Shuffling

Shuffling is mixing the cards before a reading. Any method works if the deck ends up mixed: the overhand shuffle, the riffle, washing the cards on a table, or simply cutting the deck into piles and restacking them. Readers choose a method that is gentle on the cards and gives them time to think about the question; some shuffle until a card falls out, a so-called jumping card, and some ask the querent to shuffle or cut. There is no rule about how long to shuffle, though from a mathematical point of view a few riffles mix a deck much faster than many overhand passes. Whether shuffling creates reversals depends on the method. See how to shuffle tarot cards.