There are a lot of Tarot Superstitions out there. If you’ve just started reading or even if you’ve been doing it for almost 4 decades like me, people will probably try and tell you what you should or shouldn’t do with your tarot deck. Ultimately all anyone can do is share what has worked for them, why some traditions exist, and hint at how you might be able to navigate this powerful system of divination for yourself.
Top Ten Tarot Superstitions
The following are in no particular order.
- You must not buy your own tarot deck. This particular advice was given to me over 30 years ago by some prominent witches. Gifting a deck can give an extra special blessing or energy, but if you really want a deck don’t let me or anyone else stop you. Personally, I have several treasured decks that were given to me over the years, to me it feels like a connection to the people.
- Don’t reuse a deck. Over the years I’ve been given decks from friends who have passed, or people who no longer wanted or needed them. I don’t know what people who follow this advice expect instead, a ritual sacrifice of the cards, composting on the bin next to the rotten onion peels and worms, or something else. There have been used decks that I was given that I did readings with, made into artwork, or turned around and gifted myself. I think each individual case is different.
- Tarot decks must be wrapped in silk. Natural fabric is said to provide benefit to the cards. Synthetic fabrics are by definition unnatural and can take away from the inherent power of the cards. This is one of those tarot superstitions that actually has some logic behind it.
- You can’t read your own cards. My opinion on this is probably going to lose me business. I’ve always read my own cards. One of my old clients even stopped coming to see me and wrote a book about reading cards for yourself. Guess I’m a good teacher. The key to reading for yourself is objectivity and seeing what’s really in front of you.
- You should always/never read Tarot card reversals. I’ve written extensively about this before. In my blog post Thoughts Towards Tarot Reversals I write “My advice is to learn as many of the meanings upside down and backwards pardon the pun, when you are a beginning student of the tarot. Once you have a working grasp of these meanings you will be able to then pick out which ones are useful in the situation. You have to walk before you can run. Obviously not every meaning is going to be helpful, but once you learn them you will be on your way to understanding how these delicate meanings manifest in the readings you have before you.”
- You have to sleep with your cards. I’m the last person to tell anyone that they have to do anything. I have an old friend who likes to say, I don’t even have to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, it will be messy but I don’t have to. Personally I think sleeping with your cards under your pillow occasionally can help you to reconnect with the cards and recharge them.
- Facing east or north will improve your readings. Well I can see the logic in this, aligning yourself with the elemental directions might help, or it might not. My question with this is why not face west or south ?
- You can only have one Tarot deck. Who are these haters that say things like this. Each deck has it’s own unique character.
- Tarot is evil and attracts bad spirits. If you adhere to strict Christian dogma almost all methods of fortune telling are evil. As far as I’m concerned like attracts like, and the system can be used for whatever you want to focus it on. But is that in your best interest ?
- Put the cards back in their original order after each reading. This could be helpful, but it is also time consuming.
What tarot superstitions have you heard of ? I would love to find out about it in the comments below. As always if you have enjoyed what you read here please remember to like, comment, and share !
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