There are occasions when you might want to perform something more particular and ritualized rather than simply shuffling the tarot deck to purify and clear the energy of the cards. Cleaning your deck could seem like a nice place to start if you’re just starting to understand tarot.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
In This Article...
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. To keep the link strong and clear, think of it as a little spiritual hygiene. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t worry about it if you don’t think your deck need it. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.
Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck
Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.
On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). Although an hour would suffice, I prefer to let it rest like this for the entire night.
Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.
Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.
Shuffle in chaos. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.
the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.
Do I need to always cleanse my tarot cards before using them?
That’s correct
Magdaleno really suggests cleaning your deck before each reading to achieve the most accurate results. It’s always ideal to start with a cleansing to clear the cards for your reading, whether it’s for yourself or someone else, she advises.
How are tarot decks well cleaned?
Tarot cards should be frequently cleansed to remove any bad energy, just like with any other divination technique. How frequently should a tarot deck be cleansed? Depending on how frequently you read for other people and under what circumstances, it would be prudent to cleanse them every day. If not, you could perform a Tarot cleanse every week or according to the Moon’s phases, depending on how you use the cards. If you’ve had your cards for a while and want to give them a little refresh or your readings feel a little “stale,” you may also deep cleanse your deck using a variety of techniques. Obviously, you should also clean every new deck you acquire.
A lovely technique to add some intuitive, lunar magic to your deck is to align it with the energy of the Moon phase. Every New Moon and Full Moon, I enjoy taking a moon bath with my deck to match my aspirations with the celestial Zodiac cycles.
Here are 9 quick techniques for purifying Tarot cards:
Sun or Moonlight Bath
One of the most common approaches, and with good reason too! It’s easy to use but effective. Simply leave your cards somewhere secure in the moonlight or sunlight for 24 hours will do the trick. This might be on your window sill or in your backyard. You can leave your cards in their box for added security, but I prefer to take mine out so the luminary energy can touch each one. Make sure they won’t be disturbed by animals, get soaked by rain or dew, or fly off in the wind! After cleaning them, you can bring them inside and take a moment to sit with them while re-infusing your intention into the deck.
Without tools, how can you clean a tarot deck?
I think it’s a good idea to clear, cleanse, and then charge your new tarot cards before utilizing that deck, especially a fresh one.
Even if nothing else, this assists in harmonizing the card’s energy with your own. By doing this, you will strengthen your connection to the cards, resulting in readings that are more precise and insightful.
Therefore, put aside some time for a clearing and purifying ritual before using your tarot cards. Despite the fact that I employ two different terms, they are interchangeable. comparable to bathing your hair followed by conditioner The same ritual can be used to charge.
The methods for clearing and purifying your tarot deck are listed below. Plan a method to neutralize and clear the cards, another procedure to perform an energy “deep clean or cleanse, and then a final step to charge them, whether you utilize any of these instruments or none at all.
Blowing & Knocking
My personal favorite, blowing and knocking the cards, comes first. Spread your cards out in one hand after taking them. Start blowing lightly on the cards. Usually, one breath is sufficient.
Create a tidy pile of the cards, then knock it against the top of the deck. Your cards have been purified of negative energy and are now prepared for your next reading.
Moon Bath
A fantastic time to release old energy from oneself and any possessions is during the full moon. Consequently, the full moon is the ideal time to clear and purify your tarot cards.
How are tarot cards activated?
What to Do First:
- Get out your tarot deck.
- In your hand, hold the cards.
- “Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
- Shuffle the cards completely.
- The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.
How are fresh tarot cards blessed?
Your playing cards will inevitably take up on any unfavorable energy that gather around you as you employ them. On the other hand, the leftover energy of the people you’ve given readings to can also accumulate.
It’s a good idea to routinely cleanse your cards because of this. The goal is to realign the cards towards their receptive neutral default condition by clearing the opposing and adversarial energies surrounding them.
A full moon charge is a common technique for blessing your playing cards. You can achieve this by setting your playing cards beside your window or somewhere else where they can get a lot of moonlight on a full moon night.
Filling your cards with the sun’s radiant energy is an alternative. The procedure is the same as a full moon charge, but you should exercise caution because heat and humidity might warp and harm your cards.
You can choose to bless and purify your cards with a crystal as well. When your cards are not in use, you can continuously purge them of any lingering outside energy and concentrate the cards’ inherent power by placing a piece of clear quartz on them.
