Shuffling the cards

Shuffling the cards means mixing them so that their order becomes unpredictable before a reading. Methods vary: an overhand shuffle in the hands, a face-down wash where the cards are swirled around on the table, or a riffle that interleaves two halves of the deck. For many practitioners, this time spent shuffling also accompanies concentration on the question. Some hand the deck to the querent, others shuffle it themselves; no universal rule applies.