A Beginner's Guide to Shuffling Tarot Cards

Introduction to Tarot Card Shuffling

Shuffling is an important preparation step before each tarot reading. The primary purpose is to mix the cards thoroughly and introduce a random element, helping to connect your energy—or a seeker's energy—with the cards. There are many shuffling methods, but the two most common approaches are poker-style and mahjong-style shuffling.

Method 1: Poker-Style Shuffling

How to Perform It

This is not the "fancy" shuffle you often see in movies, where people perform elaborate, showy fanning moves. That approach can easily damage your cards, and in tarot, we need to protect our deck.

Instead, follow these simple steps:

1. Prepare: Place the entire deck face-down on a table or in your hands. 2. Mix the cards: Use both hands to gently slide and shuffle the cards in a natural, gentle motion. 3. Draw and stack: Use one hand to pull any pile of cards from the top and place it on top of the remaining portion. 4. Repeat: Continue repeating this process until you feel the deck is thoroughly mixed.

Using Upright and Reversed Positions

If you want to use both upright and reversed cards in your reading, occasionally rotate some cards 180 degrees during the shuffling process. This ensures that when you eventually draw cards, both orientations will appear.

Method 2: Mahjong-Style Shuffling

How to Perform It

If you're familiar with mahjong, this method will be easy to adapt to:

1. Prepare: Place the entire deck face-down on a table (or on cloth if you have it). 2. Rubbing motion: Use both hands to rub the cards across the table surface, similar to how you move dominoes in mahjong. 3. Direction: You can rub clockwise or counterclockwise—both are equally effective.

Advantages

• Thorough mixing: This method mixes the cards very evenly.
• Natural reversals: During the rubbing motion, cards will naturally turn upright or reversed.

Disadvantages

• Space requirements: You need a flat, clean table, ideally with a cloth underneath to protect the deck.

General Tips for Shuffling

Be Flexible With Your Method

You don't necessarily have to follow the two methods above. As long as you feel the deck is thoroughly mixed and randomness is achieved, any method is acceptable. What matters most is your intention, not the form.

Eyes Open or Closed?

You can shuffle with your eyes open or closed—it's entirely a matter of personal preference. There's no strict rule here.

Deck Orientation After Shuffling

Once shuffling is complete, you'll need to cut the deck (see section below). But first, understand deck orientation:

• Rotate 90 degrees clockwise: This establishes the "primary" orientation of the deck from your perspective (if you're reading for yourself).
• Rotate 90 degrees counterclockwise: If you're reading for someone else, this establishes the orientation from their perspective.

Card Cutting Method

After shuffling the deck, the next step is to cut the deck. This is an opportunity for the seeker (or you, if reading for yourself) to participate in the process.

Step 1: Focus Intention

1. Ask the seeker to focus on their question or concern. 2. They pick a pile of cards from the top of the deck (still face-down). 3. Place this pile beside the deck, closer to you. 4. Now you have two piles. 5. From the second pile (the middle one), they pick another pile. 6. Set this pile to the side. Now you have three piles.

Step 2: Reassemble

1. You (or the designated person) will reassemble the three piles: - Pick up the first pile and place it on top of the second pile. - Then pick up both combined piles and place them on top of the third pile. 2. Now you have a single deck again.

Step 3: Rotate to Establish Direction

This is a crucial step—get the direction right:

• If reading for someone else: Rotate the deck clockwise 90 degrees. Specifically, rotate the left edge of the deck downward, transforming the deck from horizontal to vertical.
• If reading for yourself: Also rotate clockwise 90 degrees.

After this step, your deck is ready for drawing cards.

Notes on Upright and Reversed Positions

If you're using both upright and reversed positions:

• General rule: Your right hand (or the right hand of the person cutting) will indicate the "bottom" direction when drawing cards.
• Reading for yourself: Once you've rotated the deck clockwise, upright positions will align with your direction.
• Reading for someone else: Once you've rotated the deck clockwise, upright positions will align with their direction.

Summary

Shuffling is a sacred part of the tarot reading process. Whether you choose poker-style, mahjong-style, or any other method, what matters is:

✓ Shuffle thoroughly and gently ✓ Hold clear intention in your mind ✓ Cut the deck if someone else is participating ✓ Establish deck direction correctly before drawing

Once you've become familiar with these steps, the process will feel natural and aligned with your energy.

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Reference: zhihu.com — A Beginner's Guide to Tarot Card Shuffling