Other well-liked gems include black tourmaline, which acts as a grounding agent and can absorb bad energy, and amethyst, which can enhance psychic insight.
Questions you don’t really want answered
Even though it might seem apparent, it’s advisable to refrain from asking the tarot cards questions that you aren’t prepared to hear the answers to. That’s because answers to these questions can reveal information you’re just not quite ready to hear.
“Tarot can definitely come off as offensive if you’re not willing to hear the truth or consider an opposing point of view. Tarot reading Nicole Fortunaso
According to tarot reader and life coach Nicole Fortunaso, “tarot may truly come out as offensive if you are not willing to hear the truth of the problem or look at an alternate viewpoint.” She advises considering why you’re responding the way you are in order to reflect on the best way to address the underlying cause if you ask the question and are unsatisfied with the response.
How are tarot cards maintained?
Your tarot deck should be cleared, or cleansed, of any negative energies it may have absorbed from work, rest, or handling by others. Each of the four natural elements and the fifth element, spirit, are linked to a certain cleaning procedure in the list below. I have contemplated which element corresponds to which technique and have come to the following findings.
Under the name for each technique, I’ve listed the element I’ve given it, along with a brief justification of my decision. Although it may be too soon to say this, I’ll see you in the comments area if you disagree with my selections and would like to share which components you would move around.
Visualisations
Spirit is associated with an element. We are attempting to absorb or assimilate their essences and spirits to blend with our own by drawing down or pulling up white light from the skies or the earth.
After a long day of work, using meditation-based practices is a terrific way to calm yourself while also clearing the energy from your playing cards. It’s also crucial to keep in mind that while pulling white light up via and from the earth is beneficial for grounding, pulling white light down through and into yourself or your cards can serve to purify. Once more, draw the white light up into your cards. If you are doing this for yourself, don’t forget to draw the light up through your feet and up through the rest of your body.
While really holding your tarot cards in your hands, you can extend that practice beautifully by seeing yourself holding them and then either bringing the light down or up through your cards and your body. You are connected to your cards when you are holding them. What better way to clean them than to do it simultaneously, in unison?
Nancy of Tarot Explorer describes how she asks her spirit guides to bless her deck after smudging it in the Smudging and Incense chapter below. It is a fantastic adaption to her technique to use that portion of her method here, during a visualisation.
I always “clean the cards” before or right after a reading as part of my personal ritual. I do this by visualizing a beam of pure white light from above piercing the cards and instantly purging them of all prior energy. Angel’s Tarot by Anton Rossi
Smudging and incense
Fire is an elemental connection. The smudge stick or incense is lit and kept burning by fire. It is the only element capable of transforming one item into another and has long been linked to rites of purging and cleansing.
It’s obvious why this approach is by far the most common one. This method seems to work because we have memories of frankincense from our time in church. Just the sight and smell of the smoke conjures up a genuine sense of purification.
Look for white sage when using a smudge stick, though lavender smudge is also beneficial if you can locate it. There are several types, aromas, purities, and intensities of incense. Each has unique traits, connections, and purposes. The range is enormous and may be a little perplexing. Try what you can find or what you already have, is my advise to you. I have successfully employed a wide variety of smudgings in my own practice. Be less anxious about having to discover the ideal smudge or incense; you will, after much trial and error, and I can attest that the process is really enjoyable.
I sage a new deck when I acquire one (light dried native sage and pass the deck several times through the smoke). The sage smoke purifies the cards and establishes a sacred area around them. I then make a request to my spirit guides to bless the deck and assist me in using it solely for the benefit of the person I’m reading for. Tarot Explorer Nancy Hendrickson Bonnie Cehovet, Laura Goodfellow, Rainbow Tarot, Misha, Tarot by Misha, and I ourselves are also fans.
Moon energy
Water is associated with an element. La Lunar has long been linked to water because of her feminine, enigmatic, and fluid spirit. She has the ability to control enormous oceans as well as your body.
Tarot deck clearing with lunar energy works wonders. The simplest method is to just set your deck on the window sill or close to one and allow the moon to clear and revitalize your cards. Although it is helpful, a full moon is not necessary, especially if it can be seen from the window next to where you plan to put your deck. I have used this strategy successfully many times before. As the Tarot Lady indicates below, you can also incorporate a small ritual utilizing crystals around this method. If you want to add a little atmosphere to your Full Moon ritual, add candles, but be careful! Lighting incense or smudging before the ritual can also be very helpful.
