Does anyone find any cards scary? ...'Cuz I do.

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 May 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Sinistar_Phoenix	05 May 2005
I warn you, this is a long thread... If you are frustrated by reading, please press 1. Oops, click somewhere else... (Too much telephone!) This is a story to show what card scares me. Half of this story is true, and the other half is not. And... I'm not sure what forum to put this in. Once upon a time, a girl named Ray merrily skips to her nearest bookstore. Yay. She goes to the New Age section, and the most beautiful Tarot deck catches her eye.... THE CACHET TAROT DECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, she picks up the box, reads the back of it a few times, and puts it back on the shelf. Then she goes over to the manga section and reads some Battle Royale. *Reading... Reading... Page 108... Reading..* Hahah!!! That's so hilarious!!!! *Reading.........* Oh, ah ahem.... She puts the manga back onto the shelf and goes back to the beloved Tarot deck. She reads the back of it once more and sees that it says... "WARNING IMPORTANT INFORMATION KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN" Startled, she lowers the box and thinks... "Hm... Keep away from little kids...." she scratches her head. "Ah, I see what it means. That just means that these cards are so big to shuffle, that the little ones playing "Go Fish" with them will get nasty papercuts! Well, time to pay for this deck!" Ray pays for her deck, and sits down at a bench in the back of the bookstore. She struggles to open the box, it was so hard to open! "Stupid childproof seal!" she says as she fights with the valiant armies of... Tape. Finally, she gets it open... And begins shuffling her deck. Lo and behold, she gets a papercut. (No really, this did happen, ow... *Replaces bandaid*) Ray admires the beauty of the artwork, and miraculously skips over the depressing cards. "I think I'm gonna like this deck!" Ray goes home and does a reading, not knowing that all of the cards weren't happy and pretty. So, she shuffles her deck, and comes across one card. One card that scares her to death. That's almost literal... THE DEATH CARD!!!!!! "Gah!!!!" Ray shudders and places the card somewhere else in the deck, and breathes. "Its gonna be okay. Its a card, it won't bite..." Now Ray has suspicions that that specific card is what cut her thumb. Feeling that she has had enough thrill in seeing the grim reaper riding a stallion that should be smiling on a Disney movie, she goes to the kitchen for a snack. She wants a turkey sandwich. She eats too many of these for her own good. So, she gets the bread and...... Finds that it isn't bread. Its card 13 of the Major Arcana! "How in the world did that get there?" Ray gets the card and puts it back into the deck. "That could've made the bread taste like plastic. And plastic bread belongs in Fischer Price toys." Ray indulges her sandwich and makes many, many, many, okay, three more. Then, she goes to the restroom for uh... Uh... Usage of mirrors. She opens the medicine cabinet and opens it and sees... Its card 13 of the Major Arcana! ... "This is getting ridiculous." Ray says as she takes the card off of the mirror. "That could've fallen in the sink and clogged the drain." Now, Ray wants to go to town. She has no car. So, she is going to ride the bus. Our dear friend stands outside, and the public bus shows up. Dollar in hand, she loads the bus. "One dollar please!" The driver said. "Cant you see that's what I'm holding???" "No, looks like a Yu-Gi-Oh! card to me......." Ray is getting frustrated. That card keeps following her. And that is really saying something. "Aw geeze, I thought I put that away. Could've done some heavy damage to the money machine. Thanks for telling me!" What shall become of Ray next!? Or, does she even know what that card means? Is she getting any signs that unwelcome change may come to her? If so, does that mean she wants her change in quarters because she hates pennies and nickels and dimes???? Does she think its a Yu-Gi-Oh! Card because she's dumb like that? They don't know, You don't know, and neither do I! I shall make a continuation! Again, I don't know what forum to put this in. Um, this isn't inappropriate, is it??? SINISTAR PHOENIXXX

MercyMe	05 May 2005
Actually, yes, sometimes...but not too much anymore. :) The cards that disturb me the most are usually those that reflect some nasty part of myself back to me. Ugh. ~Mercy

Thuvia	06 May 2005
Great writing :) Thanks for sharing, I'm looking forward to your next part... here's hoping Ray doesn't get too many dimes and nickles :)

Shangri-La	08 May 2005
Sinistar_Phoenix wrote: So, she picks up the box, reads the back of it a few times, and puts it back on the shelf. Then she goes over to the manga section and reads some Battle Royale. wow... I thought I was the only manga fan in this forum!

