Preparing, Shuffling and Storing Your Deck: a practical guide

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How to get to know a new deck, shuffle it without damaging it, cut it, keep it in good condition and store it away from damp and light.

Key points

Duration	10 minutes the first time, a few seconds afterwards
Materials	A deck of cards, a soft cloth or pouch
Level	Beginner
Shuffling	Several methods, none is compulsory
Storage	Dry, away from sunlight and heat
Tradition	Wrapping your deck in cloth is a custom, not a rule

Why look after it?

A deck of cards gets handled a lot: it is shuffled, spread out and turned over. The card stock wears, the corners get marked, and the cards end up sticking together. A few simple habits, learned from the start, extend its life and make readings more pleasant. Out of tradition, many people also give these gestures a ritual value: a moment of transition between everyday life and the reading. This ritual remains personal; you may follow it or not.

Getting to know a new deck

Open the box with care and remove the plastic wrapping. Keep the box and the booklet.
Count the cards. A tarot has 78 cards (22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana). An oracle has a varying number: check the booklet.
Go through it card by card. Spend ten minutes looking through the images, one by one. This is the best way to get to know a deck, more useful than reading the booklet all at once.
Soften the deck. A new deck is stiff and the cards stick together. Shuffle it gently, several times, without bending it.
Note your first impressions in your notebook (see keeping a reading journal).

Shuffling: four methods

Method	How to do it	Good to know
The pile shuffle	Slide small packets from one hand to the other	Gentle on the cards, suited to large formats
The table shuffle	Spread the cards face down and mix them with your hands	The gentlest, but takes up space
The riffle shuffle	Split the deck into two and let the corners snap together	Avoid with large or fragile cards
The draw shuffle	Draw cards at random from the fan	Practical for oracles

No shuffle is more “correct” than another. Choose the one that wears your cards the least.

Cutting the deck

After shuffling, many people cut the deck into two or three piles, sometimes with the left hand, sometimes by having the person you are reading for do the cut. This custom belongs to the tradition of cartomancy and to classic card play: it has no technical effect, but it marks a pause. If you like the gesture, keep it.

A practical tip: after cutting, do not let the cards slide. Set the top portion aside, then gather the pile back together.

Reversed cards: your choice

If your shuffling turns some cards upside down (reversed cards), you must decide whether to read them reversed. As a beginner, the simplest method is not to use reversed cards and to turn them upright before reading. They add nuance, but they make learning harder. You can introduce them later.

Storing your deck

Away from damp. The card stock warps and the cards stick together. Avoid bathrooms and very humid places.
Away from sunlight and heat. Light fades the colours, and heat distorts the card stock.
In a box, a pouch or a cloth. Wrapping your deck in cloth (silk, according to a widespread custom) is a much-loved tradition. A soft cloth protects the edges of the cards and makes storing them a pleasure, whatever the fabric.
Flat or upright, but never loose. A deck kept in a bag with other hard objects (stones, keys) gets marked.
Hands clean and dry. Greasy fingers leave lasting marks.

Common mistakes and exercise

Bending the cards by shuffling too hard.
Leaving the deck on the sill of a sunny window.
Placing a cup or a glass on the reading table.
Lending your deck and getting it back worn: some people prefer never to lend theirs.

Exercise: for one week, take two minutes each evening to shuffle your deck gently and look at the top card before putting it away. This small ritual helps you become familiar with the images without pressure.

Frequently asked questions

Should I purify or “cleanse” a deck of cards?

Some people do so by tradition (a gentle smoke, a cloth). It is optional and has no technical effect. What really matters is keeping the deck clean and dry.

Can someone else touch my cards?

This is a personal choice. Many people reserve their deck for their own use; others let the person they are reading for shuffle it.

What should I do with a damaged deck?

If only a few cards are damaged, keep the deck for study. If the cards stick together, let them dry flat, away from any heat source.

How long does a tarot deck last?

A well-kept deck lasts for years. Decks with thick card stock and a smooth coating last longer, but slip more.

Should I sleep with my deck under my pillow?

It is a popular custom that no rule requires. Nothing obliges you to do it, and it can bend the cards.