How to Cleanse Tarot Cards: Seven Traditional Methods
Nov 7, 2026 · The Editors
How to cleanse tarot cards with incense, moonlight, crystals, knocking, salt (carefully), reordering the deck — and without incense — plus how often to do it and how to protect the cards while you do.
Many tarot readers cleanse their deck — a small ritual to clear it before first use, after an intense reading, or when it simply feels "off". Whether you see it as spiritual practice or a way to reset your own focus, these are the traditional methods.
When to cleanse a deck
- When the deck is new.
- After someone else has handled it.
- After a difficult or emotional reading.
- When readings feel muddled or repetitive.
- Regularly — at the full moon, or monthly.
1. Incense smoke
The most popular method. Light a stick of incense — sandalwood, frankincense or whatever you like — and pass the cards slowly through the smoke, a few at a time or as a fanned deck. Hold your intention in mind: clearing the old, ready for the new.
Keep the cards well above the flame and the ember. Smoke can discolour gilded edges if held too close for too long.
2. Moonlight
Leave the deck on a windowsill overnight under a full moon, still in its box or tin, or on a cloth. A new moon is used for fresh starts.
Indoors is best. Dew and damp are the enemy of card stock.
3. Crystals
Rest a crystal on top of the deck overnight. Clear quartz and selenite are the traditional choices for clearing; amethyst for intuition.
4. Knocking
Hold the deck in one hand and knock on it three times with the knuckles of the other. It is quick, needs nothing, and is a favourite for clearing between readings.
5. Reordering the deck
Lay out all 78 cards and put them back in order: the Major Arcana from the Fool to the World, then each suit from Ace to King. It is a calm, meditative reset — and a good way to check none are missing.
6. Salt — carefully
Some readers bury the deck in a bowl of salt overnight. Never put salt directly on the cards: it draws in moisture and can stain and warp them. If you use salt, keep the cards sealed in a bag or their tin, with the salt around the outside.
7. Shuffling with intention
A long, thorough shuffle while focusing on clearing the deck. The simplest method of all. How to shuffle tarot cards.
How to cleanse tarot cards without incense
If smoke is not an option — a flat, a smoke alarm, asthma — use moonlight, crystals, knocking, reordering or shuffling, or ring a small bell over the deck. Sound is a traditional cleanser in many practices.
Protecting the cards
- Keep them dry. Water, salt and dew all damage card stock, and gilded edges dull with moisture.
- Keep them out of direct sun. Colours fade.
- Store them in their tin or wrapped in a cloth. A metal tin keeps a deck flat, dry and together in a bag.
Cleansing is a personal practice, and there is no single right way. Choose the method that makes you feel ready to read.
