Why shuffling matters
Shuffling mixes the cards so that the spread is not predetermined, and it gives you a minute to concentrate on the question. Many readers see it as the moment the deck “tunes in”. Whatever you believe, shuffle long enough for the cards to be thoroughly mixed — at least seven or eight times with a riffle, longer with other methods.
The overhand shuffle
Hold the deck in one hand and, with the other, drop small groups of cards from the back to the front, over and over. It is gentle on the cards and easy with a large tarot deck. Its weakness is that cards mix slowly, so give it time — twenty or thirty passes.
The riffle shuffle
Split the deck in two, bend the halves slightly and let the corners fall into each other, then push them together. It mixes the cards fastest but bends them, which wears out a deck over time. If you riffle, do it gently and only bend the cards a little; some readers avoid it with their favourite deck.
The table shuffle
Spread all the cards face down on a table and move them around with both hands, like washing, then gather them into a pile. It mixes the cards well, does not bend them and naturally turns some of them around, which gives reversals. It is also the most meditative way to shuffle.
Cutting the deck and drawing
When the shuffle feels finished, many readers cut the deck: into two piles, or into three with the left hand, and then put it back together in a new order. Then lay the cards out from the top of the deck, or spread the deck in a fan and pick the cards that draw your hand. Either is fine — choose one way and keep to it.
If you read reversals, decide how they appear: from shuffling on the table, or by turning half of the deck around before you shuffle.
Looking after your deck
Keep the cards in a box, a bag or a cloth, away from damp and heat. Shuffle with clean, dry hands. Many readers like to “cleanse” a deck from time to time — knocking on it, leaving it on a windowsill in the moonlight, putting it in order from the Fool to the King of Pentacles — especially after a heavy reading or when someone else has handled it. These are personal rituals; use the ones that help you feel the deck is yours.
Online, the deck is shuffled by a random number generator, so every spread on this site and in the bot is as random as a well-shuffled real deck.
Questions and answers
Does it matter how I shuffle tarot cards?
Not for the reading itself: any method works as long as the cards are well mixed. Choose the one that is comfortable for you and kind to your deck.
Can someone else shuffle or touch my deck?
That is up to you. Some readers let the person they read for shuffle, others keep the deck to themselves. If it matters to you, cleanse the deck afterwards in your own way.
How do I cleanse a tarot deck?
Common ways are to knock on the deck, to put the cards in order, to leave them in moonlight or by a crystal, or simply to shuffle with a clear mind. There is no required ritual.