Cleansing second hand tarot deck?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Nov 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

hexadecimal	23 Nov 2003
Hi! I was given a lot of 3 tarot decks from my friend. she no longers uses. Do you guys do any cleansing on second hand decks, spiritual or even physical wiping the card clean, so that you can have your energy into the cards? Thanks! :D

skytwig	23 Nov 2003
My first deck was 'gifted' to me and I never cleansed it.... Looking back, I think the mere act of 'Gifting' probably removed any negativity..... Gifting, to me, is a powerful spiritual 'force'/energy I think the act of gifting, the love involved in that, already affected the decks in a positive way....... If, however, you feel uncomfortable about it, you can do any of the following: 1. Set crystals or calcite stones on the decks for 24 hours.... 2. Set in moonlight several nights in a row (sunlight may harm the colors) 3. Set a pyramid on the decks. 4. If you don't have crystals, any stone will do, really, especially if it has 'glittery' or glassy type appearance..... stones and rocks are very cleansing. 5. If you are a Reiki healer, reiki can be used to cleanse them.... Don't use salt or sunlight, as they may harm the inks and paper.

ros	23 Nov 2003
I don't know if this works but what if you put them all in order & back in their box or whatever & let them sit in one of your closets or under your side of the bed just to let them settle with the vibration where they are at? Just an idea.

SongDeva	23 Nov 2003
I buy second hand decks all the time, and am very sensitive to energy. Like Ros, one of the first things I do is to sit with the deck and put it in order, and then sit and peruse each card. I can feel the cleansing happening as I reorder it really. It's lovely, and puts my own vibration and love into the deck. For this reason, I don't mind other people handling them for the most part. I just do it again if necessary. It's a good way to get a deck ready to work with you as well, if you haven't used it in a while.

Agathe	23 Nov 2003
I always try to give my energy to each of the cards. I take them into my hands and think of their meanings. I also have a candle lit. I think it's important.

Moonbow*	23 Nov 2003
I think its more about making the deck feel like your own. Like some of the other answers here. I put all the cards in order, (have to do this anyway to make sure they're all there). Then I would spend some time looking at them. I spread them all on a large table to see colours within the suits, before actually doing a spread. By time this is done the deck feels 'cleansed' to me. Moonbow*

VGimlet	23 Nov 2003
I do the same as Moonbow, put the cards in order, look through them, make sure they are all there. Usually that's enough for me too. I've only felt a need to purposefully cleanse decks three times. Two of them reeked, and I put them outside in the sun for a day, which took care of the problem. The other deck had a really creepy feel to it. It's the only time I've gotten a used deck with a strange vibe. I gave it the sun treatment, and then smudged it with sage, and then sunned it again, and it was fine.

Jewel-ry	23 Nov 2003
Hi VGimlet, I was going to say that its not easy to find any sun in the UK, its usually raining! Then I realised that you are in Seattle and wondered if you had the same problem??!!! :laugh: Jewel-ry

DeLani	23 Nov 2003
When I get a deck, whether new or used, I put it in order, pass it through sage smoke, and do a consecration ritual -basically "presenting" it to the 4 directions - "Blessed be thou, creature of Art, may you be cleansed by (element) and serve me well in the (direction)." Then I dedicate them in the name of the Goddess, to connect me with Her wisdom and direct me to my highest good. I then place its crystal (which has been previously cleansed with salt water and sunlight) with it in its new home (box or bag) and sleep with it under my pillow for several nights. It might not work for everyone, but I've been doing it that way for over a decade and it works for me.

VGimlet	23 Nov 2003
LOL, jewel-ry, you are so right! Now that I think about it, I must have gotten all those decks in the spring or summer, and I'm sure I had to wait to put them out. :D We had a very nice summer this year, but we are paying for it now. I guess, with the lack of sun (or even a non-damp area on the porch) I'd put them in a dry windowsill.

Star Spirit	24 Nov 2003
I've never bought a used deck, and doubt if I will, but I've always wondered about the cleansing involved. You never know where those cards have been! I'd never let anyone whom I got bad vibes from touch my cards (although I probably wouldn't let them anywhere near me to do a reading in that case anyway :)). Thanks for the info posted in this thread.

