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Every tarot deck picks up energy. Yours, your clients’, even the room you read in. Sometimes it flows fine, other times it clings like static. That’s where cleansing comes in. Learning how to cleanse tarot cards gives you sharper readings, calmer focus, and a deck that feels alive instead of heavy. This post breaks down ten effective methods, clears up common myths, and gives you the tools to keep your practice intentional and strong.
Why Cleansing Tarot Cards Matters
Cleansing tarot cards is not only about clearing the deck. It is about understanding how to cleanse tarot cards so you reset your own energy too. When you practise tarot card cleansing with intention, you create the right conditions for intuitive readings. This helps you focus, connect, and receive insights that feel grounded and authentic.
Taking a few minutes to clear your energy before a reading creates alignment between you and your deck. That alignment makes readings flow more easily, whether you are a professional reader or just starting out. Learning how to cleanse tarot cards is a small ritual that keeps your practice consistent and meaningful.
Cleansing is also an act of mindfulness. Instead of rushing into a reading, you pause, breathe, and reset. I often find those few seconds of grounding are the difference between a distracted session and one that feels sharp and resonant. Over time, these simple moments of self care ripple into daily life, bringing clarity and focus beyond the cards themselves.
When and Why to Cleanse Your Tarot Cards
If you have been wondering how to cleanse tarot cards, the first thing to know is that there is no strict rule. For professional work, I like to cleanse between every reading so the cards start fresh. Each client brings unique energy, and resetting between sessions keeps the deck neutral. For personal use, I cleanse whenever the deck feels heavy, unclear, or simply off.
Common reasons to cleanse include:
- After someone else has handled your cards
- When readings feel muddled or unclear
- At the start of a new season, moon phase, or major life shift
- When your intuition tells you it is time
The type of reading matters as well. Deep shadow work or emotional spreads often leave lingering energy that benefits from stronger methods like smoke cleansing or sound cleansing. Lighter readings may only need a shuffle or a few knocks. Choosing the right way to cleanse keeps your deck aligned with your intentions and supports clearer insights.
How to Cleanse Tarot Cards: The Core Process
Cleansing is not only about the cards. We cleanse three things: ourselves, the space, and the deck. Some readers see this as clearing spirits or energetic clutter. Others treat it as psychology in action. Either way, an intentional reset sharpens your focus and makes your readings clearer. Here is the process I use and teach.
1. What we are cleansing: you, the space, the cards
You: release noise and distractions; arrive in the moment.
The space: create a container that supports clarity; reduce interruption and visual mess.
The deck: reset to neutral so there is no hangover from previous pulls; align it with the intention of the next reading.
2. Set your intention
Hold the cards. Name the purpose out loud or in your head. Example: I am clearing this deck and this space so the next reading is clear, useful, and kind. Keep it short. Intention is the switch that turns the ritual on.
3. Focus your energy and prepare the space
Sit or stand with a steady posture. Breathe slowly for three cycles. Remove obvious distractions in your field of view. Silence devices. If you like, place a cloth, a candle, or a single object that signals this is reading time. This anchors your attention.
4. Reset the deck
Shuffle until the cards feel mixed and responsive. Cut the deck. If it feels helpful, knock three times to break ties with the last session. Hold the deck for a breath. Imagine static lifting away.
5. Choose your method; perform the action
Pick one cleansing method that fits the moment: smoke, sound, diffuser, crystals, salt, visualisation, moonlight, sunlight, shuffling alone, or essential oils. Perform the action with the intention you set. Keep it simple. Thirty to sixty seconds is often enough.
6. Close the ritual
Hold the deck to your heart or place a palm on top. One more breath. Say thank you. Affirm the reset. Place the deck down ready to begin.
7. How often to cleanse
For personal readings: a light cleanse each time is ideal; at minimum every four or five readings if you are pulling often. For professional work: cleanse between every client. If the deck feels heavy or readings are muddy, cleanse now rather than later.
10 Tarot Card Cleansing Methods and Tools
Below are the practical ways to cleanse. Use one or layer two if the session felt especially intense. Keep the ritual short and intentional so you spend more time reading and less time fussing.
1. Smoke Cleansing
Smoke cleansing clears stagnant energy by passing your deck through the smoke of herbs such as lavender, rosemary, or cedar. It refreshes the cards and your space, making them feel lighter and more neutral. If you want to cleanse a tarot deck without sage, try rosemary, sound cleansing, or visualisation for an equally effective alternative.
A note on White Sage and Palo Santo: these are sacred materials in Indigenous and South American traditions. Their commercial use in mass-produced incense bundles and sticks is exploitative and harmful. Unless these practices are part of your heritage and community, avoid them. There are plenty of ethical, respectful alternatives that work just as well.
