How do you shuffle your cards?

[chongjasmine]

How do you shuffle your cards? Do you cut them by hands or fan them out or do something else?

 

And why do you choose to shuffle your cards the way you do?

[Faye]

So I have a kind of habit... when shuffling my cards, I repeat the cycle of overhand and riffle shuffles until the cards feel right. If they feel stuck I “wash” the deck (or corgi shuffle, I think it’s called hehe) and then repeat the overhand/riffle process, until they’re ready. If I’m reading for someone in person I’ll ask them to start by “washing” the cards and then I shuffle afterwards. The following reading if I’m back to solo use, I’ll “wash” the cards first to remove the previous person’s energy, then do my usual. :thumbsup:

 

My dealing ritual is another matter entirely (and possibly a bit mad) but I end by cutting, and dealing one after the other from where I cut. The shuffling above works well for me because it gives the cards enough opportunity to get in the order they need before I pull them from the deck. It also allows for a proper mix of reversals, which I read ^-^

[Thoughtful]

l use an overhand shuffle and keep shuffling until the cards stop me by not entering the deck easily.  Never fails for me, it came naturally to do this,

[Anouk]

I'm still trying to find my groove, but I got into a habit of overhand shuffling (alternating front and back or whatever I feel like) because my brand new cards were too stiff to riffle. This is something NO ONE mentions on all the "how to shuffle" videos. New cards are hard, literally, to shuffle.

 

I was also having trouble because my hands are small, but the more I did it the more comfortable I felt. I would just shuffle while watching youtube, and practice. This helped me get used to the standard size of tarot cards.

 

I noticed after a while that my cards had softened, and I can riffle them now but I don't want to warp the deck so I've stayed with the overhand shuffle.

 

Sometimes, just going by my intuition, I feel like the cards need a wipe and I completely sort the deck into suits and majors, then I'll wash the deck after that to give them a good shuffle. But I don't read reversals so then I sort them into 2 stacks depending on which way they're facing. So by then they're good and shuffled.

 

Before every reading I overhand shuffle until they "feel" right, then I cut the deck in 3, re-order the deck and deal from the top.

 

Sometimes if a card jumps out when I am shuffling I "feel" I need to pay attention to that card. It's a bit random, because sometimes I just think I am shit at shuffling and ignore the card. Sometimes I will leave the card out and sometimes I'll take a mental note and shove it back in the deck and keep shuffling. I dunno, I just let that run with my intuition.

 

I am yet to read for someone in the flesh. I'm not sure what I would do then. I might try that tomorrow and see how it flows.

[HermitWriter]

For me it varies from deck to deck. I know it's harder on the cards, but I LOVE the sound and feel of a good riffle shuffle. But some decks I have are too thick or stiff for that kind of shuffling, so those I use a mix of overhand, or washing, or dealing out into piles and shuffling those before shuffling them together again. Most of the decks I use for in-person readings for others riffle well. It's certainly an efficient and compact way of shuffling, and when done right leads to fewer dropped or pop-out cards for me.

[KatieKeene]

I use a basic overhand and then fan them out. I've never learned how to do any of those crazy fancy shuffle techniques haha, and my hands are a bit on the small side, so overhand is just easiest for me. I do this until my intuition (aka the cards) tells me to stop, then fan out. I sometimes cut, but usually just fan. I guess it really depends on the deck, how you feel, etc. Everyone is different!

[Rowena]

I'm terrible at shuffling, but I'm getting better. I usually overhand shuffle, but I learned how to riffle shuffle the other day, so I've been mixing that in.

 

Mostly, it depends on what I feel like is needed. Sometimes I overhand shuffle, sometimes riffle, sometimes I cut the deck, sometimes a combination of all of those. I just depends on what feels right.

[Intense Tarot]

I toss them in the ocean & let the waves deliver them back to me in cosmic order  ;)

[Rowena]

I toss them in the ocean & let the waves deliver them back to me in cosmic order  ;)

 

78 card pickup?

