Cult of Tarot Forum

Hi there
Does anyone know where the idea that you shouldn't buy your own Tarot deck comes from?
I don't adhere to it myself, but my friend asked me this a few days ago and now it's bugging me!

I'm assuming it's a reference to the spiritual nature of the Tarot system, that would be spoiled by a monetary (physical) transaction, but I can't find any origins for it.

Apologies in advance if this topic is already on here, I've done a search but I might not be phrasing it right.

I guess it was written in some popular book since this myth has been repeated mindlessly again and again. I never heard it in my native country but online all the time.

I stopped visiting the tarot boards on Reddit because simply every second day some frightened newbie asked the same question again. "Why can't I buy my own deck? How am I ever going to have one?"

I believe all these myths are tarotphob and fear-mongering. As if the simple act of asserting your interest in tarot by buying a deck made you vulnerable to demonic powers. Only by playing coy ("oh, I wouldn't have bought them myself but after I was gifted a deck of cards I thought it might be interesting...") we can escape the inevitable punishment for showing interesting in tarot.

Ooooh and don't forget to wrap the cards in black silk, cleanse them all the time and hide them from the world. Do everything to calm their evil powers!

Really - the older I get, the less patience is there in my soul for these kind of superstitions. I hope very much someone knows where this superstition came from.

It's a great question and thank you for bringing it up!

it's a ridiculous, classic Tarot myth, and most sensible people, like yourself don't adhere to it.

If they did, the various publishers and indie artists would never have flourished as they have.

If we all had to wait to be "gifted" a deck, most of us wouldn't be reading or collecting.
You pay for an authentic Tarot deck (not a pirated work) and thus it is an honest transaction.

All artists should be paid for their efforts, and they have been for hundreds of years, that certainly doesn't "taint" their collective works. Should we then consider the masterpieces of the Sistine Chapel "tainted"?......I think not.

Nemia wrote: ↑23 Jun 2020, 16:41
I believe all these myths are tarotphob and fear-mongering. As if the simple act of asserting your interest in tarot by buying a deck made you vulnerable to demonic powers. Only by playing coy ("oh, I wouldn't have bought them myself but after I was gifted a deck of cards I thought it might be interesting...") we can escape the inevitable punishment for showing interesting in tarot.

Ooooh and don't forget to wrap the cards in black silk, cleanse them all the time and hide them from the world. Do everything to calm their evil powers!

Really - the older I get, the less patience is there in my soul for these kind of superstitions. I hope very much someone knows where this superstition came from.

It's a great question and thank you for bringing it up!

These myths originate from people who like to pass themselves off as "authoritative", they are basically frauds who prey upon people's fears, fear mongering is a lucrative business strategy.

They perpetuate and manipulate these absurdities to line their own pockets $$$

I think I heard the (black) silk thing comes from the Solomonic Grimoires....I cant remember where I heard this though. I’m assuming it was in reference to magical tools in general. The other gift thing I’m not sure.

Hey thank you for your interest Guys! sorry I can't work out how to paste in your messages to my reply, but I am referring to all of them.

It does seem like such a strange idea to perpetuate, aimed at keeping the Tarot little understood as you all suggest, for someones benefit - but thankfully we don't live in those times now

DebsAllen wrote: ↑24 Jun 2020, 04:53 Hey thank you for your interest Guys! sorry I can't work out how to paste in your messages to my reply, but I am referring to all of them.

Hi Debs, just click on the quotation marks at the top of the post you'd like to appear in your reply. You can delete parts of the quote too, as long as you leave the bits in square brackets alone!

Pen wrote: ↑24 Jun 2020, 09:01

DebsAllen wrote: ↑24 Jun 2020, 04:53 Hey thank you for your interest Guys! sorry I can't work out how to paste in your messages to my reply, but I am referring to all of them.

Hi Debs, just click on the quotation marks at the top of the post you'd like to appear in your reply. You can delete parts of the quote too, as long as you leave the bits in square brackets alone!

Ah! easy I think, lets see, thanks Pen!

I'm with Papageno and Nemia on this one. My guess is that somewhere, for someone, at some time in the past, this was true for how they received their first tarot deck, and they felt it was significant. Then either they or others assumed well that's how it should be done then and it becomes 'tradition' or myth. Doesn't make it true for everyone. Cards are a tool. I don't think it matters if it's gifted or you bought it yourself. If it's gifted and that feels special for some reason, great. But it shouldn't be a 'rule'. Gosh if that was the case I wouldn't have the wonderful decks I do and have learned what I have so far. I would have been prevented from learning Tarot!

I think there are a lot of actions out there associated with cartomancy which are presented as 'musts' which should instead be presented as 'this is just one way, you may find another which works better for you'.