Retiring a deck?

phantomjiujitsu

Hi, I'm Alex from Colorado Springs. I've been reading since I was a teen (about 16 years or so) but I still consider myself a newbie. This question might be a little odd, but I appreciate any opinions on the subject that anyone would be willing to share.
I have a thoth deck that produced a particularly phenomenal read for me during a very tough period of time in my life. Immediately after the read, I boxed the cards back in the same order of the shuffle and decided to retire the deck becuase honestly, in that moment, the accuracy of the read frightened me.
It has been sitting in a drawer for a while now and although I love working with my other decks... I keep thinking about this one, and want to break it out and work with it again. You could say that it's calling me.
Is it wise to start reading with it again after I already made the decision to quit working with it? Should I just get a new copy of the deck or is this a sign that I should break it out again? When is it time to retire a deck or is there ever such a time?
Thanks for taking the time out to read this post and I look forward to reading the responses.
 

gregory

If it's calling to you - use it.

I have never retired a deck. I have put some aside for a while, but decks cry out to be used.
 

Nemia

I'm with Gregory - why not use it? Your decision then was made under certain circumstances - you have changed, your life has changed, so why cling to it?

The Thoth is a very special deck and it can be too precise for comfort, I know. But that's a reason to use, not to retire it, in my book.

And why buy a new copy? You have a story with this one, so give it a try. I won't bite you.

My oldest deck is a Thoth and i love it. I lent it to a friend for some time and when I got it back I wasn't sure how we'd get along. But it was no problem, the readings are good - tough love, Thoth love :)
 

Barleywine

I wouldn't retire it for that reason alone. If you're ready, the deck should be responsive to your state of mind. I have retired my old Thoth deck from 1971 because it's quite worn, with clear packing tape on a couple of dog-eared corners, and I have two other versions - another large one and a standard-size one - that handle better.
 

dawning_tarot

the Thoth is one of my favorite decks to use, that can be scary accurate especially if you're not ready for it. however no reason to retire a deck ever just put it aside for awhile until you're ready to use it again.
 

nisaba

If it's calling to you - use it.

Gregory has been Tarotic for decades - listen to good advice. One reading doesn't damage a deck in any way - it enriches it. In fact, every reading enriches a deck.

I have numbers of decks I haven't touched at all in years, but every so often I'll go rummaging through my collection looking for a specific deck I haven't used in ages - and I'm always delighted when I find it and use it again.

Do it.
 

phantomjiujitsu

Thanks for the all the advice, I'm glad to hear the encouragement to pick up this deck and continue reading with it.
Thanks again!
 

Carojulie

If it is calling to you, listen ! It might just want to be used again !

I never retired a deck unless it missed a card - and even then, the deck was not retired but merely on pause : if I could find the missing card or replace it, I would put the deck out of its retirement and back in use. When it misses a card, I might not use it for reading, but I still use it for admiring the art and giving away the remaining cards one by one to my friends as tokens.
Decks want to be seen, they want to shine !

My decks will be retired enough when I am dead, unless my kids have the good sense to give them to someone who will use them (I need to leave instructions of that nature, now that I think of it...)
In the mean time, the decks are loved and used !

But, it can make sense to leave a deck to sleep for awhile, if you feel so called to do. It does not have o be forever, unless you want it to be. Your call entirely !