Which Card/s Evoke Cleaning and De-cluttering for You?

[Misterei]

The topic of cleaning and ce-cluttering occasionally comes up whilst reading for clients [more often than you might expect!] but I also have a personal connection this year.

 

Anyway, it got me curious.

What cards do YOU read for cleaning or de-cluttering. For Hoarder situations?

 

I'll go first:

• Death is obvious if we're talking about Swedish Death Cleaning. It's been showing-up in my spreads (see personal/astro stuff below).
• 4 coins for clients if there's a hoarder situation ... and the solution to their problems is to actually CLEAN their space.
  Sadly, I lose some clients over this. I'm compassionate and sympathetic ... but ppl sometimes don't like to hear the truth no matter how gentle the delivery.
• 7 coins for clients when it's more of a de-clutter situation. For example a client considering a beneficial move ... but dreading it for the wrong reasons [too much stuff to pack] ... 7 coins advises slowly start to pare down your stuff so you feel better about moving. I also get 7 coins + Death when the client has a parent in Hospice and  going through emotions whilst cleaning out the parent's house in preparation for the inevitable. Likewise 4 coins + Death if the dying loved-one actually *IS* a hoarder.

 

The personal / astrology stuff:

30 October Ketu [south node] enters Virgo.

As I have in Moon in H4 Virgo ... this activates themes of home, mother, liberation, and past karmas.

The planet of past karma and spiritual liberation [Ketu]  transits both the house and planet of home and mother [H4 Moon].

It will be different for you depending your chart.

 

Turning 60 in Jan... I already planned to do "Swedish Death Cleaning" since 60 is the traditional age [being Virgo Moon I can't wait ... starting at age 59]

Ketu over H4 Virgo Moon feels like icing on the cake ... the Universe WANTS me to get rid of stuff };>

I'm starting the process already ... getting Death as a low-key stalker card makes sense now.

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Misterei

[DanielJUK]

4 of Coins / Pentacles is a good one. As someone who is prone to hoarding, I can so relate to this. The possessive / materialism of it, you clutch on because of a fear of losing security

 

Going with some alternative ideas (read more "out there").

 

The Hermit, some cards show him around books or books all around him. But ultimately The Hermit is about withdrawing from the world. It's clearing space I think and clutter in order to have personal space again

Five of Wands- the Wild Unknown shows this better than the RWS I think but you have a pile of sticks all over the place. There is something to this card of things being all over the place, practically and in our thoughts

Ten of Wands - cluttering and clearing stuff is a burden, it can be a heavy weight until you have more clear. Again the Wild Unknown has a mass of sticks or branches, you can just see the light through them. That really shows clutter, how do you get through it? I know someone who was forced to clear their clutter by their landlord and it was so this! There was deadlines and inspections and they were very stressed out and upset by the experience. If they didn't make the deadlines, there would be a next legal stage, it was a huge burden on her.

Six of Swords - The person goes off in their boat to hopefully be in a better place. But they bring their clutter (or cluttered thoughts) in the boat with them with those swords. How do you move away from it? The reversed version is not moving forwards with these cluttered thoughts (or emotional baggage) at all. How can you release that baggage and move forwards for upright and rx?

King of Pentacles (reversed) - overwhelmed by the tasks to clear clutter and overcome by the materialism. This needs small steps or goals to get order again.

 

That's all my ideas 🙂

 

[Misterei]

25 minutes ago, DanielJUK said:

Ten of Wands - cluttering and clearing stuff is a burden, it can be a heavy weight until you have more clear. Again the Wild Unknown has a mass of sticks or branches, you can just see the light through them. That really shows clutter, how do you get through it? I know someone who was forced to clear their clutter by their landlord and it was so this! There was deadlines and inspections and they were very stressed out and upset by the experience. If they didn't make the deadlines, there would be a next legal stage, it was a huge burden on her.

This is an interesting take. LOL as a natural minimalist I consider the STUFF to be 10 wands.

But to someone who's a natural hoarder / collector? The CLEANING feels 10 Wands.

Either way ... stuff *IS* a responsibility ... and 10 is when you've accumulated enough of that responsibility ... that a de-clutter is needed to re-set back to 1.

 

I could also see 5 wands as a need to organize. Not cleaning per se ... but ORGANIZING the chaos.

Sometimes there are arguments over housecleaning which might factor in. I could see 5 wands in this regard, too.

[Raggydoll]

For me, death cleaning isn’t about as much the Death card as it is about the 10 of pentacles. What do we want to pass on and what do we not want to make our legacy. It’s an act of responsibility and love. And in my culture - duty! I have never read any of the books on “Swedish death cleaning” but I live in the culture. And the impression I get is that it’s been slightly misrepresented. Maybe I’ll one day read the book that started it all and make up my mind 😊

 

Anyway, this discussion on death cleaning happens a lot in my society (though we don’t typically call it ‘death cleaning’). 
 

I have never heard that the age of 60 is considered ideal. I guess it makes sense with retirement moving closer. Though personally, me and my sister we have been discussing this a long time and we declutter our homes with our kids in mind. And we are in our 40s. Mom does it too, and she is almost 70. So I think it’s a way of living rather than a project. It reflects cultural values more than anything. 
 

And hoarding is of course a different topic altogether, a medical one. So the way I see it is that what we commonly call ‘Clutter’ is one category - everyone struggles with it to some degree and we can’t wait until we’re 60 to deal with it 😊 What you call death cleaning is not really a declutter method, it’s a part of cultural values and common practices. So three different things to me, and driving forces/solutions will differ. 
 

For regular clutter, I’d look at combinations of cards and also reversed cards. 
 

I also think the issue with natural empaths/psychics and clutter is a beast of its own. I do not believe that cluttered people are more drawn to things like magic and tarot, but I do believe that many of the people who are naturally gifted in this area will also struggle with clutter. I’ve seen this connection time and time again, and I know from personal experience that finding different techniques for dealing with that clutter is the key to truly leaning into your natural gifts. (And by ‘clutter’ I don’t just mean physical clutter. I also mean emotional clutter; energy cords and overwhelm, empath issues etc; and spiritual clutter, and technology clutter and food clutter and body clutter .., etc etc… Eating more than you know is good for you and consuming things that make you hungry and gives you a heavier body that what is healthy for you - that can be a part of this clutter problem. Constant snacking and sugar/food addiction can be part of a cluttered diet but also connected to emotional or spiritual clutter. So you see why I feel that many many different cards can be connected to this topic).  

[Natural Mystic Guide]

 

Try reducing everything you own to a little back pack (or in my case 2 suitcases and 3 boxes -- when I relocated to Bali.)  I've also given away all of my belongings twice (for spiritual reasons).  Very freeing.  Very liberating.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Natural Mystic Guide
edit

[Chariot]

So many ways to look at this issue ...but for starters, I would want to know if the question asked was deliberately about clutter ...'how can I declutter my life' and similar questions.  If a person is just asking what's wrong with their life, or why their relationship isn't working, or how somebody feels about them, the response that says 'clutter' might not be obvious at first. But there are a few cards that could point to hoarding (a need to hang on to everything) and/or excessive clutter—the kind of mess the person wants to get rid of, but just doesn't have the time or organisational skill to get the job done.  I have deliberately omitted the Court Cards, just for simplicity's sake ...but I presume many of them could relate to a person who is likely to accumulate stuff.

Death reversed, to me would be a good, prime indicator that something is hanging around that needs to be gone. Death upright can indicate the decluttering process is already underway (great card to get, if that's the case!)

Temperance reversed might also point to the imbalance or chaos that can lead to hoarding and/or clutter ...depending on surrounding cards and the question asked.

The Devil upright can also indicate an addiction, which could certainly be hoarding (but probably not just general accumulated clutter, unless the condition is so bad it's got you trapped and miserable.)

