Using multiple decks.

Lurking through these forums, I've noticed that there are quite a few people who have a very large number of decks... and this left me with a few questions.

I currently have only one deck, but I would like to get more. The only thing is, I feel very attached to my current deck and couldn't really see using a different deck. I would hate to get another deck and just let it sit around to collect dust. It would be tough too because I don't know how I would decide when to use each deck. So for those of you who have multiple decks, how do you juggle them all, and how do you decide when to use which deck?

If you like the one deck you have so much, why bother with any more at all unless you like the art - you don't have to...or go for something a bit different to tarot like an oracle deck which if you wanted you could also use as clarifiers while doing a tarot reading or just use the oracle for one day draws etc.

Paul

I'd say, if you are attached to your deck and it works for you, don't succumb to the Tarot addictions of the masses-unless of course you want to be a colletor.

As far as deciding when to use a different deck, I can't explain it, you just feel it. You can feel when you've worked with one enough and you would like a fresh perspective. In addition, there's nothing like going back to a long loved deck after a brief hiatus.

Good luck on your Tarot journey.

And I can add that a lot of us who have many decks started collecting because we were looking for "the one."
You're lucky that you found "the one" you connected with right away....so collect more if you feel the urge too...but don't think you have to.
All a real tarot reader needs is one deck they connect with, and it sounds like you have that already.

In fact, having a few decks is not a bad thing, as long as you are happy with it.

Another deck is a way to see things differently.

They can have different purposes, you can use a tarot and an oracle together, you can use them at different period of the year...

Thank you guys very much, this is all very helpful. :]

So, what exactly is the difference between a tarot deck and an oracle deck?

subliminal said:

Thank you guys very much, this is all very helpful. :]

So, what exactly is the difference between a tarot deck and an oracle deck?

Click to expand...

Now that's a good question...tarot normally have four suits of 14 cards (pents, cups, swords, wands) and 22 majors wheras oracle can really have any struture you like and don't follow this pattern.

Still same principle a card gets drawn and there is a meaning assosiated to it which asnwers your question

Paul

Just like SpiritOfTheDogz has said.

A Tarot Deck consists of 22 Major Arcana (usually with traditional names) and 56 Minor Arcana, divided into 4 suits (Wands, Swords, Cups, Pentacles), thus each has 14 cards (Ace to 10, Page, Knight, Queen, King).

An Oracle Deck consists of any number of cards you can imagine. Traditional oracles are Lenormand (36 cards), Kipper (36), Gypsy Fortune Telling (36), Sibilla (36, correct me if I'm wrong), playing cards (usually 52, although I know decks with only 30 cards) and runes (originally this is a set of 24 or 25 stone plates, but it's available in card form too, also 24 or 25 cards).

The method is the same, no matter if you use Tarot or an oracle - you randomly draw a card or several cards that gives you the answer to a question. The only real differences in the use of oracle decks in comparison to Tarot decks is that you use very detailed spreads with Tarot cards but quite general spreads (which usually use a large amount of cards, if not all) with oracle decks.

Astraea Aurora

Thank you again. You guys are very helpful!

I have over 20 decks (which is paltry compared to the collections of some of these forum members! ), but most of them I have just for the art. Some of them I bought because they have imagery that resonates with me for some reason. My very first deck I bought for looks but I never read with it!

I have three decks that I use for reading for the public, and one or two others in reserve, all with generally the same imagery but each with a very different feel. Sometimes one deck will feel more "right" for a person than the others. Often I show the person three decks and ask him or her to choose one. I like to think the people are comfortable with my materials!

But a few other decks I'm working on for myself alone, especially ones that have different imagery than the common ones. I think that when the dust settles, I may end up using about half my collection and passing the rest on to other people.