dec 2004
Oh Diana! You should have said something sooner :) I think most of us do use the term in jest; but I too believe that it can become a sort of addiction. Anyone can become addicted to anything at anytime. Some people just splurge; but addictions happen when things get out of hand and can't be controlled. I wouldn't say I'm addicted to tarot; I have splurged from time to time and have about 18 decks right now (although may be trading a few) but I have reached a point where I've said that is more than enough for me. This is in fact why I'm thinking of trading some I don't use. Tarot is a tool; and although it's fine to have art decks and collections (collections of anything, really) these things should be acquired in a controlled sense of free will, not an unstoppable spontaneity. When a person can't control their impulses and is spending their life savings on a product, then I'd say that's a problem... Fortunately though, I don't think many of us are at that point..

Nevada	23 Dec 2004
adam_atom wrote: Addiction is when it interferes with daily living. This is how I define addiction. It's when something becomes more important than basic needs like family, economic stability and health. If someone is engaged in anything to the extent that their life is negatively affected in other areas, then I'd call it an addiction. I guess the question for anyone to ask themself regularly is whether their passionate interest (in anything, not just Tarot) has taken time or energy away from other areas of life. Or has it enhanced their life? Most things we love do both, and if we balance the positives against the negatives we should have our answer. Nevada

Fudugazi	23 Dec 2004
It's true addiction has at its heart unbalance. Think about it, if Mozart had been balanced about music, and spent more time with Constance, she might not have been so extravagant, and he'd have not died poor and lonely. On the other hand, no Marriage of Figaro, no Don Giovanni, no Magic Flute, no violin concertos...maybe a few nice symphonies, a couple of piano pieces and symphonia concertante. It's good to seek Temperance...but even in that we must be temperate ;)

jumptothemoonyea	23 Dec 2004
Hi all this is how i see it Tarot is a complex system, being all of these and more - Divination Art Communication Self-Exploration Trade ... ... so many ways to love it, all-embracing, universal and where is a border line between these three? (copied from www.dictionary.com) : ...love - feelings of warm personal attachment or strong attraction ...addiction - habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control ...fa·nat·i·cism - Excessive, irrational zeal oh, well, as long as we can manage to sleep a few hours before work, we are under control :)

Mesara	24 Dec 2004
Although I wouldn't classify many of the people here who enjoy having a plethora of decks in their collection as addicts, I recently have discovered that my excessive tarot buying was more an addiction to finding the *perfect* deck, not so much as an addiction to buying decks just for the sake of buying them. It was debilitating in the sense that I no longer wanted to use my tarot cards, because I felt pressure to use my decks that were gifts to me or that I had spent a lot of money on, even if my heart really wasn't in them. Also, I had conditioned myself to find flaws in every deck I received, so I was never satisfied with one deck for very long, and then I would be on a quest to find a replacement. Then, of course, that replacement would soon loose it's luster after a few weeks in my ownership, and I would set it down in disappointment and be off to the bookstore to find a replacement for my replacement, and so on. It was exhausting, both mentally and financially. But, Im on my way to recovery. I have decided to stick with my old favorite, and discard all other decks. I will not replace it with anything. Since I have withdrawn myself from the distraction of other tarot decks and the inevitable comparisons, I have remembered why I so fell in love with my old favorite, and I realize that although it isn't perfect, it is still a jewel in my posession and the time we have shared together makes it all the more special. Just my story; if collecting decks is constructive and enjoyable for others more power to them, just sayin' it didn't work so well for me.

