I've spent over $10,000 on tarot and oracle decks. I have an addictive personality. Everything I like gets out of hand. First it was tarot. Now it's art. I easily spent over $10,000 on art supplies and books and I haven't actually created one drawing. It's insane. So yeah, shopping addictions are real addictions and the obsession will take over your life if you don't stop it. And stopping it requires more than thinking about it and talking about it. Stopping it requires you to actually stop shopping, even if you have to ask for help to stop it. Good luck. We all need it.
This is such an important video for people to see. I've been guilty of buying too many decks and it's been very overwhelming when I sit down and really think about the money spent. Watching you talk about this, it really resonated with me. I know alot of people enjoy collecting things and it makes them happy which is great for them. For me, I had to really check myself and realize that this overspending is not healthy. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this!!!!!
Something you said really resonated. I felt 😍 towards a couple of tarot tubers and if they gushed over a deck, I would think well they love it so surely I will too. And I would purchase it. But image my despair when decks I got because I thought they were ride or die decks were being culled by the very people who were gushing over the decks, especially when I didn’t have the same reaction to the deck that they did. Now, to be clear I’m not blaming anyone here but myself because no one makes me do things but me. But, it’s a thing. I now watch less influencers and I’m doing better in terms of my deck consumption. And I wanted to say thanks for being transparent.
To add to that, sometimes when I first get a deck I show it on my channel and am genuinely gushing over it, but in the long term it doesn’t resonate. First impressions don’t necessarily indicate long term deck relationships, ha! But you are right to avoid the influencers, even those of us not trying to influence, we could still cause someone to make a bad purchase. 🤷🏻♀️
Wow. This video was really hard to watch -although probably not as hard to watch as it was for your to share, because as you may already know, I totally relate. We even have the decks/perfume see-saw in common. This is an important subject. I am so glad you joined the conversation. xo
Ahhhh, Mary-Grace!! I've been really helped by your videos on this subject. You are totally a kindred spirit and I just discovered your channel. I heard you mention perfume in one of your videos and thought about that! Ha!
We all want to be that spiritually connected person. We want a quick and easy path to that connection and understanding. We want to have those mystical experiences that other people speak of. We want to deeply connect with a spiritual tool in a way that facilitates those experiences. So we buy a tarot deck to help us achieve that, and then when there's no big spiritual breakthrough, we immediately feel that lack again. "This deck wasn't the one, but maybe this one will be?" And we start the whole process over. Every once in a while, we may genuinely connect with a deck on a deeper level, but rather than feeling sated by that, it only makes us want to go deeper. "Which deck will help me get to the next level?" And on and on it goes. Spirituality is such a slippery and mysterious concept. We're all just searching for that thing that will make us feel whole.
Wow, I really resonate with the way you worded this phenomenon. I suffer from this all the time. It keeps us feeling that lack and continuing to buy either way! It's gross, really.
I spend more on creative supplies of late than on tarot and oracles. Kind of burned out on tarot and oracle. Feels like I really have enough! Yes indeed online shopping is an issue with me as well…
It was the opposite with me, Art supplies that I'm finally saturated with and have a friend who I trade with that helps a LOT (recovering shopping addict here and totally understand these cycles and make no decisions in an emotional state) and back into Tarot after a long hiatus, but trying to be far more selective now knowing my tendencies, esp after recently selling/trading/rehoming over a dozen. I'm glad I'm not into Oracle decks much! But online... oh yes and oh so easy it's dangerous
Omg this is brilliant and so timely. Last year I made a promise to only buy two kickstarters at a time and not buy anymore until I receive them both. This slowed me down a lot. Then now I have made a promise not to buy anymore decks in 2023. I have started to work on the decks I have deeper as I thought about this when I put my house on the market and had to pack them away. It made me realise how important it js to work deeply on one deck at a time. This is allowing me to put aside decks that don’t work for me. A culling issue, watching people’s videos about what they are getting rid of truly helps the mental hold of holding onto stuff. People talk about them as being an investment but I just saw a video of a deck that was said to be worth $300 and was over 20 years ago printed. Thank you for this video. I also stopped buying crystals which I fell into. I would buy them and just leave them in bowls not serving any purpose. People are getting displaced from crystals being farmed. I read this in the national geographic about Amber. It opened my eyes so I no longer will buy tumble stones. I may only buy one necklace a year and that’s jt! Just subscribed. I don’t think it is very ‘light worker’ in collecting items - not healthy. We aren’t supposed to be connected to items. May I ask how do you sell your decks? What’s the best way? Cause I’m ready to cull.
Great video! I remember making a list of all the decks, and the money spent. For me, the realization was simply that, I need just one deck and know it intimately. One deck can help you in every sphere of your life! So did I re-home all my decks, NO! I have quite a few decks and re-homed more than 50% of the total. But I can't re-home all of it, it's just not possible. I go through them once in a while but use only a handful of the decks. I feel more relieved now though. And yes it is true, it's more of a feeling of lack, and it's the lack mentality that drives us to purchase and feel connected.
I have this problem with tarot, and video games, and books, and now my kpop collection. I totally resonate with that feeling of “I’m angry at myself for buying this so I’m going to get rid of it to absolve myself of the guilt.” Living above my means is a huge issue for me as well. And I don’t want to point any fingers because ultimately this is my problem and my fault, but watching haul videos on RUclips definitely contributes to that feeling of FOMO. Like I’m not a valuable part of the community if I am not buying and collecting and selling and buying more.
Thank you for this video, as someone who dabbles in a lot of hobbies I really related to this! It's important to have more people, especially content creators, talking about the finances and realities of our hobbies and activities when it's so easy to get lost in a sea of haul videos, where often you just get the instant gratification and "glamorous" side of it. It's a healthy exercise for everyone to question and confront our consumerist habits even if feels uncomfortable at first. Capitalism leads us to think AND feel that missing out is bad or even that missing out = deprivation when it's obviously not the case. For me, holding myself back from buying on impulse and actually budgeting and making plans for the things I really wanted has helped me a ton, so I can still buy and keep the stuff that I'll most likely really cherish, but the wait makes me a bit more thoughtful about how I spend my money. Often I find that after just a few days without thinking about it I didn't really wanted it after all; as you said, the search for something to want is so absurd but so real, and I'll often see myself browsing for things I don't really need or even want.
You are so right about deprivation being the keyword. I regularly feel "deprived" and "deserving" of items I end up not even really wanting anyway once I have them. I love your thoughts!
Thank you for being so vulnerable and discussing how you have comes to terms with your collecting patterns. I have watched many videos that circle around this topic. When I hear your video, I hear someone who is being honest with their listeners. I do not hear judgement. It is transparency. Not everyone needs to be transparent or wants to be and that is fine. But many viewers can relate. I have an addiction to shopping in general. My collections include; crystals, plants, tarot decks and fabric for sewing tarot bags. Credit card debt aside, it is normal for people to make shifts in their budget when they value one thing over the other. If you value having a nice car, then maybe you shop all thrifted clothes and grow your own produce. I can relate to my brain being consumed with thinking about decks all day as well. I have done the same for plants, crystals and most recently my fantasy football team. Good luck to you on your progress that you make on your journey to coming to terms with what type of collector/consumer/reader you are comfortable being.
Appreciate your honesty in talking personal finances and where/how you spend your money. I admit, I like spending money on things I enjoy--whether I "need" them or not. But after a while, it starts to get a little much. So I've ended some subscriptions to things, and I've still purchased a couple of tarot/oracle decks--I like collecting them, I've decided. Capitalism in and of itself gives us all the services, gadgets, and gizmos we adore/need. The power from us will be our dollars and how we support or not support something.
I am so glad you are talking about this. So few RUclipsrs do! I generally look at unboxings/walkthroughs if I'm actually interested in a deck I've seen and I want to see a review and all the images to determine if I should add it to my wishlist or not, but my running wishlist is VERY short (about 6 decks long, maybe, at least half of which are mass market or inexpensive indie decks). Sometimes I watch walkthroughs of decks I have no intention of buying just because the artwork intrigues me. But I agree that a lot of TarotTube channels have started to feel more like sales channels because there's far more unboxings than actual meaty educational content. And I realize that this is what the algorithm likes, so creators are incentivized to do push out more of this content, plus, many tarot readers just love art, and deck unboxings are a great excuse to talk about it! But I do wish more creators would prioritize tarot education over talking about decks. There are channels that are more educational, but I find myself legitimately getting bored with mostly getting unboxings recommended to me by the algorithm. Thankfully I'm pretty good about being picky and mindful and doing my research/saving up when adding decks to my still small collection, but there are a couple times I've impulse bought and they are definitely the less fulfilling decks among my collection compared to those I have done my due diligence for, with probably one exception.
