"sanitizing" decks for public readings

[Debra]

Is there a good reason for a tarot deck to have 22 majors?
Does it matter if deck loses its devil, death and tower?

 

[LucyD]

I have a huge gig on Friday night and a slightly smaller gig on Saturday night. As a result of this meaty discussion, I'm going to remove some cards on one night and not the other just to see what happens. I don't have any problem with the concept going in, fyi, so I'll report back what happens.

 

[Umbrae]

Is there a good reason for a tarot deck to have 22 majors?
Does it matter if deck loses its devil, death and tower?

No.

The Visconti decks did not have 22 majors. Yes it is a subject of discussion as to why - but they did not have 22 majors - two cards are missing from every extant collection. (Conspiracy Theory!!! They’ve been sanitized! roflmao)

Not all decks have 78 cards. Some have more some have less. It’s history, it is fact.

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!

...I've never done it before, but I suspect reading that way is do-able.

Readings still come through loud and clear...very doable.

One should never confuse the tool - with the message.

 

[Nevada]

I wonder if anyone has ever pointed out to companies or customers that insist on sanitized decks that one can get a fairly negative reading without the "bad" or "unhappy" cards present, or a positive reading with them? Just curious. For instance, though it hasn't ever come up that way for me, I've read that the Sun card can sometimes indicate sudden death. Even though if I needed the money I'd probably read with a sanitized deck, I'd secretly (or maybe openly) be thinking it doesn't matter. The cards say what the cards say. Without one small portion of the deck, they'll still find a way to say what they need to. (I know this because I've sometimes accidentally been missing a card -- or many cards -- and gotten accurate readings anyway.)

If they really want sanitized readings, they need to request that the reader sanitize more than the deck.

 

[moderndayruth]

There is a whole market for kosher novels - meaning someone is writing plots without a scene that you wouldn't want your 13 years old to read (mind, the books are written for older folks than that, just sayin'), i even know someone who wrote four books for the readers who choose to read that kind of literature exclusively... Guess what, they manage. I read couple of chapters - there obviously aren't any explicit sex scenes, no serial killing, not even bad words... yet, its still ficition, and for what i've read, not any worse than your average beach read... if not better.
And... it doesn't mean that the readers, targeted by these books are undeflowered & ignorant of the ways of the world.

On another token - how many of us here would swear that "Death" hardly ever means physical death? We scream *Nooo! Its NOT what you think!* at the mear mentioning of the Death's literal meaning, don't we?

 

[Umbrae]

If they really want sanitized readings, they need to request that the reader sanitize more than the deck.

The discussion is not about sanitized readings, but 'sanitizing' the deck.

Removing death tower ten swords stuck in the back etc etc etc in no way sanitizes the readings.

It does help remove gut-level knee-jerk negative reactions that sitters may encumber themselves with in a party situation.

This is confusing the message with the medium, the reading with the tools.

How many times have we as readers turned over death/10 of swords and had a sitter ‘react’. It happens all the time. How many of those sitters stopped listening to us as we ‘explained’ the meaning…and a sitter walks away with their own ideas regardless of our sunny bunny words.

It happens. It happens all the time.

To every single reader who reads for strangers.

Reading at weddings, bar or bat mitzvahs, corporate functions, is different than reading for a casual sitter.

If you contract to read for a corporate holiday party – they have expectations regarding their entertainment, and their entertainment budget.

Readings of doom and gloom are not part of their budget.

In the professional arena, there is no need to inadvertently be a bummer…

 

[Baroli]

It does help remove gut-level knee-jerk negative reactions that sitters may encumber themselves with in a party situation.

This is confusing the message with the medium, the reading with the tools.

How many times have we as readers turned over death/10 of swords and had a sitter ‘react’. It happens all the time. How many of those sitters stopped listening to us as we ‘explained’ the meaning…and a sitter walks away with their own ideas regardless of our sunny bunny words.

It happens. It happens all the time.

To every single reader who reads for strangers.

Reading at weddings, bar or bat mitzvahs, corporate functions, is different than reading for a casual sitter.

If you contract to read for a corporate holiday party – they have expectations regarding their entertainment, and their entertainment budget.

Readings of doom and gloom are not part of their budget.

In the professional arena, there is no need to inadvertently be a bummer…

But....but...but,...oh I guess you are right. I read at a wedding last year (whoops let me clarify that wedding reception) and I have to say it would have been better if I took the death card out. I mean the bride and the groom wouldn't like too kindly on a death card reading or 10 of swords or something like that. It's just that I have never had anyone say btw, please take out the "Bad" cards. I'm really having a problem with this or rather,.....my ego is. Sheesh!!

More to learn and understand Just when you think you have it down,....

 

[nisaba]

Seriously? How can that be considered "professional" behavior for a truly serious Tarot reader? Someone who makes money with repeat business and business referrals? That kind of behavior would burn so many bridges in a professional community. That's about the worst advice I can imagine. It's truly inappropriate.

Why? they're all well-respected decks. I will have removed the specific cards that I was asked to remove. Professional.

I think even for an employer to make it a condition of a gig that certain cards that a non-reader decides she doesn't like should be removed is unprofessional and dodgy in the extreme.

 

[nisaba]

Suppose you are a Spiritual Teacher, and you wish to come to my country (Umbraeland) and teach my people your ways.

Suppose I say, “This is good, you may travel my country far and wide, teach my people. I will even pay you to teach the good people of Umbraeland your spiritual message. But you must never under any circumstance use any word beginning with the letter F.”

So do you still have a message to spread? Will you find a way to spread it?

And that's exactly what I proposed doing, if you re-read my earlier message.


I removed the letter "F" from a wide range of well-respected Tarot decks, many of which I got from The Tarotgarden.

So I'm not allowed to decide which of my decks I read with, now?

 

[Logiatrix]

And that's exactly what I proposed doing, if you re-read my earlier message.


I removed the letter "F" from a wide range of well-respected Tarot decks, many of which I got from The Tarotgarden.

So I'm not allowed to decide which of my decks I read with, now?

Change of plan. I'll take the gig.

I've decided which decks I'll sanitise, removing *only* the cards that the employer mentioned earlier in the thread.

The Bosch, the Erotica, the Klimt, and the Manara. I might even borrow back my copy of the Deviant Moon, and sanitise that.

If my employer hadn't insisted on sanitisation, they would have gotten a *much* more cheery and inoffensive selection of decks than that, with maybe (maybe, I said) only one of those included, and that being probably not one of the rudie-nudie ones.

Those choices would clearly be an affront in response to the intitial request. Of course you are "allowed" to choose your reading deck, but in a real-world, professional decision, obviously the request to alter your deck is based on the comfort level of the presenter's target group. Your proposed deck selection ("...the Bosch, the Erotica, the Klimt, and the Manaras...") are a potentially inflammatory commentary, and wouldn't even begin to be taken seriously. As Umbrae said, the sitter will stop listening to the reading as soon as a distracting card emerges. I find that to be especially true at party venues, where it is already a trick to get a decent short reading across in such a festive, raucous atmosphere (i.e., alcohol, loud music, and low inhibitions).

I'd like to believe that, if a sitter expresses further interest in what I do, I can give them my card. Then they will have an opportunity to get another reading with an "un-sanitized" deck.