Caring for Your Tarot Cards

7/28/2019 Caring for Your Tarot Cards

1/10

Caring for Your Tarot Cardshttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/

ven if youre not a Professional Tarot reader, your Tarot cards will, from time

to time, need a little TLC. Perhaps you use your deck frequently, you might

even be a little guilty of nibbling some chocolate while doing readings for

yourself or your friends and made your cards all sticky; perhaps youve had an

accident and spilt liquid on your cards! Have no fear, this post aims to show you the

many different ways you can take care of your beloved tarot cards including:

Clearing your deck of any unwanted or negative energy through:1. Visualisations

2. Smudging and incense

3. Lunar energy

4. Shuffling and re-ordering the deck

5. Using crystals

Cleaning your tarot cards so that they shuffle better after:

1. Real life spills2. Sticky fingers and gleaming cards

3. Smooth shuffling

Storing your tarot deck after its use with:

1. Their original boxes

2. Fabulous fabrics

3. Bohemian bags

4. Beautiful natural wood

In putting this post together, I approached several Professional Tarot reading friends

for their tips and techniques in how they care for their Tarot cards. The words that

follow are a mix of mine and theirs, but are organised by method so that you can

easily refer to this piece should you wish to try out the different and varied

techniques they use.

E
http://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#clearinghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#clearinghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#cleaninghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#cleaninghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#storinghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#storinghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#storinghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#cleaninghttp://www.tarotelements.com/4632/caring-for-your-tarot-cards/#clearing


2/10

Caring Tarot Cards

2

Clearing your Tarot deck

Clearing, or cleansing your tarot deck is about purging it of unwanted energies that

it may have picked up through working, resting and handling by others. Each

clearing technique listed below is associated to one of the five elements. I have

meditated upon which element is associated with which technique and have arrived

at the conclusions below.

Ive stated which element I have assigned to each technique under the heading for

that technique with a brief explanation of my thinking. You may disagree with my

choices, if so, Id love to hear which elements you would swap around, and while

this may be a little early to say, Ill see you in the comments section

Visualisations

Elemental association: Spirit. In drawing down or pulling up white light from the

heavens or the earth, we are seeking to embody or assimilate their essences and

spirit to merge with our own.

Using meditation based techniques are a great way to not only clear the energy fromyour cards after the days work, but theyre also a great way to ground yourself at

the same time. Its also important to remember that purification can come from

pulling white light down from the heavens into yourself or your cards, while pulling

white light up through and from the earth is better for grounding. Again, pull the

white light up into your cards, and if for yourself, remember to pull the light up

through your feet, continuing upwards through your body.

A wonderful extension to that exercise, while actually holding your tarot cards inyour hands, is to visualise yourself holding them and then either pulling the light

down or up through your cards and your body. While you are holding your cards

you are connected to themwhat better way to clear them than together, in unison,

at the same time!


3/10

Caring Tarot Cards

3

In the Smudging and Incense chapter below, Nancy of Tarot Explorer explains that

she asks her spirit guides to bless her deck after she has smudged it. Using that part

of her technique here, during a visualisation, is a great adaptation to this technique.

My little ritual consists of always clearing the cards before or just after a

reading. And I do so by visualization, I visualize bright white light from above

shooting right through the cards and immediately clearing them of any previous

energies.Anton Rossi, Angels Tarot

Smudging and incense

Elemental association: Fire. Fire lights and keeps the the smudge stick or incense

burning. It has long been associated with purging and purification rituals, and is the

only element that can transform one thing into another.

By far the most popular method and its easy to see why. Perhaps its our memory

of frankincense from days at church that make this technique feel effective. It

evokes a real sense of cleansing just through the sight and smell of the smoke.

When using a smudge stick, look for white sage, though lavendar smudge is also

very good if you can find it. Incense comes in many different varieties, aromas,

strengths and purities. Each has its own characteristics, associations and functions.

