Hey everyone! I’ve been reading cards for about five years now and picked up some hard lessons about what NOT to do - both with the physical decks and during actual readings.
The biggest no-no I learned the hard way was letting random people at parties handle my favorite deck with greasy fingers (RIP my first Rider-Waite). Also discovered that reading for someone who’s drunk or clearly just wants to mock the cards never goes well - the energy just feels completely off and the messages come through all muddled.
I’m curious what other taboos or mistakes you’ve encountered? Like, are there certain questions you refuse to read on, or specific ways of storing cards that you’ve found actually impact your connection to them?
12 Likes
Deepen Your Tarot Practice Beyond the Cards
Finding meaningful tarot discussions and authentic guidance can be surprisingly difficult. Discover a space where your questions are welcomed and your intuitive growth is celebrated: Start Your Journey
Do you set boundaries like avoiding medical, legal, or questions about other people’s business, and focusing on ‘what can I control’ so the reading stays ethical? When the deck gives you an answer, do you resist asking a bunch of follow-up questions or posting spreads without permission? Like trusting that one clear message is enough?
Nice way of working with your cards.
Every reader finds their own rhythm with their deck. I like that you protect your deck by being picky about who touches it. Those party readings with skeptics can throw things off, kind of like trying to talk while someone blasts music. Stuff I won’t read on: missing persons and medical questions. Tarot can be useful for reflection and guidance, but it’s not a stand-in for professionals.
Don’t bring your cards into cramped bathroom stalls at coffee shops or farmers markets. They don’t belong there. I almost dropped my deck in a gross porta-potty at a market once. Now I just do readings at regular tables in the main seating area where there’s actual space to shuffle and lay out the cards properly.
Yeah, I feel this. My first deck got ruined at a Halloween party when someone spilled red wine all over my Celtic Dragon Tarot. They were trying to do a dumb card trick.
The biggest taboo I’ve learned is never reading about death timelines or pregnancy stuff. Had a client who kept asking when her mother-in-law would die. The cards just started showing nonsense and I couldn’t blame them.
For storage, I keep each deck in silk scarves inside wooden boxes. I tried plastic containers once and the readings felt flat. Like talking through plexiglass or something. Cemetery readings are another thing. They seem powerful in theory, but there’s a reason most readers avoid them.
Here’s something I read about: apparently, you shouldn’t use tarot cards for gambling or betting on things. There’s this old story from 1770s France where the Comte de Mellet wrote about some card readers who tried to predict lottery numbers with their tarot decks.
They lost all their money, and then they said their cards stopped working right for months. Like the decks went cold or something and wouldn’t give proper readings anymore.
I used to be that person who’d shuffle and pull again when I didn’t like what the cards showed me. You know when the Three of Swords appears about that relationship you’re hoping will work out, and suddenly you’re convinced you didn’t shuffle properly or weren’t focused enough? Took me years to recognize this pattern.
The cards would give me clear guidance, but instead of sitting with the discomfort, I’d keep pulling, hoping for a different answer. Sometimes I’d do three or four spreads in a single day about the same situation. Each reading got more confusing than the last. Now I have a personal rule: once I’ve asked about something, that topic goes into a 30-day timeout. No exceptions.
The hardest part isn’t resisting the urge to reshuffle. It’s learning to actually trust what comes through the first time. When I honor this boundary, the cards speak more clearly in general, as if they appreciate being taken seriously rather than pestered like a Magic 8 Ball. The irony is that those unwanted cards I used to pull? They were always right. Every single time.
I don’t put raw quartz on the cards - it can scratch the finish; if I want a stone around, I use a selenite wand. To help with humidity, I keep a linen pouch with a silica packet next to the deck, not sealed. Sunlight fades cards, so I put UV film on the nearby window and rotate the top card once a week to avoid uneven fading.
For travel, a deck sleeve or a hard case is better than rubber bands.
The main rule really is just to treat your cards with respect. If you consider everything we ask of the cards… it is not too much to ask that we prevent them from getting damaged at least.
I once had someone eating chips reach for my cards and I practically dove across the table to save them haha. Here’s what I’ve learned NOT to do over the years:
-
Never skip learning the traditional meanings. Yeah intuition is huge, but you need that foundation first. I tried to wing it early on and my readings were all over the place.
-
Don’t read for people who are clearly just there to prove you wrong. Energy vampires. Now I politely decline if someone’s giving off those ‘test the psychic’ vibes.
-
Never tell someone they’re cursed or have dark attachments. I’ve seen readers do this and it’s so predatory. People need empowerment, not fear tactics.
-
Don’t force yourself to love a popular deck if it doesn’t click. I bought three ‘must-have’ decks before finding my groove with a simple animal oracle that worked for me.
-
Never give brutal readings just because you’re ‘keeping it real.’ There’s a difference between honesty and cruelty. I’ve seen readers hide behind ‘I tell it like it is’ when really they just lack basic compassion.
-
As for storage, I learned the hard way not to leave decks in direct sunlight (hello, faded cards) or anywhere humid. Now mine live in wooden boxes with some clear quartz.
Questions I won’t touch:
-
Third-party stuff where someone wants to spy on their ex.
-
medical diagnoses.
-
anything about death timing.
-
Anything that just feels icky and irresponsible.
-
Drunk readings.
DON’T mix decks! Seriously, don’t do it. Shuffling cards from different decks together is chaos - each deck has its own vibe and mixing them creates this weird energy.
Also, never test your cards by asking stuff you already know the answer to (like what color shirt you’re wearing). It’s disrespectful and they will get sassy with you later.