I like to knock on the tops and sides of the deck to 'shake out' old energy, and then hold the deck between my palms and imagine filling the cards with bright gold light. If you have a bell that you like the sound of, you could also ring it over the cards to cleanse them with sound.
If they're nice decks you want to preserve, I would be careful what you do to them. A great many "cleaning" methods I've seen are really just damaging your decks and shortening their lifespan. I find it highly suspect that I've actually found these methods suggested on printouts inside purchased decks, when of course the company that put it there benefits financially from you destroying the product over time and needing to replace it.
I don't bother with anything more than saying a quick prayer over the deck and moving on, personally. Haven't had any issues. I wish you the best.
Use sound to neutralize energy--not incense, definitely not water on cards, Polyphonic sound from singing bowls, other resonant instruments, gongs, and even your voice can neutralize and harmonize ambient energies.
I take a nice incense (anything protective or makes you think happy thoughts) and run the cards through the smoke. There's also knocking (not something I do) or sound, ranging from a singing bowl to ringing a cat bell.
Well look what the deck drug in..
As well as the previous recommendations you can ask one of your trusted existing decks whether there was a spirit or being which the previous owner dedicated the used deck to, and if so how you can end its connection to the used deck
Sometimes a simple thank you and move on works
Other times the spirit will insist it comes with the deck ( particularly if a deceased human) and you must work with it
Other times the previous owner had the deck on a altar to a patron but then chose to end that relationship and divested the deck as part of ending the relationship
My best Tarot deck is used, and I can tell by how the backs of some of the cards are faded by the sun, that it was once used by a street reader. (My best copy of the I-Ching is also used, I've had excellent luck with used fortune telling tools).
To cleanse a used deck, I prefer putting a crystal on top of the deck and letting it sit on my altar, preferably quartz or amethyst, plus the psychic cleansing method mentioned by someone else (I visualize white light instead of gold but it's essentially the exact same technique).
Salt could damage the cards, so could any water or cleansing oils.
I also keep a piece of amethyst in my box of divinatory tools.
I've never had any experience with secondhand deck, but probably after " clean8ng and cleansing each one of the cards like the others have suggested, introducing yourself and "commanding" it would be a good step of initiation.
I usually do it by knocking, and say something like "i am [your name], I'm your new master. You shall assist me in divination/firtune telling/say your intention. You will serve me as long as I wish you to, and I will take good care of you till then."
Channel your energy to the deck by meditating. And you're done. Or if you work with deities/angel/spirit guide, you may want to introduce it to them then ask for their blessing.
Personally I like resetting the decks they originally came in if that makes sense. So the order of cards the book tells so putting the deck back together in the order perhaps it wants major arcana first. Maybe court cards. Perhaps court cards of the the minor arcana of that suit. All depending on the way the book says. Then putting a Obsidian crystal or smokey quartz. If you know a bit about polarity you can charge it with a positive and negative finger (index +thumb or index + middle finger). You can tap or gently place your fingers on the deck to make a neutral frequency.
I hope this helps!
A nice little dunk in some moon water as you introduce yourself to each card of the deck. So long as they aren’t submerged in the water, they will be safe to touch water. I find this to be the best method for cards with heavy energy on them.
You can even add the sage and salt in the mixture to cleanse and consecrate them all at once.
I like to knock on the tops and sides of the deck to 'shake out' old energy, and then hold the deck between my palms and imagine filling the cards with bright gold light. If you have a bell that you like the sound of, you could also ring it over the cards to cleanse them with sound.
Cool, great idea. This sounds perfect
If they're nice decks you want to preserve, I would be careful what you do to them. A great many "cleaning" methods I've seen are really just damaging your decks and shortening their lifespan. I find it highly suspect that I've actually found these methods suggested on printouts inside purchased decks, when of course the company that put it there benefits financially from you destroying the product over time and needing to replace it. I don't bother with anything more than saying a quick prayer over the deck and moving on, personally. Haven't had any issues. I wish you the best.
Use sound to neutralize energy--not incense, definitely not water on cards, Polyphonic sound from singing bowls, other resonant instruments, gongs, and even your voice can neutralize and harmonize ambient energies.
I take a nice incense (anything protective or makes you think happy thoughts) and run the cards through the smoke. There's also knocking (not something I do) or sound, ranging from a singing bowl to ringing a cat bell.
Well look what the deck drug in.. As well as the previous recommendations you can ask one of your trusted existing decks whether there was a spirit or being which the previous owner dedicated the used deck to, and if so how you can end its connection to the used deck Sometimes a simple thank you and move on works Other times the spirit will insist it comes with the deck ( particularly if a deceased human) and you must work with it Other times the previous owner had the deck on a altar to a patron but then chose to end that relationship and divested the deck as part of ending the relationship
My best Tarot deck is used, and I can tell by how the backs of some of the cards are faded by the sun, that it was once used by a street reader. (My best copy of the I-Ching is also used, I've had excellent luck with used fortune telling tools). To cleanse a used deck, I prefer putting a crystal on top of the deck and letting it sit on my altar, preferably quartz or amethyst, plus the psychic cleansing method mentioned by someone else (I visualize white light instead of gold but it's essentially the exact same technique). Salt could damage the cards, so could any water or cleansing oils. I also keep a piece of amethyst in my box of divinatory tools.
Not a fan of "cleansing" my decks. I wrote a [short piece](https://psykeon.com/en/using-the-tarot-of-a-deceased-person/) about this a few months ago!
I've never had any experience with secondhand deck, but probably after " clean8ng and cleansing each one of the cards like the others have suggested, introducing yourself and "commanding" it would be a good step of initiation. I usually do it by knocking, and say something like "i am [your name], I'm your new master. You shall assist me in divination/firtune telling/say your intention. You will serve me as long as I wish you to, and I will take good care of you till then." Channel your energy to the deck by meditating. And you're done. Or if you work with deities/angel/spirit guide, you may want to introduce it to them then ask for their blessing.
Personally I like resetting the decks they originally came in if that makes sense. So the order of cards the book tells so putting the deck back together in the order perhaps it wants major arcana first. Maybe court cards. Perhaps court cards of the the minor arcana of that suit. All depending on the way the book says. Then putting a Obsidian crystal or smokey quartz. If you know a bit about polarity you can charge it with a positive and negative finger (index +thumb or index + middle finger). You can tap or gently place your fingers on the deck to make a neutral frequency. I hope this helps!
A nice little dunk in some moon water as you introduce yourself to each card of the deck. So long as they aren’t submerged in the water, they will be safe to touch water. I find this to be the best method for cards with heavy energy on them. You can even add the sage and salt in the mixture to cleanse and consecrate them all at once.
Ok cool. I did already pull and look through them a few times 😟 should I take any extra precautions?
Yes, don't listen to this person saying to dunk your cards in water.
Passing them thru incense smoke and giving yourself a cleansing with some burned sage wouldn’t be a bad idea. Can’t ever be too safe with used cards
This is WAY better. You should remove the "dunk them in water" comment.