When you are working your way to becoming a tarot reader, one essential thing to learn is how to shuffle tarot cards. 

The purpose of shuffling a tarot deck is to randomize the cards so that each reading will have an outcome based on chance. Shuffling styles that work well for tarot cards are: 

• The Overhand Shuffle 
• The Hindu Shuffle
• The Wash Shuffle
• The Riffle Shuffle
• The Deal Shuffle

One thing to note about shuffling tarot cards is that it will be a bit more challenging than shuffling regular playing cards. The sheer size of the tarot cards and the number of cards in the deck make it more challenging. But let’s not let that discourage us. By practicing these methods, you will eventually get the hang of them and figure out which shuffle is the right for you. I also included some techniques that don’t require skill but are efficient shuffles. So let’s get to it. 

How to shuffle tarot cards properly?

The whole point of shuffling is to produce a tarot deck, which is in a random order each time we do a tarot reading. You don’t want to pull out cards in the same order every time and repeat the same readings to different people. So, therefore, we shuffle a tarot deck. 

Shuffling tarot cards is a tad more complicated than mixing regular playing cards due to the tarot cards’ size and the number of cards in a Tarot deck. A standard sized tarot deck is an inch longer and a half an inch wider than regular playing cards. There are also 78 cards compared to 52 cards in a tarot deck. Both of these factors make the tarot deck a bit more challenging to handle. 

Therefore, it is essential to practice shuffling. Some of the methods that we’ll go through will take some time to feel comfortable. There is a surprising amount of muscle memory needed to perform some of the shuffles. So don’t get frustrated if you don’t get the hang of it straight away. To feel loose and relaxed with shuffling, you will need to spend a lot of time just practicing it. Take it as an opportunity to connect with your tarot cards. Here are some of the techniques that you can try. 

The Overhand Shuffle 

The overhand shuffle is a classic shuffle, and it is something that comes naturally to most of us. I bet if you would give a hundred people a deck of cards and ask them to shuffle, the majority would do this. Not everybody that smooth, but their shuffle’s basic idea would be based on this shuffling technique. Let’s take a look at how to do it. 

• Motion is vital in this technique. Your weaker hand will hold pretty still, while your stronger hand is making a hammering motion. 
• Start off with the tarot deck laying face down in your weaker hand. Let the deck rest in the palm of your hand at a comfortable angle. Your fingers are supporting the back of the deck. 
• Grap the deck with your stronger hand’s thumb, middle, and ring finger and start separating the deck from your weaker hand. 
• While you are doing the separation, use your weaker hand’s thumb to peel of clumps off the deck so that the chunks fall into your palm.
• Repeat this motion until you have peeled off all the cards, and the whole deck is back on your weaker hand. You can repeat the process as many times as you like. 

This is a reasonably easy shuffle to get the hang of, but it can be a bit tricky if you have small hands. Then you can try the Hindu shuffle, which I’ll explain next. One thing to know about both of these shuffles is that they are not actually very efficient shuffles as they replace only chunks of cards at a time. 

The Hindu Shuffle

As its name suggests, this shuffle is more prevalent in Asia, but it is a very handy and flashy shuffle. It is similar to a technique that I have heard being called “Over the top overhand shuffle,” which is an overhand shuffle put you hold the deck sideways. But in the Hindu shuffle, the weaker hand is making the motion, and the hands are placed differently. 

But let’s go through this technique step by step: 

• In this shuffle, your weaker hand is in motion, and your writing hand is still.
• You start off again by allowing the deck to rest face down on your weaker hand. 
• Then you grab the deck with your writing hand. You end up holding the deck gently with your fingers on the long side of the deck. The index finger is resting on top of the deck.
• After this, you bring your weaker hand towards the deck and peel off chunks of the deck so that they land on the palm of your weaker hand.
• Repeat this motion as long as all the cards have landed on top of your weaker palm. 

This technique will come easy for some, and I think it looks better than the classic overhand shuffle. The downside to this technique is that it is also an inefficient technique to shuffle cards. You are just displacing chunks of the deck. So let’s go next through a method that is easy and efficient.   

The Wash Shuffle

Now, this shuffle might seem silly at first, but it actually is a professional shuffle. It is used in some casinos worldwide, so you know it is an efficient way to shuffle. And, what’s the best thing about it, it is so easy that anyone can do it. Just be aware that this shuffle will make your cards reversed, but don’t worry about that too much. You can always turn them if you don’t like reading them. 

• This shuffle will require space, so make sure you have some space on the surface you will do the reading. 
• Put the deck face down in front of you and push it into a messy pile. 
• Then keep pushing and mixing the messy pile in front fo you. You are, in a way washing the table with the cards. Ensure that you are washing with all of the cards and not just with a part of the deck. It’s good to bring the deck together every now and then and repeat.
• Do this is for a good minute or so, and the deck will be as random as it needs to be. 

This shuffle is suitable for all. If you have small hands or you are not so slick with the deck. It doesn’t require any skill what so ever and it is a very efficient shuffle. If you are using “giant-sized” tarot cards, you will need a bit more space, but that’s it. 

The only thing is that it isn’t a very subtle and sweet shuffle as you are making a mess. You will want to avoid dropping the cards off the table. That can damage the cards and create confusion in the whole process. But if you happen to drop one, just put it back in a pile and keep shuffling a bit more.

The Riffle Shuffle

This is a shuffle you see in Casinos, so again, you know it is an efficient shuffle. It takes a bit of skill, so don’t get frustrated if you cannot immediately pull it off. I actually can’t do it well either, but my husband sometimes plays around with my cards, so he always impresses me with this one.  

Due to the size of tarot cards and the deck’s thickness, I like to do this shuffle a bit differently than your typical casino dealer. So, let’s take a look at how you can do the riffle shuffle. 

