How to cleanse tarot cards (and whether you need to)

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

Many tarot readers like to cleanse a new deck before they use it, or clear their cards after a heavy reading. If a small ritual helps you focus, keep it. But you do not have to do it for the cards to work, and some popular methods can damage your deck or harm the people and pets you live with. On this page I share why people cleanse their cards, six gentle methods with safety notes, what to avoid and my honest answer to whether you need to bother at all.

Why people cleanse tarot cards

Modern The idea that a deck can pick up “energy” from readings, other people or a hard week, and needs clearing, is a modern belief. It grew alongside modern crystal and energy practices in the late twentieth century. Historically, tarot began as a card game in fifteenth-century Italy, and nobody needed to cleanse a deck to play a hand of tarocchi.

That does not make cleansing pointless. People cleanse their cards for good reasons that have nothing to do with energy:

• A fresh start. A small ritual marks the moment a new deck becomes yours.
• A reset. After a reading about something painful, clearing the cards can help you put the reading down.
• Focus. Taking a minute with your cards before a reading helps you arrive in the present.
• Plain hygiene. Cards that are handled often, or shared in a class, get grubby.

If any of these speak to you, choose a method below. If none do, you can skip cleansing entirely and read just as well.

Six gentle ways to cleanse tarot cards

These methods are kind to cardstock and safe for a shared home. You can mix them, or simply pick the one that feels right.

1. A moment of quiet

Hold the deck in both hands, breathe slowly three times and say, silently or aloud, what you want from your readings. For example: “I read with honesty and care.” This is the simplest method and the one I would start with. It works anywhere, costs nothing and cannot damage your cards.

2. Reshuffling with intention

Shuffle the whole deck slowly and thoroughly while you think about letting the last reading go. Some readers go further and put the deck back into its original order, from The Fool through the Major Arcana and then each suit from Ace to King. Sorting all 78 cards is also a lovely way to get to know a new deck.

3. Knocking on the deck

Modern A popular modern habit is to knock on the deck once or three times, as if waking it up. Some readers fan the cards and tap each one. It is quick and quiet, and it makes a clear boundary between one reading and the next.

4. Sound

Ring a small bell, strike a singing bowl or simply clap once over the deck. Many witches use sound to clear a space, and it suits cards well because nothing touches them. It is also the safest choice in a home with pets, children or anyone with asthma.

5. Moonlight

Leave the deck in its box or wrapped in a cloth on an indoor windowsill under a full moon. Moonlight will not hurt your cards, but sunlight can fade them, so bring the deck in before morning sun reaches it. Never leave cards outside, where dew and damp will warp them. You can read more about working with the moon in my full moon guide.

6. Smoke, with care

Some readers pass their cards through the smoke of a dried herb bundle or incense. If you choose smoke, please follow these safety rules:

• Use garden herbs, such as garden sage, rosemary or lavender, grown at home or bought from a cultivated source. Avoid white sage, which is on the United Plant Savers at-risk list and is sacred to some Indigenous peoples. “Smudging” is the name of specific Indigenous ceremonies, so I call this smoke cleansing.
• Ventilate by opening a window, and use a fireproof dish.
• Never leave smoke or a flame unattended, and keep it well away from the cards themselves.
• Keep pets out of the room. Birds, cats and small animals are especially sensitive to smoke, and so are people with asthma or allergies.
• Pass the deck quickly through the smoke, a few cards at a time. Do not hold cards close enough to scorch.

What to avoid

• Salt. Burying cards in salt can scratch and stain them, and salt draws moisture into cardstock.
• Water and sprays. Moon water, rose water and essential oil sprays will warp, stick or stain your cards. Keep all liquids off the deck.
• Crystals on top. If you like a crystal with your deck, set it beside the cards rather than on them. Stones can dent and scratch. My crystals guide has more on gentle stone care.
• Long sun. Sunlight fades card backs and faces.
• Candles near cards. Keep paper far from any flame.

Caring for your deck physically

The best “cleanse” for a well-used deck is often simple care:

• Wipe the cards gently with a clean, dry, soft cloth to remove dust and fingerprints.
• Wash and dry your hands before reading, especially if you have been cooking or using hand cream.
• Store the deck in its box, a cloth wrap or a wooden box, away from damp and direct sun.
• Shuffle gently. Riffle shuffling bends cards over time; overhand or side shuffling is kinder to cardstock.

Is it necessary?

No. Cleansing is not required for your cards to be readable. A deck is a set of printed images, and your readings come from your attention, your questions and your knowledge of the cards, not from the state of the cardstock. I explain this, and other common beliefs, on my page about tarot myths.

If a ritual helps you focus, keep it, and enjoy it. If you have never cleansed a deck and your readings feel clear, you are not doing anything wrong. And if you share decks in a class or buy a secondhand deck, a dry cloth wipe and a thorough shuffle is all the reset you need.

A simple cleansing ritual for a new deck

1. Wash and dry your hands.
2. Open the deck and look through every card, slowly, face up.
3. Sort the cards into order, Major Arcana first and then each suit.
4. Hold the deck, breathe slowly three times and say what you want from your readings.
5. Shuffle thoroughly and draw one card as a first hello.
6. Note the card and the date in your tarot journal.

Where to go next

If you are new to tarot, start at my tarot hub, or learn the history behind the cards in the history of tarot. My book The Novice’s Guide to Tarot has a full chapter on common tarot myths, including cleansing, along with all 78 card meanings.