Shuffling tarot cards is simple: there is no single “right” way to do it. The goal is to mix the cards while focusing on your question or intention, allowing your energy to connect with the deck. Whether you shuffle quickly or slowly, what matters most is that it feels natural and intentional.
And yet, when we approach a ritual, any ritual, our first instinct is often to look for rules, for guidance, for a “right way” to begin. Even if that perfect method doesn’t truly exist, there are still practices that can help us feel aligned, grounded, and more present in the process.
In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to shuffle tarot cards step by step, explore different shuffling methods (including the overhand shuffle), understand how many times you should shuffle, and discover what to do after shuffling to choose your cards. You’ll also find tips for working with a new deck and learn why the way you shuffle can subtly influence your reading.
The Best Way to Shuffle Tarot Cards (Simple Practices to Follow)
No, there isn’t one single best way to shuffle tarot cards. A practice this ancient, rooted in ritual, intuition, and personal connection, does not follow rigid rules. Tarot is not mechanical or math; it is relational. The way you approach the deck is already part of the reading.
That said, there are traditional methods and simple practices that can serve as a guide, especially in the beginning. Think of them as a structure to lean on, a quiet framework that helps you enter the moment with more presence and intention. From there, with time and experience, your own rhythm will naturally emerge, shaped by intuition rather than instruction.
This is the simplest process to shuffle tarot, divided in 5 steps.
Hold the deck in your hands
Take a moment to feel the weight of the cards and become present with them.
Focus on your question or intention
You don’t always need a precise question, but a direction helps guide the energy of the reading.
Begin shuffling the cards
Choose a method that feels natural: there is no need to force a specific technique.
Pay attention to the moment to stop
Rather than counting, notice when it feels right to pause. This is part of the intuitive process.
Cut the deck (optional)
Some readers like to divide the deck before drawing cards, as a symbolic gesture of transition.
There are also different techniques you can use to shuffle the deck. Some are simple and intuitive, while others come directly from traditional playing card methods. You don’t need to master them all, what matters is finding a way of shuffling that feels natural in your hands, allowing the gesture to become part of the reading itself.
Different Tarot Shuffling Methods Explained
In this section, we’ll explore different techniques for shuffling tarot cards. You don’t need to know them all, nor do you need to use them all. You can try them and see if they resonate, or set them aside entirely and follow your intuition instead.
The truth is, technique often serves a deeper purpose: not to constrain you, but to give you something to move beyond. Sometimes, you need to understand a method simply to realize it’s not the one you wish to follow.
Overhand Shuffle
The overhand shuffle is one of the simplest and most commonly used techniques. You hold the deck in one hand and gently pull small sections of cards into the other, letting them fall naturally.
This method feels fluid and intuitive, making it ideal for beginners or for moments when you want a softer, more meditative rhythm. It allows you to stay connected to your intention without overthinking the process.
Riffle Shuffle
The riffle shuffle is a more structured technique, often used in traditional card games. It involves splitting the deck into two halves and interlacing them together.
This method requires a deck that is particularly durable. It is commonly used with professional playing cards, such as poker decks, specifically designed to withstand this kind of stress and repeated bending. Tarot decks, however, are often more delicate.
If you are working with an older deck, or one you feel especially connected to, this technique is generally not recommended. Many readers choose to avoid it, preferring gentler methods that preserve both the physical integrity of the cards and the symbolic relationship with them.
Pile Shuffle
In the pile shuffle, you divide the deck into several smaller piles and then reassemble them.
This method is slower and more deliberate, often used when you want to reset the deck or create a sense of order before a reading. It introduces a different kind of rhythm, less fluid, but more intentional.
Letting Cards Fall
Some readers prefer to shuffle until cards naturally fall out of the deck, taking those as the selected cards for the reading.
This approach is highly intuitive and embraces the idea that the cards “choose” themselves. It requires a level of trust, allowing the process to unfold without control.
Fan Shuffle and Intuitive Selection
In this method, the cards are first shuffled, often using a simple overhand technique, until the deck feels well mixed. Then, instead of drawing from the top, the cards are spread out face down in a fan on the table. From here, you choose the cards directly, guided by intuition.
This approach shifts the focus slightly: rather than relying on the order created during shuffling, the act of selection becomes central. It is no longer just the deck that “chooses,” but the person engaging with it, creating a more conscious and participatory moment within the reading.
How Many Times Should You Shuffle Tarot Cards?
There is no fixed number of times you need to shuffle tarot cards. Unlike a traditional card game, tarot is not about achieving a perfectly random order, but about entering a state of focus and connection.
Some readers prefer to shuffle a specific number of times, often 3, 7, or 9, numbers that carry symbolic meaning and create a sense of ritual. Others simply continue until it feels right to stop.
