Better to stick with 1 deck or use several decks in readings?

Sorry if this thread came up before. I'm new to tarot in that I just started learning and reading tarot cards in the past month. I've also discovered oracle cards when this professional reader told me that she prefered oracle decks (mainly the Psychic Oracle Tarot deck) over tarot because of the tarot's rigidity and what she felt was dated-ness.

I quite like the RWS deck--I think it's really general and flexible. But I also quite like some oracle decks and their narrower focus. Is it common to have several decks handy at once and incorporate them into a single reading?

Anyway, I'm just wondering if people prefer having one main, go-to deck for readings and alternating decks for different readings or if they prefer to use several decks at once, even in the same reading. Also, just out of curiosity, if you are reading for clients, would you use several decks at once, or would that be seen as unprofessional (that you rely on so many tools instead of having one main deck)?

I'd set up a poll, but there doesn't seem to be an option for that. Interested in people's input!

Having more than one deck is a good idea - for variety, for different pictoral values, for differing interpretations about card meanings, etc. You may find that one deck answers certain types of questions better than others for you. Using different decks keeps you and your interpretations from becoming stale.

But - using multiple decks within the same reading? Maybe as an experiment for yourself, but it could confuse the Querent (the person you are reading for.) What will you do if you are doing a reading with three different decks and two of the same cards from all three decks turn up?

I definately like having a variety of decks around for variety. Whether to use multiple decks in a reading depends entirely on your interests and how you read. Using an oracle deck in conjunction with a tarot deck can be really great. For instance, someone once did a reading for me with tarot, and then drew cards from an angel oracle for specific advice/healing on each point of the spread. It was very powerful and beautiful. If the idea interests you, play around with it, and check out the experimental section here at AT.

Most of all, have fun with it. The only rule is that there are no rules. In my opinion anyway!

I think that using multiple decks can be great for clarifying. Especially if absolutely NOTHING is making sense

I actually tried combining decks in readings and I realize that there was such a thing as deck compatibility, at least in my experience.

I tried using my Liber T deck with the Universal Tarot and it didn't work. They would often have conflicting results. However, when I tried combining the Liber T with the Etruscan Tarot, i have had very incisive and meaningful readings and interpretations. They often agree with each other, or at least complement each other. There are also instances wherein I get the same cards but with the different decks.

Some decks however seem to be unique and seem better off on their own, such as Klimt. In combining Oracle decks with Tarot, I have had friends that would do this and according to them, it works quite well, too.

exxyea said:

Sorry if this thread came up before. I'm new to tarot in that I just started learning and reading tarot cards in the past month. I've also discovered oracle cards when this professional reader told me that she prefered oracle decks (mainly the Psychic Oracle Tarot deck) over tarot because of the tarot's rigidity and what she felt was dated-ness.

I quite like the RWS deck--I think it's really general and flexible. But I also quite like some oracle decks and their narrower focus. Is it common to have several decks handy at once and incorporate them into a single reading?

Anyway, I'm just wondering if people prefer having one main, go-to deck for readings and alternating decks for different readings or if they prefer to use several decks at once, even in the same reading. Also, just out of curiosity, if you are reading for clients, would you use several decks at once, or would that be seen as unprofessional (that you rely on so many tools instead of having one main deck)?

I'd set up a poll, but there doesn't seem to be an option for that. Interested in people's input!

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My viewpoint is that you can feel welcome to ask anything and you don't have to feel you need to apologize. I am not for the asking people to look up answers first thing. To me this is a place to chat with others and a warm place where we are here for each other, not a library.

That being said, I personally have 110 decks now. Sometimes I combine different decks together, sometimes I don't. Like a lot of things in Tarot, I do things when the mood strikes me. A lot of knowing what the best thing to do at any given time in Tarot is just feeling it, otherwise known as following your intuition.

Tarot is about finding yoru own path to a large extent and following your feelings. If you like your RWS, it makes no difference if the next person prefers Oracles. You are working to find YOUR path, not theirs and that means following your feelings where they lead. Also just because something is common does not make it the best path for you.

For me, I always have all my decks handy when I read. I read at home, cross legged on my bed, LOL, and all my decks are in the two night tables on either side of my bed. While I sometimes to use two or more decks at once (4 decks what the most), I have to admit it's a rarity. I usually stick to one at at time, unless it's an issue where I really wants to see all sides of sonething (as each deck does tend to "think" differently).

I don't have just one "go to" deck for readings. I have 110 decks now and I use them all. I need to sense which deck is best for a reading. For most readings I prefer one deck at a time. For professional readings I always use only one deck at a time, but that is becasue the number of cards is predermined before we start. Although if a client actually requested a two deck reading, I'd be open to it, But that has not happened yet.

I don't think it would be unprofessional to use more than one deck. And I don't see it st all as "relying" on more tools. In my eyes, I don't see it as relying on anything. A reading is a reading of the cards. That is what it is. That is what I do, I read the cards. I consider myself good at it, but I have never claimed to be psychic. I don't get anything without the cards. I am not a psychic, I am a Tarot and Oracle card reader.

That would be kind of like someone reading a book and saying they are relying on the book to tell them the story, as if they should somehow know the story without having to read the words there. If that makes sense...and if I explained it well. LOL

Babs

I stick to one deck for the majority of the reading, but at the end I usually get my client to pick a card from one of my oracle decks - i like to use Doreen Virtue's "Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards" - they are all very positive cards and it is a nice way to end the reading on a positive, uplifting note.
I think combining decks (as in shuffling them together) would be too confusing and create a scattered feeling. However, if i am doing a few mini-spreads for someone (to answer a range of different questions/topics) i will sometimes use a different deck for each spread.
But typically, I think it is best to stick with one deck for the bulk of the reading.

I don't combine decks by shuffling them together. I ask each deck the same question separately and each forms part of the answer afterwards.


Babs

I only tried combining decks once (that is, actually shuffling them together) and was not happy with the results. In my experience using an oracle with tarot, in my case often the I Ching, sometimes others, works better than two tarot decks.

In response to your reader's comment, I do not find tarot either rigid or dated. I think that is just her opinion. Tarot literally encompasses all of human experience. But sometimes the oracles help bring it down to earth for we limited humans.

I've been using a combination of tarot and oracle for years, but I've had to play around with them a bit, as some seem more compatible than others. I usually do a tarot spread (one deck) then draw an oracle card that can act to summarize, clarify, or give additional information. On my daily blog I just pull one of each.