I sometimes use rosemary, especially when I want a clean, sharp reset. It has a strong, bright scent that cuts through heavy energy and leaves the room feeling lighter.
2. Diffuser Magic
An essential oil diffuser cleanses the space with scent and mist. Oils like lavender, orange, or sandalwood help create the atmosphere you need for a reading. It is portable, subtle, and practical if you move between reading spaces.
I use this diffuser for my own readings. During the Pathfinder drink launch, I read for five hours straight with it running. The calming mist and scent created a peaceful environment that kept me focused and grounded.
3. Knocking on the Deck
Knocking three times on your tarot deck symbolically clears residual energy. This simple gesture works like a reset button, breaking old ties and creating a clean slate for your next reading. It is quick, requires no tools, and is perfect for cleansing your tarot deck between sessions at home or events.
I find knocking especially handy at fairs or busy events. It is quick, discreet, and still gives me that sense of starting fresh.
4. Shuffling
Shuffling resets your deck both physically and energetically. It mixes the cards and allows you to refocus before drawing. Sometimes this is all you need to cleanse your tarot deck, especially for lighter readings. It is practical, fast, and built into the natural rhythm of working with tarot.
This is the method I use most often when reading casually for myself, because it fits naturally into pulling cards.
5. Sound Cleansing
Sound cleansing uses vibrations from bells, singing bowls, or even a phone chime app to release stuck energy. The resonance moves through the deck and the space, leaving them feeling refreshed. It is particularly useful when smoke or scents are not practical, and it creates a clear energetic reset.
If I am travelling and want something portable, I often use a small Himalayan singing bowl.
6. Moonlight or Sunlight
Leaving your cards in moonlight or sunlight recharges and resets them. Moonlight is gentle and symbolic, ideal for readers who follow lunar cycles. Sunlight can work too, but be careful not to leave the cards too long, as it may fade the artwork. This method doubles as cleansing and charging.
I sometimes pair moonlight cleansing with intention setting. I will journal, place the deck by the window, and treat it as a reset not only for the cards but for myself as well.
7. Crystals
Crystals such as selenite, amethyst, or clear quartz naturally cleanse tarot decks. Place your cards on or near a crystal overnight to clear lingering energy. Selenite is especially popular because it does not need to be recharged, making it a reliable and easy option for ongoing deck maintenance.
I keep a small slab of selenite in the bag with my cards so they’re always resting against it when not in use. I also have a tall selenite tower in my reading room. Sometimes I rest a deck against it while working with another, and I notice the deck feels fresher afterwards.
8. Salt
Salt is a traditional cleanser that absorbs stagnant energy. Place your deck in a cloth bag and set it in or near a bowl of salt overnight. Always protect the cards, since direct contact with salt can damage them. It is a simple, powerful way to reset a deck after heavy readings.
9. Visualisation
Visualisation is an internal method of cleansing tarot cards. Hold the deck and imagine a bright light washing through each card, removing what no longer serves you. Adding affirmations can enhance the effect. This approach is personal, portable, and requires nothing but your focus and intention.
I often use this approach when travelling, especially if I do not want to carry extra tools. It is simple and always available.
10. Essential Oils
Essential oils can cleanse your tarot deck by creating a supportive environment. Place a few drops on a cloth near your cards or use them in a diffuser. Scents such as jasmine, ylang ylang, and sandalwood add grounding and clarity. The fragrance deepens focus and sets the tone for clear, intuitive readings.
The Ethics of Tarot Card Cleansing
The way you cleanse tarot cards also includes the tools you choose. Using ethical and sustainable options makes your practice intentional and respectful. Herbs should be responsibly sourced, crystals ideally come from fair trade suppliers, and decks should be original rather than counterfeits. Aligning your tools with your values adds depth to your work.
- Herbs: Ethically grown or locally sourced options are best. Avoid closed practices such as White Sage and Palo Santo unless they are your traditions. Respect means finding alternatives that cleanse without harm.
- Decks: Support artists and avoid knockoffs from sites like Temu or AliExpress
Respecting origins and creators deepens your connection to the practice itself.
Wrap Up: Find What Works for You
Learning how to cleanse tarot cards is about building a ritual that supports you and your deck. There is no single right way to do it. The best way to cleanse tarot cards is the method you can repeat with ease and intention. What matters most is that the practice helps you connect with clarity and confidence.
Experiment with different ways to cleanse tarot cards until you find the ones that feel natural. As your tarot journey grows, so will your rituals. Over time, these practices become personal anchors that strengthen your readings and keep your deck attuned to you.
I always encourage clients and students not to overthink it. Try a method, notice how it feels, and adapt. Over time, you will build a personal toolkit of cleansing rituals that are as unique as your tarot practice.
