How to Cleanse Your Tarot Deck: 7 Methods That Actually Work

After a particularly heavy reading — or after someone else has handled your deck — the cards can feel different. Heavier. Stickier. Like the energy of the last question is still lingering between the cards.

Some readers call this “energetic residue.” Others just call it a gut feeling that something needs to be reset. Either way, cleansing your tarot deck is one of those practices that makes an immediate, noticeable difference in how your readings feel.

Here are seven methods, from quick daily resets to deeper ceremonial cleanses. Pick the one that fits your style — or combine them.

When to cleanse your deck

You don’t need to cleanse your deck after every single reading. But there are moments when it clearly helps:

• After reading for other people — especially emotionally intense readings
• When readings feel “off” — vague, repetitive, or disconnected from the question
• After a period of not using the deck — dust settles on energy too
• When you first get a new deck — to clear manufacturing and shipping energy
• After someone else handles your cards — their energy lingers
• During a full moon — if you follow lunar cycles, this is a natural reset point
• When your intuition says so — that’s usually the most reliable indicator

Method 1: Knocking

Speed: 30 seconds | Tools needed: None

The simplest, fastest cleanse. Hold your deck in one hand and knock on it three times with your knuckles, like you’re knocking on a door.

The idea is that the knocking breaks up stagnant energy. Three knocks is traditional — some readers do more. It’s quick, portable, and you can do it between readings without any setup.

Best for: Quick resets between readings, daily practice.

Method 2: Shuffling reset

Speed: 2-3 minutes | Tools needed: None

Sort your entire deck into order — Major Arcana 0-21, then each suit Ace through King. Then shuffle thoroughly until you feel the deck is “randomized” again.

The sorting process gives you a moment with each card. The subsequent shuffle is a fresh start. Some readers describe this as “returning the deck to zero” before beginning again.

Best for: When readings have been repetitive, when the deck feels stuck in a pattern.

Method 3: Smoke cleansing

Speed: 2-5 minutes | Tools needed: Sage, palo santo, incense, or herbal bundle

Light your chosen herb or incense and let it produce smoke (not flame — blow out any fire so it smolders). Hold your deck and pass it through the smoke, or fan the smoke over the cards.

Some readers fan the cards out and let the smoke drift over each one. Others keep the deck stacked and simply bathe it in smoke from all sides.

Popular smoke sources:

• White sage — the classic cleansing herb, strong purification energy
• Palo santo — lighter, sweeter, grounding
• Incense — sandalwood, frankincense, or copal are popular choices
• Rosemary — accessible and effective if you don’t have the others

Note on cultural sensitivity: White sage and palo santo have sacred significance in Indigenous traditions. If this matters to you, rosemary, lavender, or other locally grown herbs work just as well for cleansing purposes.

Best for: Deep cleansing after heavy readings, clearing a new deck.

Method 4: Moonlight bath

Speed: Overnight | Tools needed: A windowsill and a full moon

Place your deck on a windowsill where moonlight will reach it. Full moon nights are ideal, but any visible moon phase works. Leave it overnight and retrieve it in the morning.

Some readers place the deck outside under direct moonlight. If you do this, make sure the cards are protected from moisture — dew will damage them. A sealed bag on a balcony or a covered porch works well.

Why the full moon? The full moon is associated with illumination, completion, and release. Its light is considered purifying in many spiritual traditions. But honestly, any moonlight carries cleansing energy — you don’t need to wait for the perfect lunar moment.

Best for: Monthly maintenance, aligning with lunar cycles, new deck initiation.

Method 5: Crystal cleansing

Speed: Several hours to overnight | Tools needed: A cleansing crystal

Place a crystal on top of your stacked deck and leave it for several hours or overnight. The crystal absorbs and transmutes residual energy from the cards.

Best crystals for deck cleansing:

• Clear quartz — the universal cleanser, amplifies and purifies
• Selenite — self-cleansing, connects to spiritual guidance, doesn’t need charging
• Black tourmaline — absorbs heavy or negative energy
• Amethyst — calming, spiritual, protective

Selenite is the most popular choice among tarot readers because it cleanses without needing to be cleansed itself. A selenite slab large enough to place your deck on is a common tarot accessory.

Best for: Overnight maintenance, combining with moonlight, keeping on your reading table.

Method 6: Salt cleansing

Speed: Overnight | Tools needed: Salt (sea salt or Himalayan pink salt)

Place your deck in a bag (cloth or paper — not directly touching the salt, which can damage cards) and bury the bag in a bowl of salt. Leave it overnight. The salt draws out and absorbs residual energy.

Important: Do NOT let salt touch your cards directly. Salt is abrasive and can damage the card surface and edges. Always use a barrier — a cloth bag, a paper envelope, or plastic wrap.

After cleansing, dispose of the salt rather than reusing it. The idea is that the salt has absorbed what it absorbed — you don’t want to put that back into circulation.

Best for: Deep cleansing after very heavy readings, removing particularly stubborn energy.

Method 7: Visualization

Speed: 1-2 minutes | Tools needed: Your imagination

Hold your deck in both hands. Close your eyes. Visualize white or golden light surrounding the deck, penetrating every card, dissolving any residual energy. See the light grow brighter until the deck feels clean, neutral, and ready.

This method is entirely internal — no tools, no setup, no waiting. And for readers who are comfortable with visualization, it’s surprisingly effective.

Best for: Anytime, anywhere. Between readings. When you don’t have access to other tools. When you want a quick, portable option.

Combining methods

Most readers combine two or three methods for thorough cleansing:

Quick daily routine: Knock three times + brief shuffle Monthly deep cleanse: Moonlight bath + crystal on top New deck initiation: Smoke cleanse + crystal overnight + first reading the next morning After a heavy reading: Visualization + knock + thorough shuffle

Does cleansing actually “do” anything?

Honest answer: it depends on your framework.

If you believe in energy, the cleansing removes accumulated energetic residue and returns the deck to a neutral state.

If you’re more psychologically oriented, the cleansing ritual creates a clear mental boundary between readings. It tells your subconscious: “that reading is done; this is a fresh start.” That psychological reset genuinely improves the quality of subsequent readings — regardless of whether “energy” is involved.

Either way, readers who cleanse their decks consistently report clearer, more focused readings. Whether the mechanism is energetic or psychological, the result is real.

The only rule

There’s no wrong way to cleanse your cards. If knocking feels right, knock. If you want to bathe your deck in moonlight every full moon, do that. If all you do is shuffle thoroughly between readings and never think about cleansing again, your readings will still work.

The practice should support your reading, not complicate it. Find what feels natural, keep it simple, and trust that your intention — your genuine desire for clear, honest readings — is the most powerful cleansing tool of all.