How to Consecrate a Tarot Deck

How to consecrate your tarot deck

Whether you have purchased a new tarot deck or you have one that you have been using, you should consecrate and cleanse/ purify the deck . The purification ritual is on another post.

What is consecration? 

To consecrate the tarot deck means “to make it holy”. In other words, you are taking your tarot cards and transforming them from pieces of card stock into a sacred tool for communication with the divine. You can repeat it as needed if they have lain dormant for a time or if you feel that your readings are not as clear as they should be. The act of consecrating your deck isn’t just about honoring and preparing the deck, it’s about you making a spiritual connection with the tarot cards.

This may sound a bit strange. You do not have to be psychic to read tarot cards. It’s a great tool for those who feel that they are not psychic enough but desire spiritual guidance and perhaps wish to guide others. Tarot cards have more symbolism than they appear. They make have a person, animal and/or objects on them. They have a numerological, astrological and seasonal meaning. Tarot cards have many colors and symbols that give meaning. A tarot card is mainly male or female in it’s energy. The people may face right or left. They may be royalty or peasant. They may be greatly adorned, wearing tattered rags or naked. All of that means something to a tarot reader. When you combine all the cards in a reading, they tell a story. But more than that, they can show a pattern or trend. You consecrate your tarot deck to create a bond with you. You do it to program your brain to accept that each color, number, symbol, suit and so on, speaks volumes to you. Your tarot deck in a tool with which spirit is able to communicate with you for guidance for yourself or others. You are the translator. Spirit can work through tarot symbols as a form of communication.

Working with tarot on a regular basis usually causes one to become psychic as you are opening the doors to spirit communication. Yet… another post for you to read.

Consecrating a tarot deck

I like to use sage to consecrate a tarot deck. It purifies the deck at the same time. Sage is an herb sacred to the Native Americans believed to remove negative energy. If you don’t like the aroma of burning sage, then you can use incense. I highly recommend my natural incense sticks. Frankincense and myrrh is traditional for consecration. If you don’t like aromas, you can choose a plain white candle as a substitute. In smudging, it is the smoke from the sage or incense that is desired, not some much the smell. If you use a candle, it will be the warm light of the candle that you would focus upon. Use what works best for your needs.

1. Light your sage or incense and use the smoke to purify yourself and then the area where you wish to consecrate your deck include the store box, pouch or wrapping.

2. Take your tarot deck and hold it face up in the hand that you do not right with. This is your receptive hand.

3. Hold the deck over the smoking sage or incense or the candle light (taking great care not to burn your self).

4. Ask your guardians angels or guides to protect you and you cards from anything but the highest of energy forms.

5. Recite:

Paper and ink let secrets unfold,

Ancestors and guardians message be told. May wisdom guide my every word

So sacred insight may be heard

By ears open and ready to receive

Divine guidance to believe.

6. As each card faces you, take a moment to contemplate it. Feel its energy. And envision your own going into the spaces between the molecules that make up the card.

7. Lay the card face down when you have done that… and move to the next card.

8. Repeat until you have touched each and every card.

9. Pick up the whole deck with your receptive hand and hold it over the smoke.

10. Ask whatever deity you choose to bless and consecrate this deck so that you may use it only for the greater good.  Don’t forget to thank them when you have finished.

You can now use your newly consecrated deck. After that, you should store them in a pouch, box or piece of natural fabric like cotton or silk. Some say to use black for protection. Others say white for purification. Do what feels best for you.

Hint: I offer another post to program and energize a crystal to store with your tarot cards for protection, purification and to empower your cards further.

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How to Choose a Tarot Deck – How to Buy a Tarot Deck

How to Choose a Tarot Deck

 

Being in the metaphysical store business for 15 + years, I have often had customers tell me that they would love to learn how to read tarot cards but they must be gifted with a deck.  I don’t have any problem with it as long as you have friends and family that you can open up to about your beliefs and interests and that they would take it upon themselves to buy you a deck.

 

My personal opinion is that you should be the one to choose your own tarot deck. I also believe that you should start off with one of the Rider Waite decks even though there are hundreds of gorgeous decks from which to choose that would better reflect your energies, beliefs, interest and lifestyle. I recommend the Rider Waite decks so that you can build a strong foundation that will allow you to evolve towards other tarot decks that reflect who you are. The Rider Waite decks are not the most attractive decks. The reason I want you to start out with one of these decks is so you will have a deck that corresponds to most tarot books and tarot workshops. These decks are very similar in symbolism, numerology and color. Books and classes are designed to teach you to interpret all of these aspects for not just each card, but also the combination. One book will undoubtedly lead to numerous others. By choosing the best selling decks, you will be able to follow the instruction. A tarot reader doesn’t just look at a card. She studies it. A card isn’t just a picture. Rider Waite has people and animals on almost every card. What are they doing? Which way are they facing? What are they wearing? What are they doing in the picture? What emotion do they show? What is the number on the card? What colors are there within the card? My favorite part is the small details that are easily missed. Perhaps there are symbols on their clothing, a chalice or sword in hand. Those aren’t decoration. Those are hints or reminders of what that card represents. All these aspects are to help open you up to an opportunity to communicate guidance via the cards laid out in front of you. To the client, those cards are pretty or scary pictures. As a tarot reader, it is your job to translate the message to them. As you study and come familiar with your Rider Waite deck, you will start to understand how it all comes together. At that point, you may wish to choose a deck that you find more appealing. Start with a good foundation and all other decks will be much easier to interpret.

 

I offer numerous tarot decks and a variety of tarot books that I have read and recommend.

 

http://www.alleghenycandles.com/tarot.html

 

http://www.alleghenycandles.com/tarotbooks.html