When doing a reading for someone in person, I have the Seeker (you) shuffle the cards and cut the deck and I begin the reading by turning over the top card. In order to impart some of your energy into the deck during an e-mail based reading, I use numerology to shuffle and deal the cards.
Our birthdays can be reduced to a one digit number. This number reveals something about your personality (similar to astrology). I use this number to determine how many times I will shuffle & cut the cards, and which card I will start reading from.
For example, let's say your birthday is July 25, 1978 or 7-25-1978. I would add up the digits like this:
7 + 2 + 5 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 8 = 39
Then I continue to add the digits together until I get a single digit.
3 + 9 = 12
1 + 2 = 3
Therefore, your number is 3. To do your reading, I would shuffle the deck and then cut the cards three times. Then I would set aside the first two cards from the top of the pile and begin your reading by turning over the third card in the deck.
When doing a gender prediction spread, I use the baby's due date to determine how to deal.