Treatment of your deck is an easy task that few seem to invest enough time in to complete. Actively caring for your deck will increase the connection between your Inner Self and conciousness. By building a "fondness" for your cards, you will mirror that "fondness" for your Inner Self, which will make the connection easier to establish and maintain. (After a while, the ideal, is to have a permanent, constant contact with your Inner Self.)
Some sort of cloth wrapping should be provided to shield the cards during storage. This can be as elaborate as a silk cloth or simple as a old t-shirt cut up and sewn to make a carrying pouch. Use what the times and circumstances allow.
Another cloth should be available to lay out spreads on. This cloth will prevent the cards from picking up table debris or coffee stains from previous spills. Additionally, the cloth will provide a base of positive energy, shielding out other energies that may interfere, with the surface of the table acting as a medium. Black cloths are excellent for absorbing energy and negating outside influence, but the cloth can be any color you prefer.
Shuffling:
The cards can be shuffled in any fashion, but it is a good idea to stay away from the bridge bending style. This has a tendency to warp
the cards, and if done improperly, creases corners very easily.
It is not necessary to shuffle the cards endlessly. A good short mixing is sufficent. No matter how much you shuffle, the reading will come out the same; after a short time it's a waste of energy. With practice you will begin to notice a pattern: either a certain number of motions, or notice a "catch," where the cards will stick a moment, signaling the time to stop.
Cutting:
The "traditional" cutting style is to set the cards on your right and cut the deck into three sections,
moving from right to left. Then take the far left stack, place it on top of the far right, and then place the combined stack on top of the center.
This is only one way to cut the deck. However you chose to cut them, be consistent. The repeating pattern you use with each reading will strengthen the connection with
your Inner Self; the motions are a signal to the Inner Self to form the link.
Layout:
The "traditional" way is to set the stack on the right and turn the cards over by flipping them right to left. Again, the ideas is to find a comfortable, consistent way that works best for you, and
stick with it.
Clearing:
After a reading, it is important to clear the deck of the energies surrounding that reading.
This can be as simple as reshuffling the cards back into a random order. After extremely powerful readings, wrapping the reshuffled deck in a black cloth, and rubbing it down with a
black tourmaline stone (aka schorl) will help to dissipate the energy as well. When the deck is cleared, it will be ready for another reading or storage.