Finding their personalities

[Libra]

For me - tarot decks each have their very own personalities, a spirit that lies within them. Even 2 printings of the same deck will have differences in how they speak to me.

Because of that, I don't really have a set procedure for meeting a new deck. To me, "interview" has some specific connotations - formal, evaluatory. That's not the relationship I have with my cards, nor want to, so I don't "interview" them. I allow them to reveal themselves to me, in the way that feels right!

I've had decks - Tarot of The Hidden Realm, for instance - that were totally ok with jumping RIGHT into reading, spreads, being used with clients or friends. But others - Mary-El, Archeon - who've insisted on months of deep, personal study before being used as a reading deck, and even to this day, Mary-El gives some pushback if I consider using her in a client setting. I always have to trust the vibe of the deck to know what path to take with it to get to know it!

This also has a level of variability in regards to used vs new decks! Like I mentioned, the decks each have a spirit to me. A new deck comes to me in a dormant state, it's more of an awakening procedure. Whereas a used deck is already activated, so it tuning in to the voice that's there and getting to know them.

No matter what, it's always a fun process!

[velvetina]

I couldn't agree more!

Although I have many decks, I only use a handful and they each have a particular voice of their own.

My usual practice is to open the deck at a time when I can sit with it and look at the images one by one. I can tell right away if this is a deck that I will be using, or if it is a deck that will go into the drawer and wait for it's time - or perhaps a new owner!

I have multiple copies of the Thoth deck. I have different editions and a few that I have trimmed. I have also been given second-hand Thoths.
I have a strong attachment (not to my first Thoth as that's long gone) to my old 'greenie' which is damaged to the extent that I can't use it in various ways. Usually, I use a newer version, and I have no qualms about giving these away to anyone who finds themselves drawn to the Thoth; it's a little bit like being a horse dealer! hahaha!
Amongst my Tarot friends, the Thoth is the most favoured deck and everyone's 'feels' different; they all contain their own unique energies. Some I can pick up and use, others I can hardly bear to touch - its an intriguing phenomena!

I'm sure there's a word for this; when inanimate objects take on a personality - not personification or anthropomorphism - maybe someone knows it? It might be a Japanese term? Or Arabic?

I don't really feel comfortable with myself for admitting that I believe decks have personalities, yet I find that I do! I have certain decks that seem better suited to the summer months and it's not (on the surface anyway) connected to the aesthetic. My Deviant Moon seems to like to travel and gets included in the suitcase, but I couldn't easily explain why. My Mythic feels reassuring and kind, in a way that other, more favoured decks don't. My Bohemian Gothic feels remote and tricky to interpret; it seems to lead me up the garden path!

And yet I recognise that all of this is highly subjective!

[Libra]

I'm sure there's a word for this; when inanimate objects take on a personality - not personification or anthropomorphism - maybe someone knows it? It might be a Japanese term? Or Arabic?

I believe the word you're looking for is Animism!

the attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena

Thank you for sharing your perspective! I love hearing about the personalities of everyone's decks!

[Nemia]

I like the idea of deck interviews - to enter into a dialogue with a deck and ask it about itself. Sometimes, I do deck interviews for new decks, and they're usually interesting and enlightening. But I didn't get into a routine.

I do have a routine "absorption ceremony" for new decks. Go through the cards, shuffle, put back in order, make a new bag for it, decide to which part of my collections it belongs... and I would actually like to make a deck interview part of this routine. But most of the time, as I said, I don't.

It's easy to anthropomorphize a deck (we do it with books, music and art, too, after all; they all become a part of our inner landscape and we project our feelings on them, but also receive the creator's feelings). After reading with a deck a while, we notice its character anyway. And it's funny to read that for others, too, the Housewives Tarot is snarky and absolutley disillusioned, the Thoth is a reliable, totally honest voice of inner truths... so maybe there is a real deck character?

[ParsifalsWheel]

I have a "personality profile" spread I do for new decks. Nemia has seen the results of a few of them before. I really don't think decks have personality, just the unique character instilled in them by the creator/artist. But it's fun to pretend that they do.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wsz2m38qfzgh9 ... .pdf?raw=1

[CharlotteK]

I like to interview a deck and find it helpful in starting to undertand the kind of deck it is. But for me the 'voice' that comes from the deck is projection and essentially my response to the cards drawn. I don't myself think decks have inherent personalities or are imbued with an individual spirit. But decks definitely have a vibe from the artwork and symbols and so on, and I think that it is this combined with our own personalities and values etc that creates a distinct sense of character. I do feel like I build a relationship with decks, and some I don't gel with, just like people. And I agree with PW, it is fun to attribute personalities to decks.

