Tarot space

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 15 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kaylee Marie	15 Feb 2005
Do you have a special area in your home devoted to tarot, or do you just layout cards on whatever table/floor space you can find? If you have a special area, how do you have it decorated? What objects do you keep around for their energy/beauty? How do you keep the space special and clearly just for you? I'm asking b/c I never found a place in my old house where I could set up shop, so to speak. I *think* I've finally found a spot in my new home, and am so psyched! But we've just moved and the walls are bare white for now... so I'm looking for inspiration from all you creative AT'ers! :) Blessings, Kaylee

tarotbear	15 Feb 2005
I HAD a tarot room, once, in the last century. In the tiny house Mario and I rented, the upstairs was only the hallway and two small bedrooms. We always had a 'guest bed', but we decided to abandon the idea after one of the beds got so old and creaky. Once we emptied the room, I brought all my Tarot stuff into it- bookcases with my tarot and witchy stuff, Port-a-witch - my rolling pagan paraphenalia case inside an old hi-fi case. I also had a round table with two chairs to do readings, and installed a decent tape/CD player to play meditative music. Once I closed the door to keep the cats out, I could read tarot undisturbed. It was nice while it lasted (about 2 years) before Mario died and I eventually had to move out.

Kaylee Marie	16 Feb 2005
Thanks for your input, Tarotbear. And I'm sorry for your loss. :(

seneris	17 Feb 2005
I wish I had a special room for Tarot only... The appartment where my friend and I live isn't that big, unfortunately. At the moment I'm doing my readings in our bedroom, on my desk. It goes rather well, I can concentrate without being distracted.

Moonbow*	17 Feb 2005
My bedroom :) It's the least likely place that I get disturbed so I sit cross legged on my bed with a lovely black spread cloth (made by a dear friend here on AT) in front of me, and my cards. Outside my door I can here teenagers playing loud music and arguing, but in my space its 'safe'! :)

temperlyne	17 Feb 2005
I don't have a special space for tarot simply because I only have a single room to live in.. I would love a special place for tarot but not to read, rather to keep my books and cards. I can read almost everywhere, I just create a tarot space (just an area large enough for me and my cards) around myself wherever I am. I find it helps me a lot in reading the cards to be connected with the outside world. What I do pity in not having a special place to read the cards is that I'm not able to leave the spread lying around for me to ponder over. I either wright it down in my journal or use magnetic white board.

Gardener	17 Feb 2005
Contrascarpe and I, not surprisingly, have scattered our tarot-penalia throughout the house. We're not the tidiest people. My favorite element is the tarot altar. It's the middle bookshelf of a very wide and tall bookcase, and we still have the decks divided, his on the left, mine on the right. The prettiest boxes we still kept, with both Nefertari's prominently displayed along the back. Many decks, though are in bags. I find that fabric is my main decorating tool for tarot. I love the bags, and drapery too. The mix of colors and patterns really suits the cards. I have the Tarot de la Rea in the font, because the cover of the box is so beautiful. Whichever decks contrascarpe is currently using for readings line the rest of the front. Then we have the tarot bookcase, also tall but skinny, for box sets, companion books and general books on buddhism and wicca. Did I mention we are obsessive collectors? So the living room is well decorated by the lovely colors and energy of tarot. But I do my own readings in my office. I have a low table next to my desk that I've covered with yet another fabric, and the current decks (never more than three) are laid out there in appetizing manner. Right now it's Thoth, Tarot of Prague and Cani Mundo. If I ever get around to crystals and candles, there's space for them on that table. Right now I have an art postcard giving the table a special touch. I do actual spreads on my bed, though. So tarot is scattered throughout the house, as it begs to be!