Thank you for making this video and being so real. You are putting words to a cycle and feelings I am going through with tarot. I am chasing the connection others have with their decks buying decks that I don’t have time or desire to use. Lately I have bought decks I am not ready to use out of FOMO because hey they might cost 100s if I want them later. Now that I am nearly two years into buying I am seeing the cycles of indie artist Kickstarter launch followed by mass market release or indie artist limited print runs that launch every few months. I want to slow down with buying and so when something special does come along I have budgeted for it. I worked in yarn shops before and had customers buying $100s of dollars for projects there was no way they would get to. When I tried to encourage them to work on their current project it wasn’t appreciated so I realize the wanting to change has to come from the person.
This is great for your progress and self accountability. Look at your 2019 until now... you have acquired less and spent less each year. Good job! Keep moving forward.
That was tremendously brave to lay out your story like this. Having done so along with drafting a list of purchases looks to me like you’re going to be fine. It’s those who deny what is going on that might never recover. We’re raised in this country to be consumers. Deprogramming is much more complicated than it seems. This was funny in the sense that I’m laughing with you rather than at you. As a person who loves to collect-to include tarot and oracle cards-I do get it.
Oh wow. Yikes. A friend sent me this to watch, and my initial comment to her was, "I see you chose violence today." Watching made me so uncomfortable, because it was so, so relatable, on so many levels. Thank you for being brave enough to put this out there. I needed it.
This is an such an important conversation, and definitely one that not many are willing to have (much less admit to actually having an addiction). So, thank you for being real and inviting us (those of us that resonate with this video) to sit with the uncomfortableness, the reality, the numbness and unpack what we are really hungry for. I haven't admitted this anywhere but here, but part of the reason I haven't posted a new video to my channel lately is because I don't want to just create a video for the sake of creating a video. Sure, I have tons of decks that I could whip out and film walkthroughs and reviews of, but that's not what I want to do on my channel. Although, I do appreciate a solid flip though of a deck before I decide to purchase it. So, I have been going back to "my why". Why did I start a channel to begin with? I re-watched my very first video that I posted just so that I could get back into that fresh, fools approach to creating and what my true intentions are. And each time I revisit "my why" it's always the same: connection. True, authentic, engaging connection. Connection with the cards and divination in general, which in turn connects me to a High Power. Connection to one another; to people that have similar interests (and tarot has brought a lot of us together out here in the TarotTube community). I want to discover and explore and learn about all the things that tarot brings to us and out of us. I want to get lost in conversation about the ah-ha! experiences we may come across and allow that to carry us on to another open doorway that may lead us to another interesting rabbit hole of thoughts and ideas. Connection. Yes. This is truly what I want and it's so refreshing to hear you say the same. Thank you for being vulnerable and speaking your truth here, bcause in doing so, you have spoken the truth and reality of SO many of us out here. Thank you for reminding me of "my why" and inspiring me to begin making videos about the stuff that really lights me up and connects me. The next time I hover over that buy button, I will pause and ask myself, "what are you really hungry for?" I can assure you I do not need more decks, so the hunger for adding to my collection is obviously a cover up for something much deeper. What am I really hungry for? Connection. Belonging. Engaging conversations. Thank you for being a Lighthouse in the fog. We all need a little guidance and redirection when we have ventured a little too far off of the path. In sharing your Truth, you invite others to do the same. So much love and respect to you, my dear tarot friend. xo-Ang
😊💜I am so encouraged by yours and other comments like yours. They are really propping me up as I navigate the world of trying not to buy all the things. Thank you!
I feel like I just sat here nodding for 52 minutes and 37 seconds. 2020 kicked off my tarot obsession, where 30 years ago it was just me with two decks and one book (no internet back then) with LOTS of time for play and learning. I didn't ponder for ONE MINUTE getting another one, mostly because you could only see the box. Today...I have drawers, baskets and dresser tops covered in tarot. It just took one year. I won't even dare pull out a calculator and look at the damage. Because then I would be faced with the reality. But this video is a really good start. I spend more time shopping tarot then using tarot and...it's not what I want for myself. Thank you so much for putting out this very relatable video!! P.S. my second addiction is beads from Etsy and rocks...and essential oils...😣
Thank you so much for bringing this topic in, yes, collecting Tarot deck is a very expensive hobby. It's important to keep track of spending in some way, and just agreeing with oneself on a max. After a period of collecting so much, I give myself time to actually dive into them and will not buy new ones for a longer time, until a new deck really thrills me. I hope more people come forward and discuss it, will think about making a video myself too.
Yes! Thank you! I am so getting tired of the selling and acquiring of tarot decks on RUclips. I would love to see more videos about connection to tarot. Its hard to confront yourself and how much we spend. I am thankful I don't have the urge to aquire very often. I am a user. Meaning using the item until its spent used up and can give me no more. Also having a small space helps. I have one small space I keep my decks so it is very hard to aquire when the space only holds 8 decks being very picky is a must. I have the same situation with my closet. Small closet small wardrobe. Good luck curbing your appetite for beautiful things.
It seems a lot of people are latching on to tarot’s new found popularity bc of the internet. Especially on youtube pick a card and unboxing videos are all the rage. Basically a lot of content creators may not actually as much experience or knowledge of tarot and reading the cards. I think a lot of people are trying to make money off tarot readings in this new time were in
@@fagittarius555 yep. This is why I'm finding myself over on Patreon instead of here. I don't mind paying a bit for content just to avoid the ads and sales tactics.
I’m getting more and more into my spirituality I’m realizing how much consumerism can be involved. I’m trying to make sure I watch my media intake and making sure I don’t fall into fomo trap. Kinda relates to what you said about time off. I feel sometimes too much time leads to temptation. Also have to say that a lot of this is shadow work. What are you covering by buying both tarot and perfume?
I get what you mean, I have about 45 decks (tarot + Oracle) and I definitely have more than I 'need'. So I have made a spreadsheet for what I use them for, system, theme, qualities, pairings etc so I don't end up with decks I don't use because a deck I already own fulfils that purpose. Once I did that, it was much clearer that some decks on my wish list were totally unnecessary. Now I can balance what comes in and out of my collection much better and I have passed some on to a friend. I also have a box all my decks are in and I am not 'allowed' to have more than fit in that box!
Thank you so much for making this video ❤. I brought up my tarot researching and shopping addiction problem to my therapist during one session and she helped me discover/articulate that, like you, I was seeking connection and a sense of friendship/belonging/meaning. This video felt like an extended version of that session and it's very healing. Thank you again.
That was raw and beautiful ...and we need more of these videos! I see you! I am on a similar boat...I have a much bigger collection (because I struggle to part with decks...obvious scarcity mentality issue!). I work part-time, so I make less than you do but I have no mortgage or credit card debt. Decks, books, and stationary (and food) are my addictions but I have gotten quite good at controlling most of them, for most of the time. Depth years helped! I failed at no buy (even at low buy at times ...) but I learned a lot about myself and being more mindful! And I think this is where the silver lining lies! We all have an addiction of some sort... it is how mindful we are of it and how much we try to control it that matters! (in my opinion anyway). Personally, I feel that many of us camouflage our deck addiction under the "collector" title for a very long time. What we often don't see is that this is an excuse, because "real" collecting normally has parameters and criteria and fits a specific purpose. (Like, collecting decks of a specific era or theme or value or for specific use...). I want to make clear that I don't want to shame anyone and I am not against having many decks! I just feel that we need to be more clear as to why we have the decks we have. If we really want to "use" and "bond" with our decks, then we need to have time to work with them closely...and keep in mind that a year has 52 weeks and each day has only 24 hours! lol Thank you for this video and your honesty! xx
I started binge buying decks and at about 5 decks, I realized something was wrong. So I looked up tarot consumerism and voila, it’s a thing! That really helped me control and stop the beginnings of this shopping addiction. Thank you so much for making this video! These really helps people struggling with the same thing! Goddess bless )O(
This is so on point. Thank you for being so open and transparent. I have always had addictive shopping tendencies in 2019 it was plants then perfume then recently it has turned over to oracle then tarot. Before that it was unique tumblers. Anyway the point is it is helpful to hear that I’m not the only one and it is a problem. Thank you again ! You have gained a new follower due to your awesome Content organized or unorganized you did it and got it started and presented it . Thank you again .
