Ever have a card jump out of the tarot deck while you are shuffling? Learn what to do if one does!
Ever have a card jump out of the tarot deck while you are shuffling? Learn what to do if one does!
Ever have a card jump out of the tarot deck while you are shuffling? Learn what to do if one does!

Have you ever had a pesky “jumper” or two fall out of your tarot deck when you were shuffling? What should you do when a random card falls out of your tarot or oracle deck while you are shuffling your cards?

Honestly, I feel that the cards that fall out of a tarot deck while you are shuffling are very important bits of information for the reading. When I get a card that falls on the floor while I am shuffling or falls out of the deck, I set it aside and continue shuffling.

I don’t include the jumper in the tarot spread that I am working with. For example, I wouldn’t use the tarot card that jumped out while I was shuffling for any of the set positions in a Celtic Cross Spread. I would, however, use it as a card of high significance, or something that Spirit really wanted to call to the client’s attention.

What should you do if multiple cards fall out of your tarot deck when you are shuffling?

When more than one tarot card falls out of the deck when you are shuffling, take a moment to see if you are just a sloppy shuffler, or if just a few fall out.

When just a few (2-5) tarot cards fall out of the deck while you are shuffling, put those aside, just like you would if only one card fell out. Use these cards as additional information to the story or circumstances that might unexpectedly arise for the sitter while they are dealing with the main situation they are getting a tarot reading to inquire about.

If a LOT of cards fall out of the deck, you might want to put the cards back into the deck, recenter and ground yourself, and start over again. Ask yourself a few questions, like:

  • Am I rushing this reading?
  • Do I feel like I am in control of my energy?
  • Is the client somehow distracting me or is their energy throwing me off?
  • Is this the right deck for the reading?
  • Should I work with a different deck?
  • Is there something different that I should focus on for the reading.

Generally speaking, tarot cards that jump or fall out while you are shuffling are an interesting and usually important additional focus for your reading. Sometimes, though, they are actually more of an indication that the reader should slow down, recenter, and focus on shuffling the tarot cards.

What do you think? Have you had any interesting experiences with cards that have jumped out of the deck and into a reading? Please feel free to tell your story in the comments below!