The Deck of 1000 Spreads: Your Tarot Toolkit for Creating the Perfect Spread for Any Situation Cards – March 8, 2013

"To get a better understanding of how a spread works, think of a tarot reading as a novel--stuff that happened and who was involved. But without some sort of organization, it's all just a random pile of words and information." - From the book How to Use Your Deck of 1000 Spreads by Tierney SadlerAh, the amazing Deck of 1000 Spreads. Incredibly, no one thought of this brilliant idea before (or, didn't have the courage to create or publish it until now): a labeled, color-coded deck of cards listing spread positions and what they mean.Seasoned and professional Tarot readers know how aggravating it can be do be in the midst of a face-to-face reading--especially with clients or addressing complex issues--and forget the designation of a particular position (especially with on-the-fly spreads)."Wait. Did I say that position indicated The Past...or What Needs Released?"Ack! It's happened to the best of us.Fortunately, Tierney Sadler had the experience and foresight to eliminate this pesky problem by crafting the Deck of 1000 Spreads and its 137-page companion book, published by Llewellyn. Separated into five categories (Influences/Blue, Topic/Green, Outcome/Red, Character/Orange and Timing/Purple), this 59-card deck covers just about every question addressed by the most popular spreads used by Tarot readers: The Celtic Cross, Horseshoe, Star and various 3-card layouts.For example, among the Topic/Green cards there are labels like Card of the Day, Career, Problem, Situation, Career, Friendship, Success and so on. For the Influences/Blue cards, there are labels like Positive Influences, What You Can't Change, What Is Hidden, Surprise, What to Avoid, Hopes and Fears, etc.Unfortunately, positions from the Zodiac Spread and Chakra Spread (two of my favorites) aren't provided, nor are there cards geared towards novelists (protagonist, antagonist, villain, sidekick, subplot, turning point, complication and so on). Those types of cards would have greatly enhanced the Deck of 1000 Spreads, especially since there are only six blank cards for those types of permutations. Granted, some of the cards could be "stand ins" for a few of those positions, but not most of them.Despite my "wish list" for this deck, it's still a fresh, welcome addition to the world of Tarot and a reader's toolkit.I've given the Deck of 1000 Spreads several test runs, with clear, insightful results. I often have tons of irons in the fire, so I asked the Tarot "What needs to be my main thrust right now in terms of creativity?"I then selected Hobbies and Talents card from the Topic/Green pool, since it "Addresses the current state of your creative energies. When not used as the spread's topic card, it can advise on creative endeavors". From the Snowland Deck, I drew Impermanence (Death). This card shows a melting snowman, a flying bluejay about to eat a bug, a moose drinking from a lake and the spirit of the snowman among the clouds, winking.I thought of how this card is traditionally associated with Scorpio, my Sun sign. Scorpio deals with penetrating truths, deep wisdom and transformation; it's a lot like the Phoenix mythos. Yet, Impermanence also deals with something "passing away" in the cycle of life...or the resistance to change.Was this card saying that I needed to let one part of my creative endeavors go--the one that I've been doing the longest--to make way for a new focus?I then fished out an Influence/Blue card: Clarification. I shuffled, asking for clarification for the Impermanence card. I drew the Mental Ace (Ace of Swords). I couldn't help but chuckle because this card shows a pointed icicle being offered from a cloud to a very eager snowman on a bright, clear winter day....clarification personified! It's also a card hinting at sharp, pointed, focused communications--an approach that happens to be my trademark. I took this to mean, "keep being you".So then I selected an Outcome/Red card, Advice. What was the Tarot's advice, then, in terms of my creative output? I drew Quester Energy, the equivalent of the Knight of Wands. In the Snowland Deck, this card--featuring famed Australian polar explorer Sir George Herbert Wilkins--portrays the consummate Renaissance Soul as his various exploits and talents. He was "all over the map"...just like me!So I weaved it all together as a message to keep pushing for the hard truths in life, expose bull*&^% when I see it, and celebrate being a polymath (rather than sometimes thinking it's a liability). And, that having several creative projects going at one time is what I'm good at and what will fulfill me.The companion book How to Use Your Deck of 1000 Spreads provides a wealth of ideas on how to vary spreads, switch out cards and create your own. And, as the author points out, "1000 Spreads" is a misnomer: with all the cards in this deck--and the option for choosing to arrange or select them consciously or randomly--there are literally tens of thousands of possibilities.I'm especially excited to try out the chart method, where cards from this deck are arranged outside a grid as placeholders, and then Tarot cards are placed in horizontal and vertical rows. What an innovative way to see a situation from various angles or explore how an issue may impact several people all at once!My favorite part of the companion book, though, was how the author explained three Celtic Cross variation usings the same cards (but different position titles). Just extraordinary. I'd love to read an entire book with the author riffing on a dozen or more spreads using the same cards in different positions!Although intermediate and advanced Tarot readers will likely be the most comfortable using the Deck of 1000 Spreads, there's no reason beginners couldn't cut their teeth on card layouts using this box set. In fact, it may very well save them months (or years) of grief that many experienced readers endured muddling on their own without such a handy, accessible tool.Highly recommended!(To see 6 card images from this deck, visit the REVIEWS--DECKS section at JanetBoyer.com)

