How do you shuffle tarot cards?
How To Shuffle Tarot Cards
There are a variety of different shuffling methods for the tarot. It does not matter which you use and you can even create your own method as is the case with the Cowie Push/Put Method noted below. The most important thing to realize is that shuffling is important and should never be neglected! Let’s have a look at some of the most commonly used methods of shuffling the tarot deck.
Shuffling Methods for the Tarot
1) The Card Player’s Method – this is the same method used to shuffle ordinary playing cards. As shuffling methods for the tarot go, this one is practical but not very spirited or spiritual in nature. Simply hold half the deck face down in each hand and mix them as they drop onto the table. This does not always work well with bigger tarot decks and can bend your cards in the middle.
2) The Insertion Method – In this quick shuffling method for the tarot you hold half the deck in each hand. Next insert one half of the deck in a haphazard way through the other half. The cards can be held any way you choose – on the long or short side. This is one of the fastest shuffling methods for the tarot and allows the hands to touch which can help with grounding.
3) The Cowie Push/Put Method – This shuffling method has been described by Norma Cowie. She mixes the cards with plenty of hand-to-hand contact. Start by holding the deck face down in your dominant hand. Push some cards from the top with your thumb into the facing hand. Push again to the bottom of the pile you have just created. Keep doing this until all the cards are on the other side. Then repeat the process. This is one of the shuffling methods for the tarot that may need some practice!
4) The Scrambling Method – This is a very basic shuffling method. Spread the cards face down and mix them up! Your cards will be properly mixed and won’t get damaged. You need some room for this method but it’s one of the easiest shuffling methods for the tarot. This method may feel too disorganized for some people but it is nonetheless effective. If you do not have enough space for this method use another one instead.
What about reversed cards? To avoid the likelihood of reversed cards there are some basic techniques you can follow. No matter which shuffling methods for the tarot deck is used start with all the cards facing the same way. Each time you cut the deck ensure that the deck stays facing in the same direction. To encourage the likelihood of reversed cards each time you cut the deck rotate one of the piles 180°. Reversed cards are not necessarily a negative phenomenon in a tarot reading.
