When someone enters your home, do they know?

[Venus Rising]

5 hours ago, queenofwans said:

This is a nook next to the living room in my apartment, so people can tell I'm into crystals but not immediately that I'm into tarot. The decks are stored in the card catalog!

 

wow what a beautiful set up you have @queenofwans! I love it 😍

[djellyfish]

It would be hard for someone to tell, they would have to go upstairs to the bookshelf near my bed. I don't hide my tarot books and decks there, it's just the only space I have where they're both all together and safe from my youngest.

 

It's not a problem around here if anybody sees them. When I talk to people about it, their reaction is generally one of interest.

[tarotprism]

They would know if they came into my kitchen/office room, I have all my decks, crystals, candles, and herbs in there 🥰

[Ealasaid Enfys]

A question I'm currently struggling with. I recently purchased a house - no partner, just me - and I haven't quite figured out yet where I want to 'install' my esoteric tarot corner. I'm not ashamed, but I do want to find a quiet, peaceful place to set up an altar without having to explain myself all of the time. For now I'm thinking about the study, a very sunny room. Maybe I'll change my mind once I'm settled in and the living room seems more appealing.

[Saturn Celeste]

On 7/30/2019 at 2:33 PM, Ealasaid Enfys said:

and I haven't quite figured out yet where I want to 'install' my esoteric tarot corner.

That is a great place to be in!  Starting out all new AND having choices!  I can't wait to find out what you choose!  We have a thread where you can share your space.

 

@queenofwans your corner is amazing!  You can repost pictures in the link above also!

[Disa]

So, these days when someone enters my home,  more than likely they will know. My front door enters into the living room of our 1950's brick home.  Ironically I am told this is the room they used to keep clean and tidy for when the preacher comes to visit.  It's really the only room you can see once you enter. I have several decks lying out on the end table because their boxes are so nice (Victorian Romantic, Bohemian Gothic, and now The Dark Mansion).  If they snoop around in the living room I have two containers (for lack of a better word) which I call my "Tarot Chests"  that contain multiple decks and reading cloths.  If they were so inclined to lift the lids, they would surely see the decks.  Misc. books and magazines are lying around in there depending on what I'm studying at the moment, they could be tarot related, or something else metaphysical. In the dining room there are also decks there for easy access for kitchen table readings(The Housewives Tarot, a mini Victorian Romantic) 

 

My daughter's bedroom has been converted into my Reiki Room so every Metaphysical thing is in there and it's on the main floor.  Our house is quite small. so anyone staying for any length of time will run across a variety of things. 

 

In the basement room is where I keep my main altar and other witchy type things.  I write fiction, so I have tons of books on lots of different topics including things like Deadly Doses, A writer's Guide to poisons and other misc death inducing topics that I have used for reference so I can often just say the books are reference materials if something seems too scary.  That room has a spare bed in it, so only very close friends and family have been in it to sleep.  So far, no inquiries. 

 

When my daughter was little and we often had her friends and their parents over I kept everything out of site because I didn't want the parents to let my interests be an excuse to not let their kids come around.   Now that's she's grown and moved out I don't hide anything, ever.  Luckily her fiance is cool with it all. 

 

 

[Ienne]

I'm struggling with this as well having just moved.  I found a perfect spot for my reading table, dedicated bookcase, etc, but I live in a very conservative area now and wind up throwing a sheet over everything when workmen need to come and go.  Sigh.

[JustPeachy]

3 hours ago, Ienne said:

I live in a very conservative area now

Totally feelin your pain. I'm a fish out of water in the area I live in too. It sucks. I certainly don't feel like I can come out to my friends about tarot for fear of being completely alienated. Christian indoctrination is so deeply embedded here, it would be like bashing your head against a concrete wall to introduce anything new. Sad but true. So what's the use?  Of my two besties one might be receptive but that's not likely... the other, well, she would be totally appalled and would possibly make an extra effort to pray for my sorry totally lost soul for the hedonistic path I have diverted to. I still love them both though for all of their shortcomings, they are still well meaning, good folks and good friends.

 

As far as my collection, it's growing rapidly. Thank God we don't have lots of company! I have my separate studio where I get to keep all my crap aside and my tarot stuff lives there. So far it's relegated to the Ikea cart next to my day bed. It's perfect there because after I meditate in the morning, I do my daily draw and oracle pick and whatever else strikes my fancy for that morning. I have been thinking about what I'd do with the cards if I have overnight company though. And I've been thinking about clearing out a drawer where some sewing stuff is to make way for it. I dunno. We'll see how things play out. There's no hurry here. An I figure if there was an emergency overnight stay, I'll just shift everything to hubbys server room 'cos who the hell would want to venture into that vortex of technical crapola!!!

[Disa]

On 8/10/2019 at 5:45 PM, Ienne said:

I'm struggling with this as well having just moved.  I found a perfect spot for my reading table, dedicated bookcase, etc, but I live in a very conservative area now and wind up throwing a sheet over everything when workmen need to come and go.  Sigh.

Oh, yeah.  Workmen going through my sacred spaces really makes me uncomfortable. 

