Reading professionally and different deck?

tarotreader75

I am hoping to launch things soon as a personal reader and I was wondering about decks. I have a few but my best and most used/favorite is the Fractal Firebird deck which is no longer made because the artist couldn't find the right backing for the cards. They are gorgeous and so wonderful to use and I really wish I had bought two. Readers, do you keep your decks separately for your clients or do you just use what is the most comfortable?

Thanks!
 

Citrin

I use whatever deck I feel called to use. :) Some clients have requests regarding deck choice and if it feels alright I will go with whatever they wish. I do have some decks in my collection I keep for my own readings only, that's only because I don't think they'd read well for others.

Maybe you could check out the Tarot Trading part of Aeclectic and see if someone wants to sell/trade you a second deck. Would be sad if your only copy somehow got worn out or lost!
 

AnemoneRosie

I'm primarily an online reader, so I can read with whatever deck I want.
I wouldn't bring a deck with a lot of personal value with me to read for face to face clients, though. I read in bars, so the risk of cards getting wet is far too high. I want to be able to replace decks if I have to. Even when I don't let clients handle my cards, really, they still do. And they still go against the rules that I've laid out five minutes before. To them, they are just cards, and don't have an emotional attachment the way that I do. So they treat them like a deck of cards where I wouldn't.
There's no problem have a personal deck and a reading deck. Some of my personal decks also happen to be online-only.
 

Barleywine

I have many decks that I don't want to expose to the rigors of client handling (since I expect them to shuffle the cards), so I bought a few fairly sturdy, easily-replaceable decks for the purpose: right now it's the Waite-Smith Centennial, the Morgan-Greer, the Robin Wood and the Connolly. Most of my clients have been tentative about shuffling and handle the cards gingerly, but you never know. I like to bring at least three thoroughly-randomized decks since I don't always have time to do it between readings, and switch off as necessary.
 

Apollonia

I personally wouldn't use an irreplaceable deck for client readings. The decks I have used for client readings got a lot of wear and tear over the years.

I also found that when I used a deck that was a personal favorite, after a while of reading with it for others, it tended to lose its flavor for me when I read for myself. So I would suggest keeping your favorite deck just for yourself and trusted friends and family members, and finding another deck that will be your "go-to" for clients.
 

Tanga

Face-to-face paying clients - I have a double deck.
One for me and one for client use.

Other decks I'll use as and when - when I meet up with Tarot enthusiasts at seminars etc.

On-line readings - I have 3 designated decks (copyright permission) that I use.
 

PenPendragon

chosing decks

I am hoping to launch things soon as a personal reader and I was wondering about decks. I have a few but my best and most used/favorite is the Fractal Firebird deck which is no longer made because the artist couldn't find the right backing for the cards. They are gorgeous and so wonderful to use and I really wish I had bought two. Readers, do you keep your decks separately for your clients or do you just use what is the most comfortable?

Thanks!
___________

For public readings: I generally used my own deck until the images started to blur (after many hours) then I changed decks. I generally had 4-5 decks with me. Sometimes I 'felt' a different deck would work best for the next client. Once in awhile I changed decks due to the question. Example: a client at Ren Fest identified herself as a detective trying to track directions (rural) from a perp's confession... literally, 'where the body was buried'. (very cold case). I switched to an odd non-Tarot by German Psychologists with images of highways, landscapes, country roads, markers, etc coupled with it's paired deck of words.

But as long as my primary deck was 'buttery' and cooperative, I favored it. I always shuffled well while asking for guidance for querent, then handed deck to the client to shuffle. 80% of the time they were fairly incompetent shufflers so they just shuffled a little then I asked them to cut three times. That deck got worn out, cards tearing in two, so I colour copied, encased the copies in plastic 'pockets', heat laminated, and switched to the cloned deck. Once a deck is as familiar as extension of one's mind... and functions like a metaphysical radar or remote...to the 'channels'... I couldn't abandon it even if some of the cards were in pieces..and they were, and edges tattered. I found the copied deck worked the same for me. So if anyone is faced with favorite deck that is coming apart or won't shuffle anymore, the same process would work. If there is a way to send images somewhere on this site, I could send examples of an original worn card and the laminated copy.
Pen
 

SunChariot

I am hoping to launch things soon as a personal reader and I was wondering about decks. I have a few but my best and most used/favorite is the Fractal Firebird deck which is no longer made because the artist couldn't find the right backing for the cards. They are gorgeous and so wonderful to use and I really wish I had bought two. Readers, do you keep your decks separately for your clients or do you just use what is the most comfortable?

Thanks!

All my best wishes for you as you start out reading professionally. :heart:

I have read professionally for years, although I am at the other end of things. I am 60 now and slowing down more and more in that area.:grin:

I have only read online. I have read through my site via e-mail...The querent e-mails me the question and I e-mail them back the answer.

So to answer the first question, I keep my decks separately, separate from the querent. The querent never sees or touches the actual deck, although I do send photos of the cards that have come up.

But even if I did read in person I prefer to choose the deck and I don't believe that would change. MOST of my answer comes from the card image. I read mainly intuitively through the card image. As you know the same card in different decks is quite different artistically. That means it would talk to me very differently.

I feel that I myself need to sense which deck is the one which will have the right images in it that will tell me the message in the right way. Some will, and some won't. But I need to sense which deck is the one that will myself. Especially when i am being paid for my work. Then there is no fooling around and I want to be doing the best reading I can.

If it was just for fun or for a friend, they could choose the deck if they want. But when reading professionally, I would rather choose myself to feel the best deck for me to read with on that question is the one that gets used.

Even though I only read via e-mail, I could still let the querent choose if I wanted to by sending them links to the different decks I have, but I choose not to. I want to be in charge of that to be sure. The wrong deck gets chosen and the reading is not as good as it could have been. The way I read, anyway.

I also have a thing about other people touching my decks, it kindof bothers me. I would not be happy with that even if I read in person. Which is likely one more reason amongst many that I was not meant to be an in person reader.

Babs
 

Achlys

If it's a deck I know I can't replace, I won't use it for in-person readings just because I've had people severely mishandle the cards and they wear over time.
If it's for online readings where that won't be an issue, I just use whatever deck I think would work best for the situation since I know I'll be handling the cards with care.
I've seen that they have tarot card sleeves now, however. So if you want to use a rare deck and don't mind the extra bulk, that might be an idea as well.