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Clicking Tarot Cards

 

This is long because it describes a couple events over about a year.

I'm a 19 year old female from England and I was celebrating my 16th birthday when I used the tarot cards. The rest takes place months and then about a year afterwards.

It was about midnight; my friends (about 5) were sleeping over at mine for my 16th birthday. We had watched something mildly scary and they asked if I could use my tarot card deck with them. It was a beautiful Victoria Francis deck that I kept wrapped in a cloth with a suggested layout embossed on it and in a wooden box with a pentacle on. I considered myself Wiccan at the time so the box lived on my "altar" along with candles and some statues. Although I am still somewhat spiritual now and deeply interested in the paranormal I am somewhat cynical about Neo-Paganism. But that's my problem and it's not worth sharing here.

I used a layout I preferred (a pentacle) because I could follow it easier than the suggested one on the cloth, and I had more experience with it from a tarot reading app I used to use. Everyone knew I would only be using the major Arcana and reading the meanings from the manual just because I didn't know them well enough yet. I made a circle around us to keep out negative energies and began the readings. By the third person we realized that everyone had highly accurate readings (as tends to happen if you believe) but they had all received the card Temperance in the upright position at some point in the spread. It was spooky but at this point wasn't a red flag. After all, the major Arcana only has so many cards.

There was one friend in the group who claimed her mother was "immune" to this sort of thing, and as such she didn't believe in it. Low and behold her spread made absolutely no sense. We figured that if someone wasn't going to have Temperance, it would be her. But Temperance ended up being her final card in the middle of the spread, in the upside down position. We were thoroughly spooked.

A friend agreed to do mine. I thought maybe I had contaminated the cards somehow so that's why they all got the card. I was the 6th person. I also got Temperance in the upright position. We all freaked out a little. I packed up and closed the circle.

Moving on to a month or so later, I notice clicking noises in my bedroom. They started off quietly but one night it was too loud to bear. At this point I thought it was the radiator. Dad came to my room and investigated and found it was coming from the altar. At this point I froze because I remembered exactly what happened with those cards. He picks up the box and handed it to me, clicking all the while. We checked it for woodworm (none) or heat damage (nowhere near heat) but ultimately I had it removed from my room.

About a year later I sit in the dining room for about 3 days looking through University prospectuses, totally forgetting that the box was moved to that room. On the third and final day I heard the clicking again. Quieter than it was in my room but loud enough. Ever since I have never studied in that room or spend more than a couple of hours near that box.

I worry that I contaminated the cards somehow or that my own energy messed with it. But honestly, I'm really not sure what happened. We do have a poltergeist in this house but the most aggressive thing it's ever done is throw a packet of tissues at me. Most of the time it just taps on things or hides our stuff. When I first moved my bookcase in, it took great offense to the change and pulled my books out so they were balancing on the edge in the most paranormal way. But that's it really. I'd like to explore my spiritual side and understand the world we live in much more acutely. The reckless teenager in me is curious about Ouija boards just so I can prove to myself that I'm not crazy. I'm worried that whatever I did to those cards could happen worse if I used a board especially untrained.

I have two questions I suppose:

1. What on earth happened to my cards/box?

2. Was it my fault and would it happen again?

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, CeepSake, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+1
4 years ago (2020-06-17)
FART-EXTERMINATOR.

I couldn't help but to think about you when reading this article:

Https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/world/vienna-man-fined-500-euros-for-deliberate-massive-flatulence-1.4987669

Mods- delete if inappropriate.
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+1
4 years ago (2020-06-16)
EXTERMINATOR - I think the OP isn't talking about cleansing the cards of any pathogens and germs, but about negative energy or bad vibration hence requiring a cleansing method that probably would include prayers, sage, incense, sunshine, the light of the full Moon, or other.

Clorox and Mister Clean are strong cleanser, just not intended for this kind of task.

Thanks for the laugh!
FART-EXTERMINATOR (24 posts)
+1
4 years ago (2020-06-16)
Hello Ceepsake. Your story about your Tarot cards is interesting; you keep mentioning that you need to cleanse the deck?, have you tried using disinfectant applied to a lint-free cloth?, you will need to do this cleansing to each Tarot card individually using disinfectant.
CeepSake (1 stories) (2 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2017-01-21)
Hi everyone!