Thank you for sharing this video!So insightfull! I've been there So hard! So many times! 😭😭😭 I find it has a lot to do with my mood (and by that I mean mental health status at that time). If I'm off kilter, out comes the credit card, and those are the purcheses I feel bad about. And, like you said on another video, the circumstances around buying a deck make a difference! (And that includes financials 😞)
Wow! This was in my suggested videos...hello universe, as 3 tarot decks were delivered to my door 2 days ago. This resonated so much. I felt this as 2021 started and really cut back buying anything but fell off the wagon recently. I started tarot in 1999 and owned 3 decks for 6 or 7 years. By 2012 I owned maybe 30 some oracle and tarot. From 2018 things have exploded and I own an obscene amount now. Why? I do keep within my budget but the money spent on collections is ridiculous when I think that I could of put that money towards an experience instead like a weekend away somewhere. I'm completely out of space now to house anymore decks and a reality of you can't get anymore decks is setting in and the thing is I haven't bonded to more recent decks like I did with ones years ago like you mentioned. I have not gotten rid of any decks from my collection because I don't want to fall into a space of regret and repurchase. So it's a work in progess for me. Thanks for being vulnerable and sharing this video. I think it's something many of us needed to hear.
This is something I really grapple with within TarotTube, especially. I don't particularly consider myself a minimalist but I only have a few decks. I come from a space of not judging others for their habits but also not understanding the psychology behind a hundred decks (but only because I wouldn't be able to actively work with that many, which defeats the purpose for myself). To sum up, I would much prefer to watch people's takes and internal processes with tarot than unboxings, etc.
Yeah part of the problem for me is that I feel anxious when I have more than I can use, or more than have a "purpose". But I know not everyone feels that way.
For me, plan and simple, if you cant afford your passion and pay for bills, food, rent/mortgage etc, then you need to stop until you are financially in the place to do so. I will have 162 decks total once all my decks arrive. I budget for myself. I am a hard core collector. I also have a list of all the decks I have. Indie and Mass market. This video is very eye opening. Thank you for shining the light on this!
This is great! I love your practical application to guard against over consumption (the list making). I’ve also been tracking my emotions with spending but I want to track how much I have and costs. I always challenge myself to hold myself accountable while allowing myself to “have”. I’ve notice switching from clothes and shoes shopping, to home stuff, then tarot stuff over a couple of decades… but now finding ways like coloring and walking as healthier consumptions to engage. It’s hard… there was a time when people bought expensive pieces of art (before mass production and sell), hung up the art in their house, and walked past it all the time sometimes not looking at it anymore. We go through phases of interests to fuel the downtime of life… and it is for us to decide how that time is spent. Many people (and men) don’t sit around and ask themselves if they watch too many sports, own too many tools, or go to many games… the question is “How do you want to spend your time?” And does it bring wholeness, fullness, and contentment (not joy) to your life? I also share your sentiment about “selling ourselves and interests for the benefit (or detriment) of others” … as what I call it. This is basically “Keeping up with Joneses” that movie except through streaming.
This was a really great video, and very brave as well. I know that there are times when just the *idea* of talking about finances makes me feel like I'm sliding headlong into a panic attack. It's something I really struggle with -- as is using online shopping as a means of self-soothing. So this hit home for me in a big way. Thanks. ...and that said, I still feel the need to confess that I was so utterly enamored with your little cassette tape notebook that I immediately Googled it and added it to my mental "I WANT" list. Then felt like a *really* lost cause...
My daughter loves perfume. She likes one particular brand it isn’t cheap and I buy it for her for her birthday each year. She looks forward to it. Tell someone close to you what you like and get them to buy it for you. Close your eBay. Get the change makeovers book by Cheryl Richardson. It’s so good. Do it with a group of people, talks about decluttering and it is so good. Makes you think about purchasing. Never, ever buy what you get rid off. Ever!
Providing a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded people, coupled with FOMO or the feeling of deprivation is how we get manipulated by advertising to part with our money. You are not completely to blame for succumbing. We all do. So many subjects touched upon that I’ve been pondering myself. We are responsible for our behaviour, but we have to acknowledge as well that not a day goes when someone else wants our hard-earned. Tarotube isn’t immune. Some video creators have become commercial producers if they’re honest enough to say they got the deck from the publisher under the guise of “reviewing the deck”. Years ago, I came across this tool that helps me decide if buying something is worth what it took to earn the money to pay for it. It helped curb my spending, and cured me of that sense of deprivation (over time, not instantly) when I stopped buying things. Maybe I’ll make a video about it. I like personal finance stuff to start with, so I always wonder is anyone would find it interesting enough to watch.
I felt this video on a deep emotional level. I have a horrible online shopping addiction - and it usually involves very, stupidly, expensive indie decks I can't afford. I'll tell myself no more, and I won't buy for months, and then without thinking buy $400 worth of decks in a single sitting. I'm still trying to work on it. Great video, I really appreciate you talking about this topic. On a side note, if you don't mind me asking, what issue do you have the creator of the Serpent fire? I only ask because I have...reservations about Devony Wolfe and it has really colored by ability to work with her decks, but I haven't heard anyone talk about it.
Well, most of what I feel about Devany has to do with the quality of her decks and how much she charges for them and how she markets them. For example, with her Serpentfire tarot, she has been naming it as "final edition limited printing" for at least the last 2.5 years while continuing to reorder every time she runs out of stock. She is charging $100+ for her new astrology deck. I feel she is, at the very least, exploiting the tarot market and creating scarcity mindset to drive sales.
Thank you for posting your feelings, thoughts, and truth on this topic. I can empathize and feel that I should become more discerning if I want to add a deck to my collection. As a matter of fact, I think I need to start spending quality time with specific decks and releasing those that don’t work for me. In regards to unboxing videos, I am thankful for them because they have saved me from purchasing decks that don’t resonate with me after watching the videos. On the other hand, they sometimes cause me to buy a deck because I feel that it does resonate with me. Great topic and once again thank you for expressing your truth.
Watching this right after I purchased a tarot and oracle deck. I spent all day browsing Etsy to decide which one because I felt the itch to buy a deck. and yet I have so many that I haven't even touched in a while :/ ugh it's a vicious cycle. I think I'll definitely be downsizing in the future and only sticking with the decks that spark genuine joy each time I think of them.
yea, i am learning tarot on youtube and i have noticed how many decks some people have. wow it's a lot. but yes i agree over consumption is everywhere. thank you for your transparency
I do not remember the name of a really wonderful channel from a psychologist on that topic saying we were escaping the work of getting to know ourselves by accumulating too much. It's the satisfaction of the new, the immediate pleasure versus the work and will required to go through inconfortable emotions. I've been loging my expens on this new passion from the beginning because it was absolutly wild the first months I discoverd oracles. I did not recognized myself, it was weird. I was buying a lot carefully but still. I bought one indie deck and I regretted it ever since, it was not that much more expensive but still overpriced for what it was. I still do love the artwork though. I'm realizing with your video that I do not part with the decks I havn't used. >.< I've became patient with trends : waiting a period of time, between 1 ou 3 months, to know if it's a buzz or coming from me. Loved this topic, and discovering your channel !
This was very brave because you made yourself vulnerable by being so truthful -- so brava to your courage. You make so, so many thought-provoking and interesting comments and observations that aren't just unique to you, but universal to all people -- and I mean, whether we're specifically talking about tarot or not. Just sort of Madison Avenue meets the human condition. But it's more than that -- it also is the desire to connect and be a part of something bigger than ourselves through community. I had a million thoughts while I watched and listened. I had seen Mary Grace's prior video that you refer to in this one and it made a big impact on me too. I do want to really get to know the decks I already have and that's what I'm currently focusing on. One unsolicited idea: What if you opened a savings account and designated that account for certain types of earnings -- not your muggle job earnings but earnings from your tarot readings and from other sources? It's helpful to watch something grow in real time. Maybe even deposit money in it when you wanted a deck and said "no" to the deck -- take the amount you would have spent and add it to your savings account? Just a thought.