firemaiden	24 Dec 2004
My dear Diana... I understand what you mean. You are not exactly comparing buying tarot cards to using heroine -- today, I think one has come to use the term "addiction", and "-aholism" a bit tongue and cheek, simply to mean that someone is enthusiastic about something. Of course the old world for being very very enthusiastic about something was "-omane" or "-mania" - which a could be more severe than something "-ophile" - although not necessarily - In the music world, there are opera-lovers, and "balletomanes", but there is nothing quite so intense as an "audiophile" - those folks who go nuts over having the perfect stereo/audio equipment. For example I like to say I am a "franco-maniac" which is a little bit more intense than being a francoholic, which is itself stronger than being a mere francophile. And certainly, buying tarot decks is for me a certain kind of "fix". I love a new deck, the new pictures, the smell. it satisfies a certain little itch. And you are right, most of the new decks do not get their deserved attention very long. On the other hand, they are loved longer than most books, which often cost about the same as one tarot deck and are only read once!

Moonbow*	24 Dec 2004
I don't think I have ever called my tarot collecting an addiction before, but it is more than a hobby, it's now part of my life and something that I think I will always enjoy. I always liken it to collecting books or CD's. You know how you get a new CD and play it constantly, then it gets filed alphabetically :) and may not come out for months? The same with books.... you get a new one and read it then it sits on the shelf until you decide months or years later to re-read it. I think the important thing for me, is trying to get my collection down to the ones that I will use (whether for reading, study or reference) I still have some that I would like to pass on, but gradually I am getting it how I like it, and I'm growing with my collection. I am trying to be far more selective of which ones I buy now..... that's part of collecting for me.

Anna	24 Dec 2004
Quote: and where is a border line between these three? (copied from www.dictionary.com ) : ...love - feelings of warm personal attachment or strong attraction ...addiction - habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control ...fa·nat·i·cism - Excessive, irrational zeal Oh dear! I think I am a fanatic! :( Although my zeal feels complelty rational to me - but I bet all fanatics say that. I used to be a tarotholic - I thought it was very amusing and harmless until I reached a point where I'd bought a new deck that I didn't even really like very much instead of paying my gas bill. There is a fine line between a healthy hobby and addiction I think. My "cure" was the Hadar Tarot of Marseilles. After buying it, I completly lost the desire to buy any other deck. I think my holism was the search for the perfect deck for me - and I found it :)

Diana	24 Dec 2004
Thank you for the thoughtful replies. I do appreciate it that no-one got offended by my post. (Well, at least not the people who posted here. ;) ). I am thinking after reading some of the replies that it is perhaps not so much an addiction, than a Quest. I'm glad I posted my thoughts here and didn't keep them to myself (Dead Star, thank you in particular for your understanding that.) (However, I still personally dislike the term tarot-holic even when it is used in jest. I find it a bit "cheap" and slightly vulgar but I can live with it (just), as I have for the last few years. :) )

Moongold	24 Dec 2004
The Tarot is both Quest and Grail. Little wonder we become first entranced and then absolutely committed.

WolfSpirit	24 Dec 2004
Diana wrote: (However, I still personally dislike the term tarot-holic even when it is used in jest. I find it a bit "cheap" and slightly vulgar but I can live with it (just), as I have for the last few years. :) ) Hm, I think when I first came to Aeclectic the word "tarotholic" had just been invented and I thought it had something cute, there was a funny thread about it. I never thought the word would survive for so long :laugh: About the deck buying...it has a lot to do with financial means as well. Some people have enough money to buy the decks they want without having to make too many sacrifices to their lifestyle, and they can buy a deck without thinking too much about it. For many of us though, it is not like that. Reading through the Tarot Deck section, it may seem as if everybody is buying every new deck all the time, but often the buyers are the only ones posting in the thread, for the non-buyers there does not seem to be much point in doing so. Why would you want to discuss a deck you are not interested in getting ? In the general study group there are now studies going on for the Sacred Circle, the Legend, the Haindl, Robin Wood - all decks that have been around for some time, and people are still interested in, so not everybody just jumps at the latest fad. I must admit I do want more decks than I can afford, and I find it difficult to make choices sometimes. Like Moonbow* I compare my tarot collection to my book collection: I don't read them all at the moment, but I keep those I think will still be useful in the future. Those that have no use for me at all anymore I send on to someone else. And I will keep buying decks, just like a keep buying books. Also, I have sat behind my computer searching for an affordable copy of the Greenwood (this was a few years back, I have one now) for hours and thinking to myself: why am I doing this ? what is getting this deck really going to change ? I want tarot to be part of my life, but not to take over - and it is indeed a fine line. I think there is a danger of getting addicted to something that is so close to me - whether it be in spending too much time or too much money. But trying to handle this is another one of life's lessons :)

