Caring for Your Tarot Deck — A Gentle Guide to Building A Real Connection
From New Arrival to Familiar Presence
There’s a quiet kind of magic in meeting a new deck — an energy you can feel beneath your fingertips.
Before you shuffle, before you read — pause.
Let yourself meet the deck like you’d meet a new friend: curious, open, unhurried.
Welcoming Your New Deck
When you unwrap a tarot deck, you’re not just opening packaging.
You’re opening a doorway.
Clear a small space on your table. Light a candle if it feels right.
Notice the texture of the cards, the weight, the artwork. Let yourself arrive in this moment.
That’s all it takes for your energy and the deck’s to begin weaving together. There’s no script — just sincerity. Even a whispered hello is enough.
Cleansing With Intention
Every deck carries traces of where it’s been — the hands that created it, the air of the places it’s travelled through.
Cleansing simply helps it come home to you.
You might:
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Pass it through incense smoke
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Use the sound of a singing bowl or gentle chime
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Leave it beneath the moonlight in a safe place
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Or simply hold it, visualise it glowing with pure, white light and any darkness or heaviness flowing out back to Mother Gaia for transformation.
The method doesn’t matter. What matters is your intention — the quiet moment of beginning fresh together. Of creating a cleansed space for you both to begin your first conversation in.
Meeting Your Deck
Once the cards feel settled, invite your deck to introduce itself.
A simple five-card spread works beautifully. Remember to have your journal close by:
- What is this deck’s personality and energy?
- How does this deck want to work with me?
- What will this deck help me learn & understand?
- How can I build a respectful, intuitive relationship with this deck?
- What shift or outcome will come from our work together?
Write down what you notice — even the small things.
You’re not chasing accuracy; you’re beginning a dialogue. This is the first chapter of what could potentially be a lifelong novel where you find yourself and your personal growth assisted by these cards.
What matters is the back and forth between yourself and the messages the cards send through. Perfection is not required in this space.
Your first night with the deck is one where you should sleep with it close by. On your bedside table or safely next to your pillow. Don’t put it under your pillow - you’ll squish the deck and also have a rough time sleeping. It’s not a tooth on the outs for the Tooth Fairy.
Weaving Tarot Into Your Daily World
Tarot isn’t just an occasional ritual — it can be a rhythm, a grounding practice that lives alongside you. For many, it’s a way of life. Tarot, oracle, cards, readings. For those folks, they’re all permanently woven threads that weave in and out of their world.
It’s more than a hobby.
When you realise that you can easily have an entire realm on spiritual-speed dial, you invite it in with an open heart and mind. To be totally honest, a soul-led no-brainer.
One-Card Mornings. And Coffee.
Each morning, draw a single card and ask:
What energy can I lean into today?
Or if you want that worded differently, try:
What do I need to know about today?
What truth wants to meet me today?
Show me what’s unfolding beneath the surface.
You can see they’re all asking for a vibe check on the day’s energy. Because it’s the energy that we can work with, and luckily it wants to work with us, too.
Okay, back to the cards.
Keep the card somewhere that’s a highly visible space in your world — on your desk, altar, or by your mirror. Take a photo and make it your lock screen or open your phones gallery and refer back to it.
Let it echo quietly through the hours of your day.
Over time, you’ll start to see patterns: lessons that repeat, gentle reminders that follow you from card to card, deck to deck.
Remember that you are the most important factor in this equation. Without you and your energy, the cards are simply pieces of paper. It’s your energy and intent that gives them life, that gives them a place in your own private realm.
Writing It Down
Your tarot journal is where insight turns into understanding. Where understanding turns to a whole system of how you see, believe, and follow through.
Write down the card, your feelings, and what unfolds afterward.
Later, when you look back, you’ll see threads you couldn’t see before — moments where the cards mirrored your growth, your compassion, your love. Or it might mirror your lack of those things. There is always a balance.
Journal in a way that is comfortable for you and that you find most enjoyable. If you like the way you journal, odds are you’ll probably (hopefully) come back and journal some more.
Tending to the Energy
Just like you, your deck needs rest. Some need more rest than others.
Keep it safe, cleanse it now and then, or let it sit somewhere that’s visible.
If the cards start feeling heavy or unclear, that’s your sign to pause, cleanse them, and let them breathe. Cleanse yourself while you’re at it and check in on the energy that you’re bringing to the table
Caring for the Physical Deck
Caring for your cards is an act of respect — a small way to honour the dialogue they hold. To honour the future dialogue they will provide.
