10 Easy Ways To Cleanse Your Tarot Cards & Why You Need To

But with every reading, your tarot deck accumulates more and more debris (physical and emotional), so you'll want to be sure to cleanse it occasionally. Here, tarot experts explain how to do it.

"Even if you're only doing readings for yourself, your energy is constantly changing," she explains. When you do a reading with a cleansed deck, she says it will better reflect your current circumstances. (This is similar to why you'd want to cleanse your crystals after working with them.)

Magdaleno is a fan of selenite and clear quartz as well and adds you can also choose a crystal that corresponds with the type of reading you're doing. If you're doing a relationship reading, for example, Magdaleno says you could reach for loving rose quartz.

Vanderveldt's herbal preference is lavender, as it's ruled by Mercury, making it great for clear communication. Mugwort, Magdaleno adds, would also be a good choice, for it has cleansing and intuitive properties.

"Salt is such a powerful and accessible tool for clearing," Vanderveldt tells mbg. As such, when one of her decks is in need of "a real reset," she'll put it in a bowl of sea salt overnight.

It won't take long, which is a good thing, as you don't want to accidentally bleach your cards in the sun.

"For example," she explains, "if you're doing a relationship reading, charge them on a Friday night, as Friday is ruled by Venus, or choose a day the moon is in a sign ruled by Venus (Libra or Taurus)."

"If you're getting to know a new deck or simply feeling disconnected from it, you can lay out the cards in order (starting with the Major Arcana and going through the suits) and then just mix the whole thing up in a chaotic way—like a kid playing in the mud," she suggests. "Or you can simply do an extra thorough regular shuffle for a quick reboot."

Have you ever heard that you should knock on your deck three times before a reading? According to Magdaleno, it's a quick and easy way to physically knock old energy out. The first knock clears the energy of the previous reading, the second knock introduces you to the deck, and the third knock represents your intention for the reading.

Your breath is a powerful tool, and incorporating it into your cleansing process will help you clear your deck and drop into a reading faster. As Magdaleno explains, simply blowing a deep breath over your deck essentially brushes any old energy off of it.

If you're into visualizations, why not try one for cleansing your deck? Magdaleno recommends holding your deck between your hands, closing your eyes, and visualizing a white light—or whatever color feels cleansing to you—surrounding your deck and pulling old energy out of it.

Last but not least, sound is another wonderful tool for cleansing your deck, according to Magdaleno. "Bells tend to be popular sound-cleansing tools with witches," she notes, adding, "Singing bowls, music, or even your own voice can work, too."

Here are a handful of times you'll definitely want to clean your deck. (Though for what it's worth, it's never a bad idea to cleanse your deck, especially before starting a reading.)

Magdaleno and Vanderveldt both recommend cleansing your deck when you first get it. "Your deck has likely touched many hands on its way to you, through packaging, being put on a shelf, handled by a cashier, etc.," Magdaleno notes, adding, "You want to make sure to cleanse your deck of all other energies who have handled it."

If you have tarot-savvy (or even tarot-curious) friends, there's a fair chance they'll use your cards at some point. In this case, Magdaleno and Vanderveldt agree, it's a good idea to cleanse your deck afterward. Magdaleno says if you had friends over, this is also a good time to do a quick cleanse of your house, too. An energetic win-win!

That's right—to ensure the most accurate of readings, Magdaleno actually recommends cleansing your deck every time you do a reading. "Whether it's for someone else, or yourself," she says, "it's always best to start with a cleanse to clear the cards for your reading."

If you've gone on a trip and taken your deck with you, Vanderveldt says that's also a good reason to cleanse it. After all, who knows what kind of energy you could pick up in a foreign place?

The cards respond to your energy, as well as the energy around you, and the more you tune into what they might be holding on to, the more you'll be able to tell when they need a cleanse.

You can even do a tarot spread to help you expand on your intention, Vanderveldt adds. She recommends asking your deck questions like, How am I meant to work with this deck in this season? How can I best support my intention for this deck? What approach would be helpful?

If you've had a particular deck for a while, be sure to take it out from time to time, Magdaleno suggests, noting that keeping your decks in dark corners of bookshelves or drawers can lead to stagnant energy.

Much like our favorite crystals can hold on to stagnant energy, so, too, can our tarot cards. If you want a clear reading free from stuck energy, be sure to cleanse your deck frequently—be it with a knock, a shuffle, or a dip in the moonlight.