Deck of 1000 Spreads—New Spreadcrafting Tool

[schmedrake]

In Spring 2013, Llewellyn is releasing something entirely different for tarot enthusiasts—The Deck of 1000 Spreads: Your Tarot Toolkit for Creating the Perfect Spread for Any Situation.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Deck-1000-Spreads-Situation/dp/0738733393/ref=zg_bs_12659_26 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0738733393/ref=nosim/aeclectic/)

Because there's no photo or description up yet on Amazon, I'll tell you what it is. The Deck of 1000 Spreads is a deck of 57 oversized cards, each with a different spread position written on it. These are not tarot cards. They're spread position cards. The idea is that you choose the spread positions (such as "past", "situation" or "underlying influences") you want from the 57 options provided, then you place them in front of you, arranging them and rearranging as you like until you've created your own customized spread. It makes spreadcrafting easy!

THEN, when you've got your spread all laid out with the spread cards, you place a tarot card on top of each one. Since the spread card is oversized, the spread position name will poke out the top. Viola! A labeled spread! You'll never forget where you are in a reading again!

You can use the deck to create your own spreads, as I've just described. Or you can use it to lay out a spread you see in a book. Since the explanations of the spread positions are also written on the cards, you won't have to go back and forth between your book while doing your reading. Just lay the spread out and you can focus entirely on reading.

But here's the really cool part. You can turn all the cards over so that just the backs are showing and choose a handful of spread positions at random. Then you can position them in the order you like. It's like divining a spread!

The deck comes with a guidebook to help you understand the system and the basics of spreadcrafting. If you're new to spreadcrafting, the system designed into the cards will make the process easy for you.

Anyway, I just thought I'd alert you to the tool. There's never been anything like it offered by one of the major publishers before, so it's kind of exciting. And what's more exciting for me, is that I'm the one who came up with it and wrote the book! :)

Feel free to ask questions if you're curious or if I didn't explain something well enough. For the time being, there is no picture to show you and I can't get specific about what the 57 cards are. But I can say that I put a lot of work into researching spreads and finding commonalities between them so that the deck will allow you to craft countless options. Certainly you'll find all the spread positions of tarot's basic spreads in the deck, as well as a number of others just to keep things interesting. The aim was to be highly utilitarian, covering the positions found in the kinds of spreads we do every day, rather than covering every spread we'll ever come across in our time as a reader. Clearly that would be an impossible task. But, as you can imagine, with 57 cards, you'll have a lot of options to play with.

[tarotbear]

Well, it sounds like you found a niche and a way to fill it! Good Luck with it! :party:

[Chiriku]

I have been designing my own spreads for about 13 years, which is only one or two years short of my whole tarot reading life. I will always prefer my own system for designing spreads tailored to a vast spectrum of questions and life situations.

Having said that,

I think the Deck of 1,000 Spreads is a cracking good idea. It's one I can't believe publishers have overlooked until now. Sign me up.

[tarotbear]

BTW, schmedrake ~ who is {physically} publishing the cards? There are so many of us here working on decks and card publishing is something most of us have no clue about. Point us in the right direction, please? Thanks! :D

[schmedrake]

Llewellyn is publishing. :)

[schmedrake]

tarotbear, here is a link to Llewellyn's submission guidelines. The process is that you come up with a proposal based on the guidelines (there are different guidelines listed on the site for books, this one is for decks.) Then you submit the proposal to the address provided. So the effort is all in the proposal.

[AJ]

Well done, congratulations!! It sounds both clever and brainy...those two don't always go hand in hand :) Great job, hope it sells a million sets.

[schmedrake]

Thanks! It's a lot of fun to play with. :)

[tarotbear]

http://www.llewellyn.com/about/tarot_submissions.php

[schmedrake]

Sorry! Yes!

[tarotbear]

So, did you follow their guidelines such as 'no lettering on the cards- we'll add that ourselves' and that stuff?

So, do you have control, or did you sign that all away so Llewellyn has permanent rights to everything? Just curious ...

[schmedrake]

Well, my situation was a little different in that my cards aren't tarot cards. They're all-text cards. So I sent them to them fully mocked up, because that's how I submitted that text to them.

I'm not an artist, so I'm happy for them to have control over the visual aspects. I'm sure the process would be different if I designed a deck, but in this case I wrote a deck. I really don't know how it works for artists. My suggestion would be to send your proposal to a few publishers and ask questions BEFORE you sign the contract. If there are deal-breakers in the way you've designed your deck, like size or it has to be 3-D or something, iron that out before, too. Different publishers have different ways of working. Make sure you find the right fit for your needs.

BUT remember that they're the experts at doing this. They know what looks right on a shelf in a bookstore and they know what appeals to their customer. They're the ones taking the most risk, financially speaking. So it's not all about the artist or author. If you want full creative control over a project, then self publish. You can do one of those kickstarter campaigns to raise money. Like with any business partnership, there are tradeoffs.

[Carla]

Hi Shmedrake, this sounds interesting. I wonder why 57 cards? Were those just the top spread positions you found in researching spreads? Also, what's in the guide book? The idea itself sounds pretty self-explanatory. I think it's a cool idea! Do you know when it will be ready for sale? Do you have any idea what the set will look like, or actual dimensions of the cards?

[schmedrake]

Hi, Carla. Yes, 57 because that's what it narrowed down to when I came up with the list of all the spread positions to include.

The set will be coming out in March. The guidebook contains information on how to craft a spread and different ways to use the cards. Like you said, it's pretty self-explanatory, but not everyone has crafted a spread before. Plus, the cards will be color coded for use in my spreadcrafting system (basically a system that makes spreadcrafting easier for beginners and those who want to follow my way of spreadcrafting.) So if you want to know what the colors mean, you'll have to look in the book. And I may also have suggestions of ways to use the cards in the book that you haven't thought of. Certainly many on this forum will be putting them to use right out of the box, however, and won't have to read the book.

I have seen the box design, which has a picture of the cards in use on it. So that's all I've seen of the design so far. Sooner or later I'll have to finalize the copy on all the cards, so I have no doubt I'll see them at some point. I suggested a size of roughly 3x6....wide enough to fit the width of most tarot cards and tall enough for the spread name to poke out the top. Clearly, the cards won't be bigger than a Rohrig, for example. But I have a pretty large collection of decks and there are only a few that are either taller or wider than the spread cards.

[Wintergreen]

Very interesting. I'll be looking forward to this - I like stuff for experimentation. Keep us posted!

[tarotbear]

schmedrake - just for the record - how long did/will the process take between your creating the cards and their publication and release next March? People seem surprized when I tell them my book took two years to make happen.

[schmedrake]

I think I did the proposal at this time last year. I wrote the book and submitted the cards sometime around September or October last year. So it's going to take 1.5 years when it's all done and, from what I understand, that's faster than normal. So your two years is typical, from what I understand.

[tarotbear]

Thank you! I think sometimes people need to see these statements from those of us who have 'been there' and understand that we are very patient and steadfast people to wait all that time to see a plan come to fruition, in this world where gratification is never instant enough and people want something new 'yesterday.'

I look forward to hearing you document the process for us. :thumbsup:

[rachelcat]

Congratulations! I can't wait to see the finished product (or at least a picture of it :))!

Everyone: I have seen and used a prototype of this deck, and it's very cool! I'm a spread snob (I usually only use my own spreads), so it really means something when I say this deck really works! Randomized spread positions really add more intuitive power to a normal randomized card reading. (Then there are the other bells and whistles, which I haven't tried out yet.)

So look for it, you'll like it!