shelikes2read	24 Dec 2004
Marion wrote: There are lots of reasons that folks buy decks. Some, as you comment, are genuine collectors, like Gerbear, Kiama and Asher and a few others). Sometimes, it's just shopping. Like Freud says, "Sometimes a cigar is just a smoke". I would really not like to see too much being read into this. It takes something light, amusing and enjoyable and makes it seem almost dark and sinister. An addiction ??? I have a great deal of trouble with such a serious label, conjuring up trembling herion addicts driven to life of crime and pushed over the edge of sanity. There is entirely too much of this kind of over-reacting going on around here. For goodness sake, people are buying decks, not hits. And they enjoy talking about it. Let's get some perspective here. I see Diana's point, though. "Addiction" doesn't have to be a chemical addiction like drug addicts experience. There are persons who become "addicted" to things like gambling and shopping. I think pretty much everyone enjoys buying him/herself a treat now and then. And given the way people kid around about being addicted to Tarot on this forum, it's almost impossible to tell from posts alone whether the person is joking about being a Tarot-holic. BUT... for anyone who spends a lot of their financial resources on Tarot (or anything else), if they're concerned that they're letting their hobby take over their life, then they'll need to do a gut check. If they're putting "hey, I need to treat myself to something nice" ahead of paying bills or putting food on the table, YES, they do have a spending problem. Ditto for if they find that they pay all their bills, then consistently spend every last extra cent that's left over on treating themselves instead of putting anything at all aside for a rainy day. My instinct tells me that if a person has this frame of mind, where they're using shopping to try and fill some kind of inner emptiness, then it won't just be Tarot deck/book purchases that they're spending excessively on. The problem will most likely include other kinds of expenditure, too. On the other hand, if a person has a pretty clear idea of where to set their "let me treat myself" limit so it doesn't harm their budget, and then they live within their means, that doesn't sound like an addiction to me. To my mind, "addiction" only comes into play when the person's behavior has gone beyond the point of harming themselves somehow, yet they STILL can't bring themselves to stop doing what harms them. When I saw the thread title, it didn't make me think of the kind of addiction that comes with overspending on Tarot (or on anything else). I expected it to be about the people who become too dependant on getting readings, whether they're reading for themselves or asking other people to read for them. That, to me, is just as scary as any other kind of addiction that exists, because the person who's addicted to getting readings is renouncing their free will. If someone won't do things until after they've consulted the cards (or horoscope, runes, or you-name-it), then they're forgetting one of the most important things ABOUT Tarot/horoscope/runes/etc. Those things are just TOOLS to give us INSIGHT. They're not supposed to be used to dictate our lives, and we can't use them in lieu of using our own brain to consider, and then make an educated decision regarding, what we should do next. So far, I've only had to turn down one request to perform a reading for someone. She said some things that struck me as being EXTREMELY superstitious, and my instinct was that getting a reading would do her more harm than good. So I politely declined, and explained to her why. I can't remember how I phrased it, as it was a long time ago, but my reasoning was that I didn't want her to set as much store in what the cards had to say as she seemed inclined to do. That happened quite a while ago (1979, yikes! I was in high school at the time). But if I encountered someone else who was prepared to treat the card reading they received as the be-all and end-all of all wisdom, I would respond the same way. I would politely turn down the request to do the reading. A person with that approach to receiving a reading has got a different kind of Tarot addiction, IMO, than the one that inspired this thread. Yet, it's still a dangerous sort of addiction, and I won't knowingly contribute to anyone's addiction by reading for them if I think it'll do more harm than good.

