Silk for Tarot Decks?

[Caroline]

Mine also, though I've found that that much blockage is only occasionally necessary. For most things, it's the existence of wrapping/container that matters, not what it's made of. My Robin Wood deck, f'ex, is quite happy with its denim bag, and my other decks (with the exception of my Thoth deck, which really wants a silk wrapper) are content with the level of insulation provided by my card chests.

This might be, at least in part, specific to my personal circumstances. When I was reading professionally, though I often had a couple of other decks with me, it was very rare for them to be requested for a reading; I never did the kind of party work Marilyn does. If I ever did, I'd likely consider silk a good idea.

I've occasionally used silk to wrap other things, again mostly when an "industrial strength" barrier seemed advisable. I've never been of the school of thought that insists that everything must be wrapped, and only silk will do.

Sunflower

My general default is linen (likely simply because I collect vintage pieces), but my Thoth deck definitely requires silk, and I do use silk if I'm working on a specific sequence of reads. (Tarot isn't my strength and I find I can easily be thrown off.) Mostly I use silk for certain trad tools and ritual jewellery/items I feel take special care.

[Aster Breo]

but my Thoth deck definitely requires silk,

What is it about the Thoth deck, I wonder...?

Is silk wrapping something that is common to divination tools other than tarot decks, specifically? I mean, do other kinds of oracle decks and other kinds of tools, like pendulums and ogam stones, also benefit from silk wrapping?

[Aster Breo]

I usually wrap them in silk and put them in a wooden box between readings.

A few people have mentioned storing their decks in wooden boxes/chests. Just wondering if there's a particular reason for that (other than that wooden boxes are cool )?

And, to those who use such boxes: Do you store all your decks together or do you have a separate box for each deck?

Are your boxes always wood?

[Tana]

And, to those who use such boxes: Do you store all your decks together or do you have a separate box for each deck?

We have a very nice wooden chest, I have all the incense sticks and most of my decks in it. The decks are either in their boxes or in bags, if the box gave up with time.

I have it in the chest, because it is a pretty way to store things, that's all.

[Marilyn/Absentminded]

A few people have mentioned storing their decks in wooden boxes/chests. Just wondering if there's a particular reason for that (other than that wooden boxes are cool )?

For me, this has to do with blocking as well. Wood is dull and soft, in my perceptions. Anything it absorbs it stops.

Plus, boxes are cool and I have tons.

Looking at my decks, I have two wrapped in silk, one lives in a box, one lives in my purse, and the rest are in a drawer wrapped in different fabrics. My hand-made one is held together with a plastic paper clip because I keep taking cards out for spells. Some cards get destroyed in the process, so it is not a usable deck anymore. It really should be in the spell supplies drawer rather than the card drawer.

Absent

[SunflowerP]

A few people have mentioned storing their decks in wooden boxes/chests. Just wondering if there's a particular reason for that (other than that wooden boxes are cool )?

And, to those who use such boxes: Do you store all your decks together or do you have a separate box for each deck?

Are your boxes always wood?

Mostly just coolness - that, and the general practicality of storage/carrying devices, whether for tarot or CDs or dice or clothes or whatever. Gotta keep 'em somewhere.

The only one of my decks that has its own wooden box is the Sideshow Tarot, and that's because that's the box it came in. Others are still in their cardboard boxes, if the box was of the sort that a deck of cards can sensibly be kept in (as opposed to the sort of boxes they come in if they're sold in a set with a book, or occasionally even if they're not though I've never understood what that's in aid of), and said box hasn't worn out. Since I do have chests, I don't have much inclination to get individual boxes.

Both chests are wood. This is mostly just because that's what they happened to be made of - the (former) local witchy shop grew out of it's owner's spouse's secondhand/junk shop; I'm pretty sure these were originally part of the stock of the former. They certainly weren't new when I got them, and if they had been I might well have felt I couldn't afford them (or at any rate not both - even as it was, I didn't get them at the same time). OTOH, that's a pretty common material for small (the larger is maybe one cubic foot in volume) chests. I don't have strong feelings about it, other than "I like wood, wood is pretty;" magically-or-whatever speaking, the material is (in my way of doing things, YMMV) largely <cough> immaterial.

Sunflower

[Chatelaine]

Is silk wrapping something that is common to divination tools other than tarot decks, specifically? I mean, do other kinds of oracle decks and other kinds of tools, like pendulums and ogam stones, also benefit from silk wrapping?

I don't own a tarot deck, but my oracle sets (a few angel card decks that came as freebies with magazines, so sue me) are happy in their original boxes. I have a quartz point pendant that I once fancied to turn into a pendulum, which lives just fine in its cotton-wool-lined jewellery box. My stones live in a cotton bag from a defunct line of Body Shop bath powder; it's crowded, but they seem to like it. The lot are stored in a wooden chest, part of a fancy wine delivery. I never had issues with elbow room, so to speak.

[PhantomQueen]

I've read many places that Tarot and other oracle cards should be stored wrapped in silk.

I've always wondered: Why? What's special about silk?

Do you do this? If so, what effects have you noticed?

My primary deck is in a red satin drawstring pouch. I've not had any adverse affects for not using silk. I've a couple moonstones in with the deck and a quartz crystal on top of the pouch when it's resting on my altar. My tarot decks are still in their original cardboard boxes, but I don't put them in wood boxes. The satin pouches seem fine for me...

[Aine Llewellyn]

I've read many places that Tarot and other oracle cards should be stored wrapped in silk.

I've always wondered: Why? What's special about silk?

Do you do this? If so, what effects have you noticed?

I don't get on very well with silk, at least for clothing. I really don't like the texture of it...I used to use a Captain Morgan's bag for my oracle deck. Now I just use a simply purple cloth with a Celtic-y knotwork design to hold my Tarot deck.

I prefer linens as well. I've noticed if I don't properly pay attention to where my deck wants to be it'll...stop reading for me, at least til I move it to the proper spot it wants to be stored in.

[Aster Breo]

I've noticed if I don't properly pay attention to where my deck wants to be it'll...stop reading for me, at least til I move it to the proper spot it wants to be stored in.

Interesting. What kinds of places does your deck prefer? How does it tell you?