Your Tarot cards deserve a bit of tender love and care, especially if you are using them on a regular basis.
Your cards are a medium, thus are susceptible to taking on the energy of who ever comes into contact with them, including you. If you are using the cards to read for yourself then you probably won’t need to clear your cards as often. However, if you are doing readings for others then you will need to clear and cleanse your cards regularly to ensure the energy on the cards is ONLY of the person you are reading for, not your previous querent.
How to know when you need to clear your cards?
Cards keep falling out everywhere Readings aren’t in sync with your energy Too many reversed cards (only applicable to those who read the cards upside down)You’ve purchased a new or second hand Tarot deck After an intense reading that might have been a bit draining for youCards haven’t been used for awhile . . . to get rid of the stagnant energyIntuitively know that you need to clear your Tarot deck
Many methods exist of clearing and cleansing energy from cards, however, my top 5 favourite ways are:
1. Knocking: In between Tarot sessions, I don’t have much time to clear my cards, so I tap my cards against the table 3 times to clear the energy of the last reading. I use this method to clear the energy between card spreads too, especially if the previous topic was intense and needs to be let go of in order to focus on the next subject matter.
2. Sage & Other Sacred Herbs: I use sage when my cards need to be seriously cleansed and cleared. At home, I will create a smoke bath using sage and cleanse each card by waving it through the smoke.
3. Intention: I ask Spirit to clear my cards through intention. I hold the cards in my hands and say “Spirit, please remove any energy that is not of high vibration from these cards, so that they can continue to be used for the highest good of all.”
4. Moon Bath: On a full moon, place your cards in a window sill or outside (weather permitting of course!). Allow your deck to bathe in the moonlight to release energy, but also to charge your deck. For many Wiccans and Pagans the full moon is also a perfect time to do a ritual or ceremony with your Tarot deck.
5. Tibetan Singing Bowls: Sound is one of the most powerful ways to clear energy. You can place your cards nearby and play a singing bowl for a few moment until you intuitively feel your Tarot deck has been cleared. If you don’t own a singing bowl you can use a drum, rattle, any type of musical instrument to clear the energy from cards.