Kissa	24 Dec 2004
I am exactly in the same situation as CharmingPixie: I was addicted before then I found a good deck and I settled down. I would buy about anything "wiccan" but not too much though, full of gorgeous Nature pictures, animals, smiling happy friendly faces. I hated the RWS and Marseilles (Thoth was never even an option to me). RWS has always had something not doing it for me. Was it the weird clothing pretending to be from the Middle Age? The lack of expression on ppl's faces? Dunno and honnestly, don't care anymore. Marseilles decks? Oh come on! Look at those overly simplistic faces and basic colours!!!!!!!!! What about the Pope and the Popess, for someone like me, not baptised and so not Christian?! NO definitely NO, give me one more light wiccan deck please... There went my money and heaven knows I could have used it more appropriately. Of course came the faith crisis. Too many decks, too little time blablabla, after all I have a family to take care for, I just can't live on Aeclectic or with the nose on my cards. Ok, I could still wait for another 20 years for the PERFECT deck to be published. But then again, shouldn't I create my own deck? But I have NO knowledge! What is Tarot? What does it mean to me? What does it bring to my life? Do I need Tarot??? It just takes my money, it is not a healthy hobby anymore. Hanging around on ATF is not healthy anymore, I hear how ppl go overexcited about their new decks and I end up buying the same ones, which feel completely unappropriate to me. Lying to myself. TODAY: I have ... dunno?... 40 decks sleeping on my bookshelf. I use Hadar or Fournier for readings, Conver (ThunderBay repro) for comparing studies. And that feels right. This feels like growing, no running and hiding anymore. My name is Kissa and I was a tarot-holic. Do I get some applaudes? ;) Thanks Diana for the great opportunity to let it all out. Merry merry Christmas to you all! Kissa

Majecot	24 Dec 2004
Speaking personally, when I refer to my self as a tarot-holics, it is meant in good fun. I own a lot more decks now than when I joined this forum, but I am not concerned for myself as an addiction. I pay my bills first and foremost, shopping comes next. I have had to do with out for most of my life, and it is only recently in the last couple of years that I have been able to indulge myself. I pretty much buy what I want now that my kids are grown, I buy what I want for them also. I am also the type of person that buys 12 cans of coffee at once, I make two grocery shopping trips a month, once to the store where I buy my meats, and another to a different store for my dry goods. I do it that way because I can. I save money by shopping in bulk, and the money I save I use for things that I want as opposed to things I need. My father was an alcoholic, and so is my ex-husband. In no way do I think that I have any traits of such an affliction. Yes I have 23 decks, some I do not read with but I do use them in in some fashion. Anything that I aquire that I do not remotely like gets traded. I think that it can be an addiciton, deck shopping, but if your addicted to deck shopping, I would imagine you have a shopping afliction to begin with. Not necessarily tarot related. I buy things because I can, and when I cannot, well then...I just wait until I can ;) But while there are other things that I do collect, I do not classify myself as a deck collector. Even tho I own what can be considered an excessive number of decks, especially I do not read professionally. My spouse thinks I own an excessive amount of "candle stuff" too. }) I think that if a person is not taking care of business before they play, their problem is deeper than just having to have the latest deck.

MeeWah	25 Dec 2004
I admit an aversion to "tarotholic", coined by a member in a light moment a few years ago. Aversion based on that associated with any "holism". Yet such a term inevitable based on the interest in Tarot decks & their attractions. Any interest that does not impact non-productively in other areas can be seen as relatively balanced. My stamp collecting has been neglected; ditto for the telly & movies in favour of attention to Tarot itself & to reading books (non-Tarot books).