I have thought about a similar idea to yours on savings accts. My first priority will probably be paying off my credit cards, ha! Thank you for your thoughts!
@@MixtressRae Well there is that. Isn't that always the way -- things we have to do feel boring, e.g., paying bills, dusting, eating broccoli without cream sauce. And isn't that one of the reasons we love to bring magic into our lives? I try to go "Hanged Man" and see it from a different perspective: bills and dusting are necessary, cream sauce raises my cholesterol, and so on. But truth be told, I'd much rather curl up with a set of poems by Baudelaire and then read my cards -- lol.
Thank you for the big dose of emotional sobriety. I could relate to so much of what you said. I’ve been buying decks since 2018 and have increasingly become aware of how much I am addicted to this whole process, down to the sound of the mailman at my door giving me a dopamine hit. I think we have learned to replace people with things. Things are so much safer. People are messy and fuck with your head, emotions and are so damn unreliable. It’s much safer to load up my Amazon cart then it is to find someone to have a meaningful conversation with. Looking at a screen and pushing buttons is the big daddy of addictions for me. I get up, make coffee, grab my IPad. I make a meal, I find something on RUclips to watch while I eat it. I stay up all night jumping from Amazon to Etsy to eBay to Instagram to RUclips. Taking turns charging up my phone then my IPad. When I don’t have a device in my hand, I feel empty. I can’t even imagine going a day without being on the internet. Not one fucking day.
First time to your channel….love this video. You are very authentic and charming. Loved the content and thank you for discussing this topic so openly. This helps 🙏🏻
Do you think some of the joy that tarot decks, perfume, etc. bring us has to do with discovering and displaying our *uniqueness* ? When we find something new and get excited about bringing it into our collection, are we confirming our authenticity to ourselves? Do these beautiful and enjoyable possessions make us feel special and provide a way for us to add structure and meaning to our lives? I'm trying to dissect how this feels to me. Thank you for a truly thought-provoking video!
I think this is true too. For me, my uniqueness can be expressed in a few curated signature items. It's when I go beyond my personal limits of what I can wrap my head around that causes me stress personally.
Ooo…I think that’s part of it! Many people use clothing to display their uniqueness. We buy objects for our homes to reflect our personal style, as well.
I really enjoyed this one, as I'm watching I'm actually getting rid of so much, esp books that I am wanting to pass on to others, and thus far I am only regretting starchild tarot, but still wanting to work more closely and deeply with what I have as well, really needing a pause on buying all together.
Thank you for this! I've bought more decks in the last 18 months than the last 15 years 😬 on the plus side, I've remained fairly choosy and only bought those that really appeal to me. So although I have a lot of decks, there are probably only a couple that I think 'why did I get this?!' On the downside, I'm not giving myself enough space to work deeply with the great decks I own. I need to slow down now and get back to this. You've inspired me to introduce some structure to my purchasing - I'm going to start by cataloguing so I can see it all out there on the page! ✨🙏🏼
Brilliant video! I could write pages and pages of comments but the one that I will say is Mary Grace called it fantasy self when we buy a deck because we either want to be like that person who loves it or want to feel connected to them because we own it. I started watching you do your deep dive into tThe Marigold Tarot next thing I was on another screen looking up the deck deciding if I need gold edging, the book, the bundle and a backup. FFS prior to that moment I knew about the deck and appreciated it but never was tempted to buy it like WTF! Didn't end up buying it at all 🤣 I bloody love your content ❤
Thanks, Michele. I relate to that story so much! Before you know it, you've blacked out and are in another tab ready to buy, ahhhhh! But Amrit is a sweet creator and deserves the sales, so 🤷♀️ whadyado?
I think that everyone goes through this in some form at some point. mindfulness is not easy to do and there is always some trial and and error is inevitable throughout life. Don’t beat yourself up so much, you are learning what actually resigned with you and will in the future. Keep it up😘 ask what you want or why you want out of something is a good way to prioritize and discern purchases or such. Want vs Need. Connections like that are form over time and effort you put in to it.
Have you seen my unasked for VR to the video you're referring? It's called #Maindecks #Mooddecks and this helped me make a bit more sense of my own collection. To me it's not just about what money I spend, but also about what amount of decks I own and feel comfortable having. I do hope you enjoy your Paradoxical purple :)
Yes I saw that video back when you first posted it, but I'm due for a rewatch. I didn't realize it was a direct response to this topic! Loving my paradoxical purple! It is so unlike anything else I have! 💜🔮💜
Thank you for sharing your struggles with tarot collecting. I can understand where you are coming from and it is very valid. I also very much appreciate your authenticity in revealing your struggles to us. I will say as much as I can definitely appreciate and understand where you are right now, I thankfully do not struggle with the same issues. I have much less issues with buying online than I do in person. I spend more when I go to the metaphysical store without watching walk throughs. I am less likely to buy a deck after I have watched numerous walk throughs, first-impressions, and reviews. I actually rely on them as part of my buying habit. In the beginning of my tarot journey I spent way more, now I am way more choosy and my buying has majorly slowed down. I do try to support more indie deck creators as well and it brings me joy and satisfaction in doing so. I don't ever buy tarot decks with credit cards and I buy only well within our means. If at any point if something happened and we lost our income or were struggling I would also sell my decks to help pay my bills along with my other belongings if the need came, without hesitation. In this manner I suppose it does come down to prioritizing how I wish to spend my money. I also buy decks that I feel like are going to expand me, like artistic expression, perspective, and learning, just like people do with books. They are truly my library. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us. Great video.
Thank you for your thoughts, Amethyst! I'm the opposite with shopping in person. I don't at ALL have a problem in person, only online. It feels less real online, so it plays into my "fantasy self". I would love to break my credit card addiction. I'm working on it. 😬
@@MixtressRae I don't think I explained myself well. I guess I make more uninformed purchases in person than I do online. I have more regrets and they are more impulsive. I have some very close friends that have similar issues like yourself with the online purchasing. Oh yes, credit card debt is so easy to get into and I am also a victim of that, just didn't use credit cards for my tarot. It was for home repairs, paying on medical stuff...yada yada yada. We are all works in progress, and keeping close track like you have been doing is a major step in the right direction and I commend you for it. Thank you for sharing, it's a valid and very sensitive topic.
Mistress Rae: "It's 11am and I've been doing some math." Me: "Oh sh*t, it's about to get real." I hear you about missing tarot. I have noticed the focus on decks instead of cards. There is also a sort of snobbery about mass market vs.indie that drives me nuts. I don't think capitalism is to blame, but acquiring is a distraction for sure.
I fucking hate snobbery of any kind, man. Some people cannot afford $60/deck but I also understand creators having to charge enough to make a living. 🤷♀️ But will that ultimately create a class divide in the tarot community? Will it get worse?
I only started with tarot in 2020. I’ve been meaning to add up the costs, but I have put it off because I’m a bit scared to know the truth. The good news is of the 13 decks I have, I really enjoy them all. (So far 😅)
Does anyone feel justified to make a purchase when you see angel numbers lol !? On 2019 the 1123.00 I would have felt completely justified and encouraged lol
Don’t feel too bad about repurchased decks that you once got rid of because there probably is something that could have changed in your perceptions or maybe something your supposed to learn/ experience/ know through the interaction with that deck much like people sometimes they come in for some time for one reason or other then leave other times they stay and you form bonds. You may not know or understand the ways of the universe.
I've spent over $10,000 on tarot and oracle decks. I have an addictive personality. Everything I like gets out of hand. First it was tarot. Now it's art. I easily spent over $10,000 on art supplies and books and I haven't actually created one drawing. It's insane. So yeah, shopping addictions are real addictions and the obsession will take over your life if you don't stop it. And stopping it requires more than thinking about it and talking about it. Stopping it requires you to actually stop shopping, even if you have to ask for help to stop it. Good luck. We all need it.
Thank you for sharing your struggles. It is a hard think to overcome. 💜
This is such an important video for people to see. I've been guilty of buying too many decks and it's been very overwhelming when I sit down and really think about the money spent. Watching you talk about this, it really resonated with me. I know alot of people enjoy collecting things and it makes them happy which is great for them. For me, I had to really check myself and realize that this overspending is not healthy. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this!!!!!
