You might find it interesting to know that there isn’t just one technique to correctly shuffle the cards before we get started. According to Alvarez, “Whatever manner you are comfortable with is the best approach. “In my perspective, there is no one “correct” way.” However, the following advice should be kept in mind:
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Open your tarot card deck, and cleanse it if it’s brand new
It’s crucial to cleanse a tarot deck when someone receives a brand-new one or one that has been around but is still new to them. The usual method for doing this is to meditate with your deck while smudging each card with sage or palo santo smoke. However, if you’re just a tarot card tourist and using someone else’s deck, definitely don’t worry about it. This technique aids in receiving the more accurate readings.
Do tarot cards need to be shuffled in a specific manner?
The act of shuffling your tarot cards helps you tune into the present moment and the current reading while purging and clearing the energy of the cards’ previous shape.
We carefully mix the cards to create new forms and randomize the sequence, bringing out the wisdom of the deck that defies reason but nevertheless yields profound wisdom. Pulling cards is a valuable tool because it is a random process.
Regarding the randomness of the cards and card shuffle, Rachel Pollack writes in Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom:
They avoid the typical moment-by-moment way that people perceive life since they are random and do affront reasonable common sense. They depart from the conventional logic-based language of conscious mankind, much like dreams. And they transcend it by moving outside of it.
The act of shuffling produces a seemingly random stream of pictures, lessons, and knowledge that are more meaningful than the playing cards themselves.
“Tarot works precisely because it makes no logic,” continues Pollack. The data is available. Our subconscious self are aware of it already. A tool that serves as a gateway to conscious perception is what we require.
Our tool for obtaining and reinterpreting this illogical knowledge is a deck of cards. We submit to it and let this knowledge come through via shuffling.
How to shuffle tarot cards
There is basically no wrong method to shuffle, to start with. Even though you may have a specific visual in mind, as long as the cards are being combined in novel ways, you’re doing it correctly.
There are a number various methods you can use when shuffling your tarot deck, while there is no right or wrong way to do it.
Place the cards face down on a flat surface or the floor, then shuffle them about like a child playing in mud.
You hold the deck in one hand and move tiny groups of cards from the rear to the front with your other hand.
Probably what comes to mind when you think of someone shuffle is this. Using your thumb and fingers, alternate how the two sides of the deck fit together while holding half of it in each hand. Although it takes some practice to get the hang of it, this one is simple.
Although it isn’t strictly shuffled, after combining the cards, you can spread out the whole deck on a level surface and choose cards at random using your intuition (or have the querent select their own cards).
You can combine all of these (like I do!) or pick one or two that feel the most natural to you.
Shuffles are a terrific opportunity to tune into the energy present and establish a connection with your deck. Regardless of the approach you use, it’s critical that you are at ease so that you may concentrate on the subject or questions at hand and open your channel to the wisdom the cards are carrying, rather than fearing that you might drop your cards. If you need to, practice until your shuffling motion feels natural and proper to you.
Tuning into the reading as you shuffle
Focus on opening yourself up to messages and guidance from the cosmos and your guides while you shuffle the cards. It’s beneficial to have your own procedures and rituals for achieving this. Voici a simple formula:
- Step 1: Take a few deep breaths as you pick up your deck and start to shuffle it.
- Step 2: Ask for assistance by opening your circle up to guides, the universe, goddesses, and God.
- Step 3: Pay attention to each question you pose one at a time. If you’re utilizing a spread with several questions, you can either momentarily shuffle between each card pull or pull them all at once, paying close attention to each question before doing so. whichever makes sense to you.
- Step 4: Choose a card when you feel it is appropriate.
How do you decide when it’s time to stop shuffling and select your cards?
You are the only person who can respond to this common query. Follow your gut instinct and finish your shifting when you believe it’s time. I’m done now. Don’t question yourself excessively. If you need to, get practice listening for or observing this timing. Usually, it will just feel like the right time.
What’s the deal with jumper cards when you’re shuffling your tarot deck?
In a reading, jumper cardscards that appear to “jump right out of the deck” as you’re shufflingare small treasures. These, in my opinion, are urgent messages that genuinely want to be heard. As a general rule, I don’t give them a spot in the spread; instead, I elevate them above the other cards to serve as the reading’s overarching theme.
If several cards are pulled out of the deck at once, I will use the top card as a jumper, put the remaining cards back in the deck, and interpret this as a hint that I can finish rearranging the cards shortly.
The finest strategies for shuffling your deck will ultimately come from a lot of practice and knowledge. You can never go wrong if you follow your own gut and instincts, as you should. Finding the best techniques for you and your own tarot practice is what this is all aboutnot tarot orthodoxy and regulations.
When I first obtain tarot cards, what should I do?
The majority of the time, the first thing I do after picking up a fresh deck of cards is set aside some quiet time to carefully examine them. Allow yourself one or five uninterrupted minutes. Turn off your phone and, if you feel the need to take a few notes, maybe grab a paper and a pen. Check what’s inside the box after removing the wrapping.
