Multiple Deck Spreads

Do any of you do a spread using multiple decks?

When I just had my RWS Tarot and Medicine Cards, I often felt confused after a tarot reading and drew an MC to see if things would feel clearer. It was so effective that I started always drawing them together.

Then I got my Way of the Horse cards, not really wanting to own a 3rd deck, but drawn to the lionheart card and the information in the set on learning to use our prey instincts to protect ourselves. When I do a reading combining the 3 decks, it feels incomplete. It feels like there is a hole in the 4 elements that needed to be filled, or maybe I should go back to my original 2 when doing a tarot reading and doing the horses separate.

My best friend wants to buy me a set of Dorian Virtue Mermaid cards and I think I'm going to let her. There is a card in the set that she says is me and I am drawn to it too. And the set is "water"

When using one deck and using multiple cards, I often feel like the card meanings do not fit their slots in the spread. Using multiple packs ensures the card will fit it's slot better.

I have a little compass and I like setting up my readings to the 4 directions. 4 decks seems so wasteful and extravagant, but I really like the idea of covering the 4 directions with individual decks.

I hardly ever use spreads at all, but I do use multiple decks sometimes.

Enjoy your new deck, when you get it.

Mellifluous, do you just draw one card or multiple cards, when using one deck, and not using a spread? If multiple, do you have a set # that you draw? Do you position the cards in any shape?

hunter said:

Mellifluous, do you just draw one card or multiple cards, when using one deck, and not using a spread? If multiple, do you have a set # that you draw? Do you position the cards in any shape?

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Either/or.
No.
No.

I have several ways of incorporating several decks into a reading.

Most often, I will add a card from a deck with affirmations or the like (for example, the various Sonia Choquette decks) as and advice card to some of the positions. (I always determine this beforehand, not believing in clarifiers.)

When designing my own spreads, I assign positions and also which deck goes where. They are usually in a pattern related to the spread objective, because I'm a visual type and find this is enhancing the reading.

Finally, I own a book with many spreads, which incorporates up to three decks - The Giant Book of Card Divination which has been very helpful to expand the technique.

Thanks for the book tip!

I must be visual too. My friend got me the deck today and visually everything looks totally different. The shape of the layout, the color combinations. Everything is in balance. I need symmetry and balance.

I tried so hard to find visual order in the 3 decks and just couldn't :-0 And didn't know it was the visual that was throwing me off so much, but that's what it was. It felt deeper, but I don't think it was.

hunter said:

Do any of you do a spread using multiple decks?

When I just had my RWS Tarot and Medicine Cards, I often felt confused after a tarot reading and drew an MC to see if things would feel clearer.

Click to expand...

I do something similar to that routinely. I use any number of Tarot decks, having about six on display when I'm working, and I let the client choose the deck that appeals to them. I put the others aside and use that Tarot deck for the main reading. At the end I'll ask the person if they want to pull an Australian Animal Card. By this time the reading is effectively over, but the Australian Animal cards will generally produce one that reflects the main or most pressing issue that already came up in the reading, giving the person another reason to bear in mind what I said, and also to seal off what I said as authoratitive for sceptics as it was drawn differently from a different deck. And htey're pleasing and gentle, and generally get people to leave with a smile, which is always good.

Hi Love this topic....

When I do readings for clients... I begin with 10 NAT in a medicine Wheel Spread... Top five past and recent past....... bottom 5 present adn working towards outcome.......

While typing up the reading the Client shuffles and picks 10 Sacred Path cards which i layout Ladder of life spread Top past bottom outcome... (reconfirmation of reading)

then last card chosen for basic reading Crystal Ally Card... gives reconfirmation, An Element, Crystal, Chakra and affirmation for client and a clear message....

once completely typed and printed and discussed with client... the client i find needs to ask a clarifying question which then I select another Oracle deck and will draw between 3 and 7 cards depending on the question......

which is then typed and printed..........by then 30 mins-45 mins has passed and generally if client is happy......... usually a Healing session is booked.......

Just another suggestion to using multiple packs....

If I using Doreen Virtue decks I will select 3 of her decks and do row 1: 6 cards of deck A , Row 2: 6 cards of deck B ,and Row 3: 6 cards of Deck C....
Then read Column 1 by putting the three cards in a story.... then col.2 then col.3, col.4, col.5 and lastly col.6........Clients are amazed how powerful these readings are.. The Angels layout the cards perfectly...

Can use any mixture of her decks like this...........

Vesta

Last night I drew protection in the mermaid oracle and 2 of Swords in the RWS. Wow is the background similar in those 2 cards. I caused me to really look at those 2 cards together and there was even more synchronicity with the other cards was just mind boggling.

I think the syncronicity is more blatant when using multiple decks and divination methods, and in your face for beginners and skeptics.

I think putting another method in the center of the 4 element spread of 4 card decks will be my final addition. I was playing around with crystals in the center last night and am reading about lithomancy.

I turned off the lights, lit candles and set up my 4 elements spread using my 4 decks. I turned on some humpback whale nature sounds. I used some cedar incense in my smudging shell and cleansed the mermaid cards and some crystals. Then I did all my shuffling and picking in the dim light. It was such a soothing experience, as I slowly worked my way around the outside of the circle, using each deck, and tossing some crystals in the center.

I was in a REALLY anxious state last night and was a new person after the reading. It really took the energy of all the different decks and the crystals and the meaningful layout, and accompanying incense and nature sounds that matched the decks. I felt surrounded by many energies all supporting me as a group, working together.