Something you said really resonated. I felt 😍 towards a couple of tarot tubers and if they gushed over a deck, I would think well they love it so surely I will too. And I would purchase it. But image my despair when decks I got because I thought they were ride or die decks were being culled by the very people who were gushing over the decks, especially when I didn’t have the same reaction to the deck that they did. Now, to be clear I’m not blaming anyone here but myself because no one makes me do things but me. But, it’s a thing. I now watch less influencers and I’m doing better in terms of my deck consumption. And I wanted to say thanks for being transparent.
To add to that, sometimes when I first get a deck I show it on my channel and am genuinely gushing over it, but in the long term it doesn’t resonate. First impressions don’t necessarily indicate long term deck relationships, ha!
But you are right to avoid the influencers, even those of us not trying to influence, we could still cause someone to make a bad purchase. 🤷🏻♀️
Wow. This video was really hard to watch -although probably not as hard to watch as it was for your to share, because as you may already know, I totally relate. We even have the decks/perfume see-saw in common. This is an important subject. I am so glad you joined the conversation. xo
Ahhhh, Mary-Grace!! I've been really helped by your videos on this subject. You are totally a kindred spirit and I just discovered your channel. I heard you mention perfume in one of your videos and thought about that! Ha!
I just did this for myself and the numbers were absolutely shocking 😵💫
We all want to be that spiritually connected person. We want a quick and easy path to that connection and understanding. We want to have those mystical experiences that other people speak of. We want to deeply connect with a spiritual tool in a way that facilitates those experiences. So we buy a tarot deck to help us achieve that, and then when there's no big spiritual breakthrough, we immediately feel that lack again. "This deck wasn't the one, but maybe this one will be?" And we start the whole process over. Every once in a while, we may genuinely connect with a deck on a deeper level, but rather than feeling sated by that, it only makes us want to go deeper. "Which deck will help me get to the next level?" And on and on it goes. Spirituality is such a slippery and mysterious concept. We're all just searching for that thing that will make us feel whole.
Wow, I really resonate with the way you worded this phenomenon. I suffer from this all the time. It keeps us feeling that lack and continuing to buy either way! It's gross, really.
I spend more on creative supplies of late than on tarot and oracles. Kind of burned out on tarot and oracle. Feels like I really have enough! Yes indeed online shopping is an issue with me as well…
It was the opposite with me, Art supplies that I'm finally saturated with and have a friend who I trade with that helps a LOT (recovering shopping addict here and totally understand these cycles and make no decisions in an emotional state) and back into Tarot after a long hiatus, but trying to be far more selective now knowing my tendencies, esp after recently selling/trading/rehoming over a dozen. I'm glad I'm not into Oracle decks much! But online... oh yes and oh so easy it's dangerous
I also have an addictive personality so wauw this video hits me so hard. Because I know the struggle and the urge. Thank you darling ❤
''... want to want something so that I can buy it...''. Check.
I'm so glad you're making these videos - you really make me think. Thank you! x
Omg this is brilliant and so timely. Last year I made a promise to only buy two kickstarters at a time and not buy anymore until I receive them both. This slowed me down a lot. Then now I have made a promise not to buy anymore decks in 2023. I have started to work on the decks I have deeper as I thought about this when I put my house on the market and had to pack them away. It made me realise how important it js to work deeply on one deck at a time. This is allowing me to put aside decks that don’t work for me. A culling issue, watching people’s videos about what they are getting rid of truly helps the mental hold of holding onto stuff. People talk about them as being an investment but I just saw a video of a deck that was said to be worth $300 and was over 20 years ago printed. Thank you for this video. I also stopped buying crystals which I fell into. I would buy them and just leave them in bowls not serving any purpose. People are getting displaced from crystals being farmed. I read this in the national geographic about Amber. It opened my eyes so I no longer will buy tumble stones. I may only buy one necklace a year and that’s jt! Just subscribed. I don’t think it is very ‘light worker’ in collecting items - not healthy. We aren’t supposed to be connected to items. May I ask how do you sell your decks? What’s the best way? Cause I’m ready to cull.
I get rid of decks in many different ways, but usually I give them away. If they are worth $$ and I need it, I’ll sell on eBay.
Great video! I remember making a list of all the decks, and the money spent. For me, the realization was simply that, I need just one deck and know it intimately. One deck can help you in every sphere of your life! So did I re-home all my decks, NO! I have quite a few decks and re-homed more than 50% of the total. But I can't re-home all of it, it's just not possible. I go through them once in a while but use only a handful of the decks. I feel more relieved now though. And yes it is true, it's more of a feeling of lack, and it's the lack mentality that drives us to purchase and feel connected.
I have this problem with tarot, and video games, and books, and now my kpop collection. I totally resonate with that feeling of “I’m angry at myself for buying this so I’m going to get rid of it to absolve myself of the guilt.” Living above my means is a huge issue for me as well. And I don’t want to point any fingers because ultimately this is my problem and my fault, but watching haul videos on RUclips definitely contributes to that feeling of FOMO. Like I’m not a valuable part of the community if I am not buying and collecting and selling and buying more.
Same! 😫
Thank you for this video, as someone who dabbles in a lot of hobbies I really related to this! It's important to have more people, especially content creators, talking about the finances and realities of our hobbies and activities when it's so easy to get lost in a sea of haul videos, where often you just get the instant gratification and "glamorous" side of it. It's a healthy exercise for everyone to question and confront our consumerist habits even if feels uncomfortable at first.
Capitalism leads us to think AND feel that missing out is bad or even that missing out = deprivation when it's obviously not the case. For me, holding myself back from buying on impulse and actually budgeting and making plans for the things I really wanted has helped me a ton, so I can still buy and keep the stuff that I'll most likely really cherish, but the wait makes me a bit more thoughtful about how I spend my money. Often I find that after just a few days without thinking about it I didn't really wanted it after all; as you said, the search for something to want is so absurd but so real, and I'll often see myself browsing for things I don't really need or even want.
You are so right about deprivation being the keyword. I regularly feel "deprived" and "deserving" of items I end up not even really wanting anyway once I have them. I love your thoughts!
Thank you for being so vulnerable and discussing how you have comes to terms with your collecting patterns. I have watched many videos that circle around this topic. When I hear your video, I hear someone who is being honest with their listeners. I do not hear judgement. It is transparency. Not everyone needs to be transparent or wants to be and that is fine. But many viewers can relate. I have an addiction to shopping in general. My collections include; crystals, plants, tarot decks and fabric for sewing tarot bags. Credit card debt aside, it is normal for people to make shifts in their budget when they value one thing over the other. If you value having a nice car, then maybe you shop all thrifted clothes and grow your own produce. I can relate to my brain being consumed with thinking about decks all day as well. I have done the same for plants, crystals and most recently my fantasy football team. Good luck to you on your progress that you make on your journey to coming to terms with what type of collector/consumer/reader you are comfortable being.
Appreciate your honesty in talking personal finances and where/how you spend your money. I admit, I like spending money on things I enjoy--whether I "need" them or not. But after a while, it starts to get a little much. So I've ended some subscriptions to things, and I've still purchased a couple of tarot/oracle decks--I like collecting them, I've decided. Capitalism in and of itself gives us all the services, gadgets, and gizmos we adore/need. The power from us will be our dollars and how we support or not support something.
I am so glad you are talking about this. So few RUclipsrs do!
I generally look at unboxings/walkthroughs if I'm actually interested in a deck I've seen and I want to see a review and all the images to determine if I should add it to my wishlist or not, but my running wishlist is VERY short (about 6 decks long, maybe, at least half of which are mass market or inexpensive indie decks). Sometimes I watch walkthroughs of decks I have no intention of buying just because the artwork intrigues me. But I agree that a lot of TarotTube channels have started to feel more like sales channels because there's far more unboxings than actual meaty educational content. And I realize that this is what the algorithm likes, so creators are incentivized to do push out more of this content, plus, many tarot readers just love art, and deck unboxings are a great excuse to talk about it! But I do wish more creators would prioritize tarot education over talking about decks. There are channels that are more educational, but I find myself legitimately getting bored with mostly getting unboxings recommended to me by the algorithm.
Thankfully I'm pretty good about being picky and mindful and doing my research/saving up when adding decks to my still small collection, but there are a couple times I've impulse bought and they are definitely the less fulfilling decks among my collection compared to those I have done my due diligence for, with probably one exception.
