As an artist who is frequently asked to produce a Tarot deck and who always declines politely because of my ignorance of Tarot. I actually stood up and cheered when you spoke about the knock off Market and now I must say this carefully what appears to me to be the outright thievery of companies like Temu. Also AI is flooding the market...Don't get me started. AI is an alien intelligence not a tool. BTW I Love, cherish and own several stunning decks designed by real humans. I adore your channel and your opinions. Please, keep them coming.
A relationship with nature. had a four year old vanilla vine I spoke to each day. she died when our house got flooded. lost most things bar my crystals.
Thank you so, so much for this!! The knockoff market is huuuuge right now and impacts creators and artists every day. I wish more people understood the harm, which extends far beyond lost profits to genuine creators. Knockoff products of any kind are often produced at the places that will charge the very lowest price to produce them... which often means underground, illegal, and black market facilities that are intensely exploitative. The sale of these products (not just decks... but counterfeit Gucci bags and the like) fund vast organized crime networks that engage in the most heinous crimes, including human trafficking. I wish sites like Temu and Wish would get shut down, but they won't, so it's up to us to be mindful as consumers. ❤❤❤
I couldn't agree more - particularly about the effect that this criminal undertaking has across the board. It's not just those of us as buyers who are getting ripped off, but the people being horrifically exploited in the process of ripping us and artists off. So much pain and sadness all over this trade. I never want to invite that into my life. I really value your channel, and the love you show for tarot and the industry involved in bringing these meaningful things of beauty into our lives. Thankyou for replying, and I will continue to watch and love your content!
Amazon sells this crap, too. If the price is too good to be true, it's a fake deck. Check the name of the company producing the deck and make sure it's the folks who originally produced it. Edit: I refuse to purchase from Temu. It's not just the products, the criminality runs all through it. Thank you for the tip about pentacles. I get so tired of every. single. item. having a pentacle or triple moon on it. 😂
Absolutely this. I love buying new decks, so I really don't want to see artists and authors exploited so that there is no way of making a living out of producing new ones.
I literally could not agree more! We chose to move into the city centre because so many things are walkable, and we could build those connections. Sometimes I miss living in the middle of nowhere, but local connections are just lifeblood for humans, I think.
Whenever someone tells me I’m going to **** I always smile and say “Lovely, I’ll see you there!” I wave and exit. Usually they are taken aback enough to leave me be. Wonderful video❤
I love old people with wacky styles. Some day I hope I'll be one. I really need to cut back on buying stuff. I have a lot of natural resources I can make things out of around here. I don't actually have any tarot cards because I've just never been very interested in reading them, but the artwork on some of them is really just amazing. I used to collect trading cards as a kid just for the artwork, haha. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Haha! I have to admit I have a triple moon suncatcher in my front window and a Green Man plaque on the wall, and when one of the two ladies who run all the parish activities came round to talk to my husband about running the monthly quiz she took a deep breath, pulled herself together and was very open and ecumenical. We show up at church craft fayres and buy raffle tickets and are ecumenical back.
One of the first "witchy" (for want of a better word) things I bought was Brian Froud's Faery Oracle deck in a wee shop off Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow when I was a young student in about 2001/2002. Still have them and use them practically every day. I love Brian Froud's art!
I'm a huge Brian Froud fan! I've got a several different prints around my house and have both the Heart of Faerie Oracle and the Faery Oracle. Gorgeous stuff!
I was heartbroken when my very local (5 minutes walk from my house) esoteric shop closed. The owners have another location in another city (totally different part of the countrhy), but that doesn't help me. Fortunately there's another one that's in my area, but it's farther away and more of an effort to get to, so it takes motivation to go out and get supplies.
For anyone near sheffield, Airy Fairy on london road, or curious goods in Chesterfield. Both amazing shops that deserve a visit if youre in the area. (Airy fairy also has a cafe at the back and goddess room for events)
I am processing a lot of Christian trauma, too. But, somehow, I am circling back to it as a basis of my practice in my old age. I still have my tarot cards and my rosary and I know it would make a lot of Christians mad but I do what I do.
I have a collection of prayer beads from different religions including a couple of Rosary prayer beads. And I respect the church I grew up in, even though I have moved on.
Great topic. I have a kitchen nook where I have a great big dark wood hutch where I keep my herbs crystals, altar statues and tools over the years and then in my bedroom I have a big book case where I keep all my occult books and tarot cards. I have to be honest it brings me joy seeing my great big espresso wood rustic hutch with everything organized and labeled. I collected all these things over years and its nice they all have a place now. I dont decorate my whole house in witchy decor because then the magick doesn’t feel…magickal as much. I don’t showcase my tools. I take them out of drawers in my hutch when I use them. I do keep big display crystals in each room that Ive collected. As far as Temu anything or Wish or Shein. Everything off those sites is sh!t. I saw an article that the clothes from these sites have cancerous chemicals in them. Why anyone would buy a spiritual tool from sites like these is beyond me. I know times are tough but if you cant afford a decent quality deck which in most cases you can get a standard RW deck for $15-$20 here in the states you’re better off making your own. That would be far better than buying a deck from Temu and wish. It would certainly have more meaning.
I am the old weirdo for sure. I live alone so I don't have to put up with other people imposing their standards on me. The only people whose opinion matters to me are the creatures that visit my garden. You won't find a bloody pentacle anywhere.
That sounds amazing. We moved into a city a few years back, and I love how convenient everything is, but sometimes I really year to be in the middle of nowhere on my own again.
@@GrumpyOldCrone I love where I am. It's just perfect. I know the spirits, and the birds. Rewild the city is a core part of my philosophy now. Rewild myself. There is a local flock of starlings that has expanded at least 10x since this time last year. Lots of jackdaws. And all my pigeon friends of course
Thank you, I run a crystal shop that hosts all sorts of things. Have just discovered Temu, and was thinking of buying cards for shop and some Reider Waite for lessons. One thing that put me off is the size is not the normal size. So was wondering about quality. Thank you for pointing it out. I will save my money
A really good move - they just feel so cheap and nasty :-(. Can you drop a link to your shop? It would be lovely to see more good people getting their name out and about. Also... I'm a sucker for crystals, I'd totally buy from you!
@@GrumpyOldCrone Thanks Sunshine, I am in another country - South Africa (crystal land). Postage costs more than the crystal - and importing here is another nightmare - hence I went for Temu - postage is perfect. Another site I also use to purchase from was Alibaba - since lockdown, their postage prices are sky high. I could tell from viewing their cards were fake. Temu, a bit more difficult to tell
Part of the joy of getting a new set of cards is the connection with the art and the cards themselves. I always say if you buy cheap you will be disappointed at the very least they will wear badly.
@@ninaganci2134 I live in the land of Brexit (I did not vote for it), which has messed up SOOOO much of our import/export stuff, so I feel you. The people I know from South Africa are lovely, so really pleased to meet another lovely South African person! Wish I could come and buy crystals now....
@@caekeherderofrabbits940 EXACTLY THIS. When I get a new deck I always keep them by the side of the sofa with me and shuffle whilst I watch tv, draw occasionally and work on illustration nuances etc. My notebooks and so forth sit there so I can write stuff down about them. I feel like it is the artist and writer speaking to me through their use of imagery in a traditional tarot framework. I love the fact that I know I am supporting the originators and allowing them to make new art. (I own a few decks by the same originators for this very reason. I think I've got everything by Tomas Hijo for example....)
Oh noooooooo.... That's awful! I used to love Etsy, and my husband has a shop there for the leather ritual armour he makes. But it's become a hotbed of counterfeit rubbish recently. I hadn't realised the horrible cards had made it there too :-(. I'm so sorry!