9 Wands reversed can indicate a person is overwhelmed and ready to give up.  This could either be the owner of the clutter, or somebody trying to help and being resisted.

10 of Wands upright, can certainly indicate a lot of 'stuff,' but I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that it's 'clutter' or hoarding itself. I reckon rather it's the tendency to assume too much responsibility for burdens that others should be carrying.  (Again, maybe it relates more to the person trying to help?)

Ace of Cups reversed can indicate an unhealthy obsession with emotions ...and objects that are of emotional importance  ...again, this would depend on surrounding cards and the question being asked.

6 of Cups reversed could indicate an unhealthy obsession with past 'joys' and a wish to hang on to them.

8 of Cups reversed could indicate an unwillingness to move on and leave things behind that once had value (but don't any more.)

 

9 of Cups reversed often does say 'hoarding' to me, although it can simply mean selfishness and an unwillingness to share, rather than a hoarding disorder.

10 of Cups reversed indicates something wrong in the home.

Ace of Swords reversed can indicate an unwillingness or inability to take action and cut through the debris.

8 of Swords upright can indicate a person is feeling trapped and/or is blind to their dangerous situation.

2 of Pentacles reversed would be the card I'd expect to show up if the person is swamped with clutter that they DO want rid of, but is losing control of the mess.  They just don't have the organisational skill to get the job done—and then to keep the mess from building up again.  These people are usually procrastinators, not collectors.  They don't need counselling for mental issues, so much as perhaps a few tips in how to organise their lives (throw away junk mail as soon as it comes through the letterbox, clear out your drawers one at a time, and get rid of stuff you don't use, etc.)  These kinds of tips will not impact somebody with an actual hoarding disorder, but those of us who are distracted by work or events, or are simply procrastinating, can certainly get results from taking these tips on board.  Next time, the 2 of Pentacles upright will indicate that we've got the matter under control at last!

 

4 of Pentacles upright, as others have mentioned, certainly indicates a wish to hang on to what is already 'ours.'  That might be a good thing, when caution is called for, but as a habit it can be quite self-destructive.

10 of Pentacles reversed can certainly indicate feeling obliged to hang on to everything that's been 'passed down' to you from your family, even when some or all of it is detrimental to your well-being.

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Chariot

[DanielJUK]

12 hours ago, Misterei said:

This is an interesting take. LOL as a natural minimalist I consider the STUFF to be 10 wands.

But to someone who's a natural hoarder / collector? The CLEANING feels 10 Wands.

Either way ... stuff *IS* a responsibility ... and 10 is when you've accumulated enough of that responsibility ... that a de-clutter is needed to re-set back to 1.

 

I could also see 5 wands as a need to organize. Not cleaning per se ... but ORGANIZING the chaos.

Sometimes there are arguments over housecleaning which might factor in. I could see 5 wands in this regard, too.

 

Also I was reading a long read article about hoarding and it's a real problem (globally). One problem is so little research has been done on it that for years it was classed as part of OCD but now is being separated from it into it's own mental illness. It's a worse problem since the pandemic for people who used it as a coping strategy.

It can also be a 10 of Wands burden on the landlord or council / authorities who have to deal with their properties. In the article, councils in the UK spend thousands of clearing people's homes / flats / apartments which are council owned / co-owned. The person would be moved out and a team would clear the place with a skip. They would ask the person about stuff that seemed valuable / personal / essential. In most cases they would be back to the same problem after a year. There is not good evidence that forcing a clear out actually helps at all, the gold standard seems to be now therapy or councilling first but here this is non-existent. Also a therapist doing it with the person has the best outcomes but there isn't the resources for that here. It can also be 10 of Wands on families and loved ones as well. So it depends who is affected really 🙂 

It's a highly complex societal problem and of course a spectrum, not a problem, to an extreme end.

 

This is the article if anyone wants a long read, I found it quite upsetting to be honest (I have never been anywhere near this bad).....