I caught the bug...and it's nasty...but now I'm broke so the buck stops here
It’s a continuing struggle. You are not alone. 🖤
Thank you for making this video and being so real. You are putting words to a cycle and feelings I am going through with tarot. I am chasing the connection others have with their decks buying decks that I don’t have time or desire to use. Lately I have bought decks I am not ready to use out of FOMO because hey they might cost 100s if I want them later. Now that I am nearly two years into buying I am seeing the cycles of indie artist Kickstarter launch followed by mass market release or indie artist limited print runs that launch every few months. I want to slow down with buying and so when something special does come along I have budgeted for it. I worked in yarn shops before and had customers buying $100s of dollars for projects there was no way they would get to. When I tried to encourage them to work on their current project it wasn’t appreciated so I realize the wanting to change has to come from the person.
This is great for your progress and self accountability. Look at your 2019 until now... you have acquired less and spent less each year. Good job! Keep moving forward.
That was tremendously brave to lay out your story like this. Having done so along with drafting a list of purchases looks to me like you’re going to be fine. It’s those who deny what is going on that might never recover.
We’re raised in this country to be consumers. Deprogramming is much more complicated than it seems.
This was funny in the sense that I’m laughing with you rather than at you. As a person who loves to collect-to include tarot and oracle cards-I do get it.
Oh wow. Yikes. A friend sent me this to watch, and my initial comment to her was, "I see you chose violence today." Watching made me so uncomfortable, because it was so, so relatable, on so many levels. Thank you for being brave enough to put this out there. I needed it.
Wow, thank you. 🙏
This is an such an important conversation, and definitely one that not many are willing to have (much less admit to actually having an addiction). So, thank you for being real and inviting us (those of us that resonate with this video) to sit with the uncomfortableness, the reality, the numbness and unpack what we are really hungry for. I haven't admitted this anywhere but here, but part of the reason I haven't posted a new video to my channel lately is because I don't want to just create a video for the sake of creating a video. Sure, I have tons of decks that I could whip out and film walkthroughs and reviews of, but that's not what I want to do on my channel. Although, I do appreciate a solid flip though of a deck before I decide to purchase it. So, I have been going back to "my why". Why did I start a channel to begin with? I re-watched my very first video that I posted just so that I could get back into that fresh, fools approach to creating and what my true intentions are. And each time I revisit "my why" it's always the same: connection. True, authentic, engaging connection. Connection with the cards and divination in general, which in turn connects me to a High Power. Connection to one another; to people that have similar interests (and tarot has brought a lot of us together out here in the TarotTube community). I want to discover and explore and learn about all the things that tarot brings to us and out of us. I want to get lost in conversation about the ah-ha! experiences we may come across and allow that to carry us on to another open doorway that may lead us to another interesting rabbit hole of thoughts and ideas. Connection. Yes. This is truly what I want and it's so refreshing to hear you say the same. Thank you for being vulnerable and speaking your truth here, bcause in doing so, you have spoken the truth and reality of SO many of us out here. Thank you for reminding me of "my why" and inspiring me to begin making videos about the stuff that really lights me up and connects me. The next time I hover over that buy button, I will pause and ask myself, "what are you really hungry for?" I can assure you I do not need more decks, so the hunger for adding to my collection is obviously a cover up for something much deeper. What am I really hungry for? Connection. Belonging. Engaging conversations. Thank you for being a Lighthouse in the fog. We all need a little guidance and redirection when we have ventured a little too far off of the path. In sharing your Truth, you invite others to do the same. So much love and respect to you, my dear tarot friend. xo-Ang
😊💜I am so encouraged by yours and other comments like yours. They are really propping me up as I navigate the world of trying not to buy all the things. Thank you!
This was beautifully said, as always, Ang 💚
I feel like I just sat here nodding for 52 minutes and 37 seconds. 2020 kicked off my tarot obsession, where 30 years ago it was just me with two decks and one book (no internet back then) with LOTS of time for play and learning. I didn't ponder for ONE MINUTE getting another one, mostly because you could only see the box. Today...I have drawers, baskets and dresser tops covered in tarot. It just took one year. I won't even dare pull out a calculator and look at the damage. Because then I would be faced with the reality. But this video is a really good start. I spend more time shopping tarot then using tarot and...it's not what I want for myself. Thank you so much for putting out this very relatable video!! P.S. my second addiction is beads from Etsy and rocks...and essential oils...😣
Thank you so much for bringing this topic in, yes, collecting Tarot deck is a very expensive hobby. It's important to keep track of spending in some way, and just agreeing with oneself on a max. After a period of collecting so much, I give myself time to actually dive into them and will not buy new ones for a longer time, until a new deck really thrills me. I hope more people come forward and discuss it, will think about making a video myself too.
Yes! Thank you! I am so getting tired of the selling and acquiring of tarot decks on RUclips. I would love to see more videos about connection to tarot. Its hard to confront yourself and how much we spend. I am thankful I don't have the urge to aquire very often. I am a user. Meaning using the item until its spent used up and can give me no more. Also having a small space helps. I have one small space I keep my decks so it is very hard to aquire when the space only holds 8 decks being very picky is a must. I have the same situation with my closet. Small closet small wardrobe. Good luck curbing your appetite for beautiful things.
Eventually I will be downsizing my living situation. I am also trying to keep all my decks on one shelf. I can't wait to be where you are!
It seems a lot of people are latching on to tarot’s new found popularity bc of the internet. Especially on youtube pick a card and unboxing videos are all the rage. Basically a lot of content creators may not actually as much experience or knowledge of tarot and reading the cards. I think a lot of people are trying to make money off tarot readings in this new time were in
@@fagittarius555 yep. This is why I'm finding myself over on Patreon instead of here. I don't mind paying a bit for content just to avoid the ads and sales tactics.
I’m getting more and more into my spirituality I’m realizing how much consumerism can be involved. I’m trying to make sure I watch my media intake and making sure I don’t fall into fomo trap. Kinda relates to what you said about time off. I feel sometimes too much time leads to temptation.
Also have to say that a lot of this is shadow work. What are you covering by buying both tarot and perfume?
I get what you mean, I have about 45 decks (tarot + Oracle) and I definitely have more than I 'need'. So I have made a spreadsheet for what I use them for, system, theme, qualities, pairings etc so I don't end up with decks I don't use because a deck I already own fulfils that purpose. Once I did that, it was much clearer that some decks on my wish list were totally unnecessary. Now I can balance what comes in and out of my collection much better and I have passed some on to a friend. I also have a box all my decks are in and I am not 'allowed' to have more than fit in that box!
Thank you so much for making this video ❤. I brought up my tarot researching and shopping addiction problem to my therapist during one session and she helped me discover/articulate that, like you, I was seeking connection and a sense of friendship/belonging/meaning. This video felt like an extended version of that session and it's very healing. Thank you again.
That was raw and beautiful ...and we need more of these videos! I see you! I am on a similar boat...I have a much bigger collection (because I struggle to part with decks...obvious scarcity mentality issue!). I work part-time, so I make less than you do but I have no mortgage or credit card debt. Decks, books, and stationary (and food) are my addictions but I have gotten quite good at controlling most of them, for most of the time. Depth years helped! I failed at no buy (even at low buy at times ...) but I learned a lot about myself and being more mindful! And I think this is where the silver lining lies! We all have an addiction of some sort... it is how mindful we are of it and how much we try to control it that matters! (in my opinion anyway). Personally, I feel that many of us camouflage our deck addiction under the "collector" title for a very long time. What we often don't see is that this is an excuse, because "real" collecting normally has parameters and criteria and fits a specific purpose. (Like, collecting decks of a specific era or theme or value or for specific use...). I want to make clear that I don't want to shame anyone and I am not against having many decks! I just feel that we need to be more clear as to why we have the decks we have. If we really want to "use" and "bond" with our decks, then we need to have time to work with them closely...and keep in mind that a year has 52 weeks and each day has only 24 hours! lol
Thank you for this video and your honesty! xx
I started binge buying decks and at about 5 decks, I realized something was wrong. So I looked up tarot consumerism and voila, it’s a thing! That really helped me control and stop the beginnings of this shopping addiction. Thank you so much for making this video! These really helps people struggling with the same thing! Goddess bless )O(
This is so on point.
Thank you for being so open and transparent. I have always had addictive shopping tendencies in 2019 it was plants then perfume then recently it has turned over to oracle then tarot.
Before that it was unique tumblers.
Anyway the point is it is helpful to hear that I’m not the only one and it is a problem.
Thank you again !