[Ienne]

20 hours ago, JustPeachy said:

 Of my two besties one might be receptive but that's not likely... the other, well, she would be totally appalled and would possibly make an extra effort to pray for my sorry totally lost soul for the hedonistic path I have diverted to.

Oh, I get that!  I almost lost a friend I've known for 10 years after talking about a tarot conference.  I love her to death but the whole thing was a real eyeopener. 

 

@Disa The workmen coming next week will probably be choking on all the palo santo I plan on burning 🤣 

 

How do you guys like to cleanse once the space invaders have left?

[Disa]

1 hour ago, Ienne said:

Oh, I get that!  I almost lost a friend I've known for 10 years after talking about a tarot conference.  I love her to death but the whole thing was a real eyeopener. 

 

@Disa The workmen coming next week will probably be choking on all the palo santo I plan on burning 🤣 

 

How do you guys like to cleanse once the space invaders have left?

Oh! I DID lose a friend I had known since highschool.  When I was atheist and she was trying to save my soul she never passed judgement (she had her own issues that I never judged), but when she found out I was finally getting a short story published for the first time ever after years and years of trying, she flipped out on me because it was a story about a Tarot reader.  ugh

 

When the space invaders leave, depending on how icky I feel after I may have to cleanse the entire house with sage and sweetgrass, then  Reiki the whole place, too.  Some people are ok, some yikes!!!

[JustPeachy]

1 hour ago, Ienne said:

How do you guys like to cleanse once the space invaders have left?

Nothing special here. I change the sheets on the bed, dust and get hubby to vacuum the room. I figure once the offending person has left they take all of their garbage in tow so there isn't much needed on my end aside from washing the sheets. Just check the air freshener isn't in need of a refill and good riddance to bad rubbish!

[Kath]

I don't have any tarot decks or paraphernalia out in the open.  You'd have to go into the spare room, and look through a bookcase to see my decks and books.  But now you have me thinking that perhaps I should do a discrete display of tarot decks or books.

[AquaUniversalis]

I don't think so. I have all my decks in a drawer and that's it. I don't have tarot books as I usually read online (I mean read as in articles, tarot books and such). And my tarot collection is of the size that can be fitted into one drawer in my desk. I will be moving to live with my partner pretty soon so I guess I will have to sell or give away my cards keeping just one deck. Ahh I have some beautiful beautiful decks, but I think I will stick to my worn out Thoth, haha. 

[Morwenna]

Not unless they go into my bedroom. The only deck (that I know of) that isn't in there somewhere is the mini-RWS here on my desk in the spare room, and it's so small it's easy to miss, especially amid my clutter! 

 

But the cards in the BR aren't visible for the most part; they're in 3 wooden chests and a duffel. What is visible, though, but not seen unless you walk around the bed, is the collection of pagan and esoteric books! Most of them face the dresser so the casual visitor wouldn't see them. And along with those are the Tarot box sets and the Tarot books. (Hard to explain, but there are 3 bookcases backed up to the side of a small dresser, which face the big dresser with more bookcases on top; these all frame one of the windows. Makes a nice little alcove.)

 

Still, I doubt most people who come over would even care; the friends I made in the SCA and science fiction fandom probably already know what sort of things I'm into; some of them share it. Friends from work and from home, though, I haven't gone into any of that with them so I don't know. I don't think Tarot, or divination in general, would bother them; all the witchy materials might. With hubby's family, I think most of the adults know; they definitely know about Tarot and astrology, since hubby was so open with them about these interesting things his wife does. I've read for a couple of them already. As for my family, it's just cousins, and I don't think they know but I have no idea if they'd care; and I rarely see them anyway since they're so geographically scattered. 

 

And if workmen or the property manager happen to see any of this, so what! This is a New England college town; what they haven't seen by now, no one has! If nothing else, it's all pretty multicultural around here, including in my building. (And BTW, there is a little bronze Buddha in here; I don't remember where it came from, but it must have been hubby's. It's not going anywhere, even though I'm not Buddhist either.) 

[Raggydoll]

This thread is a blast from the past. I had a peek at my old post and a lot has changed since 😁 My kids have gotten older and they are much more respectful of my stuff, so I can have more of it out. I do still prefer closed storage and glass cabinets, simply because I’m no fan of dust 😄 Most of my decks are in drawers and the same goes for my runes. My book collection is in my bedroom, so most people don’t see that. But if they go upstairs, they’d see my curiosity cabinet. I have all sorts of goodies in there, including bird skulls, animal vertebrae, mineral specimens and so on. Possibly that cabinet would give someone a hint, but they might just (correctly) assume that I am a fan of nature stuff 😊

[Natural Mystic Guide]

When someone enters my home my altar -- which takes up an entire table, is prominent.  So they know something spiritual/priestessy/witchy/pagany is going on.  No Tarot decks or individual cards or books are on display.  They are all safely stored in my office, and my collection is taking over my husband's office as well.  There is one discrete magnet from Benebell Wen's Spirit Keeper's Tarot on the fridge as well as a discrete pocket card of The Lubavitcher Rebbe in an shallow alcove set in the kitchen wall.  One would have to be 'in the know' to recognize these for what they are.

