What To Do When You Get A Tarot Deck

It’s easy to immediately rip off the packing to reveal the delicious art work when you first unbox your deck, but try to enjoy this moment. It’s exciting to meet your deck for the first time. You’ve probably noticed that I refer to tarot decks as if they were people. This is because the link you may form with a card is so deep, and because each deck has a unique art style and aim, which gives it a unique “flavour.” Some will be your regular bae, while others will only be with you during full moons, summer, or a specific solstice. Make the unpacking experience as opulent as you can by lighting a candle, making a cup of tea, and finding a comfortable place to sit so you can take your time getting to know your new companion in enlightenment. As you slowly flip through each card, let the feelings and memories they arouse flood over you. You may even write down your initial thoughts in a journal so you can refer to them whenever you like.

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What should you do right away after receiving a tarot deck?

What to Do First:

Get out your tarot deck.

The cards are in your hand.
“Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
Shuffle the cards completely.

The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.

Does a tarot deck need to be purified before use?

That’s correct

Magdaleno really suggests cleaning your deck before each reading to achieve the most accurate results. She advises starting with a cleansing to make the cards clear for your reading, whether it’s for yourself or someone else.

How do you greet a deck of tarot cards?

What do you do right away after receiving a fresh tarot deck? remove the package, shuffle, and launch into a reading right away? hesitantly flip through each card one at a time, feeling the feel of the entire deck? choose your favorite cards and just sit with them? Perhaps you also do an unique ritual, such as purifying or “charging” your deck with crystals?

Before I’m ready to shuffle, I like to take my time with a new tarot deck and go through all 78 cards one by one numerous times. I like to take note of anything that stands out to me, any symbols that seem particularly pertinent to me at the time, or any characters who seem to be communicating directly to me. It could take this process anywhere from 20 minutes to many days.

However, when I am prepared to shuffle, I typically use the “tarot deck interview spread” to get to know my new cards. I have no idea where I got it. Despite the fact that several bloggers have given it to me, I did not create it. however I do use it quite a bit. I’ve posted a few tarot deck interviews on my blog throughout the years. Here are a couple of them.

A wonderfully cool method to get to know a new tarot deck and let it get to know you is to use the interview spread. In essence, it’s a discussion about your possible working relationship where you may learn how to approach and use these cards most effectively while also discussing the deck’s advantages and disadvantages. Some tarot decks, according to many people, are better suited for love readings, while others are better suited for queries about job or other practical problems, and yet others are the kind for “getting deep.” This interview spread is a useful tool for delving further into those concepts.

So, if you’ve just received a new deck and are eager to start using it, make some space for yourself, light a candle if you’d like, and try out this little spread. (This might also be a good approach to rekindle your relationship with an old deck you’ve been ignoring or with which you’ve never felt particularly connected.)

How is a fresh tarot deck charged?

Leave your deck in a sacred location where you can “knead (shuffle) it each hour, giving it your magical power with your hands, for one waking day, much as you would a loaf of rising bread.” The greatest time to use this charge is when you’re taking a day off at home or in a retreat.

How should a fresh Tarot deck be cleaned?

While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.

You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:

beginning with a fresh deck

readings for other people
You think you need to recharge.
Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”

Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
Your deck has been handled by others
You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content

Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?

Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.

How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?

This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.

If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.

There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.

Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck

Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.

On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.

Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.

Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.

Unorderly shuffle. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.

the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.

How is a fresh Tarot deck connected?

Advice on connecting with your tarot cards whether it’s your first time using them or you’ve owned your deck for a while.

Connecting or reconnecting to your deck can be a helpful activity, regardless of whether you haven’t picked up your deck in a long, are hesitant to conduct a reading for yourself, feel “wrong” with the readings you’ve been conducting, or have purchased a new deck.

Check out Reading Tarot for Beginners: How to Start Reading Tarot for Yourself for advice on how to pick your deck.

Being a competent reader requires you to connect with your tarot deck. But you must invest time, effort, and attention in a good relationship.

How can I tell if I’m not meant to work with a deck or I just need to reconnect?

The connection you have with the deck has to be strengthened, or it might not be the best fit for you at this time, if you’re having trouble getting a good reading from it or feel off with it.

It’s possible that you and your tarot deck aren’t intended to be in a serious long-term relationship if you don’t feel like you connect with it or if you don’t appear to speak the same language. There is a deck available for you if you want to learn, therefore this does not imply that you are not destined to be a reader.

However, there’s also a strong chance that you can establish the connection with a little time and effort. especially if you were initially drawn to your deck.

You can utilize some decks for specific purposes and not others. The majority of your magic will probably be performed with one main deck, although you may occasionally use other decks for fun, support, or clarity. Since decks are exquisite works of art, I love collecting them. And I adore using them when I want to switch things up or am performing a certain style of reading, but I only use my original ride or die deck for all of my professional readings and lectures.

All of this is to indicate that testing out a variety of decks is a wonderful idea. For your first deck, conduct some study, examine the imagery, and choose the one that sparks your interest.

Here are some methods for getting back on your deck. I’ve listed them in the sequence I’d perform them, but you should feel free to customize this exercise according to your own preferences.

How to connect with your tarot cards

You can accomplish this in a number of ways, including by shuffling, using crystals, moonlight, salt, or sacred incense. Click here to learn more about cleaning your deck.

Hold your cards firmly in your palms while taking a few deep breaths. After that, think about the intention you want to have for your practice with them. It could be a word, a sentence, or an emotion. You can use this time to ask any guides or spirits you enjoy working with for assistance or to help you open your channel to divine advice that is in your highest and best interests.

Cleaning the energy in the deck through shuffling. Additionally, it creates the random system that allows us to access the advice we need from the deck. We can gain a completely new viewpoint from the cards because of the randomness that shuffling creates; by doing so, we are deviating from logic and embracing the unknowable. Check out this article on card shuffling.

