How to Cleanse a Tarot Deck (and How Often)

My cat deck has been in my hands for years, and the corners have gone soft. In all that time I have never done anything elaborate to cleanse it. Here is what I do, and what works for most readers.

How do I cleanse a tarot deck?

How often should I cleanse my deck?

There is no fixed schedule. The shuffle does most of the work. Cleanse more deeply after a reading about something painful, when someone else has handled the deck, or when readings start to feel confused or repetitive.

How do I bond with a new deck?

1. Go through every card once, slowly, looking at the pictures.
2. Shuffle it daily for a week, even if you do not read.
3. Draw one card each morning and write a line about it, then check in the evening where it showed up.
4. Ask it a simple first question: "What do you want me to know about reading with you?"

My own morning habit is one card while the kettle boils, with one line in the notebook.

What if a card keeps jumping out?

A card that jumps out face up during the shuffle is worth a look: set it to one side and read it as a note on the whole spread. A card that falls face down goes back in. If more than two jump, reshuffle.

Can someone else touch my tarot cards?

Yes, if you are comfortable with it. Some readers let the person they are reading for shuffle; others keep the deck to themselves. If someone else has handled it, a pass through smoke or a long shuffle resets it.

How I care for my deck

The deck lives wrapped in a cloth on the shelf above my table. Before every reading I shuffle overhand until the question feels settled, cut once and deal from the top. After a heavy reading it goes once through the rosemary smoke from my cauldron. If you want a reading from that same deck, the soul contract tarot reading looks at the patterns behind your relationships.