Cleansing and charging your cards

mollymawk

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Umbrae

mysticangel_001 said:
Hmmm...well I was told to clear that occasionally I would need to clear them of the energy or thought patterns of previous readings.
I've never cleaned, cleared, or charged any reading deck, and they work very well.

For me - a deck contains all of its readings. The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. Every sitter imparts a portion of themselves upon the deck - the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.

They still read just fine.

Now cleansing and clearing may be part of an individual path, or religious practice. But it’s not really necessary other than being part of a belief system.

Or you may choose to clean them on the delicate cycle, clear them on air-fluff, and charge them with 200v AC…:joke:...hey...is that my kilt in the dryer? It looks smaller...
 

Enheduanna

I am sort of divided on this one myself. I don’t particularly believe that decks have energy that would need to be cleansed or charged, but I think that people defiantly do. On the other hand there are certain habits I have that would suggest otherwise.

I do keep a crystal/stone with decks that I store in a wooden box, and use most often. I forget where I got the idea from, but I have always used either amethyst or apache tears. I don’t know if I actually believe it does anything for my cards or the readings, but I just have always liked the ritual.

Also, if a reading feels off or the deck doesn't feel right, I am more likely to blame myself then the deck. In cases like that I find just shuffling for the sake of shuffling to be helpful for me. I think it is a very meditative act, and reflective as well.

When I first started to study tarot, and would read for people, I would let people handle my deck(s). However after time this has changed. As my own collection of decks grew, and I started to really love certain decks, I became more and more agitated at the sight of someone else handling my decks. Especially when they would start to shuffle them like a regular deck of playing cards, or swish them around on the table. I don’t know if this effected the cards energy as much as my own!

I have also acquired the habit of doing a reading for new decks, for the deck itself. It is a single card reading, and intended to give me a feel for the deck, and ways I may use that particular deck.
 

mollymawk

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tigereye

I like to have the person who I`m doing the reading for shuffle them once or twice. If I can`t do that then I lightly rub the deck on something they gave me or something of theirs.
 

mysticangel_001

tigereye said:
I like to have the person who I`m doing the reading for shuffle them once or twice. If I can`t do that then I lightly rub the deck on something they gave me or something of theirs.

I usually just do readings for my friends, who are mostly online, in different states, so that's pretty much why I'm the only one who touches my cards. I suppose if I actually had someone sitting here with me I would have them either shuffle or cut the cards, seeing as how they're the ones who are seeking the answers.
 

tigereye

Me too I hardly ever do a reading in person.
 

Grizabella

I tried putting mine through incense smoke, thinking that would make them smell nice. NOT! They smelled like my hair smells when I sit too close to a campfire. :p It worked better to put some broken incense sticks in the bag with the cards, but then that left a little oily mark on one of my cards, so I quit doing that. It did make them smell nice, though. Now I only put incense bits into the pockets on the bags holdsupthesky (she's a member here) makes and that works great. I also put stones and crystals in the pockets.

But to answer the question, I really don't cleanse or clear my decks. I just put them away for their next use. I don't care if people touch my decks, either. Sometimes I feel like putting a little sign out, though, that's like the "you break it, you pay for it" signs in some stores.

My putting incense, crystals and stones in the little pockets on the bags is just something I like to do. The incense because it makes the bags and cards smell good and the crystals and stones just because I like to do it and the little pockets are a good place for small things like that.
 

spinningspider

Other than shuffling (if the cards are small enough to do this easily) or mixing them up on a surface (especially good if they're larger cards), I've been doing something else of late. If I'm just reading for myself or if I'm reading for others, I spritz some "Aura Cleanse" room spray. Not only does it smell nice, as it's got Lotus essential oil in it, along with a combo of flower essences, but it really does seem to clear out any negative energy in the room/area, making me feel as if I'm starting on a "clean slate," so to speak. I bought my bottle from a lady in Wendell, MA who runs a company called "Taliloquay."

Another thing I've been doing since I began reading is to ground and center myself...get my own chakras in line...before I read. I use the method found in Robin Wood's book on Tarot. Basically, it's a meditative ritual that prepares me to be open to "see" what's going on in the cards.

Otherwise, I've not run my card through with incense or anything.
 

Lokismile

I know people who:

put them out in the sun / under the moon and in nearly every type of element save rain

charge them visually with their own focused meditative energy

smudge each with incence or sage, or the entire deck

run each card over a candle flame

set them in sea salt and other things

keep them under their pillow

and especially take them to sacred places special to the reader

I do some of these things and it is for my centering and sense of peace as much as it is for the cards.