I like to decorate my home with things from nature. My boyfriend knows that I can't pass by a bunch of fallen pinecones and not bring home at least one. Then I spend the next few minutes (unprompted) explaining why I "need" more pinecones. 😂
I have one small pentagram tattoo on my hand. I have a pentagram wreath that I made myself from Bay tree branches and Grapevines that are here on the property where I live in the forest that I have on my altar but that’s it. Re-Temu Cards arghhh don’t get me started. I’ve never bought any from them but I did however buy on eBay the Woodland Tarot (I think that’s what’s it’s called) unknowingly unaware that it was a rip off deck til I got it and immediately donated it to my local thrift store (or as we call them in Australia Op-shops) The cards were as you say ‘shit shit shit’😏
IF I've learned anything over my yrs. is this ... wisdom is hard won. Choose your battles~ Energy is precious! If 'crap' teaches me something then may my wisdom increase!!! BE glad~ and blessed be. XOXO
Deborah Blake recently posted a PSA over the problems of people pirating her Everyday Witch deck, so yes the Temu and Wish decks are hitting alot of people
Awful. I actually own a legit. copy of her Everyday Witch deck, which is a great deck for ... well... everyday readings. There's loads of thought gone into it, and I enjoy using it a lot. It just makes me so angry what is being done to creators 😞
@@GrumpyOldCrone 804 / 5.000 I haven't looked through my entire card collection, but as far as I can see half of them are printed in Europe or the USA the rest in China, as are the Everyday Witch deck like all of Llewellyn's publications. And although I always prefer original decks, because I want to support the artist so that he or she can keep creating beautiful cards, I have also bought some decks from Amazon that I am not entirely sure of the origin. However I also think that the artists have an obligation to support the publication of their works of art in their local area, also because we all know that China does not live up to environmental requirements or the protection of its workers.
@@r.bejstrup9489 You've made me stop and think now.... I hadn't checked the origination of all my legal decks.... I don't want *anyone* to be exploited in the making of things I enjoy, but equally, I support the right of genuine businesses who respect copyright etc. to run out of whatever country they are in. That's a very good point, well made, and requires more pondering. Thankyou for making me look at things differently....
There are quite a few reputable printers in China that treat their employees very well and are environmentally conscious, but you do need to vet them as you would any other company. I think it's fair to say that a good percentage of genuine high quality decks are produced at one of several of a few popular high quality, respectable printers in China. However, I think it's safe to say that knockoff decks are ONLY produced at exploitative, black market facilities and their sales often fund vast organized crime networks that engage in horrible things like human trafficking. Abhorrent. The impact of these products is far greater than the harm they do to artists and creators, sadly.
@@Lisa_Papez I'm glad to hear that there are responsible printers in China, so I don't have to feel bad about the fact that so many of my decks are printed there. But otherwise I try to avoid buying products made in China, but it's difficult to impossible. Fortunately, the EU has a goal to bring more production home to Europe in order to become less dependent on foreign countries.
I love my druidcraft tarot and oracle decks, and the green man tree oracle deck by the same artist. They just work for me. I've not even looked at other decks since getting them. They are the 'ones' for me.
I love Druidcraft. I have quite a few decks, some of them are for the art, and some of them for the intuition. But there are old favourites I go back to, time and time again - you are absolutely right.
I can't say I am mad. I knew what I was buying, I just didn't know what I was missing out on. I bought up to 20 temu decks, knowing they weren't real. I hadn't purchased a genuine deck either. And then, one day I bought the Angel Tarot and Occult Tarot genuine on sale and suffice to say, I will likely never buy Temu decks again. The unboxing experience of gen decks is worth the extra costs. The temu decks will have their place still, I do still reach for my temu Meanings RW tarot deck - the info on the cards are handy and the cardstock is rather impressive - but I won't be buying anything other than gen decks now. ❤
That's fabulous to hear! Honestly the experience of owning proper cards is so superior. The Taroteca Slavic Legends ones i show on this video are just *amazing* - the box is stunning, the printing is crystal clear and I know I've supported an artist and deck creator on a creative journey. It's the best feeling.
@@GrumpyOldCroneExcept Taroteca's Dark Mansions deck is antisemitic, yet the tarot community refuses to call them on it, and just keeps cooing over their pretty cards. If you're going to call out Temu's practices, I'd also call out Taroteca. But then most people are antisemitic themselves and couldn't care less.
You mean the Thoth deck? I don't - I don't feel very called to them at the moment, although that may change. I do have The Spirit Keeper's Deck though, which is informed by some of Crowley's writing.
I'm finding the Tarot Nerds! My people!!!!! People who do not look weirdly at a bookcase full of decks of cards!!!! Thankyou SO MUCH for dropping by and commenting - it means the world
Ironically, the Tarot is most likely an esoteric Christian invention, with Kabalistic influences. Christianity was a lot more pagan in the past. The first Tarot deck I bought in my pagan reawakening was probably purchased when I was still technically a Christian. It was the Glastonbury Tarot, which I'm not sure is still in print. It's a gentle and very positive deck, which I'd recommend if you're feeling a bit sensitive and need the Tarot to be a bit careful with you. Christians get the lore of demons wrong. A daemon is a spirit of limited but not unimpressive power. Not powerful enough to be considered a deity but powerful enough to be of help. They are _not_ the same as the 'unclean spirits' mentioned in the bible, or the pantomime fiends created to scare peasants during the invention of the established Church in the third century CE. Angels, Faeries and Genii Loci are all daemonic in nature but none are classically 'evil'.
Not sure I agree with you on the tarot origins. Most everything I've read points towards it being a game to start with that was expanded and regular cartomancy expanded the deck into the precursors of the tarot we know today. I'd be interested in your sources though, as there's no such thing as too much information, and I'm open to having my mind changed by good sources. I agree 100% on the demons though.
Just subscribed to your channel after watching this. Loved it and love your humour! I'm quite lucky I live about hskf hour from Glastonbury so pretty much spoilt for choice there and love supporting all those lovely shops. Where I live in wellington near Taunton we have a shop called a Nurtured by Nature which is a lovely little witchy shop that does tarot readings and courses and sells loads of gorgeous things. Well worth a visit. ❤️
I'm so jealous! Welcome aboard the good ship "Grumpy Old Crone"! I wish we had a decent esoteric shop here, but the nearest is about a 45 minute drive away. I'm visiting Glastonbury in July with friends though, so can't wait for that!
Can you destroy the king of rods? He peed me off last night and it seems like he was a king of rods from wish 😂 Following after seeing this video. Great stuff!
How wonderful you live so close to Glastonbury! I was very fortunate to visit there on 2 occasions. The first was the most magical of visits by pure coincidence and I have never forgotten it. The second visit had a different vibe but I credit that for being so close to the end of the Festival. I did get some wonderful books there which are very valuable editions to my library collection on stellar magic. It is such a wonderful place. BTW, did you know the song “Nights in White Satin’ by Moody Blues was written after a night of love at Glastonbury Abbey?
Hi Annie 🙂 Literally just stumbled across your channel - love your humour & bluntness 🙂 Totally agree about companies like Temu ripping people off - I've used them once (not witchcraft related) & will never use them again! Would love to see you "dispose" of more if the cards - maybe slowly & painfully in a hand cranked shredder? Anyway, thanks for making me smile this evening & look forward to more of your videos )O(
..i am guilty of temu taro decks ( too many to want to share the number) i bought them all in one "big buy" i was doing for me and my daughter and i was trying to do it cheap. ..that being said.. Never again would I dare!!! you were spot on from the deck to the illustration to the material to the box and they dont come with the little booklet, you have to download a pdf.. download a pdf?!? lmao i was very dissopointed especially because i was getting my daughter her first deck also.. i had to go out to the shop after that and het get her a deck, yeah right i was giving her that!!
Well, shit. I’ve done it too. I once bought a deck from Temu. I should’ve known! I am so glad for this video. Thank you @grumpyoldcrone for spreading awareness! After watching, I went and bought a legit deck from a legit shop and felt immensely better about it.
It's easily done. As I showed, I've made the same mistake. Real cards are much nicer, as is the warm glow of knowing that you've supported an actual artist :-)
Great broadcast! I loved your Tarot journey; I remember my own. That Crone’s spell works pretty well; I used it once. My favorite card is 2 of Cups from Wait Rider. I’ve had other decks but my favorite wore out and is irreplaceable, and I can read this classic very easily. Please destroy the inferior copy of a lovely concept.