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jul/04/you-cant-live-your-life-what-is-behind-extreme-hoarding

[akiva]

13 hours ago, Misterei said:

4 coins for clients if there's a hoarder situation ... and the solution to their problems is to actually CLEAN their space.

The 4 of coins as hoarding, is such a good meaning. It fits the miserly idea behind the RWS image really well.

 

For me cleaning would be The Star or the 6 of Sticks.

The Star in a cleaning context has come up for me as showering, water related self care, self care in general, washing/cleaning and making things clear/clean.

 

The 6 of Sticks has traditional (Ettiella) meanings of servants, domestic work and house work. So fits as the cleaning card for me. Also as DIY, maintenance, objects in the house that do chores for us like a washing machine or dish washer. Usually it needs to be combined with the 9 of coins which represents objects we own ("chattels" or personal effects). 😊

Edited September 28, 2023 by akiva

[Misterei]

20 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

For me, death cleaning isn’t about as much the Death card as it is about the 10 of pentacles. What do we want to pass on and what do we not want to make our legacy. It’s an act of responsibility and love. And in my culture - duty! ...the impression I get is that it’s been slightly misrepresented.

Yes, it's totally mis-represented as a YT trend. I watched one cultural show ... so I understand the 10 Coins aspect you mention.

I don't have kids ... so this isn't a thing for me. It's more about making sure that whoever cleans-up when I die doesn't have a big mess.

I've dealt with a couple of unexpected deaths ... leaving a colossal mess for others to clean.

 

@Raggydoll said <<... what we commonly call ‘Clutter’ is one category - everyone struggles with it to some degree and we can’t wait until we’re 60 to deal with it ...>>
Going into an age where peers are starting to die ... I do see the Death card aspect activating at age 60 [for me, anyway]. When I was younger my life was more complex and I needed more stuff. I didn't think about dying. Now? My life is simpler. Many activities I can no longer do ... so no need for the stuff.

And my friend who died at 63 and left a big mess? Just goes to show we can't assume we'll make it to 80s or 90s.
 

@Raggydoll said <<I also think the issue with natural empaths/psychics and clutter is a beast of its own ... I do believe that many of the people who are naturally gifted in this area will also struggle with clutter. I’ve seen this connection time and time again >>

 

I've not observed it as much as you ... but I wonder if this is b/c they ignore their physical reality in favor of unseen worlds?

LOL I'm opposite.  B/c I'm empathic and sensitive ... the stuff and its memories actually seems to SCREAM at me sometimes.

Too much stuff around me is mentally / psychically painful for me.

 

@Raggydoll said << finding different techniques for dealing with that clutter is the key to truly leaning into your natural gifts. (And by ‘clutter’ I don’t just mean physical clutter. I also mean emotional clutter; energy cords and overwhelm, empath issues etc; and spiritual clutter>> 

 

For me it's quite connected. I struggle terribly with "emotional clutter" and "energetic/spiritual clutter" ... so physically, empty space is necessary for me to function at all!

[Misterei]

16 hours ago, Chariot said:

So many ways to look at this issue ...but for starters, I would want to know if the question asked was deliberately about clutter ...'how can I declutter my life' and similar questions.

LOL NEVER!!!

Reading for a client it might start out like: I'm having a lot of difficultiies in my relationship. Can we read on my relationship?

I got HP and 4 coins [amongst other cards]. I ask: Is there a problem with hoarding? An older woman who's a hoarder or something like that?

Client" Yes! We're living with his mom and she's a hoarder. She's even putting stuff in our room, now!

or

Client: So many things are going wrong. Is my Husband's drug addict son and his wife putting a curse on us?

Devil, 4 coins [various other cards]. Is there a problem with stuff and storing their stuff? Do they have their stuff at your house?

... and it turns out the deadbeat son + wife DO have stuff stored at the house and routinely break in to get it.

Can the stuff be moved to the garage? So they don't break into the house itself?

No ... because the garage is full ... it slowly emerges that the house and garage are hoarded.

