Cleansing Negative Energy From Your Deck
September 14, 2007
If you read the Tarot for others, do you let the querent handle your deck? Many readers like to let the querent shuffle, cut or even draw the cards themselves. I know of one reader who hands the cards to the querent and does not touch them at all himself throughout the entire reading. He lets the client handle and draw the cards, which the reader and querent then interpret together.
I don’t usually have a problem letting others handle my decks. I often like to involve them in the shuffling process, usually by having them cut the cards any way they like, and then re-stacking them in a pile from which I draw the cards for the spread. One woman that I read for a few years ago, liked to hold the deck in her hands and slowly mix the cards using an overhand shuffle, while sitting quietly with her eyes closed. I always enjoyed reading for her, because the cards seemed especially responsive after that.
This was never a problem for me, until one particular afternoon in the Wiccan bookshop where I used to do readings. A new client had arrived and as I took him to the reading room I could sense his frustration. It ended up being the most difficult reading I’ve ever done for anyone, I felt as if I was struggling with the cards and him at every turn. He remained surly, refused to give me any feedback of any kind. I finally gave up in frustration, and did not charge him for the reading.
I felt so drained, both emotionally and mentally afterward, all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. After I saw him to the door, I went back to pack up my things and leave. As I gathered my cards from the table, they felt very heavy and very dark to me. Almost as if they didn’t want me to handle them.
Now I know some people feel this is nonsense, that they are only bits of cardboard and ink, and there isn’t anyway they could ‘feel’ dark and uncooperative. However, this was a very real feeling for me. I sensed that the cards had picked up his negativity.
Never having to deal with this before, I later went online to see what others had done about this situation. I found various techniques for cleaning decks. Smudging was a favorite, as well as leaving them out in the light of the full moon, or in full sunlight for a day. Shuffling and re-ordering the deck was another suggestion. One person advised burying them in the ground for several days. I ended up setting them on the windowsill in the sunlight with a quartz crystal on top. Afterward, I placed a small piece of lapis in the bag and put them away for awhile. They were fine after that.
Since then I’ve heard one experienced reader suggest to simply hold them in your hand and say ‘this deck is cleansed’. I think that one is my favorite.
He also gave some advice about handling difficult querents. He said there is absolutely no reason one should ever feel obligated to continue in such a situation. He told me a story about a lady he knew who read tea leaves. One session a client was being particularly demanding and difficult and the reader simply slammed the cup down on the table and said “This reading is over!”.
Nowadays, if I get particularly strong negative vibes from someone, I won’t let them handle the deck at all. If they do happen to touch the cards, I will simply re-order the deck afterward just so that it feels ‘reset’ to me, hold it in my hand and declare it cleansed.
Posted in Tarot Practice
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September 15th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
So far I haven’t experiences a really bad negative reading with anyone. Knock wood. But I have heard of all those techniques for cleansing a deck. I think each reader has to discover and develop their own ritual for cleansing. I like the idea of just holding them and cleansing the cards verbally. But if the deck still feels negative then you should try something else.
As for shuffling I will almost always let the querent handle the deck. I’ve found that most people won’t shuffle the cards long enough to even mix them properly, so I usually shuffle throroughly between readings to erase previous energies.
One technique I like to use when I have a little time is to have the querent turn the deck face up and lightly toss each card onto the table. I tell them to toss the cards they don’t like a little further and keep the cards they do like closer. After all the cards are tossed they gather the pile up into a stack. Shuffling the cards face up like this gives tarot-doubters a scientific basis for the reading. (You can convince them that subconsciously they chose where the cards would lie in the shuffled deck and gave them a chance to see all the cards in advance. That way they are less skeptical about the ‘magic’ of the tarot).
September 23rd, 2007 at 1:30 am
I just had this discussion w/someone recently. She said a querent should never touch the cards, which i think is absurd.
A cleansing method you might try is leaving your cards under the light of a full moon after asking the goddess to cleans them and re-connect them to you.
~adp~
September 24th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I almost never let the querent touch the cards when it comes to shuffling. I can have them pick out a few cards when i feel like it.
It basicly comes down to my gut feeling, not because i sense a good or bad vibe directly from the consultant. I just either feel like i have to do it or the other person, If i consider that i need asistanse, i ask the querent to tell me when to stop while I shufle.
Some consutants like to shuffle, others rather not touch the deck. I consider that its me who has to work ” the magic’s” and not the client.
I pretty much never use the same reading o shuffeling pattern, They change according to my mood or what the client seems to need.
And when it comes to cleasing, I either rearange them in order or sprinkle them with basil or eucalypt powder.That seems to work for me.
Apo
August 31st, 2008 at 2:23 am
I had the Faery Wicca deck. BE CAREFUL! This deck is POTENT! I felt strong energies emanating from the deck when I first unpackaged them; but at the time, they were rather neutral energies. I had done many readings with them for months. But one night, I asked a favor of the deck. I had asked the deck if they could provide me with a psychic dream about a guy that it pointed out I would be dating soon. This was just as I was heading off to sleep. The Maiden of swords came up and her eyes appeared unusually striking. I felt comfortable with this reading as the page of swords indicates communication and messages. I went to sleep and was attacked in the midst of the psychic dream revelation by a demon!! I woke up and immediately consulted the deck again and many negative energies floated through me…hair-raising, paranoid energies…The maiden of swords kept popping up with the death card and the high priestess. The high priestess at one point appeared to be sneering at me!! Then I pulled out all the Royal sword cards, since I particularly identify with each of them. They are the biggest part of my personality, next to the cups. I addressed each and pulled cards to clarify their answers as deities and the king of swords appeared the angriest. It was really awkward and the whole time I was doing this, the death card and the high priestess card kept coming up. I started thinking that the king of swords wanted to kill me, and the high priestess kept popping up- again and again and again and again and again…shuffle after shuffle. This is NOT fiction people. PROTECT YOURSELVES FROM THIS DECK- UNLESS YOU ARE VERSED IN FAERY MAGIC!! I went back to sleep hesitantly and restlessly…I woke up at least three times after 10 minute sleep intervals and was attacked, as the cards later confirmed in my sleep by the Ard Ri of Aer!! I woke up calling out YHWH and my roommate heard me!! I went to work thinking that the deck would cool off by as I was doing readings on myself on both the subway and at work…the seven of pentacles kept coming up- indicating that I need to wait- that death was here and the Aer family was mad at me for some odd reason…I was so paranoid, but I couldn’t let it show. I paid over $30 for this deck. When I purchase new decks, I consult with my current deck to guide me on my next journey. While my former deck was right, in essence, I did LOVE this deck, it failed to point out the turmoil that it would take me through. I prayed over and over as I was in and out of sleep the following night and was protected. The strangest thing is I tried everything to cleanse the deck and I asked the deck on the subway if it was indeed possessed and the Empress came up followed by the nine of cups. People BEWARE!! CAVEAT EMPTOR! This deck is purported to be difficult to understand and recommended to advanced readers. Well I am an advanced reader and this deck should NOT be your first choice!!! BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thank God I am still here and have some peace of mind. A tarot deck can betray you…I threw it away and feel better. There are other details like my fey experiences with crickets that I left out for time’s sake while undergoing these attacks, but believe me…FW Tarot is not for the faint at heart!!!!!!!!! STEER CLEAR!
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Chris,
I’m very sorry that you had this upsetting experience. It was probably best that you got rid of the deck, as it was causing you so much distress.
There are only two comments that came to mind while reading your story:
1. Be careful what you ask for
2. Be mindful of your intentions
It would be good to learn and practice a simple banishing spell for future use just in case. I don’t know if you ground and center before working with the Tarot, but that is always a good idea as well.
Peace… Be well!