"sanitizing" decks for public readings

Umbrae recommended sanitizing the deck for someone who posted about doing readings for elderly people in a nursing home.

At least they're not asking you to take out the happy cards.

I don't think sanitizing a deck is a good idea. I do believe in finding an appropriate deck to work with a particular crowd far more reasonable. For example, finding decks where Death might be named Transformation, etc., and have a more positive outlook. When the Hangman comes up when I read for youths I compare it to taking time apart from playing with the other kids and hanging upside down on a jungle gym, and how they see the world differently. One neighbour's child liked this idea so much he went home and she found him standing on his head in his bedroom, loking around and said "This is cool!" But I feel the owner of this business is almost in denial. If you can't read with a full deck or cannot be honest about a reading, then you aren't really reading tarot. They could always switch to using positive self-affirmation type decks, like Doreen Virtue. It reminds me of a few people I know that want everything sweet and fluffy and don't want to deal with the realities of life; life that it is a mixture of good and bad, black, white and many shades of grey. Personally I would not read for this company, but find another one or just start up your own business. Good luck to you with this!

If this sanitisation i compulsory for the gig, I would be walking away haughtily. I would point out to the auditioner that that shows just how little she understands about Tarot, and say I can't believe *anyone* would be so desperate for a gig, and I certainly am not. Then I'd leave. With immense dignity.

Your mileage may differ.

You don't have to sanitize or pretty up anything for old folks, and the older they are the less pretty you need to make it. They have seen it all in person, you can't scare them.

I wouldn't work for anyone who would insist I leave out part of my tool chest.

AJ said:

You don't have to sanitize or pretty up anything for old folks, and the older they are the less pretty you need to make it. They have seen it all in person, you can't scare them.

I wouldn't work for anyone who would insist I leave out part of my tool chest.

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I'm with AJ.

On the other hand, a Shakespearean actor may take a gig as a party clown if there's no MacBeth planned for the local theater.

Umbrae hands each in attendance an overripe tomato. “Please feel free, but allow my say.”

theora said:

I am new to the business of reading at parties. I have a particular concern and would love to benefit from your experience.

I was recently auditioned by the owner of a company that is in the business of providing readers for parties and events, and added to the roster of readers. My first job is coming up!

I've been reading cards for years (for both friends and friendly strangers) but am very new at doing parties.

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Reading at parties is a whole different gig than private readings, private consultations, reading for insight, reading for therapy, reading for whatever…

When you’re reading at a party – you are entertainment. No different than a wedding singer (ever notice they never do a good hangin’ song at weddings?), keeping a party light and happy is what its about.

theora said:

…also, in asking for pro advice at a conference, I was told by more than one longtime pro to do this.

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BATS was a good time. Did you stick around for the Sunday session? Cool stuff there…

theora said:

…can you still do good readings when you're not playing with a full deck?! and how do I reconcile this with wanting to be as professional as possible? plus, the hanged man? that is such a good card, to my eyes!

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It’s a party, you’re a wedding singer. Yes you CAN give good, honest readings with…gosh…lenormands have like 36 cards? Old Petit Etteilla’s have 32 (both give great readings), majors only decks have 22, playing card decks (great for reading with), have 52. Gol dern right you can read with less than 78 cards!

And – if you need to be rebellious, get an International Icon Tarot, or a Touchstone Tarot, sanitize it, and leave in The Happy Squirrel as the catch-all ‘bad card’.

Tarot reading for entertainment has different sets of rules. And by following them, a different level of income becomes available. You will generate call-back business, not only for private readings, but more parties which generate more private readings which generate more…

Embrace it...

Just because a person is elderly doesn't mean they're not afraid of death, though. I've taken care of quite a few elderly people who were afraid of it.

Being haughty and walking out as a couple of people have mentioned doing might be okay in a good economy, but maybe you need the money badly enough to sign up anyway and I don't think any of us can sit in judgment on you for that. We all do what we have to do to put food on the table when times are tough even if we feel compromised about it. I didn't like being a cocktail waitress or bartender back in the last recession in the days before sexual harrassment in the workplace was illegal but I had kids to feed so I did it. I didn't like fishing all night or deer hunting, either, but I did it. You just put your pride in your pocket and carry on sometimes.

Can you still go back and ask if you can use a deck that doesn't have such graphic imagery or titles for the cards that say Death, etc.? There are some.

Umbrae and I posted at the same time. Listen to him---he knows.

still flabberghasted!

tHIS REMINDS ME of the time I approached this new age shop and asked if they needed a tarot reader/teacher for classes. The owner said absolutely! We'd love to have you! on one condition- that you never use the word TAROT. You have to tell people you are an Intuitive Counselor. Right then and there I said no.

Its disrespectful in both situations. I understand Tarot to have a collective consciousness simply because millions of people for nearly 500 years have been pouring energy and mind-stuff-thought-forms into this cosmic pool of swirling tarot....

Its not like there is some angry goddess watching- who will punish people who mess with the cards- but like someone else said- they are in there for a reason. They deserve respect.

Grizabella said:

Being haughty and walking out as a couple of people,...

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Haughty??? Nothing haughty about saying "I'm sorry, perhaps you need someone else for this job."

As in any profession, the interviewee (I don't care what the economy dictates), has the right to refuse work. It's called having standards. If it isn't what you want, you don't take the job. Having someone telling me to strip the deck of "bad cards" is not someone I want to work for. My choice, not the economy's, but mine.


* and apparently Nisaba's as well.

I am with Baroli on this one. No way I would alter my deck to suit someone else's ideas. If I did I would feel I would be unfaithful to myself and all the tarot readers in the world.

And like other's wrote, you could find a deck with different names on those cards that don't depict the ones that freak him out.

All the best to you.