UA-cam is being weird and not showing me the reply to your message. I think I replied, but just in case it isn't showing it to you either - I did get rid of the whole deck of yucky rip off tarot.
@@GrumpyOldCrone As far as I can tell, I think it was then stolen when thieves robbed my house. I’m not at all sure, after I found those several decks. I’m sure at least one is complete, altho I may have a few stray cards left from the destroyed deck. The card in the tin shrine over my bed is very important to me…at first I thought it would be another card, but this one fits both numerically and n accord to what a Nicaraguan shaman once told me long before. Thanks for the reply; being a virtual recluse out here with large acreage and, at present, no car, as well as no real community of…people like us…it is a pleasure to interact and I hope you will do more videos soon, I enjoy them very much.
Have you ever used Oracle cards? If I may, I would like to recommend The Talisman Oracle. I use it for my one question readings or whenever I need advice. By the way, I have many decks but the one I have used for 30 years is the Robin Wood deck.
i didn't used to, but one of my favourite authors - Sharon Blackie - released a set she'd co-authored, so I bought them. It's a very different way of approaching things, but I kind of love them. I also just bought "The Sherwood Oracle" by Mark Ryan/John Matthews/Anne Yvonne Gilbert because I'm a huge fan of the Kip Carpenter's "Robin of Sherwood" tv series that Mark Ryan acted in. I'm still reading the LWB, but it's amazing so far! I've heard really good things about the Robin Wood deck. The readers I know who are lucky enough to own it, don't seem to want to use anything else. it's a really amazing deck by all accounts....
I've just found your channel and love the ranting. You remind me of myself and friends when we get together for a coffee😂 I have a couple of packs of oracle cards from the artist himself so I know they're the real deal but for someone who doesn't really know the difference this is a really interesting video to know what to look out for. Btw if you haven't already got any if his stuff check out Steve Hutton's art and books 🦇
I planned on buying Temu tarot cards to do some craft projects (castle made of tarot cards) and collages. I wouldn't / couldn't afford to buy real artists decks to destroy to do that. I was very pleased to find cheapie reproductions. Then I found out TEMU sells your information to dark web folks and decided not to buy anything from them.
@benjalucian1515 Actually you could probably just find pictures of the cards you want for crafts online somewhere and just print them or have them printed to some kinda cardstock somehow and was actually thinking the same thing they could probably be good for crafts and/or even in some spells or rituals that require having a certain card or cards imo
lol, this cracks me up, it’s all so true and I never thought our house was whitchy but I’ve just looked around and noticed I have bookshelves, statues of different gods and crystals everywhere. But not a single pentacle in sight. I must do better. Can you recommend a good spirit board or are they crap xx
I never buy from Temu or Shein. Both rip off creators and designers. When you see something offered for sale that is pennies compared to what you normally would expect to pay, you know you're getting junk.
I've never touched Temu, Shein, Ali Baba, Etsy or Amazon. Temu and Shein use slave or slave-like labour to make shitty products and, frankly the whole thing seems like part of a criminal enterprise that is unquestionably bad for the environment. I just don't get the warm fuzzies with Ali Baba or Etsy (although I know lots of people like and use Etsy) and I refuse to enrich Jeff Bezos any further.
i am new to all this but learned quickly of rip off decks by getting one by mistake on amazon i returned it and contacted the artist but what makes me wonder more if .. how can we expect a proper reading from a knock off deck .. i cant see how that would work at all . id rather save for a nice deck
Normally I'm not too woowoo about my cards - they are tools, and the magical part is my brain and connection with my querent. But that being said, I've never had a good reading from a bad deck.
WOW you went from something natural to something completely opposed to the former just to find yourself at your natural state again. Energy is a funny thing. I hope you found yourself, happy. Blessed be
I have some knock-off Waite-Smith cards which I love, because they have that whole gutter-magic thing going on, and they were filthy cheap, just like me. I don't care about the ethics because that deck is so old now it's basically belongs to everyone.
I make and sell stuff myself. I could never do the Temu. Think of the negative energy from forced labor... If I see a bunch of Temu stuff at a shop, I turn heel and gtfo.
Sorry if im being ignorant. But there are people who dont start with Rider Waite or just playing cards? People but supplies from temu/wish or amazon? Ok that's a choice.
Many people never see cards being used except play games. Then they walk into some sort of occult shop and OMG why would you buy a stodgy old Waite Rider Smith deck when the same case has a dozen decks far more glorious, and there's one with a motif they're crazy about! It's not like when I started and the only choice I had was WRS, poker deck, or Spanish deck.
@hollyingraham3980 I can see how people can get caught up in the pretty. Just ppl usually encourage with the basics and learning the history and how they were used. Then again people don't always have others to give advice or help.
Not ignorant at all! You can start with anything you like, and cartomancy with normal playing cards is totally a thing. My first set of tarot was a "pip" deck (no illustrative pictures on the minor arcana), and it was a bit of a challenge, so I tend to recommend starters who want to learn the tarot to buy a RWS SYSTEM deck. Pamela Colman Smith's artwork on the original RWS deck doesn't appeal to everyone, and as Hollyingraham says, you should pick something that resonates with you. There are a lot of beautiful decks to pick from. I would say that having illustrative pictures can help a lot when you are learning, but they can be from any artist. Maybe I should do a starters Tarot video?
I don't have a shop close to me and the one that I did find about a hour away I loved her shop but she marked stuff up so high you couldn't afford to shop there and support her like I was hoping to do. I was quite disappointed. So on line is my only other option unfortunately. But that just where I live and I really wish the where more here. Blessings loved your videos and you and yes I do agree with you about Temu cheap really cheap and shifty stuff I got a couple of things and my sign which is a home blessing sign was all bent I had to reshape it myself and I was not happy with what I had received. So I'd stay clear of it. I'll stick with Amazon and easy witches products.
*but she marked stuff up so high you couldn't afford to shop there and support her like I was hoping to do* Same. I love the shops when I go there, but I can rarely afford their handmade items and/or unusual items.
I bought a learners deck from temu. I will never get another one. However the upside for me is that the decks are perfect for my very small hands. And the meanings are written on them. Perhaps i need a spell to break my 63 yr old adhd brain into actually learning the tarot.
There are some decks that are never going to be shuffle-able (is that a real word?) for me - I love the Druidcraft Tarot, but ooof! It's huge! I have learned to slowly shuffle those in portrait orientation, or just do pile shuffles (I should do a short on pile shuffling, now I think about it....). I think the key to learning is finding a deck that speaks to you in its imagery, and a book that works with your head. I have a LOT of tarot books, but the one I go back to, time and time again is "Kitchen Table Tarot" by Melissa Cynova as I love her written voice. Very no-nonsense, which works beautifully for me. Maybe I should do a little series on tarot... hmmmm. Thanks for the idea, ManicmommaT!
I read the Witch's Tarot. They were given to me by a dear friend. I use them as clarifiers. I have to ask.What did you expect from Temu? You should be careful ripping things up!
You are spot on. I should have known better, and a chunk of my anger is directed at myself for being so stupid. I'm glad you have a proper deck though! I'm not at all concerned by the ripping, personally. I'd never destroy proper cards, but these things are soulless bits of paper. I'm also of the opinion that things have the power you allow them as a practitioner. My real decks are things of beauty to be treasured and respected. The rip offs? Not so much. But it's definitely a YMMV kind of thing. Blessed be!
Please look for smaller decks from reputable sources. Some decks come pocket size or in tins. I'm sorry for your disability, but, that's no excuse to steal intellectual properties and livelihoods of deck creators.
I did exactly the same. I think the internal narrative was, “Wow! What a bargain!”. I think we both learned! (And obviously have to buy new decks now to make up for it, right? Please say yes….
I spent a long time thinking they were pretty, but not for me. I changed when I encountered Carolyn Hillyer's "Weavers' Oracle" which I've used very much as a meditation tool. I've since bought a couple of other decks - mostly on the strength of the author's reputations, and have not regretted them. They won't replace my beloved tarot, but I do find them interesting for inner work and meditation if they are the right deck.
