The word “dispose of” may make you think of the trash at first. To help prevent waste and promote environmental activities for waste management, think about recycling your Tarot cards.
Since Tarot decks might differ depending on the materials used, check with your local recycling program to see if your cards can be recycled.
Although traditional Tarot decks are frequently constructed of paper, they may also contain additional materials that prevent recycling.
In This Article...
How can tarot cards be put to use again?
You occasionally get a tarot deck that you just don’t click with. Perhaps the artwork was absolutely stunning when you first viewed it online, but after you held it in your hands, you realized it wasn’t the right deck for you. Even the finest of us experience this! You have a few options, like leaving the deck on a shelf to gather dust, selling or donating it, or becoming creative and reusing the cards! A deck of cards may be used for so many creative endeavors! Here are eight activities you might think about performing with a deck of tarot cards that you don’t want to use for readings.
Create bookmarks.
I have a tendency to lose bookmarks all the time. I’m fortunate enough to always have a few spare tarot cards on hand to tuck away in my books. You can use the cards just as they are, like I do, or you can go a little craftier and use an edge rounder to round the card borders after trimming them with scissors. You can make a pretty darn gorgeous tarot bookmark by poking a hole through the top of the card and threading a ribbon through.
2. Wall decor
If you have a tarot deck that is beautiful to look at but not so excellent for reading, this is a fantastic option. Why not frame the cards and hang them on the wall as art? With one of my decks’ key arcana, I intend to do this.
3. Create a miniature notebook.
Okay, do you feel extremely daring today? I came across this really great instruction for making small notebooks. Although I haven’t personally tried it, doesn’t that sound delicious? Making some miniature tarot notebooks would be amazing. Send me one if you give it a shot and are more ambitious than I am! Kind of kidding, but please send me one.
4. Include original artwork.
A painter in Salt Lake City collects painted landscapes from secondhand shops and embellishes them with her own ideas. Grab a pen and, for fun, add some of your own personal flair to a deck with less elaborate illustrations.
5. Add to a creative journal
You might include your lost tarot cards if you already keep an art journal. Cutting them up and putting them together piecemeal in a collage style would be extremely entertaining.
Create a garland.
Make a card garland if you can! Due of sloth, I haven’t done this and probably won’t, although it has a great effect. Place the garland across your desk, doorway, bookcase, or almost anywhere. This is a lesson.
7. Make a place for business cards.
Make a mini-wallet/business card holder if you’re up for a more difficult job. There is a tutorial here, and the author used tarot cards with good results.
Create a tote bag 8.
I’m planning to try this one next! Carrie would have enjoyed this as a teenager. When I was around 15 years old, I had fond recollections of creating a tote bag for myself out of duct tape and felt like a DIY queen. Imagine creating a tote bag out of tarot cards instead of just plain duct tape! You certainly can. This tutorial is quite simple.
Here they are: eight projects you can make with your tarot cards! Please leave a comment if you attempt any of these suggestions and let me know how it goes.
What can you do with tarot cards that are damaged?
Depending on what feels right to you, you may choose to burn the cards, bury the cards in a specific location, or donate them to the neighborhood secondhand store.
Do I need to keep my tarot cards out?
Being outside and breathing in some fresh air has a calming effect, and tarot cards can sense it.
Take your cards outside and fan them in the fresh air, advises Magdaleno, “especially if you’re feeling stuck or static with your readings,” to help them move more freely.
Since you don’t want to unintentionally bleach your cards in the sun, it won’t take long.
What should you do if your Tarot deck isn’t complete?
I want to express my gratitude to everyone who shared their thoughts, especially Tim, whose words inspired others.
Tim, thanks for that
- You have no idea where they have been or why certain cards are missing, so throw them away. Only do that if you are in a desperate situation; it’s similar to picking food out of the gutter. Tim
- Give the undamaged cards to the people I conducted readings for, e.g. In the half deck, if I had any relevant cards from their reading, I offered them one to keep with them or place in a special spot. I let them choose a card at random from the half deck, which I briefly explained and they retained as food for thought, if I didn’t have an appropriate card available. Bev
Ania
- To create greeting cards, mount them.
- “Skin them to create decoupage tarot card boxes from ordinary boxes (available from craft suppliers) or even design a blanket box, chest of drawers, or place mats, coasters, or lacquer-work.