A Place to Rest
Give your deck a peaceful resting space. That’s something we all deserve I think.
It might be a small wooden box, a linen pouch, or a drawer lined with fabric.
It doesn’t need to be ornate. It just needs to feel calm and intentional.
Protecting What’s Precious
Avoid direct sunlight and damp air.
Your deck is paper and ink, but also memory and meaning — handle it as you would a letter from someone you love. Take extra special care in humid, damp climates.
Less, But Loved
You don’t need ten decks to be a tarot reader.
You need one that feels like home.
A single well-loved deck will speak more clearly than a shelf full of strangers.
That’s what they tell you as they gaze at their own collection of 67 decks. No judgement here, you do you.
I get it. There’s zero hope of being a single deck owner once you’ve cracked open your first set. So, the more the merrier I say!
The Ones Waiting on the Shelf
Most of us have a “dusty” deck or two — the ones that called to us once but have since gone quiet. Or our collection blew out and now we have so many that we love and cherish that it’s hard to fit them all in.
Those dusty decks are not mistakes; they’re part of your story.
Resting or Retired
Some decks are simply resting, waiting for a future season or era where they’ll make sense again.
Others are complete — their work with you is finished.
You’ll know which is which by how you feel when you hold them: open or resistant, curious or indifferent.
Reconnecting With Old Decks
If a deck still hums softly when you touch it, invite it back into conversation. Skip the awkward small talk and just get to it.
Shuffle slowly. Ask if it’s ready to work with you again.
Draw one card and see what it says.
If it feels right, keep going.
If not, thank it for what it gave you and let it rest — closure is sacred and part of the tapestry.
When You Feel Called to Something New
New decks can feel like fresh chapters — but choose with awareness and intention.
Choosing Wisely
Before buying, pause and ask yourself:
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What am I hoping this deck will offer?
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Am I seeking growth or comfort?
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Will I truly use it, or am I chasing inspiration?
Sometimes you’ll realise a deck you already own can give you what you’re seeking.
Sometimes you’ll feel that spark again — and you’ll know it’s time to welcome another.
Harmony Over Quantity
Every deck carries its own tone — some soft and peace-filled,, others bold and ultra direct.
If you use more than one, let them complement rather than compete.
Together, they become a constellation of voices — reflections of your many inner selves.
Common Questions
Do I Need to Cleanse a Secondhand Deck?
Cleanse every deck. Think of it like a kind gesture towards the new deck - because even a secondhand deck is still new to you. Its like wiping a slate clean before beginning a new chapter.
Can I Use More Than One Deck at Once?
Yes, if it feels natural. If it feels forced, keep it simple. The beauty of tarot, oracle, divination, is that there are no hard and fast rules. No grey haired men who say what is and what isn’t. This is a space for you, your intuition, and your true soul-led self to roam, evolve, and elevate.
What If I Don’t Feel Connected After Weeks?
Keep it nearby — sometimes familiarity builds slowly.
If it doesn’t click, passing it along can be an act of gratitude, not failure. You’ll know when it’s time.
How Often Should I Journal With My Deck?
Whenever it feels right. There’s no schedule — only rhythm. You do you.
Closing the Circle
Tarot is more than a tool; it’s a mirror of your inner selves, a mirror for how you care for yourself.
It asks for presence, patience, and a kind of quiet honesty. Things you, yourself, ask for just as much.
There will be seasons when you draw cards daily, and eras when you don’t touch your decks at all. Both are valid. Seasons and eras are what make up our human experience so expect super valid swings in either direction.
The cards wait. They always do.
And when you return (like you always do), hold your deck of cards and ask softly:
What part of me are you ready to show me today?
Then listen.
That’s the real magic — the quiet conversation that never truly ends.
Final Thoughts
If you take one thing away, let it be this:
Caring for your deck is caring for your intuition.
Both thrive on gentle attention, on consistency, on listening without rushing.
Let this practice evolve with you.
The more you show up, the more the cards will meet you halfway.
always in your corner,
Rachael | MoonHaus Studio
Rachael Jean is the artist, writer, and deck creator at MoonHaus Studio — home to hand-illustrated tarot and oracle decks, spiritual journals, and digital printables made for intuitive women and the chronically creative. A registered Division 1 nurse and member of the chronic wellness community, Rachael creates with both science and soul, blending artistry, lived experience, and modern mysticism to help others reconnect with themselves — gently.