| In this series of questions from Tarot students, here | | | | due to arthritis, or have small hands and big cards, for |
| is the third question: | | | | instance, you can also put all the cards on the table |
| Regarding shuffling the cards prior to making a layout: | | | | and simply swirl them around until they feel really |
| You were emphasizing consistency. I shuffle and | | | | mixed up and ready. |
| divide the cards exactly as you were showing in | | | | The warning about consistency really had to do with |
| class. You showed shuffling in three steps | | | | the intention for your layout and the way that you |
| ("three-step shuffling" process). Is it important to do | | | | are going to flip the cards over when you are laying |
| the shuffling the same number of times for | | | | them out. My default layout is the Celtic Cross, so if I |
| consistency? For example, repeat the "three-step | | | | decided to lay them out differently, I want to have |
| shuffling" process five times prior to dividing the | | | | that clearly in mind while I am shuffling and mixing. |
| cards into three piles? | | | | Also, when laying the cards out, I hold the deck face |
| Answer: | | | | down in my left hand, and take a hold of the far (or |
| I did emphasize consistency and there are the three | | | | upper) right corner of the top card, and flip it over |
| ways of shuffling. To recap, we can shuffle by | | | | bottom to top and lay it down. Alternatively, a |
| dividing the cards in two and "zipping" both sides | | | | person could hold the deck and take the card by the |
| together so that they integrate more or less every | | | | bottom right corner and flip it over left to right and |
| other card back into one deck again. We can also | | | | lay it down. |
| hold the deck in one hand, and slide chunks of cards | | | | If you try both methods you will see that the card in |
| from the back to the front. And because we want | | | | question will lay upright when you flip it one way, and |
| some cards upright, and some reversed or upside | | | | it will lay reverse when you use the other method. |
| down, we can twist them randomly between | | | | So it is important to know which way you flip the |
| shuffles. | | | | cards to lay them out, and to be consistent in that |
| I tend to cycle through these three methods until I | | | | method. |
| feel like the cards are well mixed, and there is just an | | | | In conclusion, you will want to shuffle in all three |
| energy of readiness that I sense. There are no set | | | | ways, over and over, until they feel ready for the |
| rules as to how many times you do any of these | | | | reading. Consistency has to do with the pattern of |
| shuffling techniques. | | | | the layout that you will use, and the way that you |
| Of course, if you have trouble handling the cards - | | | | flip the cards over and lay them out. |