The range is huge and can get a little confusing. My advice to you is to try what you

can find or what you have. In my own smudgings, I have used many different types

to great effect. Dont be too concerned about having to find exactly the right

smudge or incense, you will, after lots of trials and error, and I can vouch that its a

very pleasant experience in trying.

When I get a new deck, I sage it (light dried native sage and pass the deck several

times through the smoke). The smoke from the sage cleanses the cards and creates a
http://www.angelstarot.com/http://www.angelstarot.com/http://www.angelstarot.com/http://www.angelstarot.com/


4/10

Caring Tarot Cards

4

sacred space around them. I then ask my spirit guides to bless the deck and to help

me use it only for the highest good of whomever Ive reading for. Nancy

Hendrickson, Tarot Explorer

Also favoured byBonnie Cehovet,Laura Goodfellow, Rainbow Tarot,Misha, Tarot

by Mishaand my good self.

Moon energy

Elemental Association: Water. La Lunar with her feminine, mysterious and fluid

energy has long been associated with water and her power over entire oceans and

even your body.

Using lunar energy to clear your tarot deck is very effective. At its most simplest,

you simply place your deck on the window sill, or near to it, and let the moon work

her magic in clearing, and rejuvenating your cards. You dont need a Full Moon,

though it helps, particularly if its visible from the window near to where you will

place your deck. Its a technique that I have applied numerous times with great

effect. You can also add a little ritual around this technique, as the Tarot Lady

suggests below, using crystals. Lighting incense or smudging to begin the ritual canbe very beneficial too, and if youre looking to add a little ambience to your Full

Moon ritual, add candles, but be safe!

Leave the cards out overnight, loose, directly in moonlight. Be sure to keep them

inside though and use a nice cloth to sit them on or a basket that you like. Bonnie

Cehovet

The only time Ive *had to* cleanse a Tarot deck was when I was first starting out

in the wonderful world of divination and magick. Id bought a second hand deck

and each time I picked it up to work with it I got a headache. As I newbie I was a bit

unsure of what to do so, through more luck than skill, I stumbled on a ritual which

has worked for me ever since. I took a black lay cloth, sprinkled salt on top of it,
http://tarotexplorer.com/http://tarotexplorer.com/http://tarotexplorer.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://www.rainbowtarot.co.uk/http://www.rainbowtarot.co.uk/http://www.rainbowtarot.co.uk/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.rainbowtarot.co.uk/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://tarotexplorer.com/http://tarotexplorer.com/


5/10

Caring Tarot Cards

5

wrapped my deck (in box) and left it out on the window sill for 24 hours. To this day

I have no headaches when I work with that deck.Lyn, Witch Blog

Shuffling and re-ordering the deck

Elemental association: Air. Shuffling with focussed intent, being systematic and

logically re-ordering your deck is very much a thoughtful, mental process. Visualise

the deft hand movements of shuffling, light as air, quick to the touch.

This techinique is very popular, and requires little else than to be sat with your

deck, playing gently with it (as we do), shuffling it until you feel it has been

cleansed, or, putting the cards back into their original order before mixing it backup again. This isnt something Ive actually done before, however, Ive

inadvertantly done the latter recently while Ive been working on some spread

designs. Id re-ordered the deck for the work I was doing and have found the same

deck to be incredibly accurate after Ive mixed it back up again for readings.

Favoured by Lori Green, Tarot For Life Guidance, Bonnie Cehovet and Misha

Tarot by Mishawho brings in a little incense into her ritual (see above).

Using crystals

Elemental association: Earth. Born from the earth and containing her essence and

power. Crystals ground effortlessly and eminate that power to whatever is around

them, blessing whatever they feel nearby or touch, by the spirit of nature.

