Question for multiple deck owners (ie everyone ;P )

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Nov 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

marichan	07 Nov 2001
When you're trying to do a reading with a certain deck, but can't make heads or tails of it, do you take out another one of your decks, and try reading the spread using those cards? It had never occurred to me to do so before, but last night I was stumped by the new deck I attempted to do a reading with. Part of my difficulty was that 2/3 cards were Court Cards :p , but also that I was not used to the deck. In a sudden moment of "thinking out of the box" 8-) , I whipped out three of my other decks, picked out the same cards, and lined them all up in rows. Having my ol' faithful's (the Mythic Tarot & Hanson Roberts) helped immensely and I was able to do the reading, but it made me curious if other people ever tried viewing the same spread in multiple decks? Just curious... -mari :-)

Strange2	07 Nov 2001
I almost always pull corresponding cards from 3-4 other decks when I do a reading for myself. Have found this to provide interesting correlations and new insights into the nuances of each card. This also helps me get familiar with a new deck, by using an "old faithful" deck as the base platform to explore the new deck. It's also a good excuse for getting more decks ;-)

Kiama	07 Nov 2001
I don't always look at the cards from other decks, I usually just remember what they looked like. This is just what I do though when interpreting a card: I think about the otehr images of it I have seen. It's instictual. Kiama

MeeWah	07 Nov 2001
The corresponding card of another deck occasionally comes to mind or I'll automatically refer to another deck. Occasionally I physically compare cards with another deck. Sometimes the comparison works, other times it doesn't; may depend on the deck & other variables. On occasion, it is when I've "forgotten" about the card or spread that a meaning becomes apparent; or something occurs to make an association--sort of like "living Tarot". It can be different from the traditional or usual meanings. It helps to maintain an open mind for each card has a broad application. Also, combinations of cards can create a meaning of their own.

Jeanette	07 Nov 2001
Along this same line, if one deck assigns swords the air element and wands the fire element, yet another deck is vice versa, do you find it difficult? Or do you just mentally keep everything the same for each deck, regardless of what the creator of the deck had in mind? I personally like swords/air and wands/fire, so I am comfortable with the Waite deck. But, I really like the Renaissance Tarot by Brian Williams for the artwork, yet am having an extremely hard time working with it. Every once in a while I give it a try, but it's difficult so far. Oh well, it's still nice to look at! Jeanette

Jewel	13 Nov 2001
Well I will take pretty much any excuse to pull out as many of my pretties as I can fit on my working surface when studying or meditating with the tarot. Like others of you have mentioned it really does help me in getting comfortable with a new deck as well, if I get confused Robin Wood and Tarot of the Old Path come to the rescue :) Mainly I like to see how different artists and tarot developers choose to graphically represent the meaning of the cards. I enjoy looking at the same card from different decks just to increase my own understanding of the potential meanings in the cards. As for pulling them out in the middle of a reading ... only if I am reading for myself and want to see the same spread from a "slightly different" angle. Another thing that is fun when you are alone working with your cards is to pull your favorites from different decks and slide them into a spread. So many decks ... so much to learn ... so little time ... but how fun it is!

catlin	14 Nov 2001
Hi, I sometimes use 2 decks in the same time for cross-references when I do a reading for myself which proves to be a bit tricky. At the moment, I work with the Mah Jongg cards, the Sacred Circle and the Shaman Wisdom cards, seems to be a funny mixture but it is pretty interesting.

The Question for multiple deck owners (ie everyone ;P ) thread was originally posted on 07 Nov 2001 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.