Seasoning a deck

Well keep bumping this thread so that when I actually have a cool story to tell I'll tell it.

Actually my RW (actually my step moms but I've made it my own) was taken with me last summer to a week long cleaning job.
The bar we were cleaning was notorious for being haunted and when our planned place to stay fell through my friends and I stayed in the bar. Needless to say the cards got plenty of use that entire week. First night was the craziest, those spirits did not want us there AT ALL.

I see so many threads where people agonise over the slightest sign of aging or use in a deck. They should all be pointed here. A crisp, new deck is a lovely thing and full of a potential; but like a red wine, decks ripen with age - and uses! There is nothing sadder than a Tarot deck that has been owned for some time and still "feels like new". Such a sign of being unloved ...

While I mostly agree, nisaba, I do love that chemically new card smell that others loath that you get on some decks. I wish they did a spray, like the new car smell spray, only for tarot decks!

My Victorian Gold is well-seasoned. The cards are very soft, and the edges are a bit worn. It is very special to me, and I want to keep it for a very long time. I did by the Russian version, to give my original deck a break. I alternate between them. There is something exciting about the new deck, but when I'm doing an important reading for myself, I always go back to my seasoned deck.

I've always looked forward to getting my decks nice and soft. But when I am constantly getting decks who knows when that'll be! Does anyone else have this anxiety?

I've thought about purposefully seasoning them. Either by the edge of a table or book and by shuffling. But I always worry that something will happen to that card and the whole deck will be tainted. I once tried to break in the Victorian Flower Oracle on the edge of a table. After a few slides the card seemed to just go back to its original state (Slightly more curved) and I gave up Oh the frustration I endured that day.

My own copy of the Flournoy Noblet, despite a fair bit of shuffling, I find very stiff. But when the travelling copy of it passed through my hands a while back, it was delightfully soft and supple and showed the effects of the many loving shuffles in its world travels.

I'm constantly shuffling my cards, just because I'm fidgety and my hands need something to do.

What a wonderful thread. I have come to the conclusion that however many back ups one buys, it is always the tatty one which the heart yearns for.

My Ancient Italian is very worn because I bought it before I started realising that tarot cards go out of print and become desirable. So I just didn't care. I loved it so I used it. And I bought the Ancient Italian when I was far away from home (2001?)and didn't have any decks near and I went into a tarot shop in Copacabana, Rio and spent hours choosing. This was the only deck I had at hand for a few years and I used it for everything; I even used the Minors whilst playing Patience/Solitaire and trying to give up smoking. It travelled around with me, visiting baroque villages & modern cities. It went to Buenos Aires and back, and this deck was packed and unpacked and shared the trip...

It has got tattier and somehow feels better than a new back up one that I got and have never really used.

And it is the same with the others (my old 1JJ Swiss, Rider & Co RWS, Royal Fez, Victorian Romantic though I currently prefer the Russian edition). The more worn in and seasoned ones are just infinitely better

Le Fanu said:

It has got tattier and somehow feels better than a new back up one that I got and have never really used.

Click to expand...

This is why I don't bother with back ups.

I believe that it is true that it is the older decks that one prefers. Earlier I was outside, and I had this new deck with me. I was afraid to take it out to play with as it was rather big and I was afraid of dirtying it (although it does give quite good readings and someday I would like to try to season it).

My idea of seasoning it would be to understand all the meanings of the cards without looking at the book. Quite different from what many of you have in mind. =)

When I had some time to take the cards out, I kept hoping that I had taken the older deck instead. I felt that I would not feel quite as self conscious if I had taken the other deck instead for it was smaller, a miniature version and I would not be afraid to put it on the table.

I think that apart from familiarity, initial liking is important as it determines how much we would be using it to gain familiarity.