[schmedrake]

Hooray, my first endorsement! And from someone as picky when it comes to tarot as me! :D

Rachelcat is one of the very few people who have known about the project since, pretty much, its inception. And she is among those who helped me test and refine the product before I submitted it to Llewellyn. :)

[rylla]

Sounds like a great and fresh idea and production. I am looking forward to it (and pre-ordering , of course).

[Alta]

I missed this thread earlier. What a great idea, I'll be getting this pack.

[shadowdancer]

Looks like it could be a useful tool to use when I am not sure how to break up a spread for a given reading.

Another item added to my pre-order list for this year. :)

[schmedrake]

I'm glad people here are discovering this!

The product's facebook page is here and from there, you'll find links to my daily blog where I use the deck for daily draws. I don't come on Aeclectic as much as I'm there. So if anyone has any questions, feel free to "like" my page and ask away.

https://www.facebook.com/KTierneySadler

There are so many uses for the deck. Yesterday I gave a reading to someone who had never had a reading before and she felt it made her feel more comfortable. For the querent to see what topic you're addressing with each card you read, it helps make it all make sense. And they can even go through the cards with you and choose the questions they want answered.

Hop over to my public Facebook page and see it in action!

[rwcarter]

Just got an order update from Amazon that this book is estimated to arrive 3 weeks earlier than originally thought. So I could likely have it by the end of the month!

[schmedrake]

Hooray! I received all my author copies today, which means all the kits are assembled and shrink wrapped. So I imagine Amazon should have them quite soon, if they don't have them already.

You can start shopping for bags now. They're 6" high, so you'll need a larger bag. :D

[magpie9]

I've been waiting for this deck for a few months now..it's brilliant! So glad to see it will be here soon!

[Alta]

The ability to tailor to the question really makes this useful.

[schmedrake]

You'll see when you get it, Alta. You can quickly thumb through the cards and pull out the spread positions you want, then form a spread. For someone familiar with tarot and spreads it will literally take about the same time as it takes you to shuffle your tarot cards. It makes it very easy to create a new spread for every question.

[rwcarter]

Impressions as I'm unwrapping and opening the box for the first time.
It's a much bigger box than I was expecting.
Typical Llewellyn misuse of space as the outer box could've been half the thickness it is.
The well in which the cards reside didn't keep its shape. It kinda looks cool, but none of the parts of it are secured in any reasonable way, so it's not going to keep its shape for any duration of time. (I'll be using double-sided tape to secure/stabilize the well.)
The cards are really long, but narrow (6" x 3" or 152mm x 75mm)
They're color-coded:
Blue for Influence (22 cards)
Green for Topic (16 cards)
Maroon for Outcome (5 cards)
Purple for Timing (10 cards)
Orange for Character (6 cards)
There are two blank cards for Influence and one blank card of the other types, presumably to create your own positions. (Strangely enough my blue blanks were in the middle of the green cards and the other blanks are almost at the back of the deck, just before a lone Topic card titled "Friendship".)
The companion book is 137 pages.
As more of an advanced spreadcrafter, it's doubtful I'll ever use the cards to lay out an existing spread (like the Celtic Cross shown in the book), but "retooling" and "revisioning" classic spreads are both very intriguing ideas and I actually like the revisioned Celtic Cross spread (with a romance focus) shown in the book. (I think I'm much more likely to revision than to retool, cause I currently retool all the time.)
I think randomly picking cards and using them to create a spread will produce rather interesting results! :)

Other than the typical Llewellyn packaging, my only niggle about the set is its name. I think it would have been better named "The Deck of Thousands of Spreads". If you randomly pull 2 cards from the deck of 59, there are 3422 combinations, far more than 1000 as suggested by the title.

Otherwise, great job and congrats schmedrake!

[schmedrake]

Thanks, Rodney.

The name came down to the fact that I liked the sound of "Deck of 1000 Spreads." I liked the meter and length of it. (I'm weird that way.) It rolls easily off the tongue and allowed me to create a short URL like 1000spreads.com. So the title is all my fault. I know the actual number of combinations is probably near, if not over, a million. But a million is a big number to wrap your head around and, for many people, not believable (not to mention an overwhelming thought for beginners...while this deck was created for tarotists of all levels, the color coding and "system" was largely created to facilitate learning the craft.) Besides, people rarely complain about getting more than what's indicated on the package of something...haha. But you're right. The number of combinations is considerably higher. But that was my thinking behind naming it, and the thinking had a strong marketing slant to it...catchy, easy to remember, rolls off tongue, short URL...because I'm marketing writer by trade. :)

I may be speaking out of turn, but I think that the packaging is because of the dies and the tooling of the printing presses. It's not economically advantageous to do a new box and kit for every product, because that requires new dies and retooling. You'll notice that, with the exception of my cards, all Llewellyn cards are the same size. This standardization is conservative from a business standpoint, yet the box size allows flexibility for expanded use.

And you'll read about this in the book, but the deck is oversized so that the position name peeks out above your card. So it's as wide as a "normal" tarot card, but longer so you can line your cards up all pretty on it. This obviously doesn't work for every deck (apologies to my Rohrig), but as I was creating the prototype, I tested it against a large selection of cards and this seemed to be the best size for *most* decks...those of Lo Scarabeo, Llewellyn, Schiffer and US Games standard sizes.

I'm glad you got it and hope you'll have fun playing with it! And if you come up with interesting ways to use it, you can email me from the deck's site (www.1000spreads.com) and send me a pic and description of how you're using it. I already have a couple of ideas up there that don't appear in the book but that people thought of right out of the box. I didn't have that URL built at the time of printing (last Fall) so it will hopefully make it into the book in any second edition that may be printed. However people can get to that site from the URL that WAS printed in the book, so all is well. :)

[rwcarter]

Yes, I saw in the book that the tarot card is supposed to be laid on top of the spread position card so that the position title shows above the card.

The outer box looks the same size as the Steampunk, Dugan's Witches, etc. I have a greater issue with the well in which the cards sit. There is no adhesive anywhere to stabilize that shape, just a couple of notches on either side, which don't do the job. (Well, at least there wasn't until I applied double-sided tape. Now it's quite stabilized.)

1000 vs thousands in terms of underselling and over delivering? I ain't mad at you. :)

Will definitely let you know if I come up with any interesting ways to use the deck.

[schmedrake]

Thanks.

I get what you mean about the adhesive...even on normal sized decks. I know you're a collector, as am I. I flatten all of that for storage and get bags for the decks I like...haha. I kind dig those Lo Scarabeo boxes with the magnets, though...like on the Book of Shadows tarot. I like keeping decks in those. And I like the way they left a space for the So Below deck in that package. I'm curious to see if that's offered as a deck with no box or what.

FYI, if you're looking for a bag for your Deck of 1000 Spreads, these are the perfect size. I put the link in the "tips" section on my site, too. She's not connected to me in any way. I just like her bags. :)

http://www.etsy.com/shop/threadsofmagique

[Carla]

Would it be possible to see a list of all the card titles?

ETA: I wish we could get them as cheap over here as they are in the US. £25 here (US $37.99) vs US $17 on amazon there! It's so demoralising, and frankly, puts me off buying the deck. I will just have to wait and see if it ever gets any cheaper.

[schmedrake]

I don't feel comfortable putting up all the card names, since it's a large part of the product. However, I'm sure someone will be doing that eventually. If you go to my blog at tierneysadler.com, you can scroll through dozens of posts I've made using them over the past few weeks. And you can see more at 1000Spreads.com and on the deck's Facebook page. I've been showing the deck off quite regularly since December.

