Alright, let’s talk about getting those tarot cards back in order. Mine get all jumbled up after I use them a bunch, so every now and then, I gotta sit down and sort them out properly. It’s kind of a ritual in itself, helps me reconnect with the deck too.
Starting the Sort
First thing I do is just gather all the cards. Sometimes a few end up in the box lid or wherever. I just dump the whole messy pile onto a clear space, like my kitchen table. Makes it easier to see everything.
Then, the big job: separating the Major Arcana from the Minor Arcana. I just go through the pile, card by card. Majors go in one stack, Minors in another. It’s pretty easy to spot the Majors, you know, with their names and Roman numerals like The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, all the way up.
Ordering the Major Arcana
Once I have the Major stack, I put them in numerical order. It’s straightforward:
- Find The Fool (0). That one goes first.
- Then I look for The Magician (I), The High Priestess (II), The Empress (III), and so on.
- I just lay them out in a row or stack them carefully, checking the numbers, until I get to The World (XXI).
This part feels pretty satisfying, seeing all the big story cards lined up.
Tackling the Minor Arcana
Okay, now for the bigger pile – the Minors. This takes a bit more focus.
Step 1: Separate by Suit. I make four piles:
- Wands
- Cups
- Swords
- Pentacles (or Disks, depending on your deck)
I just work through the Minor pile, sorting each card into its suit stack. Takes a few minutes.
Step 2: Order Each Suit. Once I have the four suit piles, I pick one up, let’s say Wands. Then I order it:
- Find the Ace. That’s number one.
- Then the 2, 3, 4, all the way up to 10.
- After the 10 come the court cards. I usually do Page, then Knight, then Queen, then King. Some folks might have a different order for court cards, but that’s how I do mine.
I repeat this for all four suits: Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Sometimes I have to hunt for a specific number or court card if a pile got mixed slightly.
Putting It All Together
So now I have five neat stacks:
- Major Arcana (0-XXI)
- Wands (Ace-King)
- Cups (Ace-King)
- Swords (Ace-King)
- Pentacles (Ace-King)
To make the final, complete deck order, I usually stack them like this:
- Major Arcana on the bottom (or top, doesn’t really matter, but I start with them).
- Then I add the suits. My usual order is Wands, then Cups, then Swords, then Pentacles on top.
I square them up, give them a gentle tap on the table to make the edges neat.
All Done
And that’s it. The deck is back in its original, pristine order. Feels good. It’s clean, organized, and ready for the next time I need to pull some cards. Simple process, really, just takes a little time and attention.
