Cleansing Your Tarot Cards

When you get a new tarot deck it’s a good idea to cleanse the cards in some way. If the deck has been previously used it will be even more important to clean the cards before you use them.

In this article, we will talk cleansing your tarot cards. We will also clarify some terminology used when talking about cleansing Tarot cards.

Clearing and Cleansing

You may have heard the phrase clear the cards when you read about the tarot. So what’s the difference between clearing and cleansing? Clearing the cards to me says that you are resetting the order of the tarot cards.

When I think of clearing the cards I think of a ritualized shuffling of the cards. It would clear the cards of unwanted clumps and patterns after a good reading session.

Cleansing is also a ritual, but its act is meant to physically clean the cards. You may choose to do this only once and have it as an act of consecration, or you may choose to clean your cards often.

Why Cleanse Your Tarot Cards?

Cleansing your tarot cards for the first time is an important process. This will make the cards clean to the touch, and void the deck of any unwanted energy. The act of cleansing is a ritual that will bind your energy to the cards. This binding will allow you to connect more deeply with your cards, and your readings will be much better.

Those who acquire a second-hand deck will soon learn that the previous owner’s energy can get stuck in the cards. A cleansing ritual will not only physically clean the cards but help you clear that energy. This will enable to you to also introduce yourself to the cards.

The Cleansing Ritual

You are free to choose whatever you do for your ritual. The end result should be that that the cards “feel” clean to the touch and you are comfortable using them. Here is what I do.

I burn sage over the cards while they are spread out on a table. I do this while I have music playing. Then I individually wipe each card with a handkerchief. After I do this I shuffle the cards well. I use the methods outlined in this article about shuffling. Once I do this I know the cards are ready for use. I keep them clean by washing my hands before use. I make sure that I am the only one that touches the cards to ensure their cleanliness.

Buddhist, Ritual, Water, Buddhism, Meditation, Ancient

Don’t Touch

You should know that I am not opposed to having others touch my tarot decks, and neither should you. Tarot decks are meant to be handled, so let others do that if they want to.

For me, I have many tarot decks. I have even retired a few already to infrequent use. Those would be the display decks for others to touch, that is if they want to.

Cleansing Old Cards

You will find that if you get a second-hand deck it feels softer than a fresh deck. The edges can get beat up, and the card stock feels almost moist. It’s the hand oil accumulating over time. I have a deck that is over 30 years old and it feels much different than what a new deck feels like.

Here is something you could do to help cleanse an old deck. Take the cards and cover them in salt and let them sit for a few days. Make sure you can store the cards in a way that the salt can get all over the cards. The salt will help absorb any moisture from the cards.

After a few days take the cards out and clean them one by one. Use a lightly damp handkerchief and a dry one. Wipe it down with the damp one then use the dry one. The process for this method is outlined in the book The Magus: Kundalini and the Golden Dawn by Neven Paar. Pages 191 to 193 cover cleansing along with many interesting things about the Tarot.

Brand New Cards

There are some things to consider with a new tarot deck. When you open them for the first time they can feel dry. In other cases, the cards may feel as if they have particles on them. This may be from how they were packaged. If they were not shrink wrapped the cards could have been exposed to external conditions.

I have felt new decks and they felt dusty. My feeling is that the cards had particles on them because they were freshly cut. Those decks were not shrink wrapped in any way.

My rule is this. If the cards are shrink-wrapped themselves the cards will be much cleaner to the touch initially. You may not need to physically wipe those cards as much, or at all.

Other new decks may be in various states when you get them. You could adjust your cleansing ritual accordingly based on the condition of the cards.

On Your Own

There are plenty of books out there that cover this topic in much broader detail. I urge you to create your own ritualized cleansing methods. If the final result is these cards feel clean to the touch then you are on the right track. The way you get there is up to you. If you are interested in learning from other books you can visit the resources page here.