shuffling

I guess I do both. I lace my Robin Wood Deck and my Goddess Tarot Deck. The RW, because it is the newest and so pretty! I just can't bear to bend them. This is the deck I use for my daily draw and my own readings, that is all so far that they are used for. My Goddess Tarot because they are beautiful as well and way too large to riffle. I only use these for "special" readings.
My Rider Waite on the other hand is the one I use for everyone else. I have started riffling them because when I pull them out (usually at work) the next thing I know I have a line waiting for a reading. Riffling is just faster for me. I have noticed quite a bit of wear, but for this deck, it is okay. It reminds me of all the people who have allowed me the honor of reading for them. They have become kind of like my favorite jeans. Comfortable and full of warm fuzzy thoughts.
Some of you mentioned that friends have bent your decks. I personally do not allow any one else to shuffle my deck. I shuffle them and instruct the querent to cut the deck as many times and in any way that feels comfortable. This has not hindered my accuracy as far as I know.

I guess I do both. I lace my Robin Wood Deck and my Goddess Tarot Deck. The RW, because it is the newest and so pretty! I just can't bear to bend them. This is the deck I use for my daily draw and my own readings, that is all so far that they are used for. My Goddess Tarot because they are beautiful as well and way too large to riffle. I only use these for "special" readings.
My Rider Waite on the other hand is the one I use for everyone else. I have started riffling them because when I pull them out (usually at work) the next thing I know I have a line waiting for a reading. Riffling is just faster for me. I have noticed quite a bit of wear, but for this deck, it is okay. It reminds me of all the people who have allowed me the honor of reading for them. They have become kind of like my favorite jeans. Comfortable and full of warm fuzzy thoughts.
Some of you mentioned that friends have bent your decks. I personally do not allow any one else to shuffle my deck. I shuffle them and instruct the querent to cut the deck as many times and in any way that feels comfortable. This has not hindered my accuracy as far as I know.

hi, my name is tauni, and i'm a "riffler."
i have also occasionally dabbled in the "go fish" method, especially with my round deck; it sounds like that's a good thing, i think.
but i don't want to "riffle", i just can't seem to help it...
i want to be better...i want to put away my "riffling" ways and just "lace" with no inclination to "riffle" ever again!
i'm going to fight it--i'm going to "lace" and "lace" only, "riffling" be damned!

I've started lacing, and though it seems to be less accurate as far as shuffling, with respect to trying to space the cards out, it usually gives me a better reading. I guess my deck likes that.

I have to agree with Raeanne. I've always riffled, so maybe the lacing is just too new to me to do correctly, but I wind up with great chuncks of cards unshuffled.

To the problem which loadsa people arre finding with lacing, that they end up with laodsa cunks unshuffled...

When I get a new deck, the first thing I do (After looking through it for a long time and smelling that 'new' smell- Anyone else hate that smell of unused decks?) is go through each card one by one, and place it somewhere else in the deck, until the entire deck ends up throroughly mixed. This also serves as a method of getting in tune with the deck first off.

After I do a reading and gather up the read cards, I do this too. I just stick them in wherever they want to go...

Kiama

Forgot to add: Luckiy, I have never had problems with lacing.... I was taught to lace by my grandfather when I was about 5, when he taught me how to play Australian Rummie for money. It was a good incentive, and I've been addicted to cards: Both Tarot and playing, ever since!

(Sighs in remembrance of good ole Grandad who once told me: "Kim -my real name, gasp- you will remember these words til the day you die. The book you are reading, I have written." Damnit, I still remember them now. Knowing my luck, they'll be the last words that ever cross my mind on my death bed! Good ole Grandad!)

Kiama

Allyria (09 Aug, 2001 04:17):

You take your deck in one hand, then push a card or a few from the top into your empy hand. Then, push some cards from the bottom of your deck to your once empty hand, on top of the cards you just "took". Then, push again from the top of the deck, placing the cards on the bottom of the afore mentioned empty hand. Make sense? Kind of like lacing i guess. I DO like this method...but use it when i have 'more time' and/or my hands dont hurt. I've seen this done really fast and looks AMAZING! Saves on wear and tear on the dekcs too.

Click to expand...

I read about this method. Since I'm a Tarot newbie, I certainly haven't had a chance to practice more than a few times. However, it did sound like it would be effective in getting the cards shuffled randomly since one goes from top to bottom like that.

Jimilyn

So far, I have riffled, laced, and mixed.

Like some of you have mentioned, I love to riffle cards, but I don't do it often to my Tarot cards because I heard how hard it was on them.

Riffle, listen to the sound, bridge them, listen to the sound. I have the heart of a riffler who will stick to riffling Tarot cards only occasionally to protect them.

Jimilyn

I riffle, lace and mix. Sometimes all three during the same reading, sometimes just one style or two. I do whatever "feels" right, with no predispostion to any single method.

-rob