I've read your comments and people seem to agree that it's either something wanting my attention or some sort of impact left by my immune friend (who by the way is very amused at the idea that she may have caused this).

But my friend was one of the last people that were read. I believe after her was my ex, and then me. Temperance was already acting spooky prior to her reading. If memory serves, Temperance was also upside down for another person but it WAS in the upright position for most of us so I didn't read TOO MUCH into it's position for my immune friend. Just seemed like a spooky coincidence.

Unrelated but [at] Tweed I always check out Aye Ayes when I go to the zoo because I think they're adorable ❤

If these cards do need cleansing I will go about doing that once I'm back home for the holidays. They are a modern deck but I've heard of people having success with cardboard-and-pen Ouija boards so I won't hold their modernity against them.

I'd like to keep learning divination skills throughout my life and do not want "troubles" or whatever has caused this to keep me back or invite nasties. If anyone has any idea how to prevent this (like the Quartz suggestion) I'd be open to it.

Thanks everyone, I know this whole story sounds bonkers.
Sutherland (guest)
+2
7 years ago (2017-01-18)
It'd be interesting to know the whole tarot and not just Temperance.

.

But first, that clicking is no left over nature spirit stuck to the wood.

After all, unless it is a rather old deck the natural "aptitude" shall we say of modern tarot cards ensures that likely won't happen. Most tarot cards nowadays [including the wood cases] are, after all, mass produced and have as much "nature" as a Monopoly piece.

.

So either you or your friend with the "immune" mother did it. Given how Temperance landed for her I take the claim of immune with some salt.

But that's something wanting your attention. Click, click, click. Pay attention to me. Click, click, click. Play with me. Click, click, click. Come on you know you want to.

It is sort of like how a child will knock on a wall until it annoys its friends, parents, siblings into doing just that. Paying attention to it. I doubt, however, this is some friendly child wanting a playmate.

.

My suggestion is one of two.

You can find a cleansing/purifying act that appeals to you. You have to balance yourself out first. You're edgy around these cards which just won't do. Try meditation, or whatever works for you, to settle your nerves first.

Or you can bury them. You can even bury them after that cleansing act.

Find a place that hasn't been disturbed for a while, under a large old tree. Birch, ash, and if you can't find either a cedar will have to do. Dig a nice hole. You don't have to say anything - I'll never understand some pagans and their need to talk out loud [do you think aboriginals, for example, talked out loud when they worked in nature?] when doing things in nature as if expecting nature to answer them back - but make sure you are thinking respectfully and even in your mind explain what you are doing.

You can dig them up again later on when you have a better grasp of tarot. At least leave them there for a bit and don't try digging them up a month later. Yes, yes if you google it some sites will say burying tarots in the earth for seven days helps purify them. That, however, is when you don't already have something attached.

.

But tarot cards, like the ouija board, are perceived by some as Occultic. Sure either seems innocent enough when nothing goes wrong. Thing is, is both concepts are far older than the commercialized ideas you see pandered at the local store. And sometimes one really does just happen to catch the attention of something that is best to be avoided.
Indigo-Child (2 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-01-12)
I think maybe your friend that did not believe in ghosts her energy might have messed with the cards
Tweed (33 stories) (2475 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2017-01-12)
Hi CeepSake,

An odd thought about the clicking sound. Could you find out where the wood came from, what kind of wood it is?
When you said a long nail clicking on the surface it reminded me of an Aye Aye, here's the hand of an Aye Aye, looks scary but it's harmless:
Http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tQYfUmjCK3Q/UVpDoE-oF2I/AAAAAAAABWc/RcBxo12RM80/s1600/aye-aye+hand.jpg
Here's the rest of the animal:
Http://www.monkeyland.co.za/userfiles/article/news1/grp9/aye-aye.jpg
They're a member of the Lemur family. One finger is extremely long and thin, essentially it's a tool used to tap on, poke in and scoop out insects living in branches/wood. They hunt by tapping wood and listening intently to the changes of the sound within, it's how they locate insects/larvae.
The Aye Aye is native to Madagascar. Unfortunately some of the Madagascan people still believe in an old superstition that the Aye Aye is 'evil'. Some people still kill them and hang them on display to ward off evil spirits. Very sad, but education is slowly changing this.

