How To Break In New Tarot Cards

You can experience confusion and overload if this is your first experience with tarot and other woo-woo practices. You quickly shuffled your cards before flipping over each one one at a time. It’s not like you’ll be able to instantly remember what all the cards signify, and you still don’t feel ready to pick cards for yourself or others.

Breathe in deeply. Not all of us instantly become instant readers the moment we hold a deck of cards.

In This Article...

Focus first on giving your new tarot deck a hefty break-in.

You need to play your cards a little bit, just like you would with a pair of running shoes, a hard pair of pants, or homemade pizza dough. Allow them to stretch a little. Let them help you exercise your tarot-reading skills.

Whether you’re a preternaturally woowoo person or a pragmatic person (like me), there are ways to use your new tarot deck a first time that will help you break them in.

You can get to know your deck on your own terms by using these exercises, which are suitable for both muggle-centric tarot aficionados and ritual-obsessed witchy individuals. Consistently using these methods can gradually pique your interest in learning the tarot within the parameters that your new deck establishes.

How are tarot cards broken in?

2. Position your deck during the New or Full Moon. Imagine the moon’s beams touching and anointing your brand-new deck if you think in the power of the moon. But if you’re from a place like the Philippines, you need to be careful! Moisture and unexpected downpours of rain can harm your priceless new cards. I occasionally place my deck near my window so that it has a slight outdoor sensation without being dangerous.

After some extensive use, this is a great way to “clear your deck.” It feels excellent to let the moon refresh your deck symbolically. You can also encircle your deck with your favorite stones if you have a collection of crystals.

3. Commence utilizing it for noteworthy events. A fresh deck may spice up any celebration, whether you choose to use it exclusively for Beltane or Ostara in accordance with the pagan Wheel of the Year, or you want to infuse your birthday with extra charm.

You might even limit the times when you utilize your deck. You may, for instance, create a special tarot deck exclusively for readings about the moon cycle or readings that entail shadow work.

On the other hand, I could use my recently acquired OG Starchild Tarot to inspire an altar full of celestial-themed accessories, including twinkle lights, crystals in luminous yellows, dark, night-sky blacks, and cool blues, a cloth decorated with constellations, and perhaps putting The Star card out and on display.

5. Put your brand-new tarot deck beneath your pillow as you sleep. Absolute superstition, this The night before a huge exam, I used to do this to simulate the information seeping into my subconscious (lol, reassure me that I’m not the only one). You can truly, physically bond and spend time with your tarot deck by sleeping with it beneath your pillow. And why not try it if you believe all that woo woo about images actually penetrating your subconscious?

How are fresh tarot cards cleaned?

While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.

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

Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?

Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. 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 stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. 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). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.

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.

Unorderly shuffle. 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.

How are fresh tarot cards energized?

Here are four simple steps to purifying tarot cards.

Meditate. Simply unwind for a moment and get rid of all your thoughts.
Pass each card through the smoke after burning sage.
Place bay leaves within the deck of cards.
And for protection, place a crystal on top.

How is a fresh Tarot deck connected?

Advice on connecting with your tarot cards whether it’s your first time using them or you’ve owned your deck for a while.

Connecting or reconnecting to your deck can be a helpful activity, regardless of whether you haven’t picked up your deck in a long, are hesitant to conduct a reading for yourself, feel “wrong” with the readings you’ve been conducting, or have purchased a new deck.

Check out Reading Tarot for Beginners: How to Start Reading Tarot for Yourself for advice on how to pick your deck.

Being a competent reader requires you to connect with your tarot deck. But you must invest time, effort, and attention in a good relationship.

How can I tell if I’m not meant to work with a deck or I just need to reconnect?

The connection you have with the deck has to be strengthened, or it might not be the best fit for you at this time, if you’re having trouble getting a good reading from it or feel off with it.

It’s possible that you and your tarot deck aren’t intended to be in a serious long-term relationship if you don’t feel like you connect with it or if you don’t appear to speak the same language. There is a deck available for you if you want to learn, therefore this does not imply that you are not destined to be a reader.

However, there’s also a strong chance that you can establish the connection with a little time and effort. especially if you were initially drawn to your deck.

You can utilize some decks for specific purposes and not others. The majority of your magic will probably be performed with one main deck, although you may occasionally use other decks for fun, support, or clarity. Since decks are exquisite works of art, I love collecting them. And I adore using them when I want to switch things up or am performing a certain style of reading, but I only use my original ride or die deck for all of my professional readings and lectures.

All of this is to indicate that testing out a variety of decks is a wonderful idea. For your first deck, conduct some study, examine the imagery, and choose the one that sparks your interest.

Here are some methods for getting back on your deck. I’ve listed them in the sequence I’d perform them, but you should feel free to customize this exercise according to your own preferences.

How to connect with your tarot cards

You can accomplish this in a number of ways, including by shuffling, using crystals, moonlight, salt, or sacred incense. Click here to learn more about cleaning your deck.