You have gained a new follower due to your awesome
Content organized or unorganized you did it and got it started and presented it . Thank you again .
Thank you for sharing this video!So insightfull! I've been there So hard! So many times! 😭😭😭 I find it has a lot to do with my mood (and by that I mean mental health status at that time). If I'm off kilter, out comes the credit card, and those are the purcheses I feel bad about. And, like you said on another video, the circumstances around buying a deck make a difference! (And that includes financials 😞)
Wow! This was in my suggested videos...hello universe, as 3 tarot decks were delivered to my door 2 days ago. This resonated so much. I felt this as 2021 started and really cut back buying anything but fell off the wagon recently. I started tarot in 1999 and owned 3 decks for 6 or 7 years. By 2012 I owned maybe 30 some oracle and tarot. From 2018 things have exploded and I own an obscene amount now. Why? I do keep within my budget but the money spent on collections is ridiculous when I think that I could of put that money towards an experience instead like a weekend away somewhere. I'm completely out of space now to house anymore decks and a reality of you can't get anymore decks is setting in and the thing is I haven't bonded to more recent decks like I did with ones years ago like you mentioned. I have not gotten rid of any decks from my collection because I don't want to fall into a space of regret and repurchase. So it's a work in progess for me. Thanks for being vulnerable and sharing this video. I think it's something many of us needed to hear.
This is something I really grapple with within TarotTube, especially. I don't particularly consider myself a minimalist but I only have a few decks. I come from a space of not judging others for their habits but also not understanding the psychology behind a hundred decks (but only because I wouldn't be able to actively work with that many, which defeats the purpose for myself). To sum up, I would much prefer to watch people's takes and internal processes with tarot than unboxings, etc.
Yeah part of the problem for me is that I feel anxious when I have more than I can use, or more than have a "purpose". But I know not everyone feels that way.
For me, plan and simple, if you cant afford your passion and pay for bills, food, rent/mortgage etc, then you need to stop until you are financially in the place to do so. I will have 162 decks total once all my decks arrive. I budget for myself. I am a hard core collector. I also have a list of all the decks I have. Indie and Mass market. This video is very eye opening. Thank you for shining the light on this!
This is great! I love your practical application to guard against over consumption (the list making). I’ve also been tracking my emotions with spending but I want to track how much I have and costs. I always challenge myself to hold myself accountable while allowing myself to “have”. I’ve notice switching from clothes and shoes shopping, to home stuff, then tarot stuff over a couple of decades… but now finding ways like coloring and walking as healthier consumptions to engage.
It’s hard… there was a time when people bought expensive pieces of art (before mass production and sell), hung up the art in their house, and walked past it all the time sometimes not looking at it anymore. We go through phases of interests to fuel the downtime of life… and it is for us to decide how that time is spent. Many people (and men) don’t sit around and ask themselves if they watch too many sports, own too many tools, or go to many games… the question is “How do you want to spend your time?” And does it bring wholeness, fullness, and contentment (not joy) to your life?
I also share your sentiment about “selling ourselves and interests for the benefit (or detriment) of others” … as what I call it. This is basically “Keeping up with Joneses” that movie except through streaming.
This was a really great video, and very brave as well. I know that there are times when just the *idea* of talking about finances makes me feel like I'm sliding headlong into a panic attack. It's something I really struggle with -- as is using online shopping as a means of self-soothing. So this hit home for me in a big way. Thanks.
...and that said, I still feel the need to confess that I was so utterly enamored with your little cassette tape notebook that I immediately Googled it and added it to my mental "I WANT" list. Then felt like a *really* lost cause...
I would have done the same! I love mixtape stuff! 📼🤣
A gentle yet direct message to me to budget, which i got a message for earlier today. Thank you for expressing yourself 💚
My daughter loves perfume. She likes one particular brand it isn’t cheap and I buy it for her for her birthday each year. She looks forward to it. Tell someone close to you what you like and get them to buy it for you. Close your eBay. Get the change makeovers book by Cheryl Richardson. It’s so good. Do it with a group of people, talks about decluttering and it is so good. Makes you think about purchasing. Never, ever buy what you get rid off. Ever!
Providing a sense of belonging to a group of like-minded people, coupled with FOMO or the feeling of deprivation is how we get manipulated by advertising to part with our money. You are not completely to blame for succumbing. We all do.
So many subjects touched upon that I’ve been pondering myself. We are responsible for our behaviour, but we have to acknowledge as well that not a day goes when someone else wants our hard-earned. Tarotube isn’t immune. Some video creators have become commercial producers if they’re honest enough to say they got the deck from the publisher under the guise of “reviewing the deck”.
Years ago, I came across this tool that helps me decide if buying something is worth what it took to earn the money to pay for it. It helped curb my spending, and cured me of that sense of deprivation (over time, not instantly) when I stopped buying things. Maybe I’ll make a video about it. I like personal finance stuff to start with, so I always wonder is anyone would find it interesting enough to watch.
Oh, just want to add: don’t delete your video please. It’s just to important to have this message out there.
🤚I would totally watch!! You tease! 🙏
I felt this video on a deep emotional level. I have a horrible online shopping addiction - and it usually involves very, stupidly, expensive indie decks I can't afford. I'll tell myself no more, and I won't buy for months, and then without thinking buy $400 worth of decks in a single sitting. I'm still trying to work on it. Great video, I really appreciate you talking about this topic. On a side note, if you don't mind me asking, what issue do you have the creator of the Serpent fire? I only ask because I have...reservations about Devony Wolfe and it has really colored by ability to work with her decks, but I haven't heard anyone talk about it.
Well, most of what I feel about Devany has to do with the quality of her decks and how much she charges for them and how she markets them. For example, with her Serpentfire tarot, she has been naming it as "final edition limited printing" for at least the last 2.5 years while continuing to reorder every time she runs out of stock. She is charging $100+ for her new astrology deck. I feel she is, at the very least, exploiting the tarot market and creating scarcity mindset to drive sales.
Right video at the right goddamn time. Just... thank you.
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I just at the beginning of this. And had to say thank you, just thank you 🙏🏽
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What a great and honest video. Thank you 💛
Thank you for posting your feelings, thoughts, and truth on this topic. I can empathize and feel that I should become more discerning if I want to add a deck to my collection. As a matter of fact, I think I need to start spending quality time with specific decks and releasing those that don’t work for me.
In regards to unboxing videos, I am thankful for them because they have saved me from purchasing decks that don’t resonate with me after watching the videos. On the other hand, they sometimes cause me to buy a deck because I feel that it does resonate with me.
Great topic and once again thank you for expressing your truth.
Watching this right after I purchased a tarot and oracle deck. I spent all day browsing Etsy to decide which one because I felt the itch to buy a deck. and yet I have so many that I haven't even touched in a while :/ ugh it's a vicious cycle. I think I'll definitely be downsizing in the future and only sticking with the decks that spark genuine joy each time I think of them.
It is a vicious cycle. The want to WANT is strong.
yea, i am learning tarot on youtube and i have noticed how many decks some people have. wow it's a lot. but yes i agree over consumption is everywhere. thank you for your transparency
I do not remember the name of a really wonderful channel from a psychologist on that topic saying we were escaping the work of getting to know ourselves by accumulating too much. It's the satisfaction of the new, the immediate pleasure versus the work and will required to go through inconfortable emotions.
I've been loging my expens on this new passion from the beginning because it was absolutly wild the first months I discoverd oracles. I did not recognized myself, it was weird. I was buying a lot carefully but still. I bought one indie deck and I regretted it ever since, it was not that much more expensive but still overpriced for what it was. I still do love the artwork though. I'm realizing with your video that I do not part with the decks I havn't used. >.<
I've became patient with trends : waiting a period of time, between 1 ou 3 months, to know if it's a buzz or coming from me.
Loved this topic, and discovering your channel !
This was very brave because you made yourself vulnerable by being so truthful -- so brava to your courage. You make so, so many thought-provoking and interesting comments and observations that aren't just unique to you, but universal to all people -- and I mean, whether we're specifically talking about tarot or not. Just sort of Madison Avenue meets the human condition. But it's more than that -- it also is the desire to connect and be a part of something bigger than ourselves through community. I had a million thoughts while I watched and listened. I had seen Mary Grace's prior video that you refer to in this one and it made a big impact on me too. I do want to really get to know the decks I already have and that's what I'm currently focusing on. One unsolicited idea: What if you opened a savings account and designated that account for certain types of earnings -- not your muggle job earnings but earnings from your tarot readings and from other sources? It's helpful to watch something grow in real time. Maybe even deposit money in it when you wanted a deck and said "no" to the deck -- take the amount you would have spent and add it to your savings account? Just a thought.