[Tomatosauce]

I like to interview a deck and find it helpful in starting to undertand the kind of deck it is. But for me the 'voice' that comes from the deck is projection and essentially my response to the cards drawn. I don't myself think decks have inherent personalities or are imbued with an individual spirit. But decks definitely have a vibe from the artwork and symbols and so on, and I think that it is this combined with our own personalities and values etc that creates a distinct sense of character. I do feel like I build a relationship with decks, and some I don't gel with, just like people. And I agree with PW, it is fun to attribute personalities to decks.

Yes, this exactly. I have exactly three decks, and I already think of them as "the deck for strangers," "the deck I introduce to my friends," and "the weirdo who says off-the-wall stuff." But that's the vibe I get from them, by which I mean the strange intersection between what the artist is trying to convey through their art, and what it evokes in me.

[Libra]

I have a "personality profile" spread I do for new decks. Nemia has seen the results of a few of them before. I really don't think decks have personality, just the unique character instilled in them by the creator/artist. But it's fun to pretend that they do.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wsz2m38qfzgh9 ... .pdf?raw=1

Well that last part is a little condescending dontcha think? Coming into a thread where people are talking about their beliefs and calling it pretend?

I've literally handled decks from the same print run and felt different spirits within each. Just because you can't sense them too doesn't mean it's pretend.

[ParsifalsWheel]

And that's being a little overly sensitive, don't YOU think? My belief is that they don't have personality but I don't mind pretending that they do. You certainly don't have to see it that way. Anyway, I was just posting to offer my spread to the community, which functions as a "quasi-psychological" personality profile.

[Amoroso]

I use an 7-card interview spread that I cobbled together. Great way to connect to the cards.

[Myperception]

I will shuffle and draw 1 card to tell me the character of this particular deck.

For example my botticelli tarot deck character is emperor, it's very friendly for any kind of spread or questions.

But for my miracle/fantasy tarot deck character is 4 of swords, it usually need at least 3 cards spread to read the situation, and it has 2 white cards in deck, if you draw the white card. Than the reading has to stop, and wait for the next day to read again.

[RobinMarie]

I don't feel decks are "entities" with their own spirit. Rather I think of them as lenses that allow us to see messages from our source. Each lens has its unique perspective, and like many lenses, some may see clearly with it and others will not. I believe the origin of the messages are the same, regardless of the deck used.
Using that analogy, I consider shuffling (with intent) as fine tuning the lens, so the message spirit sends can be seen clearly.
I would love to hear your thoughts.

RobinMarie

[TheLoracular]

I don't feel decks are "entities" with their own spirit. Rather I think of them as lenses that allow us to see messages from our source. Each lens has its unique perspective, and like many lenses, some may see clearly with it and others will not. I believe the origin of the messages are the same, regardless of the deck used.

That is what I think as well.

However, I do believe that egregores can be created by individuals as well as groups and what they can/can't do once they are created? That's beyond my pay grade to opinion on I don't think they are only negative, but I think they come into existence more easily from fear/hate and the shadow part of our unconscious. I also think creating them from a place of love and light with/for tarot is totally doable.

Creating egregore or summoning spirits into my tarot cards is not something I've tried or feel a need to do, personally. But even if such entities come are microcosm in origin rather than macrocosm in origin? They seem to work for those they work for and that I can sincerely respect that.

[BlueStar]

I don't feel decks are "entities" with their own spirit. Rather I think of them as lenses that allow us to see messages from our source. Each lens has its unique perspective, and like many lenses, some may see clearly with it and others will not. I believe the origin of the messages are the same, regardless of the deck used.
Using that analogy, I consider shuffling (with intent) as fine tuning the lens, so the message spirit sends can be seen clearly.
I would love to hear your thoughts.

RobinMarie

I have the same thoughts. I do believe that everything in the material world is imbued with 'spirit' to some degree. I believe it's possible in some circumstances for a 'conscious' spirit/entity to be present in inanimate objects, however I don't believe that's the case with tarot cards generally when you buy them, in the same way as I don't think that's the case for a book, magazine, or notebook I might buy. I've heard the belief that each deck has a spirit (i.e. entity) attached - I'd genuinely like to know where this idea comes from or what the basis for this is. If someone was to make a deck by hand then sure, they could do something to attach a spirit to it. By comparison manufactured goods have little or brief direct human contact so I think it less likely that something like that happens.

An object can of course take on some of the energy of it's surroundings, but I've not noticed this to be very noticeable or prominent in mass produced goods (that goes for food too!) Having said that, I have ordered things online a few times where I can feel the energy of the person sending it, but these tend to be from smaller producers where they are more likely to be handling the good regularly, compared to a big manufacturer where machines do most of the work. I get the same feeling for tarot cards I have bought - no noticeable energy. Of course, that doesn't mean that a spirit is not attached. I'm just not sure how that would come about, why would that be different than from a book or newspaper, or set of cards in a board game?

Each deck for me has it's own 'language' rather than personality due to the imagery and symbolism.

Just my own personal thoughts and questions:) It's a fascinating topic!