And of course ... even if there were a curse (which there's not) the first thing you do to break a curse is CLEAN EVERYTHING IN YOUR HOUSE and throw away anything you don't recognize as yours and know where it came from.

 

@Chariot said

<<The Devil upright can also indicate an addiction, which could certainly be hoarding ....>>

 

As you can see ... it did show up that way for the clients with the drug-addict son. Both hoarding AND addiction.

@Chariot

<<9 of Cups reversed often does say 'hoarding' to me, although it can simply mean selfishness and an unwillingness to share, rather than a hoarding disorder.>>

 

Interesting take. I don't read reversals ... but I do see it like, "too many of your wishes came true" if the card is in a malefic spread.

@Chariot
<<8 of Swords upright can indicate a person is feeling trapped and/or is blind to their dangerous situation.>>

Good point. This one often shows up in these type of spreads. Also Hanged Man when the people are literally "hamstrung" with an inability to tackle their hoarding disorder.

 

@Chariot

<<10 of Pentacles reversed can certainly indicate feeling obliged to hang on to everything that's been 'passed down' to you from your family, even when some or all of it is detrimental to your well-being.>>

 

Good point. Huge problem for so many people.
 

Edited September 29, 2023 by Misterei

[Misterei]

16 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

.. I was reading a long read article about hoarding and it's a real problem (globally). One problem is so little research has been done on it  ...

It's also such a new phenomenon.

Consumerism has only been with us since mass-production was invented. Hoarding (other than by the very wealthy) literally could not exist pre-1920s.

 

 @DanielJUK

<<It can also be a 10 of Wands burden on the landlord or council / authorities who have to deal with their properties. In the article, councils in the UK spend thousands of clearing people's homes / flats / apartments which are council owned / co-owned. ...  

It's a highly complex societal problem ...>>

 

Good point. I see it as the disease / dark side of consumerism. And our whole global economy is set to run on mass production and consumerism.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Misterei

[Misterei]

16 hours ago, akiva said:

The 4 of coins as hoarding, is such a good meaning. It fits the miserly idea behind the RWS image really well.

Yep. That one's always been the Hoarder Card for me.

 

@akiva said

<<For me cleaning would be The Star or the 6 of Sticks.

The Star in a cleaning context has come up for me as showering, water related self care, self care in general, washing/cleaning and making things clear/clean.

The 6 of Sticks has traditional (Ettiella) meanings of servants, domestic work and house work. So fits as the cleaning card for me. Also as ...objects in the house that do chores for us like a washing machine or dish washer. Usually it needs to be combined with the 9 of coins >>

 

Interesting take on 6 sticks and 9 coins. I kinda see it ... although it's a bit of a stretch for me for 6 sticks. I can definitely see 9 coins + Star as a house beautification which might involve massive cleaning and a home "makeover".

Edited September 29, 2023 by Misterei

[Chariot]

@Misterei - Good point about the Hanged Man.  Somebody 'suspended' in a situation and unable to get anything started.  Yep.  Hoarding can be like that.

Just curious.  Have you got any cards that point to tackling—or getting rid of—hoarding or clutter?  How do you advise clients who do end up dealing with hoarding ...either as hoarders themselves, or people trying to help hoarders tackle their situation?

Edited September 29, 2023 by Chariot

[Raggydoll]

18 minutes ago, Chariot said:

@Misterei - Good point about the Hanged Man.  Somebody 'suspended' in a situation and unable to get anything started.  Yep.  Hoarding can be like that.

Just curious.  Have you got any cards that point to tackling—or getting rid of—hoarding or clutter?  How do you advise clients who do end up dealing with hoarding ...either as hoarders themselves, or people trying to help hoarders tackle their situation?

Since it’s a medical condition and belongs to the realm of psychiatry, I would advise them to seek professional help. The one thing I do know is that family members cannot really help someone who isn’t at a place where they want to receive help. It’s a very difficult thing. I do have some private experience of this, with a relative that hoarded. So I’m very aware of how complex this is and what a time consuming process it is. Definitely something that requires professional help, and not a situation where simple decluttering tricks are going to work. 

