So you've brought home your first deck of tarot cards. Congratulations!

Now what?

I'm sure you're fighting the urge to rip the plastic sleeve open with your teeth and start shuffling. I need you to resist that urge.

Like it or not, tarot cards are a magical item. Practicing spiritual hygiene keeps you safe, like all hygiene.

Think of it like washing bikini before you wear it to the beach. You could shimmy it on in the mall bathroom and skip off into the sunset.

But you know that the words printed on that crotch sticker are small. Or maybe the person who tried it on before you may have wanted a better idea of the fit.

Better to throw them in the washing machine than worry!

Same with tarot cards. Consumer goods pass through many hands on their way to you. Sometimes hundreds of people were involved in the creation of the deck you're holding. It sounds ridiculous but think about it.

Tarot cards are paper, so someone cut down a tree—probably more than one person. Someone told that person to cut down the tree, and maybe there was even a whole crew involved.

The tree was then processed into paper, likely in a factory that employs thousands. Next that paper was sent to the publisher of the deck, who also has a staff.

A publisher, an editor, a writer, an illustrator, a distributor, truckers, book or gift item sellers, the people who looked at your deck but didn't buy it.

All of these people have had a hand in the route by which you received this deck.

Who's to say what emotional or spiritual state they were in? Who's to say they all had great intentions that they invested into the item you're holding?

Maybe they were all absolutely wonderful people, and I hope they were! But because you care about yourself and because I care about you, let's get that deck clean and ready for use.

Here's a super easy guide to cleansing, protecting, and bonding with your new deck of tarot cards. The breakdown goes like this:

Cleanse your deck
Protect your deck
Interview your deck

Let’s get started!

And don’t forget to grab your Liberation Tarot Starter Kit when you’re done!

*a person shuffling a deck of tarot cards. The text says get your liberation tarot starter kit.*

Cleanse Your Deck

Tarot cards are harder to cleanse than other magical items because they're made of paper.

Let's say I bought a brass candle stick holder from a local shop. Cleaning that off would be easy. I would simply clean it with soap, make a strong tea of a particular herb I won't name here, dunk it in or pour it over, and poof! ready for action.

I'd probably smoke cleanse it as well, depending on the impression I got afterwards but still, easy to do.If I did that to my a new tarot deck it would be ruined, obviously!

This is why cleaning a new tarot deck takes a different approach.

Tarot is informed by the spiritual and magical tradition in which we work.

I won't get too specific here because I work in a bloodline tradition. I also know that I have an audience that goes beyond that on social media.

I also don't think it would be super helpful to get prescriptive when you may work in a different tradition than I do.

What I can share is methods, and you can apply what you know about your own ancestral practice to it.

When I cleanse a tarot deck, I do so in three parts and three ways. The three parts are the package, the deck and materials that come with it, and whatever container I'll be using to hold the deck.

For the package, particularly one wrapped in plastic, a liquid solution may be fine. Apply whatever cleansing liquid is prominent in your tradition. I find a spray bottle works well for me when I do this.

I stock up on 2 oz spray bottles like Gen Z TikTok witches stock up on those little bottles with the cork stoppers. (Where do yous get them from? You always seem to have so many of those teeny tiny bottles!)

If your deck came without the plastic wrapper, you can move straight into smoke cleansing. The tradition in which I work has plenty of ways of working with plants to cleanse physical spaces and items. I'm sure yours does as well.

People often come online looking for a full recipe, and become upset when they can't find them. Or worse, they do find them and appropriation happens. Or they get scammed.

If you have knowledge of the tradition in which you work, and knowledge of the land where you make your home, it becomes harder to fall into these traps.

Anyways, back to tarot. Once you've cleansed your package, you can move on to cleansing your deck. Smoke can help here.

So can burying the deck in something cleansing and protective. This method works particularly well when you know energy you don't want to keep around is on your cards.

This can happen when you move out of a toxic situation. It can also happen when something changes for the worst with someone who gave you a deck. Or you may be a professional reader, in which case it can be helpful to do this monthly or quarterly in addition to your pre- and post- reading cleanses.

Finally, I recommend adding an intangible. For me, it's prayer. For some, it may be sound healing. Some people may leave their cards in a sunny spot. What you do is up to you, but you should be able to intuit when the process is complete.

Protect Your Deck

Now that your deck is nice and clean, you can work to keep it that way.

Where you put your tarot deck matters. Many people find it important to keep their deck somewhere away from prying eyes, animals, and potential spills.

This can be a box, a drawer, a leather case, or even a silk scarf. Make sure there's a personal touch.

If you work in an altar-based tradition, it could be helpful to keep your cards there. Or not, only you and your spirits know.

One of the best ways you can protect your deck is to protect yourself and your home. One of the best ways to protect your home, and I think this transcends spiritual tradition, is to keep it clean.

Now as a person with multiple disabilities, who is a small business owner, and often works 60+ hours a week, I know how hard this can be.

It's essential that you find a scheme or routine that works for you. Maybe you trade your friend readings and they clean your house once a month. Maybe you hire a service because you value time more than your money.

(You better tip at least 20-25% though. Never underpay folks period, but especially not the spiritual service providers who aren't always named as such. This includes housekeepers, barbers, and hairdressers, at the very least.)

I've spoken to more people than you would think who find that cleaning their home is a barrier to magical work. It's certainly been a challenge for me from time to time.

It's not that a dirty or disorganized house can't be protected, or that it's a personal failing. It's a question of spiritual hygiene as physical hygiene, which is the topic for today.

Do your best. It doesn't have to be spotless but maybe get rid of junk and try to sweep your floor as often as you can. Figure out what clean means to you. It really does matter.

Interview Your Deck

A deck of tarot cards is a tool, but it's also a partner.

Your tarot deck will accompany you through promotions you've prayed for and break-ups you'll mourn. It'll be your companion through times where you can't get out of bed. It'll let you know your movement routine is no longer healthy.

Don' t you at least want to take it on a first date?

Not every deck is good for every issue. I've primarily read from the same cards I've used since I was twelve. They hate doing love readings.

This doesn't make a lot of sense to my venus in pisces heart, but I won't fight it. I have another deck do that work that's as in love with love as I am.

If you want to have a deep relationship with your cards, ask them about themselves. Figure out what work they came into your life to do. Inquire about their personal tastes.

Capitalism trains us to simultaneously overvalue and undervalue the objects. We tend to overvalue status symbols; the McMansion, the Tesla, the...whatever shoes Nike makes that my boyfriend fills our closet with while I tuck my single pair of Docs (also made by Nike) into a corner of our walk-in closet. The food we eat and the people who grow it or prepare it? The humble water glass that holds our commodified water? Maybe less.

Tarot is an essential object for many people. It should be respected. Tarot decks have their own personalities, and ways of looking at the world. As you read for yourself, and perhaps even others, your tarot deck will shape your interpretations.

Take the time to learn them.

If you're looking to learn to read tarot, or want a fresh perspective on the card, get the Liberation Tarot Starter Kit directly to your inbox today!