Cleansing Tarot Cards
The right care of your deck is the foundation to accuracy and clarity with your tarot readings. Tarot cards take on the dark energies over time and will confuse the meaning of the cards. Cleansing tarot cards is a fundamental practice to maintain their energetic integrity and enhance their connection to your intuition.
This guide offers a comprehensive overview of how to cleanse a tarot deck, catering to both traditional and contemporary preferences. Explore classic methods like using incense or sage, as well as alternative techniques for those seeking how to cleanse tarot cards without sage or incense. Understanding what happens if you don’t cleanse your tarot cards underscores the importance of this practice for accurate and insightful readings.
Why Cleanse Your Tarot Cards?
It’s no secret that our tarot decks absorb energies from us so it’s important to think of your tarot deck as a sponge that sucks up energies from your surroundings, your thoughts, and any emotions that may be present during readings. With time these accumulated energies can build a static that interferes with clarity of accuracy with your readings. This is where cleansing tarot cards comes in.
Why cleanse your tarot cards? The basic idea is that you ‘reset’ your deck the way you would have if you had never handcrafted it. You are then removing residual energies of energy that prevents you from fully experiencing the cards’ wisdom in their neutral space. No matter if you’re wondering how to cleanse tarot cards for the first time or how to cleanse your tarot cards after a particularly intense reading, the goal is the same: for that, to restore the cards back to their vibrant state.
Popular Methods for Cleansing Tarot Cards
You’re ready to clean your tarot cards? You have a few options, but there are differences in approaches and energy. Let’s explore some popular options.
Using Sage or Palo Santo
Smudging is a classic technique for how to cleanse tarot cards with sage or palo santo. Light your end of your sage bundle or palo santo stick and let it root. Visualizing the unwanted energies being purified and gently pass each card bottom side through smoke each time this is done. Be sure to practice fire safety and keep a heat proof dish nearby to catch any ashes.
Using Crystals
Crystals possess powerful energetic properties that can help to cleanse tarot decks. Any clear quartz or selenite will do for this purpose. No need to deal with complex, much needed rituals just place the crystal on top of your deck or a few crystals around. To allow the crystals to pick up any stagnant energy, just leave them in place overnight.
Moonlight Cleansing
The moon’s energy offers a gentle yet potent way to cleanse tarot cards. It’s best to place your deck out under the moonlight, or a windowsill, during the full moon. The cards get charged with natural energy and have their vibrations reset by recharging them with the lunar rays.
Sound Cleansing
Sound is another effective method for how to cleanse a tarot deck. Depending on the situation, you can physically shake some stagnant energy away with the vibrations of bells or singing bowls or even clapping. Ring a bell around the deck or sing a singing bowl nearby, thinking clearing and purifying when they move into play.
These are just a few examples of how to cleanse tarot cards. Having fun with different ways of cleaning until you discover what works best with you and your deck is fine. Whether you prefer using incense, crystals, or exploring how to cleanse tarot cards without sage, the most important aspect is the intention you bring to the process.
When to Cleanse Your Tarot Cards
Just like knowing HOW, it is important to know WHEN you should clean—should you need to! Sometimes regular cleansing is a good idea.
Your cards may have absorbed some of the negative energy after a really good read, particularly one dealing with hard things or got you down. Cleansing a tarot deck after such a reading helps to clear any lingering negativity and restore the cards to a neutral state.
Also, if you have allowed someone else to use or handle your deck, it’s a good idea to cleanse it afterwards. Each person carries their own unique energy, and cleansing tarot cards ensures that any outside influences are removed.
You may be unsure if your deck requires cleansing, but the cards are ‘heavy,’ or less responsive than normal. You’re not connecting with your intuition or you’re just doing something off on your readings. These are all signs that it might be time to cleanse tarot deck.
Trust your intuition when it comes to cleansing tarot cards. But if something seems off or you feel like something is off — or your deck just needs a refresh — cleanse your deck. Whether you prefer using sage, incense, or exploring how to cleanse tarot cards without tools, regular cleansing will keep your deck energized and ready to provide clear and insightful readings.
How Often Should You Cleanse Tarot Cards?
So, you understand the importance of cleansing tarot cards, but how often should you actually do it? There is no one size fits all answer, well. The frequency of cleansing a tarot deck depends largely on how often you use it and your personal preferences.
Some people like to cleanse tarot cards after each reading, especially if the reading was particularly intense or emotionally charged. It cleanses any energies left hanging around and it begins a new reading fresh as if nothing ever happened. Others prefer to cleanse tarot deck on a regular schedule, such as weekly or monthly. For those that use their cards frequently or who are feeling they’ve drained their cards of a lot of energy, this can be a good option.
You might also consider how to cleanse your tarot cards in alignment with the lunar cycle. Many tarot readers find it beneficial to cleanse tarot deck during the new moon, as this phase symbolizes new beginnings and fresh starts. The best thing is to trust your gut. If you suspect your deck has turned sluggish and your readings are becoming muddled, it’s time for a cleanse.
How to Personalize Your Cleansing Ritual
Cleansing tarot cards is a deeply personal practice, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. The most important thing is do find a method with your intuition and what resonates with you.
While we’ve explored various techniques, from using sage and incense to how to cleanse tarot cards without tools, feel empowered to personalize your cleansing ritual. Trust your feelings and pick a form which, in your opinion, coincides with your energy and intentions.
Maybe that’s you, and you like having your cards under the moonlight so you’re drawn to the cleansing power of nature. Or perhaps you discover that crystals help to connect you to the cards more readily. In fact you may even find a particular method that works best for you, like imagining a cleansing light going around your deck.
Cleansing can further be improved on with adding personal touches to your ritual. It’s also possible to include a mantra or affirmation that you say out loud while performing your cleansing on the cards. In addition you can also set a specific intention when cleansing, for example, “I cleanse this deck of any stagnant energy, and I call for clarity and accuracy in my readings”.
Remember, cleansing a tarot deck is about more than just physically cleaning the cards. It’s about setting up a sacred space and really getting into the deck. You can infuse it with personal touches and intentions in order to make it a personal and empowering way to ritualize.
Conclusion
Cleaning your tarot cards is a practice every tarot reader must nurture regardless of how long they’ve been a reader. A routine of clearing your deck of stagnant energies keeps your cards and readings clear and accurate. Remember, there are countless ways to cleanse tarot deck, from traditional methods like using sage or incense to more modern approaches like crystals or sound. It’s ok to experiment, and find what works for you. The process is about approaching it with intention and making a ritual that feels meaningful to you.
FAQ
Cleansing tarot cards removes built-up energies that can interfere with readings, ensuring a clear connection to your intuition and the cards.
Depending upon what you prefer and how you use it does vary. Some people cleanse tarot deck after each reading, while others do it weekly, monthly, or whenever the cards feel “heavy.”
Neglecting to cleanse tarot cards may lead to clouded readings, where the cards reflect accumulated energies rather than providing clear insights.
Honestly, your personal preference will determine ‘the best’ way! There are many common methods including sage, incense, crystals, moonlight, and sound. You can also cleanse tarot cards without tools using visualization or breathwork.
But any cleansing method will work! Think about what speaks to you. How to cleanse tarot cards with sage or moonlight are popular choices for new decks.
Absolutely! There are many ways to cleanse tarot cards without sage or incense. And to use crystals, moon light, sound, or visualization techniques may work well.
Simply place crystals such as quartz or selenite on or around your deck for a couple of hours overnight to absorb any bad energy left in them.
