How do you shuffle? Any other tarot quirks?

barefootlife

I know this has come up before, but I'm always fascinated with the quirks of other readers.

My own:

I always shuffle a certain way. Cut the deck in half, shuffle each half twice, take the tops of each half and shuffle them once, then the bottoms, and then shuffle the whole thing, with the bottom cards in my left hand and the tops in my right (I'm left handed). I always riffle shuffle. If I've recently reordered or 'righted' my cards so that I've looked at the whole deck (I don't read reversals, so sometimes it's necessary), then I'll overhand shuffle a few times before I riffle, just to separate things a bit, but once I've started my riffling I won't ever overhand shuffle.

When I'm breaking a deck in, I don't ask specific questions, just pull cards and see how it resonates with me/the sitter.

I also get tetchy about other people handling my cards, and am wary about using someone else's deck. This is from an experience I had with my first time reading. My college roommate and I were playing around with her deck, and she was teaching me the CC. After she read for me a few times, I took her deck, shuffled, and read a spread for her. It was accurate to the point where she was weirded out. Calling it beginners luck, she took her deck back, shuffled, and got a bunch of gibberish. Rinse and repeat. The cards wouldn't read for her anymore. Needless to say, she got kind of pissy, and I ended up having to buy her a new deck while she gave the old one to me in exasperation. She was so paranoid about it that she didn't even let me touch the closed, shrinkwrapped box. Oops. If I'm reading for someone in person, then I invite them to hover their hand over the deck and ask their question before the shuffle, and then keep it in mind as I do.

My cards also always get a thank you before I put them away.
 

Eric in NJ

I shuffle by laying my cards face down, not in any set number but usually 7 - 10. and then randomly placing card after card in these piles. so I end up with 7 - 10 small stacks that I then reassemble into a single stack. This I then cut into thirds, and then reassemble, again randomly.

I do not riffle as I attempt to keep my cards mint.

In my style of reading, the querent does not touch the cards.
 

Barleywine

I use a two-step approach if I have the time. To thoroughly randomize, I deal out all the cards in a random sequence into seven piles; then I turn a few of those sub-piles upside-down to introduce reversals. I gather up all of the piles in a generally random sequence and shuffle the reassembled deck overhand a few times. Although it sounds lengthy, it takes no more time than a thorough overhand shuffle. I'm no fan of riffling because not all decks have card stock that is suitable for it. Some are too stiff or brittle, others are too thin to withstand much bending. My decks last longer if I don't riffle them. Finally, I cut the deck into three piles and reassemble it in a different order, and draw off the top. I may also draw from a fan if I'm so inspired.

If I don't have time between a series of readings, I'll just overhand shuffle until I'm satisfied, and I usually swap half the deck end-for-end several times in the middle of it. Before I go to a reading session, I randomize a few decks as above, then switch decks for each new sitter until they're all used; then I switch to overhand unless I have a break where i can take a few minutes randomizing again.

When I have sitters lined up, I don't even shuffle myself. I expect my sitters to do their own shuffling and cutting, even if I do a preliminary one. I just think of cards as tools, not receptors for someone else's energy imprint. The magic passes through the inert medium of the cards, it doesn't linger in my own experience. I worry more about handling damage, but most people seem careful and respectful.
 

barefootlife

I use a two-step approach if I have the time. To thoroughly randomize, I deal out all the cards in a random sequence into seven piles; then I turn a few of those sub-piles upside-down to introduce reversals. I gather up all of the piles in a generally random sequence and shuffle the reassembled deck overhand a few times. Although it sounds lengthy, it takes no more time than a thorough overhand shuffle. I'm no fan of riffling because not all decks have card stock that is suitable for it. Some are too stiff or brittle, others are too thin to withstand much bending. My decks last longer if I don't riffle them. Finally, I cut the deck into three piles and reassemble it in a different order, and draw off the top. I may also draw from a fan if I'm so inspired.

Right now I only have decks that work well with a riffle, and I don't mind them looking, er, loved, but you're right, if I ever get something more fragile I'll have to come up with new ways to go about it. Yours seems thorough but not overly time consuming.
 

Barleywine

Right now I only have decks that work well with a riffle, and I don't mind them looking, er, loved, but you're right, if I ever get something more fragile I'll have to come up with new ways to go about it. Yours seems thorough but not overly time consuming.

Credit goes to Grizabella and her four-pile method, which I adopted and expanded based on what I saw another person do at a local meeting. It produces superior randomizing. Then the overhand shuffle and the cut put the cards in order for the reading.
 

Dogs&Coffee

I truffle shuffle. :D

Seriously though, it depends on the deck, the cardstock, and whether or not reversals are desired.

I do love me a good rifle and bridge though :)
 

VioletEye

i'm a riffler. it's so satisfying! i riffle a few times, then do a couple overhand shuffles to mix it up in a different way, then a couple more riffles. i think i'm in the minority here ~ i like my cards to look and feel broken-in, if not worn and battered. ;)

i'm not too worried about other people handling my cards, so if someone asks (which is rare), i let them do their own shuffling. one thing i always do, though, is after shuffling, i set down the deck purposefully and ask them to cut it. i feel like it not only gives them more of a sense of connection with the reading, but i also think they'll know juuuuuust the right place to cut the deck for their question.
 

Grizabella

Yep, I do the four piles and some overhanding and then I'm done. I like the 7 pile method Barleywine mentions, so I'm going to try that one out, too. :p The spread I use is usually a 7-card spread plus, if warranted, some extra cards thrown in, so 7 piles is a good number for randomizing, too.
 

barefootlife

i'm a riffler. it's so satisfying! i riffle a few times, then do a couple overhand shuffles to mix it up in a different way, then a couple more riffles. i think i'm in the minority here ~ i like my cards to look and feel broken-in, if not worn and battered. ;)

I'm with you, my cards don't quite feel mine until they move easily in my hands, and I don't mind the idea of them looking loved -- if I use them that much I'm unlikely to be trying to trade or sell. Of course, if I had an antique deck I might feel differently about preserving them, but my go-to deck can look like something that's been through as much as I have.