When you first unwrap your new tarot pack, enjoy looking at the cards. Spend some time studying each one in turn, and see if any instinctive impressions come to you. At this stage it’s a good idea to look at each card and then read the description of its meaning. Study the card carefully for any pictorial clues that will imprint its meaning in your mind. For instance, when you look at the Sun, which symbolizes creativity and happiness, you could imagine the relaxed, contented feeling that one gets when basking in the warmth of the Sun’s rays. If you’re astrologically minded, you could remember that Leo is ruled by the Sun, and is the sign of creativity
The next step is to shuffle the cards well. Like ordinary playing cards, they won’t work properly if they remain in numerical order. A good way to mix them up well is to spread them out over a flat surface and swish them around with your hands, then collect them together, turning round any that are upside down or back to front. You can now give them a good shuffle, then cut them several times if you wish.
Opinion is divided on how you should look after your cards. Some people don’t give them any special treatment, simply storing them in their original box after use. Others like to treat their tarot cards with special consideration or in a ritualistic manner. This is usually because they believe that the tarot must be protected from outside vibrations, and that a new tarot pack needs to be charged with the owner’s energy. If you like this idea, you can influence a new pack of cards with your vibrations either by placing them under your pillow before you go to sleep, or simply by looking at them and holding them.
Whenever you put the cards away, you can wrap them in a piece of black or purple silk, which is believed to protect them from outside psychic forces, and then place them in a wooden box. Even if you don’t believe in such things as psychic protection, you may still enjoy the ritual involved, which gives the cards added importance. When you give readings, you may want to spread out your cards on a specially chosen piece of fabric which throws the cards into relief and makes their illustrations more vivid.
Whether you store your cards in a special box or in a plastic bag, you should not let other people handle them ‘except when you’re giving them readings, just as you should never handle anyone else’s cards without their permission. Otherwise, the cards will pick up unwanted vibrations.