- oh my, the list goes on forever!
- Depending on which cards are missing, mount and frame them in groups or pairs, such as Devil with the Lovers or a set of Courts.
- Make a Tarot jigsaw puzzle by adhering them to sturdy card.
- Create a mobile using your favorite playing cards.
- Laminate them, then fasten to outdoor wind chimes.
- If you read at fairs, laminate or frame them to beautify your reading space or table.
- To make your wheelie bin less unsightly, glue them on with adhesive back plastic.
- Use them on the front of note cards and other stationary, and if at all feasible, use an image that will help you make your point to the recipient.
- Rose
- I had two cards from my original deck that I had misplaced, so I used some of the “instruction” cards that came with the deck to replace them. Despite having two cards missing, I discovered that the deck still functioned with the ones I replaced. I would be tempted to keep them and consider the reasons why certain ones were absent in comparison to or contrasted with those kept. maybe the “During a spread, the lack of a specific card may very likely become apparent. Celia
- Use the deck as a Majors ONLY deck, a Minors ONLY deck, or a Courts ONLY deck, depending on which COMPONENT (if any) is complete. Adjust the component’s spread to reflect “what are the spiritual, “mundane,” interpersonal, etc. aspects, in that order? Not a wholly original concept ISTR utilized by Rachel Pollack “category that apply to the WHOLE Haindl deck. This is a helpful option for Minchiate decks as well, which also have “Element” and “Zodiac” cards. Chris
Di
- As framed photographs, mat
- If you enjoy “scrap-booking” or other paper crafts, you can use them to depict significant events in the subject’s life.
- Use cards in journals to add some color or to spark introspection instead of just writing on them.
- I decoupaged angel images onto my “special box,” some of which came from an angel oracle deck. When it was finished, I sealed it in layers of lacquer until the margins of the various pictures were no longer detectable with the fingertips. It now resembles and feels like an old symbol after being around for over twelve years.
Judes
- As an alternative, give out business cards or mementos to potential customers. The back of the card could include contact information.
- The blank cards that have been “left as it were for you to design yourself in keeping with the rest of the deck” are the ones that are missing.
- Lucy
- Outstanding for a coffee table
- a haphazard arrangement, some glue, and a glass piece placed on top
- a fascinating talking point
- Osmond
- Perhaps a topic on how NOT to harm decks should come next
- This is some counsel: Make sure plastic beakers aren’t cracked and that drinks are placed on coasters with rims. Keep drinks away from decks as an extra measure of security to prevent spills of wine, mead, etc. Also, avoid bringing cards to work that are merely in a silk bag to read to coworkers and being caught in a downpour on the way home. (Ace Deck Destroyer!) Sharon
Clare
- Create a piece of art
- If you really adore the deck, frame the cards.
- You can use them as examples in your tarot diary.
- Allow your Seekers to peruse them. You won’t be concerned about them messing up if they’re new to tarot.
- Use them as significators while reading with other decks.
- I suppose it depends on which cards are missing. However, if there are only a few (5 or fewer), I might make some of my own before using the deck. Xara
Does the value of antique playing cards exist?
It’s always a good idea to get a card or deck of cards professionally assessed if you believe you may have a particularly valuable one. Take some time to research comparable cards that have recently sold on eBay or other websites if you’re thinking about buying a card and want to know if the seller is asking a fair price. Here are a few instances:
- On eBay, a single woodcut card with a cross sold for nearly $2,000 in total. It was most likely from the 1700s or earlier and was discovered hidden behind a painting.
- Early in 2020, a complete 52-card deck of vintage playing cards from around 1820 sold for $715. They were in fantastic shape.
- On eBay, a single mermaid-themed playing card from the 1800s went for roughly $16. It was in good shape.
How should I maintain my 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.
Lay some simple ground rules with yourself
Before you even pull your card, Marmanides advises you to consider what your gut feeling is telling you about the solution.
We are expected to consult the tarot guides for knowledge or direction, but we should also trust our instincts. Therefore, whether you’re performing a tarot card spread or just picking cards, you should follow the High Priestess’ advice and go inward. Concentrate on the directions you want to be led in and the feelings you already have about a specific circumstance, then channel that energy into your reading.
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 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!
