My cat Luna always paws at my borderless decks, which got me thinking, do tarot card borders actually affect how we read? With borderless cards, I feel like I’m falling right into the image. No visual barriers, just pure immersion. But man, those edges show wear fast. My borderless Dreaming Way already looks rough, while my bordered decks still look fresh after years of shuffling.
I think the same deck reads differently with or without borders. My friend has the bordered Smith-Waite, I have borderless… identical cards, but totally different energy. Hers feel contained, like little windows. Mine feels like the images could spill onto the table.
Anyone else notice this or am I just being weird about borders?
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I don’t know how much they change a reading but I like the gold foil Tarot cards with just a little hint of a border.
Some decks really take it too far though.
I know exactly what you mean! With borderless decks, I project my own mood into the reading way more. Without that visual boundary, my emotions just flood into the card meanings.
During my last breakup, my borderless deck gave me three Tower cards in a row. That wasn’t a coincidence, I was bringing all that chaos to the reading. Maybe borders work like energetic containers? They help keep readings more objective, while borderless cards soak up whatever headspace we bring to the table.
My borderless decks always seem to need more cleansing between readings. I feel like the energy just flows off the edges and gets mixed up with everything.
So, I have this habit of knocking three times on the deck before shuffling. It’s just a little ritual I do to refresh the cards.
If you’re in a humid place (like Brazil in my case at the moment) just watch out for the humidity-it can ruin your decks fast. Those popular borderless ones? Theyre gorgeous, but they really don’t handle our climate well.
The edges soak up moisture, and soon they start warping. Ive been there, and its not fun. My advice? Stick to decks with borders if you live somewhere humid. They might not be as flashy, but theyll survive the rainy season without a hitch.
Anyone else notice how different they feel? Borderless cards slide through your hands with those rounded edges. The bordered ones click when you shuffle because of the crisp edges.
So I was meditating yesterday and it hit me ) borderless decks match how our souls don’t have boundaries either. My Wild Unknown deck is borderless and when I shuffle it, the cards just flow together. The images blend into each other seamlessly. But with bordered decks? My intuition gets interrupted between each card. They feel more isolated from each other rather than telling one connected story.
Borderless decks look beautiful but they’re not great for reading in coffee shops or markets. Without that edge to grip, the cards just slip and slide everywhere. If you’re not super careful, they’ll scatter all over the place, trust me, I’ve chased cards across floors before.
Nothing kills the vibe of a reading faster than having to hunt down escaped cards. Maybe save them for home readings where you have more control over your space.
Getting older has made me really appreciate borderless decks. There’s nothing blocking the artwork, you can see everything the artist intended.
I used to have this one deck where I’d constantly squint at the background details through the borders. Finally got fed up and had a print shop trim them off completely. Best decision ever. The symbolism is all still there, just clearer now. And bonus, the smaller cards are easier to shuffle. But I’m curious if some people actually like the borders? Maybe they help with focusing during readings or something?
YES exactly! My borderless deck wipes me out every time because I get so absorbed in the cards. Now I always have snacks and water ready when I read with them. They pull so much energy but honestly I love it.
I once threw my whole borderless deck in the ocean to see if Neptune would bless them! Just kidding. But I did drop a card in my tea once. The borderless edge soaked up liquid like crazy. Borderless cards really do seem to pick up energy from everything around them.
I wrap mine in silk because they’re basically psychic sponges without those borders.
Hey! Quick tip: borderless decks might show signs of wear sooner because the edges can chip. Bordered decks tend to hold up better.
I know those borderless designs are stunning, though-it’s hard not to love them! It’s a bummer when they start to wear down. Sleeving is a smart choice. I sleeve most of my decks as well. Your cards will definitely benefit from the extra protection.
IMO borders create this safe zone where you can examine the cards without getting too deep into them. Like you’re looking through a protective frame.
When I use borderless decks for intense readings, I end up having to step back from the table to regain some distance. With bordered decks that boundary is already built in.
Borderless decks totally make bigger whatever headspace I’m in during a reading, my mood basically spills into the cards without that frame.
Bordered ones give me some breathing room though, keeps my assumptions separate from what the cards want to say.
This is exactly why I stick with one deck. Borderless designs are just another headache I don’t need.
My single deck has clear borders (I can tell the Seven of Cups from the Eight even in candlelight. No confusion, no squinting at dusk trying to figure out where one card ends and another begins. One deck, traditional borders, perfect clarity. That’s all I need.
So borders vs borderless is actually a bigger deal than you’d think! With classic decks like RWS, borders work like picture frames… they help contain all that symbolism in one focused space. Think of it as creating boundaries for your reading, just like when you clear your table and light a candle.
But with artistic decks (like Deviant Moon), borderless can be amazing. The art just flows right off the card into your space. No barriers between you and the imagery.
My advice: hop on YouTube and watch some deck walkthroughs showing both versions. You’ll know pretty quickly which one clicks with you. Trust that first impression, it’s usually right.
So I mixed my bordered and borderless decks by accident once and the spread looked ridiculous, half the cards all free and floaty, the other half stuck in their white borders.
Pretty sure my guides were laughing at me. Like seriously, make up your mind.
So Mercury’s been direct in Sag for about a week now. My borderless decks are finally making sense again, they feel expansive in a good way.
When Mercury was retrograde, I kept reaching for my bordered decks. Something about those borders really helped ground all that scattered energy.