Decks and Spreads: Best Combos?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 18 Aug 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Elle	18 Aug 2003
I was wondering - many of you prefer to use certain decks for certain types of readings. Which decks work best for Karma readings, spirtiuality, relationships, career paths, etc.? Or is it the spread that counts? A mix? What are the best combos? A few examples would be very, very helpful. I would like to create better alignments. Right now I just use whatever is closest at hand. My Visconti Gold is in the glove compartment of my car. Warmest and many thanks, Elle

truthsayer	18 Aug 2003
i like using my hanson-roberts for general readings. the myers art nouveau for matters of the heart. i use my neferteri deck for personal readings. probably other combos will come to me later. the celtic cross is my fav spread. i learned on it so it feels comfortable. if i need a quick answer, i do a 3 card spread.

oceanpoetry	18 Aug 2003
I use the "Key of Hermes" often for a good general reading: 5 4 1.....2......3 This reading was listed in the LWB for the Nigel Jackson deck, 1 -past influences, 2- present condition, 3- future influences, 4- the overall gist. Draw the four cards and read, the last card (5) is an optional addition, which signifies the way ahead. The other spread I use is a two card: first card -situation and second card- advice...I think this one was suggested by Umbrae (thanks, Umbrae!) ...It works really well for quick answers / insight to a question. Once in a while I will use the Celtic Cross, on a new moon, for the month ahead, for example. I don't choose a deck based on the spread I want to use, I choose the deck based on my mood at the time I am doing the reading or to fit the querant (if I am doing a reading for someone else.)

Indigo_lady	19 Aug 2003
I would take 3 things into consideration - What the question is, that is, the nature of the reading - The Querent himself, like if he "clicks" with X deck - My attitude at the moment I only have two decks, so it's not like I can give a lot of opinion on this but I'll give you an example. If I have someone in front of me that I know is a bit more deep, connected to the "other" part of the world around me and ask me for a general reading, better said, they just want to see what the cards tell them I would use the Tree of Life with the Witches Tarot. (and actually these two, the deck and the spread for me go excellent together) If a friend comes to me asking about her love life, how is it going to go with her new boyfriend lets say and I know she's not the kind of person who will sit and ponder on every single thing like the color of the wall around her (and I'm not being judgemental here... people are who they are) I'll use the Robin Wood deck with that 3 column relationship spread (I don't remember the name) why? I would use the witches tarot on that case not only coz I think the two go hand in hand as I mention but I would think that the Querent would be able to get himself more of the deck itself, ellaborate, or even be inspired by it. I would use the Robin Wood on the second querent coz I think she might be intimidated by the images in the Witches Tarot, and because the Robin Wood would fit more with her idea of what tarot cards should look like... not only that I can give her more of a specific answer with the spread and it looks like what she has seen gipsies do in movies (talking from experience here...) :-P

Elle	19 Aug 2003
Oh okay, so it seems like sometimes the deck has to fit the querent. If the querent is a stranger, I suppose any Hanson Roberts or general deck will do. Gotcha, Warmest, Elle

WolfSpirit	19 Aug 2003
I don't fit the spread with the deck, I almost always use a 5-card spread or a horseshoe spread, but I fit the deck to the kind of question, or maybe rather: how I want to address the question. For example, the Tarot of the Spirit is probably going to give me an inspirational reading telling me how to keep or get courage, but will not answer the dry facts. If I want facts, I would rather use an rws-clone or the swedish witch. If I want mostly advice about what my best approach is, I could use the animal-wise. I have so many decks...sometimes I find it difficult to choose ;) but that is the price of being a taroholic I suppose.

genna	19 Aug 2003
For really important questions I use The Faeries´Oracle by Brian Froud.It´s so good for advice. I like three card spreads,but I also like the Celtic Cross for Tarot spreads.

Maan	21 Aug 2003
I use the cosmic tribe most for daily card drawings. The cards are perfect for daily focus. I use the ancestral path for past life readings The vision quest for spiritual questions and my beloved phantasmagoric theater for everything;)

The Decks and Spreads: Best Combos? thread was originally posted on 18 Aug 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.