What is cartomancy? Cartomancy is the art of divination with cards including tarot, oracle, and playing cards.
What To Do With Your New Cards
The first step in doing a reading is to actually open your cards! So many people buy or receive their first decks only to put them on a shelf or in a drawer untouched. Sometimes it’s because they’re intimidated or afraid, but more often than not it’s because they just don’t know what to do with them.
Cleanse your cards. The most accessible and affordable is moonlight. It’s free and all you need to do is allow your cards to bask in the light. If you’re feeling particularly froggy you can put your cards out every night for a full lunar cycle, but a single night is sufficient. Smoke cleansing is another wonderful option that not only clears negative energy from your cards, but also leaves them smelling fantastic. Over time, your cards will take on the scent of whatever herbs or incense you use to cleanse them. You can use virtually anything to clear your cards with smoke. The first time I cleanse a deck I typically use herbs in their purest form. Sometimes it’s sage (sustainably harvest, of course,) but I’ve used plenty of other herbs as well such as sweetgrass, palo santo, cedar, and sandalwood.
Charge your cards. As previously mentioned, moonlight is an excellent way to charge your cards. The light from the full moon is one of the most potent moons to charge your cards under. When I begin working with a new deck I tend to sleep with my cards beneath my pillow. While it might seem strange to some, I feel like it helps my cards bond with my subconscious mind and my spirit, unobstructed by all conscious thoughts. Crystals are another fantastic way to charge your cards. You can use a variety of different crystals depending on what kind of energy you want your cards to carry. One of the easiest to find and most neutral is quartz. Quartz is an energy amplifier that also has cleansing properties. You can place a quartz crystal in a bag or box with your deck.
Shuffle your deck. After I have opened and cleansed my deck, I distribute the cards face down into six piles. This insures that none of the cards are sticking together and that they are thoroughly shuffled. Once I’ve finished stacking the cards into piles I individually shuffle each stack before shuffling all six stacks together. You have a few options when it comes to shuffling. There is the riffle shuffle, hand-over-hand technique, and the easy surface method of shuffling. All of these methods work and every reader does it differently. I prefer to shuffle hand-over-hand to avoid bending my cards. It also works best for the way I like to read.
Draw your cards. You can select cards for your reading in many ways. Some people draw their cards straight from the top of their decks after shuffling. Others draw cards after cutting the deck into separate piles. You can also fan your cards out in your hand or on a flat surface and select them that way. I, personally, allow my cards to choose me. I shuffle my cards and only select the cards that fall out on their own. It can definitely be more time consuming and sometimes harder if you aren’t fluid with your shuffling, but I prefer to put my energy into my cards that way.
Choose a significator. Your significator is a card that you identify with, a card that resonates with you. This is not always your birth or key card and will change over time. My previous significator was The Hermit, but it has since shifted to the Queen of Swords. Your significator changes with you. Many spreads call for your significator to be drawn and placed before you begin reading, but if you notice your significator appearing frequently in your daily readings take note! Your significator is trying to get your attention, to send a message!
Practice. Pull at least one card every day. Simmer on the message that the card has to give you or use it as inspiration for meditation. Every time you pull a card, write about it! It doesn’t have to be a lot, just a few key words or thoughts on the card and how it makes you feel. Not only does it allow you to put your thoughts and feelings on paper, but it also provides you with a reference to your progress over time.
Read everything you can get your hands on. I always recommend reading the book that comes with your cards, but it’s not mandatory. I do it because I’m a bibliophile and I know how much work goes into writing the smallest book, even a little white book. I want to know what the author and artist intended for their cards.
If you would like to know more about getting started with cartomancy, check out our Learn Tarot collection in the shop. This section contains all the books we recommend to get you started!