Spreading them ALL out

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 03 Mar 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

laura_borealis	03 Mar 2004
I have a fantasy. I want to take all my decks (and some I don't have) and spread them all out at once, on a very long table or on the floor, to compare them. Each deck will be in one long horizontal line. Each card will be compared to each corresponding card from the other decks, in vertical columns. I will be able to see what each artist's individual interpretation is for each and every card. I've done such comparisons card by card, of course... or even a few cards at a time... but being able to get them all out at once somehow seems like a huge, wonderful gesture, and being able then to spend a long time just peering at them and making discoveries and jotting them down, that would just be so satisfying. I actually had some friends who did this once. They had an unfurnished room, so it was easy to get all their decks on the floor. We spread out seven or eight different decks. But it was a long time ago and I didn't know much about tarot then. Also we were smoking something that made it all very fascinating, but difficult to remember later. I don't have the floor space in my house, and the kitties will lay on the cards, and I don't smoke things anymore... :) ...but one of these days I'll find the space... Have any of you ever done this? Or thought about it? Spreading them all out, I mean. :)

Alissa	04 Mar 2004
When I was given my Buckland Romani, my husband and I spread it out in a gigantic oval, and found all the suits made pictures in a way you would never see unless laid out, side by side, cartoon style. I was so taken with my Vargo deck, I did the same thing... spread it out so I could see all four aces in a row, all four 2's, etc. I loved it. And once upon a time I put all my Universal Waites on the floor in a gigantic circle and started just... I dunno, dancing, giggling, looking at them. It was silly, but fun. I've never laid out more than one deck at a time though... your idea sounds like fun! I'd love to try it if I had enough space myself.

Centaur	04 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Alissa And once upon a time I put all my Universal Waites on the floor in a gigantic circle and started just... I dunno, dancing, giggling, looking at them. It was silly, but fun. Had you been drinking? LOL. ;) It brings a whole new meaning to the term tarot-spread. Oh, and before anyone tries it... then make sure that the floor is clean! Wouldn't want those decks getting all dusty! C

Major Tom	04 Mar 2004
I do this for my first lesson of every class I teach. I spread out the trumps I - XXI in rows of 10. I leave The Fool in a line of it's own under the 2 rows. I do this with all the decks I own, with admittedly is limited to 8 but includes the Tarot of Marseilles, the Rider Waite Smith and the Crowley Harris Thoth (the decks I use for the class). I ask my students to look at all the cards and ask them to tell me what is different about them. Then we talk about the differences. Its great fun. ;)

Teranar	04 Mar 2004
My ex gf had the horrible habit of doing exactly what you just described. Then I had to clean them up because she'd usually wander off. (Last time I'm EVER dating someone 4 years younger than me... like dating a little kid...)

tarotbrat	04 Mar 2004
i did it once with my RWS deck when i first became serious about studying tarot. i started making it relate to one another but in order only and much later i realized, that what people have posted on AT were right, that it is also based on intuition. that one card just does not have one meaning. but what i would love to do is lay out all the cards i own and just sit there and look at how different and the same they are. i think i would just sit there pretty fascinated. unfortunately, i do not have the floor space to lay them out, my RWS deck already took up much of the floor space when i laid them out a while ago. my floor can only handle one deck at a time. DARN!

Alissa	04 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Centaur Had you been drinking? LOL. ;) I'll never tell.... })

lunakasha	04 Mar 2004
What an excellent idea! I have thought about trying this, maybe not with all of my decks but maybe 4 or 5 at a time....unfortunately, I have very little floor space (and three kitties who used to enjoy playing hide and seek with my jigsaw puzzle pieces, so I am sure they'd love to play cards too! ;)) and I would also be concerned about getting them all dirty and icky.... Maybe I will try it on a smaller scale, on the table (or bed) and see what happens! There is definitely something very exciting about laying out several cards all at once and REALLY looking at them closely...like all of the trumps at once, or all of the same suit or same rank (love to look at the 4 aces together, or the 4 knights)....great fun! :) Luna

Summerdream	04 Mar 2004
I've recently done this with all 60 of my decks. My table isn't very big either but I laid out the fool from each deck. You can imagine it took quite a while to find all 60 fools. As I admired seeing them all at once, it was overwhelming and I didn't chose to look at any other cards all the same from the decks. It took tooooo long. I did enjoy comparing all the fools though and had my family each choose their favorite fools. Like Lunakasha mentioned maybe on a smaller scale, like 10 decks at a time would be more managable. Momof3girls:)

Diana	04 Mar 2004
Well, most of my decks look kind of the same. They are almost all different versions of the Marseille. So it would need something really exciting to smoke to get a big big thrill. What do you suggest, laura_borealis?

13thFaeChylde	04 Mar 2004
I love this idea! I may give it a go this weekend...or the next time my children are visiting Grammy.