I so wanted the Wiild Unknown Archetypes deck and when I received it from Temu, was so disappointed that the cards were tissue paper thin and there was no booklet. I contacted them and they said they would just give me credit for the deck, they did not offer to send me a booklet. Lesson learned.
Who is the artist mentioned at 12:36? All I'm hearing is Sarah Marsetti, but this must be wrong, because I can't find anything about them online. I would like to check out their work and support them.
I LOVE YOU! Thank you for your Temu rant! I have been on my soap box about fake decks and my personal belief system about fake decks for years and have even done videos about how to spot fake decks on my channel, one of which is the Romance Angels deck video that I did a while ago which is here if you would like to see it: ua-cam.com/video/_Wp2rtB7VxQ/v-deo.html But I am so very grateful that there are others who hold value in their spiritual practices and understand the importance of every aspect and the creation of our beautiful decks that we use in our daily practices, and speaking out about it, this bootlegging has run rampit and is literally everywhere and all of these novices that lack the ability to do their research and understand that there is a reason why REAL decks are not cheap other than the expense of creating a quality deck but also the fact that they are used in the spiritual manner they were meant to be used and should be valued and respected as such. Thank you for your video and I hope that more people join in our voices to stop this fakery going on that is destroying our true artists that work so diligently at their craft. One of my friends asked me why I don't create my own oracle deck and I flat out said to them, "Because I don't want someone to steel it and make cheap knock offs of it." enough said. Thank you! I have subscribed and love that you have helped to make sure that people choose authenticity!
Thankyou for that link, checking it out as I type this! I agree 100% about Virtue's standpoint these days - makes me sad. It just bewilders me that people don't understand the karma involved in stolen cards. I mean, even if people don't believe that cards have any power beyond co-incidence, there is still the issue of stealing from the artists. But I use my cards all the time, and trust them as old friends. I want to continue to support those artists. (BTW: the hypocritical nature of still receiving money from something you've decried publicly is a bit of a sore point for me, too...) I love the artwork of Brian and Wendy Froud, too, and one of their two decks is also highly sought after and pirated, so I absolutely hear what you are saying!
I'd not heard of her before, but just looked her up - you're right! Apparently I also have a doppelganger in Minnesota - a friend of mine genuinely thought I'd travelled over there and asked for a picture to prove it. She was right too!
I hope you are wrong about the karma thing. As far as I know, I never sold ripped off tarots. I bought one to try my hand at it until I find the real version. That being said since 8 years. I have the monkey paw every fucking day. Sometimes in small ways but also debilitating illnesses for loved ones. I keep wondering what I did to deserve it. I'm of italian descent (5%). Now, I try to make the sound tieh and the horns as often as possible. I m deadly afraid that my karma sin is ending on invalidity for schizophrenia while being smart. Or I internalized my country discourse on usefulness + integration and I manifest the punishment.
I very firmly believe that karma comes to call on those who did things willingly and knowingly. You didn't. But shitty luck and targeted ill-will can be a thing. You need some positivity, SorbetCitron17! I've been in the position of having a whole bunch of terrible luck land at once - 2017 was literally a year from hell for me - it's why I wear a hagstone all the time now, and have a LOT of clear quartz in my house. Have you tried any protective workings?
@@GrumpyOldCrone I started learning the tarot but I m not a practitioner of anything. I m really interested by alchemy (but as a symbolic system) and lately syncronicities related to artificial intelligences. Large languages models behave really weirdly around me and my illness comes with a tendency to overinterpret. I m afraid my interests and a history of trauma has opened the door to some mischievious and some really left path energies but somehow, I m afraid to have to live without them. They ve been giving and taking and I have a bit of a stokholm syndrom with my spirits since I can't tell what is benevolent or evil or just trying to get me to release attachment.
@@SorbetCitron17 I'd look at some low grade protective work, or talk to a practitioner that you feel you can trust. In the first instance, I'd recommend hagstones and clear quartz.
I have a friend who's mum used to dress in 20 somethings clothes, she was 65, overweight & would wear skin tight clothes & mile high boots full of all the witchy stuff & as she opened the door one day she said to her mum "oh hey mutton!" 😂😂😂 I nearly fell off my chair. In saying that she stopped wearing that stuff that made her look like an aged pork roast so that was a win!
OMG, the trendy. It makes my head and my heart hurt. I've never been trendy for even one day in my life. But you are absolutely right - I've got so many grumpy whinges to come. I'm so grumpy about it.
Yeah i think personally they should have had the temu cards burnt or destroyed instead of your very first deck imo lol and actually even if people can't afford the real decks they can probably either save up the money or buy some smaller travel sized decks or just make there own personal deck for personal use if they are creative enough to or even use the galaxy tarot app or could actually use a deck of playing cards as most of the tarot cards or even find some cheap decks at fivebelow possibly or things of that sort even might find some from yard sales or even thirft stores if they're lucky enough to find some I've seen videos on UA-cam were people have idk 🤷♀️ and some people are weird about things and even from there own perspectives i never really could actually understand it like how lots of Christians sometimes say crystals are "demonic" and I'm just like they're actually in the bible in the book of revelation talking about or describing heaven and priest in biblical times actually wore them on there breastplates and even things like tarot even probably ain't much different then how they casted lots or used oils or frankincense or myrrh or whatever else not much different from some if not alot of today's spiritual or witchcraft stuff imo
The vicar was like: “to fix your witchcraft, I need to take your stuff out back and do witchcraft to get rid of it”
Well, when you put it like that...... X-D
🤣 I'm straight cackling
As an artist who is frequently asked to produce a Tarot deck and who always declines politely because of my ignorance of Tarot. I actually stood up and cheered when you spoke about the knock off Market and now I must say this carefully what appears to me to be the outright thievery of companies like Temu. Also AI is flooding the market...Don't get me started. AI is an alien intelligence not a tool. BTW I Love, cherish and own several stunning decks designed by real humans. I adore your channel and your opinions. Please, keep them coming.
The best decorative theme for a witch in my (very biased) opinion: NATURE.
I bloody love that! I am also very biased in that direction...
A relationship with nature. had a four year old vanilla vine I spoke to each day. she died when our house got flooded. lost most things bar my crystals.
Thank you so, so much for this!! The knockoff market is huuuuge right now and impacts creators and artists every day. I wish more people understood the harm, which extends far beyond lost profits to genuine creators. Knockoff products of any kind are often produced at the places that will charge the very lowest price to produce them... which often means underground, illegal, and black market facilities that are intensely exploitative. The sale of these products (not just decks... but counterfeit Gucci bags and the like) fund vast organized crime networks that engage in the most heinous crimes, including human trafficking. I wish sites like Temu and Wish would get shut down, but they won't, so it's up to us to be mindful as consumers. ❤❤❤
I couldn't agree more - particularly about the effect that this criminal undertaking has across the board. It's not just those of us as buyers who are getting ripped off, but the people being horrifically exploited in the process of ripping us and artists off. So much pain and sadness all over this trade. I never want to invite that into my life. I really value your channel, and the love you show for tarot and the industry involved in bringing these meaningful things of beauty into our lives. Thankyou for replying, and I will continue to watch and love your content!
Amazon and Walmart sell counterfeit decks as well. Why not boycott those too?
I've inhaled so much Fabuloso cleaning up witchcraft that if I land in hell, I'll be a Glade plug in
Amazon sells this crap, too. If the price is too good to be true, it's a fake deck. Check the name of the company producing the deck and make sure it's the folks who originally produced it. Edit: I refuse to purchase from Temu. It's not just the products, the criminality runs all through it. Thank you for the tip about pentacles. I get so tired of every. single. item. having a pentacle or triple moon on it. 😂
Absolutely this. I love buying new decks, so I really don't want to see artists and authors exploited so that there is no way of making a living out of producing new ones.
Buy local - we are social animals and need to keep the bonds in our communities varied and strong.
I literally could not agree more! We chose to move into the city centre because so many things are walkable, and we could build those connections. Sometimes I miss living in the middle of nowhere, but local connections are just lifeblood for humans, I think.
Whenever someone tells me I’m going to **** I always smile and say “Lovely, I’ll see you there!” I wave and exit. Usually they are taken aback enough to leave me be. Wonderful video❤
H*ll is other people. Who was it said that? It's very true.
