The shuffling experience

[Britt]

I know this is going to be different for everyone, but I am genuinely curious about what other tarot readers experience when they are shuffling their decks. Do you find you approach shuffling differently for different readings or decks, or do you always do your shuffling the same way? Do you take into account the messages you receive before laying any cards or do you solely focus on the cards themselves? Share away. 

[katrinka]

I'm not sure what you're asking here...?
I shuffle as the deck permits. Usually a riffle and bridge, but I do have a few that can't take that and require an overhand. And I don't delude myself that I'm getting "messages" before laying the cards. The cards ARE the message.

[Raggydoll]

Sometimes I use reversals, sometimes I don’t. So that means that I shuffle a bit differently depending on the deck and the situation. Certain deck I don’t like to use reversals with and others I do. It depends. But my basic shuffling techniques is otherwise the same. 

 

I often do what I call intuitive sessions prior to readings, and sometimes instead of card readings. I would not really call it a tarot related technique. It’s just to do with the nature of my divination practice. I guess I’m a mix between traditional and psychic reader, and I do ancestral inspired divination too. Again, that’s not much to do with tarot reading. I think it is different for everyone and it very much depends on their style and their personal circumstances. Whether someone is gifted in a way that they receive genuine messages is of course a factor. But if you’re a regular tarot reader then it would be ‘just’ the cards and it wouldn’t be any message prior to having laid the cards. What you’re describing is something that I would classify as psychic reading or possibly mediumship readings, and that’s a whole other topic 😊

 

[katrinka]

11 minutes ago, Raggydoll said:

What you’re describing is something that I would classify as psychic reading or possibly mediumship readings, and that’s a whole other topic

Exactly. It's nothing to do with cards, it's another ball of wax. 😉

[katrinka]

I mean, I've had strange things happen. Strange signs in the sky, apparitions, visions in crystals, objects suddenly broken for "no reason", etc. Stuff happens that we can't explain. But I don't class card reading with that. We may not know the mechanics behind it, but it's very down to earth. And as readers, we need to stay well grounded.

Edited February 18, 2022 by katrinka
typo

[frankie]

I shuffle my cards the same way, which is dictated by physical constraints, namely what works best for my hand and wrist issues. I've noticed I tend to prefer smaller sized decks as a result, but big or small, I shuffle the same way. I often repeat the question in mind; otherwise I still my mind and concentrate on a point (the back of my cards, a pattern on my tabletop), which creates a nice buzz, like I'm hyper-focused (hard to explain). The cards give me the answer. I draw from a fan, and my eyes and hand sort of dart to the "right" cards, without thought and often instantaneously.

[Britt]

Wow amazing answers, it’s so great to see the perspective of other tarot readers. I do think the foundation of a tarot reader should be the cards themselves and their meanings, but I’ve always found it fascinating that some tarot readers have that extra “oomph”behind their message, thats from an unknown source, if ya know what I mean. I’m still in the process of balancing out the two, practical application and spiritual application. I do get messages before I draw, but I don’t reveal them until they are confirmed as important in the spread I lay out. Accuracy is important.

[katrinka]

2 minutes ago, Britt said:

I’ve always found it fascinating that some tarot readers have that extra “oomph”behind their message, thats from an unknown source, if ya know what I mean.

No, I don't. The cards say what they say.
A reader translates the message in the cards and sticks to that, no more.
Some people may do other things, but it isn't card reading.

 

[DanielJUK]

I really just shuffle most of my decks the same, riffle shuffling in my hands. Some oracles or larger / smaller cards call for different shuffling methods. Also with some decks (especially RWS) I use reversals and so I turn sections of the cards as I shuffle.

 

If I do get any intuitive feelings or messages, they happen really when I have laid out the cards in the reading. But when I am shuffling I think about the question or topic at hand, I also think of the person I am reading for (even just their forum name). I make an intention of that so I can be sure the reading is for them and about what they asked. I do take account any cards that fall out as I shuffle, sometimes they seem important, sometimes not.

