How many times do you shuffle?

[EmpyreanKnight]

How many times do you shuffle your cards? Do you do it a fixed number of times - like you always shuffle nine times for example? Do you wait until the deck feels "right"? Or does it depend on something else?

 

Related fact: I've read before that to fully randomize a deck of cards, you need to riffle shuffle it at least 7 times. There's a mathematical basis for this too - so this is not a metaphysical concept or something.

[EmpyreanKnight]

As for me, well a number sorta pops up in my mind regarding a question, and I shuffle accordingly tho sometimes in the midst of shuffling, I would override it if I feel like it wasn't quite enough. For most questions, 7 shuffles are good. If it's something I particularly feel strongly about, it's 8 (for Strength/Justice). If it's a general reading, it's 10 (for Wheel of Fortune) but if it's for love and relationships, 6 are often enough (The Lovers). If it's about spiritual matters, well I regard 11 as a mystic number so I'd go with that. Follow-up questions only need 3 shuffles to prevent severing their link to the main reading, tho I'd sometimes do more.

[Raggydoll]

I shuffle until I feel a sort of tingling electric sensation in my fingers that tell me the deck is ready to answer my question.

[faerybraids]

I just shuffle until my gut says it's right. ^^;; Sometimes I get really antsy because it just never does, and it's usually in these cases that several cards end up falling out, either as the reading itself (it's freaky when the exact number your spread needs falls out) or as a little note for beforehand (like 'brace yourself' or 'maybe not tonight').

[Jewel]

I don't have a set number of times I shuffle, I just shuffle until I feel like it is time to stop and cut the cards.

[Lionsdaughter]

As for me, well a number sorta pops up in my mind regarding a question, and I shuffle accordingly tho sometimes in the midst of shuffling, I would override it if I feel like it wasn't quite enough. For most questions, 7 shuffles are good. If it's something I particularly feel strongly about, it's 8 (for Strength/Justice). If it's a general reading, it's 10 (for Wheel of Fortune) but if it's for love and relationships, 6 are often enough (The Lovers). If it's about spiritual matters, well I regard 11 as a mystic number so I'd go with that. Follow-up questions only need 3 shuffles to prevent severing their link to the main reading, tho I'd sometimes do more.

 

I hadn't ever thought of shuffling like this, but I think it's a great method!  I may start using this technique and see what happens.  I usually just shuffle til I feel it's right to stop.

[tarottreat]

My go-to number of shuffles is nine, but sometimes I'll shuffle more or less if I get a gut feeling.

[EmpyreanKnight]

As for me, well a number sorta pops up in my mind regarding a question, and I shuffle accordingly tho sometimes in the midst of shuffling, I would override it if I feel like it wasn't quite enough. For most questions, 7 shuffles are good. If it's something I particularly feel strongly about, it's 8 (for Strength/Justice). If it's a general reading, it's 10 (for Wheel of Fortune) but if it's for love and relationships, 6 are often enough (The Lovers). If it's about spiritual matters, well I regard 11 as a mystic number so I'd go with that. Follow-up questions only need 3 shuffles to prevent severing their link to the main reading, tho I'd sometimes do more.

 

I hadn't ever thought of shuffling like this, but I think it's a great method!  I may start using this technique and see what happens.  I usually just shuffle til I feel it's right to stop.

 

I only learned this from someone else too. :) Like faerybraids, waiting for the "right" moment to come would sometimes take too long, so I adopted this method.

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

three with a cut in there then fan and draw at random. Three because I'm easily bored.

I never order my decks unless selling or gifting so there is always a good mix going on

[DanielJUK]

I do this totally intuitively! I feel when it's ready whilst thinking about the person I am reading for and the topic / question. I normally do 3 cuts or shuffles after that and then it's ready. I have to feel it's shuffled and it might be a short or long time.

[Lantana]

I shuffle for each syllable in the question. If there isn't a question (like in a daily draw) then I usually shuffle in multiples of three until it feels right.

[Guest]

I shuffle and cut the exact same way every time. It is a meditation. I stay aware and focused.

 

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

 

[Page of Ghosts]

I usually just shuffle untill the deck feels ready aka I get a strong feeling in my gut. Then I pick up the card at the top and ask it if it's the one for this position in the spread, which it usually is.

[Guest Freeli]

Until it feels enough I guess. I like the meditative motion and like to take my time with the shuffling, but I have no set number. I don't cut the pile, I pick from the top. For my daily draw quite often one or two cards jump out by themselves and I wasn't too sure about that initially. But my hands are not really that small so I take the jumpers as the cards for the day.

