Sulis
I shuffle then pick cards randomly from the stack. If I'm reading for someone else I either get them to shuffle and pick or I shuffle and I fan the cards out for them to pick.
How do you select your cards?
Barleywine
When reading for myself (daily draws), I thoroughly randomize the current working deck of choice several times during a week. After that, I shuffle overhand until I feel it's enough, cut into three piles, re-stack randomly in a different order, then draw from the top. (I don't use base/shadow cards, clarifiers or jumpers in most cases). When reading for clients, I bring several randomized decks and use a fresh one for each sitter, which they then shuffle themselves. If I have time between readings, I'll randomize the used ones.
katyanne
I just shuffle and pull the cards from the top of the pile.
Ruby Jewel
I shuffle the deck, hold it in my left hand, tilt the cards toward my right hand and let part of the deck slide into my right hand. The top card in my left hand is the card I pull to read. I put the cards in my right hand at the bottom of the stack, do a short overhand shuffle and repeat the process until I have drawn the number I need for the spread I'm doing. So, basically, I just let the deck decide where to separate.
Barleywine
Ruby Jewel
I like this idea! Gravity and friction do the fine-tuning after the shuffle.
Thanks Barleywine. I'm happy to know you like it.
Thoughtful
l have never done anything else but shuffle the cards, stop when l feel its right, then just take cards from the top. It's uncomplicated and easy and has always worked for me.
Nineveh
I recite the question while shuffling and laying out the cards until all cards for the question have been selected. IMO, that keeps the energy of the question connected to the cards.
Morwenna
I just shuffle the heck out of them, sometimes including a riffle or two, and pull from the top. If I'm reading for someone else, I let them shuffle, and I pull from the top. Sometimes I ask them to cut the cards and sometimes not; sometimes they want to do that; fine. (Well, "top" really means with the backs up, not the faces.)
nisaba
Shuffle, cut, peel them off the top.
I have a standing-agreement with all of my own decks plus the decks of anybody else that I might borrow, that the shuffling-and-cutting process puts all the cards I'm going to need on top of the deck in the right order, incuding any supplementaries. Is't that what shuffling is for? Otheride we could all just pick from unshuffled decks straight from the box.
If you don't have such a deal going, what will happen if your intuition is slightly off one day?
