Why collect tarot decks?

Tarot cards are a tool you communicate with for spiritual guidance and mental well-being. As a tool, does it makes sense to have more than one? As a relationship, is it really okay to connect with more than one deck — and doesn't that weaken the connection with both decks? True enough, the answer to both analogies is 'it depends'. 

It depends on whether one tool or the other might be better at a very specific task or different angles. It depends on whether you made an agreement with yourself and your connections on what works for you. But we're talking tarot cards here, so here are three things to consider as to why you might feel the urge to buy more than one — or more than ten! 

 

1. Supporting the Tarot Community and Tarot Economy

This might be an unexpected one to begin with... again. However, it must be acknowledged that tarot practices and new age spirituality not so long ago were not as accessible as they are today. Popularity is rising not by the years, but by the month.

Still, it remains a niche market in the eyes of many producers. Yet, with a soon-to-be population of eight billion, anything 'niche' still includes a lot of people for whom these things are important. Even if you are not a tarot reader, but merely collect tarot decks for other purposes or would like to support the craft for others, that's a noble reason to start a tarot library.

Economy and culture works like a multiplier. The more people and money are openly circulating and exchanging within the tarot bubble, the bigger it grows. As such, economies of culture are not only intertwined and effecting one another, but directly affecting our own buying power, expressions and experiences. So, we collect tarot decks because there are artists who put all of their heart and passion into a practice we love and live by for daily guidance and spiritual well-being!

We feel the urge to like, share, subscribe and most importantly comment and talk to, with and about all things tarot and new age more actively. Choose to give a few minutes of your time to show that you are part of demand for spiritual products, that we care and appreciate each other's presence.

Supporting something isn't just a mental choice, it's also a physical one, too — which can make all the difference in what the future of this community can hold for us. Investing into something financially for the sake of keeping it running remains the most practical form of support.

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2. A Deck for Every Occasion and Personality

I keep referencing back to this blog post a lot, but it's true that different tarot designs can in fact read differently. And it's not just about having one deck for career spreads, one for love and so forth. 

If you're reading tarot cards professionally, or for the entertainment or spiritual health of your friends and close ones, giving them options to choose from is highly valuable. Not only does it help whoever you are reading for to connect with the reading better, but the reading itself might read very differently depending on which deck is translating the message.

Every deck has its own... 'personality'. Like a voice in your head or a certain mannerism. My personal deck, for example, I rarely use with other people simply due to the fact that it relays information in a very direct, no-sugar-coating, touch-love kind of way. Not everybody likes it when my deck starts choking them with pills too hard to swallow. But for me, it's ideal because that's the kind of blunt and straightforward communication I preach and, in return, expect from my connections, including my connection with my tarot.

 

3. Beauty, Romanticism, Sentimentality

It needs to be acknowledged that painted and digitally printed art are things created in celebration of something and self-expression by an individual. They hardly have any practical purpose or meaning to other poeple, and are owned, more often than not, because our eyes enjoy looking at it. 

I'd been asked before what's the point of having stacks of little papers with pretty pictures of them. Albeit I do have a practical reply as I do use my decks for divination purposes all the time, at the end of the day, you can also tarot cards for the same reason people collect anything at all. They're beautiful and you wish to support the artist. Tarot come in many styles and sizes. You wish to display your collection proudly on a shelf as a means of connecting with people, a conversation starter perhaps. 

Often we also collect things for the story behind them. A tarot deck created the artist's means of grieving for a loved one, or healing from depression through illustrations, or solely to donate half of the profits to protecting animals and the environment. Tarot cards might also be your choice of souvenirs from travel destinations, an upgrade for sure from the usual post-cards and magnets

Going back to the idea of supporting the community or a cause, you may even wish to support a product solely because of how innovative it is, like, oh, I don't know, the first augmented-reality empowered tarot deck by the name Fantome? Suppose an innovative idea gets supported and popularized. In that case, it only makes economic and cultural sense that we will see more publishers produce AR — or other technology-empowered — spiritual or witchcraft products!

 

Post Scriptum

Not everybody likes this motto of mine, but when it comes to any decisions in life, including why buy more tarot decks, the answer for me is always 'why not'! I'm of the opinion that our private personal practices are, well, our own private personal practices. If it's what speaks to our spiritual self care and mental health, I don't see why we can't mind ourselves in our homes and invest into things that makes us feel happier. Yes, go buy that deck you're been eyeballing for a while now, you have my full permission!