[Whisper]

I just keep shuffling until I feel it's time to stop. Funny, I always cut and draw the cards. Never seem to fan them out and pick them out, for some odd reason.

 

What I have come to realize, is that shuffling the cards so that my energy becomes imprinted on them seems to be the best way to really connect and bond with the deck, whether tarot or oracle.

[Audelia]

I always go with my gut :) Once it feels like the shuffle is 'complete' I'll use my intuition to feel whether I should cut the deck, draw off the top or select each card individually.

[Canid]

How many times do you shuffle your cards? Do you do it a fixed number of times - like you always shuffle nine times for example? Do you wait until the deck feels "right"? Or does it depend on something else?

 

Related fact: I've read before that to fully randomize a deck of cards, you need to riffle shuffle it at least 7 times. There's a mathematical basis for this too - so this is not a metaphysical concept or something.

 

I don’t think that’s correct, especially for a new deck. I randomize a new deck by going through each card & placing it back in the deck, different places. It’s time consuming, but 7 shuffles just won’t work for a new deck. Also, I get the chance to again peruse each new card! After that, the sky’s the limit! However, with the Viceversa, I had to come up with a different than normal shuffling method, which is usually shuffling 6 times, each time between, turning half the deck upside down. Or, until I get that ubiquitous ‘feeling’ that I’m done. Sometimes that’s happened after only two shuffles. But I try to not exceed 6 or I’d wear my cards out quickly.

[EmpyreanKnight]

How many times do you shuffle your cards? Do you do it a fixed number of times - like you always shuffle nine times for example? Do you wait until the deck feels "right"? Or does it depend on something else?

 

Related fact: I've read before that to fully randomize a deck of cards, you need to riffle shuffle it at least 7 times. There's a mathematical basis for this too - so this is not a metaphysical concept or something.

 

I don’t think that’s correct, especially for a new deck. I randomize a new deck by going through each card & placing it back in the deck, different places. It’s time consuming, but 7 shuffles just won’t work for a new deck. Also, I get the chance to again peruse each new card! After that, the sky’s the limit! However, with the Viceversa, I had to come up with a different than normal shuffling method, which is usually shuffling 6 times, each time between, turning half the deck upside down. Or, until I get that ubiquitous ‘feeling’ that I’m done. Sometimes that’s happened after only two shuffles. But I try to not exceed 6 or I’d wear my cards out quickly.

 

Actually, the number of riffle shuffles necessary to randomize a well-ordered (i.e. arranged in a definite pattern like when they are new) 78-card deck is 8, not 7. The 7 shuffles is for the average 52-card poker decks and that is what I remembered lol. Anyway, this has been mathematically proven a quarter-century ago, and tho there were other theorems presented, until now it is the one that is most widely-accepted by mathematicians worldwide.

 

The research by Bayer and Diaconis in 1992 is still held as the gold standard when determining the number of riffle (also called dovetail) shuffes needed to randomize a deck. Here are various sources that cite this, tho there are much more available online:

 

ONE  TWO  THREE  FOUR

 

Actually, to be absolutely sure, you need 1.5 log₂n riffle shuffles for a deck of n cards. So for 52 cards, you need around 8.55 or 9 shuffles. However, as the resources state, 7 shuffles are already good enough for the total variation distance from the uniform distribution to reach below 0.5, i.e. to establish a reasonable degree of randomness. For this figure, I advise you to check out Table 3 found in Page 16 of Bayer and Draconis's seminal paper HERE. It's surprising that they included a 78-card sample there (could they know about the Tarot?). In that table, 8 riffle shuffles are necessary to randomize a 78-card Tarot deck. Again, these findings are currently supported by most academics and mathematicians so I fully believe it. :)

 

 

[Canid]

Interesting, thank you. I’ve always wondered about the randomizing statistics. I don’t riffle cause it hurts my hands, especially if the deck is stiff. (Gawd, that sounded a bit kinky, didn’t it?)

[Whisper]

Interesting, thank you. I’ve always wondered about the randomizing statistics. I don’t riffle cause it hurts my hands, especially if the deck is stiff. (Gawd, that sounded a bit kinky, didn’t it?)

 

Valentine's Day.  ;D

[Walrus]

I shuffle until I intuitively feel it's "enough" and then draw from the top. Occasionally I will cut the deck prior to drawing.

 

I do however enjoy the idea of shuffling numerically according to card associations, so I may give that a go in the future :)