Opinion: Tarot Cloths

[Joan Marie]

I want to ask those of you who use Tarot Cloths (I guess we all should be, right?) if you could share what qualities you appreciate in a good one. Or maybe even what you don't care for in one.

• Are there any particular fabrics you find that you prefer?

• What about patterns/designs?

• And what size seems the most practical or useful?

Anything else you could add would be really helpful.

Thanks!

[Papageno]

I prefer no reading cloth, but I could go with a basic black table cloth with plants or ephemera to weigh it down and prevent slippage.

Patterns are too distracting (for me), but obviously I'm decidedly in the minority here since Tarot theme reading cloths sell-out like there's no tomorrow.

After reading this poll I was inspired to Google Tarot reading cloths and I came upon a very handsome Tarot theme coffee table, which is fine provided you enjoy reading from the couch or sitting on the floor.
I guess you could remove the short legs and replace them with standard table length legs.

Unfortunately, it's printed on wood, so maybe the table top isn't very durable or easily cleaned, I have a feeling glass cleaner isn't a good idea.

Black background, simple geometric design of the sun, moon, stars and The World at the center position with what appears to be constellations within the World, and the designation XXI.

https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/e ... c2982.html

[Merrick]

I bought a beige cotton cloth that has the Lenormand houses on it. It’s thick and dense and if I use the side without printing just looks like a plain cloth. I only need a cloth sparingly but it’s nice to grab when I want it.

[Nemia]

Oh, tarot cloths! I love everything textile and I'm a completionist, so when I see a deck with a beautiful cloth, I always feel one can't have one without the other (and I eat my heart out for having missed the Skullgarden cloth!). I personally use a number of things:

- a black Indian cloth embroidered with little mirrors that I bought ages ago as tablecloth - it's beautiful

- my handmade crochet wraps - the cruciform ones that are great for cross readings (five or six cards). Quite a number of my decks are by now wrapped in such things and it's nice to use something I made myself from yarn chosen especially for the deck. Some of the excitment of having a new deck and clothing it still lingers in the crochet fabric

- quite often, I use spread maps that I made myself, or esoteric maps that I made

- I ordered a cloth with the constellations of the zodiac and hope it will arrive soon!

I will add pictures of the different options when I have the time for it

Oh, and sometimes, I use nothing or my Deck of 1001 Spreads, a clever deck that is often a great help to get a problem into focus - or when I want to leave a spread to simmer for a day or two.

[Pen]

I voted 'sometimes' - it just depends on which room I'm in and inclination. I like ones that are heavy enough not to wrinkle when laying out the cards. Cloths tend to make me feel (although I only read for myself) that the reading is somehow deeper, more serious.

[Amoroso]

Only when reading outside, to protect my cards from dirt.

[BlueStar]

I never use one. I did have some cloths when I started tarot reading but found them distracting (nothing to do with design, they were plain), so I haven't used them since.