How do you retire a deck?

Sibylline

Hello folks! I'm looking for advice on ways in which you retire a deck.

I own the Universal Waite (Pocket Edition) with the barely-there lamination. Even though this deck is well-loved, my poor baby is falling apart when I do readings. It needs to be retired, but I can't bring myself to simply throw it away. Honestly, this is the only deck I've had that has fallen apart from use. *shakes fist at bad lamination*

What do you do with a deck when it's no longer useable?
 

tarotbear

You wrap it up nicely and put it in a safe place. Some people put them in a reliquary (pronounced 'relic-carry') which is sort of a nice box or case - think of it as putting your deck in a tomb - and store it somewhere - you may want to take it out and look at it again some day.

Others will tell you all about wrapping it in white cloth and burying it in the earth, or other ritualistic stuff. If that's your thing - go right ahead.

You can always use them for non-Tarot purposes, like book marks, framing your favorite cards, ....
 

Starshower

I LOVE old, worn decks! (Especially ones without that glossy, plasticy lamination.) :)
If I had worn one out through use myself, I would feel it was brimful of my thoughts & feelings & experiences & learning moments ... and could never throw it out or bury it! :heart:
I'd frame my favourite cards, as tarotbear suggests, & hang them on my bedroom wall.
Or maybe arrange them on a tabletop under a glass or perspex top.
 

tarotbear

You could decoupage them to a tabletop that you use for readings! :)
 

Thoughtful

Call me sentimental, but if l had a deck like that which meant so much and worked so hard for me, l would put it into a specially made velvet bag and always keep it close to me. Luckily for me my cherished decks are holding out well :)
 

Southerngem65

I would pull the cards that speak to me the most, or maybe the cards that came up in a particularly powerful or meaningful reading, and frame them in spread formation. I would then hang them in a spot where I could see them each day. I have a spot in my house where I do may daily draw. I would want them there. If I read for the public, I would want to hang them somewhere that was visible to everyone. It could be a real conversation starter.
 

moon_light

I have a deck that had to be retired recently simply because it got ruined (stupid sunscreen leaking!) and while the cards are in bad shape, I've kept them. I plan on incorporating them into artwork. I love doing mixed media, so there should be some cool projects in the future!
 

Starshower

What a cool idea, Southerngem65! I had never thought of framing a really deep, meaningful reading and then hanging it up in a special place as inspiration ... maybe a manifestation focus ... & a conversation starter. BRILLIANT! I shall do that now. :heart:
Or decoupage it onto a reading table - cheers, tarotbear too. :)
 

tarotbear

An inspiration for you:

I bought this off eBay years ago - no idea what it was for other than they are real Tarot cards professionally framed (the name of the framer in Kansas City is on the back).
 

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donnalee

Thoughtful said:
Call me sentimental, but if l had a deck like that which meant so much and worked so hard for me, l would put it into a specially made velvet bag and always keep it close to me. Luckily for me my cherished decks are holding out well :)
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I lean towards this sort of thing myself, as the other ideas which involve taking pieces out and favouring some over others make it feel imbalanced to me personally--others have other ideas, so you are in luck at hearing them all! I have a waterlogged deck which was with me during some terrible times, and I replaced it with another usable deck and book of the same thing, and still keep the wrecked deck and book as old friends--
 
Contradictory readings ? Shuffling large cards?