Kaylee Marie	17 Feb 2005
Y'all sound like me in my old house. :D I read wherever was convenient -- the coffee table, the dining room table, the floor (I have a lovely scarf that I actually lay the cards on, so they weren't actually on the floor). Mostly I read on my bed, as that is a big, favorite space of mine in other aspects of my life. Lots of great energy there. ;) In my new house, we have a tiny room off of the master bedroom that is supposed to be a dressing room. Jason and I couldn't care less about clothes (I'd happily be a nudist if we lived in a warmer climate -- and had curtains on all the windows!) so we've made the room into a creative nook for the two of us. He has a GIANT art desk and all of his art supplies. I have a small, round table that I salvaged from the kitchen in our old house. I folded one of the sides down to fit snugly against the wall. My tarot books and tarot-phenalia (love that word, Gardner!) are stacked on the table for now, but I'm planning to put a few shelves on the wall when we can scrape together the funds. That'll make room for candles, crystals, a lovely piece of driftwood, and my water/rock garden. I think I'll also look into getting some more fabrics and tapestries, as Gardner suggested. Thanks for your input, all! Well, I'm in my work space now, so I better get back to work. Peace, Kaylee

Silverkitten	24 Feb 2005
Like a few others here, I don't have a specific place that I can designate for tarot. I wish I did. But the spare room has been set up as a nursery for when either of the grandbabies come to visit. I usually do my tarot lessons (I'm taking a class) here at my computer desk. Other times I use my bed like allot of others. It is a king size so I have plenty of room to lay out most spreads without any problem. Maybe after we sell this house, and move into a bigger one I can have a space all to myself to set up an alter and have all my witchy stuff and have a nice table to that I can use for tarot. Well, a gal can dream right ;) Blessings, Donna

Stregaverde	24 Feb 2005
I actually have a room of my own that I use as a studio/craft room, for my beadwork, sewing, etc. However, my herbalism and Craft stuff is in another room in a large armoire, and my tarot decks are stored with that. Not sure why, but everything just wanted to be divided that way. For actual readings, I use my coffee table. I was grinning at the thought of using the bed--we have eight cats, and it would be a physical impossibility to do anything larger than a 1-card pull without having cats walking all over the spread. :D The coffee table is safer--I put a nice cloth on it, and the cats and our two big dogs can hang out with me on the big couch while I read. Also, when Hubby comes home from work and wants a spread to help him see something more clearly, he can relax on the couch with the furkids while I read for him--it helps him unwind, and is a pleasant interlude for both of us. I wish I had space at the computer to do spreads--I've even resorted to pulling the flat-topped laundry hamper into this room to do spreads on! Now I just work at the coffee table and come in to type up the reading, but I really prefer to have the cards in front of me as I type, because often I get more insight into the reading as I write it up.

Sinner	25 Feb 2005
Moonbow* wrote: My bedroom :) It's the least likely place that I get disturbed so I sit cross legged on my bed with a lovely black spread cloth (made by a dear friend here on AT) in front of me, and my cards. Outside my door I can here teenagers playing loud music and arguing, but in my space its 'safe'! :) Thats almost exactly what I do, how interesting...

rainwolf	01 Mar 2005
I moved my bed into this area previously occupied by a window seat, so my bed is enclosed by walls which i used to drape a big sheet over the open end (which i found at a pagan faire which has astrological symbols along the border adn stars and moons inside, looks like a solar system). I have chili pepper lights around the bookcase behind the bed, so i close it off and its very personal, closed, and cozy.

Silverkitten	06 Mar 2005
Hi Stregaverde, My turn to laugh now :) I have three cats and three dogs. The cats are not allowed in the bedroom. That is the only reason the bed is safe. The coffee table however is not safe, or any flat surface for that matter. Especially from Eve, or as hubby likes to fondly call her, "evil". Anything, on any table, she thinks was put there expressly for her entertainment, to be knocked off, so that you will pick it up, so that she can knock it off again. That does include my desk as well. I'm only able to do 3 card spreads on it. And the cosmos forbid if there is a pen or pencil sitting on the desk, because she will lunge from the floor to the desk to attack and cart off the pen/pencil and send the cards flying every where. So, reading at my desk I should have clarified are done with caution. On the other hand, the dogs are allowed in the bedroom, and the doxie sleeps under the covers (no he's not spoiled, really, lol), and spreads work nicely there as long as you don't mind his highness growling at you on occasion because you disturbed his slumber :) As I go back and read this, it just confirms that I need to sell this house and get one that will afford me a room of my own ;) Donna

Fudugazi	06 Mar 2005
My Tarot space, like my i-ching and my writing space, is wherever I am... A very moveable feast :)

