by The first thing my daughter wants to do when she gets a new toy is to play with it. Even before we leave the target parking lot (because, who are we kidding, I buy all her toys at target) she has the toy out of the package.
I am the same way, only my “toys” are usually Tarot decks. Whenever I get a new deck – which isn’t as often as it used to be – all I want to do is play with it and get to know it. Over the years I have come up with some of my favorite methods to get to know a new deck and I thought this would be a great time to let you in on a few of my favorites!
Sleeping with Tarot
When I get a new deck, you will often find it on my nightstand for the first week or so that I have it – especially if it is a deck that I want to use right away for client readings. Now, other than the practical aspect of having the deck close by so I can use it whenever I have a question pop in my mind – this also serves a more practical and metaphysical purpose.
When you get a new Tarot deck, one of the first things you want to do is to have that deck absorb your energy. You want to create a spiritual and metaphysical bond with the deck. This energy exchange is going to help you get clearer and more precise readings from a deck.
One of the quickest ways to do this is to have the deck around you at all times – including when you are sleeping. Let’s be honest, you aren’t likely going to take your Tarot deck to work, and if you do it is likely not going to be right next to you the whole time. But, during those hours that you sleep you have the opportunity to be right up close with that deck.
Some people like to put their deck under their pillows and literally sleep on the deck. If you have a thin pillow this could be uncomfortable, but if you want to go this route, I recommend putting the deck in your pillowcase and in the box or a soft container so the cards don’t end up all over your floor by the morning.
Personally, I put my new Tarot decks on my nightstand, right next to my large smoky quartz (from the Dreamtime mine – how perfect is that!) and any crystal that I want to become associated with the deck.
Commercial breaks
Along with being near the Tarot deck, it is also helpful to actually get your hands on the deck. Your hands have chakras that are great at giving and receiving energy. By holding and using your deck you are going to promote a lot of energy exchange between the two of you.
My favorite way to promote this energy exchange is through shuffling. I am a riffle shuffle (the kind of shuffle you do with playing cards) and I can be hard on my decks. How a deck shuffles is one of the key factors in how often I end up using it – because as most Tarot readers know, a deck with sharp edges will hurt your hands if used too often.
The best time I have found to shuffle the deck is during commercial breaks of my favorite tv shows. You may have caught one that I LOVE television and find that it can actually help develop your spirituality and not harm it if utilized correctly – and what better way then getting to know a new Tarot deck.
Now, I know that many people don’t actually have to sit through commercials anymore with DVR and Netflix, but I still have some shows that I stream through their respective networks (I may be an old millennial but I still have a soft spot for the CW) that I have to sit through those two to three minutes four to five times an episode. I have found that these commercial breaks are the perfect amount of time to get in a good shuffle and maybe even randomly pull a card. This way you get your energy exchange and start to get to know your deck’s personality.
Card a day
Many Tarot readers swear by the “card a day” readings, and there is a good reason for this. Limiting yourself to one card a day is a simple way to slowly get to know your Tarot deck. It doesn’t take a long time to do, you only have to focus on one image, and, really, there is no excuse to not give it a try.
You can either shuffle the deck and ask for a for a card describing your energy that day or you can go through the deck systematically and learn each card in order. It doesn’t really matter which method you use, it is more important to just use your deck and get to know its images.
Many individuals like to display the card they get in a prominent spot so that they can look at it throughout the day and be reminded of the image. With the technology available you can even display the image on your phone’s home screen so that whenever you check the time you can be reminded of that day’s card.
Getting to know you Spread
A method that is very popular in the Tarot community is to use a spread to get to know the unique personality of the deck you are using. There are many different spreads you can use and a quick search of your favorite social media site will likely come up with a plethora of options.
You will find that each deck has its strengths and weaknesses. Some decks are better for relationship readings and offer little when it comes to career readings, while other decks are all purpose and can handle any question put to it.
Some of the questions I usually like to include in a spread to get to know a new Tarot deck include:
- What is the energy of this deck
- What area is this deck’s strength
- What area is this deck’s weakness
- How should I use this deck
- Is this deck ready for client use
- What is my relationship to this deck
These are just some options and I highly encourage you to come up with your own unique questions and ideas that you want to see flushed out with your new Tarot deck.
So, what are some of your favorite ways to get to know a new Tarot deck? What method do you find helpful and which do you skip?
Mary Shannon 
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