Osher	22 Apr 2004
I think I'd find it weird to 'own' a deck that used to belong to someone else. I don't mind people handling my cards, but I somehow, I think, that if I had a deck off someone for the time evermore those cards would belong to the original owner, not me.

ncefafn	22 Apr 2004
I've bought and traded for used decks, and only once did I have trouble with one. I don't remember where I read this, but someone somewhere wrote that an easy way to "clean" a deck of negative vibes was just to slam it very hard against a table or other flat surface. I tried it, and it worked. Kim

laura_borealis	22 Apr 2004
I only have one used deck, an Aquarian that I got on eBay. It has obviously been used, but I didn't feel any need to clean it. It doesn't bear any kind of creepy energy. It just feels like a deck that's been around the block a few times, and has got some experience under its belt. :D Edited to say, I completely forgot that I have a used Tarot of the Spirit from a trade with Dark Angel -- which also didn't feel like it needed any cleaning. I like knowing that it belonged to someone nice from here, and that if decks do retain energy then this one undoubtably has positive vibies in it. :D

hyatt	22 Apr 2004
I do the same thing with new decks or with used ones. I spread them out so I can see every card (you need a big space). And then I smoke them out with incense. I wave the wand around them in patterns....I love watching the smoke roll off the cards. I normally get so close I think I might singe a couple. But for me the smoke rolling over them is just breathtaking. Then I wrap them up in a scarf and under the pillow they go!

LadyMedusa	24 Apr 2004
The pre owned decks in my collection far out number the ones I either bought or received as new or unused. To clear them out, I first put them in order. Then I shuffle them while thinking of clearing out a long neglected over flowing closet. Sorting through everything, what to keep, what to donate, what to throw away, even wiping down the shelves and getting the cobwebs out of the corners. Then while thinking of organizing and putting what is being kept back in the closet I order them again. To make them feel like mine I scent them with incense to make them smell familiar. I take them shopping to pick out material for the bag I make for them. I carry them with me as much as possible for a couple of weeks or longer. I shuffle whenever I get a chance. While reading here, while watching TV, sitting in traffic... When they feel like they are ready, the best part begins. LadyMedusa

Diana	24 Apr 2004
Never would I do such a thing. When I joined Aeclectic, I heard about these rituals of cleansing decks, and I experimented them. (It's easier to talk of something if one experiments it). I did them in good faith and not in any spirit of contradiction. I was sincere when I did this. My conclusions were: Firstly, their efficacy is in my view all in people's wild imaginations. Secondly, even if it were possible to "cleanse" a deck (whatever that is really supposed to mean), I wouldn't want to. Each hand that held it, each thought that was given to it, each emotion, and each sentiment that "may" have attached itself to the deck are precious..... I would no more attempt to cleanse a deck of its possible rich history, than I would put an old book in a washing machine. I have an old Lenormand deck, probably from the 1930s, according to the publishers who still exist. I won it off e-bay. I don't know who owned it before. I don't care. But I love each stain, each crease and the faint mouldy smell it has.

DeLani	24 Apr 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Diana Never would I do such a thing. When I joined Aeclectic, I heard about these rituals of cleansing decks, and I experimented them. (It's easier to talk of something if one experiments it). I did them in good faith and not in any spirit of contradiction. I was sincere when I did this. My conclusions were: Firstly, their efficacy is in my view all in people's wild imaginations. True enough, but the same could be said about Tarot in general! Our imaginations are important resevoirs of energy and creativity, that feed our intuitions and dreams. I believe in encouraging and nurturing the imagination in every way. In response to those that wouldn't think of owning a used deck - why not? Do you own a used couch? Or shop for used clothing? They are, after all, just items. The "cleansing" is more for you, the reader, than the cards. The cards are a symbol of our intuition or connection to Spirit. If it makes us feel better to cleanse them to make them our very own special deck, then do it. Almost everything I own I bought or was given used. I'm poor. But sometimes, it's good to know that something, some deck, has been around the block a few times. It's older, "wiser," and stronger for it. Just like us! I have a large Thoth deck that was given to me by my teacher, and it has great sentimental value. Recently, a friend gave me the smaller version, which I like better, so I've decided to give the old one to a good friend who is a Thelemite. She'll just love it! And though I'm sure she'll do a cleansing ritual on them, it is for her - to psychicly "own" the cards - and that doesn't bother me a bit.

fairyhedgehog	24 Apr 2004
I've only got used decks through trading here, and they have mainly been very precious because of their previous owners. I really shouldn't name any one in particular in case someone else feels left out, but I have bonded with the Ancestral Path Tarot and for me two things make it special: it is in French, and it belonged to Diana. Cleansing it would have spoilt it for me :)

Emily	25 Apr 2004
I don't try to cleanse used decks now - Infact the only deck I've ever tried to clean was my green Thoth and no amount of cleansing would get the negativity out of it - the thing that is working is the time its spent with me and my other decks and being gently used. The used decks I have now came feeling like new, I shuffle them a few times and thats it. :)

The Cleansing second hand tarot deck? thread was originally posted on 23 Nov 2003 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.