Second hand tarot decks

[clairebear24]

If you buy (or acquire) a set of second hand decks how would you cleanse them? My other half bought a set that he isn't really getting a strong a vibe as he first thought from them, but I wouldn't mind having them.

I'm still new...if you couldn't already guess

[Alamaris]

You'll find many different opinions here! Some people cleanse their decks, some people don't -- some people love secondhand decks and some people refuse to buy them, or even let other people touch their decks.

Personally, I don't cleanse my decks, even ones that have gone through two or three sets of hands before they reached mine. My logic? Think about it like this: would you ask a newborn baby for advice? Or would you ask someone with a lot of life experience? I feel that the more experience and handling a deck has, the more seasoned and accurate it feels. Whether I'm anthromorphizing or not, my heavily-used vintage decks feel a lot more "wise" than slick new US Games decks right out of the saran wrap.

Usually, folks who do the whole cleansing thing will put them in their box in a sunny window for a day, maybe with a nice crystal on top. I've also heard about flicking each card carefully over a stick of lit incense, which also gives the cards a nice fresh scent. If it helps how you feel about the deck -- even if it's totally psychosomatic -- well, then why not?

[clairebear24]

That makes a lot of sense in both cleansing and not cleansing. And to be fair my other half hasn't really used them , I dont suppose more than 3 or 4 times, as he just can't connect with them so in reality I guess they wouldn't need much cleansing if they did

[Wendywu]

I don't cleanse, and I do buy second hand more than new. I find that just sitting and shuffling, shuffling, shuffling with a deck makes it "mine". That, and slowly going through the whole deck one card at a time, looking at the images and letting them roll round in my mind. Might take me just a couple of goes of looking through, might take more.

But if you feel you want to cleanse the deck then go right ahead because they're your cards, not mine, and you want the deck to feel right for you .

[VGimlet]

I don't clense either, unless they smell like smoke or incense - and then I just leave them out on the covered porch on a sunny day to air out.

There are a lot of different methods to clear/clense decks. I have heard of smudging them with sage, putting them under a crystal, sleeping with them under your pillow....

[gregory]

I wouldn't, and I don't - though I sometimes shut them in my legendary Box Of Lavender Scented Candles if they smell...

But if you want to cleanse them - the best way is the way that YOU feel will work. You will get loads of suggestions here that don't feel right

[GoldenWolf]

If your SO was the only previous owner, I wouldn't even worry about cleansing it. I'm sure the two of you are in each other's aura, energy field, what have you on a regular basis. Even if the deck had another owner, I have never had any issues with a pre-owned deck unless it came from a smoking household!

[Laura Borealis]

If someone tells you to bury them in the ground for awhile, do not listen to them
Even if you seal them well in ziplock bags, they will get damp and you'll never get the warp out.

[Chiska]

I prefer 2nd hand decks and have had no strange issues with any of them. I always figure that once they are in my possession, they are mine. End of story.

But really, if you feel there are issues, or if you feel uncomfortable using them, then do whatever sort of ritual will make you feel better about them. Ritual can be pretty much anything from salt and smudging to sunshine and simply shuffling the cards while informing them that they are yours now.

[nisaba]

Originally Posted by clairebear24

If you buy (or acquire) a set of second hand decks how would you cleanse them?

I don't. I love the feel of history and use on a deck. It's fabulous, far better than the naked feel of a new deck.

However, with timer and use my decks all come to feel like me, which I suppose is a cleansing of their past.