does anyone else use multiple decks in a reading?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 23 Mar 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

phoenixmoon	23 Mar 2003
sometimes i'll lay out the cards and find that they don't seem to be complete in their response. and so i do the same layout next to the first with a different deck. i've been known to use a few more decks, actually. they seem to blend well together, my deck-friends, and enjoy "mingling". i may be becoming tarot delusional.:) does anyone else do this?

Pollux	23 Mar 2003
Yep sure. ;) Since I began collecting in a decent way. My still fav formula is Aquarian/Gill. RW clone against a Thoth like, I always enjoyed them. Sometimes, when I feel more spiritual, I use Vision Quest insted, but that's generally with the Goddess. I have 5/6 decks I use for readings, and I have found out I feel more comfortable when I use them as "twins", that is establishing a pair that works well for me. These are my pairs. The other main reading decks are Spiral and World Spirit, but they are rather more "complete" as decks, the cards are genrally very busy and therefore don't need a "twin". Actually this would have been a "Using Tarot Card" discussion and I was about to move it, but right now I have replied I understand I turned it mostly into a Tarot Decks one... *LOL* We'll see with the next questions what's the best place, ok? :)

Astraea	23 Mar 2003
Hi, phoenixmoon! I, too, sometimes use multiple decks in readings. I find it's a great way to learn more about familiar cards/decks, to become acquainted with a new deck, and/or to see particular situations from different angles.

Strange2	23 Mar 2003
I very frequently use a pair of decks in my readings: a primary deck from which the cards are selected, and a supplemental deck to provide additional insights and tangents. Like Astraea mentioned, this is a great way to become familiar with a new deck, particularly less-traditional decks. For my deck pairs, I try to match a more-traditional deck with a more "creative" deck. For example, my current primary deck is the Gareth Knight, which has traditional majors and basic pip geometric minors. The supplemental deck is the Wheel of Change, which is a very expressive and modern deck. The supplemental decks lend a wonderful "seasoning" to the main course!

firemaiden	23 Mar 2003
I do it all the time. LOL. I'll lay out a spread, then put cards down from another deck on top of the first cards, and see what cards repeat. Usually a lot, this is my way of learning the power of the tarot.. One time I did a big old spread with eight cards and three decks. IN the outcome card it was the same card 2 of the three times. (Ace of swords) Not only that, but the same card showed up in 2 other readings done separately by different people in different countries at the same time in the same position. Since then it has shown up in the same position in the same question for yet a fourth person.... I take good note of these recurrances!!! I like to put the Fey and the Spiral together. The Spiral can sometimes be quite dark, so its nice to combine it with the Fey. I also like to read with the Roots of Asia, combined with the Fey. I know, I know, its a lot of unnecessary complication, but its a fun game once in a while, when I'm really bored... normally, I just pull one or two cards, and call it a day...

Rose	23 Mar 2003
Hi I use two different decks together a lot. I kind of posted something to this effect in the Lengend Arthurian thread. Thinking about this I think I usually use the Rider-Waite (or a close relative) coupled with a theme deck like the Legend Arthurian, Whimisical, or Innnerchild. I like the way the stories associated with the cards add to the reading-or focus in on a particular aspect. I also double up some decks that I like but find difficult to use on their own (Navigators Tarot of the Mystic Sea comes to mind). There are also a few decks that I have that I really like but I'm afraid to shuffle them because I can't replace them-decks like the Rock & Roll Tarot or Arnell Ando's Transformational Tarot. Coupling them with another deck lets me shuffle the "still in print" deck and pick out the matching cards from the "rare" deck-kind of shuffling by proxy. All you need is a really big table. Rose

Amythist	23 Mar 2003
Some of my cards are stronger in energy or understand me more i use several different decks to get a good reading. I gave a 25 cards reading the ryder waite and never thought much of it the same spread as always. I i got news today so i gave another spread layed the same and i got stronger and better results. It is to do with deck i find. The element tarot is more to do with feelings and the spiral are to do with day to day. I find them cards easier to work with than any of my other decks. U may find this helpful. I never have used to different cards for the same reading on the same day. MY spread is very poerful and i cant do it more than once a month. Only ever once and that was today. I got a better result to

Rose	23 Mar 2003
I just thought of something. Do you pick a new random card from the supplemental deck for each spread position or use the corresponding card from both decks. Depending on my mood I use both methods. I'm often surprised though how using the same card from two decks can color the reading. Rose