Hold your cards firmly in your palms while taking a few deep breaths. After that, think about the intention you want to have for your practice with them. It could be a word, a sentence, or an emotion. You can use this time to ask any guides or spirits you enjoy working with for assistance or to help you open your channel to divine advice that is in your highest and best interests.

Cleaning the energy in the deck through shuffling. Additionally, it creates the random system that allows us to access the advice we need from the deck. We can gain a completely new viewpoint from the cards because of the randomness that shuffling creates; by doing so, we are deviating from logic and embracing the unknowable. Check out this article on card shuffling.

To get to know one another, gain some fresh perspectives, and, yes, bond, spend some time completing a tarot spread that is tailored to your deck.

What details about you do you want me to know?
Your restrictions?
What type of partnership are we capable of having?
What task are we supposed to complete jointly?
Which card can currently be my teacher?
How can I use this card to explore deeper?

Make putting your deck away a ceremony. You might keep it in a box, cover it in a special scarf, place a crystal on top of it, or place it on an altar while not in use. Choosing to follow this quick procedure at the conclusion of each session or day is a way to show your deck some love, gratitude, and appreciation.

Bonus Tarot bonding exercises:

the whole picture The Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22 should be arranged in lines of seven cards across. Next, arrange the Ace through King cards for each suit in the following order: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Take a good look at the deck in this format. Then thoroughly jumble everything together.

Select a map. To serve as your anchor and guide for connecting with your deck and intuition, choose a card based on its look and/or its meaning. Write down all the thoughts, emotions, and queries this card triggers for you in a journal. Use it to meditate. Keep track of how it manifests in your daily life and tarot practice (and keep a notebook of your observations!). When not using your deck, place this card on your altar. You can carry out this for a week or a lunar cycle before selecting another.

Put your deck beneath your pillow while you sleep. You can connect with the cards in your unconscious time if you can make it comfy.

Also keep in mind that it takes time to establish a connection and relationship with your deck. Like any relationship, it evolves as you develop and gain new knowledge.

How are tarot cards activated?

What to Do First:

Get out your tarot deck.
The cards are in your hand.
“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.

Do you need to always purify your tarot cards?

That’s correct

Magdaleno really suggests cleaning your deck before each reading to achieve the most accurate results. She advises starting with a cleansing to make the cards clear for your reading, whether it’s for yourself or someone else.

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 opinion. 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 analyzing why you’re reacting the way you are in order to reflect on how to effectively address the underlying problem if you ask the question and aren’t satisfied with the response.

Without sage, how can a tarot card be blessed?

Tips for Purifying and Blessing Your Tarot Cards

Incense/Smudging. Using Palo Santo incense to purify tarot cards
During a full moon. Tarot cards are purified using the moon.
Sun bathing. Tarot Deck Cleaning with the Sun.
bowl that sings. Use it if you have one.
I rap on the deck.

Tarot cards can be charged in the sun.

The cards are exposed to direct sunlight in this approach. Usually, bathing in warm sunlight for a few hours is enough to charge the cards.

The Sun is a more masculine, logical, and clarity-filled force than the Moon. And by all means do so if your cards “inform” you to charge them with such energy. There are also no Phases to take into account with the Sun. In a few hours, you may charge your cards, and you’re pretty much set to go!

Can I go to bed with my tarot deck?

It’s crucial to have a deck you identify with because tarot reading is such a very personal experience for each reader.”

Find the deck that resonates with you. Avoid looking at the most well-liked decks. Even if you’re purchasing online, Katelan advises taking a closer look at each deck to see which one appeals to you.” To discover a deck that speaks to you, consider how they are drawn and how they are arranged. She claims that several times she purchased or was given a deck that was lovely but didn’t exactly fit her needs. If you want accurate tarot readings, according to Katelan, you can’t force it.” Finding the deck that works for you is worthwhile.

Make sure you’re attuned to your new tarot deck when you first obtain it. Tarot cards contain a lot of energy, so while you’re getting used to them, you should be sure to clear them of any outside energy. When you receive a fresh deck, Katelan advises taking some time to browse the cards and take in the imagery. “Make careful to thoroughly mix them up, and you can use some incense to clear any energy. I wrap all of my playing cards in scarves and put them under my pillow for three nights. During that period, you’ll have some incredibly bizarre dreams, but it will also attune your energy to the cards.

Katelan advises choosing a location for your tarot card reading based on where you feel most at ease. Her home arrangement is less formal than when she reads cards professionally. She used to practice at the Bronx Botanica, which had a table set up in an altar room. “I frequently sit on the ground. If I’m performing a three-card spread, I prefer to pull cards on these old trays I have. I will either do a big spread on the couch or the floor.

In order to feel more rooted and engaged to the practice, Katelan also advises reading up on the background of tarot reading. She cites its antecedents in Jewish New York tenements throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as in Romani society. “When wars broke out or other significant events occurred, there were frequently spikes in interest in fortune telling, card reading, tea reading, and other related practices. People are looking for explanations and purpose in their own life now because of the pandemic.