New tarot readers are told that they must perform certain rituals and adhere to specific methods of taking care of their cards. I want to examine some of these in order to explain that most of them are pointless and potentially damaging — your cards will manage perfectly well without them and so will you.

Before I go any further, I will say that the reason some people feel compelled to carry out these rituals is because they believe it will make them better tarot readers. That they will help them to ‘connect to the cards’ or to the ‘tarot spirits’. If this belief is very strong, then yes, it may well help. After all, what is tarot if not a belief system. If it works for you, then read no more.

Myth: Your deck requires regular cleansing

Many readers believe that a tarot deck acquires negative energy over time and therefore must be spiritually cleansed. Methods of cleansing include:

1. Smudging with sage — smouldering sage is waved around the deck or the cards are passed through the smoke one by one.

2. Passing each card through candle smoke/heat.

3. Carrying out a cleansing and blessing ritual.

4. Leaving the deck on a windowsill to be bathed in sunlight and/or moonlight.

5. Sprinkling with ritually charged water.

6. Placing on an altar with crystals on top.

7. Putting the cards into numerical order.

The only thing that will happen when you smudge or smoke your cards is that they will get dirtier. Smoke cannot clean anything, though I will say that a burning incense stick is pretty good at clearing the atmosphere in the bathroom after my husband has been in there. Candle smoke can be extremely damaging as it contains all kinds of nasties.

Tarot cards are made of cardboard — sprinkling cardboard with water is not a good idea. While the flat surfaces are quite shiny and resilient, the edges are not and your cards will become soft and difficult to shuffle.

You can leave your deck on a windowsill or altar covered in crystals for as long as you like and nothing will happen other than the exposed surfaces will probably fade. They won’t be any cleaner than when you put them there. You can dance naked around them chanting and they will not be any cleaner.

Negative energy is real, however I don’t believe that it permeates into tarot cards. Usually a good shuffle takes care of lingering doubts in any case. During all my years of reading tarot for other people, I have never felt that subsequent readings were affected by a previous reading for someone who was disturbed or unhappy. Negative energy can make itself felt in the reader and it is important that you rid yourself of it in any way that works. A good laugh, a walk in fresh air or an invigorating shower usually does the trick.

Putting the cards into numerical order occasionally is the only one I agree with. It is good to know that they are all present and correct.

The best way to take care of your tarot cards

• Don’t allow other people to handle your cards, unless you are happy for them to do so. It’s not necessary for your clients to shuffle your tarot deck. If you feel that they must have some connection, then ask them to merely rest their hand over the cards before (or after) you shuffle them.
• Always lay your cards on a clean surface, such as a silk cloth. Keep candles and drinks right away from them.
• Always wash your hands before using your deck, grease and sweat from your skin will eventually destroy your cards so keep your hands clean to make them last longer. I’ve used several decks for 15 years and they are still fine.
• If your cards feel sticky, then take a slightly water-moistened soft cloth and gently wipe over the flat surfaces, carefully avoiding the edges. That’s all they need. I don’t recommend baby wipes as they contain chemicals that could react with the print or the finish of your cards, leaving them dull, lifeless and stickier than they were before.
• Store your cards in their original box. Always put them away after use. If you do have to leave them out, say for a ritual or spell, then make sure you wipe the dust off with a dry cloth before returning them to their nice, cosy box.
• Also, and this is really important, when taking photos of your deck for a blog post, make sure you don’t drop any cards on the floor when there are three puppies running about.

Not such a good idea

Tarot cards are produced in factories in places like China. They have no intrinsic power or energy. Their potential to be helpful and life-enhancing lies in the relationship between the images and your mind. That’s where the magic happens. The cards are just cardboard – beautiful, yes, but still just cardboard. Their power resides in the meaning that you give to them. If you value your tarot deck, you should take care of it in a practical sense — you don’t need to carry out complicated cleansing rituals unless they make you feel better.

Having said all that, there is much value in working certain rituals and I’ll be writing about that at a later date.