And they're $23/17 euros at Book Depository and I think they ship free.

[Carla]

And they're $23/17 euros at Book Depository and I think they ship free.

Doh! I ordered it.

[schmedrake]

Hooray!

Someone told me it's not available in Germany yet, so they bought a copy from me. But that's the only availability issue I've heard. Llewellyn does a good job at distribution. I suggested Book Depository to the German lady, too, but she said mailing within Europe was unreliable. It surprised me because everything I order from them comes quickly and reliably.

I have another product for Lenormand reading and have been shipping things all over the world and am shocked at how quickly people get things from the US and visa versa. I've sent to and ordered from a woman in Australia a couple of times and it seems to take just about two weeks. I think that's pretty impressive.

[Carla]

I have another product for Lenormand reading and have been shipping things all over the world and am shocked at how quickly people get things from the US and visa versa. I've sent to and ordered from a woman in Australia a couple of times and it seems to take just about two weeks. I think that's pretty impressive.

I saw your Lenormand product on your website. Is there a thread over in Oracles where we can talk about it?

[schmedrake]

No, I never made one. If you just have a question, you can PM me. I never thought to make one. I haven't ever been in that forum...haha.

[schmedrake]

OK, Carla. I just made one. :)

[Lee]

I've been reading the book for the last few days, and tonight I tried a few spreads. I really like it! I must admit, seeing the spread positions labeled like that took a little getting used to. But it works great -- in fact it's very freeing, because you can relax the part of your brain that you use to remember spread positions.

I tried the five-card, one-card-from-each-color method. First I simply chose at random from each color, which is a good method if you don't have a specific question. For my next reading, I had a specific question, and I went through each color and picked what seemed to me to be relevant cards, one from each color, and that too worked well.

For the last year or so I've been doing a lot of no-spread readings, looking for relationships between the cards to create lines of meaning. But I like solidly spread-based readings too, and this is a great way to do it without falling back into the rut of the same-old, same-old spreads. I really recommend this deck as a way to make things more varied and interesting.

I like the book because it appeals to different kinds of reading styles, from tradition-bound to completely freeform, with a range of suggestions in between.

Nicely done, Tierney!

[schmedrake]

Wow, Lee. You brought a tear to my eye.

And yeah, that freeing thing! You can concentrate just on the reading and not "ok what position is this and what is this position supposed to mean?"

Thank you so much for what you said about the book. :)

In fact, if you feel like cutting and pasting what you said here on to the Amazon's site, I would not be averse. :D

Honestly, though. Thank you. :)

[schmedrake]

OMG...LEE! I know you! :D Thank you so much. I still think about that TdM talk you gave.

[Lee]

In fact, if you feel like cutting and pasting what you said here on to the Amazon's site, I would not be averse. :DDone. :)

[Alta]

Thanks from me as well Lee, good intro to the deck. I think my copy should arrive today.

[schmedrake]

Hooray! Thanks, Lee!

Alta, if you come up with cool spreads or different uses, photograph them and email them to me to share on www.1000spreads.com. I put email links all over the place there. I really hope you enjoy it. :)

[Lee]

I forgot to say, I used the RWS Commemorative in my readings, and found an unexpected effect -- the colors of the 1000 Spreads cards interact interestingly with the colors of the RWS, which I suppose would also happen with any deck. For example, the orange of the Orange (people) card picked up the orange of the card that landed on it, the Emperor. And the red of the Red (outcomes) card highlighted the red in the outfit of its card, the Knight of Cups.

[schmedrake]

I've actually had a lot of freakish experiences with that, Lee. Last night for my daily draw I drew a purple spread card and darned if the tarot card I drew wasn't the exact shade of purple!

But you bring up a really good point...what does that mean? I'm like you in that I read associations like that...colors across cards or a preponderance of swords...stuff like that. However I'm not sure I considered drawing those correlations in with the spread cards and tarot cards.

Brilliant!

[shadowdancer]

Congrats on the release of this, and the great feedback you have had :) Looks well deserved.

I had pre-ordered this through BD then cancelled it. Something kept niggling away so it was re-ordered through Amazon but sadly may not be here in time for the Mind, Body & Spirit festival next week here in Christchurch.

I really feel this has been one of those 'duh why hadn't it been done before!' moments, which I love. I am not sure I can top what Lee has suggested, and it sounds like those who have it in their wee mits have already come up with some terrific uses. I look forward to working with it though, and will certainly be leaving positive feedback on amazon.

Davina

[Lee]

Here's another idea. :)

www.1000spreads.com/2013/02/advanced-technique-creating-custom.html

[shadowdancer]

Lee, it was that I was referring to - it was brilliant!

Reminded me of how we use the Transparent tarot to overlay and get one holistic take. You have done the same with this deck for spreads or posing a question.

I have read a review recently, and it did raise an interesting point.

Could there in the future, be an add on pack for this deck? The reviewer mentioned positions for the zodiac/chakras as well as questions for authors who could use the questions when writing a piece of fiction.
Therefore the currently published deck is the basis and one that would apply 95% of the time (ish) but the add on pack could cater for those who use the deck in other ways.

Just a thought...

I have a puzzle game here called tantrix (yep the title always makes me giggle like a 14 year old who hasn't grown up yet) but once I played the game I then went and bought the add on boards for further puzzles.

[schmedrake]

Hi, Shadowdancer. That was actually an intention I had at the time...an add-on pack. And it might be time to talk to Llewellyn about that.

The reason I didn't do it from the get-go was because all the thoughts I had quickly brought the total number of cards to near 100. In my own mind at the time, I thought 100 cards might be very overwhelming...might make individual cards hard to find. And that would be a pretty huge deck to shuffle, etc. So I decided to start with a set that represented the basic, classic spreads and see how that went. In my proposal, though, I did put that bug out in case this was a success. In that case, it would deck only....no book. Kind of like Lo Scarabeo is doing with As Above and So Below. At least I assume So Below will be deck only.

Thank you for your comments. And Lee's suggestions have blown my mind so far...haha.

[SoapDance]

What an interesting thread! I just used my Barnes & Noble 20% coupon and ordered the Deck of 1000 Spreads.

Can't wait to get it!

Patti

[Juliana]

I've had mine a week or so and I'm loving it. One of the unexpected benefits for me is that it has made tarot journaling much more useful. I always take a picture of my personal readings and attach it to my journal (on Evernote). Well, now I can look back and get much more out of that picture since the positions are clearly marked in the photo. I'm loving that!

[schmedrake]

Oh, I like that Juliana. Do you mind if I take that tip and add it to 1000spreads.com?

[Juliana]

Oh, I like that Juliana. Do you mind if I take that tip and add it to 1000spreads.com?

Sure. Please do! :) It really is handy. No more looking back at photos and trying to remember what spread positions I used!

[shadowdancer]

Still waiting for my copy to arrive. Should be any day now :)

Schmedrake, I know any initial discussions with publishers will be private etc, but as and when you know, and are able to share, can you update us on what will happen in the future with regards to any add on pack?

I think the potential here to cover specialist uses makes this deck and the idea behind it particularly unique.

I have just had a 2 day festival of readings, and this would have been great to use. I ditched the Celtic Cross and came up with an 8 card spread which I know you have card positions for - it would have looked so polished, and none of the other readers would have offered it. Next time round it will be used...lol (Sept)

[schmedrake]

I hope you get it soon, Shadowdancer!