I love old people with wacky styles. Some day I hope I'll be one. I really need to cut back on buying stuff. I have a lot of natural resources I can make things out of around here. I don't actually have any tarot cards because I've just never been very interested in reading them, but the artwork on some of them is really just amazing. I used to collect trading cards as a kid just for the artwork, haha. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Haha! I have to admit I have a triple moon suncatcher in my front window and a Green Man plaque on the wall, and when one of the two ladies who run all the parish activities came round to talk to my husband about running the monthly quiz she took a deep breath, pulled herself together and was very open and ecumenical. We show up at church craft fayres and buy raffle tickets and are ecumenical back.
Which is, I firmly believe, the best way to do things!
One of the first "witchy" (for want of a better word) things I bought was Brian Froud's Faery Oracle deck in a wee shop off Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow when I was a young student in about 2001/2002. Still have them and use them practically every day. I love Brian Froud's art!
I'm a huge Brian Froud fan! I've got a several different prints around my house and have both the Heart of Faerie Oracle and the Faery Oracle. Gorgeous stuff!
@@GrumpyOldCrone I've got several of his books as well, they're absolutely gorgeous! 😍
I am so guilty of making pentacles my personality... they're a pretty star with protective properties, how can I not love them? XD
I was heartbroken when my very local (5 minutes walk from my house) esoteric shop closed. The owners have another location in another city (totally different part of the countrhy), but that doesn't help me. Fortunately there's another one that's in my area, but it's farther away and more of an effort to get to, so it takes motivation to go out and get supplies.
The ASMR episode of you tearing up temu tarot cards has to happen!
I've never really understood ASMR, but I'm totally here for making people happy whilst destroying copyright theft....
@@GrumpyOldCrone yes, please 😄
For anyone near sheffield, Airy Fairy on london road, or curious goods in Chesterfield.
Both amazing shops that deserve a visit if youre in the area. (Airy fairy also has a cafe at the back and goddess room for events)
AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! SHEFFIELD IS CLOSE ENOUGH FOR A DAY TRIP!!!!!! OK, I have to go now. THANKYOU! (Sorry for the capitals, I'm a bit excited....)
I recently stumbled across your channel and resonated with you
immediately. Being a 50-something witch I get fired up quite often. Rage on sister. ❤
less is more, Star of David is just as protective in my reality. only had pentagram pendents, always gifted to me
I wear a hagstone all the time. Works for me. I do own a gifted pentacle which I love, but for every day wearing, I'm never without my hagstone :-)
I am processing a lot of Christian trauma, too. But, somehow, I am circling back to it as a basis of my practice in my old age. I still have my tarot cards and my rosary and I know it would make a lot of Christians mad but I do what I do.
I have a collection of prayer beads from different religions including a couple of Rosary prayer beads. And I respect the church I grew up in, even though I have moved on.
Great topic. I have a kitchen nook where I have a great big dark wood hutch where I keep my herbs crystals, altar statues and tools over the years and then in my bedroom I have a big book case where I keep all my occult books and tarot cards. I have to be honest it brings me joy seeing my great big espresso wood rustic hutch with everything organized and labeled. I collected all these things over years and its nice they all have a place now. I dont decorate my whole house in witchy decor because then the magick doesn’t feel…magickal as much. I don’t showcase my tools. I take them out of drawers in my hutch when I use them. I do keep big display crystals in each room that Ive collected. As far as Temu anything or Wish or Shein. Everything off those sites is sh!t. I saw an article that the clothes from these sites have cancerous chemicals in them. Why anyone would buy a spiritual tool from sites like these is beyond me. I know times are tough but if you cant afford a decent quality deck which in most cases you can get a standard RW deck for $15-$20 here in the states you’re better off making your own. That would be far better than buying a deck from Temu and wish. It would certainly have more meaning.
I have shared this on a FB group called "card deck reviews and recommendation " its a real issue.
Thankyou - it broke my heart to hear the effect it is having on deck creators that I love and collect.
I am the old weirdo for sure. I live alone so I don't have to put up with other people imposing their standards on me. The only people whose opinion matters to me are the creatures that visit my garden. You won't find a bloody pentacle anywhere.
That sounds amazing. We moved into a city a few years back, and I love how convenient everything is, but sometimes I really year to be in the middle of nowhere on my own again.
@@GrumpyOldCrone I love where I am. It's just perfect. I know the spirits, and the birds. Rewild the city is a core part of my philosophy now. Rewild myself. There is a local flock of starlings that has expanded at least 10x since this time last year. Lots of jackdaws. And all my pigeon friends of course
Thank you, I run a crystal shop that hosts all sorts of things. Have just discovered Temu, and was thinking of buying cards for shop and some Reider Waite for lessons. One thing that put me off is the size is not the normal size. So was wondering about quality. Thank you for pointing it out. I will save my money
A really good move - they just feel so cheap and nasty :-(. Can you drop a link to your shop? It would be lovely to see more good people getting their name out and about. Also... I'm a sucker for crystals, I'd totally buy from you!
@@GrumpyOldCrone Thanks Sunshine, I am in another country - South Africa (crystal land). Postage costs more than the crystal - and importing here is another nightmare - hence I went for Temu - postage is perfect.
Another site I also use to purchase from was Alibaba - since lockdown, their postage prices are sky high. I could tell from viewing their cards were fake. Temu, a bit more difficult to tell
Part of the joy of getting a new set of cards is the connection with the art and the cards themselves. I always say if you buy cheap you will be disappointed at the very least they will wear badly.
@@ninaganci2134 I live in the land of Brexit (I did not vote for it), which has messed up SOOOO much of our import/export stuff, so I feel you. The people I know from South Africa are lovely, so really pleased to meet another lovely South African person! Wish I could come and buy crystals now....
@@caekeherderofrabbits940 EXACTLY THIS. When I get a new deck I always keep them by the side of the sofa with me and shuffle whilst I watch tv, draw occasionally and work on illustration nuances etc. My notebooks and so forth sit there so I can write stuff down about them. I feel like it is the artist and writer speaking to me through their use of imagery in a traditional tarot framework. I love the fact that I know I am supporting the originators and allowing them to make new art. (I own a few decks by the same originators for this very reason. I think I've got everything by Tomas Hijo for example....)
Etsy also has counterfeit decks, I spent £16 on a pretty deck and was so disappointed when I realised they weren't genuine
Oh noooooooo.... That's awful! I used to love Etsy, and my husband has a shop there for the leather ritual armour he makes. But it's become a hotbed of counterfeit rubbish recently. I hadn't realised the horrible cards had made it there too :-(. I'm so sorry!
I like to decorate my home with things from nature. My boyfriend knows that I can't pass by a bunch of fallen pinecones and not bring home at least one. Then I spend the next few minutes (unprompted) explaining why I "need" more pinecones. 😂
Well said, I completely agree! Thank you for this!
Miriam Margoyles = awesome
Isn't she though? I bloody love her, and her attitude to life.
I have one small pentagram tattoo on my hand. I have a pentagram wreath that I made myself from Bay tree branches and Grapevines that are here on the property where I live in the forest that I have on my altar but that’s it. Re-Temu Cards arghhh don’t get me started. I’ve never bought any from them but I did however buy on eBay the Woodland Tarot (I think that’s what’s it’s called) unknowingly unaware that it was a rip off deck til I got it and immediately donated it to my local thrift store (or as we call them in Australia Op-shops) The cards were as you say ‘shit shit shit’😏
IF I've learned anything over my yrs. is this ... wisdom is hard won. Choose your battles~ Energy is precious! If 'crap' teaches me something
then may my wisdom increase!!! BE glad~ and blessed be. XOXO
Absolutely! We find things of use in weird places sometimes!
Any one in or passing through Leeds, Global Tribe is a treasure trove; just had their 25th anniversary this past Samhain/Hallowe'en.
