As anyone whose been following this blog knows, I've been reading Tarot for 40 years now.  My original 1971 Rider Waite has been shuffled from home to home and state to state numerous times.  The old box is almost falling apart and while I still have it, I don't use it for storage anymore - haven't used it for I'm not sure how long. 

For my deck, home is a simple wooden box, a probable Indian import, with a smooth polished surface and brass inserts of sun, moon and stars.  I keep the deck loose in the box because I like the energy of wood.  I believe that it absorbs energy.  I find a wooden Tarot box to be stabilizing and protective.

I have a semi extensive Tarot collection.  I say semi because I have pared it down in recent years from over 40 decks to a number generally hovering somewhere around 22.  Adding to the collection is about resonance to me, not numbers, and I don't keep a deck unless I connect with it - no matter how attractive the artwork.  I like the idea of having 22 decks for obvious (to anyone who reads Tarot) reasons, too, even though I find that keeping the number at exactly 22 is impossible.

Decks come and go in my collection.  I like to think that most of them, even the dearest of them, speak to me for a time - and then they speak to someone else.  While they are with me, however, even if I have bought them only because I think they deserve to be passed along to some other more compatible reader, I take care of them and for me caring for a deck properly is all about energy.

When I get a new deck, I get an immediate impression of its previous use.  Part of that impression is empathic and part is just good observation.  The last deck I bought - a ©1970 US Games Aquarian deck -  is noticeably, but gently, worn - lots of rubbing but no tears or bends or stains.  The edges of the cards aren't separating but they aren't tight either and the box has been taped, carefully but repeatedly.  All these things are evidence of frequent use - with reverence - and that's a good thing.  It is my impression that this deck (a brokered eBay deal) came from a professional or at the very least frequent reader who loved and respected the art of Tarot reading.

1971 Rider-Waite (backup deck)

In ten or twenty or certainly 40 years, a deck can pass through lots of hands.  Some, like the Aquarian deck, come to me gently vibrating with positive energy while others have a certain static.  And while I've yet to buy a "cursed" deck, if a deck has an unhappy vibe it's a good idea to clear it.  Over the years of buying and selling and swapping decks, I've developed my own system of clearing energy and maintaining a positive energy flow in my collection.

I don't believe in leaving decks outside though I have done it.  Too much can happen and a wet deck is a ruined deck no matter how restorative moonlight and morning dew can be in best case scenario.  Crystals are quite at home in the great outdoors however and I have a small crystal collection intermingled with my cards.

You can read a lot about charging crystals on the net but I keep it pretty simple.  In general, anything that appeals to me -  full moon, new moon, waxing never waning moon, summer rain, the first snow, the garden in early spring - seems to work.  The crystals don't have to spend the night outside, though they do seem to appreciate it from time to time, and I usually stay with them, lining them up in the moonlight and saying a few words with intention because people need recharging too.  I usually allow the freshly charged crystals to surround new decks and my everyday reading decks, moving them around to mix things up, and recharging the stones as needed.

I keep my collection, in their various cardboard and wooden and other boxes, on an open shelf in my workroom.  This is the clearest space in my house.  There is no clutter.  No TV.  No radio. No negativity.  Only my photography, art and jewelry supplies, my psychically sensitive etsy items,  my Tarot decks, card decks, incense, crystals, candles, silk scarves and small Indian import Saraswati statue (made with real River Ganga mud).   I allow fresh air to circulate every day, even in winter, and burn incense and candles regularly.  Most importantly -  I do not allow any discord or negativity in this room.  This includes negative others and myself.  If I become frustrated in this room when working and cannot recenter, I leave and go do something else until whatever agitation I am feeling passes.

New decks brought into this room lose their static pretty quickly.  Those that leave make their way to their true homes better for their stay.  I am a firm believer in the old adage which says that spiritual tools will find their way to the right person at the right time.  One of the things I like best about making the occasional sale on etsy is the feeling I get from knowing that I have been part of this process.