How can I cleanse my altar and space wit

No fire needed — water, salt, sound, and light do the whole job in most traditions.

Water

• Fill a bowl with water, add a pinch of salt (or set it out overnight to catch the moon, then add a drop of your own essential oil or a few drops of lemon juice). Wipe the altar top, the shelf, and doorframes with a cloth dipped in it; pour the rest down the outside of the threshold or down the sink.
• Salt water is the workhorse. Dry salt scattered and swept up works too, especially along thresholds, corners, and under the altar.

Sound

• Ring a bell, singing bowl, or gong while walking the perimeter of the room, starting at the door and going clockwise. Go slowly. A few claps or a sharp knock on each doorframe works in a pinch.

Light

• Hold a lit match or a small flame *in a fire-safe dish* to a few objects (candles, tools, the deck itself) — this passes light, not smoke, and indoors needs nothing but a saucer and a windowsill. Or leave the space in direct morning sun for an hour; moonlight the night before a reading is the traditional version.

Passing the threshold

• Say, out loud or in your head, what you're clearing: "this space is for honest work" works as well as any archaic formula.

A common full order: salt on the floor → bell around the room → salt-water wipe of surfaces and handles → a match or sun on the tools and cards → fresh water in a dish at the center.

Do it at the turn of a month, before a reading session, or whenever the space feels heavy — not on a deadline. If your altar is wood or painted, use a barely damp cloth rather than a wet one.