Cleansing

Cleansing a deck means doing something to it to clear what readers believe is leftover influence from earlier readings or other hands. Common methods are knocking on the deck, passing it through incense smoke, leaving it in moonlight, resting a crystal on it, or sorting the cards back into numerical order. Whichever you choose, it marks a pause, a fresh start and a good shuffle. It is a modern custom, mostly from the late 20th century, and you do not need it to read. See how to cleanse tarot cards.