[Raggydoll]

14 minutes ago, Natural Mystic Guide said:

When someone enters my home my altar -- which takes up an entire table, is prominent.  So they know something spiritual/priestessy/witchy/pagany is going on.  No Tarot decks or individual cards or books are on display.  They are all safely stored in my office, and my collection is taking over my husband's office as well.  There is one discrete magnet from Benebell Wen's Spirit Keeper's Tarot on the fridge as well as a discrete pocket card of The Lubavitcher Rebbe in a shallow alcove set in the kitchen wall.  One would have to be 'in the know' to recognize these for what they are.

I too happen to have a tarot magnet on the fridge, I didn’t think about that. But I doubt anyone would think much about it, despite it being the only magnet on there 😄

[flora]

Most people that enter my space, single room with very high ceilings, just see a person that lives in an art studio. There are hints all over the place, but it blends in nicely with all the artwork,sewing dummies,fabrics,machines,skulls,dolls,treads,crystals,books. My cauldron currently houses make-up sponges.....

One needs a keen eye and be somewhat in the know. This happend only once in years, somebody asking me if I do magick. I declined to not foster false hope.

But then I do fullfill a lot of clichees stylewise anyway. Even flirting with it. A pierced redhead in black with heavy boots...

And people don't mind me doing tarot. Its just one of my many quirks.

People that do stay away from me and that's perfectly fine with me.

[akiva]

Most of my things are put away. I have some historical/OOP decks on display in a cupboard with glass doors in the living room, but they kind of blend in with my books. The rest are either in a drawer, or in a lidded basket.

 

The only ones visible are decks and books I currently use on my coffee table, but then visitors are rare here, and I use playing card more than tarot. I do hide obvious fortune telling decks off the coffee table if I've ever got non-family/friends here. Mostly because they always ask for readings, and I don't want to do them on the spot like that. 

[FindYourSovereignty]

Basically, no, they wouldn’t know. I don’t decorate or have anything out that would capture someone’s eye. In my new home, I may put an alter out that will be visible, but I am not sure I will even do that as I think of my personal practice as private. When I am studying something new or reading a new book, then they could come across the book or tarot deck I am learning with in the common areas of the house, but unless you get to the private rooms, there is nothing visible to indicate I am a reader. In those areas though, everything is out on display. My statues, my alters, my art, my stones, my decks, my books, are all on shelves or tables. 

[Misterei]

Anyone entering the house knows *something* is up. There are no cards per se, but it's decorated as a reading room for astro and tarot readings. Big statue of Ganesha on the mantle, lotus flower candle holders, pictures of Sarasvati and Laxmi, crystals, crescent moon wall hanging. There's a Vibe.

 

Only people who enter my bedroom would know beyond a doubt. A cabinet with 80 or so Tarots, Lenormands, and oracles on display. Ya can't miss it. Many years ago I had the Tarot collection displayed in the living room on a couple of shelves -- but it got too big and needed its own cabinet.

On 10/2/2024 at 4:23 AM, flora said:

Most people that enter my space, single room with very high ceilings, just see a person that lives in an art studio. ...

OMG. I'm jealous. I live in a tiny cottage with tiny rooms and it's torture [ex dancer. my happy place is large, empty, mirrors, and everything is on wheels so you can move it]. But I've made the best of things. My parlour / living room has a cozy vibe that clients feel relaxed and safe. I kept the wheels idea, though. In my office the furniture is on wheels so I can make enough floor space to do yoga by wheeling things into one side of the tiny room. *sigh*.

 

Edited October 3, 2024 by Misterei

[Chariot]

Gosh, this thread has me thinking. 🫢 It would be great to have my tarot cards and books all stored in a purpose-built cabinet.  At the moment, all the card deck boxes are scattered around my bookcases, wherever there is room.  I wouldn't want an altar, but it would be nice to have a special table and a good place to store the cloth, the candleholders, my small box of balsam fir incense, and my teapot and cup.  My house has just not evolved that way, but I'll give it some thought.  It would feel like such a luxury to have a 'hobby' room ...as I have other interests besides just tarot.  

 

[Esclarmonde]

Interesting topic🙂. Most of my Tarot decks are stored in drawers, but the books on Tarot are on the lowest bookshelf in the living room and are well visible. However, I've got lots of books and the Tarot ones don't necessarily stand out. Other than that there's nothing overtly suggesting that I work with cards. There are candle holders all over the place because I like candles, and I start to light them as the evenings become longer (which is about now). 

[Morwenna]

My "hobby room" is this spare bedroom where I'm sitting right now, and at one time I thought I'd like to also have it as esoteric space, but reality dictated that it holds not only the desk and the sewing machines, but the vacuum cleaners and the tubs of holiday decorations and the file cabinets and so on... So when I get all the cr@p out of the bedroom (which should have been done years ago) I'd like to put the card table in there so I can set it up to do readings. I have a different table (still in storage) which I can put in the living room to replace the card table (when I get all the unwanted medical equipment out of there!). 

 

What I need is a permanent assistant. Alone, I just live on this computer, when I bother to get up in the morning after spending time doing puzzles or reading books. Retirement is a mixed bag!