Khatruman	23 Mar 2003
Yes, Rose, I was going to ask about that: whether with the secondary deck you do a new random draw, or whether you choose corresponding cards from the secondary deck to see another viewpoint on the same card. As a matter of fact, I am going to try the latter. I am getting a few decks from the pre-GD era, with unillustrated pips. I am thinking of using a couple of my other decks to illucidate the ideas, since blank pips right now leave me blank. I always think it is good to see another deck's view of any particular card to get to the commonality of the message of that card, and thus it's essence, rather than that particular deck's idiosyncracies. I think it is wonderful for gaining further insight into any particular card. Peace

firemaiden	23 Mar 2003
I pick a new random card, which for some reason.... often is...the same!

Cerulean	23 Mar 2003
My odd preference is to sometimes use 22 card decks and then some 'related' 78 card deck. Sometimes the relationship is only in my mind. For example: The 22 card Romantic Tarot by Giorgio Trevisan with a small format goes with a small format 78 card edition of the 1995 Tarots of the Renaissance by Giorgio Trevisan, released by Lo Scarabeo. I do a three-card majors spread and pull six or nine cards to go with one major. The resulting six or nine cards seem to give a lot of details or storylines, even though the LWB for Trevisan is rather simple. I actually use the Celtici by Laura Tuan with an English-based Celtic style oracle...Celtic Tree Oracle so far. The simpler motifs in the Celtic oracles actually underline the busier motifs on the Italian deck. I tried to use the Avalon by Joseph Viglio with other celtic oracles, and the colors and energy worked best with my colorful Celtic Shaman deck. It turns out decks based on strong storylines really work in a reading for me. My favorite reading combination this past week was taking the scenic 22 card Tarot of Lake Como by Ernesto Solari and 78 Alessandro Manzoni Tarot, based on the book the Betrothed. I don't know if my reading was good, but it gave very interesting ideas to me. So if you have a deck or decks with art themes based on a similar storyline or the art seems to balance (busy vs. simple), many interesting variations seem to happen. Mari H.

Rose	23 Mar 2003
Mari,That sounds really interesting. I have a number of Major only decks that I really like. I will definitely try your mixed major/minor spread. Thanks.

Trogon	24 Mar 2003
Very interesting discussion... Up to this point, I've never used, nor even considered using, more than one deck in a particular reading. I do study the decks together in order to compare imagery and meanings and this gives me, I feel, much insight into the Tarot, it's meanings and symbolism. But I just never really thought about doing a comparitive reading like this. Hmmm...

WolfSpirit	24 Mar 2003
When I use another deck, I almost always take the corresponding cards from that deck and repeat the same spread. Decks I like to use for that are the Animal Wise (by far the favourite) or the Shapeshifter. The animal wise gives a nice twist to the classical meaning of the cards, so I love to use that deck. I have tried a new random spread with a second deck, but since you get twice as many cards it can also be more diffciult to read (I will use this method again with smaller spreads, but I don't want to use too many cards for my poor head's sake ;) ) And then I have the "glastonwood" tarot, my mix of the glastonbury and greenwood - this is something different as it is together one tarot deck. I like the glastonbury but some majors are ugly imo so I replaced them with cards from the greenwood. Although both decks have a different style (glastonbury bright colours and black border, greenwood less bright and white borders) I think they complement each other well. this was not really the question I think, but now I made this thread suitable for the "tarot decks" section again :P

sunflowr	24 Mar 2003
I only use one tarot deck for readings but I sometimes follow up by pulling a card from one of my angel or "healing with the fairies" decks. It's like inviting my angels to "comment" on my reading and summarize it for me. :)

Cerulean	24 Mar 2003
...that was a very cool idea. What decks do you favor? Is their size a factor? My sister really enjoys the large format angel oracle with somewhat Renaissance illustrations---I think there are gold and amber and rose tones in one of them. I really thought that was a pretty deck and if they did fit with my favorite large format tarots such as the Romeo and Juliet or Visconti...wowee, what a nice possibility. One or two different angel oracles that favor a seriph (spelling) or kabbalistic assignment are on Tarotgarden.com, but it's not really a standard tarot...what an interesting idea to play with...Mark Filpas has the review, I think it's Kabbalistic or Cabalistic...I'll post a link when I find it. Mari H.

