Cleansing the cards

Cleansing the cards is a ritual by which a practitioner aims to “clear” a tarot or oracle deck of accumulated energies, when it is first used or after many readings. Methods cited include smudging with sage or incense, leaving the cards under moonlight, placing a crystal on them, or simply putting the cards back in order. This gesture is a matter of personal belief and of getting into the right frame of mind; according to many card readers, it is not necessary for the deck to work.