Refreshing a Tarot deck

I've found this, too. I recently did a reading for myself with a deck I forgot I'd put in order. I riffle-shuffled four or five times, cut the deck three ways, and laid out a spread that had the Ace of Cups, 2 of Cups, and 3 of Cups right in a row. I looked through the deck and didn't find any other 3-in-a-row clumps, so I managed to hit the only one.

I keep one pocket deck in order for reference but that's it now (I can't even remember why I had put this particular one in order).

Barleywine said:

I find that decks that are put back in order before use lend themselves to "clumping" of cards in a series, so if I'm going to have to thoroughly randomize them again before using them anyway, I might as well just start there.

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My way of what I guess might be called "refreshing" a deck is to deal it out into several piles and then gather the cards back together. I usually overhand shuffle a few times before the next reading. That's all I do. I never put the cards back in order because to completely randomize them again, it takes many, many shuffles and it's very time-consuming. I read somewhere that to totally randomize a deck that's in order takes something like 11 riffle shuffles, but I found it takes many more than that because decks tend to shuffle in clumps.

I read that it was seven, but I think you're right -- the clumping makes 10 more realistic if you want complete randomization.

If I get a clump in a reading, I do purposeful randomization by placing each of the clumped cards back into the deck at a different place before shuffling again.

Grizabella said:

I read somewhere that to totally randomize a deck that's in order takes something like 11 riffle shuffles, but I found it takes many more than that because decks tend to shuffle in clumps.

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Denever said:

If I get a clump in a reading, I do purposeful randomization by placing each of the clumped cards back into the deck at a different place before shuffling again.

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I forgot about this one. When doing back-to-back readings and I don't have several randomized decks along, I will stick the cards back in the deck randomly before shuffling.

I personally have never felt the need to reorder my decks. I have on occasion tried to do a little energy clearing on them. Recently I picked up an old deck from back when I used to read cards before my very long break, and that old deck had such a nice energy to it. I suspect I used to use that deck while in a meditative state or something as it definitely had that sort of feel to it. It was so long ago I don't even remember.