laura_borealis	05 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Alissa And once upon a time I put all my Universal Waites on the floor in a gigantic circle and started just... I dunno, dancing, giggling, looking at them. It was silly, but fun. :D Were you enacting The World? :D Quote: Originally posted by Momof3girls I've recently done this with all 60 of my decks. My table isn't very big either but I laid out the fool from each deck. You can imagine it took quite a while to find all 60 fools. As I admired seeing them all at once, it was overwhelming and I didn't chose to look at any other cards all the same from the decks. It took tooooo long. I did enjoy comparing all the fools though and had my family each choose their favorite fools. Wow, 60 decks!!?? I would love to see 60 Fools all laid out at once. What an amazing sight that must have been. Quote: Originally posted by Diana Well, most of my decks look kind of the same. They are almost all different versions of the Marseille. So it would need something really exciting to smoke to get a big big thrill. What do you suggest, laura_borealis? Hmm, for legality reasons I should say, only something that is legal in your country. :D But my suggestion is something that grows out of this Green Earth -- avoid anything cooked up in a lab by humans. As a friend of mine used to say, "The Goddess made pot, it must be good." :)

purple_scorp	06 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by laura_borealis I have a fantasy. I want to take all my decks (and some I don't have) and spread them all out at once, on a very long table or on the floor, to compare them. Each deck will be in one long horizontal line. Each card will be compared to each corresponding card from the other decks, in vertical columns. I will be able to see what each artist's individual interpretation is for each and every card. At the time when I stumbled across this forum, I also stumbled across a web site that compared (on the one page), The Magician card from a number of different decks (about 20 or so I think). I can't remember whether it was only the Magician card, or whether that was all I looked at, at the time. It kind of looked like this site: http://www.thescope2000.com/tarotscopes/tarotdecks.htm But I don't think it was. The link may have even been from Aeclectic. (Am searching furiously for it now.) Nup, can't find it....but came across these: http://www.tarot.org.il/comparison/Minor.html http://www.tarot.org.il/comparison/Major.html Perhaps I bookmarked it on another computer. If I find it, I'll post it here. Cheers purple_scorp

Imagemaker	06 Mar 2004
There's this site which I had posted some time back that shows all the Chariots (49) in this guy's collection: www.goldenempire.com/chariots/18.html

Summerdream	06 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Imagemaker There's this site which I had posted some time back that shows all the Chariots (49) in this guy's collection: www.goldenempire.com/chariots/18.html Thanks for the link Imagemaker. I had fun looking at all 49 of his chariots. Momof3girls:)

Imagemaker	06 Mar 2004
It makes me want to spread all mine out, too (only 20 or so). I have mostly RWS decks, though recently got the funny Tarocco Bizzarro, a comic Marseille version. If it wouldn't ruin them, I wish I could stick them all to the walls (with that tacky blue stuff)--tarot wallpaper! Wouldn't that be cool? The majors only, maybe.

purple_scorp	06 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Imagemaker It makes me want to spread all mine out, too (only 20 or so). I have mostly RWS decks, though recently got the funny Tarocco Bizzarro, a comic Marseille version. If it wouldn't ruin them, I wish I could stick them all to the walls (with that tacky blue stuff)--tarot wallpaper! Wouldn't that be cool? The majors only, maybe. I wonder if copyright (because you own all of those decks) would permit you to scan them, arrange and print them onto A3 paper, then laminate them, and put that up on the wall??? Cheers purple_scorp

Nevada	06 Mar 2004
What a great idea. I need a room that I can keep the dog and cat out of. They're fascinated with my cards. Nevada

Imagemaker	06 Mar 2004
The general idea I have about copyright is that if you use a copy for personal use, it's ok. Only in distributing copies, or selling them, do you get into trouble--the key is no use that would cause the original owner/seller to lose sales. And if there's no such thing as tarot wallpaper, making your own for your own wall shouldn't be a problem.

purple_scorp	06 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Imagemaker The general idea I have about copyright is that if you use a copy for personal use, it's ok. Only in distributing copies, or selling them, do you get into trouble--the key is no use that would cause the original owner/seller to lose sales. And if there's no such thing as tarot wallpaper, making your own for your own wall shouldn't be a problem. There you go Imagemaker, how entrepreneurial are you? You could create the wallpaper and market it.... Cheers purple_scorp

laura_borealis	07 Mar 2004
purple_scorp and Imagemaker, thank you for the links! I spent a fascinated hour comparing cards on those pages. :)

Moonbow*	07 Mar 2004
So, let me get this right...... ALL the decks!.......ALL the cards! ..... right?......phew......that's what I thought you said........ that 'would' be a task. What about the backs? I 'love' backs, sometimes I look at a spread for ages before turning over the cards!!!! I know, I know, I had a troubled childhood!!! :D :confused: ;) :rolleyes: M*

Imagemaker	07 Mar 2004
Quote: You could create the wallpaper and market it.... Well, there is an opening there for someone, but I'm not fired up about the marketing task . . . I offer the idea to anyone who wants it.

laura_borealis	07 Mar 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Moonbow* So, let me get this right...... ALL the decks!.......ALL the cards! ..... right?......phew......that's what I thought you said........ that 'would' be a task. What about the backs? I 'love' backs, sometimes I look at a spread for ages before turning over the cards!!!! I know, I know, I had a troubled childhood!!! :D :confused: ;) :rolleyes: M* For all the decks that I currently own, excluding the oracles, it wouldn't be that hard... at the moment I only have four so that would be 300-some cards. When I did this with my friends there were seven or eight decks. That would be (let me get a calculator, my math is very poor) okay, 624 cards if there were eight decks. It took up a lot of space, I remember the rows had to go around corners. Then we crawled around on our knees to look at them. I remember a lot of "Hey, come see, this is very interesting!" moments. :) but very few details :P Backs of cards are so important! You are staring at them all while you are shuffling and drawing... they should be conducive to the process of reading. :)

ol_crazy_Legs	07 Mar 2004
The closest thing that i want to do ocording to that Ideah is to compare all the suites in my deck.

Ivy Rhiannon	13 Apr 2004
sounds interesting!

laura_borealis	13 Apr 2004
I've just realised that I can, in fact, spread all my cards out at once. All I have to do is take them to campus and use a classroom with long tables, in the evening after classes are over. As soon as I get the deck I won on eBay, I'll do it.... :D ...and I'll take photos! :D

The Spreading them ALL out thread was originally posted on 03 Mar 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.