Do any cards scare you?

[TheLovers2]

LOL! This exact thing happened to me with the Thoth. I had done some online generated readings w/ the deck and it always seemed kind of blunt to the point of being nasty at times, so when I got my own I was ready... I said give it to me, all of it, I want to hear the unvarnished truth -- and Thoth LOVED me, gave me smiles and giggles and little fairy tinkerbells! I did a reading for a friend just then to test it out and ohhhh, it was ugly. Even the Princess of Cups was vile to her.

Then again, I've been known to make the Fey spit epithets in my specific direction while the somber folks in the Hudes speak soothingly to me, and the Haindl, while not dark itself, often packs a deep blow.

My advice is...a dark reading can be had with almost any deck. It all depends on the relationship between the deck and reader what may come forth.

Hmmm. That is interesting. I never thought about a particular deck "not wanting to give a particular type of Reading to someone," e.g., positive, good, uplifting, vs. dark, negative, foreboding. I assume that's what you mean in your post.

I am thinking, though, that is different from a deck that is considered by one to be "too dark to use or be involved with." That would seem to be a result, not of "dark Readings," but, generally being turned off enough by a deck, uncomfortable enough with it, that a person would never even get around to Reading with it because they won't buy it.

It seems very different to me. Dark Readings vs. Dark decks. But, what you say is, again, interesting. I never thought about a particular deck "just not wanting to tell you anything good." Maybe, this is just in the Reader's head; I don't know. I don't recall any of my decks insisting on giving me bad Readings, although, I have gotten some that just didn't seem to fit at all. This makes me wonder once more about what people mean when they say that a deck, "doesn't like them in terms of Readings," or "that deck won't Read for me."

BTW, I was very uncomfortable with Gaudenzi's Celtic Tarot Majors (some of them). So much so that I immediately relinquised it, well, within a few days. I never tried to Read with it, but, I was in the process of trying to acquaint myself with the individual cards. I remember liking the Minors and certain Majors, but, the others I couldn't get past, so it had to go. There was a 10 of Swords in another deck that bothered me so I gave it up. Other than those two, I don't recall any that I have owned that bothered me enough to get rid of them. When I go back to review some of my decks that I haven't looked at in a while, I may happen upon a few cards, but, I'm not sure that I would give the whole deck up because of them.

The Morgan Greer devil card bothered me at one time. I still don't like the card, but, I like the rest of the deck, so . . .

TL2

 

[niksaqueen]

I have never liked the Hanging Man in any deck. I don't care how cute or abstract he/she may look, the idea of a man hanging upside down reminds me of actually behind hung (lynched) and scares the life out of me.

 

[Little Baron]

I really like that Morgan Greer devil .. so different and such a beautiful green against the red. I actually want to pet him.

And the Hanged Man is always one of my favourites in a deck - the Rohrig, Druidcraft, 1JJ Swiss and Marseille.

The Tower often gives me more creeps. Apart from in the Phantasmagoric.

I found larger scans of the Voodoo on the Museum site .. only looked at one though, lol. Can't remember what it was, but remember it wasn't very pleasant, hehe. I am feeling less uncomfortable about the deck (while it is safely in the shop) but I think I wouldn't be able to give it the attention it deserves, which is another reason for not having it. It is not a world I want to go into for too long of a time, and in that sense, I don't see the point of dabbling about on the edge of it, doing a small rerading here and there.

LB

 

[redflash]

Well, it doesn't scare me, but the 5 of cups in my Quest tarot just makes me feel weird. I can't really describe it, I just look at the card & think that its wrong on so many levels. I hadn't really noticed it before, only been using this deck a few weeks. It came up as my card-of-the-day today. And yes, it's 100% appropriate to whats going on in my life at the moment ! I just don't like it. Here's a piccie. x

 

[Little Baron]

I see what you mean. Never seen that one before. It isn't scary, but odd, all the same. Not sure what meaning can be gleaned from it. I take it that it is not RWS inpsired. If so, not sure how? How do you read it?

LB

 

[redflash]

I see what you mean. Never seen that one before. It isn't scary, but odd, all the same. Not sure what meaning can be gleaned from it. I take it that it is not RWS inpsired. If so, not sure how? How do you read it?

