How to Shuffle Tarot Cards

How to shuffle tarot cards: literally however you want. there is no wrong way. the universe does not care about your shuffling technique. if the cards get mixed up, you shuffled correctly.

that said, some methods work better depending on your hand size, your deck size, and whether you want reversals in your readings.

The Overhand Shuffle

Hold the deck in one hand, use the other hand to pull small groups of cards from the top and drop them onto the bottom. This is probably what you're already doing. It's the easiest method and works with any hand size.

Good for: beginners, small hands, quick daily pulls.

The Riffle Shuffle

Split the deck in half, bend the edges, and let them interleave. Like a poker dealer. Looks cool. Mixes cards thoroughly. Some people feel weird bending their tarot cards, and that's valid — these aren't playing cards.

Good for: thorough mixing, people who aren't precious about card condition.

The Pile Shuffle

Deal cards face-down into several piles (usually 3-7), then stack the piles back together in any order. Slow but effective. Zero hand dexterity required.

Good for: large decks, small hands, when you want a methodical reset.

The Wash / Smoosh

Spread all 78 cards face-down on a surface and push them around like a toddler with finger paints. Then gather them back into a pile. Chaotic. Deeply satisfying. Mixes more randomly than any other method.

Good for: reversals, full resets, when you want to completely randomize the deck.

The Cut

Not really shuffling, but worth mentioning. After shuffling, split the deck into two or three sections and restack them. Lots of readers do this as a final step before pulling cards.

Small Hands, Big Deck — What to Do

Tarot cards are bigger than playing cards. If your hands can't comfortably hold 78 cards:

• Overhand shuffle in smaller sections instead of the whole deck
• Pile shuffle requires no grip at all
• Wash shuffle on a table — no holding needed
• Split the deck in half, shuffle each half separately, then combine

There's no rule that says you have to hold all 78 cards at once. Work with what you've got.

Can You Shuffle Wrong?

no. if someone told you there's a specific way you have to shuffle or the reading won't work, they made that up. the cards don't have a shuffling preference. mix them. pull them. read them.

the only thing that matters is that the cards are randomized enough that you're not just pulling the same sequence every time. however you achieve that is fine.

Do You Need to Shuffle a Certain Number of Times?

Nope. Some people shuffle until a card falls out (a "jumper" — that's your card). Some shuffle seven times because it feels right. Some shuffle until they feel done. All of these are valid approaches.

Gen Z Tarot cards are standard tarot size with a quality feel that makes shuffling satisfying. 136-page guidebook included. Published by Hachette Book Group.

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