How to Shuffle Tarot Cards for the First Time

When you first get a brand new Tarot deck, whether for yourself or as a gift, it is essential that you cleanse its energy and fill it up with your own. (Intuitive Souls Decks are smudged in palo santo sage before being sent out, so they will already be cleansed but it is good practice regardless.)

It also includes shuffling; beyond the fact that you don't want to draw the same cards, shuffling the deck is very important on an energetic level.

Is there a "proper" way to shuffle the cards?

Short answer: there is no right or wrong way as long as you get your hands on the tarot deck and move the cards around.

Over time it will become very intuitive. Start just feeling the weight of the cards in your hands. It's also about preparing you for the reading. Shuffling enables you to reach that mental state where your intuition can flourish. While moving the cards around, silently ask for assistance, guidance and protection from your chosen support system. In doing so, you ground and center your energy.

If you have a brand new deck, when you first start shuffling it will be stiff. Compare it to any random deck that's been used a lot and you'll see the difference. As you use them, they will become more pliable which will make shuffling easier. Also note that Tarot decks, including ours, are larger than standard playing cards, which makes it more difficult than a regular playing card deck. The fan

Benefits of being a proficient shuffler

Being an efficient and versatile shuffler will be helpful when you actually read tarot. You can focus more intently on the Tarot reading itself when the cards flow naturally. You want to remain in a meditative state during the reading, which will be difficult if you're having trouble with the cards.

If you fumble a card while shuffling during a Tarot card reading, it will break your concentration and disrupt your process. So, make sure to get your method down pat. And if you do make a mistake during a reading, don't worry about it! Even people who have been giving Tarot readings and their entire life still make mistakes.

Don't worry if it takes practice before you get good at it. If you take Tarot reading seriously, you will spend so much time shuffling Tarot cards that you'll be able to do it in your sleep! The first time handling a new tarot deck will be especially hard. 

Left or right hand to shuffle?

 Traditionally the tarot card readers used to shuffle the deck with their left hand since the left side is associated with the feminine, intuitive, receptive aspects of your spirit. Some say it is because the left hand is closer to your heart or because it links more to the soul.

Most people are right-handed; their right hand is in control, steady, etc. Seating on someone's right-hand side was considered a place of honor. It suggests that the person is trustworthy and on the side of control and order.

On the other hand (get it!?), the left was viewed as being out of control, unknown, a wild card that can't be trusted to do what you want it to do. So it is the hand of intuition and magic, the unexpected. Because it is less under your control, it means that magical energy can flow through it more freely, and the truth can come out, unchecked as it were. a

Based on this, the rule should be to use the non-dominant hand. If you are right-handed, cut the deck with the left; if you're left-handed, cut and shuffle with your right hand.

Now, let's look at some of the methods you can use:

Scrambling

Scrambling might be for you if you are a beginner and new to the process. It is the simplest method to shuffle tarot cards. All you need to do is to lay out all the cards on the table. Then, spread your hands all over the cards and circularly mix them, making an unorganized pile. Then, when you feel ready, collect them back into a full stack, and you can start drawing cards.

Half the fun is the chaos of this method. When you're done, you can move them into at least three piles. Push the first pile into the second pile, then the third pile, and so on until you've conglomerated all the cards. Rotate them so that they are all lined up, and make sure none of the Tarot cards are facing the wrong way. Then you're all set with a fully shuffled Tarot deck.

Overhand shuffling

Overhand shuffling is very likely the most common type of card shuffling. Place the deck in one hand and release a section of cards into the opposite hand. Keep bringing cards from the back to the front in small portions. Repeat it as often as you feel it is necessary to get them mixed up suitably. As you practice this shuffling technique, it will become a fluid, satisfying motion. This is arguably the simplest shuffling method to quickly reset the entire deck.

If you also use Oracle cards, readings tend to involve individual cards flying out with a quick glance to see what the card means while using this shuffle.

Restacking

This technique is advantageous if you have trouble with overhand shuffling. For example, certain decks' cards are larger than usual, so your hands can be small for them. In this case, take a section out of the deck and place it in the stack's front, middle, or back. Then, keep replacing sections taken out of the pile. It will ensure your deck is fully shuffled.

