Charging Tarot Cards: A How-To Guide to Cleansing New, Used, and Old Decks

Charging tarot cards is an essential practice for readers, whether you’ve just brought home a new deck, acquired a pre-owned one, or have been using the same deck for years. The process of charging a deck infuses it with your energy, aligning it with your intentions and clearing away any lingering influences. This guide will walk you through charging a brand-new deck, cleansing a used one, and recharging an older deck that may carry residual energy. I hope you find it helpful to your Tarot journey!

Charging Tarot Cards That Are New: Building a Fresh Connection

When you first get a new tarot deck, it’s like opening a fresh chapter of possibilities. Charging a new deck involves creating an energetic link between you and the cards, ensuring they resonate with your unique energy and intentions.

1. Introduce Yourself to the Deck: I like to start by going through each card individually. Observe the artwork, symbols, and colors, getting a feel for the overall energy of the deck. Holding each card can help you establish a personal connection.
2. Set Your Intention: Think about how you’d like to use the deck, whether it’s for personal guidance, helping others, or self-reflection. While holding the deck in both hands, close your eyes and set a clear, positive intention for it. Visualize the deck being filled with light and open to your energy.
3. Infuse with Your Energy: I recommend sleeping with your new tarot deck under your pillow for three days before using it for readings. This helps your energy soak into the deck naturally. You could also meditate with the deck in hand, envisioning a beam of light connecting you to it and energizing it with your intentions.
4. Store with Care: Consider wrapping the deck in a cloth, storing it in a wooden box, or keeping it in a special spot. This will help protect it from outside energies and set the foundation for respecting Tarot as your most sacred spiritual tool.

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Cleansing Used Tarot Cards: Removing Lingering Energies

If you’ve acquired a used deck, you may find that it has a different “feel” to it. Cleansing it can remove any lingering energy from previous owners or readings, allowing you to make the deck truly yours. These steps can also be used to remove energy from a deck that has always belonged to you, but there is too much old energy on it to give an accurate tarot reading.

1. Smoke Cleanse: Smoke cleansing is one of the most popular ways to clear a deck. Use sage, palo santo, or incense, and pass each card one by one through the smoke. Visualize the smoke lifting away any residual energy. If you can’t use smoke, you could use sound cleansing or visualize the energy being cleared.
2. Moonlight Bath: Place your deck under the full moon for a night. Moonlight is believed to be purifying and can help cleanse and recharge a deck. Just make sure the cards won’t be exposed to moisture, as this can warp and damage them.
3. Salt Circle: Place your Tarot cards in a circle or small container of salt for a few hours or overnight. Salt is known to absorb and clear away unwanted energies. Afterward, discard the salt.
4. Use Crystals: Lay a protective stone like black tourmaline or clear quartz on top of the deck. Crystals can help with cleansing and charging tarot cards, and they are especially helpful if smoke or salt isn’t an option. After a few hours, your deck should feel fresh and ready for use.

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Recharging Tarot Cards: Refreshing and Renewing Its Energy

If you’ve been using the same deck for a long time, it might start to feel heavy or tired, especially after many readings. Recharging tarot cards that are old helps to renew their energy, giving the deck a fresh start without clearing away your personal connection to it.

1. Sun and Moon Exposure: Give your deck a day and night outside or near a window, allowing both sun and moonlight to reach it. The sun’s energy recharges, while moonlight cleanses, giving your deck a balanced refresh. Avoid prolonged sunlight, though, as it can fade the artwork.
2. Meditative Reset: Hold the deck and sit in a meditative state. Imagine a cleansing light flowing through the deck, lifting away old, stagnant energy. This process can help you reset the deck while keeping your personal bond intact.
3. Use Crystal Grids: Arrange crystals like amethyst, selenite, or clear quartz in a grid around your deck. This not only cleanses it but charges tarot cards with fresh energy. Leave the crystals around the deck for a few hours or overnight.
4. Reinvigorate Through Rituals: Perform a small ritual that resonates with you. You could light a candle, ring a bell, or say a blessing over the deck. Adding an intentional ritual reinforces the bond between you and the cards and gives the deck an energetic lift.

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Keeping Your Deck’s Energy Clear: Cleansing & Charging Tarot Cards

To keep your deck charged and ready, develop a regular practice of cleansing and charging, especially after heavy or emotionally charged readings. Light smoke cleansing, crystal placement, or even a short intention-setting session can help prevent energy buildup. Your relationship with your deck is ongoing, and just like any relationship, it needs care and maintenance to stay in tune.

Charging tarot cards is a personal and intuitive process, so don’t hesitate to experiment and find what resonates best with you. Whether it’s a new deck, a used one, or a well-loved old friend, these tarot tips will help keep your deck aligned with your energy and intentions, making your readings clear, insightful, and impactful.