5 Steps to Bond with Divination Tools

While it certainly isn't necessary, and I know a lot of people who don't do much of anything between opening or receiving a new deck and doing their first reading, I am one of those people who has a pretty elaborate way of going about my new decks! All in all, it's usually anywhere from three days to a month before I ever do a reading with my cards, depending on the deck.

As I have recently inherited three amazing Radleigh Valentine decks, I'd love to share my process of bonding with my decks with each of you! This is something that I always do with new decks, and that I do at least once a year with those I already own.

1. Introductions

One of the most permeating aspects of my divination craft is that I respect each of my tools as being their own unique and wise entities. All tools have their own personalities and preferences, and approaching each deck or tool as an individual is, to me, anyway, a very important part of forming the most in depth connection to each deck as possible. Like friends, some give better advice on certain subjects than others, and, also like friends, the time and effort we spend forming a bond can make the difference between mediocre and amazing advice.

As I take each deck from their boxes, I do a quick look through at each card, saying hello to each character and energy, and admire the beautiful images each deck has to offer. During this time period, it's not unusual for a deck to drop out a card or two, sort of as hello messages of their own!

2. Clearing the Energy

The reasons for clearing energy from our divination tools are numerous, but they are basically for the same reasons we clear our own energy on a regular basis. Over time, as life happens, we pick up negative or unnecessary energy, and that clouds our overall energy as a whole. As divination work is all about reading energy, making sure that the energy coming from our tools is crisp and straight from source is very important.

As shown above, I lay the new deck out on my primary selenite charging slab. It's impossible to see here because of the number of decks, but it's a prevalent feature on my daily posts on Instagram, but I digress... Allow the cards to fall forward or however they would like to lay for this process. They know better than you how they're comfortable, and that's the whole point of this, yeah? I cleanse and charge my books as well, especially if they are stored with the decks, or I use them often, so go ahead and tuck them nearby, too.

There are a lot of energy clearance methods, with the selenite itself being one, but I personally use smoke and sound clearance, as well as a good besom cleansing, using the tools shown below. There are a lot of clearance herbs, but I personally really like juniper, as it has a very empowering energy, as well as purifying and protecting.

The metal of each bell type has a lot to do with the type of clearance the bell does. Silver is purification, gold amplifies positive energy, and copper amplifies magickal energies. Brass bells repel negative energies by creating protective resonances. I use silver first, and then gold.

3. Recharging

After clearing energy, it's important to replace it! I do this using music and my altar, and more selenite. Selenite not only clears away negative energy, but also replaces it with positive, and is a very useful stone to have lots of in any witch kit, if you ask me.

I like playing my cards a wide variety music I enjoy, so that they are reintroduced to energy I enjoy, but that is also diverse and meaningful, but how you recharge your tools is up to you! Herbs, music, and stones are good ways to replenish any energetic needs your tools may have after having energy cleared away. Lots of people also whisper affirmations or requests to their decks at this time, but I prefer to let each teach and do as it chooses on its own. To each their own path!

As shown, I leave the tools out on my altar space, surrounded by a variety of stones. This helps them channel positive and prosperous energy from these sources. I leave them out for as long as it takes for me to feel that they are fully charged and empowered. This time period varies for each tool and each charge, depending on the needs of the tool in question. Building a close relationship with your tools, and deepening your intuitive ability, will allow you to validate exactly when that is. These cards came to me already very well treated and well charged, and I don't think will take very long to be ready for the next stage of bonding at all! Not all decks have been spoiled and properly stored, however, especially in the case of brand new tools, or tools that have come from unknown or mysterious sources.

4. Dream Bonding

I first learned about dream bonding in a book of Romani tricks and legends that I had as a child and have long since lost - but I've read about it in a few other sources, and have reaped the benefits, as well, and thoroughly believe in this practice as being one of the best ways to build a close and intricate relationship with any deck or divination tool.

While I will be storing these decks in their initial boxes, I'll be wrapping them up in a cloth bag to keep them all together while I sleep, as shown with the first deck here (be sure and check in with the deck each morning if you're worried it might come un-bundled). I do not recommend at all sleeping with more than one deck or tool at a time unless you are certain that the tools do not mind sharing the space, and that you are going to be able to handle all of their energy being with you at once. Part of the fun of dream bonding is getting to experience each deck's energy in the dream world, but it can be overwhelming if we mix the wrong energies, for sure!

Once your cleansed and charged deck or tools are wrapped in its own cloth or permanent storage bag (like some of my tools have) so that it can be safely kept beneath your pillow, put them there! Leave them there for the next three or thirty nights. Three nights is the minimum, but thirty creates a much deeper connection. If this is your first tool set, I really recommend the thirty night span. Finding the patience is difficult, but it will makes the intuitive, psychic bond with the tools much deeper.

It's worth noting that if you aren't going to be able to work well with a deck, it will probably be obvious over the course of your dream bonding sessions. If you don't understand the dream messages being shared with you, or find them overwhelming or disconcerting, your experience with the deck or tool is likely to be similar - at least from my experience so far!

5. Guidebook Work

Over the course of the recharging period and dream bonding, there will be a lot of time to fantasize about all the future readings you'll do with our cards. Instead of going crazy just thinking about it, I take this time to study over the guidebook for each deck.

We all look back at the guidebooks at least once or twice throughout our work with our tools, so don't stress too much about memorizing the information in them. The main goal during this period is to read the book at least once, and to try and do any and all activities associated with the tool or deck that you think would benefit you to do. In my experience, books that have suggested meditations or activities are absolutely worth giving a shot.

Most decks have very simple guidebooks, like the books included with the decks I'm cleansing alongside writing this article. They have basic descriptions that the author intends for us to take from the imagery of the card, maybe a few spreads, and a bit of background information about the deck itself. Other books are a bit more in depth, and have various meditation techniques and more to offer in their pages. If your deck or tool has a big guidebook, I'd consider the longer dream bonding period, if for no other reason than to put less stress on yourself to finish the book!

Some examples of the diversity of guidebooks!

And that's it! You're ready to start reading with your new deck in such a way that it won't feel like a cheap, used date, and you hopefully won't be as befuddled by its messages, either. Some additional tips and tidbits to making sure our decks and tools feel special and appreciated, and keep sharing the best and most understandable advice possible: