Sickness = Bad Energies?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 12 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Electrum	12 Feb 2005
I have a silly question. I managed to catch a nasty head cold yesterday, and I'm wondering if I should put off handling my Tarot cards until I'm better. My reasoning for thinking this is that perhaps being sick puts bad energies into my cards. I have what I jokingly refer to as spiritual OCD; I cleanse things a lot otherwise I *feel* nasty energies. So, I was just wondering what peoples' thoughts on this are. Am I being to superstitious? Or is there maybe some truth to this?

HudsonGray	12 Feb 2005
It may be just superstition, but if you want to do something about it anyway, the simple act of shuffling should break up anything 'bad'. Cards riffling between each other is supposed to be cleansing, as they re-sort themselves. Just shuffle a couple of times & that should eliminate anything. Some people use crystals, set on top the deck, but I've never found that to be necessary for myself. Do what 'feels' right. The only downside to reading when sick is that I can't focus as well and it gets frustrating.

WalesWoman	12 Feb 2005
This is simply my opinion, I don't think illness puts an energy on your cards, but it will affect your clarity trying to read them. It's hard to think when you aren't feeling well, so I think rather than "bad energy" affecting the cards, it would just not being able to think clearly enough to get anything from a reading. So to prevent bad energy from contaminating your cards, just go to bed and heal yourself.

rainwolf	13 Feb 2005
Reading takes a lot of energy from me even when im healthy (im not sure about others). I wasnt raised using my right brain as much as i have to when using tarot, so when im sick i try not to use it because it drains MY energy and i feel like the deck doesnt sit right, ultimately making a reading bad when im sick. Can you hold off three days without reading? Maybe a tarot book?

Diana	13 Feb 2005
Sickness is not bad. Sickness is the way our body tells us that there is an imbalance somewhere. The imbalance exists BEFORE the symptoms appear. So that means you can be sick before you start feeling sick. So if you're scared of "bad energies getting onto your cards", then you'd better never read ever again. Because you never know when you're ill. I suggest something. IGNORE ALL SUPERSTITION WHEN IT COMES TO TAROT. Forget all about "bad energies", and "cleansing the cards", and "angels or devils talking through them" and all other such tripe. Just read the cards. You read books when you're sick, right? The Tarot is just an unbound book of 78 pages. The wonderful thing about this book is that each time you read it, it tells you a different story. Superstition and Tarot do not fit together and they give a very bad reputation to Tarot. Relax Max!!! Cool Raoul!!! Don't start giving powers to your Tarot cards that they do not have. The power is in you. Okay? And get better soon. Having a cold sucks.

Kit	13 Feb 2005
Sorry to hear you're sick, Electrum. :( It's not such a silly question. Personally, I don't think sick-energy rubs off unless you think it will rub off. Still, the mind can connect sick-feelings to the cards if you remember how sick you felt last time you handled them. I never seem to read as well or clearly when I feel sick or tired, so I usually don't touch the cards when I feel out of it. Why don't you take a rest to heal for a few days?

temperlyne	13 Feb 2005
Sickness has nothing to do with bad energy, you probably lack energy but thats it. I don't believe that bad energy exists, it is simply something we imagine. Energy is not good or bad and cannot be measured by its quality, only quantity. Your illness might put you in a difefrent state of mind and this may influence your reading somewhat but it can also give you a view on the sutuation that is fresh and that you wouldn;'t have had when you weren't ill.

Electrum	13 Feb 2005
Thanks for the advice. I can be superstitious at times, and it's funny because usually I'm a very rational person. I agree that superstition shouldn't belong in Tarot or even magic(k) for that matter. Maybe if I'm feeling "bad energies" I should look inside myself instead of projecting it out in the world?

SunChariot	13 Feb 2005
Electrum wrote: I have a silly question. I managed to catch a nasty head cold yesterday, and I'm wondering if I should put off handling my Tarot cards until I'm better. My reasoning for thinking this is that perhaps being sick puts bad energies into my cards. I have what I jokingly refer to as spiritual OCD; I cleanse things a lot otherwise I *feel* nasty energies. So, I was just wondering what peoples' thoughts on this are. Am I being to superstitious? Or is there maybe some truth to this? I don't think it would harm the energies at all. The cold is a part of you right now. The universe gave you the cold and the answers come from the universe. But if you're overtired your readings may not work as well and I wouldn't use the cards if there was any danger of you sneezing on them or on your hands while handling them for obvious reasons. Otherwise I don't see a problem. If you feel it is right for you at the time, then it is. Bar

MeeWah	13 Feb 2005
Feeling ill is not necessarily "bad" energy (though it might feel bad), but a manifestation of an imbalance. If illness affects at all, it would likely be a loss of energy &/or focus which are usually preferable for reading. Personally, feeling less than well does not affect my readings. There is no difference in the results apparently due to the meditative state in which most readings are performed where feeling ill does not seem to be part of the experience. The only occasions I notice a less effective result is whence sleepy & the mind tends to shut off. Once many years ago confined to bed due to 'flu & secondary infection, I was unable to do anything; read books or meditate to pass the time. Decided to play with the cards & I was startled that they presented wholly reversed--in effect advising "NOT!".

The Sickness = Bad Energies? thread was originally posted on 12 Feb 2005 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.