Cleansing is the practice of resetting a deck's energy between readings or after someone else handles it. Whether you frame this as literally clearing energy or psychologically resetting your relationship with the deck, the practice serves the same purpose: starting fresh.
Common Methods
- Shuffle thoroughly — The simplest and most practical method. A full riffle shuffle 7+ times mathematically randomizes a deck. That's cleansing through action.
- Knock on the deck — Tap the top of the deck three times with your knuckles. Quick, tactile, symbolic. A physical reset gesture.
- Sort and re-stack — Put the cards back in order (Majors 0-21, then each suit Ace-King), then shuffle from there. Forces you to handle every card and mentally acknowledge the full system.
- Smoke cleansing — Pass the deck through incense or herb smoke. Palo santo, sage, or cedar are common. The scent creates a sensory marker that signals "new session."
- Moonlight or sunlight — Place the deck by a window overnight. Some practitioners prefer full moon energy; others use morning sunlight.
The Digital Version
With digital decks like Chaos Tarot, the "cleansing" is built into the algorithm — each draw is a fresh shuffle with no memory of the previous reading. The randomization is genuine. But if ritual matters to you (and ritual does serve a psychological purpose), take a breath before each digital draw. Set your intention. The pause is the cleansing.