Nature and history lessons over lol, the point of all that was I believe there's a nature spirit which resembles this animal somewhat. At least it's something I've seen a few times over the years. I'm also no stranger to tarot weirdness. I've never heard either of my decks 'clicking' before and I've never made any connection between the odd nature spirit and tarot. I'm not entirely convinced there is a connection. But your description of the tapping kind of got me thinking.

Or maybe it's the tarot making the noise all by itself, who knows.

Whatever it is I don't think you have anything to worry about. I'd interpret the tapping as something which requires your attention. It could even be as simple as 'cleanse me'. Paranormal version of writing 'wash me'. 😆
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2017-01-11)
CeepSake,

Preventing outside influences or personal 'troubles' from influencing divination is not an easy task. Start by ensuring some basic things are 'in place'.

Your alter/room/table needs to be Blessed and Cleansed. Your 'tool' (Tarot Cards/Runes/Dice...chicken bones 😲) need to be 'free' of 'outside' energies and influences as well.

Make sure you are comfortable enough with your chosen method of divination that you can 'feel' if it's being influenced by yourself OR outside influences.

Do not use your chosen method of divination on yourself... What I mean to say is... If you are going to do 'readings' on yourself then have a separate 'tool' to do the same for others.

White quartz... I keep my cards wrapped in silk and under or beside a piece of white quartz... It promotes a 'clean exchange' of energy when they are not being used. I also have one placed on my 'reading table' whenever I am using my deck (acts as a 'filter' for energy).

As far as the 'clicking' sound goes... A clocks face sprung to mind when I first read... And still does when I re-read your experience... The 'clicking' is the second hand moving around...'click,ckick,click' marking the passage of time. The face of the clock was the Tarot representation of 'The Star' (Rider-Waite picture) the second hand was ticking past the 40 second mark, as far as the minute and hour go I did not 'see' those hands... Just the second arm.

I have no Idea if that makes any sense to you. But its the 'impression' I got. My apologies for such a spontaneous 'cold read' I really try to ask permission first.

Respectfully,

Rook
RCRuskin (9 stories) (811 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-01-11)
[at] CeepSake, I'm a bit curious, and while I've poked around at divination, I never personally felt comfortable with it. But since the purpose is to reveal what is/what will be, why would you want to interrupt the process and force it to reveal or hide something?

Or maybe I am totally misunderstanding the process.
CeepSake (1 stories) (2 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-01-11)
Hi Rook! Sorry I don't know if I can directly reply to comments.

I thought about looking up how to cleanse the deck if it was possible, but I'll be honest when I moved it out of my room I promptly forgot about it. I also figured that if I accidentally caused it what good would cleansing it do if I only messed it up again in future.

The clicking is hard to describe as it had a wooden sound, but not heavy in the way that dense woods creak. Imagine tapping lightly on the top of thin hollow wooden box with a long nail; that's all I can describe it as. Hence why I mistook it for my radiator for the first few nights.

Your theory about why Temperance appeared is intriguing as I've had some events in my life that have screwed my relationship with myself and others. Do you know anywhere I can find out more/how to prevent it from interrupting divination in the future?

😁
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2017-01-11)
When you 'say' clicking, just what type of 'click' is it?

The 'clicking' of some ones tongue?

The 'clicking' of coins?

The 'clicking' of teeth?

The 'clicking' of a ball point pen?

The 'clicking' of fingernails on a desktop?

Sorry, I know there are numerous types of 'clicking' or at least how it can be described but in a situation like this DETAILS however small may help determine what may have happened.

Question: Why have you not Cleansed this Tarot Deck (or have you)? It's a fairly easy process.

I do know this, the two situations in which Temperance will most often appear are in the context of your relationships with others and with yourself. Often, though, before you can achieve harmony in your relationships with the people around you, you must make peace with yourself. Inner imbalances can often manifest in the physical world if they are not attended to, whether or not the imbalance is a negative one.

So there are my 'questions' and a few other 'words'. 😆

Thanks for sharing, hope we can help.

Respectfully,

Rook

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