My Deck of 1000 Spreads arrived in perfect condition and is exactly what I was needing as a novice to the tarot. However, this deck is equally useful to you tarot masters out there as well due to the way it opens the doors, halls and rooms leading the way to pandora's box of infinate possibilities! I intend to use this deck with the beautiful and lavish "Tarot Illuminati" created by Erik C. Dunne and Kim Huggen's. First it's unlike any other device in the market today. It will greatly help any reader, with any spread, and any deck! It is non-threatening to any past, present, or future tarot authors or deck creators since it is designed to work in harmony with all modalities of decks and teachings pertaining to the Tarot. It leads in a way in which all novices and experts alike can approach it with ease. It offers new opportunities to enhance your readings with precision and accuracy. It will also help the reader remember which step of any reading they are on as this deck comes with headings, and accepted definitions on each card to work in conjunction with your favorite deck...no more losing track on more complex spreads! It affords the reader new opportunities to create totally new spreads, with unlimited possibilities for the querant...This deck is akin to the "Rosetta Stone". It takes the the risks out of remembering at which point of the reading you are at, while bringing the readings themselves to a whole other level. It provides the querant and reader a mutually easy to read and follow path of the spread tailored to the querant. The reader is now afforded the freedom to create spreads so utterly dynamic that even the experienced reader will embrace refreshing opportunities, leaving trodden paths of the past spreads in the dust, while creating and experiencing new ways of taking paths less traveled without the fear of getting lost along the way...because this deck consistently leads the reader, while shedding a new light upon the possibilities of the reader's imagination with increased accuracy and relavance to the querant. The deck allows unlimited possibilities so the reader can concentrate on the cards without the distraction of keeping track of where they are in a reading. The Deck of 1000 Spreads is a roadmap from the beginning to the ending of any spread of your choice or creation. I'm thrilled as a novice to begin my journey with this deck to help lead my way as I become more familier with the interpretations of my own deck, and less worried about learning and memorizing new spreads since The Deck of 1000 Spreads leads the way. It truly seems to be the latest technology in regards to Tarot history, and takes the misery of memorization off the table so the reader can concentrate on the task at hand. This in no way is a threat to other authors and pioneers of tarot wisdom, since it is simply a tool that is useful in any interpretation or modality. Through Tierney Sadler's Deck of 1000 Spreads, the Universe has just opened a new window of opportunity to the tarot community and it's clients, weaving a new tapestry in harmony with completely new possibilities in the way future spreads are brought to fruition and read. For that, I give The Deck of 1000 Spreads a 5 star rating, and eagerly wait for Tierney's new deck specifically created for Lenmorand readers to be offered here, on Amazon.com as well!  The Deck of 1000 Spreads: Your Tarot Toolkit for Creating the Perfect Spread for Any Situation

I am a professional reader and write regular Tarot forecasts. I wanted something to help me add some additional variety in my forecasts and assist with spread experimentation. This deck fit the bill perfectly. I sometimes draw from this deck to pair with a daily card, reading them together to add another dimension. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback on using them.The cards are nicely over-sized to show the label when placed below traditionally sized cards. I wouldn't have minded if they were just a touch bigger to accommodate larger decks but that's not a criticism of the deck, just an aesthetic preference.This is a lovely tool for help creating spreads overall, or for those readings when someone is just a little unsure of what they want to ask. I sometimes select cards to make my own spread, but as often as not, I draw randomly to see what information is most needed. The cards work well either way and my clients do like having them included in email sessions for reference.It is very clear that typical spread positions were well-researched as they are very well represented. There are a few blank cards in each topical group that are suggested to be used with sticky notes for your own positions.As far as what could be improved...there could be more blank cards, so that you could either write your positions permanently or perhaps coated sto use a dry erase marker on them instead of suggested sticky notes. If I wanted write spread positions on sticky notes, the blank cards aren't really a "value add" in that case. The companion book won't have much to offer experienced readers but would probably be useful to the novice.All in all, I get a lot of use out of this deck and like it a lot. Thanks, Tierney!

This is a great tool for the intermediate tarot reader as it helps you create your own spreads. The book is very informative and the card design is perfect. It is not a tool for learning tarot, it is a tool to help with tarot readings.

This is a fascinating concept, which works exceptionally well. It is clear a lot of thought and planning went into both the design of the cards and the accompanying book.It can be used if you just want visual reminders (for yourself or the person you're reading for) of the spread positions on a standard spread. Or else you can customise a spread for the reading. Or let the cards decide what they want to tell you. And with all the possibilities of layering multiple cards, there really is no end to the number of spreads you can create!

アマゾンでの評判が良かったので購入しました。タロットのスプレッドを自分で作るキットです。中には解説本と65枚のカードが入っています。カードは、色分けされた大きめなカードで、グリーン（テーマ、トピック）ブルー（影響）オレンジ（キャラクター、人物）パープル（タイミング、時間軸）レッド（結果）と何も記入の無いカードになっています。例えばトピックのグリーンカードには、質問・ゴール・友情・健康などと英語で書かれています。本では、スプレッドを覚えられない初心者でもこのカードを予め場に展開しておけば大丈夫、とありますが、このキットを楽しめるのは中級以上の人間だと思います。全く新しいスプレッドを作るよりも既存のスプレッドを変形させるのが面白いです。例えば有名なケルト十字の場合。過去→過去世、近未来→来世、最終結果→今生の課題と変えてスピリチュアルな読み方をする例をあげています。私は、ケルト十字の変形にチャレンジしてみました。恋愛用のスプレッドで、十字架の上を conscious desires(望み)、下をunconscious desires(無意識下の望み）としてみました。但し、これをやってしまうとカードの解釈がより鮮やかになるメリットはあるけれど、意味が固定化・限定化してしまう欠点もあると感じます。どちらかというと、既存のスプレッドに追加する方が良いと感じました。例えば結果のカードを増やして、pro（結果の良い面）とcon（結果の悪い面）と分けたり、等です。英語は大変簡単で単語も繰り返しが多いので、読みやすいと思います。挿入画には、現代のタロットが沢山使われていて、こんなデッキがあるんだ〜と見ていて面白かったです。

Useful, concise, clear and easy to use. A joy to work with!

This is brilliant,,, can not recommend enough.