Review of DSD & how it has been personalised by reviewer
** MY REVIEW OF THIS DECK ** (photos to be posted when I am able to do so)
To start with, this is not a tarot deck. Instead it is a comprehensive card system that can enhance any reading utilising any deck, whether it be tarot, oracle or Lenormand.
BK Reichle from San Francisco, California, has created a deck of spread cards, which will be of great benefit to those who assign spread positions to the cards used in a reading. How often have you as a reader been presented with a question, which you have then broken down into sub-sections in order to look at the issue in a comprehensive or holistic way? I have done this many times, and have usually resorted to scribbling down suggestions on a piece of paper. Then, when conducting the reading I have to refer back to remind myself what aspect a given card is referring to. For years, I was doing this, wondering if there was any easier way to break down a question. After all, there are thousands of tarot decks available, yet there has to date only been one that looks at the way we would actually conduct the reading. Only one had looked at how we could utilise spread positions, so there was very much a gap in the market, and a very definite need for such a system/deck.
With this deck, BK has taken away the need for head scratching, followed by illegible scribbles. The Dynamic Spreads Deck allows a reader to construct a reading in a way that is clear, concise and above all - offers a considerably improved professional image. With the onset of digital technology, it is possible for the person receiving the reading to take a photograph of the cards used, but now they can also have a context for the reading they received. The Dynamic Spreads Deck consists of 105 full sized cards, and 19 smaller cards, and is separated out into the relevant sections of:
Theme
Explore Me
Explore Actions
Explore Considerations
Explore Interactions
Conclusions
Timing (The smaller sized cards).
Some of the cards have just one aspect highlighted, ideal for a single card. Others have two aspects - usually offering the opportunity to compare or contrast an issue, thus suggesting the use of 2 cards for contemplation. This particular aspect is one I welcome, as I often utilise this approach in my readings. Looking at alternatives, or the flip side of an issue really can make for an insightful reading. There is also one card which gives the opportunity for using three cards, with the standard Past/Present/Future reading being possible.
I have not actually added up all the possible permutations, but trust me - this deck is comprehensive.
So, now would be a good time to look at the set in detail.
PACKAGING.
There are three main components to the set. Firstly, we have the very robust outer box which houses the book and index-card box. This is large, with an empty space once the initial temporary packaging (used to protect the product during the shipping process) is removed. I will explain how I use this later.
BOOK
The book is the same size as the outer box, and is 50 pages in length. Each card has a brief explanation, and BK then finishes with plenty of examples of how the deck can be used, including some sample readings. I like that it is quite large. Everything is well spaced and not at all cramped, making it easier to read. BK is very good at using 50 words when only 50 are needed. Therefore you don't feel bogged down in detail. The text is written in a dark green. For those of us who are long sighted, this makes it a little harder to read, but I have to resort to reading glasses anyway (getting middle aged can be a kick in the rear at times) so no real issue.
The cards themselves are housed in a flip-top index box. Again, a very robust box. The lid has a small elastic hoop to hold a pen. However, it is not really possible to house a full sized pen. The lid of the lid makes it near on impossible to manoeuvre one in place, but a small pen or pencil should be fine.
THE CARDS
A lot of people do like to know about the quality of cardstock. I would say they are robust and heavily laminated, so should stand up to a lot of handling, particularly if they are being placed and removed from the box regularly. The box although sturdy, is in my opinion a little large for the cards. I have to either tip it up to get the cards out, or fiddle around trying to grip the cards with my fingers. Not a big issue though - I have a piece of polystyrene I can place in the bottom of the box, which will raise the whole deck around 12mm. Just enough to make access a little less fiddly. The cards are separated out with titled dividers, similar to a recipe box. Dimensions for the larger cards are approx 127mm x 76mm. The smaller ones are approx 62mm x 75mm. The EXPLORE cards are all a dark green in colour, the THEME & CONCLUSION cards are a sort of blue and maroon colour respectively. I think if I were to make a change to this section, I would have had all the sections a different and unique colour, just so that when I replace the cards I can go straight to the relevant section. As 4 sections are the same colour I would have to look at the rear of the card to see which section it should be returned to.
In addition, the divider could be made a little clearer. The word EXPLORE is the largest word on each divider, whereas I would have liked to have seen the relevant section title made the most prominent instead. Again, it would make it a little easier to identify a particular section at a glance. Instead, I have to squint or get my reading glasses out. This is only a minor niggle. I can easily type out the relevant section title in large print and just overlay it over the word EXPLORE.
OTHER EXTRAS
BL has included some white post-it style extras. How would you use these? Well, some cards have a space for the reader to add the relevant detail which would be unique to a given reading. For example, one card from the THEME section is titled " My connection with.........", there being a space for the reader to complete the sentence. It would be possible to write the name on the post it, and add it to the card. Then, when the cards are overlaid it is clear to both the reader and person receiving the reading, who and what is being referred to. I know BK has tried writing on the card with a non-permanent marker pen, but this has not proved to be totally satisfactory. My solution will be revealed shortly
So there you have the deck, as it is sold. A nice set with solid packaging, excellent accompanying book, and a terrific set of cards that will prove to be an invaluable tool to those readers who like to offer bespoke readings.
