How to Shuffle Tarot Cards: 4 Methods to Try
We asked a Tarot reader to clarify, once and for all, the best way to shuffle Tarot cards and how to shuffle a new deck. Here’s what she had to say.
Is There a Wrong Way to Shuffle?
First of all, there is no right or wrong way to shuffle. Tarot reader, Rebecca Devey, Tarot reader for @theintuitivegemini, confirms this. “As long as you’re comfortable holding the cards is what matters the most.”
Shuffling, like many things in the Tarot world, is a fully customizable and personal experience. Tarot has many recommendations, but the “rules” are always flexible. In this case, because there are so many different methods that are popular among readers, any one of them will be an optimal choice for you.
4 Ways to Shuffle Tarot Cards
According to Devey, “four ways come to mind straight away.” She details them here.
- Overhand Shuffle
This style is the one that Tarot readers use the most. Take the deck, slightly its side, in one of your hands. (This will most likely be your non-dominant hand so that you have your dominant hand available for shuffling.)
Have the card backs facing you slightly so you’re not able to see the underside. Using the opposite hand, take small chunks of cards out, a little at a time, and drop them slowly on either side of the deck. You can choose the backside or frontside, or both.
- Casino Style
The “casino-style” shuffle is the one most people are already familiar with. This is the kind of shuffling method you might use during a backyard game of cribbage or the shuffling method you’d see at a gambling table.
- Scatter and Choose
A popular one is to simply scatter all the cards out on the table, face down. This way, you’re bound to have a new order and a whole new set of reversals.
- Cutting
This is a method Devey uses herself. “I cut my deck into 3 piles, rearrange the piles and then continue on with the hand over hand style.”
Another cutting technique is to cut the deck as many times as you feel, turning them around when you feel. This should be in a random fashion so that you get new reversals as you go.
FAQs
How to shuffle Tarot cards for the first time?
As mentioned, there is no right or wrong way to shuffle a deck for the first time. But Devey has a tip for beginners: “With a new deck, I like to combine shuffling styles as a way to make sure the deck is mixed really well,” she says.
How to know when to stop shuffling Tarot cards?
Honestly, you stop shuffling when you feel like it! It really depends on the way that you feel when you’re moving the cards around. Is there a sense of completion? Do you feel like it’s “time” to stop? That’s when you’re done shuffling.
Regardless of when you stop shuffling, the cards will always show you what is needed to be shown.
How do you pull and deal Tarot cards?
Most Tarot readers pull cards from the side, toward themselves, and then place them in front of the querent. Another technique is to pull the card away from you so the querent sees it first. It really just depends on which one you prefer!
Related Articles:
The Best Tarot Decks for Beginners
5 Tarot Love Spreads (and Cards)
Feature image courtesy of Pexels