I think an add-on pack will be dependent on the success of this deck. And it's too early to tell how successful it has been. Like, they know how many have been ordered by booksellers, but they don't know what actual sales are yet. Then the question would be how long it would take to get them done. BUT I am keeping a list of suggestions and some ideas I've had. I bet we could do a pack that's about the same amount of cards as this one. And maybe we could add some more blanks, too. So fingers crossed it's a HUGE GLOBAL SUCCESS...haha. :)

[LadyDeborah]

I picked these cards up tonight at Barnes & Noble. I think I'm going to like this Toolkit.

[Aivli]

Hi Schmedrake!

What a fabulous idea you've put into action!! I can't wait to get copy of this deck!!

Have you thought about turning it into a iPad app??? I'm not sure exactly how it would translate, but I bet it would make a great app if it was developed correctly!!

Just a thought...

[schmedrake]

Thanks, ladies!

I do think it would make a cool app. I'm not sure how all that happens, but I'm pretty sure it would have to come at me from Llewellyn. I think it would be interesting for randomly generating spreads, but for building your own, I think the cards are more efficient. Still it would be fun to have an app. :)

[Theta Choir]

I just bought my Deck of 1000 Spreads from Barnes & Noble yesterday, and used it for the first time tonight; Gotta say, I love it.

As a newer ADHD-diagnosed tarot reader who has the basic card meanings down, the next step for me is learning to interpret the cards in relationship to each other. But because of the frustration of trying to remember card meanings, spread position meanings, and process card interactions all at the same time, I had mostly given up on spreads completely.

It's such a simple concept, but seeing the spread positions clearly labeled reduces my stress level and allows me to concentrate on a more nuanced kind of reading than I had been attempting before. Not having to remember spread positions is very freeing. I really love what you've done with this, Schmnedrake. Well done! I cant' wait to work with it some more!

[Lourdez]

Mine has been here for a week and I haven't had a chance to use it yet :(

I am not one to use spreads as I can't remember positions or what the spots are etc. so this is perfect for me to learn spreads :):)

Thank you can't wait to try it :)

[shadowdancer]

mine is coming snail mail by the looks of it - been 3 weeks since it was marked as posted from Amazon and no sign as yet.

Still only read positive things about this deck, so am definitely looking forward to it.

I am interested in seeing how the current owners use it. Do you create spreads with positions already in mind? Do you just shuffle each section and draw one or two cards from each and use those?

So come on peeps, share the experience :D :D

Davina

[schmedrake]

Thank you, Theta and Lourdez. It makes me smile to hear that this is helping you focus more and learn about spreads.

Shadowdancer, I recently made a post at www.1000spreads.com that detailed one woman's technique. You might enjoy reading it in her words.

Personally I use one of two methods. I draw at random from a shuffled full deck. I do that mostly with one-card draws. And when I'm reading for others or with a specific topic in mind, I'll just thumb through the deck face-up and pull out all the cards that might be interesting for the topic. Then when I have all those pulled out, I see which ones I really want to use and make spread out of them.

Of course it's easy for me to say, but I don't envision me looking in a book or online for a spread to use in the future. I'll probably still pull out the Celtic Cross now and again. Or the Star spread. But this deck lets me be "in the moment" with a reading...using the positions that jump out at that particular moment in time. There's just a more organic dance between the spread and the cards and the reader for me when using it. The more I hear how other people are using it and the more I use it myself, I realize that my role in this has been more like Dr. Frankenstein. I put the parts together, but once that was done, the thing has taken on a life of itself. There's so much more to it than I envisioned or planned for. I feel blessed to be a part of it.

[schmedrake]

Thank you, Theta and Lourdez. It makes me smile to hear that this is helping you focus more and learn about spreads.

Shadowdancer, I recently made a post at www.1000spreads.com that detailed one woman's technique. You might enjoy reading it in her words.

Personally I use one of two methods. I draw at random from a shuffled full deck. I do that mostly with one-card draws. And when I'm reading for others or with a specific topic in mind, I'll just thumb through the deck face-up and pull out all the cards that might be interesting for the topic. Then when I have all those pulled out, I see which ones I really want to use and make spread out of them.

Of course it's easy for me to say, but I don't envision me looking in a book or online for a spread to use in the future. I'll probably still pull out the Celtic Cross now and again. Or the Star spread. But this deck lets me be "in the moment" with a reading...using the positions that jump out at that particular moment in time. There's just a more organic dance between the spread and the cards and the reader for me when using it. The more I hear how other people are using it and the more I use it myself, I realize that my role in this has been more like Dr. Frankenstein. I put the parts together, but once that was done, the thing has taken on a life of itself. There's so much more to it than I envisioned or planned for. I feel blessed to be a part of it.

[ctrymaus]

I just got the Deck of 1000 Spreads yesterday! I love it! I've designed my own spreads for years, most of the time on the fly. But I didn't want to have to search for a spread or sit down and design one yesterday. I had a question and needed information and guidance. I have only read about 1/2 of the instruction book (which is really useful!); but I took a card for the situation, a pro card and con card, some timing cards, and an advice card. I used my Angel Tarot deck, which I haven't actually used in quite some time. I got a really clear understandable reading and very helpful too.

I'm looking forward to using this deck a lot, for ease of setting up spreads but also for divining spreads!

The box (at least the one I got) has a flimsy insert, so I'm waiting on a pretty drawstring bag for the cards. The book is hefty and is very good reading!

CountryMouse

[ctrymaus]

mine is coming snail mail by the looks of it - been 3 weeks since it was marked as posted from Amazon and no sign as yet.

Still only read positive things about this deck, so am definitely looking forward to it.

I am interested in seeing how the current owners use it. Do you create spreads with positions already in mind? Do you just shuffle each section and draw one or two cards from each and use those?

So come on peeps, share the experience :D :D

Davina

I just got my deck yesterday, but needed to do a reading almost right away. Something had come up and I needed guidance. I usually only do 1-card pulls or 3-card spreads, but I needed more. I didn't want to spend time looking up a spread.

What I did in using the Deck of 1000 Spreads was go through the deck face up and find the cards that covered what I wanted to know, then laid them out, then proceeded with my tarot reading as usual. I got a clear, accurate reading. Very helpful!

I'm halfway through reading the guidebook and will be trying all kinds of other things with this deck!

CountryMouse

[ctrymaus]

Hi, Shadowdancer. That was actually an intention I had at the time...an add-on pack. And it might be time to talk to Llewellyn about that.

The reason I didn't do it from the get-go was because all the thoughts I had quickly brought the total number of cards to near 100. In my own mind at the time, I thought 100 cards might be very overwhelming...might make individual cards hard to find. And that would be a pretty huge deck to shuffle, etc. So I decided to start with a set that represented the basic, classic spreads and see how that went. In my proposal, though, I did put that bug out in case this was a success. In that case, it would deck only....no book. Kind of like Lo Scarabeo is doing with As Above and So Below. At least I assume So Below will be deck only.

Thank you for your comments. And Lee's suggestions have blown my mind so far...haha.

I would definitely buy an add-on pack. My sweetie is a board game collector and often buys add-ons for games that come out later. You can play the basic game or something more.

I have only had your deck for one day, but can see I'm going to be using it a LOT. I mostly read oracle cards, but I did do an actual tarot reading with it yesterday (the day I got it!). I'm loving it! And I think you did a great job on the guidebook. Not something to skim--lots of good info!

P.S. If you do an add-on, could you please let us know when it would be coming out so we could pre-order or something?

CountryMouse

[schmedrake]

Thanks, CountryMouse! If we get to do a completer pack, I'll probably yap about it until people's ears turn red. So you'll know....haha. Thanks for all the nice stuff you said about my book. And also visit www.1000spreads.com for more cool things. I'm trying to update it once a week or so with new spreads and/or new ideas as they come up.