To get to know one another, gain some fresh perspectives, and, yes, bond, spend some time completing a tarot spread that is tailored to your deck.

What details about you do you want me to know?
Your restrictions?
What type of partnership are we capable of having?

What task are we supposed to complete jointly?
Which card can currently be my teacher?
How can I use this card to explore deeper?

Make putting your deck away a ceremony. You might keep it in a box, cover it in a special scarf, place a crystal on top of it, or place it on an altar while not in use. Choosing to follow this quick procedure at the conclusion of each session or day is a way to show your deck some love, gratitude, and appreciation.

Bonus Tarot bonding exercises:

the whole picture The Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22 should be arranged in lines of seven cards across. Next, arrange the Ace through King cards for each suit in the following order: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Take a good look at the deck in this format. Then thoroughly jumble everything together.

Select a map. To serve as your anchor and guide for connecting with your deck and intuition, choose a card based on its look and/or its meaning. Write down all the thoughts, emotions, and queries this card triggers for you in a journal. Use it to meditate. Keep track of how it manifests in your daily life and tarot practice (and keep a notebook of your observations!). When not using your deck, place this card on your altar. You can carry out this for a week or a lunar cycle before selecting another.

Put your deck beneath your pillow while you sleep. You can connect with the cards in your unconscious time if you can make it comfy.

Also keep in mind that it takes time to establish a connection and relationship with your deck. Like any relationship, it evolves as you develop and gain new knowledge.

Questions you don’t really want answered

Even though it might seem apparent, it’s advisable to refrain from asking the tarot cards questions that you aren’t prepared to hear the answers to. That’s because answers to these questions can reveal information you’re just not quite ready to hear.

“Tarot can definitely come off as offensive if you’re not willing to hear the truth or consider an opposing opinion. Tarot reading Nicole Fortunaso

According to tarot reader and life coach Nicole Fortunaso, “tarot may truly come out as offensive if you are not willing to hear the truth of the problem or look at an alternate viewpoint.” She advises analyzing why you’re reacting the way you are in order to reflect on how to effectively address the underlying problem if you ask the question and aren’t satisfied with the response.

Can I read tarot cards on my own?

It’s normal to be a little clumsy when you first start practicing the tarot. Tarot study is similar to learning a new languageit takes time to become proficient. But what happens if you no longer require the booklet and have intimate familiarity with the deck? Are you able to read yourself? No, except for a few rare instances. Simply put, it’s a horrible idea.

You see, the majority of us turn to astrology or tarot when we’re looking for clarity amid a period of ambiguity. In contrast to astrology, which is quite technical, our consciousness restricts our capacity to read tarot cards. Working with your personal interpretation of the cards, you are not constrained by short- and long-term cycles like the planets’ orbits. It might be tricky to go beyond your current circumstances while utilizing the tarot to better understand a trying scenario. Even if all the cards are spread out in front of you, putting them together requires such a broad perspective that it is all but impossible to fully understand the meaning of each card. Basically, any biases you already have will always be reflected in your tarot reading!

How should a tarot reading begin?

If you find this daunting, Howe advises you to take a deep breath and believe in your own initiative. “In order to see it less as “This holds all of these secret meanings that I have to do all this work to access” and more as “I know all the meanings; it’s just a matter of establishing the connections and being able to articulate them,” use language or knowledge that you already possess. She points out that the four elementsearth, water, fire, and airplay a significant role in the tarot, which is advantageous because the majority of people already have an understanding of the meanings of each element. ” If you do that, your viewpoint will be more personal, and you will be able to express yourself more freely.

Howe suggests the three-card draw and the Celtic Cross as the two fundamental spreads for beginning readers. In the former, three cards are chosen at random from the deck to symbolize the subject’s mind, body, and spirit, or past, present, and future. According to Howe, you could even up the stakes and use a six-card draw, with one card for each location.

Should I go to bed carrying my Tarot deck?

It’s crucial to have a deck you identify with because tarot reading is such a very personal experience for each reader.”

Find the deck that resonates with you. Avoid looking at the most well-liked decks. Even if you’re purchasing online, Katelan advises taking a closer look at each deck to see which one appeals to you.” To discover a deck that speaks to you, consider how they are drawn and how they are arranged. She claims that several times she purchased or was given a deck that was lovely but didn’t exactly fit her needs. If you want accurate tarot readings, according to Katelan, you can’t force it.” Finding the deck that works for you is worthwhile.

Make sure you’re attuned to your new tarot deck when you first obtain it. Tarot cards contain a lot of energy, so while you’re getting used to them, you should be sure to clear them of any outside energy. When you receive a fresh deck, Katelan advises taking some time to browse the cards and take in the imagery. “Make careful to thoroughly mix them up, and you can use some incense to clear any energy. I wrap all of my playing cards in scarves and put them under my pillow for three nights. During that period, you’ll have some incredibly bizarre dreams, but it will also attune your energy to the cards.

Katelan advises choosing a location for your tarot card reading based on where you feel most at ease. Her home arrangement is less formal than when she reads cards professionally. She used to practice at the Bronx Botanica, which had a table set up in an altar room. “I frequently sit on the ground. If I’m performing a three-card spread, I prefer to pull cards on these old trays I have. I will either do a big spread on the couch or the floor.

In order to feel more rooted and engaged to the practice, Katelan also advises reading up on the background of tarot reading. She cites its antecedents in Jewish New York tenements throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as in Romani society. “When wars broke out or other significant events occurred, there were frequently spikes in interest in fortune telling, card reading, tea reading, and other related practices. People are looking for explanations and purpose in their own life now because of the pandemic.