The cards may be examined sequentially, one at a time. Finding your birth card or favorite card first could be preferable (see #2 in this post for instructions on how to do so). You can choose to lay out all the Majors side by side or dive right into your favorite suit.
Just be intrigued for a moment about your deck. Which cards catch your eye? Which piece of art do you adore right away? Which pictures do you find challenging or perplexing? What pictures defy your preconceived notions of what a card might symbolize and which ones are instantly recognizable?
If your deck has a book, you might decide that now is a good time to read it. I enjoy reading a deck creator’s explanation of their creations. When you first encounter a deck, reading the author’s writing about their work, if they have offered it, is a fantastic way to get a feeling of how the deck might feel and function. Each tarot developer contributes a distinct perspective to their creation.
(Having said that, keep in mind that you will form your own relationship with the cards you have selected. As you grow to know your deck, you’ll form your own associations and come to your own understanding of the meanings of the cards, even while the creator can explain their goal and share their thoughts about the meanings of the cards. Don’t feel as though something must be taken as gospel, then!
Do new tarot cards need to be cleansed?
Therefore, it would appear that mastering the art of cleansing tarot cards is something you might wish to perform before purchasing a new deck, if you already own one, or if you’re giving a new or used deck to someone else. Actually, if the cards are a gift for someone else, it’s a good idea to cleanse, bless, or activate them. Tarot cards are typically offered as gifts, according to Tarra. Before giving the cards to a new owner, perform a protection ritual on them and clean them to remove any strange energies they may have picked up along the route.
There is a legend.
Myth: Purchasing your own deck of tarot cards brings bad luck. And I suppose giving my mother a cursed one would be extremely impolite of me. So Tarra gave me a royal blue mesh bag of goodies after dinner and wisely explained how to clean them, and I promptly forgot all about it until we spoke again this morning.
Should tarot cards be shuffled upright?
I occasionally receive an intriguing email query.
Normally, I respond to each one personally, but occasionally, a question is so brilliant that I feel it should be included on my blog for the benefit of others.
I was asked the following a few weeks ago:
Some people, in my observation, only use the upright cards when reading the cards. I’m interested in learning how to read exclusively from upright playing cards. Additionally, how should the cards be reversed if we want to include them as well? Should we simply wait for circumstances to turn them around?
Reversals depend on personal preference. Many readers perform incredible readings without having them present.
For further details, see this post I did about reversals: Reversals, Court Cards, and Patterns in Tarot. Additionally, see Mary Greer’s outstanding book on the subject: The Whole Tarot Reversals Book (Special Topics in Tarot Series)
Reversals are used in my own practice because I think they provide subtlety to the reading.
A reversed Devil card, for instance, can represent being freed from a difficult circumstance.
It’s like getting to choose from 78 different perspectives!
Try them out, is my advise. Check to see if you enjoy working with them. If not, look into systems like elemental dignities to see if they are more appealing to you. Find your own personally meaningful approach if neither of those works for you. Keep in mind that there are various tarot reading methods! Each of us must determine our own strategy.
You might wish to attempt a scheme like “elemental dignities” if you don’t use reversals.
These systems can deepen and improve your readings.
Consider these sources for fundamental decency:
By Elizabeth Hazel, “Tarot Decoded: Understanding and Using Dignities and Correspondences.”
Cards in the second portion of the question will naturally reverse. And that’s the way you ought to let them. Just shuffle them, and if any appear, read them. Turn them right side up if you are a reader who doesn’t utilize reversals.
Do I shuffle the entire deck of cards?
Because the left side is connected to intuitive and receptive energy, traditional tarot readers used their left hand to shuffle the cards. For similar reasons, some people think you should deal and shuffle tarot cards with your nondominant hand. I’ve never done this, though, because I can’t shuffle with one hand!
Apparently, it takes seven precise shuffles to get a completely random tarot deck, although in all honesty, you don’t have to follow that rule. As they focus on their query, some people prefer to shuffle their tarot deck a few times, while others prefer to shuffle for at least a minute. Use a non-traditional shuffling technique if it works for you. The most crucial step is to simply shuffle the cards.
Tarot cards fly out for what reason?
I adore proverbs with a witchy theme. They are a part of an oral tradition that most likely began when illiteracy rates among rural residents were high. Witches created rhymes and other catchy words to help people remember their rituals before they could record their spells in intricate grimoires.
I’ve never been able to determine where the adage first appeared “What hits the ground makes its way to the door, but I believe it’s a keeper. The statement is applied by tarot readers to cards that fly out of the deck during the shuffle, whether they “either touch the table or the floor. Jumping cards is most definitely a message to pay attention to if, like me, you see the tarot as an oracle and a doorway to a higher plane of awareness.
Why Do Tarot Cards Jump Out of the Deck?
Cards may jump as a result of luck, inexperienced handling, or subconscious energy transference from the reader.
