How To Clear And Cleanse Your Tarot Cards

Cleansing your beautiful Tarot cards is important for maintaining a positive energy in your Tarot readings and connecting with your Tarot deck. Here are some examples of different situations when you will most likely feel compelled to cleanse your Tarot cards:

• Other people have touched your cards.
• You’ve bought a new or second hand Tarot deck
• You’ve done a particularly draining Tarot reading
• Your Tarot cards have been sitting dormant or unused for quite some time
• You or your Tarot cards have been exposed to a lot of negative energy.  
• Your Tarot readings are beginning to feel unclear, disconnected or ‘stuck’
• Your cards have fallen all over the floor or had some other sort of accident
• You simply want to reconnect with your cards

There are many different techniques that you can use to clear negative energy and cleanse your Tarot deck. The important thing is to choose the technique that feels right to you and to the situation. Below are a number of different ways to clear and cleanse a Tarot deck.

Sorting and Shuffling. Firstly, sort your cards in order, starting with the Major Arcana, then into each of the suits of the Minor Arcana. Once your cards are sorted and in order, start shuffling and reinvigorating your cards with your energy. You can shuffle seven times, put your cards in a large pile and randomly select cards, or simply use a shuffling technique that is comfortable to you.

Meditation. Hold your cards in both hands, close your eyes,  relax and clear your thoughts.   You may then like to visualize the Universal energy being drawn through you and to your cards, surrounding your cards in a protective white light. 

Moon Bath. The full moon is an excellent source of energy for your cards. On a full moon, you can simply place your cards in a window or even outside to bathe in the moonlight. Alternatively, many people use this time to conduct a special ritual or to cite different incantations for cleansing their Tarot cards.

Smudge/Incense. Many religious traditions burn incense in purification rituals. In the West, the more popular incenses used for cleansing are white sage, sweet grass or palo santo. Burn some incense , or sage and simply pass the cards through the smoke several times.

Crystals. Using crystals to recharge and cleanse a deck is one of my favorite methods. I find it quick and convenient, and always have some clear quartz with me. Place a clear quartz point on top of your deck when not in use. Easy.
Some ideas for crystals that work well with cleansing tarot cards:

Clear quartz – Cleanses the deck. It also amplifies the energy of the cards.

Selenite – Cleansing and connecting with spirit guides.

Black tourmaline – Grounding. Absorbs negative energy.

Amethyst – Same properties of quartz plus enhance psychic senses and intuition.
You can place crystals under, between, or on top of your cards.

Now that you’ve cleansed your Tarot cards, how do you make sure they stay clean. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Keep your Tarot cards wrapped in a special cloth or stored in a special Tarot box.
• Store your cards with a quartz crystal which is a wonderful absorber of energies. 
• Place your Tarot cards at a specially made altar in between readings.