How to Cleanse Tarot Cards
9 proven methods to clear stagnant energy from your deck - from 30-second quick resets to deep overnight rituals.
By LunaTarot cards absorb energy from every reading. Over time, residual emotions, questions, and intentions can build up and make your readings feel foggy or disconnected. Cleansing your deck clears that slate so each new reading starts fresh.
Key Principle
Cleansing isn't about "fixing" something broken. It's energetic hygiene - like washing your hands between tasks. A clean deck gives clearer, sharper readings.
Why Cleanse Your Tarot Deck
Every time you do a reading, your cards interact with emotional energy - yours, a querent's, or the situation's. None of that energy is "bad," but it accumulates. Common signs your deck needs a cleanse:
Readings feel repetitive or muddled, regardless of the question
Cards feel physically sticky or heavy when you shuffle
You've read for someone going through intense emotions
The deck has been sitting unused for weeks or months
You've just bought or received a new deck
Your intuition feels 'blocked' during readings
If any of these resonate, it's time for a cleanse. The good news: most methods take under five minutes.
When to Cleanse Your Cards
There's no rigid schedule. Most experienced readers cleanse in these situations:
Quick Cleanse (Between Readings)
- After reading for someone else
- After an emotionally heavy reading
- When switching between questions
Best methods: Knocking, breath work
Deep Cleanse (Monthly / Seasonal)
- At the full moon each month
- At the start of a new season or year
- After a long break from reading
Best methods: Moonlight, salt, smoke, reordering
9 Proven Methods to Cleanse Tarot Cards
No single method is "best." Choose what feels right for your practice, your living situation, and how much time you have.
Pass each card or the whole deck through the smoke of dried herbs. Sage, palo santo, rosemary, and cedar are all popular choices.
Leave your deck on a windowsill or outdoors under moonlight, especially during a full moon. The lunar energy naturally resets the cards.
Place a cleansing crystal on top of your deck. Clear quartz, selenite, and black tourmaline are the most effective for energy clearing.
The simplest and fastest method. Knock on the deck three times with your fist to physically shake loose stagnant energy. Many readers do this before every reading.
Sort every card back into its original order - Fool through The World, then Ace through King for each suit. This resets the deck to its 'factory' state.
Bury the deck in a bowl of sea salt or Himalayan salt. Salt has been used for purification across cultures for thousands of years.
Use sound vibrations to break up stagnant energy. Singing bowls, bells, clapping, or even a tuning fork work well.
Hold the deck and blow across the top edge while visualising stale energy dispersing. Your breath carries your intention directly into the cards.
Hold the deck, close your eyes, and visualise a beam of white or golden light flowing through each card, dissolving any residual energy.
Which Method Should You Choose?
Your circumstances matter more than any "rule." Here's a quick guide:
| Situation | Best Method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Between readings | Knocking | 30 seconds, no supplies |
| After an intense session | Smoke cleansing | Clears heavy energy quickly |
| Monthly maintenance | Moonlight bath | Gentle, thorough, no effort |
| Brand new deck | Sorting + smoke | Full reset of factory energy |
| Flat / shared space | Crystal or sound | No smoke, no mess |
| Travelling | Visualisation or breath | No supplies needed at all |
| Deck unused for months | Salt burial + reorder | Deepest cleanse available |
Combine Methods
Many readers layer methods - e.g., a quick knock before each reading plus a moonlight bath at the full moon. There's no wrong combination.
What to Do After Cleansing
Once your deck is cleansed, take a moment to reconnect with it before jumping into a reading.
Shuffle slowly while holding the deck. Let your energy re-bond with the cards.
Pull a single card as a 'check-in.' Does the reading feel clear? If so, the cleanse worked. one-card reading
Store the deck properly. Wrap it in silk or cloth or keep it on a selenite plate.
Consider a protective crystal on top of the deck between uses to maintain the cleanse. Best crystals for tarot
Deck Freshly Cleansed?
Test it out with a free reading. A clean deck gives the clearest insights.
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