Alta	06 Mar 2005
I generally use the coffee table in the living room. The top of it is entirely glass and for some reason I find that inspiring. I have neutral carpet so I bought lovely wool carpet with a warm pattern of brown and gold in it and pulled that directly under the glass table. :) My own beef with this set-up is that my computer is at the opposite end of the house and upstairs and I always type my readings. I have tried to read in the computer area but there just isn't enough room and I find the atmosphere of the room seems off for readings. Plus no options for music. My decks are stashed in a tall cupboard near the coffee table though some are scattered around. My bookcases have a lot of tarot books. I used to worry people would see that but no one ever seems to look at your books. I find this odd because I am always curious about what others read. I saw a funny scene in a movie a long time ago. Cops I think. They were investigating and the woman cop goes right over to the lady's night table and opens it. The male cop questions this and she says that you can always tell what a person is really thinking about by what they keep right by the bed. Guess what I have. :D

SunChariot	06 Mar 2005
Kaylee Marie wrote: Do you have a special area in your home devoted to tarot, or do you just layout cards on whatever table/floor space you can find? If you have a special area, how do you have it decorated? What objects do you keep around for their energy/beauty? How do you keep the space special and clearly just for you? I'm asking b/c I never found a place in my old house where I could set up shop, so to speak. I *think* I've finally found a spot in my new home, and am so psyched! But we've just moved and the walls are bare white for now... so I'm looking for inspiration from all you creative AT'ers! :) Blessings, Kaylee I have a round table (with a dark green tablecloth) and chair set up in my bedroom, where I do all my readings. I like the green, it reminds me of nature, trees... On it I keep my 8 decks that I use in readings, each in a pretty pouch with a silky lining. I also have a scented candle on the table that I light when doing readings, a stone I picked up on a beach near our country house, a "wish pyramid", a compass, an amethyst stone, and a prism. And my newest addition to my "spritual table" is a transparent gold pouch that houses my new pendulum. I am currently studying pendulum usage along with Tarot. Bar

Ivy Rhiannon	07 Mar 2005
Moonbow* wrote: My bedroom :) I used to read in my room before I got my own place. But then now it seems so open, I sometimes miss my bed side readings! LOL :D I too wish I could have a whole room devoted to Tarot, Tarot Bear! I'm so jealous!

Raven Reed	07 Mar 2005
Right now I do my readings on my bed. I have a nice big one, and it's the only place no one but the cats bother.

Majecot	08 Mar 2005
Kaylee Marie wrote: Do you have a special area in your home devoted to tarot, or do you just layout cards on whatever table/floor space you can find? Oh sure I do, my computer desk...:D doesn't every one do their readings there??

M-Press	09 Mar 2005
I read this thread twice, before I decided to post, and this is because it really made me think... There is another thread somewhere, that talks about rituals, and it's a bit similar to me, so i will not repeat here how i do my readings on my keyboard... instead, i will try and envision, my TRUE tarot toom, as i would like it to be, as it may one day be, or never be... For one thing, I see myself as really old. Not to offense anyone's age, but i mean in 30 years from now an on. Well, maybe that is not that old. (When i was 15 I thought that 30 is old, and 35 with one foot in the grave...imagine that...) Anyway, what I mean is, that I see myslef as having more spare time, being more relaxed, and setting up that "museum" room for me. I see my grandchildren coming for readings. I see how i encourage them to make their own deck, so maybe there is an art table in the room. The room is quite small and intimate. Furniture is covered with fabrics, but the whole thing is quite simple, so it won't get too much dust. There is a huge wooden box, with all the decks inside it.. all decks in pouches of sorts. Each puch decorated with different beads, and colors according to the deck. You see the pouch, and know which decks is inside. It looks like a treasure box. Next, is a long shelf with all my tarot journals... and those of the rest of the family as well... many books... Two or three large pictures on the wall, with enlarged cards of the sakki-sakki World and Empress. Pictures of other decks as well. A long frame with the same card, and what it looks like in many different decks. the Chariot or maybe the Hanged Man. My coffee cup collection somewhere in there too... Funny, how after all, it becomes a family room, a passion that is shared among people i love, and not just my own. Something that connects people, that encourages knowledge and study, that talks of tradition and of embracing life as something we all share, no matter where we come from and where we go... and a big window, maybe even two...because the whole world is in the cards, but the world is out there as well... Must say, I never thought of this, before i started typing. I discovered a lot by doing this. Thanks for the thread...

psychic sue	10 Mar 2005
I have described my purple bedroom on another thread, but I had to post here to say I got some purple Voile curtains - Dark Purple, Lilac and cream panels - they throw a purple light over my already purple room. And when I put the rope chaser light on over my bed it looks absolutely fab!