[Intense Tarot]

78 starfish

[LoveLightPeace]

I riffle shuffle most of my decks. My family has always played a lot of card games, and that's how I was taught to shuffle. I overhand shuffle larger decks. My hands / finger span isn't large enough to riffle larger decks, or I would. ;)

[Audelia]

I recently changed the way I shuffle. So I went from doing an overhand shuffle, to now doing a shuffle on the 'shorter' side of the deck, if that makes sense. I have no idea why, it's just something that evolved naturally and I'm flowing with it :)

 

I stop shuffling when I get that intuitive nudge. Then I cut three times with my left hand, allowing the cuts to be wherever 'feels' right.

 

Its so fascinating how everyone has their own method. I love reading/hearing about reader's unique habits.

[MysticMoonlight]

For the most part, I overhand shuffle. When I feel the urge, I do a combo of overhand shuffle and riffle shuffle until things feel just right  :thumbsup:

[Saturn Celeste]

I riffle shuffle most of my decks. My family has always played a lot of card games, and that's how I was taught to shuffle. I overhand shuffle larger decks. My hands / finger span isn't large enough to riffle larger decks, or I would. ;)

I am a riffle shuffler also.  I'm also an air sign and I feel I am breathing air into my deck as I shuffle.  When cards are really large and don't fit your hands, just put the right corner close to the left corner and shuffle the corners, then push the cards in together.  That will work.  And if they are really long and wide, just shuffle them from the side instead of the top.  That works too. ;)

 

I have a certain way I add reversals too.  I shuffle the cards really good then count out 21 cards and turn them upside down and put that little stack into the middle of the deck.  Then I shuffle for awhile longer.

[Grizabella]

I was always a dedicated, stick-in-the-mud riffle-er. But then I developed some issues with my hands now that I'm older so I trimmed a lot of my decks and started doing an overhand shuffle.

 

Right now, I'm dealing the cards into four piles to randomize the deck really well. It does randomize it better and more quickly than other kinds of shuffling, for one thing. But for another, I use the Everyday Enchantment and I just could never, ever trim it. It's so beautiful as-is both on the fronts and the backs. So with the EE, I do the dealing into piles and then when that's done, I cut into three piles and re-assemble the deck. Sometimes I cut to each card but sometimes I deal from the top. I haven't decided which will be the method I choose to just stay with.

 

If I read for a live sitter, I let them cut the deck and/or draw from a fan. I like that because I feel it puts the sitter's energy into the reading, if that makes sense to anyone.

[LoveLightPeace]

I riffle shuffle most of my decks. My family has always played a lot of card games, and that's how I was taught to shuffle. I overhand shuffle larger decks. My hands / finger span isn't large enough to riffle larger decks, or I would. ;)

I am a riffle shuffler also.  I'm also an air sign and I feel I am breathing air into my deck as I shuffle.  When cards are really large and don't fit your hands, just put the right corner close to the left corner and shuffle the corners, then push the cards in together.  That will work.  And if they are really long and wide, just shuffle them from the side instead of the top.  That works too. ;)

 

I have a certain way I add reversals too.  I shuffle the cards really good then count out 21 cards and turn them upside down and put that little stack into the middle of the deck.  Then I shuffle for awhile longer.

 

Thank you for the tip on riffle shuffling larger decks Saturn Celeste[/member], I appreciate it!  :thumbsup: I'll definitely give it a try. :)

 

Also, thanks for sharing your method of adding reversals.  :biggrin:

I usually divide the deck into 3 stacks, reverse the pile of cards in the middle, put the deck back together. Then I shuffle for as long as I feel it's needed. I'll try your method for reversals as well and see how it works for me. :) Thanks again, for sharing!

 

 

[firewmn4]

Hi :)

 

I'm a new member, but wanted to add if it hasn't already been said that I give mine a simple knock on either side. It helps me reset the energy and intent for the reading!

[MysticMoonlight]

Hello firewmn4!

 

That's a great idea. I remember reading somewhere that knocking on your deck was a good trick for clearing your deck. I'll give it a go. Thanks!  :)