Missing or Damaged Tarot Cards
No one wants to lose or damage a Tarot card. But it happens. Some people even choose to purchase incomplete Tarot decks, paying a fraction of the price of what the deck would cost normally. This post discusses the views on incomplete Tarot decks and some of the options available if you want to work with an incomplete deck.
RWS Tarot - Pamela Coleman Smith. Published by Lo Scarabeo in 2016 (The “Dirty Pam”) (Out-of-Print)
The sad story of my Dirty Pam Tarot
Today is a sad day. I recently lost The Star card from my most treasured Tarot deck - “The Dirty Pam” - and today I found it; damaged beyond repair. This highly sought after deck was published by Lo Scarabeo in 2016 and the edition is out-of-print. It was synchronistic that this deck came into my collection in the first place; so that prompted me to consider whether it was also synchronistic that my most loved deck is now incomplete. So, I thought I would look into the various views about missing and damaged Tarot cards and what you can do with an incomplete deck.
What does it mean when you lose or damage a Tarot card?
I personally don’t believe in coincidences. I believe everything happens for a reason and that the Universe is always communicating with us. So, naturally, I think lost or damaged cards come with a message. Whether or not you can relate to this view will depend on your beliefs around Tarot and the Universe in general. But if you believe in signs and synchronicities, then this section of the post may resonate with you.
To decipher the message of a lost card, the first step is to determine which card is missing. There is a lesson in every card, so if a card goes missing, reflect on what this could be saying to you. If The Hermit disappears, it may be a sign that you need to spend some time alone. And once you adhere to the lesson of the lost card by spending some time in your own company, don’t be surprised if that missing card is suddenly found.
Similarly, if you damage a card, this can have significance as well. If you spill coffee on the Five of Pentacles, maybe your caffeine intake is negatively impacting your health. Or maybe you are spending too much money on coffee each week and you need to be more cautious with your spending. For me, when I found my missing Star card, she was battered, damp and dirty. She was no longer a thing of pristine beauty (which is ironic since today is the first day of Taurus season and Venus loves all things beautiful). But once I got over my initial shock of seeing her in that state, I realised how perfect it was that it was the Star card specifically that ended up this way. Why? Because The Star comes after The Tower. No one comes out of a tower moment looking healed, tranquil and blessed. Instead, they emerge from the chaos feeling banged up and exhausted, with plenty of battle scars to carry with them throughout the next chapter of their journey - and this is exactly what the new version of my Star card depicts. Not everything will be flowers and rainbows on the other side of a Tower moment, but you will be forever altered by it. With experience comes wisdom, and there is a unique beauty that glows within someone who has been through the hard times and made it out. I think The Star was acknowledging that healing is not glamourous, but it creates an inner strength and beauty that is deep and inspiring. The message was a reminder to be proud of yourself for surviving the storm.
Now, depending on your view, you may think that I’m reading far too much into this situation and that the only lesson of losing my Star card was simply not to read Tarot anywhere that the wind can blow away your cards. And whilst that was definitely part of the lesson, I don’t think it was the only lesson. I could have learnt that lesson with any deck. It was because this is my most loved deck that it made me really consider the broader message. The Stars aligned for me to originally obtain this deck, it was The Star card that went missing, and it was the first day of Taurus season when I found it in its less-than-pristine state. Again, I don’t believe in coincidences.
Can you work with an incomplete Tarot deck?
The answer to this question is yes. But whether you want to work with an incomplete deck, and how you will do so, is a matter of personal preference. Some people say losing a card is a bad omen and that working with an incomplete deck is bad luck. I personally don’t agree with that, so the rest of this post discusses ways you can use an incomplete deck.
How to read with an incomplete Tarot deck
There’s a reason that the Tarot has 78 cards. In my experience, reading with less than 78 cards means you can potentially miss a key part of the story. If you’ve got an incomplete deck but still want to read with it, below are some options for you.
Replacement cards
Firstly, if the deck is in-print, contact the publisher and see if you can get a replacement card. If the deck is in-print, you could also purchase another copy of the deck (either new or used) and then use the incomplete deck as a backup copy should any other cards go missing or get damaged.
If your deck is out-of-print, finding a replacement card will be a lot tougher. However, keep an eye on eBay and similar websites as replacement cards do come up every now and then. In fact, if you decide you no longer want your incomplete deck, consider selling the cards individually as replacement cards to help someone who is in the same boat as you are.
Utilising the title card
Most decks come with a title card. If this is the case, you can use it to stand in for the missing card. You could also use it to create your own version of the card by drawing on it or adding stickers - just be careful if you are sticking anything to the card as it will increase the thickness compared to the rest of the deck.
Using a portion of the deck
Depending on the card that is missing, you can use a portion of the deck for your readings. You could:
create a Majors only deck;
use the court cards as significators; or
create a deck of traditional playing cards using the Minor Arcana.
Make it into an oracle deck
You could decide to use the deck as an oracle rather than a Tarot. Oracle decks have no structure, so you could consider writing a key word or phrase on each card that works with the card image and use the deck as any other oracle.
Alternative ways to use an incomplete Tarot deck
There are many ways you can work with an incomplete Tarot deck without specifically reading with it.
Creative projects or journalling
There are countless creative ways you could use a Tarot deck. Some ideas include:
using the cards for journalling, scrapbooking or as a study resource.
using individual cards as bookmarks.
making windchimes or a mobile to hang in your house.
framing your favourite cards.
creating art in whatever form that looks like for you.
Give away individual cards or leave them for someone to find
If you are happy to gradually let go of your incomplete deck, you could gift certain cards away. Perhaps you could ask a client to draw a card from the incomplete deck at the end of a reading and let them keep it. Or you could draw a card for someone’s birthday and gift the card to them. If you have a Tarot business or read cards for other people, you could even create unique business cards out of your incomplete deck.
Another fun option is to leave a card in random a place for someone to find. You could leave the card unaltered or write a message on the back; but either way, stumbling across a Tarot card can be a truly magical experience and it is a wonderful act of service to offer wisdom or a glimmer of hope to a stranger.
Retirement
If you had a strong relationship with a deck before a card was lost or damaged, sometimes the only thing that feels right is to retire it from readings and keep it as a collectable. In fact, some people consider losing a card to be a sign that you have completed your work with that deck, indicating that it is time to retire the deck and move on to a new one. This is how I feel about my Dirty Pam. This deck has a special place in my collection, so it will now live on my alter as a sentimental deck, with The Star laminated and in pride of place as a reminder of the message it had to share.
Conclusion
There are many ways you can work with an incomplete deck. However, your relationship to the deck and whether you intend to read with it or not will inform how you choose to use the deck in your Tarot practice. My only advice if you lose or damage a card is to consider what the card can teach you. The Tarot always has wisdom to share, and sometimes the cards that are missing in a reading will speak louder than the cards that were drawn.