LB

It hasn't come up before, just today as my cotd. I just took one look at it & thought no no no ! I know the general meaning of it & it really is very appropriate to the crap thats going on in my life right now ! But all I get from this card is a feeling of confusion, puzzlement. Not in the way of not knowing what the general meaning is, but on a deeper level. I feel like there is something wrong but I have no idea what ! That sounds totally weird, I know ! I just can't explain it, I suppose it must have some further significance to me, just wish I knew what !
xx

 

[Little Baron]

Maybe write it all down, however stupid it seems. Or whether it makes no sense.

I did a short reading this afternoon, which made no sense. I typed it up and was then going to delete it because I couldn't work out what it could teach me. But I decided not to. I shall look at it again in a month and see if it made any sense.

Might help to jot down your thoughts and look over them again at a later date.

LB

 

[redflash]

Yeah, Im just about to write my tarot journal entry for today, this is the first card since I started journaling that just said "yup, this is your life right now!"

Going to try to write it all down cos I know there something deeper to uncover about this card in my present circumstances.

Hopefully one day soon it will dawn on me !

 

[Grizabella]

Gosh, it's this thread that got me so spooked against getting this deck, but finally I just got it from Jeannette's recent sale and I love it. I don't find it the least bit dark and creepy and the more I research about Voodoo, the less creepy it is to me. I have a great respect for the Voodoo religion and I have no desire to practice it, but I find nothing to fear in owning and using the deck.

Same with Catholicism. I respect the religion and its followers, but have no desire to practice it, but it wouldn't stop me from using tarot decks that follow a Christian theme.

Same with Wiccan themed decks. I'm not Wiccan. I respect Wiccan beliefs, but have no desire to practice them. But I love my Wiccan based decks and feel nothing but good in using them.

Honestly, folks. Don't let bad movies spook you. You didn't let them keep you from tarot, did you?

But on the other hand, I respect your right to avoid this deck or any other one that makes you very uncomfortable. I wouldn't have a Thoth or a Giger in my house, so to each his own, huh?

I just wanted to put in a good word for the NOVT here. I was creeped out by it for quite awhile myself. But like that one guy said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." I say "one guy" because just when I was typing this, his name flew out the window and made me look like a fool.

 

[Papageno]

Gosh, it's this thread that got me so spooked against getting this deck, but finally I just got it from Jeannette's recent sale and I love it. I don't find it the least bit dark and creepy and the more I research about Voodoo, the less creepy it is to me. I have a great respect for the Voodoo religion and I have no desire to practice it, but I find nothing to fear in owning and using the deck.

Same with Catholicism. I respect the religion and its followers, but have no desire to practice it, but it wouldn't stop me from using tarot decks that follow a Christian theme.

Same with Wiccan themed decks. I'm not Wiccan. I respect Wiccan beliefs, but have no desire to practice them. But I love my Wiccan based decks and feel nothing but good in using them.

Honestly, folks. Don't let bad movies spook you. You didn't let them keep you from tarot, did you?

But on the other hand, I respect your right to avoid this deck or any other one that makes you very uncomfortable. I wouldn't have a Thoth or a Giger in my house, so to each his own, huh?

I just wanted to put in a good word for the NOVT here. I was creeped out by it for quite awhile myself. But like that one guy said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." I say "one guy" because just when I was typing this, his name flew out the window and made me look like a fool.

some decks are profound in their nature, like great art on a canvas, that's a great testament to their creators. the really great decks are the ones that don't simply look great but can provoke a visceral response. a response that resonates with your psyche , for better or worse.

that being said, I have to admit I was really surprised to read the account by Ross (sensible Ross of historical tarot threads fame).
I can only suppose he attempted something with the Voodoo deck and whatever he did produced a result he didn't expect or understand.

now, not trying to be TOO rationale here at the expense of the real possibility that some decks are perhaps so profound in their nature that more than the usual might be expected; but upsetting imagery alone is no real basis for fear.

after all nobody has ever been afraid of a tarot deck by Amerigo Folchi and yet one of the Folchi decks (I forget which) has a Hanged man card depicting a decapitated body, head placed on the wall. The Venetian Historical deck by Ricca depicts the Hanged Man as a prisoner who has been butchered in half.
pretty.

You won't have a Thoth in your house. I have a Thoth in my house but I don't work with it much, I'm not Thoth fan, I'm not sure I even like it. I even own the Liber T by Serio only because I love Serio's artwork (the Dante is wonderful) but I think I hate that Thoth clone more than the original. go figure.

it's all so subjective.