[Chariot]

3 minutes ago, Raggydoll said:

Since it’s a medical condition and belongs to the realm of psychiatry, I would advise them to seek professional help. The one thing I do know is that family members cannot really help someone who isn’t at a place where they want to receive help. It’s a very difficult thing. I do have some private experience of this, with a relative that hoarded. So I’m very aware of how complex this is and what a time consuming process it is. Definitely something that requires professional help, and not a situation where simple decluttering tricks are going to work. 

Yes, you're right ...and it's a difficult condition to address.  I've never read for a person who presented with the condition itself or needed help with a roommate or friend or family member who lived with them.  Decluttering is one thing, but hoarding is something entirely different.  I would agree that recommending professional help for hoarding is the only thing a tarot reader can ethically do.

[akiva]

8 hours ago, Misterei said:

Interesting take on 6 sticks and 9 coins. I kinda see it ... although it's a bit of a stretch for me for 6 sticks.

 

Looking at it from a pythagorean number symbolism point of view with 6 meaning beauty, perfection, order and harmonising things that oppose each other. When coupled with the suit of sticks as work/effort it gives us working on beautifying something or working to get things in order/back in harmony.

 

I tend to see the suit of sticks/wands as earthy too, so very much focused on the physical environment/body. This can be applied to absolutely anything of course, so context matters. This card has popped up as yoga/exercise too. 😊

[Misterei]

12 hours ago, Chariot said:

... Good point about the Hanged Man.  Somebody 'suspended' in a situation and unable to get anything started.  Yep.  Hoarding can be like t

Just curious.  Have you got any cards that point to tackling—or getting rid of—hoarding or clutter?  How do you advise clients who do end up dealing with hoarding ...either as hoarders themselves, or people trying to help hoarders tackle their situation?

@Chariot When the Hoarding situation comes to light ... it will depend how I advise the client. For example, we've seen a Hoarding issue with 4 coins + HP came up in the first spread for the client asking about her relationship.

Now that we know this is the real issue affecting the couple ... I might throw another spread asking the cards, "How can X and her partner deal with this situation?"

The cards might recommend family counselling. The cards might recommend moving b/c it's an impossible situation. The cards might recommend quietly throwing away stuff that appears in their room and putting on a sturdy lock.. I go 100% what the cards say.

 

And to distance from the Hoarder issue ... Hanged Man or 8 swords might also show for someone who has a loved-one in hospice and feels overwhelmed with the prospect of cleaning the house. Again ... I ask the cards. Should they wait until after the loved-one passes and worry about the cleaning later?

Maybe they have pressing financial concerns and the house must be cleaned to rent or sell ... in which case the question becomes, what's the clients best strategy to deal with that financial pressure? Cards might suggest hiring professional cleaning crew to just get it done and get the house to market. Or grief counseling and a more gentle approach.  I've seen cards offer various solutions for this type of situation.

 

It's so individual I can't say which cards ... but maybe ace coins + 8 coins or 8 batons is saying, "Hire a crew!"

Whilst 8 cups might say, get a grief counselor and sort-out the money later.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Misterei

[Chariot]

@Misterei - Yes.  So much depends on the question being asked, and who is asking it!   That's why I think it's so important to be able to interact with the client during the reading.  Trying to read 'blind' doesn't appeal to me at all.  Cards can mean such different things in different circumstances.

[AlbaTross]

Was cleaning/decluttering part of the inquiry?  On their own, I don't think the cards ever touch on that topic.  If someone is asking something to the effect of whether they have excess in their life, then things like Death and The Tower might reflect that, or as Natural Mystic Guide has pointed out, something like The Fool can convey that imagery-wise.  The suit of Pentacles has a number of cards that could probably tie into that topic too.  Personally, the number one card I can think of that would send such a message to me is Temperance, as that card is a call for balance.