sunflowr	24 Mar 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki ...that was a very cool idea. What decks do you favor? Is their size a factor? My sister really enjoys the large format angel oracle with somewhat Renaissance illustrations---I think there are gold and amber and rose tones in one of them. I really thought that was a pretty deck and if they did fit with my favorite large format tarots such as the Romeo and Juliet or Visconti...wowee, what a nice possibility. One or two different angel oracles that favor a seriph (spelling) or kabbalistic assignment are on Tarotgarden.com, but it's not really a standard tarot...what an interesting idea to play with...Mark Filpas has the review, I think it's Kabbalistic or Cabalistic...I'll post a link when I find it. Mari H. I use Doreen Virtue's "Healing with the Angels" deck or the "Messages from the Angels", also from Doreen Virtue. I've tried alot of angel oracles over the years and hers are my favorites of all. And with tarot, it really adds to the reading. I think I know what deck you are talking about tho. Comes in a green box? I think it's called "Angel Blessings" or something like that?

phoenixmoon	25 Mar 2003
when i'm working with a tarot deck i tend to pull the same cards intentionally from each deck. i like to use the world spirit, vision quest, shapeshifter, crow's magick and romani, then i go to thoth, universal waite, new orleans vodoo and haindl, and then osho zen. i use other decks as well but these are usually the first choice. after all of that i tend to randomly pull the doreen virtue angel and fairie cards and i may do goddess oracle or amulets and runes or i ching or what ever i feel drawn to at the time, as well. i don't try to match the tarot reading, i just pull or cast from the others asking the same question. the addition of the different oracles saying the same thing can be very powerfull. i initially only did this for myself when the question was one that i might have been tempted to look at in just a favorable light. :) but now i do it whenever the whim strikes (and when i've got the time). using multiple decks/oracles tends to keep me on track, and they seem to enjoy themselves, too! i started this out of the blue when i realized there were decks and oracles i hadn't worked with in years and they deserved better. now i use pretty much every one at some point during a year and for more than just my birthday "year in review" and "year to come" question.

sunflowr	25 Mar 2003
Quote: Originally posted by phoenixmoon when i'm working with a tarot deck i tend to pull the same cards intentionally from each deck. i like to use the world spirit, vision quest, shapeshifter, crow's magick and romani, then i go to thoth, universal waite, new orleans vodoo and haindl, and then osho zen. i use other decks as well but these are usually the first choice. after all of that i tend to randomly pull the doreen virtue angel and fairie cards and i may do goddess oracle or amulets and runes or i ching or what ever i feel drawn to at the time, as well. i don't try to match the tarot reading, i just pull or cast from the others asking the same question. the addition of the different oracles saying the same thing can be very powerfull. i initially only did this for myself when the question was one that i might have been tempted to look at in just a favorable light. :) but now i do it whenever the whim strikes (and when i've got the time). using multiple decks/oracles tends to keep me on track, and they seem to enjoy themselves, too! i started this out of the blue when i realized there were decks and oracles i hadn't worked with in years and they deserved better. now i use pretty much every one at some point during a year and for more than just my birthday "year in review" and "year to come" question. That's a good idea too. :) I might try that as I do have several oracles and decks that dont get used very often.. being so fickle as I am. ;) But I think I will choose a few to help me, as a back up or commentary type reading. As I've said above, I use my angel oracles but I'll try a few different tarot decks too and my Tao Oracle (I-Ching cards). But not too many. My head will start to hurt. ;p

Cerulean	25 Mar 2003
Do any of your oracles/tarots tend to be slanted in a particular way during the truly awesome mixed reading? I remember the Shapeshifter being more positive and soft and the little that I've seen of the New Orleans to be vivid and energetic. Mari H.

phoenixmoon	26 Mar 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki Do any of your oracles/tarots tend to be slanted in a particular way during the truly awesome mixed reading? I remember the Shapeshifter being more positive and soft and the little that I've seen of the New Orleans to be vivid and energetic. Mari H. i don't think they slant. they each seem to have their own voice, but they all seem to dovetail their answers....sort of like a greek chorus :) there is often something i missed or glossed over that is brought to my attention by a different deck/oracle, and when i go back to the original layout i can then see it. the new orleans is real good at pointing out hidden stuff, and the osho zen tends to remind me to look beyond. shapeshifter strips away normalcy and makes me go to the core for answers (it was bought for me during a dark period of life by a stranger, that the store's clerks and i think was an angel, in a metaphysical store). i do always learn something that makes glad i worked each deck/oracle at the time.

The does anyone else use multiple decks in a reading? thread was originally posted on 23 Mar 2003 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.