Many think that shuffling tarot cards is not a big deal.
However, this step is very significant in a whole process. Though it’s just a quick action, mixing up tarot cards help you focus on your intention and convey your energy to the cards.
If you don’t know how to shuffle tarot cards, then you’ve come to the right place.
People who start practicing tarot the first time are afraid of shuffling the cards – it’s not like playing cartomancy; hence, what if it’s done wrongly? Well, I believe the way you shuffle tarot cards is a personal preference.
Easy Tips to Shuffle Your Tarot Cards

Here are some tips you should keep in mind:
1. Cleanse your tarot deck
If your tarot deck is the brand new one, then you must cleanse it to remove the energetic gunk off. This step includes doing the meditation with your deck – burn the incense and move each card through the smoke.
This practice will help you achieve more accurate readings.
2. Think of a question you’re in need of the answer
With this step, you should tune in your energy to the deck to gain the answer you’ve long for. Hold the cards in your hands and develop a connection spiritually. Ask the question of your desire and trust your guts.
3. Shuffle the cards in the way you like
While focusing your mind on the question, you need to do the shuffle.
Tarot is all about intuition, and that’s what you should remember when shuffling your cards. Try the method that feels right to you. If you don’t know any technique of shuffling tarot cards, keep track of the following sections.
Just be sure all the cards are mixed!
4. Draw your cards
Once the cards are shuffled, you’re now ready to perform a reading.
According to most tarot readers, the most popular spread is the 3-card spread – simply divide your deck into 3 piles representing your past, present, and future. But I encourage you to learn more spread to discover more details for your life. With the guidance from tarot, you’ll gain unique clarity and insight.
Top 5 Methods to Shuffle Tarot Cards

When planning for a reading, you should firstly take a moment to relax and calm your mind rather than hurriedly shuffling the cards.
The key of tarot guidance is teaching you on how to reflect yourself. Trust your intuition completely, especially when picking a random card from the tarot deck. Listen to the inner voice deepest and you can choose the best tarot cards for your circumstance.
Don’t let your every negative thought distract your energy.
Once you feel peace subconsciously, it’s the ideal time to shuffle tarot cards. I don’t recommend you to use a deck frequently availed by others because their remaining energy may affect your reading. Similarly, if you were in a different mood during your last session, you must put aside all previous energies to prevent negativity from interfering in your insight from the current reading.
Check out the meaning of The Emperor in a love reading!
So, the very first thing you need to do is clearing the tarot deck, and the simplest way is shuffling the cards; some tarot readers also say that keeping the cards around can help you relax.
While doing the shuffle, please concentrate on the questions that you’re eager for the answer. Some prefer to say the question out loud, but that’s really not necessary. Just repeat it in your head!
Keep in mind is that there’s no wrong way to shuffle your tarot cards.
The keys that really matter the result of a reading are actually your energy and your intention. For shuffling the cards, you have many options to choose from; here, we’d like to inform you our top 3 favorites:
1. Cut The Deck
With this method, all you have to do is to repeatedly take a small stack of cards and then put them inside the deck at an interval randomly. Or, you can divide your tarot deck into many smaller piles and rearrange them.
2. Pick Up Sticks
Hold the whole deck in your hand and then place all the cards with the face down on the table. The next thing is to mix them up and stack them again before you pick your destined card.
3. Playing Cards
Have you ever played poker?
If so, then just apply the way shuffling playing cards to shuffle your tarot cards – holding one half of the deck in each hand and then combining them all together.
Also known as the classic method, most use this one because it’s simple and easy. In case you want to do a complete bridge shuffle, then it may take a while. Overall, this is a common method for quick integrating tarot cards.
4. Spread And Regroup
Nice and evocative, this method lets you strengthen your energy with your tarot deck.
Now lay out all the cards on the table in any pattern you prefer; sometimes I create an S pattern because my name starts with the S letter purely. Grab your deck and try out the spreading and regrouping method. Don’t forget to recombine different patterns for your shuffling process.
5. Handheld Shuffle
Similar to the first method, with the handheld shuffle, you also need to divide out piles of tarot cards in your hands and add them back at different spots in the deck. Believe it or not, this way of shuffling cards can help anyone having the concentrating problems.
Make use of this comforting technique if you’re struggling in calming your mind. Doing this will get you in the right zone and help you meditatively connect with the cards before beginning a reading.
In Conclusion
If you like, these 5 methods can be done repeatedly many times; more efficiently, they can be combined together. For instance, you can use the spreading and regrouping method once and then perform the cut the deck next.
Most importantly, trust your intuition and go with the ones you feel right. Also, make sure your intention as well as your question is the priority of your mind when choosing the cards of your tarot reading.
If you have any question related to how to shuffle tarot cards, then simply leave your comment below.