Ace	09 May 2005
Sinistar_Phoenix wrote: Is she getting any signs that unwelcome change may come to her? If so, does that mean she wants her change in quarters because she hates pennies and nickels and dimes???? I think the key is the above quoted sentence: you are afraid of unwelcome change. The Death card is telling you that change is inevitable. and apparently, the sooner you realize that the time has come the better off you will be. Don't EVER be afraid of a card. No, I will edit that to say: don't let being afraid stop you. If you are uncomforable, if it is hitting your buttons (that is, making you very uncomfortable.) It is very good to look at why. You do understand, I think that the Death card is not referring to physical death, but to changes. What changes DON'T you want to face? Bring the out, discuss them with yourself and your fear (of the unknown) will fade away. Talk to us, we care about you! Ace

Emeraldgirl	10 May 2005
Purely to look at I have to say that the Clown on the Devil card in the Victoria Regina Deck is a scary looking guy and therefore a card don't like very much. I have had to re-evaulate after readings thanks to some things I have been shown but nothing to the point where I have been scared if a card. I think Ace and everyone else here has given you some very good advice.

carly	11 May 2005
Well it doesn't look like the difficulty opening the deck is an omen anyways, because it looks like you're not the only one to have problems: http://www.tarotpassages.com/cachet-lb.htm At first I thought The Devil was evil, but I eventually just stepped out and was like "hello, how can a piece of cardboard be evil? what's it going to do? stop being stupid and look him in the face!" and realised it can give good advice :) Loved the story, Carly

mike gorth	11 May 2005
9 and 10 of swords really creep me out. Actually, I don't like the suit of swords in the least.

bladeraven	12 May 2005
Emeraldgirl wrote: Purely to look at I have to say that the Clown on the Devil card in the Victoria Regina Deck is a scary looking guy and therefore a card don't like very much. I have had to re-evaulate after readings thanks to some things I have been shown but nothing to the point where I have been scared if a card. I think Ace and everyone else here has given you some very good advice. I agree with you...I saw a post of that card......*shuddering* ooooooo...clowns..now please excuse me as I burst through this wall screaming....AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Khatruman	12 May 2005
Fear is natural. It is your mind's way of alerting you to a potential problem. It is what you do with that fear, how much you let it control you, that may be a problem. I don't see anything in a deck of tarot cards that causes me fear. Perhaps in a reading, I may get a reaction which causes me concern, but to fear a tarot card, to me, would be comparable to fearing a screwdriver. It is a tool.

SunChariot	13 May 2005
I used to be afraid of some of the cards. My first reading I got the Death card (which accurately predicted the end of a relationship in my life for the time being) and I was scared stupid. It took me a full week to find the courage to pick up the deck again. A year later, no none of the Tarot cards scare me in the least. This is my take on it. In life, we all have good and bad things that will happen along the way. Tarot doesn't cause them, but it does give us a way to avoid them many times. If something were about to happen in my life that I would not care for, I would rather know in advance. Especially as the outcomes they predict are still changeable and not written in stone. If I did not have the Tarot to let me know I would just be sitting around the living room and one day: Wham! It hits you unexpectedly. But, if you have a warning, you can do periodic readings to see how you can change the situation, and change that and keep checking in to see what else you can change. And voila catastrophe averted.:-) I beleive I have seen this work on numerious occasions in my life, and I trust the process and I trust Tarot. To me, in the vast majority of cases, a "scary" card is not telling me that the event it predicts will happen, just to watch out that if you don't take steps to avoid it this is where you are heading. So I just do my best to find out what the steps are and take them...:-) Bar

wandking	13 May 2005
Death, like much of Tarot, seems to teach that Einstien is right in saying "The only constant in the universe is change." Although they don't scare me, I dislike seeing The Tower or Three of Swords in my personal spreads.

