Decks that complement each other in multiple deck readings

Scarlet Air

Hey guys, finally coming out of lurkdom to ask you lovely people for deck recommendations.

I'm starting to play around with spreads that involve more than one deck as well as looking at spreads which use multiple systems, oracle, lenormand, et cetera. I was hoping to get some suggestions on decks which pair well together in readings.

For example Kelly from the Truth in Story uses a lot of Will Worthington artwork decks to create spreads using tarot, lenormand, and oracle for one reading. I think I also remember her using Skullgarden's tarot and oracle decks to do a singular reading as well.

So which decks do you guys like using together? Is there a pair of tarot decks you love using together? Or an oracle you love using as a closing card for a particular tarot deck?

Curious to know which decks other people use together, regardless of system.
 

Nemia

How wonderful, I very nearly asked the same question some days ago. I call it 'elective affinities' - decks that work together really well. I've been experimenting with two-deck-readings a bit lately.

I have no system, I just work spontaneously take out two decks that seem to go together, use one for the basic reading and the other as magnifying glass. Sometimes I cover the cards from the first deck with those of the second, or I use just court cards to give a fuller picture of the character in question.

I didn't yet use the second deck for additional cards since I'm not used to clarifiers, but it's a possibility, too.

I have used together:

Shadowscapes and Universal Fantasy. Shadowscapes for the reading, Universal Fantasy as addition, especially for court cards.

Trionfi della Luna and World Spirit. Not only do the World cards resemble in their blue joy, they have the aesthetic of print in common and some crazy drastic abandon. They say whatever comes into their minds.

Fountain and Four Heavenly Kings. Fountain is cool and cautious and cerebral, Four Heavenly Kings warm and spontaneous and optimistic. I did one reading like SWOT - I asked the Fountain for reasons why not, and the FHK for reasons why yes. It didn't turn out very well, I'll have to distribute the question more fairly next time.

Oh, and after we had a discussion about signifiers here on AT, I tried to use Touchstone cards as signifiers when reading with another deck, but they didn't gel well, and I'll have to look into this technique.

I have thought for some time that I'd like to include oracle cards in my readings, and I'm very curious for other answers in this thread!

I'm very curious especially about the use of oracles. I don't own any and they have never attracted me the way Lenormand, playing cards and even tarot ;-) have. They lack the structure, the backbone that I like so much. But as clarifiers, signifiers, problem or focus cards, I'm sure it's possible to combine powers.

And another thing - the deck of 1000 spreads. I have used it as focus or topic card for in-depth study of one card from different decks. That's not reading with different decks, but it's very interesting and I got much from it whenever I tried it.

Let's say I take the 2 of Wands from a number of different decks and group them around a card from the deck of 1000 spreads, e.g., "Problem". And then I go into the nuances every card from a different deck brings to the core of 2 of Wands. Then I take another card, let's say "Past". And the different 2 of Wands take on immediately different "shades".
 

lantana

My usual way of using two decks is the tarot and oracle method. Most of my oracles have a "sibling", as in a tarot deck by the same artist, and when I use them together they tend to compliment each other very well.

For example, the Idiosyncradeck is very "sassy" to me, all quick qips and "but you already knew that"s, while the Amethyst Oracle has this monotone, almost "Daria"-like delivery that feels no need to explain itself. Together the oracle casts new depths on the tarot cards that I wouldn't have seen otherwise, and the tarot card makes the oracle a little less one note. I love using these two for a two-card daily draw.

The Wooden Tarot on the other hand, is very heedy and reading from it can get pretty long winded. The Earthbound Oracle though, is short and only focuses on what is needed in the present, so together they make a great team for advice spreads.

Another two deck method I want to try is using a majors only deck with a full 78 card deck. I have a majors-only deck (Tarot for Cats) that I adore, but I keep not using it because I worry about reading without the minor arcana. However I came across a method in which you use a major arcana deck with a full deck, and that any duplicate cards signify extreme importance in a reading. I'm guessing this is pretty similar to reading with two full decks.
 

RiverRunsDeep

There is a great thread in the oracle section that discusses pairing tarot with oracles. Here it is.
 

Nemia

Oooh, thank you! I wouldn't have found it since I don't look there. Great!!! Oh, people are so creative, I love it.
 

starlightexp

The Pixie Lenormand goes amazing with the Centennial Waite-Smith deck... i'm just sayn'
 

Scarlet Air

Thanks for the detailed reply Nemia. There's a couple decks you mentioned that I haven't heard of so will have to look up some reviews :) I love hearing about decks other people like to use and their perspective on them.

Lantana I am so jealous you managed to get the Idiosyncradeck and Amethyst Oracle together. I learned about them too late and missed out. Glad you think the Earthbound Oracle and Wooden Tarot work together well as I'm thinking of buying the two together so I can use them as a set in readings.

Starlightexp I think you're right about the Pixie Lenormand with the Centennial, will have to keep it on my 'consider list'. I'm looking to buy my first lenormand deck right now but will choose something with a book first to help me along with the meanings. Down the line though they would certainly make a beautiful spread together.

And down the rabbit hole I go RiverRunsDeep :)
 

JadePixie

Tarot of The Sidhe and Tabula Mundi, despite being completely different they just feel good to use together, both have wonderfully unique artistic expression and use of colour :)
 

Barleywine

When I'm in a Thoth mood, I will sometimes use my standard-size Thoth with Liber T, Tarot of Stars Eternal or Navigators of the Mystic SEA (and sometimes both if I need three decks); now that I have Tabula Mundi, I can include it too.

There are also times when I want the cards to be similarly sized, so I will put together my bigger decks: large-size Thoth, DruidCraft, PoMo, Tarot of the Golden Serpent, to name a few. My most recent attempt used the majors from those four decks (plus a central quintessence card from the smaller Night Sun tarot), and the spread picture is attached here:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=271352
 

bogiesan

Perhaps too obvious. I have three weirdly similar decks in play, New Vision, After and Centennial PCS. Mostly for fun.