shuffling

Cactus Dahlia

Nowadays I shuffle my decks in a respectful manner. :D. Also I don't read reversals, unless one accidentally appears, so this has restricted my shuffling method as I want to keep the cards upright.

So how I shuffle is to deal the cards into piles, usually starting with 5-7 piles, and then keep adding cards to the piles randomly, even adding a new pile when the mood takes me. Then I pick up the piles in random order, sometimes only about half the pile is picked up in the first instance, but that doesn't worry me, as it gets picked up a little later and just means an extra shuffle. Hope this makes sense! Then to finish off I hold the pack in my left hand and shuffle them by taking a few cards from the back of the deck into my right hand and putting them to the front of the pack a few cards at a time.

I find this keeps my cards in pristine condition, and yet gives them a thorough shuffle.

I liked the idea of making 7 piles as others in this thread have suggested, but wasn't so keen on piling up the 7 piles one by one in order. I like my random order shuffling better. :)
 

allen770

"If it's 'On the floor' . . ."

Appros to "nothing," but, an old, old Tarot partner & friend of mine a long time ago--she was from Richmond, VA.--used to say (and SHE got the expression from HER grandmother, so, I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone here has heard this, as well):

"If it's 'On the floor,' it's 'Through the door!' . . ."

Meaning, that if--while shuffling your Tarot deck prior to selecting the cards for a spread--one of the cards "fell/popped out," then . . . Then, by gosh, it was used in the spread!

And, I've usually used said card(s) in the VERY NEXT POSITION that I was going to place a card BEFORE the card fell/"popped" out . . .
 

Foxxphyre

I've personally found the shuffling process to be a meditative one for myself or the questioner. My entire extended family both riffles and laces playing cards, so it is second nature to me.

Personally, I believe that the shuffle can be an art in itself, part of your relationship with your cards. Loved cards will love you back.

Foxx
 

KafkasGhost

Cactus Dahlia said:
Nowadays I shuffle my decks in a respectful manner. :D. Also I don't read reversals, unless one accidentally appears, so this has restricted my shuffling method as I want to keep the cards upright.

So how I shuffle is to deal the cards into piles, usually starting with 5-7 piles, and then keep adding cards to the piles randomly, even adding a new pile when the mood takes me. Then I pick up the piles in random order, sometimes only about half the pile is picked up in the first instance, but that doesn't worry me, as it gets picked up a little later and just means an extra shuffle. Hope this makes sense! Then to finish off I hold the pack in my left hand and shuffle them by taking a few cards from the back of the deck into my right hand and putting them to the front of the pack a few cards at a time.

I find this keeps my cards in pristine condition, and yet gives them a thorough shuffle.

I liked the idea of making 7 piles as others in this thread have suggested, but wasn't so keen on piling up the 7 piles one by one in order. I like my random order shuffling better. :)

I like this. The current way I shuffle, while almost a ritual now (I blogged about it), won't work if I'm on carpet or at a small cafe table and it will eventually nick the edges.
 

Foxxphyre

Something I noticed about riffling

In doing some shuffling experiments, I noted something about the riffle method. While riffling does have a tendency to reverse card orientation in inexperienced hands a well cut, turned and riffled deck will maintain an upright orientation for all the cards. How?

Starting with the deck in the upright position, take it in your right hand, your palm over the deck and your thumb towards you, at the 'bottom' of the deck. Cut the deck as in a normal riffle and allow the other half to lay flat in your left hand.

The stack in the left hand should now be lying in your face up palm with your thumb at the 'bottom' of the deck. Now you need to bring this hand into riffle position. Instead of rotating the left hand stack, invert it- bring your left thumb forward so that it holds the 'top' of the stack while your fingers catch the 'bottom. Riffle like normal. Voila! A riffled deck with no reversals!

Its very smooth when done quickly... I actually have trouble riffling a deck into reversals now!
 

BridgetJones09

Lace Shuffling - Question

I have been doing the riffle for a while, but as most of you here I fear to damage my deck, so I learned the lace shuffle. What I wonder is, how do I get reversals when lacing? I read reversals!
 

vess913

BridgetJones09 said:
I have been doing the riffle for a while, but as most of you here I fear to damage my deck, so I learned the lace shuffle. What I wonder is, how do I get reversals when lacing? I read reversals!

If you cut your deck after shuffling, you could always turn one pile around so that they're reversed.
 

strings of life

Okay, so there seem to be a bunch of threads on the same topic, but this is the one I meant to post in...

I can't find the post that had this technique, but I have started to deal my cards into 3 piles, stack them together and then repeat the process 1 or 2 more times.

Perfect mixing.

It works quite well, even on some of my self published and delicate limited edition decks :thumbsup:.
 

shiresun

I've always been a riffler, liking the way it feels and sounds. I also lace during a shuffle however, usually before riffling for a few times, and then after for a few times before I feel I'm at a place I want to cut the cards. But between the two types, I've added a third... it's like a seven card spread, where I keep adding the cards in random order to each pile respectively. This is when I usually think of what the reading is about, consider how I want to phrase my question, though mainly, since I've been doing daily draws with THEME, GUIDE, MEDITATION and SHADOW CARD, I rarely think about wanting to know anything, more than what the day will be like. After I have my piles, I then riffle them, using the head to toe method to avoid reversals, which I don't feel are needed considering many of the cards bring about the same POV as reversals. My tendancy is to riffle two piles first, then two more second, and then rifle those piles together, and finally, rifle two of the last piles, and add the final pile to that, before riffling the two halfs of the deck.
When I cut, I cut with three piles, and using my left hand, I glide it over each pile to feel the energy, and pick the most energetic pile for the top of the fully integrated deck.

Peace,

Shire