Candles, Spells, and Tarot Initiaton

[Aglaya]

I just want to know if you, ladies and gentlemen, use any rituals or spells before starting work with a new deck.

I don't know the reason why, but such things don't work for my decks. I have tried this three times maybe, but it only adds some heaviness to my communication with the cards. And after a few readings, I absolutely forget about that particular deck.

Please, share your experience.

Hi Aglaya.
I don't do any ritual or blessing on an of my decks and have never felt drawn to do so. I suppose it's how a person views what a deck is to them. For me, they are just pieces of printed card and it's actually me that holds the magic, not ink and paper.
If you don't feel a ritual helps with the cards then don't feel like it's obligatory to do one.
Everybody is different, but nobody is right or wrong so just do what you feel helps

[Native spirit]

I don't use Tarot cards I don't get on with them.i have other cards Native American cards and before I use them I hold them close to my heart for a few minutes.
that always works for me.


Namaste

[FairyCrystal]

I stopped witchcraft years ago and as such don't do rituals anymore.
Strength & power comes from the inside, most rituals are to invoke external sources for protection and cleansing.

I've never done a ritual in that way with any of my decks. I do sometimes hold them for a bit in my hands to infuse them with my own energy. That's never long.
I do feel cards are more than just ink an paper as I know your energy can and does go into objects. And since your energy can go in a deck, so can someone else's, especially since they're used for intuitive work.

My ex stored the Tarot deck he had -and never used btw- in a silk scarf. Now that goes too far for me. But some decks I rather not have touched by others. My Lenormand deck is one of those.

[Clover]

I mainly study the tarot for self development. No special routines here. I occasionally light up a candle along with sage or palo sticks, mainly to set the mood not for rituals.

[tealily]

I do absolutely peanuts with any new deck other than take them out of the box and do a practice shuffle to see how slippy/sticky they are.

I do come from the church of "do whatever feels right for you", so if rituals are your thing, go for it. If you're like me/us (SF tarot subforum seems to have a more "practical" population than most), do zilch and don't feel bad about it :)

[Elyious]

No spells but I have ritual of shuffling cards. I like to stand bare foot on grass or soil whilst shuffling a new deck to ground my energy whilst imagining/visioning a large column of white light entering my crown down through all chakras and down into the earth. I then imagine this light returning back up through my chakras and encompassing my body(s) and deck and finally back up through my crown and out/upwards.

[Aglaya]

Thanks everyone for responding here.

I caught myself last week that I actually do have a ritual for Initiaton, or I don't know what... I simply did not pay attention to it. I buy treats for the stray dogs and cats in the neighborhood. I feed them every day, but they have something special to eat on the days when I get a new deck. Then I clean all the windows at home.

Such things...