Buying a Used Tarot Deck — What’s the First Step?

Mercer

Hey y’all, quick question — have any of you ever bought a used tarot deck before?

My local secondhand bookstore sometimes gets oracle decks that are new or basically unused, and I’ve already picked one up from there. The owner mentioned he might have a couple of like-new tarot decks coming in too, so I’m thinking about grabbing one.

If I do end up buying a used deck, what should I do when I bring it home? I’m assuming some kind of cleansing to clear out any leftover energy from the previous owner, but is there anything else you’d recommend? Would love to hear what other readers usually do.

ChrisValen

Oh yeah, if you’re into that kind of thing, a lot of people like to put used decks back in sequential order first. That way, any spreads or shuffles you do afterward are completely “your” energy. It’s also handy for making sure the deck is complete — no missing cards hiding somewhere.

Elara_Moonfield

Honestly, some of my favorite decks have been used ones too! My go-to Rider-Waite-Smith deck was actually secondhand from a bookstore. I just did the usual cleansing — smudging, a little shuffle, setting my intentions — and treated it exactly like I would a brand-new deck. Works perfectly!

Mercer

I received insight, thank you.