Ruby7	25 Dec 2004
Hmmm. I have to admit that for me--my tarot deck buying habit has been a problem. I don't have a high income and should be spending tarot money on other things (or saving it). I have the habit pretty much under control at the moment--only buying an occasional bargain from E-Bay. When I have a strong urge to buy a new deck I pick up a deck I haven't looked at in a while and focus on it instead. For me I think it is more about having a new deck than a particular deck. If over time I still want a particular deck I may allow myself to eventually buy it. I have been reading the Housewive's tarot thread and of course want it but I'll wait and see. Disappointingly I dont think I am getting any decks for Christmas :(. Ruby7

WalesWoman	25 Dec 2004
I thought the term was funny myself, but it seemed to describe my obsession with Tarot, the learning how to read, to create spreads, the participation in learning exercises and feedback from the tarot forum members perfectly. It was an obsession, the first summer I started, I spent most of it indoors infront of the computer writing up my spreads and questions and comments and doing more spreads than anything else. Dishes went unwashed, the house went uncleaned, the kids were virtually ignored...luckily my partner was gone fishing or perhaps since he was, I wasn't "guilted" into being more responsible and was like a kid home alone for the weekend. Doing whatever I wanted and I wanted to do Tarot. It was funny, but scary too. I knew the difference though between obsessed and possessed. I wondered if I was becoming neurotic or needed some adult interaction, since I was alone and had no close freinds close by anymore, if it was a way to fill that void of being a stranger in a strange land, so to speak. I felt I was actually getting pretty pathetic but couldn't or didn't want to exercise self discipline. So 2 1/2 years later, I still love Tarot, love coming to this forum, (the previous one had a narrower approach and I guess I outgrew it or some unfortunate thing), but the point being...to me it's sort of like what happens when you first fall in love...almost a physical, emotional, mental all consumming need, until it mellows out and wears off into something more comfortable and "normal." Whatever that is...I don't HAVE to read the cards everyday, I can think about other things now, tho' I still seem to relate most everything to a card. But I am still addicted to the forum...I have to check in everyday and I miss it like mad when I have to go somewhere without an internet connection. I don't feel like as Taro-holic as I once did, so I'll consider myself an enthusiast. I 've also seen the term Tarophile...but that sounds sort of sicko, but it really means one who loves Tarot I think.

ambermoon	25 Dec 2004
Interesting discussion, this. Although I have a scant dozen decks, I feel that I am happily on the way to becoming a collector, but I'll never be a genuine tarotholic, because the -holic suffix implies being out of control. It's a matter of inner restraint. Before I add a deck to my collection, I read about it, and look at the sample cards, and visit the designer's web site, if there is one. If some kind of bond is formed, whether it be admiration for the artistry, or the promise of a reading or study deck, then I'll go ahead and get the deck. The contemplation and addition of a new deck can be weeks of slow and delicious pleasure. Then, many weeks more pleasure to enjoy the artistry of the cards, and read the large, colorful book, if one accompanies the deck. Although I am often silent about my decks, it's not because I have left them to gather dust (Note to self, post more in the study groups, even if it is just my opinions about the art). I'm not trying to collect every deck that's in print. I don't like most of them, quite honestly. My interests lie in decks by contemporary artists, loosely based on the RWS system, with more emphasis on the appeal of the artwork than on blind faithfulness to the RWS, preferring decks where the artist extends and interprets the meanings of the cards through their own symbols and themes. I wasn't raised to feel guilty about pleasure, so I'm going to revel in my collector's journey, and enjoy all the pleasure I can from my decks. But if you ever see me making a frantic, late night trip to Borders, begging the manager to unlock the tarot case just before closing, and then see me staggering under the weight of my shopping bags, while the manager stares in wonderment at the empty, ravaged display case, then you will know that I am a tarotholic. ps. edited to add that my restraint isn't in the least bit about money. I could buy a new deck each day if that's what I wanted to do. But what fun is that?

The Tarot-olism thread was originally posted on 23 Dec 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.