A Short little tid bit on Tarot- Tarot has been a form of divination for hundreds of years. Originally based on the old Chinese game of cards, which many of you use today (your playing cards). The Major Arcana or the "big player" or "spiritual" cards of the deck weren't actually a set number originally and depending on the decks today, there is still no set number. The other half of the Deck is called the Minor Arcana, which is based on the main 4 suits, numbers and the kings, queens, and 2 others which vary in names from the Paige to the princes and princesses.
How to clean your cards- There are multiple ways of cleaning your cards. I'll list a few here.
Method #1 - The Salt Cleanse
To cleanse your cards with sea salt is a great way to not only remove old oils that are from your hands or other's hands, but salt is a natural absorber of energy. Salt draws in the excess energies and in turn, cleanses the energy from the cards.
To use this method, you can take a large, 1 gallon ziploc bag and fill it with about 1 lb worth of sea salt (course or fine, doesn't matter. I personally prefer course). Next, Stick your cards in the bag and move the salt around them so that it can absorb and strip the cards of the oils, you can do this for about 3-5 minutes or longer depending on how frequently you use your cards. Then let the cards sit in the salt over night. The next morning, take the cards out and feel the energy, if it's still too heavy in the cards, let them sit for another night or two. The longest your cards should sit in salt is no more than 6 days as the salt can be a bit corrosive to the cards if you let them sit too long.
Method #2 - The Flooding Method
This is a unique method that I picked up from a few other Tarot Readers. Essentially you are going to "Flood" the cards with your energy after doing a basic grounding and centering meditation. By doing this you not only create a tighter bond with your cards, but with practice you can push out all the excess energy in the cards that is unwanted. I personally use this technique when I have multiple readings to do.
Do your grounding and centering.
Then pick up the cards and begin to shuffle them. Visualize your energy from your Solar Plexus, moving up your body and down your arms into the cards, flooding them with Yellow light and pushing out all the excess and unwanted energies in the cards. When you feel they have been cleansed with your energy, you can either put them away, or use them.
Method #3 - Holy Water/ Blessed Water
I'm doing these 2 as 1 for the simple fact they are the same thing just from different faiths. Holy Water as well as Blessed Water, are charged water that removes and banishes negative and unwanted energies. This method is ONLY for laminated tarot decks. If your deck is not laminated, then DO NOT put water on your cards.
The How to- Lay your cards out, edge to edge so that they can all be clearly seen. I recommend doing this on a flat table top so you have plenty of room. Take your Holy/Blessed Water and lightly sprinkle a few drops on each card. For those who are more Christian than Pagan, feel free to say a blessing or the lords prayer over your deck at this time. If you are More Pagan than Christian, you can say a small prayer to the Goddess and God to have them bless your deck as well.
These are only a few of the cleansing methods one can use. For those who use Angel Cards or Oracle Cards, these same methods are effective on them as well. Have Fun and Remember To ALWAYS Respect Your Cards.
These are just some quick tips on using Tarot Cards.
1.) Light a candle- this helps give you and the cards a little extra energy while keeping the spirits around you at bay. You can use one of 3 colors for this, White, Black or Purple. Candles also help set the mood for a reading and help you relax, so don't feel uncomfortable about using candles.
2.) Never get up during a reading- by getting up during a reading you allow for outside influences to change the meaning of the card layout you are working with. You shouldn't get up during a reading anyways, as it's just rude to the individual you are doing the reading for. If you have to get up, I recommend a black cloth to lay across the cards to keep silly spirits from getting to them.
3.) Set up the Four Pillars of Light, a Protective circle or something similar- doing this reduces the chances of pulling in the person you are reading's "extra baggage" that many of them carry. This can be negative energy or even on occasion, negative spirits that have attached themselves to the person. When doing this you are creating a positive little bubble around you and the other person to keep out other influences.
4.) ALWAYS Ground and Center- Grounding and Centering is not only a good practice to help you find peace and balance within yourself, but it helps get you in the mood for doing a reading, and it keeps excess energy from building up within you. Grounding and Centering should be done before a reading, and after to keep you in balance.
5.) Always Keep your deck wrapped and protected in a box, pouch, or in a cloth. This keeps unwanted energies out of your deck when you aren't using them, and it helps preserve your deck for years. Maintenancing your deck and protecting it is just one of many ways to show your respect to the deck. Black, Purple, and shades of Blue, are usually good ways to go for the boxes, pouches and clothes you can pick up. Color has a lot of symbolism, so make sure you go with a color that is suitable to you.
6.) Limit your decks presence around other decks. You don't want the energies to mix, and this can lead to inaccurate readings.
7.) MOST IMPORTANTLY!- TRUST YOUR CARDS AND YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS! - if you don't trust your cards or yourself, how can you trust to gain the right answers to the questions that are being asked of you? No one is 100% accurate at any time, so if you are wrong, deal with it and try to find the right answer.
