Shuffling and Cutting Your Cards
Below are two different ways of shuffling your cards. There is no right or wrong way to shuffle your tarot cards. Do it the way you wish, the way that feels most comfortable for you, and the way that feels 'right' to/for you. Cutting the cards goes right along with shuffling. Some people cut their cards while others do not. You do what's right for you.
Riffle Shuffle
Examples of the riffle shuffle. As you can see from the images some people like to put the cards end to end and do the riffle shuffle while others just use one corner as in Fig. 2.
Overhand Shuffle
Here is an example of the overhand shuffle. It's not a very good example of the overhand shuffle and if I find a better one I will upload it to this page. But you should get the idea.
Overhand Shuffle -- A shuffle where you hold the cards in your right hand and you pull them off a few at a time into your left hand (assuming you are right handed).
Scatter Method
Another popular way of shuffling your cards is to just scatter them out all over a table top, move them around until it feels right, and then reassemble the deck. With this method you will more than likely get reversed cards. If so you can do one of the following.
There are other ways to shuffle your cards but the above methods
are the most common. Be aware that the Riffle shuffle tends to 'bend' your cards.
Cutting Your Deck
There are all types of ways to cut your tarot deck including 'not cutting' your deck at all. You can cut your deck in two, three, four, or more stacks and then reassemble the stacks in any way you choose.
Here is the way I do it!
- Shuffle your tarot deck until you feel it's right and time to stop shuffling. Usually for me that means 3 or 4 riffle shuffles and 3 or 4 overhand shuffles.
- Place your tarot deck down on the table or floor and cut to the left until you have three piles.
- Then starting from the right 'reassemble' the deck going right to left.
NOTE
I recommend doing deep breathing exercises while you shuffle and cut. Breath in through nose and out through your mouth. This works for me but may not work for others. I find it both relaxes and exhilarates me. My recommendation is that you pick a way to shuffle and cut your cards and stick to it!
Don S.