SunChariot	13 May 2005
wandking wrote: Death, like much of Tarot, seems to teach that Einstien is right in saying "The only constant in the universe is change." Although they don't scare me, I dislike seeing The Tower or Three of Swords in my personal spreads. Well, that's true. LOL While none of the cards "scare" me anymore there are some I would prefer not to see. I'm not looking for troubles, while I know no one escapes them in life, we all have some to face and they are there to help make us stronger but mostly I believe they are sent for that reason, as learning experiences...and that everything happens for a reason... Bar

Little Baron	14 May 2005
I agree, SunChariot. I think there is a positive side to all cards and when what some may call a negative card pops up, I look at it from all angles. If I decided that this is not as positive as I would like, I use the energy of the card and others around it to help me move through a difficult situation. No actual cards scare or bother me. The Marseille is good for me in that respect because the 'Devil', 'Tower' and 'Death' cards are not scary or dark to look at. Also, I do not read cards such as the '9, 10 and 3' of swords as bad - because they just arn't. LB

autumn star	14 May 2005
In my own spreads, I get an ominous feeling when ever I see the 10 of swords. The image of the man with the 10 swords in his back kind of scares me. I also find alot of the swords cards a bit difficult .... 5 of pentacles is also a bit bleak. I used to be scared of the death card, but I have come to understand it as an ending to something ... and new beginnings. At the moment I am welcoming the card because to me it symbolises the end of a negative situation for me. The Devil card also kind of scares me at times, probably because I don't have a lot of experience with it at all come to think of it.

SunChariot	14 May 2005
autumn star wrote: In my own spreads, I get an ominous feeling when ever I see the 10 of swords. The image of the man with the 10 swords in his back kind of scares me. I also find alot of the swords cards a bit difficult .... 5 of pentacles is also a bit bleak. Here's a thought for you, feel free to take it or leave it...Maybe it is time for you to consider a new deck. The one you have may not be the best choice for you. There are many many out there without that imagery in it. In fact some don't even use swords at all. In one of my newest decks, the Margarete Petersen (the English version), the suit of Swords has been replaced by Feathers. And in the Haindl, Pentacles have become Stones, a reflection of the beauty and bounty of the earth. If the image makes you uncomfortable I am sure there are many decks with imagery that is more suited to your spiritual needs. Bar PS, I do not like that image either with the man with 10 swords in his back. It is rather gruesome. None of my 12 decks have (well 9 are Tarot, 3 are Oracles) have that image in them.

Angel Star	14 May 2005
I think this deck is very beautiful but could not find it in Aecletic. Does anyone know where i can purchase it? I do not find any cards frightening in the tarot. The thing that scares me is getting a message from the tarot then ignoring it and then all hell breaks lose cause i did not want to listen. LOL! We just do not want to see sometimes.

Julien	14 May 2005
The 10 of Swords -- I don't like seeing it, and it always makes me more than a little worried. I think it's the only one, though, that I come close to being frightened of. More accurately, for me at least, is when a card that signals some sort of disruption shows up in my personal readings -- whatever the card. I'm more worried of negative outcomes than of particular cards, if that makes sense. And I'm not sure if it's "fear" or just some combination of annoyance and "oh no not again, can't I have any peace." Ah, I think that's called self-pity... Ick. I think if a card in a deck really frightened me, I'd put the deck up on my shelf with the other ones I rarely use and let it collect dust. Buy a new deck that I could connect with and not have nightmares (waking or sleeping). Julien

SunChariot	14 May 2005
Angel Star wrote: I think this deck is very beautiful but could not find it in Aecletic. Does anyone know where i can purchase it? Which deck? If you are referring to my post, I know the Haindl is on AT, so you must mean the English Margarete Peterson, which definitely is beautiful. I got mine about a month ago at Tarot Garden: http://www.aeclectic.net/cgi/buyframe.cgi?type=deck&id=3311 Bar

ncefafn	14 May 2005
The only card I'm afraid of is the one from my dentist. Every six months he sends me one, ordering me to come in for a teeth-cleaning. My dentist is evil. Sinistar_Phoenix, beware of the Dentist Card! Kim

SunChariot	14 May 2005
Well, there's the best answer I've heard all day. Kim. ROFL There's no arguing with that. I feel just the same way. Bar

similia	14 May 2005
Kim, you should think about getting the Bright Ideas deck :D (or perhaps avoid it like the plague! :eek: Come to think of it, I am due for a dental check up myself....)

Fairawen	15 May 2005
I'm afraid of the cover for the Exorcist book... *shivers* everytime I look across the room, AHHHHH! Not even a good book, but the picture sure scares me... Good write though, and can't wait to see where the ilusive caqrd turns up next... ~Fairawen~

The Does anyone find any cards scary? ...'Cuz I do. thread was originally posted on 05 May 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.