I have thought about a similar idea to yours on savings accts. My first priority will probably be paying off my credit cards, ha!
Thank you for your thoughts!
@@MixtressRae That is wise -- yes, financial people always say to pay off credit debt first.
@@aspasiarising4732 it's so boring, though!
@@MixtressRae Well there is that. Isn't that always the way -- things we have to do feel boring, e.g., paying bills, dusting, eating broccoli without cream sauce. And isn't that one of the reasons we love to bring magic into our lives? I try to go "Hanged Man" and see it from a different perspective: bills and dusting are necessary, cream sauce raises my cholesterol, and so on. But truth be told, I'd much rather curl up with a set of poems by Baudelaire and then read my cards -- lol.
I really appreciate how you put yourself out there in this... Really has me reflecting on spending as well!
Thank you for the big dose of emotional sobriety. I could relate to so much of what you said. I’ve been buying decks since 2018 and have increasingly become aware of how much I am addicted to this whole process, down to the sound of the mailman at my door giving me a dopamine hit. I think we have learned to replace people with things. Things are so much safer. People are messy and fuck with your head, emotions and are so damn unreliable. It’s much safer to load up my Amazon cart then it is to find someone to have a meaningful conversation with. Looking at a screen and pushing buttons is the big daddy of addictions for me. I get up, make coffee, grab my IPad. I make a meal, I find something on RUclips to watch while I eat it. I stay up all night jumping from Amazon to Etsy to eBay to Instagram to RUclips. Taking turns charging up my phone then my IPad. When I don’t have a device in my hand, I feel empty. I can’t even imagine going a day without being on the internet. Not one fucking day.
It’s really hard to navigate this dopamine hit world we live in. I think you’ve really hit on some truths here, Susan. Thanks for sharing!
First time to your channel….love this video. You are very authentic and charming. Loved the content and thank you for discussing this topic so openly. This helps 🙏🏻
Do you think some of the joy that tarot decks, perfume, etc. bring us has to do with discovering and displaying our *uniqueness* ? When we find something new and get excited about bringing it into our collection, are we confirming our authenticity to ourselves? Do these beautiful and enjoyable possessions make us feel special and provide a way for us to add structure and meaning to our lives? I'm trying to dissect how this feels to me. Thank you for a truly thought-provoking video!
I think this is true too. For me, my uniqueness can be expressed in a few curated signature items. It's when I go beyond my personal limits of what I can wrap my head around that causes me stress personally.
Ooo…I think that’s part of it! Many people use clothing to display their uniqueness. We buy objects for our homes to reflect our personal style, as well.
I really enjoyed this one, as I'm watching I'm actually getting rid of so much, esp books that I am wanting to pass on to others, and thus far I am only regretting starchild tarot, but still wanting to work more closely and deeply with what I have as well, really needing a pause on buying all together.
Thank you for this! I've bought more decks in the last 18 months than the last 15 years 😬 on the plus side, I've remained fairly choosy and only bought those that really appeal to me. So although I have a lot of decks, there are probably only a couple that I think 'why did I get this?!'
On the downside, I'm not giving myself enough space to work deeply with the great decks I own. I need to slow down now and get back to this. You've inspired me to introduce some structure to my purchasing - I'm going to start by cataloguing so I can see it all out there on the page! ✨🙏🏼
Brilliant video! I could write pages and pages of comments but the one that I will say is Mary Grace called it fantasy self when we buy a deck because we either want to be like that person who loves it or want to feel connected to them because we own it. I started watching you do your deep dive into tThe Marigold Tarot next thing I was on another screen looking up the deck deciding if I need gold edging, the book, the bundle and a backup. FFS prior to that moment I knew about the deck and appreciated it but never was tempted to buy it like WTF! Didn't end up buying it at all 🤣 I bloody love your content ❤
Thanks, Michele. I relate to that story so much! Before you know it, you've blacked out and are in another tab ready to buy, ahhhhh! But Amrit is a sweet creator and deserves the sales, so 🤷♀️ whadyado?
I think that everyone goes through this in some form at some point. mindfulness is not easy to do and there is always some trial and and error is inevitable throughout life. Don’t beat yourself up so much, you are learning what actually resigned with you and will in the future. Keep it up😘
ask what you want or why you want out of something is a good way to prioritize and discern purchases or such. Want vs Need.
Connections like that are form over time and effort you put in to it.
Have you seen my unasked for VR to the video you're referring? It's called #Maindecks #Mooddecks and this helped me make a bit more sense of my own collection. To me it's not just about what money I spend, but also about what amount of decks I own and feel comfortable having. I do hope you enjoy your Paradoxical purple :)
Yes I saw that video back when you first posted it, but I'm due for a rewatch. I didn't realize it was a direct response to this topic!
Loving my paradoxical purple! It is so unlike anything else I have! 💜🔮💜
Thank you so much for doing this video and sharing.
Thank you for sharing your struggles with tarot collecting. I can understand where you are coming from and it is very valid. I also very much appreciate your authenticity in revealing your struggles to us. I will say as much as I can definitely appreciate and understand where you are right now, I thankfully do not struggle with the same issues. I have much less issues with buying online than I do in person. I spend more when I go to the metaphysical store without watching walk throughs. I am less likely to buy a deck after I have watched numerous walk throughs, first-impressions, and reviews. I actually rely on them as part of my buying habit. In the beginning of my tarot journey I spent way more, now I am way more choosy and my buying has majorly slowed down. I do try to support more indie deck creators as well and it brings me joy and satisfaction in doing so. I don't ever buy tarot decks with credit cards and I buy only well within our means. If at any point if something happened and we lost our income or were struggling I would also sell my decks to help pay my bills along with my other belongings if the need came, without hesitation. In this manner I suppose it does come down to prioritizing how I wish to spend my money. I also buy decks that I feel like are going to expand me, like artistic expression, perspective, and learning, just like people do with books. They are truly my library. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us. Great video.
Thank you for your thoughts, Amethyst!
I'm the opposite with shopping in person. I don't at ALL have a problem in person, only online. It feels less real online, so it plays into my "fantasy self".
I would love to break my credit card addiction. I'm working on it. 😬
@@MixtressRae I don't think I explained myself well. I guess I make more uninformed purchases in person than I do online. I have more regrets and they are more impulsive. I have some very close friends that have similar issues like yourself with the online purchasing. Oh yes, credit card debt is so easy to get into and I am also a victim of that, just didn't use credit cards for my tarot. It was for home repairs, paying on medical stuff...yada yada yada. We are all works in progress, and keeping close track like you have been doing is a major step in the right direction and I commend you for it. Thank you for sharing, it's a valid and very sensitive topic.
Mistress Rae: "It's 11am and I've been doing some math."
Me: "Oh sh*t, it's about to get real."
I hear you about missing tarot. I have noticed the focus on decks instead of cards. There is also a sort of snobbery about mass market vs.indie that drives me nuts. I don't think capitalism is to blame, but acquiring is a distraction for sure.
I fucking hate snobbery of any kind, man. Some people cannot afford $60/deck but I also understand creators having to charge enough to make a living. 🤷♀️ But will that ultimately create a class divide in the tarot community? Will it get worse?
@@MixtressRae I don't think it will. It will just continue to annoy me🤣🤣🤣
I only started with tarot in 2020. I’ve been meaning to add up the costs, but I have put it off because I’m a bit scared to know the truth. The good news is of the 13 decks I have, I really enjoy them all. (So far 😅)
Hello fellow Rae!! 13 is very manageable I think. 😊
Ut oh. This is for me. I'm at the beginning of this video.
Does anyone feel justified to make a purchase when you see angel numbers lol !?
On 2019 the 1123.00 I would have felt completely justified and encouraged lol
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Don’t feel too bad about repurchased decks that you once got rid of because there probably is something that could have changed in your perceptions or maybe something your supposed to learn/ experience/ know through the interaction with that deck much like people sometimes they come in for some time for one reason or other then leave other times they stay and you form bonds. You may not know or understand the ways of the universe.
You'll get more money as your channel grows. Don't worry. It's good you're trying to budget tho.