[ctrymaus]

Thanks, CountryMouse! If we get to do a completer pack, I'll probably yap about it until people's ears turn red. So you'll know....haha. Thanks for all the nice stuff you said about my book. And also visit www.1000spreads.com for more cool things. I'm trying to update it once a week or so with new spreads and/or new ideas as they come up.

Oh good. I haven't had a chance to do any more readings yet (well, that was just yesterday). But I'm moving along through the book. When I'm not watching the raccoon that's been living under our front porch but is trying to soak up some sun beside the porch today before we get snow &c. and will be removed on Monday. He's obviously sick and dying, so it's best for everyone. :-(

www.1000spreads.com looks great, and I intend to look around it carefully when I get a little more time! Here is a photo of the spread I did:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctrymaus/8583900584/

Click on the pic to "view all sizes". Then you can see it better. :-) I was using daylight, so the blue and purple don't look very different. I tried using flash, but it bounced off one of the cards.

CountryMouse

[schmedrake]

Hey, that's a great spread! If you like, I'll add it to my spread gallery!

I think your picture looks good. I have trouble with the flash, too. If you photograph it from a lower angle it works ok. :)

[ctrymaus]

Hey, that's a great spread! If you like, I'll add it to my spread gallery!

I think your picture looks good. I have trouble with the flash, too. If you photograph it from a lower angle it works ok. :)

Thanks! Yes, you could add it to the gallery--I'm flattered! I didn't name it...maybe "I Need Advice" Spread. Or "How Is This Going To Go?" Spread. I like the first name. :-p

Question: I was racking my brains about how to ask the tarot about if we were going to get a lot of snow today/tomorrow. I finally gave up and will just see what happens. Do you have any ideas about asking about weather? Thanks!

CountryMouse

[schmedrake]

I don't. But usually when I ask a question that I think tarot can't answer, I'll get a card like a 5 of Pentacles depicting the mother and son in snow. Or the Sun card (which would be a big no)...haha. So just try and see what you get. You could pull one card. Or three.

[ctrymaus]

I don't. But usually when I ask a question that I think tarot can't answer, I'll get a card like a 5 of Pentacles depicting the mother and son in snow. Or the Sun card (which would be a big no)...haha. So just try and see what you get. You could pull one card. Or three.

Okay, I'll try that later today. Thanks! :-)

CountryMouse

[schmedrake]

I put your contribution up with a few other things today at www.1000spreads.com. :)

[ctrymaus]

I put your contribution up with a few other things today at www.1000spreads.com. :)

Thanks very much! :)

CMouse

[shadowdancer]

It arrived... yahoo!!

Well, I am impressed. And I LOVED the idea of just re-doing / re-tooling the Celtic Cross from scratch. That I will definitely be trying. Either pulling a specific card consciously that is linked with a posed question, and then using the colour codes to just select the other 9 cards unsighted, or heck will throw caution to the wind and just do all 10 cards in accordance with colour code unsighted. Live dangerously right :D :D
(If you have no idea what I am talking about, go buy the deck and read the book - it will all make perfect sense!)

2 things I have done already. First up, the blank cards. (I was hoping to see how others had used them, but not really encountered much info, so I just dived right in with the ones from my deck). Tierney explains you can top and tail to double up on the extra titles, and that is what I did. So, I now have 10 extra titles which fit right in with the sections they are aligned with.


Now on to what I can see myself doing with the Question and Clarification cards :D

I have a section in my folder of using a tarot card to pose a question, using the 5WH technique (where/why/what/when/who/how) and have never really used it. In fact it could be used as a question of the day to highlight what to reflect or meditate on.
I will select a tarot card to go with the question and then one for the clarifier.

So, the question card can be used to highlight the issue of the reading, if for example, the client didn't have a specific question, or did not know what to focus on with ther reading.

However, it could also be used to open the reading with a question within the question (if that makes sense.....)
Example: Someone asking about a relationship, and why they haven't got a boyfriend as they want to get married, and were always single or in short term relationships. The question card was the 7 of cups, so it could be saying "What is it you are looking for in your ideal partner?" and the clarifier, being the 6 of wands could be "If you find the right person, what would be the sense of achievement for you?"
I am sure I can come up with something a bit clearer by way of explanation, but the potential to use the first drawn tarot card to pose the question for the remainder of the reading is most definitely there. This takes it beyond seeing the tarot card being the gist of the overall theme. So instead of saying to the client she had some choices or options she could consider (very generic) a very pertinent question was posed instead.

So there you have it folks. A very happer camper here. Over time I had come to despair at the blandness of the traditional CC, and had resorted to amending it for the festivals. I have felt it to be restrictive and not very good as a general spread. Thanks to Tierney, and the Deck of 1000 spreads I can take it further. I love the way the theme can be set and then caution subsequently thrown to the wind, with card positions being created on the run so to speak - knowing each one will be different. :)
I will also have the enthusiasm to actually use a card to ask a question

[ctrymaus]

First up, the blank cards. (I was hoping to see how others had used them, but not really encountered much info, so I just dived right in with the ones from my deck). Tierney explains you can top and tail to double up on the extra titles, and that is what I did. So, I now have 10 extra titles which fit right in with the sections they are aligned with.

Did you use sticky tape or labeling tape or what? I haven't decided what to use on mine yet. Something not too permanent, though.

CountryMouse

[shadowdancer]

If I had done one end only, I may have gone the none permanent route. Seeing as I have used both ends, I have use permanent marker. They were positions I would not hesitate in using so felt confident to go ahead.

Still have one blue card left if some other flash of inspiration hits.

[ctrymaus]

If I had done one end only, I may have gone the none permanent route. Seeing as I have used both ends, I have use permanent marker. They were positions I would not hesitate in using so felt confident to go ahead.

Still have one blue card left if some other flash of inspiration hits.

Ah, okay! I was just looking around at washi tape...

CountryMouse

[schmedrake]

Wow, Shadowdancer! It sounds like you're going for extra credit!

If you feel like sharing the position names, please do. I'm keeping a list of things in case we ever do a completer deck. :)

So glad it's given you so much enthusiasm. If you go to the deck's web page, you'll find a few more (brilliant) ways to use the deck, thanks to Lee and a couple of others. :)

[shadowdancer]

Sure I don't mind sharing :)

Character card additions:
Supporters / Antagonists

Topic additions:
Motive or motivation / Change

Outcome additions:
Alternative ending / Next step following completion

Timing additions:
Signposts for timing of action / Fire or Ice (signifying whether to be proactive or whether to delay etc)

Influence additions:
Strength of energy on issue (whether influence is passive, aggressive, minor, major etc) / Strength of energy on outcome (May indicate if the outcome is more cemented or if it is somewhat precarious etc)


I used the question/clarifier spread cards just now to look at my day and my initial workings with this book and deck. I realised my explanation of using a card to ask a question probably confused the heck out of everyone, so have explained it more below by way of an example.

Question card: Temperance
"How will I find a natural state of balance with this system within my current reading regime?"

I thought about this, and it will be a case of taking those bits that feel right and natural and blending them into my current systems. It should fit quite nicely.

Clarifyer: Wheel of Fortune
"What may cause me to throw a wheel, and perhaps be derailed from using these cards or any of the suggestions?"

