Your tarot cards may occasionally become a little sticky, which can make them difficult to shuffle and unpleasant to grip. You can clearly understand what I mean if you contrast your well-used deck with a brand-new one. However, with a little effort and persistence, you can put the “slip” back onto your cards. Yes, cleaning 78 cards might be a pretty difficult task, but it is well worth the work in the end.
In This Article...
For real life spills:
You should exercise caution when using liquids near your deck, much like you would when drinking near a keyboard. It’s also important to remember not to eat when using your deck. I’ve worked on the Psychic Text lines, and while working, it’s far too simple to indulge in some chocolate. Your fingers will be far too sticky to handle tarot cards, which is a problem. I should know; I almost destroyed my Thoth deck by doing just that! The following advice should assist you in maintaining the cleanliness of your cards both routinely and in times of emergency cleanup.
To clean up spills on her deck, Helen Howell uses a J Cloth. They quickly absorb liquid, which is unquestionably advantageous in an emergency. If you don’t instantly have access to J Cloths or similar cloths, swiftly remove the cards from the spill and separate them to prevent sticking. You can dry each one separately, and if they are not harmed, you can use the following technique to bring them back to their former glory.
Sticky fingers and gleaming cards
For routine cleaning upkeep or to clean sticky cards, I personally suggest furniture wipes. Of course, you could use baby wipes, but I prefer the smoother, nicer finish that furniture wipes leave behind. You may get furniture wipes with pleasant springtime scents, especially in the UK, so you won’t have to worry about the waxy smell that is typically associated with furniture polish.
Whichever method you choose, you must let your cards dry before restacking them. Use a fine, high-quality duster to dry and polish your cards after using furniture wipes (clean and unused). You can give them a great gloss and smoothness by doing this one card at a time.
Again, if you choose to use baby wipes, make sure they aren’t too wet before drying them off and buffing them with any soft cloth as long as it is clean before usage. Please make sure that it is soft, since a fabric with a coarser surface will begin to weaken and harm the card’s exterior layers. The importance of not letting your tarot cards get wet during this process cannot be emphasized enough. If your wipes have a high moisture contentas the ones at the bottom typically dodrain them by squeezing them before using them to clean your cards.
Helen and I made the joke that we really shouldn’t be eating while working with our cards because sticky fingers are the main cause of sticky cards! Though maintaining good hand hygiene is important, there are situations when it is simply not possible. Sanitizing Hand Gel is the next best thing to reading at home or near a sink. This thing is awesome! To carry around and use in place of soap and water, you can get a little bottle the size of a handbag. Additionally moisturizing for your hands, they now have new, non-medical scents and also come in fresh scents. Larger bottles with hand pumps are also available, which are ideal for your desk or working space. Now your hands won’t ever need to be sticky when handling your deck again!
Smooth shuffling
Though I haven’t tried it myself, Barbara Moore highly recommends it and explains that it incorporates a little bit of magic.
My cleansing rituals are not highly ritualistic or constant. Fanning powder, on the other hand, is something I regularly use to my decks.
Stage magicians utilize something called fanning powder. When Dan Pelletier was a guest on Leisa Refalo’s show Tarot Connection, I first learned about it through him. It is used to lessen friction and improve the smoothness of the card shuffle; it resembles talcum powder.
However, avoid using talcum powder! Be sure to purchase true fanning powder (you can get it inexpensively from a Magic Shop). Talcum powder will have the opposite impact on your cards because it absorbs moisture. It won’t make them smooth, only sticky.
Shuffling adds to the tactile experience of reading cards. The shuffling is more comfortable with some powder. Deborah Moore
How are tarot cards kept tidy?
Here are four simple steps to purifying tarot cards.
- 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.
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. She advises starting with a cleansing to make the cards clear for your reading, whether it’s for yourself or someone else.
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.
How should your first Tarot deck be cared for?
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?
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.
Do I need to allow people to handle my 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?
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.
The full moon charge is a common practice for blessing 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.
Can I read tarot cards on my own?
It’s normal to be a little clumsy when you first start practicing the tarot. Tarot study is similar to learning a new languageit takes time to become proficient. But what happens if you no longer require the booklet and have intimate familiarity with the deck? Are you able to read yourself? No, except for a few rare instances. Simply put, it’s a horrible idea.
You see, the majority of us turn to astrology or tarot when we’re looking for clarity amid a period of ambiguity. In contrast to astrology, which is quite technical, our consciousness restricts our capacity to read tarot cards. Working with your personal interpretation of the cards, you are not constrained by short- and long-term cycles like the planets’ orbits. It might be tricky to go beyond your current circumstances while utilizing the tarot to better understand a trying scenario. Even if all the cards are spread out in front of you, putting them together requires such a broad perspective that it is all but impossible to fully understand the meaning of each card. Basically, any biases you already have will always be reflected in your tarot reading!
How should I wash my brand-new Tarot deck?
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 do I connect my tarot cards’ energy?
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.