• You start off by placing the deck into four separate piles side-by-side. Make sure they are around the same size. I do this to make the shuffle a bit easier. 
• Then you grab one pile to each hand in a way that you are holding them from the long sides. 
• Bring your hands close to each other so that the decks are almost touching. Now your hands and fingers need to work very simultaneously, mirroring each other’s movements.  
• Apply a little bit of pressure to the middle of both decks with your index finger and try to gently lift your thumb so that the decks start fanning to one another. 
• After the decks are riffled, bring the deck together and do the other pile. Repeat this shuffle to each half a few times, and the tarot deck should be as mixed as it needs to be.  

I know that some tarot readers don’t root for this shuffle as it requires you to bend the cards a bit. I get that, but you can gently do this shuffle by lightly incorporating the deck halves together. If you are gentle with your cards, I don’t see much danger there. But it might be vice to practice this first with a deck that isn’t as dear to you like your favorite deck. 

The Deal Shuffle

If you feel like you are not getting the hang of the more technical shuffles and you don’t want to do the Wash shuffle, a good option for you could be what I call the “Deal Shuffle.” 

• Start by making sure you have enough space to have deal the cards in front of you. 
• Choose anywhere from 4 to 7 piles to deal and start placing the cards one by one to each pile. If you decide to make 5 stacks, deal 5 cards per round. Go through the whole deck and you should end up with 2 stacks of 15 cards and 3 stacks of 16 cards. Pick them up randomly and bring the deck together. 
• To randomize the deck even more, you can deal with each round in a different order. 

As you saw, this shuffle is relatively easy and doesn’t require any technique. All you need to do is deal. 

Who shuffles tarot cards in a reading? 

Usually, it is the reader who shuffles the deck. However, some readers like to involve the seeker to the extent that they let them shuffle the cards. It is an excellent way to let that person transfer their energy to the deck and allow them to roll the dice of randomness themselves. But there are some things you might want to consider before you let others shuffle your cards. 

First, like we already covered in this article, shuffling Tarot cards isn’t as easy as mixing a deck of playing cards. There is a good chance that the seeker will have the same question as you before reading this article. 

The second thing is that there is a chance that the person will damage your cards when they are trying to get the idea of shuffling. Consider the likelihood of this happening before you let someone else shuffle your cards. 

So my advice would be that it is better if the reader shuffles the deck. There is another excellent way to involve the seeker, which we’ll cover next. 

How to cut the tarot deck?

When you have finished shuffling your tarot cards, it is often followed by a cut. The tradition of cutting the deck comes from the card game world, where it has been used to prevent anyone from manipulating the deck. 

In the Tarot, especially if you are reading for another person, this is an excellent opportunity to involve that person in the shuffling process. They can touch the deck, and this way, transfer their energy into it. They are also making the final cut, so it will eventually determine how the cards are pulled for them. 

The simplest way to do the cut is to place the deck in front of the person receiving the reading and ask them to lift up a part of the deck and place it next to the deck’s bottom part. You can then choose to either put it on top or just start pulling cards straight from it. If you leave them separated, just don’t confuse those two piles with each other. A safe way is to move the bottom part out of the way if it makes sense. 

How to shuffle tarot cards reversed?

If you want to incorporate reversed cards into your readings, you should shuffle the deck in a way that allows reversed cards to appear. The techniques that we went over that allow this to happen are:

• The Riffle Shuffle 
• Wash or Smooshing

Suppose you don’t like using those shuffles. In that case, you can incorporate reversed cards in other shuffles as well, by adding an extra stage to your shuffles. Before you begin shuffling, let’s say with the overhand technique, cut the deck into four piles. Then turn two of the piles reversed and collect the deck together. Now you can start shuffling as usual.

How many times should you shuffle tarot cards?

The idea of shuffling any deck of cards is to randomize the deck and allow for “chance” to occur. In tarot readings, a shuffle gives a random outcome to each reading. It diminishes the likelihood of sharing the same readings over and over again. But how do you determine how many times or how long should you shuffle? 

There are actually mathematical theories about shuffling, so it is possible to give a theoretical answer. Check Persi Diaconis, a Standford University professor, give an answer on this video. 

If you watch the video, you’ll learn that the efficiency difference is astonishing with the riffle shuffle and the overhand shuffle. You would need 10,000 overhand shuffles to get the same amount of randomness you get with 7 proper riffle shuffles. The difference is quite astonishing. He also says that one minute of “washing” the cards gets the same result. 

Now, just note that he is talking this with a playing card deck in mind. Because the Tarot deck has more cards, it would require somewhat more shuffles according to my understanding. So if you want to have a theory approach to the amount of time shuffling, then you should mix accordingly: 

• > 7 riffle shuffles
• > 1 minute of washing
• > 10 000 overhand or Hindu shuffles

But because we are talking about Tarot, it is not so much about what some theory says; it’s more about how you feel. What does your gut feeling tell you when you are shuffling. Let your intuition tell you when the deck is ready for reading. 

I use a combination of feelings and theories. I want the deck to be mixed, so I prefer using shuffles that efficiently blend the deck’s order. Those are the riffle shuffle and the wash. But I don’t want to be hung up on some numbers, so do what feels right for you. 

How to shuffle large tarot cards?

The standard Tarot cards are more massive than playing cards, so they are trickier to shuffle, especially if you have small hands. There are also some enormous decks around, so they might require some different shuffling techniques. I am making an article about shuffling large tarot cards if you would like to check that out. 

I hope you found this article useful, and there is one technique here that you can incorporate into your readings. Remember that shuffling the cards isn’t that serious. You can choose to do whatever feels right in Tarot, and you can still be a great reader. 

Happy shufflings!