I think it will be a seasonal thing (the deck used was the Wheel of Year), and I may go through states of hibernation where it is not used, and then a few months later feel totally energised and really dive in. This reminds me that I do sometimes feel the effects of SADS, and this may be the case with the deck. I have to also remember, if it feels difficult, I am just at the stage on the wheel where I am climbing upwards and not quite there yet. Given time and perseverance I can sit pretty at the top and feel relaxed and confident.

[Lee]

So, the question card can be used to highlight the issue of the reading, if for example, the client didn't have a specific question, or did not know what to focus on with ther reading.

However, it could also be used to open the reading with a question within the question (if that makes sense.....)
Example: Someone asking about a relationship, and why they haven't got a boyfriend as they want to get married, and were always single or in short term relationships. The question card was the 7 of cups, so it could be saying "What is it you are looking for in your ideal partner?" and the clarifier, being the 6 of wands could be "If you find the right person, what would be the sense of achievement for you?"
I am sure I can come up with something a bit clearer by way of explanation, but the potential to use the first drawn tarot card to pose the question for the remainder of the reading is most definitely there. This takes it beyond seeing the tarot card being the gist of the overall theme. So instead of saying to the client she had some choices or options she could consider (very generic) a very pertinent question was
Great idea! I'm going to try that.

[schmedrake]

Those are great suggestions, Shadowdancer! *placing them in my file*

[shadowdancer]

I have finished off the final blank card, as they are titles I often use for daily readings.
One end is 'expect', the other end is 'reflect'

Tierney, just a thought here (and it is just a thought), if you were to have another add on pack in the future (which I have fingers crossed for), would there be any mileage in another section for character or personality traits?

Sometimes a key way forward is to be aware of traits they are showing or to perhaps show a trait that would be beneficial to consider adopting.
Some I have used in the past have included:
Personal area for development
Greatest strength
Trait to adopt if change is to happen
Attribute you have that may be stifling or undermining an issue


I am sure some of these are already possible within the cards you already have, but it just struck me as an area that could have its own section in a way. It is not just a straight forward person card, but from personal current experiences, I know my personality traits have come to the fore and had an effect on the situation developments. And my partner has been very good at making me realise they help or hinder. (At the moment, hinder :) ) I know what I should be doing, what the advice is, what the influences are etc. But it is often possible to go about it the wrong way due to how we come across. Hope this makes sense anyways. And it is only a thought here - not a request or anything. I can see myself using a 'trait to consider' card or two next to any of the orange cards. It may refer to me (if the orange card was the you card) or may highlight the trait of another that once highlighted, can be approached in a proactive way.

In the meantime, I know I am going to have a bunch of fun with this deck :)

[schmedrake]

That's interesting, Shadow. I have to think some of those things through. One of my main priorities would be to get an astrological spread in the next deck, for example. And there are a few other ideas along those sort of "specialty" lines. Then I want to accommodate the idea of Choice #2 and Choice #2. And then some of your other suggestions and a list I've been keeping...the deck is getting large...haha. But those are good ideas and I'm going to keep writing down what people suggest. Then if this ever happens, I'll sit down with everything and see what's what.

This initial deck was "easy" in that I really just wanted to cover the kind of positions you find in most classic spreads, with a few extra things to throw in. Not that that was easy...I did a lot of poking around and consolidation, but I had parameters. But any completer deck would have looser parameters. Now, if you consider that something like "trait to adopt before change can happen" can be covered by "Advice" or "What I Can Change" or some other "surrogate"....those are the things I'd be noodling over to see what would make a final cut. My thought with using surrogate cards is that it's easy to remember that the "What I Can Change" card is really intended to be "What I Need to Do Before Change Happens" if you only have to do that with one or two cards, you know? Without some sort of surrogate logic, the options are literally endless.

In the initial workshop I did for this deck, I had people lay out a spread, except one of the positions in the spread did not have a corresponding spread card. It was "What's About to Develop". And I told them they had to choose from the purple cards. I thought it was so clear they'd choose the Immediate Future card. I mean, right? But some chose Future Life, some chose What to Use in the Future, some chose Future. So that told me that people kind of have their own filing system when it comes to these surrogate cards. And thinking of the spread cards in these more abstract ways really extends what you can do with just this first pack, you know?

So anyway, that's a long way of saying I'm writing it all down and probably won't make all the right choices in the end...haha. But that a lot of what is "missing" can be found in surrogate cards, and I've even written some of those key words on them (like in Heart of the Situation, I made sure to use "root" in the description, since that card is sometimes referred to as such.)

[schmedrake]

And I also want to say, I'm really appreciating the input. This is something that really hasn't been done or thought through before and I don't have all the answers.

I'd love a day when every tarot deck owner also owned the Deck of 1000 Spreads...like it was "just the way things are done", you know? I know that's an ambitious dream and it will take time to see if this really catches on. But if it does, I want to be at peace in knowing that it was something that, despite flaws here and there, was really designed smartly.

[Kathy123]

Looking forward to jumping into the book and cards this weekend!!

[shadowdancer]

I have used the deck twice now, with readings at AT. If you want to see the spreads and how they related to the questions, pop over to the readings exchange.

So far, I have liked working with it. I realised using a card to pose the question is not something that will always be relevant. But a useful tool to have in the box just in case.

The card size seems good. The two decks used were both trimmed, but they were not dwarfed in anyway by the spread position cards.

Anyone else working with them yet?

Davina

[RunningWild]

I hope to be using them by this weekend. I ordered it last week and the postman isn't moving fast enough.

[RunningWild]

Finally, it arrived! I got it back to the house and went through each card and I've begun reading the book. What a brilliant idea. I can hardly wait to see what's done in terms of expansion packs (perhaps a few more color-coded blank cards? hint hint). Congratulations.

[schmedrake]

Thanks, RunningWild. Have fun!

[Carla]

I finally got Deck of 1000 Spreads today. I've been doing 3-card draws with no positions for so long, this is going to be an interesting experience for me. :) Time to delve into the book and see what's what. I hope to write a review on my blog in a few days. :)

[schmedrake]

Oh, hooray! Let me know where your blog is when you write it!

[Ladyoflosttimes]

Just picked it up at B&N today!!! I can't wait to play with them! Shhhh don't tell my boss but I am reading the book at work hehe. :D

[Carla]

Oh, hooray! Let me know where your blog is when you write it!

I have been playing around with them, I will definitely let you know when I write the review. :D

[Elendil]

Like Carla I normally just pull three cards with no positional meanings...BUT I used these cards today to put together a spread for someone 'on the fly'. In the end it was sort of 'key-shaped' so I called the spread 'The Key'. The placeholder cards are a great reminder of the positional meanings. This is a great tool....

[Carla]

Oh, hooray! Let me know where your blog is when you write it!

Okay, I've written the review, but as I'm not allowed to post a link, you can find your way to my blog by clicking my homepage underneath my name to the left.

[Sulis]

Okay, I've written the review, but as I'm not allowed to post a link, you can find your way to my blog by clicking my homepage underneath my name to the left.
Ooh, this is new to me, never heard of this before... Carla, could you tell us what you think of it here?

[Carla]

Ooh, this is new to me, never heard of this before... Carla, could you tell us what you think of it here?

