Okay, so you just got a new tarot deck and you’re staring at it like, now what. I get that feeling completely.
Here’s the thing most beginner guides skip over — those cards just sat in a warehouse, got handled at the store, maybe got picked up by twelve different people before you. There’s nothing magical about them yet. That part is on you.
You need to prepare them. Cleanse them. Make them yours. Once you do that, the cards are ready to actually receive your energy — and that’s when readings start to feel less like guessing and more like clarity.
Why do you need to cleanse a new tarot deck?
A tarot deck fresh out of the box carries whatever energy it picked up along the way — and that’s not your energy. Cleansing clears out any outside influences so the cards become an extension of you, not a stranger.
Most serious readers won’t do a single reading on a new deck without doing some version of this first. It makes sense because the accuracy of a reading is directly tied to how connected you are to the tool you’re using.
Oh — and real quick — there’s a persistent myth that you can’t buy your first deck for yourself. That’s not true. If you feel called to a deck, pick it up. You don’t need to wait for someone to gift it to you.
Does it matter which cleansing method you use?
No single method is the “right” one — the best method is whichever one resonates with you. Some people are very ritualistic about it. Others just shuffle until it feels right. Both are valid.
What matters is intention. You’re telling the deck — and yourself — that you’re ready. That focus is really what does the work.
That said, here are 15 solid ways to do it.
1. Invocations, vigils, and prayers
Speaking aloud to your cards might feel weird at first, but it’s one of the most direct ways to set intention. Call in whatever you believe in — a deity, the universe, your higher self — and ask for clear, honest guidance.
You don’t need a script. Just mean it.
2. Singing, chanting, or music
Sound is vibrational energy, and vibrational energy moves stuck stuff out. Play something meaningful over your deck, hum over the cards, or chant something simple.
I’ve heard people swear by specific frequencies (528hz comes up a lot). Even if that sounds very woo to you, there’s something to the idea that sound shifts the energy in a space.
3. Ritual silence
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is nothing. Sit with your deck in complete silence and let the noise of the outside world stop touching it.
Set a timer if you need to. Even ten minutes of intentional quiet can reset the energy of a new deck.
4. Build a small altar around the deck
Place your deck at the center of a small arrangement — flowers, a glass of water, meaningful objects, maybe a photo or a statue. Let it sit there and absorb that intentional energy overnight.
This is a slower method but a really effective one if you’re not in a rush for your first reading.
5. Use a power name or word
This one’s underrated. Some people have a specific word, name, or phrase that holds spiritual weight for them. Speaking it over the deck — or writing it on a slip of paper and placing it under the deck — is a clean, simple way to set the energy.
6. Incense or smoke cleansing
Pass the cards through smoke from incense, a cleansing herb bundle, or a resin. This is probably the most commonly used method and for good reason — it’s satisfying, it smells good, and it works.
Just — don’t hold the cards too close to an open flame. I shouldn’t have to say it, and yet.
7. Gestures, offerings, and moving in a circle
Some people create a physical ritual around the cleansing — walking a circle around the space, making specific hand gestures over the deck, or leaving an offering nearby. This is especially common in practices with ceremonial roots.
Do what feels meaningful. You’re not performing for anyone.
8. Light a candle
Candle energy is cleansing energy. You don’t have to hold anything over the flame (seriously, don’t) — just light one nearby while you handle the deck with intention.
Color matters to some people here: white for clarity, purple for spiritual connection, whatever resonates with you.
9. Fasting or consuming something intentional beforehand
This one’s more personal. Some readers will fast before a big cleansing ritual, or drink a specific herbal tea — something that feels ceremonial. The idea is that you’re preparing yourself as much as you’re preparing the deck.
It makes sense because you’re the conduit. Your state matters.
10. Crystals
Place your deck on top of — or surrounded by — crystals overnight. Clear quartz amplifies and cleanses. Black tourmaline absorbs negativity. Selenite is a go-to for a lot of readers because it’s self-cleansing and doesn’t need to be recharged.
If you’re just getting started with crystals, you might want to check out my breakdown of healing crystals and what they actually do — it’s a solid starting point.
11. Burying and unburying
Bury the deck in the earth — either directly in soil or in a bowl of salt or clean dirt — for 24 hours. The earth absorbs energy. It’s one of the oldest cleansing methods there is.
Wrap the deck in cloth first so you’re not literally getting dirt in the box.
12. Tying and untying
This is a more symbolic method — tying a cord or ribbon around the deck while speaking an intention, then untying it when you’re ready to begin reading. The act of releasing the knot signals that the cleansing is complete.
Simple. Quiet. Intentional.
13. Wash your hands first
This sounds almost too basic, but it matters. Washing your hands before you handle the deck — especially for the first time — is a physical act that mirrors the energetic one. You’re clearing yourself before you touch the cards.
Some readers do this every single time they sit down to read, not just with a new deck.
14. Breathwork and breathing techniques
Hold the deck in both hands, close your eyes, and breathe deliberately over the cards. Slow, intentional breath carries your energy directly into what you’re holding.
This is also a great way to ground yourself before a reading, so it does double duty.
15. Just shuffle
Shuffle the deck. A lot. Over and over until it feels like yours. This is the most tactile, most intuitive method — and honestly, for some people, it’s the most effective.
Every time you shuffle, you’re imprinting your energy. By the time a deck has been shuffled enough times, it stops feeling like a new object and starts feeling like a tool.
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
A standard tarot deck has 78 cards — 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the one most people start with, and for good reason — it’s the most widely interpreted and the easiest to find beginner resources for.
The 56 Minor Arcana are divided into four suits — Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles — each representing a different area of life.
Is a tarot deck the same as an oracle deck?
No, and the difference matters. Tarot has a fixed structure — always 78 cards, always those four suits. Oracle decks have no set rules — the creator decides how many cards, what themes, what meanings.
Oracle decks almost always come with a guidebook that explains every card. Tarot decks usually do too, though a lot of readers eventually move beyond the book and trust their own intuition instead.
If you’re trying to figure out which one to start with, the answer is whichever one you feel drawn to. That pull is information.
Preparing a new deck doesn’t have to be complicated or take all day. Pick one method — or stack a few — and do it with actual intention. That’s what makes the difference.
The cards aren’t magic on their own. You bring the magic. The cleansing is just how you make room for it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to cleanse a new tarot deck before using it?
What is the easiest way to cleanse a new tarot deck?
Can you buy your own tarot deck or does someone have to give it to you?
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
What is the difference between tarot cards and oracle cards?
How long should you cleanse a new tarot deck?
Can you use crystals to cleanse a tarot deck?