I love crystals and use them throughout my day, whether thats holding one just to

calm my nerves or help me focus, theres no doubt theyre multitalented! Apart

from the Tarot Ladys excellent advice below, I often use one to sit on top of an
http://www.witch-blog.com/http://www.witch-blog.com/http://www.witch-blog.com/http://www.tarotforlifeguidance.co.uk/http://www.tarotforlifeguidance.co.uk/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://www.tarotbymisha.com/http://bonniecehovet.wordpress.com/http://www.tarotforlifeguidance.co.uk/http://www.witch-blog.com/


6/10

Caring Tarot Cards

6

opened deck, in between readings, or just because Im working with the deck in

another capacity and may be leaving it unattended for a while. Its less about

clearing & more about protecting, but is still a crystal working in harmony with a

tarot deck.

Great all rounders are clear quartz and amethyst useful for many tarot and

spritual practices.

When I feel my deck has become drained, my preferred technique is to put it on a

shelf with a crystal on top of the deck. Often I use a quartz crystal but will also use

a smoky quartz or a hematite if I feel the deck has become ungrounded (this can

happen if I read for a client who has really bad or spacey energy). If there is a full

moon, I also try to make sure the deck can sit directly in the moonlight as this seems

to really charge the deck beautifully.Theresa Reed aka The Tarot Lady

Cleaning your Tarot deck

From time to time, you will find that your tarot cards can get a little sticky whichcan make them harder to shuffle and much less pleasant to hold. Compare your well

used deck to a brand new one and you will see exactly what I mean. There are

remedies though and you can put the slip back onto your cards with a little time

and patienceyes, it can be a very laborious job cleaning 78 cards, but well worth

the effort at the end of it.

For real life spills:

Rather like having a drink near a keyboard, you should take care with fluids around

your deck. Also very worthy of note is eating while using your deck, or rather, not

to. I have worked on the Psychic Text lines and its too easy to eat some chocolate

while youre working Problem is your fingers will be way too sticky to be
http://blog.thetarotlady.com/http://blog.thetarotlady.com/http://blog.thetarotlady.com/http://blog.thetarotlady.com/


7/10

Caring Tarot Cards

7

handling tarot cards, and I should know, I nearly ruined my Thoth deck doing just

that! The following tips should help you keep your cards clean through general

maintenance, and when youre facing an emergency clean up job.

Helen Howell uses a J Cloth for spills to her deck. They absorb liquid quickly

which is definitely a plus in an emergency situation! If you have no J Cloths or

cloths like it immediately to hand, get your cards out of the spill as quickly as

possible and separate them so they dont stick together. You can dry them one at a

time and hopefully, if theyre not damaged, you can then use the method below for

restoring them back to their prime.

Sticky fingers and gleaming cards

I personally recommend furniture wipes to clean sticky cards, or for general

cleaning maintenance. You can of course use baby wipes, I just find the furniture

wipes leave a nice sheen and a smoother surface. In the UK in particular, you can

get furniture wipes with nice spring time aromas so you dont have to worry about

that waxy smell normally associated with furniture polish.

Regardless of which you use though, you will need to dry your cards beforerestacking them. After using furniture wipes, dry and buff your cards with a nice

high quality duster (clean and unused). Do this one card at a time and it will add a

nice sheen and smoothness to them.

If youve opted forbaby wipes, again, make sure theyre not too wet and then dry

and buff them with any soft cloth so long as its clean before you use it. Please

make sure its soft though as a rougher surface to your cloth will weaken the outer

layers of the card and begin to damage them. I also cannot stress enough thoughthat your cards shouldnt be allowed to get wet during this process and if your

wipes have a high moisture content, as the ones at the bottom usually do, drain them

by squeezing before cleaning your tarot cards with them.
http://tarotnotes-majorandminor.blogspot.com/http://tarotnotes-majorandminor.blogspot.com/http://tarotnotes-majorandminor.blogspot.com/


8/10

Caring Tarot Cards

8

Sticky fingers are the main culprits for sticky cards and Helen and I joked that we

really shouldnt be eating while working with our cards! Good hand hygene is

essential but there are times when thats just not possible. If youre reading away

from home, or a sink, then the next best thing is Sanitizing Hand Gel. I love this

stuff! You can buy a small handbag size bottle to carry around with you to use inplace of soap and water. Theyre also moisturising for your hands and also now

come in fresh aromas and dont smell medical at all. They also come in larger

bottles with hand pumps, perfect for your desk or work area. Now your hands need

never be sticky when youre going to handle your deck ever again result!