Here are some extracts from my review:

I first read about this spreadcrafting tool months ago at AT, and thought the idea imminently practical. It's such a simple and obvious idea, it's surprising no one's taken the initiative to produce and publish something like this already. Well done to Tierney for doing it! The concept behind this set is simplicity itself: a set of oversized cards which serve as markers for a tarot spread. They underlie the cards in a spread, showing the name of each card position. Why would anyone need such a thing? Several reasons: 1) it saves the hassle of drawing out an original spread on a bit of paper and then having to refer to it repeatedly during the reading to remind yourself what the cards stand for, 2) it saves the embarrassment of forgetting a card position during a live reading (which does happen, particularly if you're doing many readings back to back and each person gets a different spread--trust me, you never want to be saying, 'Oh, did we say this card was Finances or Relationships?' The looks you get, oh dear!), 3) it saves you having to tell the querent over and over what the card stands for (if you do that sort of thing). And 4) if you're learning a new spread you've found elsewhere, it saves you having to refer to the screen, book or your notes repeatedly as you try it out. It's just a handy dandy little idea. ...

A couple of things I noticed right away about using this system:

1) Selecting card positions with aid of the Deck of 1000 Spreads set encourages me to throw in more card positions than I normally would. This is not necessarily a good thing to me. It's like how you take more M & Ms from a big bowl of them than you would from a small pack. You just do it because they're there, not because you need that many. Rather than looking through the deck selecting card positions that sound good, I believe it would be best to decide what card positions you want, and then find those in the pack. It's a subtle difference, but gives you more control over making the spread you actually want rather than having a sprawling layout based on things that you threw in because they sounded good when you saw them.

2) I am highly verbal and the giant white lettering at the top distracts me greatly from the tarot cards themselves. The card position becomes more important than the card. I decided to solve that by sliding the tarot card up to cover the heading, and if I need the label as a memory aid (the entire purpose of the set after all, at least as I see it), then I can always slide it down for a quick peek. ...

Verdict: Deck of 1000 Spreads is a great idea and a really handy tool for tarot readers, as long as you stay in control of it and don't let it control you. If you can deal with all your cards having gigantic, multi-coloured borders, I suggest you give it a try. It is not a tool I will use on a regular basis, but it's there if I need it, and that's great! Thanks to the deck creator for bringing us such a useful thing.

(I go into more detail with some images as well in my full review.)

[FallynRaiyn]

I've been using mine for a couple weeks now. At first I couldn't get a handle on it. I didn't like the idea of pulling cards for specific already predetermined positions of regular spreads. Then I tried randomly shuffling and drawing like I would a normal spread with the Tarot. And that was a bust too.....I got too many of one color and not enough of another. Topics and Influences far outweigh Outcomes. So I put it away for a week or so. Then for some reason pulled it out again today. There's been an issue going on in my life for quite some time and trying to get a handle on it has proved difficult and traditional spreads and trying to make my own spread just wasn't working this time. So what I did was this: I went through the Deck of 1000 spreads and just started pulling out every card that would relate in some way to the issue I am having. Past, present, future, everything. I ended up with half the deck. Every question I wanted answered about it, every position I was curious about. Then I shuffled just those cards, and shuffled my Tarot deck and laid them side by side. Then I started pulling cards in pairs off the top of both decks. Lay down a position card, then lay down a Tarot card on top of it. I also had my journal out and was recording the position, the tarot card drawn and my initial thoughts on the meanings. Then I would put the next pair next to it and read all four cards together. I realized I would soon run out of room, so the third pair I laid on top of the middle of the first two cards and read all six cards together. Then I started laying the next pairs next to those and then laying the next ones on top of those, the way you build a wall out of bricks. So every pair put down related to two other pairs it was on top of or beside. I ended up getting a REALLY well studied read on this particular issue. Everything I could possibly want to know about it. Yes it ended up being a HUGE amount of cards, but i've never been so satisfied with a reading. There would never be a way to do this without a lot of back and forth to a book and a lot of confusion without this deck. I'm excited to do it again. It just felt so thorough, like I now know everything I need to know to start fixing the problem.

[Carla]

I guess FallynRain's experience and mine demonstrate how adaptable the system is -- from buttoned down control to exuberant improvisation -- the Deck of 1000 Spreads can handle it!

[FallynRaiyn]

I guess FallynRain's experience and mine demonstrate how adaptable the system is -- from buttoned down control to exuberant improvisation -- the Deck of 1000 Spreads can handle it!

lol, wow, it did come off as exuberant didn't it. ....it was just so.....exciting. lol I didn't read your review until after I'd written what i'd written and then I was like.....oh....oops. I just grabbed ALL the m&m's out of the bag and just shoved them all in my mouth at once! But it was fun and it was worth it! lol and i'm not one bit ashamed. but I can see your points.

[Carla]

lol, wow, it did come off as exuberant didn't it. ....it was just so.....exciting. lol I didn't read your review until after I'd written what i'd written and then I was like.....oh....oops. I just grabbed ALL the m&m's out of the bag and just shoved them all in my mouth at once! But it was fun and it was worth it! lol and i'm not one bit ashamed. but I can see your points.

Hey, I've been known to eat a whole bag of M&Ms. No problem! :D

[inanna_tarot]

I really like the idea of this deck. If I find it at a good price I'll definitely snap it up. I find spread creation difficult so it might be fun to explore angles with this deck.

[schmedrake]

Great review, Carla! I've heard the "distraction" thing a few times. And the color thing a couple of times...I did that to make learning spreadcrafting easier for beginners, though from what I'm hearing and seeing, I'm not sure how many beginners are actually buying the deck. It seems to be appealing to a more savvy audience.

BUT I LOVE your adaptation. Can I put that on my site? That's such a good idea! And I'd love to put a link to your review there, too, if that's ok.

And I laughed when you said you'd never use the Card of the Day card. I have no excuses for that...you're right. :D

[schmedrake]

FallynRaiyn, can I put up that suggestion on my site, too. I especially like the part when you randomly chose from JUST the cards you wanted in your spread. That's so smart.

It really is a crap shoot when you divine a spread. I do it most days on my blog...or at least randomly choose two or three cards to make a combo position. It works most days, but not all.

I kind of like going forward with some of the awkward spreads you get from random draws...sometimes they work better in a reading than they appear when you first draw them, but I get how it's really a crap shoot. Anyway, I'd love to share your technique and credit you for it.

[Carla]

Great review, Carla! I've heard the "distraction" thing a few times. And the color thing a couple of times...I did that to make learning spreadcrafting easier for beginners, though from what I'm hearing and seeing, I'm not sure how many beginners are actually buying the deck. It seems to be appealing to a more savvy audience.

BUT I LOVE your adaptation. Can I put that on my site? That's such a good idea! And I'd love to put a link to your review there, too, if that's ok.

And I laughed when you said you'd never use the Card of the Day card. I have no excuses for that...you're right. :D

I'd be honoured for you to do whatever you wish with my review. :) Thanks! (I'm even now constructing a chart formation spread such as you illustrate in Fig 16 in your book.)

[FallynRaiyn]

FallynRaiyn, can I put up that suggestion on my site, too. I especially like the part when you randomly chose from JUST the cards you wanted in your spread. That's so smart.

It really is a crap shoot when you divine a spread. I do it most days on my blog...or at least randomly choose two or three cards to make a combo position. It works most days, but not all.

I kind of like going forward with some of the awkward spreads you get from random draws...sometimes they work better in a reading than they appear when you first draw them, but I get how it's really a crap shoot. Anyway, I'd love to share your technique and credit you for it.

yes, that's fine. I just wish i could figure out how to explain what I did a little better, cause reading it over it seems really confusing. I ended up using all the cards I pulled, not just a few randomly out of it. And yes, it took forever, and was rather unwieldy, but I've been experimenting with the technique and have refined a little better how to read such a huge number of cards. I stacked them right on top of each other, the same way you'd build a wall with blocks, making a pyramid and keep adding cards on top of the middle of two cards until you reach the pinnacle and then start again at the bottom of the pinnacle. Too hard to show in text, i'd have to make a video I think. But it worked very well if you have the time.

