When I was growing up, transistor radios were all the rage! We carried them around wherever we went, and a friendly DJ would always remind us “Don’t touch that dial…” meaning, leave it right here on our station, please.
In a similar tone of voice, I’ve ofen heard tarot readers shout out “Don’t touch that deck” at psychic and metaphysical fairs or in little corner shops where querents step inside to find out what the cards have to say to them.
Should anyone else ever touch your tarot deck? That’s a question that’s often asked in online groups and forums, and the answer — as with almost everything else in tarot — depends on YOU and your personal beliefs, the way you practice, and your relationship with the cards.
I’d be inclined to say that the majority of card readers are a bit protective about their decks. Why? It’s largely because of the concept of “energy” or “vibes”. It’s a fact that our bodies are electric and we do emit an electrical “energy” when we touch things, so when we hold a tarot deck, we’re actually “putting our personal vibes” into the cards.We’re “connecting”, so to speak.
For some tarot practitioners, that connection is sacred. They don’t want someone else’s “vibes” messing with their cards. They see it a bit like “interference” — a sort of “static” that could prevent a message from coming through clearly.
Other readers take a slightly more open approach. They will allow others to touch their decks (especially when doing a reading for that individual) but then they’ll quickly perform a cleansing ritual to, hopefully, remove any of those vibrations. You’ll sometimes see a tarot reader pass a deck of cards through incense smoke, or you’ll hear them “rap three times” on the table, presumably to “knock out” any leftover vestiges of another individual.
Some readers — especially during busy times at reading fairs — have a sort of “grin and bear it” attitude. They may not invite others to touch their decks, but they allow it, and they’ll wait until a quiet time to perhaps do a thorough cleansing.
And then, there’s me. I am at the opposite end of the “Touch-Do Not Touch” spectrum. I not only allow people to touch my decks, I encourage it. I invite people to hold the cards, to look through them, to ask questions, to comment, to get as well-acquainted with tarot as possible! When I was reading at fairs and shops, I had several “favorite decks” — the Hanson-Roberts was always with me wherever I went — and I wanted to “expose” my cards to as much energy as possible. I wanted everyone’s vibrations, either through touch, or simply through the air, a bit like radio waves reaching our ears.
Even today, if you come to my studio and are curious about any decks, I’ll gladly hand you whatever you’d like to see. I’ll encourage you to hold the cards, spread them out, rub them on your face if that’s what you want. What I want is YOUR energy and the energy of anyone and everyone else who comes to my studio. I want as many different energies and vibrations in my cards as I can get!
For me, tarot is a respository of energy, and it’s this energy that allows the cards to speak so eloquently on any question that arises. I want my decks to have the sort of “energy experience” required to enable them to address issues that may be far outside of my personal experience. To me, it makes sense. The more different energies my cards hold, the better able they will be to provide the insights my querents need.
Not everyone agrees with me, of course. You may be shaking your head and thinking, “Yuck! I don’t want to ever touch HER decks!” And if so, you probably don’t want me touching your decks either. That’s fine. I respect your choice in this matter.
To touch? Or not to touch? It up to YOU to decide.
Of course, I’m curious — as always — and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you let people touch your cards, or are you a bit like a metaphysical DJ shouting out, “Ah-ah-ah! Don’t touch that deck!”