What matters is not the count, but the moment in which you recognize that the deck is ready. Or rather, that you are ready. You feel it, and you stop. You don’t feel it, and you continue.
It may seem vague, even contradictory, every time a “rule” is introduced, it is also softened, reshaped, or set aside. But this is the nature of tarot. It is not a fixed system to follow, but a language of symbols. And every reading is a conversation, taking a slightly different form each time.
And yet, just like tarot, we are not all the same. We are, in truth, all different, and some people feel more at ease within a clear structure, a defined ritual.
If that is your case, you can create your own rule around how long or how many times you shuffle. For example, you might decide to shuffle for one minute, or to repeat the gesture twenty times before drawing your cards.
There is nothing rigid about this choice. It is simply a way to create consistency, a small ritual that helps you enter the reading with more clarity. If it feels supportive, let it be part of your practice.
How to Pick Tarot Cards After Shuffling
Once the cards are shuffled, the next step is choosing them, and here, once again, there is no single correct method.
Just as with shuffling, the way you pick your tarot cards can follow a structure or unfold more intuitively. Some readers prefer a clear and consistent approach, while others allow the moment to guide them. What matters is not how you choose the cards, but the quality of attention you bring to the gesture.
Here are some common methods you can draw inspiration from when picking your tarot cards after shuffling. Each offers a slightly different approach, some more structured, others more intuitive, but all serve the same purpose: to guide the moment in which the cards move from the deck into the reading.
Drawing from the Top of the Deck
The simplest method is to draw the cards directly from the top of the deck. This approach is clear, direct, and often used in more structured readings. It creates a sense of continuity, where the order of the cards naturally unfolds into the spread.
Spreading the Cards and Choosing Intuitively
Another method is to spread the cards face down and select them intuitively, guided by a subtle pull or attraction. This approach places more emphasis on the act of choosing, turning it into an active moment within the reading.
Cutting the Deck
Another common method is to cut the deck before drawing your cards. You divide the deck into two parts, then place the bottom half on top. From there, you draw the cards from the top of the newly formed deck.
This gesture is simple but symbolic. It introduces a moment of transition, almost like resetting the order of the cards, before the reading begins.
Drawing from the Top and the Bottom Card
In this method, you draw the first cards from the top of the deck, how many will depend on the spread you are using, and then also take the last card from the bottom of the deck.
For some readers, this final card carries a special meaning. It is often interpreted as an overall message, a deeper layer that frames or completes the reading. It’s a subtle addition, but one that can bring a sense of closure, as if the reading had a final word to offer.
FAQ About Shuffling Tarot Cards
Here are some of the most common questions about shuffling tarot cards.
Whether you are just beginning or refining your practice, these answers can help clarify doubts, offer direction, and gently remind you that tarot is not about rigid rules, but about developing your own way of connecting with the cards.
Didn’t find your question here? Drop it in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.
How to shuffle tarot cards fast?
Shuffling tarot cards quickly is possible, especially with more structured methods like the riffle shuffle. However, speed is not essential in tarot. A slower rhythm often helps maintain focus and intention, which are far more important than efficiency.
How to shuffle a new tarot deck?
When working with a new deck, it can be helpful to shuffle slowly and intentionally, taking time to connect with the cards. Some readers also like to cleanse the deck beforehand, but this is optional. What matters most is creating a first moment of familiarity and presence.
How to shuffle tarot cards to get reversed cards?
If you read with reversals, you can introduce them by occasionally rotating parts of the deck during shuffling, or by turning small sections of cards in different directions. This creates a natural mix of upright and reversed cards within the deck.
Editor’s note: I have never intentionally done this, and yet, reversed cards still appear in my readings. How? Perhaps I don’t pay attention to straightening them when placing them back into the deck, or perhaps it simply happens. This is to say: not every action needs to be induced. With familiarity, some things begin to unfold naturally on their own.
Useful Tarot Resources to Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to go further, here are some resources that can support you as you deepen your connection with tarot.
How to Choose a Tarot Deck – Here you can discover how to choose your first tarot deck, finding one that truly resonates with you and supports your personal way of reading.
Tarot Cards Meanings – Here you can explore the meanings of each arcana, both Major and Minor, and build a deeper understanding of the symbolic language of tarot.
Tarot History – Understanding the history of tarot is one of the most powerful ways to grasp its deeper meaning, origins, and evolution as both a symbolic system and a tool for insight.
Great Questions to Ask Tarot – Here you’ll find a guide on how to ask the right questions in order to receive clearer, more meaningful answers from your readings.
Must Tarot Cards Be Gifted? – Discover the truth behind this common belief and explore whether tarot decks really need to be gifted, or if choosing your own deck is just as meaningful.