Once I received the set, I spent a number of hours with it, personalising it for my own use. These are just my ideas. I suspect each user/owner will have their own way of tweaking the set to suit their own personal style. It really does lend itself to this.
ADDRESSING ISSUES HIGHLIGHTED.
First up, the pen. I had this idea of using an erasable pen similar to those I use for journaling and puzzle books. Sadly, the laminate on the card renders them useless. However, I was balking at the idea of writing on the card, knowing there was a risk the ink would not be fully erasable.
I have a home laminating machine, and decided to cut down a laminate sheet into half a dozen card sized pieces. These can be placed over the top of the card as they are totally transparent. Then, a sharpie or other similar pen can be used to write the relevant word or text to finish off the spread suggestion. This is then totally erasable with the use of Isopropyl alcohol. I have some small medi-swabs which are impregnated with this, so may have a couple in the box.
There are no blank cards in this set. To be honest, it is so comprehensive, pretty much any eventuality is accounted for. However, I know there may be a rare occasion where I cannot find a card with the wording I need. I have created three blank cards by scanning one, then paint-shopping out the text. This was then sized to be the same as the others before being printed and laminated.
With regards the extra space offered by the large outer box, I have made full use of this. The space is just large enough to house a folded spread cloth, a couple of pens, a pendulum and a deck or two of tarot cards. This in effect makes the whole thing a type of 'grab & go kit' with everything I would need for a reading.
QUICK REFERENCE SHEET
One thing the set could benefit from, is a double sided quick reference sheet, showing all the card positions. I appreciate they are all mentioned in the book in just the right amount of detail, but I like the idea of being able to just scan down a table of the relevant sections/cards whilst preparing for a reading.
Again, not an insurmountable issue. I just created one and have it laminated as part of the set. It proved to be a worthwhile exercise, in as much it gave me the opportunity to begin the process of memorising some of the key cards.
COMMON READINGS SHEET
Many of my readings are conducted at a festival held twice a year in New Zealand. I only have 20 minutes for each reading, so like to minimise the time spent on agreeing the layout so that optimum time is spent actually doing the reading. I have learned over the years that I am usually met with 7 common themes. I have gone through each card and identified which ones would be perfect for any of these readings. I will be able to draw those in an instant, and will be able to offer the sitter the opportunity to select the ones they feel are most pertinent to their question. If I am conducting a reading at home where time is not limited, it would be possible to utilise all the cards. So with this in mind, I have a system whereby I can offer a taylor-made reading which can be tweaked according to the setting or time constraint.
To again keep the process smooth and fast moving, I have added a small colour coded tab to those cards that are likely to be used. These are at the front of their relevant sections, so I can find the card in short time. In total, there are approximately 50 cards tagged.
PENDULUM CHARTS.
The previous section outlined how I can use the deck for those questions that are commonly asked. There will also be times where I want to just do a random reading with no selected idea or question. I am a pendulum user, and have a spider chart created of my decks, where I then dowse to find the deck for a given reading.
It just made sense to me to create spider charts for all the sections, whereby I can dowse to establish what card I can use for a reading. This would make a reading somewhat similar to a round of Countdown I may take one from the THEME section, two from the EXPLORE ME section, two more from EXPLORE ACTIONS SECTION and maybe one from the EXPLORE CONSIDERATIONS section. I am just grateful there is no maths involved whereby I have to solve a really tricky calculation.
This should make for some interesting and varied daily or weekly draws. By dowsing and trusting that I am being led to choose the most applicable cards, I should be able to conduct a reading on a subject I am meant to consider, as opposed to doing the bog-standard (and rather bland/boring) 3 card or one card draw.
So, there you have it. In conclusion I have to offer a bow to BK and this creation. A considerable amount of thought and time has gone into it. The thought of using 124 cards would have usually had me running for the hills - it sounds daunting and unmanageable. Yet he has created a simple system, which has a definite sense of structure and usability. With regards to the spread positions he has chosen to use, it is as if he had crawled into my head, had a rummage around and pulled out all the pertinent ones that I love using. With a lot of valid and valuable additions for me to consider.
I would certainly recommend this set to anyone who enjoys using spreads, particularly to those who create their own bespoke layouts. For sure the set is not perfect in its execution, but it is certainly near perfect with regards its intent. The minor issues I have highlighted are not insurmountable, and do not hinder me in any way. The deck is not rendered unusable by any means, and I have actually enjoyed tweaking the set to make it work for ME. I reckon this is what BK would encourage, as it is a set that is meant to be used and personalised.
It is also fair to say it is not just to be used with tarot cards. I have also used Lenormand cards with this set and it worked just fine. Many of the EXPLORE ME cards would lend themselves to oracle readings. (I have the Oracle of Visions by Ciro Marchetti in mind for this). I can also see it being of use by those in corporate settings for brainstorming etc. It really has that sense of versatility.
Dynamic Spreads deck is available from:
www.dynamicspreads.com (BK's own website)
www.deverapublishing.com (Publisher)
Once I've got everything settled domestically, I'm going to see what can be done to improve the situation for international customers.