I've always had a penchant for the spiritual and supernatural. When I first began reading Tarot for friends and family, I knew I had found my calling. While there are many resources on how to get started reading tarot, there are far fewer for how to care for your most important tool, your tarot deck!
If you’re new to the cards and want to learn about caring for your tarot cards you might ask “where does one begin?” Trendy social-media influencers online tell you the “right and wrong” ways to handle your deck, but I am here to tell you that there are a million and one ways to care for cards. It’s really up to you to find what feels right for you and your tarot cards.
There are a variety of methods you can use to cleanse your deck. Using sound, crystals, smoke, and even fire are just a few! While different advisors practice different methods, it really comes down to personal choice, budget, and what feels right for you! Before diving into the details, we need to ask the most important question…
A tarot deck picks up on the energies of those who handle them. Over time, one may find that your deck picks up “energy dust bunnies.” While “dust bunnies” sound cute, the effect on your deck is anything but! A buildup of energies can affect the quality of your readings. Just like cleaning your room, it’s important to clean your deck when it feels cluttered!
So, put away the cleaning spray and the paper towels because you won’t need to spray your decks with chemical solutions! Here are just a few of the ways I use to keep my tarot cards fresh and ready to read.
Cleaning by candlelight was one of the first ways I've used and it works for me. Start by laying your cards a safe distance away from a lit candle. The orientation here doesn’t matter. Envision the flame’s light shining down on your deck, engulfing it in light and burning away any previous energies that could be attached to it. You may do this for as long as you feel is necessary; be it a few minutes or until the candle burns out, whichever feels most “right” with you. If this is the method that you wish to use, I strongly caution against leaving an open flame alone and unattended.
If candlelight is not practical for your situation, there are other methods that will also work.
Crystals such as Selenite are wonderful to clean your tarot cards with. Whether it's to set your deck on or under a selenite disc or laying or waving a wand over the cards. Imagine that the crystal “pulls” the negative energies out and replaces them with positive energy instead. In absence of Selenite, Clear Quartz works just as well. I actually keep a Double Terminated Quartz on top of my deck with a couple of Selenite wands next to it between readings.
The practice of burning a bundle of White Sage and shuffling your cards through the smoke is one of the most commonly used methods out there. Your local metaphysical store should carry sage, but I suggest looking into alternative methods as smoke can cause air pollution within your space and may not be safe for many advisors or their families who suffer from respiratory conditions. It is also important to keep in mind if you have pets you should make sure to keep herbs out of their reach, so they are not ingested.
A simple and cost-effective alternative to sage is to use common household herbs! For instance, you can grow or buy Rosemary or Lavender from most grocery stores and dry it for your uses just as you would for Sage! This has been an effective practice for many psychic readers over the years!
For Psychics on the go, knocking your knuckles on the deck three times is also appropriate. I even have a penchant for bells. Ringing a bell over or around your deck is also a viable method! This “Wakes up” and releases the energetic residue that clings to them. Even blowing air through the cards as you shuffle is perfectly reasonable.
There are so many more methods to choose from! If you find that your readings have been feeling a little “sticky” or sluggish lately, don’t hesitate to give any of these methods a try! The most important thing to remember is that while your experience may vary, it is important to take the time, energy, and intention to cleanse your cards for clear and accurate readings.
Once you settle on one or more methods that work for you, you may ask “how often should I clean my cards?” Again, this is up to you. Personally, I find cleaning my decks once a month to be sufficient. I normally do so around a Full Moon for a “Cleanse” and a “Recharge” combo. The lunar cycle makes for an easy reminder and is a great time for many rituals; use this to your advantage!
Have comments or questions, let me know! I'm available for readings and also guidance about tarot and card care.
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Phoebe is a Psychic Advisor with a passion for the spiritual arts. Her gifts manifested from a young age, resulting in abilities that range from finding lost treasures to predicting outcomes in relationships. By the age of 15, she began to practice harnessing her gifts seriously, reading for friends and family. She graduated with an Associates' Degree in Arts but plans to return to school for a Bachelor's in Botany. While also practicing with pendulums, crystals, Phoebe's primary tool is the Tarot and uses them almost exclusively to reveal the current situation and its possible outcomes.