Deborah Blake recently posted a PSA over the problems of people pirating her Everyday Witch deck, so yes the Temu and Wish decks are hitting alot of people
Awful. I actually own a legit. copy of her Everyday Witch deck, which is a great deck for ... well... everyday readings. There's loads of thought gone into it, and I enjoy using it a lot. It just makes me so angry what is being done to creators 😞
@@GrumpyOldCrone 804 / 5.000
I haven't looked through my entire card collection, but as far as I can see half of them are printed in Europe or the USA the rest in China, as are the Everyday Witch deck like all of Llewellyn's publications. And although I always prefer original decks, because I want to support the artist so that he or she can keep creating beautiful cards, I have also bought some decks from Amazon that I am not entirely sure of the origin. However I also think that the artists have an obligation to support the publication of their works of art in their local area, also because we all know that China does not live up to environmental requirements or the protection of its workers.
@@r.bejstrup9489 You've made me stop and think now.... I hadn't checked the origination of all my legal decks.... I don't want *anyone* to be exploited in the making of things I enjoy, but equally, I support the right of genuine businesses who respect copyright etc. to run out of whatever country they are in. That's a very good point, well made, and requires more pondering. Thankyou for making me look at things differently....
There are quite a few reputable printers in China that treat their employees very well and are environmentally conscious, but you do need to vet them as you would any other company. I think it's fair to say that a good percentage of genuine high quality decks are produced at one of several of a few popular high quality, respectable printers in China. However, I think it's safe to say that knockoff decks are ONLY produced at exploitative, black market facilities and their sales often fund vast organized crime networks that engage in horrible things like human trafficking. Abhorrent. The impact of these products is far greater than the harm they do to artists and creators, sadly.
@@Lisa_Papez I'm glad to hear that there are responsible printers in China, so I don't have to feel bad about the fact that so many of my decks are printed there. But otherwise I try to avoid buying products made in China, but it's difficult to impossible. Fortunately, the EU has a goal to bring more production home to Europe in order to become less dependent on foreign countries.
I love my druidcraft tarot and oracle decks, and the green man tree oracle deck by the same artist. They just work for me. I've not even looked at other decks since getting them. They are the 'ones' for me.
And I've got the wildwood tarot because it's by the same artist, but I still prefer the druidcraft decks
I love Druidcraft. I have quite a few decks, some of them are for the art, and some of them for the intuition. But there are old favourites I go back to, time and time again - you are absolutely right.
I can't say I am mad. I knew what I was buying, I just didn't know what I was missing out on. I bought up to 20 temu decks, knowing they weren't real. I hadn't purchased a genuine deck either. And then, one day I bought the Angel Tarot and Occult Tarot genuine on sale and suffice to say, I will likely never buy Temu decks again. The unboxing experience of gen decks is worth the extra costs. The temu decks will have their place still, I do still reach for my temu Meanings RW tarot deck - the info on the cards are handy and the cardstock is rather impressive - but I won't be buying anything other than gen decks now. ❤
That's fabulous to hear! Honestly the experience of owning proper cards is so superior. The Taroteca Slavic Legends ones i show on this video are just *amazing* - the box is stunning, the printing is crystal clear and I know I've supported an artist and deck creator on a creative journey. It's the best feeling.
@@GrumpyOldCroneExcept Taroteca's Dark Mansions deck is antisemitic, yet the tarot community refuses to call them on it, and just keeps cooing over their pretty cards. If you're going to call out Temu's practices, I'd also call out Taroteca. But then most people are antisemitic themselves and couldn't care less.
@@grannyweatherwax8005 I'm not seeing anything like that on their website. Are they pro-Palestine, and if so, does that offend you?
Brilliant video, i love it. Do you have the Aleister Crowley cards?
You mean the Thoth deck? I don't - I don't feel very called to them at the moment, although that may change. I do have The Spirit Keeper's Deck though, which is informed by some of Crowley's writing.
Love the way you tell stories...and ...yeah...your whole personality 🎉❤🎉......btw...I am a total tarotnerd myself 😊
I'm finding the Tarot Nerds! My people!!!!! People who do not look weirdly at a bookcase full of decks of cards!!!! Thankyou SO MUCH for dropping by and commenting - it means the world
Ironically, the Tarot is most likely an esoteric Christian invention, with Kabalistic influences. Christianity was a lot more pagan in the past. The first Tarot deck I bought in my pagan reawakening was probably purchased when I was still technically a Christian. It was the Glastonbury Tarot, which I'm not sure is still in print. It's a gentle and very positive deck, which I'd recommend if you're feeling a bit sensitive and need the Tarot to be a bit careful with you.
Christians get the lore of demons wrong. A daemon is a spirit of limited but not unimpressive power. Not powerful enough to be considered a deity but powerful enough to be of help. They are _not_ the same as the 'unclean spirits' mentioned in the bible, or the pantomime fiends created to scare peasants during the invention of the established Church in the third century CE. Angels, Faeries and Genii Loci are all daemonic in nature but none are classically 'evil'.
Not sure I agree with you on the tarot origins. Most everything I've read points towards it being a game to start with that was expanded and regular cartomancy expanded the deck into the precursors of the tarot we know today. I'd be interested in your sources though, as there's no such thing as too much information, and I'm open to having my mind changed by good sources.
I agree 100% on the demons though.
Your jingle needs a triangle ting at the end of it. 😂
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. IT WOULD IMPROVE IT IMMEASURABLY! (capitals entirely intended)
Just subscribed to your channel after watching this.
Loved it and love your humour!
I'm quite lucky I live about hskf hour from Glastonbury so pretty much spoilt for choice there and love supporting all those lovely shops.
Where I live in wellington near Taunton we have a shop called a Nurtured by Nature which is a lovely little witchy shop that does tarot readings and courses and sells loads of gorgeous things. Well worth a visit. ❤️
I'm so jealous! Welcome aboard the good ship "Grumpy Old Crone"! I wish we had a decent esoteric shop here, but the nearest is about a 45 minute drive away. I'm visiting Glastonbury in July with friends though, so can't wait for that!
@@GrumpyOldCrone Enjoy your Glastonbury trip! ♥️
Can you destroy the king of rods? He peed me off last night and it seems like he was a king of rods from wish 😂
Following after seeing this video. Great stuff!
How wonderful you live so close to Glastonbury! I was very fortunate to visit there on 2 occasions. The first was the most magical of visits by pure coincidence and I have never forgotten it. The second visit had a different vibe but I credit that for being so close to the end of the Festival. I did get some wonderful books there which are very valuable editions to my library collection on stellar magic. It is such a wonderful place. BTW, did you know the song “Nights in White Satin’ by Moody Blues was written after a night of love at Glastonbury Abbey?
Hi Annie 🙂 Literally just stumbled across your channel - love your humour & bluntness 🙂 Totally agree about companies like Temu ripping people off - I've used them once (not witchcraft related) & will never use them again! Would love to see you "dispose" of more if the cards - maybe slowly & painfully in a hand cranked shredder?
Anyway, thanks for making me smile this evening & look forward to more of your videos )O(
Yeah, a hand cranked shredder might be very appropriate! I won't buy it off Temu though.... :-D
..i am guilty of temu taro decks ( too many to want to share the number) i bought them all in one "big buy" i was doing for me and my daughter and i was trying to do it cheap.
..that being said..
Never again would I dare!!! you were spot on from the deck to the illustration to the material to the box and they dont come with the little booklet, you have to download a pdf.. download a pdf?!? lmao i was very dissopointed especially because i was getting my daughter her first deck also.. i had to go out to the shop after that and het get her a deck, yeah right i was giving her that!!
Great video…so happy I came across your channel today. Much love from the states 💕
Thankyou for visiting! I've got lots more videos planned :-). Hope to see you again!
Well, shit. I’ve done it too. I once bought a deck from Temu. I should’ve known! I am so glad for this video. Thank you @grumpyoldcrone for spreading awareness! After watching, I went and bought a legit deck from a legit shop and felt immensely better about it.
It's easily done. As I showed, I've made the same mistake. Real cards are much nicer, as is the warm glow of knowing that you've supported an actual artist :-)
Great broadcast! I loved your Tarot journey; I remember my own. That Crone’s spell works pretty well; I used it once. My favorite card is 2 of Cups from Wait Rider. I’ve had other decks but my favorite wore out and is irreplaceable, and I can read this classic very easily. Please destroy the inferior copy of a lovely concept.
