How to Cleanse Tarot Cards Without Tools

Here are some simple ways to cleanse tarot cards without using any special tools. All of these methods are quick and easy to use. Why should you energetically cleanse your tarot deck?  It is important to regularly cleanse your cards in between divination sessions in order to get more accurate readings. 

Visualization

This is the easiest method of cleansing your tarot cards. Simply hold them in your hands and visualize whatever feels right to you. Some people envision a white light surrounding the cards. Some imagine wind sweeping away the energy. Others think about a cleansing fire that leaves the cards untouched and burns away any negative vibes. You could even imagine water rinsing the tarot in your mind’s eye. 

Sound Cleansing

This is another simple method for cleansing your cards. In a lot of spiritual traditions, rattles are used to break up the energy. If you don’t have one, you can fill a container with dry rice or dry beans or even small gravel. I’ve used a baby food jar, an old pill bottle, and a leftover lip balm tin for this purpose. After you fill it up, shake the container around your tarot cards. Stop whenever they feel clean to you. If you are witchy like I am, this is a useful tool to keep on your altar. It can be used before you do any spellwork. 

Another method is finding a YouTube video. There are several that feature singing bowl, rattles, and chimes. Or simply try a 417 HZ video on YouTube to dispel negative energies. 

Moonlight

You can use the cleansing energy of the full moon to bathe your cards in pure silvery light. I live on the top floor of my building with really large windows, so I simply move everything to the window sills the night of the full moon. You might also have a basket that you use to gather up your crystals and take them outside. Just make sure it’s a safe place and no one can steal your crystals. 

Sunlight

Much like moonlight, sunlight also has a cleansing energy. And, unlike the light of a full moon, sunlight is available every single day. Be careful not to leave your tarot cards out too long, or you will fade the artwork. This is an abundant resource you can use all year long to clear the energy. 

Air

Your breath is a very powerful force. It puts a bit of your soul into something. Air moves energy and invites change. You can breathe on the cards, or you could even open a window and leave the cards near it. Obviously, don’t let the cards blow away.

Salt

This is another method that doesn’t require any special tools. You can use any kind of salt you happen to have on hand, including regular old table salt. One caution though, don’t leave the salt on your cards for a long period of time. Salt attracts water and it will ruin your cards…literally washing the ink right off them. Yes, this is happened to a card I used in a spell. Instead of burying your cards in salt, I recommend sprinkling the deck with salt and then dusting it right back off. 

Earth

You can also sprinkle the cards with a little bit of earth from the garden. Earth is grounding and centering.  Some people advocate burying the cards, which you can do. However, be very careful that you use an airtight container like a jar or a ziptop bag. Personally, I prefer the sprinkling method so the cards don’t get dirty. 

Herbs

You can use herbs in much the same way you can use salt and earth, by simply sprinkling the herb over the cards and then dusting it off. No special herbs are needed. Rosemary would probably be the most accessible. In fact, it’s probably already in your spice cupboard. An alternative would be ordinary garden sage. These can also be burned to smoke cleanse the cards, which I will touch on below. 

Knocking on Tarot Cards

I often knock my cards on the table as I’m shuffling to shake the energy up. Some people knock on the deck, as if they are at someone’s door. But I like to this as part of the way I riffle shuffle the cards even if I have cleansed the deck in another way. It’s a good routine to get into and I think it provides a more accurate reading. 

Cleansing the Tarot Deck With Tools

Now, we will cover some ways to cleanse your cards with some tools. I’m sharing these because they are fairly common but useful methods of cleansing not only your cards but your space as well as your energetic fields.

Smoke Cleansing

Smoke is a great way to cleanse tarot cards and it’s one of the most popular methods for a reason. The most traditional methods include white sage and palo santo. If you are going to buy either of these, make sure the materials are ethically sourced. Another way of smoke cleansing is using an incense of your choice. My favorites are Dragon’s blood and Cedar. You can even burn an herb like bay leaves or rosemary to cleanse your cards. Just make sure not to burn your fingers. 

Whatever you are using, just run your cards through the sacred smoke. I wreathe my cards in the smoke in a circular motion. I stop doing this whenever the cards “feel” clean to me. Your intuition will tell you when it is time to stop. 

Crystals to Cleanse Tarot Cards

I think that selenite is the perfect crystal for cleansing tarot cards. You can get a selenite wand for as little as a dollar a piece in the United States. Selenite is the only crystal that cleanses itself. I keep selenite in the same drawer I put my tarot decks in for this purpose. Selenite was named after a moon goddess and the crystal has this lunar sort of glow to it. Using selenite for this purpose makes sense, because moonlight is also a method for cleansing tarot cards.

Clear quartz would be another good option since it is also cleansing and clearing and relatively inexpensive.  You could also use a black crystal like tourmaline, onyx, or obsidian. All of these crystals are protective and they absorb negativity. One unusual crystal might be black tourmaline in clear quartz. It’s the perfect balance of cleansing and protection.  

Do you use any of the methods listed above? If not, how do you cleanse your tarot cards?