15 ways to prepare a new tarot deck before your first reading

Okay, so you just got a new deck and it’s sitting there in its little box looking all pretty and you have absolutely no idea what to do next. That tracks.

Here’s the thing — a deck straight out of the packaging isn’t really your deck yet. Those cards have been touched by strangers in a warehouse, picked up and put down by random people at the store, and they’re basically just cardboard with art on them until you change that. The whole point of preparing a new deck is to clear all that out and put your energy in.

And before anyone says it — yes, you can absolutely buy your own first deck. That myth about waiting for someone to gift it to you is just that. A myth. If you feel called to a deck, that’s your sign. Choose your own destiny.

Why does a new tarot deck need to be cleansed at all?

A new deck has no spiritual imprint — it’s energetically neutral at best, and a little cluttered at worst. Think about how many hands touched those cards before they got to you. Cleansing clears all of that out so you can actually imprint your own energy on the cards and get accurate, clear readings.

Most serious readers won’t do a single reading on a fresh deck without some kind of prep first. It’s not superstition — it’s just good practice. You wouldn’t use a borrowed tool without cleaning it first.

What’s the difference between cleansing and preparing a deck?

Cleansing is about clearing negative or stagnant energy. Preparing is the whole process — cleansing, bonding, and making the deck yours. They overlap a lot, and most of the 15 methods below do both at the same time.

The goal either way is the same: a spiritually clean deck that responds to your energy, not anyone else’s.

How many cards are in a tarot deck?

A standard tarot deck has 78 cards — 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana split across four suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The Rider-Waite deck is the most widely used starting point, and honestly the easiest one to learn on.

Oracle decks are a different thing entirely. Both can use similar spreads, but oracle cards usually come with their own guide booklet and don’t follow the 78-card structure. Most complete tarot decks also include a guide — which means the best deck for you is genuinely just the one you feel drawn to. Tarot is all intuition.

If you’re just getting started, check out my beginner’s guide to reading tarot — it covers what all the suits actually mean without making your head spin.

15 ways to prepare a new tarot deck

1. Invocations, vigils, and prayers

Ask for assistance from whatever positive energy, deity, or force you believe in. Say it out loud. Intention matters here more than the specific words.

2. Singing, chanting, or playing music

Sound vibration is one of the oldest cleansing methods there is. Sing over your cards, chant a mantra, or just play music that feels sacred to you while holding the deck.

3. Ritual silence

Sit quietly with the deck in your hands. No phone, no noise. Just you and the cards. It sounds simple because it is — but it works.

4. Create an altar space

Place the deck on a dedicated surface with objects that hold meaning — flowers, a glass of water, a candle, a photo, a piece of fabric. Let it sit there and absorb that intentional energy.

5. Use a power name or word

This is a personal one. Say the name of a guide, an ancestor, a deity — whoever you call on. Speak it over the cards as a kind of dedication.

6. Incense or smoke cleansing

Pass the cards through smoke from incense, palo santo, or whatever you work with. Do not — I repeat, do not — hold them too close to an actual flame. Just the smoke. The cards are paper.

7. Special gestures and offerings

This could mean moving within a circle, making an offering of herbs or flowers, or exchanging a small symbolic gift with the deck. Whatever feels intentional to you.

8. Light a candle

Burn a candle near the deck while you sit with it. Fire is a powerful purifier energetically — just keep the actual cards away from it. (I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that twice but here we are.)

9. Fast or feast on something specific

Prepare yourself physically as part of the ritual — drink a specific herbal tea, eat something meaningful, or fast before your first reading. It’s about putting yourself in a clear headspace.

10. Use crystals or ritual objects

Place a crystal directly on top of the deck overnight. Black tourmaline, selenite, and clear quartz are common choices for cleansing. You can also use any amulet or talisman that holds protective energy for you.

11. Bury and unbury the deck

Wrap the deck in cloth and bury it in the earth — your backyard, a pot of soil, whatever you have access to. Leave it overnight or for a few days, then unearth it. The earth absorbs and neutralizes stagnant energy.

12. Tie and untie

Bind the deck with ribbon or cord, set an intention, then untie it. The act of releasing the binding symbolizes releasing any energy that isn’t yours.

13. Wash your hands first — every time

This one sounds almost too practical to be spiritual, but it matters. Wash your hands before you touch the deck, especially for the first time. You’re physically and symbolically clearing what you’re bringing to the cards.

14. Breathwork

Breathe slowly and deliberately over the cards. Some readers blow gently across the deck three times. The breath carries intention — it’s one of the most direct ways to imprint your own energy.

15. Shuffle

This is the most straightforward method and honestly one of the most effective. Shuffle the deck thoroughly and repeatedly while focusing your intention. By the time you’re done, those cards have been touched by nothing but your hands and your energy.

Do you have to do all 15, or just pick one?

Pick what resonates. Some people do one method, some people do a whole ritual combining several. There’s no wrong answer here — the point is intentionality, not a checklist. If shuffling feels right and that’s it, shuffle. If you want to build a full altar and spend an hour on it, do that.

The readers who get the most out of their decks are the ones who find a reading practice that actually fits their life — not the ones following the most elaborate protocol.

Is it true you can’t buy your own first tarot deck?

Absolutely not true. This myth has been floating around forever and it holds a lot of people back for no reason. If you feel called to a specific deck, that pull is the sign. Buy the deck. Prepare it. Use it. Your intuition led you there for a reason.

A new tarot deck is just potential until you make it yours. Whatever method you pick — smoke, crystals, silence, or just a really thorough shuffle — the whole point is the same: you’re clearing the noise and making space for your own energy to come through.

Don’t overthink the ritual. Think about the intention. That’s what the cards are actually responding to.

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