[schmedrake]

Honestly, I'm not picturing it. But I do like your idea of just choosing from the cards you'd want to read on anyway.

I'll read it all again and see if I can figure it out. But if not, just that trick of narrowing the choices down is a good idea. I tend to have pretty good luck with random draws, but I know some people have commented it did little good for them.

And Carla, thanks! Hopefully I can this up tonight.

[schmedrake]

OK, FallynRaiyn, I re-read it and I think I got it...haha. Here's the story:

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/a-tip-for-those-divining-spreadsand-new.html

And Carla, here's yours:

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/a-tip-for-those-distracted-by-words-on.html

Thank you so much, ladies! I'm running out of NEW things to write on that site every week and this helped. Once I run out of new things, I'm going to start putting old things. And nobody wants that...haha.

[FallynRaiyn]

OK, FallynRaiyn, I re-read it and I think I got it...haha. Here's the story:

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/a-tip-for-those-divining-spreadsand-new.html

And Carla, here's yours:

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/a-tip-for-those-distracted-by-words-on.html

Thank you so much, ladies! I'm running out of NEW things to write on that site every week and this helped. Once I run out of new things, I'm going to start putting old things. And nobody wants that...haha.

AWESOME! I really feel privileged to have been acknowledged on your site. Thank you! And yes, pretty much exactly what I meant. I've also been having trouble making time to do tarot, and this has helped immensely. It's really easy to sit down for a minute or two with this spread and add more cards to it, let it soak in for a bit, then add more cards. It becomes a running sentence and the details get changed every time I add a position/tarot pair based on the cards below them. I can leave it for a bit, and because of the position titles I can get right back into it. Perfect for a single mom with too little time.

[Ladyoflosttimes]

I'm not sure how many beginners are actually buying the deck. It seems to be appealing to a more savvy audience.

And I laughed when you said you'd never use the Card of the Day card. I have no excuses for that...you're right. :D

Well I can tell you that this beginner LOVES the deck of 1000 Spreads!!!! Beacuse as a beginner I am still learning the spread positions/meanings and with this I dont have to kill myself to memorize them all.

I also wanted to tell you Thank you for the way you wrote the book to 1000 spreads. I know that mite sound strange but let me explain. As a beginner I have been reading alot of "how to" books and I have been upset with them. The ether talk so technical that you feel so lost or they dumb it in a way that makes you feel bad that you don't know this already. Your book on the other hand is easy enough to understand without making me feel dumb and highly encouraging. When I was done with it I felt that yes I can do this not like some others that made me feel like I was in over my head.

Thank you so much for this tool! After 2 days I am in total love with it. If there is ever a wait list for an expansion pack or for a extra pack of blanks Please sign me up!!

As far as the Card of the Day card I know one way that I will use it. If I am reading for some one that want to know say "how will my job interview go" I can add that card into the spread as This is the card that will guide you that day. ( I hope that makes sense )

[FallynRaiyn]

I use the Card of the day in spreads to represent TODAY. ....like the ultra specific present.

[Carla]

I use the Card of the day in spreads to represent TODAY. ....like the ultra specific present.

LOL I love that. Now I wish the card said, 'Ultra Specific Present'. :D

[Carla]

OK, FallynRaiyn, I re-read it and I think I got it...haha. Here's the story:

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/a-tip-for-those-divining-spreadsand-new.html

And Carla, here's yours:

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/a-tip-for-those-distracted-by-words-on.html

Thank you so much, ladies! I'm running out of NEW things to write on that site every week and this helped. Once I run out of new things, I'm going to start putting old things. And nobody wants that...haha.

Thank you for including my ideas on your site! :D

[FallynRaiyn]

LOL I love that. Now I wish the card said, 'Ultra Specific Present'. :D

LOL when I first saw the card I was like...... seriously? I need a "card of the day" card to remind me what position the single "card of the day" is in...... yeah.
I'm sure there must be other uses for it. how this issue affects today, what you should do today to work on this issue, what will happen today that will affect this in the future, etc.

[schmedrake]

I love all of this discussion! First, thanks for liking me...haha. But I also appreciate the talk because it gives me more ideas. Next week, a post on Card of the Day!

And also I'll find a place to work in your comment about adding to the spread over time, Fallyn...either adding it to your post or using it as a springboard for a new post. I could see if you have an evolving issue in your life, adding a card or two each day to a spread...just to see where the direction is going.

Also, you know how sometimes people do a "12 Days of Christmas" spread or some other such thing where you choose a card each day for 12 days? The Deck of 1000 Spreads can help keep a spread like that in line. Like what if there were a "My Week" spread? Like Sunday was the Spirit card and Monday was the What to Avoid card for the week. And so on?Having the little placeholders all lined up for your week would be fun. I'm kind of liking the idea of a "My Week" spread! Woo hoo! I have my posts all lined for next week already!

[FallynRaiyn]

the idea of a "My Week" spread! Woo hoo! I have my posts all lined for next week already!

I am really looking forward to reading them. I think the deck of 1000 spreads can really expand the way people use tarot.

[swedishfish612]

I decided I couldn't ignore all of this raving anymore, and I bought my copy at B&N last night. I'm reading the book now and hoping to try it out at least once before the weekend is up!

[schmedrake]

Hooray!

[schmedrake]

Fallyn and Ladyoflosttimes, I have blogged about COTD. And just for fun, there are two other new post up there. But I'm exhausted...haha. So I'll hold the whole evolving-over-a-week type spread story for another time. I've taken the pictures, but I can. Blog. No. More. Tonight.

Thank you so much everyone for all the great thinking that's been going on in this thread. :)

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/new-life-for-cotd.html

[HOLMES]

hello there.

I must say that I had to come back earlier in the week to check the reviews for the tarot card on the cover is misleading so I assumed it came with a tarot deck. which I came home to see if It was one I had.
after I saw it was just positions,, I decided it would be useful and brought it.

I didn't expect a quality book to go with the deck.. I plan to use it as soon as possible.
but I wanted to say that I am impressed despite the positions cards just being keywords and a description. I find the writing on the cards were high quality.
I should say that I plan to just shuffle up the cards and use them that way.

hmm, an idea if you plan to refine this system like 10 years perhaps would be to have 78 cards all filled, with the position being based on the tarot cards themselves.
that could be an interesting idea. (so you can use them as a stand alone product or with another deck )
as it is.. I look forward to using them.:)

edited to add
the book itself is an work of art,, I enjoyed reading the development of the first half especially.

[Carla]

Fallyn and Ladyoflosttimes, I have blogged about COTD. And just for fun, there are two other new post up there. But I'm exhausted...haha. So I'll hold the whole evolving-over-a-week type spread story for another time. I've taken the pictures, but I can. Blog. No. More. Tonight.

Thank you so much everyone for all the great thinking that's been going on in this thread. :)

http://www.1000spreads.com/2013/04/new-life-for-cotd.html

Cool. :) I'm sorry if my throw-away remark caused trouble. I thought of a use for COTD, too. If you draw a COTD and then want to draw more for clarification, you can mark the COTD so you don't forget which one it was. It's especially useful if you're blogging and take a photo of the draw. It easily marks out the original card from the draw. :D

[schmedrake]

Thanks, Holmes. Sorry you thought it came with a tarot deck. It occurred to me that someone might get confused, but then the box's contents are pretty well spelled out on the back of the box. They had to show a tarot card on the front to illustrate what the deck is. Glad you like the book!

And Carla, you didn't cause any trouble. That's another good use for the COTD!