SunChariot	10 Mar 2005
psychic sue wrote: I have described my purple bedroom on another thread, but I had to post here to say I got some purple Voile curtains - Dark Purple, Lilac and cream panels - they throw a purple light over my already purple room. And when I put the rope chaser light on over my bed it looks absolutely fab! Sounds gorgeous! Bar

Kaylee Marie	10 Mar 2005
M-Press wrote: instead, i will try and envision, my TRUE tarot toom, as i would like it to be, as it may one day be, or never be... M-Press, I LOVE your ideal room -- it sounds beautiful and warm. I hope that your dreams come true one day! BTW, I just have to say how much I love-love-love the sakki-sakki tarot! Your artwork is amazing. :D I haven't ordered it yet, as I am rather poor at the moment. But I'm hoping to make it a birthday gift to myself in June! Cheers, Kaylee

Sulis	10 Mar 2005
My bedroom is my tarot space. I do most of my readings on the bed - it's quiet and peaceful in there. My bed faces the windows (2 of them) and right outside is a very beautiful little churchyard and park, complete with a quaint little church and some very ancient gravestones. The trees are visible through the bedroom window and it's lovely to see the seasons changing. I'm in the process of making a small meditation / tarot corner in an alcove in one corner of the room. I'm going to have bookshelves, an area to do magical work and cushions on the floor. I'm looking for a screen to put in front of my little space. It'll be lovely when it's done. Love Sulis xx

Sophie-David	10 Mar 2005
After the children left home my wife and I each inherited our own rooms. I have our son's old room in the attic at the front of the house with a beautiful view of the harbour and mountains, and a feeling like you're in a peaceful tower set high above the concerns of the world. I painted the room burgundy and peach, colours my wife would never tolerate in a common use room, but which suit me perfectly. I have half-height bookselves lining the attic room's pony walls, my computer table, a music stand, and a half-folded circular table for the Tarot and the electronic keyboard I use to help in practicing singing. The Tarot table including the keyboard is covered with a large purple velvet cloth which I call the fabric of the Inner Beloved (it is the backdrop for my web page of that name and for the avatar at ATF). Above the table a wall shelf works as an altar for candles, incense, a small Japanese glass float, and a bouquet of dried flowers. A cork board-white board combination backs the altar for notes or pictures. This is a place very like heaven. I have become a strong believer in Virginia Woolf's book A Room of One's Own. Even if its just a sacred space in a shared room, its vital for every artist or creative person to set aside an intentional place to work. In many hetero marriages the woman has the final say in decorating and room usage. In this situation it is even more important for the man to set aside a place that is uniquely his own. I have attached a picture of Tarot Corner.

augursWell	10 Mar 2005
Stregaverde wrote: he can relax on the couch with the furkids while I read for him--it helps him unwind, and is a pleasant interlude for both of us "furkids"! Yes! I've been looking for a word like that for ages. Thanks :) I actually had a bit of an epiphany recently because my kitchen table was always covered with books and assorted junk and I no longer felt I had any place to read cards. I finally took a Saturday afternoon and cleared the whole thing off down to table top and started fresh with a new table cloth. So now the kitchen table is the place for me. I also have a personal altar of various spiritual and religions objects and images on top of a dresser in the bedroom.

Ulfdis	11 Mar 2005
My favorite places to do readings are the dining room table and a (kind of ratty-looking) green plastic outdoor table on the front lawn. (If I were truly and deeply redneck, I'd do readings on top of the broken dishwasher on my porch, LOL! Now all I need is a rebel flag or a Budweiser beach towel for a spread cloth and a bug zapper for mood lighting.) Seriously, though, I like the dining room table because it's big, with lots of room for candles and such trappings, and because it is the heart of the home, since it's wide open to the kitchen. I like the table in the front yard because I like reading outdoors. A little fresh air and sunlight can help immensely when dealing with a question. My dream tarot space would be a screened porch with a lot of plants. Of course, in my fantasy, the plants live.

The Tarot space thread was originally posted on 15 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.