UA-cam is being weird and not showing me the reply to your message. I think I replied, but just in case it isn't showing it to you either - I did get rid of the whole deck of yucky rip off tarot.
@@GrumpyOldCrone As far as I can tell, I think it was then stolen when thieves robbed my house. I’m not at all sure, after I found those several decks. I’m sure at least one is complete, altho I may have a few stray cards left from the destroyed deck. The card in the tin shrine over my bed is very important to me…at first I thought it would be another card, but this one fits both numerically and n accord to what a Nicaraguan shaman once told me long before. Thanks for the reply; being a virtual recluse out here with large acreage and, at present, no car, as well as no real community of…people like us…it is a pleasure to interact and I hope you will do more videos soon, I enjoy them very much.
Have you ever used Oracle cards? If I may, I would like to recommend The Talisman Oracle. I use it for my one question readings or whenever I need advice. By the way, I have many decks but the one I have used for 30 years is the Robin Wood deck.
i didn't used to, but one of my favourite authors - Sharon Blackie - released a set she'd co-authored, so I bought them. It's a very different way of approaching things, but I kind of love them. I also just bought "The Sherwood Oracle" by Mark Ryan/John Matthews/Anne Yvonne Gilbert because I'm a huge fan of the Kip Carpenter's "Robin of Sherwood" tv series that Mark Ryan acted in. I'm still reading the LWB, but it's amazing so far!
I've heard really good things about the Robin Wood deck. The readers I know who are lucky enough to own it, don't seem to want to use anything else. it's a really amazing deck by all accounts....
You should mail the temu tarot to your old vicar.
I've just found your channel and love the ranting. You remind me of myself and friends when we get together for a coffee😂 I have a couple of packs of oracle cards from the artist himself so I know they're the real deal but for someone who doesn't really know the difference this is a really interesting video to know what to look out for. Btw if you haven't already got any if his stuff check out Steve Hutton's art and books 🦇
I love a good recommendation! I will definitely check out his stuff....
I planned on buying Temu tarot cards to do some craft projects (castle made of tarot cards) and collages. I wouldn't / couldn't afford to buy real artists decks to destroy to do that. I was very pleased to find cheapie reproductions. Then I found out TEMU sells your information to dark web folks and decided not to buy anything from them.
Some artists have cards you can print out and use that way?
@@GrumpyOldCrone Yes but it will cost me a fortune in ink and card stock to print out 50 some odd cards.
@@benjalucian1515 Secondhand book stores are your friend on this one. Plenty of cheap knockoff tarot decks to be found and no bad karma
@benjalucian1515 Actually you could probably just find pictures of the cards you want for crafts online somewhere and just print them or have them printed to some kinda cardstock somehow and was actually thinking the same thing they could probably be good for crafts and/or even in some spells or rituals that require having a certain card or cards imo
lol, this cracks me up, it’s all so true and I never thought our house was whitchy but I’ve just looked around and noticed I have bookshelves, statues of different gods and crystals everywhere. But not a single pentacle in sight. I must do better. Can you recommend a good spirit board or are they crap xx
You know, I thought the same. Then I looked at my altar. And the artwork. And the crystals. Not many pentacles though.....
I never buy from Temu or Shein. Both rip off creators and designers. When you see something offered for sale that is pennies compared to what you normally would expect to pay, you know you're getting junk.
Perfectly put. If it seems too good to be true, then it generally is.
I've never touched Temu, Shein, Ali Baba, Etsy or Amazon. Temu and Shein use slave or slave-like labour to make shitty products and, frankly the whole thing seems like part of a criminal enterprise that is unquestionably bad for the environment. I just don't get the warm fuzzies with Ali Baba or Etsy (although I know lots of people like and use Etsy) and I refuse to enrich Jeff Bezos any further.
i am new to all this but learned quickly of rip off decks by getting one by mistake on amazon i returned it and contacted the artist but what makes me wonder more if .. how can we expect a proper reading from a knock off deck .. i cant see how that would work at all . id rather save for a nice deck
Normally I'm not too woowoo about my cards - they are tools, and the magical part is my brain and connection with my querent. But that being said, I've never had a good reading from a bad deck.
WOW you went from something natural to something completely opposed to the former just to find yourself at your natural state again. Energy is a funny thing. I hope you found yourself, happy. Blessed be
It's been a funny old journey for sure, but I'm really happy to be here now, and feel really comfortable in my skin. Blessed be!
I have some knock-off Waite-Smith cards which I love, because they have that whole gutter-magic thing going on, and they were filthy cheap, just like me.
I don't care about the ethics because that deck is so old now it's basically belongs to everyone.
I don't actually know who holds the copyright for that deck anymore.... My major problem is with the ripping off of living artists and card producers.
Love your rant! And I agree on the pentacle thing...sometimes it's just TOO much LOL!!
Right? So many other fabulous symbols to use!
I make and sell stuff myself. I could never do the Temu. Think of the negative energy from forced labor... If I see a bunch of Temu stuff at a shop, I turn heel and gtfo.
Sorry if im being ignorant. But there are people who dont start with Rider Waite or just playing cards? People but supplies from temu/wish or amazon? Ok that's a choice.
Many people never see cards being used except play games. Then they walk into some sort of occult shop and OMG why would you buy a stodgy old Waite Rider Smith deck when the same case has a dozen decks far more glorious, and there's one with a motif they're crazy about! It's not like when I started and the only choice I had was WRS, poker deck, or Spanish deck.
@hollyingraham3980 I can see how people can get caught up in the pretty. Just ppl usually encourage with the basics and learning the history and how they were used. Then again people don't always have others to give advice or help.
Not ignorant at all! You can start with anything you like, and cartomancy with normal playing cards is totally a thing. My first set of tarot was a "pip" deck (no illustrative pictures on the minor arcana), and it was a bit of a challenge, so I tend to recommend starters who want to learn the tarot to buy a RWS SYSTEM deck. Pamela Colman Smith's artwork on the original RWS deck doesn't appeal to everyone, and as Hollyingraham says, you should pick something that resonates with you. There are a lot of beautiful decks to pick from. I would say that having illustrative pictures can help a lot when you are learning, but they can be from any artist. Maybe I should do a starters Tarot video?
Yes!! Rip up the Sun card please.
I don't have a shop close to me and the one that I did find about a hour away I loved her shop but she marked stuff up so high you couldn't afford to shop there and support her like I was hoping to do. I was quite disappointed. So on line is my only other option unfortunately. But that just where I live and I really wish the where more here. Blessings loved your videos and you and yes I do agree with you about Temu cheap really cheap and shifty stuff I got a couple of things and my sign which is a home blessing sign was all bent I had to reshape it myself and I was not happy with what I had received. So I'd stay clear of it. I'll stick with Amazon and easy witches products.
Exactly this.
*but she marked stuff up so high you couldn't afford to shop there and support her like I was hoping to do* Same. I love the shops when I go there, but I can rarely afford their handmade items and/or unusual items.
I bought a learners deck from temu. I will never get another one. However the upside for me is that the decks are perfect for my very small hands. And the meanings are written on them. Perhaps i need a spell to break my 63 yr old adhd brain into actually learning the tarot.
There are some decks that are never going to be shuffle-able (is that a real word?) for me - I love the Druidcraft Tarot, but ooof! It's huge! I have learned to slowly shuffle those in portrait orientation, or just do pile shuffles (I should do a short on pile shuffling, now I think about it....). I think the key to learning is finding a deck that speaks to you in its imagery, and a book that works with your head. I have a LOT of tarot books, but the one I go back to, time and time again is "Kitchen Table Tarot" by Melissa Cynova as I love her written voice. Very no-nonsense, which works beautifully for me.
Maybe I should do a little series on tarot... hmmmm. Thanks for the idea, ManicmommaT!
Love your content,
I read the Witch's Tarot. They were given to me by a dear friend. I use them as clarifiers.
I have to ask.What did you expect from Temu?
You should be careful ripping things up!