[vulprix]

Like others have said here, I shuffle each deck about the same.  I am a dedicated riffle shuffler, but I also do a Mongean shuffle or two or three, and sometimes divide into piles as well.  I go off of intuition, and try to be mindful of my breathing throughout.  And different-sized and -shaped decks call for different shuffling methods!

 

I do perceive of reading cards as a bit of a spiritual exercise.  I think it is important to be practical and grounded, sure, but the reading of signs does evoke a sense of paying attention to subtlety, and ideas of synchronicity and happenstance.  To me, those aspects are magical.

 

For this reason, when a card falls out of my hands, I can't help but pay at least a little bit of attention.  Like @DanielJUK said above, sometimes these seem important; sometimes they do not.  But I do have trouble shutting out the noise and tend to psych myself out, so I take notice and then put the "unintentional" things in their place.  🙂 It helps me with that grounding part of reading.

[AlbaTross]

I certainly have my way of shuffling.  I riffle shuffle my cards three times with the bridge after selecting my deck from the ones I currently own.  On the third shuffle, I rotate one half of the cards 180 degrees to allow for the possibility of reversals, in addition to uprighting any reversals already in that part of the deck, before proceeding with that shuffle as normal.  After that, I cut the deck twice to form three piles.  If I'm reading for someone else, I have them cut the deck, as, in addition to having them select the deck, it serves as a way for them to have some interaction with the shuffling process, and therefore, with having their hand in determining which cards come up.  The next step is I, or the querent if I'm reading for someone else, will choose which of the three piles to draw from the top of.  I have come to label them as "surface, middle and deep deck".

 

The above paragraph pretty much sums up the long and short of my process.  When I'm reading for myself, there is more than one factor that determines which pile I end up choosing.  Quite often, it's just on impulse.  Other times, I'll notice that the top card on one of the piles is a little off-angle, and that might make me choose that pile, or perhaps 2/3 of the piles have that, and one pile seems more undisturbed.  Perhaps there's a clear difference in how tall the stacks are, as I cut the deck purely on impulse, which can result in the stacks being distributed any number of ways.  Maybe I react according to the intensity of the question.  If I'm reading into something of intense importance to me, I might reach for deep deck on instinct.  If I'm just doing something routine like a daily reading, I might just do surface deck.  Maybe I'm feeling somewhere in the middle about the reading, so I'll reach for mid-deck.  For the haphazard 2/22/22 reading I felt compelled to do for myself, I went with mid-deck by virtue of it being the second stack.  

 

Of course, there are always exceptions.  If a card falls out at any point during the shuffling process (a rare occurrence if I'm methodical enough), I've come to accept it as the first position card.  Obviously, subsequent dropped cards will be considered as position two and beyond, but I haven't had to cross that bridge yet.  When I do three-card readings, I tend to just skip the process of choosing a stack, and instead flip over the top card of all three stacks.  I guess I mostly do it that way because it's easier.  Plus, as the third card often ends up being the card that ties the rest of the reading together, it being from the deepest part of the deck seems fitting.  

[ChaosandtheCrow]

I usually shuffle the same way for all decks/readings...I never bridge my deck because I hate how they always end up bent backwards so I just stick to a regular shuffle and if any cards fall out 

[Quinn64]

On 2/18/2022 at 2:07 PM, Britt said:

I know this is going to be different for everyone, but I am genuinely curious about what other tarot readers experience when they are shuffling their decks. Do you find you approach shuffling differently for different readings or decks, or do you always do your shuffling the same way? Do you take into account the messages you receive before laying any cards or do you solely focus on the cards themselves? Share away. 

I do not shuffle per se, I mix them up flat on a table and choose cards while continuing to mix. I focus only on the cards and pull the ones that feel right, but this has nothing to do with the reading, it is a different process completely.