Restacking is helpful because you can place all the tarot cards on the table. When you shuffle tarot cards with other techniques, you have to manipulate them in your hands and risk dropping some. Or, you can scramble which is time-consuming and doesn't look as elegant if you're reading for someone else. In a restack, you simply place the tarot deck on the table and stack piles until you feel the shuffle is complete. 

Cutting the deck

Divide the deck into three or more stacks. Take the first portion and place it on the table, take another one and place it next to the first, then take one more and place it next to the previous. You can also turn them upside down, so you get reversed cards. They can add an extra layer of interpretations to the reading.

Bring them back to a single deck, but in a new order. Place the section you took from the top on the bottom. Next, get the section that was previously on the bottom and place it in the middle; then, a used-to-be middle section gets to the top. Repeat it as many times as you feel it is necessary. 

Riffle shuffle or Casino shuffle

This might seem complicated at the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it can soon become your favorite since it's the fanciest and quite pleasing visually as well.

Separate the deck into two equal portions. Hold one section in each hand. Hold them from the long sides and flip them into each other really quickly so that the edges of each stack touch each other. Apply a bit of pressure to the middle of both decks with your index finger. Try to slowly lift your thumb so the decks cascade onto one another. When the deck is riffled, bring it back into a stack and start again until you feel it's enough.

The cards have to be flexible for it, and also keep in mind that it can make the cards worn and bendy. Besides the fanciness of it, it's a great way to get reversals since half of the deck is going back to the stack flipped just because of the way you're holding it.

Bonus points: End the Shuffle with a Bridge Finish

Push the cards upward and force the two sides of the stack into an arch. This shape is the source of the name 'bridge finish'. Open your fingers to let the cards fall and release the grip, gently move your hands apart, causing the cards to fall in a waterfall pattern, and keep your fingers flat, so you can catch the cards. It's by no means easy to do this with a Tarot deck, but unlike Tarot, it's not magic either, so you can learn to do it and impress your clients.

Result of Shuffle

You will know if your Tarot deck is poorly shuffled if cards resurface in an ordered manner. For example, if all the court cards of a minor arcana suit come up in order together, or if you get the trump cards of the major arcana in sequential order. This usually means you had it organized a certain way and didn't disrupt the organization enough.

Pulling Cards

When you pull cards, make sure to slide them off the top. You don't want to peel a card off the top or pinch it with your fingers. Pull one card at a time, and rub the card you're drawing with your finger and thumb to make sure one is not stuck to the bottom of it.

Which method is best?

If you may be a bit uncertain: no one technique is better than the other. It is about what feels comfortable and what you think is more likely filling the deck energetically. Just like reading Tarot cards, shuffling them has to do with your preferences. Some Tarot decks do better with some shuffles than others; a new deck might shuffle better with a method you weren't using on a previous one.

There is ultimately no wrong way to shuffle the deck. Each method shuffles a little differently, but it doesn't matter as long as it is comfortable to you. The most important thing is that while you shuffle, you put your or the querent's energy into the cads. For Tarot readings, the shuffling technique does not matter as long as the tarot reader transfers energy into the deck.

How Much Should you Shuffle?

And how many times do you need to repeat the shuffling? Well, do you feel like it's time to stop? Is there a sense of completion? That's when you're done shuffling. Just stay centered and listen to your inner guidance. As always, it's about the relationship you have with your deck and the mutual communication. If you feel it's lacking, here are some ways you can connect to your cards.

Mastering Shuffling

 If you want to master shuffling, you can watch videos of poker players shuffling before they deal. There are great videos that give you tips on how to smoothly mix each card quickly and without putting any on the floor. You are a Tarot Reader, not a casino dealer where shuffling accuracy is practically a life or death situation. So, don't worry if it's a clunky process in your readings, as long as it gets the job done!

Final Notes

As you pick up new ways you shuffle Tarot cards. You may notice that readings tend to turn out differently depending on what kind of shuffle you used. This may be because you use different techniques at different times in your life, or it could be because you spend a longer period of time shuffling the Tarot deck with certain methods, so more energy transfers.