Overnight, place the cards in the moonlight, loose. However, keep them inside and place them on a lovely blanket or a basket that you prefer. Toby Cehovet
When I first began my journey into the fascinating world of divination and magick, the only time I *had to* cleanse a Tarot deck was then. I had purchased a used deck, and every time I lifted it up to use it, I would get a headache. As a novice, I was a little unclear of what to do and by pure luck, rather than expertise, I discovered a ritual that has served me well ever since. I wrapped my deck (in a box) in a black lay cloth, put salt on top of it, and set it on the window sill for 24 hours. I still don’t get headaches when I use that deck. Witch Blog by Lyn
Shuffling and re-ordering the deck
Air is the associated element. Focused mental effort is very much required during shuffling, being methodical, and logically rearranging your deck. Imagine the subtle hand motions of shuffleboarding, which are swift to the touch and light as air.
This method is very well-liked and only takes you to sit down with your deck and play with it softly (as we do), shuffle it until you feel it has been cleansed, or put the cards back in their original order before rearranging them. I haven’t actually done this previously, however lately while working on some spread designs, I unintentionally did the latter. The deck had been rearranged for the task I was doing, and when I mixed it back up again for readings, I discovered that the same deck was extraordinarily accurate.
Favored by Bonnie Cehovet, Misha, Tarot by Misha, and Lori Green, who incorporates a little incense into her ceremony (see above).
Using crystals
Earth is associated with an element. With the essence and power of the earth within her. Crystals effortlessly ground and radiate that force to everything in their immediate vicinity, gracing it with the spirit of nature.
I adore crystals and use them constantly throughout the day. I can hold one in my hands to clear my head or to help me concentrate. In addition to the fantastic advise from the Tarot Lady below, I frequently use one to sit on top of an opened deck while readings or simply because I’m using the deck in another capacity and may be leaving it unattended for a while. It still involves a crystal and a tarot card, but the focus is on guarding rather than cleaning.
For many tarot and spiritual pursuits, clear quartz and amethyst are excellent all-arounders.
My personal method when I feel that my deck has been “depleted” is to place it on a shelf with a crystal on top of the deck. I frequently use a quartz crystal, but if I feel the deck has gotten unbalanced, I may also use a smokey quartz or a hematite (this can happen if I read for a client who has really bad or spacey energy). I also make an effort to place the deck squarely in the moonlight during full moons, as this appears to really charge the deck magnificently. The Tarot Lady, Theresa Reed
Can another person manipulate your tarot cards?
If you have been reading Tarot for years without allowing anybody else to touch your cards and this is how you prefer it to be done, maintain reading in this manner. Do it if it works.
However, if you are new to tarot and unsure about whether you should allow others to touch your cards when reading for them, REST! Others are welcome to touch freely. In fact, I believe that doing this makes a reading seem more genuine. You simply need to believe in the strength of your intention to afterwards purge any negative energy from your Tarot deck.
What are your thoughts on this? I’m interested to know! Therefore, please share your thoughts regarding individuals touching your cards in the comments section below. Do you agree with it? Or do you strictly enforce a no-touch policy?
What kind of incense works well to purify tarot cards?
For purifying rituals, incense is burned in many religious traditions. White sage, sweet grass, and palo santo are the three most often used purifying incenses in the West. With its woodsy and vibrant aroma, palo santo is my favorite.
Stick, cone, or loose incense are further options. Pick an incense that is connected with blessing or purification.
Some readers clean their deck of cards one by one. However, if you want to use the entire deck in one attack, go ahead and do that.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to cleanse yourself or your reading area to remove any unwanted energy. Tarot readers frequently smudge themselves before and after readings (particularly when reading for someone else).
Use cleansing sprays produced from essential oils if you enjoy incense but suffer from severe allergies or are sensitive to smoke. Sprays for cleaning are excellent.
Sprays come in a range of base oils, including sage, palo santo, etc. For that aura-cleansing deliciousness to work, simply spray your surroundings and yourself. Avoid directly spraying your cards or you run the risk of harming them.
As a side note, using incense to purify is known as smudging. You should read Asali Earthworks’ piece, “Language Has Power,” which discusses the problems with this term’s adoption.