Smooth shuffling

This is a technique Ive yet to try, but comes highly recommended by Barbara

Moore and involves a little bit of magic, Ill let Barbara explain.

I am not very consistent or ritualistic with my cleansing practices. However,

something I do on a regular basis is apply fanning powder to my decks.

Fanning powder is something used by stage magicians. I first heard about it from

Dan Pelletier when he was on a podcast, Tarot Connection by Leisa Refalo. It lookslike talcum powder and is used to reduce friction and make the cards shuffle more

smoothly.

Do not use talcum powder, though! Make sure you buy actual fanning powder (you

can get it inexpensively from a Magic Shop). Talcum powder absorbs moisture, so it

will have the opposite effect on your cards. It will make them sticky not smooth.

Reading cards is a tactile experience and shuffling adds to that. Fanning powdermakes the shuffle feel better.Barbara Moore
http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/tarot/http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/tarot/http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/tarot/http://www.llewellyn.com/blog/tarot/


9/10

Caring Tarot Cards

9

Storing your tarot decks

How you store your tarot decks is as much about their care as is the clearing and

cleaning of them. There are many ways to do this but the most popular are:

Their original boxes

If you have any number of tarot decks, chances are you will have one or two

working decks, leaving the others pretty much untouched. Its a delightful habit to

collect tarot decks and so many are left in their original boxes. As unglamorous as

this is, your cards will be perfectly safe and cared for in this way. I work with a lot

of my decks for readings as well as using them for spread design and tarotexercises. Many of them are kept in their original boxes and come out frequently

with no harm to them at all.

We all have our favourite decks though and these deserve special treatment. The

following list is for those stars in your collection who you think deserve a little red

carpet treatment.

Fabulous fabrics

Imagine a beautiful piece of cloth wrapped around your favourite deckcolourful

silky and enchanting. Now imagine unwrapping the cloth from your deck like the

most exquisitely wrapped diamonds at Christmas. The joy of peeling back the

layers and asking your deck to wake from its slumber, its time to play.

The imagination is a wonderful thing, but this is not far from how I feel when I usea deck wrapped in fabulous fabric. Velvet, silk, satin or any variation makes a

lovely protective coat for your favourite deck and can also double as a reading

cloth. How evocative and enchanting this little unwrapping ceremony will be for

your client too.


10/10

Caring Tarot Cards

10

Bohemian bags

Tarot bags are like little quilts or sleeping bags for your tarot deck. Theyll be all

tucked up nice and snug, safe and protected in one of these babies. Available fromany New Age or metaphysical store on the high street or online. Buy handmade if

you can, theres a little bit of love sewn into everyone and you cant beat that. I

personally recommend the handmade tarot bags from fellow Professional Tarot

readerAnia Marczyk, theyre gorgeous!

Beautiful natural wood

Solid, strong and waterproof, wooden boxes will keep your cards protected at home

from pretty much every danger. The only downside is really that a wooden box is

perhaps bulky and more difficult to transport. But at home, they come into their

own. Depending on their size, they can hold two decks or even a deck wrapped in

fabulous fabric and are even stackable for better storage.

Closing thoughts

I hope you enjoyed reading how other Professional Tarot readers clear their Tarot

cards, and hope you will try out their tried and trusted methods. I also hope you get

dont have to implement any emergency procedures with spills!

If you have a technique you use thats not listed here, whether its clearing, cleaning

or storing your tarot cards, please feel free to share your techniques with us in thecomments so others may try them too!

Catherine
http://www.aniam.co.uk/http://www.aniam.co.uk/http://www.aniam.co.uk/http://www.aniam.co.uk/

Documents

Caring for Your Tarot Cards