When seasoned tarot readers manipulate their decks, they infuse the cards with energy and intention. Empaths are particularly adept at transferring energy, so if you belong to this mystical group, you should be aware of any strange occurrences when you shuffle the cards.
amateur tarot readers
Additionally, anxious clients who shuffle the deck before a reading are more likely to make poor shuffles that cause cards to fall to the table or floor. In spite of this, their jumpers shouldn’t be dismissed as “accidents.” Regardless of the shuffler’s skill, every card that leaves the deck needs to be recorded.
How Do Cards Jump?
A card can emerge from the deck in a number of ways. Jumper cards are ranked in the following order, from least to most significant:
- Several cards from the deck drop to the ground or the table. This mishap was probably just the result of a careless shuffle.
- Without any ceremony or drama, one card is dealt face-down to the tabletop.
- One card is dealt face-up and is placed on the table.
- From the deck, one card flips enthusiastically and lands face-up on the surface of the table. Please read this carefully, dear reader. Hey, says the greeting card. Observe me! I want to share something with you.
Methods to Deal with a Jumping Tarot Card
It takes a lot of honesty and trust to read the tarot, especially for someone else. Even if you’ve only recently met and even if you’re reading for yourself, take a moment to pause and focus into the vibes surrounding your relationship with the querent whenever a card jumps out of the deck during a shuffle.
From the most cautious to the most important, here are the six ways to deal with an escaped card:
- Reshuffle the deck after placing the card back in it as if nothing had happened.
- Make a mental note of the jumper, reshuffle it, and only pay attention to it if it reappears in the spread you laid.
- Lay your spread separately as usual, with the jumper face up on the table to the side. After that, assess whether the jumper has any bearing on the cards you laid. Only incorporate it into your reading if it “you and makes sense in the given situation.
- The jumper should serve as the signifier. Particularly in spreads that feature a card meant to represent the inquirer, such as Card 1 in the Celtic Cross spread, treat this card as the beginning point for the remainder of your reading by placing it in the first place.
- Think of the jumper as resetting the reading. The true question is frequently avoided by respondents out of fear. They are hesitant to discover their murkier, more hidden sides. Even though you are the one asking the question, there could be an opportunity to do so “Maybe the question you asked wasn’t quite the correct one. What exactly do you want to know?
- Give the jumper a reading of its own. Because they lack the context that comes from reading cards in connection to other cards, one-card readings are probably the most challenging. However, there are instances when the most challenging tasks are also the ones that are most important. Examine the sweater thoroughly and attentively. Really go to it! Take into account all the information you have available about this card, including conventional keywords, your own interpretation of the symbolism, color, and numerology. Ask yourself if the jumper card might be a communication from the afterlife if your belief system includes communicating with the spirit realm.
Tarot card reading is a practice rather than a craft that can be mastered. There are numerous factors that effect every reading, making them unique. Avoid putting too much restriction on your practice. To make every reading the most meaningful and pertinent experience possible, open your heart, intellect, and sixth sense. This includes paying attention to feisty cards that demand your attention.
How are tarot cards activated?
What to Do First:
- Get out your tarot deck.
- The cards are in your hand.
- “Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
- Shuffle the cards completely.
- The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.
Questions you don’t really want answered
Even though it might seem apparent, it’s advisable to refrain from asking the tarot cards questions that you aren’t prepared to hear the answers to. That’s because answers to these questions can reveal information you’re just not quite ready to hear.
“Tarot can definitely come off as offensive if you’re not willing to hear the truth or consider an opposing opinion. Tarot reading Nicole Fortunaso
According to tarot reader and life coach Nicole Fortunaso, “tarot may truly come out as offensive if you are not willing to hear the truth of the problem or look at an alternate viewpoint.” She advises analyzing why you’re reacting the way you are in order to reflect on how to effectively address the underlying problem if you ask the question and aren’t satisfied with the response.
What tarot card represents your birth?
Similar to how your astrological sun sign might, your tarot birth card reveals information about your soul. Although a tarot birth card has no direct relationship to astrology, it can provide information about various aspects of your life based on the time of your birth, much like your sun sign. According to Ryan Trinh, a tarot reader at the Los Angeles metaphysical store House of Intuition, a tarot birth card is interpreted in a manner similar to how we read our astrological signs. They highlight various aspects of who we are, such as our strengths, lessons to learn, and aspirational objectives.
” make reference to various aspects of who we are, such as our strengths, lessons to learn, and aspirational objectives. Tarot reading Ryan Trinh from House of Intuition
Your tarot birth card, however, cannot be just any card. Tarot birth cards can only be one of the 22 Major Arcana cards (excluding the Fool, whose number is 0), even though the average tarot deck has 78 cards. Major Arcana cards are renowned for reflecting long-term repercussions and providing wisdom to life’s lessons. On the other hand, the remaining 56 Minor Arcana cards are primarily concerned with everyday issues.