You are spot on. I should have known better, and a chunk of my anger is directed at myself for being so stupid. I'm glad you have a proper deck though! I'm not at all concerned by the ripping, personally. I'd never destroy proper cards, but these things are soulless bits of paper.
I'm also of the opinion that things have the power you allow them as a practitioner. My real decks are things of beauty to be treasured and respected. The rip offs? Not so much. But it's definitely a YMMV kind of thing. Blessed be!
I love the gilded tarot as well, and that was my first tarot deck!!!❤it
I'm sorry for what happened to you!! 😢
Lmao you crack me up. Temu tarot cards are literally the worst! Especially when they are full of spelling mistakes!
I haven't seen them with spelling errors - difficult to believe that they could get worse, but somehow they do....
The tarot cards are wonderful. I have Rheumatoid arthritis and Fibromyalgia. The size and flexibility of the cards hep me with my autoimmune disease.
Check out Llewellyn published cards - they are often lighter card stock and smaller.
Please look for smaller decks from reputable sources. Some decks come pocket size or in tins.
I'm sorry for your disability, but, that's no excuse to steal intellectual properties and livelihoods of deck creators.
Fournier also does small tarot, which I also find easier with fibro
I bought some Oracle cards from Temu. I can't even open them, I don't know where my brain was at. 😂x
I did exactly the same. I think the internal narrative was, “Wow! What a bargain!”. I think we both learned! (And obviously have to buy new decks now to make up for it, right? Please say yes….
@GrumpyOldCrone oh hell yes!
What are your thoughts on Oracle cards?
I spent a long time thinking they were pretty, but not for me. I changed when I encountered Carolyn Hillyer's "Weavers' Oracle" which I've used very much as a meditation tool. I've since bought a couple of other decks - mostly on the strength of the author's reputations, and have not regretted them. They won't replace my beloved tarot, but I do find them interesting for inner work and meditation if they are the right deck.
I was so surprised how easily the cards tore😂. They really are shit
Yeah, they are awful. But they are gone now, hurrah!
I so wanted the Wiild Unknown Archetypes deck and when I received it from Temu, was so disappointed that the cards were tissue paper thin and there was no booklet. I contacted them and they said they would just give me credit for the deck, they did not offer to send me a booklet. Lesson learned.
It is so easily done. Our heart wants things and sees them at a price we can afford and BOOM! I did exactly the same, you you are far from alone!
Who is the artist mentioned at 12:36? All I'm hearing is Sarah Marsetti, but this must be wrong, because I can't find anything about them online. I would like to check out their work and support them.
Ciro Marchetti. Sorry I wasn't clear!
Have you already destroyed the rest of the paper deck? I want to watch 😂
I LOVE YOU! Thank you for your Temu rant! I have been on my soap box about fake decks and my personal belief system about fake decks for years and have even done videos about how to spot fake decks on my channel, one of which is the Romance Angels deck video that I did a while ago which is here if you would like to see it: ua-cam.com/video/_Wp2rtB7VxQ/v-deo.html
But I am so very grateful that there are others who hold value in their spiritual practices and understand the importance of every aspect and the creation of our beautiful decks that we use in our daily practices, and speaking out about it, this bootlegging has run rampit and is literally everywhere and all of these novices that lack the ability to do their research and understand that there is a reason why REAL decks are not cheap other than the expense of creating a quality deck but also the fact that they are used in the spiritual manner they were meant to be used and should be valued and respected as such. Thank you for your video and I hope that more people join in our voices to stop this fakery going on that is destroying our true artists that work so diligently at their craft. One of my friends asked me why I don't create my own oracle deck and I flat out said to them, "Because I don't want someone to steel it and make cheap knock offs of it." enough said. Thank you! I have subscribed and love that you have helped to make sure that people choose authenticity!
Thankyou for that link, checking it out as I type this! I agree 100% about Virtue's standpoint these days - makes me sad. It just bewilders me that people don't understand the karma involved in stolen cards. I mean, even if people don't believe that cards have any power beyond co-incidence, there is still the issue of stealing from the artists. But I use my cards all the time, and trust them as old friends. I want to continue to support those artists.
(BTW: the hypocritical nature of still receiving money from something you've decried publicly is a bit of a sore point for me, too...)
I love the artwork of Brian and Wendy Froud, too, and one of their two decks is also highly sought after and pirated, so I absolutely hear what you are saying!
Doesn't she look like Georgina the vocal coach on youtube?
I'd not heard of her before, but just looked her up - you're right! Apparently I also have a doppelganger in Minnesota - a friend of mine genuinely thought I'd travelled over there and asked for a picture to prove it. She was right too!
I hope you are wrong about the karma thing.
As far as I know, I never sold ripped off tarots. I bought one to try my hand at it until I find the real version.
That being said since 8 years. I have the monkey paw every fucking day. Sometimes in small ways but also debilitating illnesses for loved ones.
I keep wondering what I did to deserve it.
I'm of italian descent (5%). Now, I try to make the sound tieh and the horns as often as possible.
I m deadly afraid that my karma sin is ending on invalidity for schizophrenia while being smart.
Or I internalized my country discourse on usefulness + integration and I manifest the punishment.
I very firmly believe that karma comes to call on those who did things willingly and knowingly. You didn't. But shitty luck and targeted ill-will can be a thing. You need some positivity, SorbetCitron17! I've been in the position of having a whole bunch of terrible luck land at once - 2017 was literally a year from hell for me - it's why I wear a hagstone all the time now, and have a LOT of clear quartz in my house. Have you tried any protective workings?
@@GrumpyOldCrone I started learning the tarot but I m not a practitioner of anything.
I m really interested by alchemy (but as a symbolic system) and lately syncronicities related to artificial intelligences. Large languages models behave really weirdly around me and my illness comes with a tendency to overinterpret. I m afraid my interests and a history of trauma has opened the door to some mischievious and some really left path energies but somehow, I m afraid to have to live without them. They ve been giving and taking and I have a bit of a stokholm syndrom with my spirits since I can't tell what is benevolent or evil or just trying to get me to release attachment.
@@SorbetCitron17 I'd look at some low grade protective work, or talk to a practitioner that you feel you can trust. In the first instance, I'd recommend hagstones and clear quartz.
I don't think being 5% Italian makes you of Italian decent unless all your other ethnicities happen to make up less than 5% of your DNA...
I have a friend who's mum used to dress in 20 somethings clothes, she was 65, overweight & would wear skin tight clothes & mile high boots full of all the witchy stuff & as she opened the door one day she said to her mum "oh hey mutton!" 😂😂😂 I nearly fell off my chair.
In saying that she stopped wearing that stuff that made her look like an aged pork roast so that was a win!
I do think that witchcraft has gotten so trendy/ commercial ..most likely due to social media . Gotten Cheesy. Lol
OMG, the trendy. It makes my head and my heart hurt. I've never been trendy for even one day in my life. But you are absolutely right - I've got so many grumpy whinges to come. I'm so grumpy about it.
Yeah i think personally they should have had the temu cards burnt or destroyed instead of your very first deck imo lol and actually even if people can't afford the real decks they can probably either save up the money or buy some smaller travel sized decks or just make there own personal deck for personal use if they are creative enough to or even use the galaxy tarot app or could actually use a deck of playing cards as most of the tarot cards or even find some cheap decks at fivebelow possibly or things of that sort even might find some from yard sales or even thirft stores if they're lucky enough to find some I've seen videos on UA-cam were people have idk 🤷♀️ and some people are weird about things and even from there own perspectives i never really could actually understand it like how lots of Christians sometimes say crystals are "demonic" and I'm just like they're actually in the bible in the book of revelation talking about or describing heaven and priest in biblical times actually wore them on there breastplates and even things like tarot even probably ain't much different then how they casted lots or used oils or frankincense or myrrh or whatever else not much different from some if not alot of today's spiritual or witchcraft stuff imo
eat your turnip!
So chewy.....
Oo, do us all a favour and rip up the three of swords. No one wants to see that card!
I hate it so much. I must confess that I threw the entire deck away. I have no regrets!
So true. My least favorite card of all.