Everyone says to let cards “jump out” while shuffling, but honestly? Feels like I’m just dropping cards everywhere. Tried the chaotic shuffle thing where you mix them all messy, but the cards that fell out seemed random, not meaningful.
Now I shuffle normally a few times while thinking about my question, then fan them out and hover my hand over until one feels right. Way more accurate for me.
Am I doing this wrong? How do you shuffle tarot cards - messy intuitive style or calm and controlled? Starting to think the flying card method isn’t for everyone.
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So I went down a rabbit hole about shuffle math and found out the whole ‘7 shuffles’ thing everyone talks about? That’s just for regular playing cards with 52 cards, not tarot decks.
Since tarot has 78 cards, you’d need more like 8 good riffle shuffles to really mix them up properly. But let’s be real, most of us do overhand shuffles because we don’t want to bend our cards. Technically, you’d need to do that thousands of times to get the same randomness, which is kind of ridiculous. Honestly, your hovering method works just fine. The cards do their thing no matter how much we shuffle.
Your way of shuffling sounds just right. Find a rhythm that helps you connect with your cards.
There’s really no wrong way to do it. When I stopped trying to make the cards fly dramatically and just let my hands move naturally, focusing on my question, everything became clearer. Trust your gut. If spreading out the deck feels good to you, then that’s your intuition guiding you.
I stressed way too much about shuffling when I started.
Riffle shuffles, spread-and, swirl, all of it. Turns out it doesn’t really matter how you shuffle. My best readings happen when I keep it simple, just a few overhand shuffles while I focus on my question.
The right cards show up regardless.
Also worth mentioning: where you shuffle makes a difference. A peaceful spot helps you focus on the cards better, no matter how you’re shuffling them.
Pottery classes taught me something weird about tarot.
When you’re working with clay, you can’t rush it or force it. You gotta be patient and know what you want to make. Started doing the same thing when I shuffle, just pause and get clear on my question first. Much better readings.
You’re sitting with your first querent, palms sweaty, and your shuffle suddenly doesn’t matter as much as your breathing.
Try this, inhale for three counts while overhand shuffling, then exhale for three while setting your intention. The breathing naturally slows you down and turns nervous energy into focus. I teach this to all my students first thing.
The cards pick up on your energy, not how fancy your shuffle is.
Moon phases actually affect divination readings, which most people don’t know about. Test it yourself, shuffle your deck during different lunar phases and see what happens. The results might surprise you.
I’ve been practicing my shuffling more lately. It’s become a nice little ritual for me. I take a minute to focus on whatever question I have while I shuffle. Helps me tune in before I pull cards.
yeah I get what you mean about cards physically jumping out - lots of people think that’s the only way to know it’s major.
Intuition shows up however it wants to. sometimes we expect these big dramatic moments when really it’s the quiet stuff that matters. you might just feel like cutting the deck somewhere specific. or maybe certain cards catch your eye more than others. sounds like you want that meaningful connection and that can happen through these softer signs too. trust what feels right to you.
Everyone else already talked about shuffle techniques, so here’s something different I do. When I got my current deck, I did this intro spread asking what number connected us. Got a 10 (can’t remember which suit). Now I always shuffle exactly 10 times before readings. It’s become our little ritual, kinda like a secret handshake before we get into it.
My mentor showed me this waterfall shuffle technique. You hold the deck vertically and let the cards fall down in a cascade. She always said shuffling should match how you want the reading to go - sometimes fast, sometimes slow, but keep the energy moving. Pretty cool way to think about it.
You know how easy it is to just grab your deck and start shuffling right away? when I do that, my energy feels all over the place and the readings get muddy.
I take a quick pause first. Even just a few deep breaths or a minute of quiet helps me connect with my intention. My readings got so much clearer. It’s such a small thing, but it really changes the whole vibe of the reading.
Your hovering technique sounds like you’ve already found that sweet spot between control and intuition.
PS: Ever notice how certain decks seem to prefer different shuffling styles? My Thoth deck practically demands gentle handling while my Modern Witch deck loves a good mix-and, match chaos shuffle.
Yes! Another cut-shuffle fan here.
There really is something nice about pulling sections from the middle and moving them around. I tried bridge shuffling, but it felt too rough on my cards. My process is pretty similar to yours.
I have clients think about their question while I shuffle, and I try to keep eye contact going. It helps build that connection. After a few shuffles, I’ll pass them the deck so they can shuffle too before we do the spread. One thing that’s worked well for me is my reset method.
After each reading, I put the cards back in different spots throughout the deck. Like if two cards came up together in a spread, I make sure they’re separated for next time. Gives everything a clean slate. Blessings!
Definitely learn the riffle shuffle for tarot! Especially if you read for others or want to teach friends. It’s one of those things that just makes everything better. Grab a cheap deck of playing cards to practice with first.
No point risking your nice tarot deck while you’re learning.
Most people who grew up playing cards learned this as kids, so don’t worry if it takes a bit to get the hang of it. The overhand shuffle you’re doing now is actually pretty bad for mixing cards. You’ll end up pulling the same cards or patterns from previous readings, which can create confusion.
If you want the absolute best randomization, there’s a technique called a wash, which involves dumping all the cards on a table and mixing them thoroughly. But honestly, it’s annoying to do regularly and beats up your cards. Riffle shuffling is perfect because it mixes really well without all that hassle.
Plus, when you’re showing someone else how to read, a good shuffle just looks more professional. Your readings will feel fresher, too.
The riffle shuffle works really well, but it can be rough on tarot decks.
I’ve seen cards get bent and worn down pretty quickly with this method. If you have an older deck or one with delicate artwork, you might want to be careful. Those vintage cards weren’t made for heavy shuffling.
I’d say use riffle shuffling for newer decks with good cardstock, or just do it occasionally when you really need to mix things up between readings. For example, if you’ve just done a heavy reading and want to clear the energy before the next one.
Learned this one the hard way, I used to shuffle my cards super aggressively, trying to make them do those cool jumps you see on TikTok.
Totally wrecked my Rider-Waite deck. Bent corners, creased edges, the whole thing.
Now I just shuffle gently and pick cards that feel right when I thumb through them face-down. My readings actually make way more sense now too. Your deck will last so much longer if you don’t treat shuffling like you’re trying to impress someone at a poker table.
If you’ve got gilded edges (think golden tarot like this) or thick card stock, chaotic spreading can mess up your deck. You might see fraying or bent cards after a while. I’d suggest being more careful with how you shuffle.
It’ll keep your deck in better shape for longer.
