Mixing other systems with Tarot

[Pretzel]

I was wondering what favorite ways you have for mixing other systems in with Tarot (if that's your thing).

For example, I've seen some people start a reading with 3 oracle cards to get the vibe of the situation then do the tarot reading (or sometimes in reverse).

Then there's others who put down three Lenormand cards as the reading, then go deeper using Tarot.

Then there's other specialty decks such as the Tea Leaf cards. Again, I've seen people read with the Tarot, then finish up with the Tea Leaf cards (these ones also have timing cards included so they could be used to clarify timing).

Do you enjoy mixing systems and if so, what's your favorite way?

[DanielJUK]

oh I love mixing systems, I think it works best if you think of it as experimentation! Just try it out and see what works and what doesn't.

 

The Tea Leaf Cards are one of the best card systems for timing, like you discussed. So it's great to include them around tarot cards. You can also do a spread with one tarot card per position and then add tea leaf cards, Lenormand or Kipper cards to it. But you need to use multiples of them around the single tarot card, like maybe 3 of the cartomancy cards and maybe 4 of the tea leaf cards. I think in the calendar spread in the book for the Tea cards it recommends 4 per position or something like that.

 

A lot of professional readers seem to do a tarot reading and then give you an oracle card at the end to go away with.

 

I think you can be clever about mixing systems and contrast them. For example, Tarot is great at getting in depth, with all the themes and everything going on but sometimes it can be tricky to get straight to the point. So use them and Lenormand to get straight to the point, or with Tea Leafs to get straight to the timing. You could also use contrasting themes or similar themes of the decks.

 

I mostly use it as one tarot card in a position and one oracle card or one tarot and multiples of the other systems I described. But by mixing systems you want more insight. The big risk is to make it really complicated and more time consuming and laboursome in working on it.

[Pretzel]

Thanks for sharing @DanielJUK! Awesome. Yeah I usually add an oracle (or 2) at the end as a 'here's some advice to go away with".

I love the idea of a Tea Leaf cards to go with each tarot card. So did I read that correctly that for each tarot card you add an oracle to it?

Totally agree about mixing too much and making it complicated. I'm likely to only mix two systems - one as the main deck and a different system to add extra insight - and perhaps Tea Leaf but only specifically for timing rather than adding to the message.

Thanks again! Always cool to hear what others are doing.

[DanielJUK]

I have to say I don't always mix systems, I mostly don't. Maybe like 10% of my personal readings I do. It just takes a lot longer and more work, it's more cards! Sometimes I like to do a larger and more complex reading and then add other systems to tarot 🙂

 

Try out tarot and tea leaf and see if it adds to the reading or not, that is what I do.

[Pretzel]

On 12/9/2021 at 11:13 PM, DanielJUK said:

I have to say I don't always mix systems, I mostly don't. Maybe like 10% of my personal readings I do. It just takes a lot longer and more work, it's more cards! Sometimes I like to do a larger and more complex reading and then add other systems to tarot 🙂

 

Try out tarot and tea leaf and see if it adds to the reading or not, that is what I do.

Thanks Daniel! Yep, totally agree. Reading back at what I wrote - I meant "If I was to mix, I'd likely only use two - then maybe Tea Leaf if I wanted timing". 
I have seen people on YouTube mix a bunch of stuff and some do it fine, whereas others if feels like too much. I'm fascinated by how others do their readings.

[katrinka]

I don't normally mix systems. Occasionally I'll verify a reading with a different system, if it's really crucial. Or I'll use a different system to clarify something from the first reading. These are NOT "clarification cards." It's a separate reading with a different question than the one that was used for the first reading. For example, if a Tarot reading shows financial loss, I might do a Lenormand reading to see if the sitter will still be able to cover bills and general needs.

Edited December 11, 2021 by katrinka

[DanielJUK]

One really great mixing system exercise you can do, is to do the year ahead. I have done this in the past but it's a lot of cards 🙂

Tarot is so great for the themes each month but not so great with timing, Tea Leaf is good for timing each month. I remember on Aeclectic that people raved about the Tea Leaf for weekly / monthly / yearly predictions and was voted the best predictive method over many years. I am not sure but the timing system is built into it.

 

If you were doing this I did it like this.....

 

Take tarot, there is an old traditional tarot spread with the calendar wheel. It's based on astrology chart wheels (it has a sister spread that uses houses in each positions). There are multiple ways of doing it, the traditional method I have in a book starts at card 1 (January or whatever month you want to start with) it at 9 o'clock and then it goes clockwise. In an astrology chart, real time goes clockwise and the houses and movement of the planets are counter clockwise. Other people have first month January and go Counter Clockwise. I notice a lot of people now start at 12 as the first month these days.

 

However you want to lay it out, deal 12 tarot cards for each month ahead and put a 13th in the middle as the overall theme.

 

Then take the Tea Leaf Oracle, there is a year spread in the book that I don't have near me right now. But you make a circle in a similar way but I seem to remember you deal out every card, all 200 of them or something like that. I think make it work for you. I would deal them under or over the tarot cards already laid out. if you want you can do about 3 cards per tarot card per month or if you want 5 or 6, it's up to you.

 

I think that would be a great way of combining them to get a comprehensive look at the new year. Just an example of how I used them.

[Pretzel]

15 hours ago, katrinka said:

I don't normally mix systems. Occasionally I'll verify a reading with a different system, if it's really crucial. Or I'll use a different system to clarify something from the first reading. These are NOT "clarification cards." It's a separate reading with a different question than the one that was used for the first reading. For example, if a Tarot reading shows financial loss, I might do a Lenormand reading to see if the sitter will still be able to cover bills and general needs.

I like that method - using a separate reading to ask a further question. Thanks for sharing.

[Pretzel]

6 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

One really great mixing system exercise you can do, is to do the year ahead. I have done this in the past but it's a lot of cards 🙂

Tarot is so great for the themes each month but not so great with timing, Tea Leaf is good for timing each month. I remember on Aeclectic that people raved about the Tea Leaf for weekly / monthly / yearly predictions and was voted the best predictive method over many years. I am not sure but the timing system is built into it.

 

If you were doing this I did it like this.....

 

Take tarot, there is an old traditional tarot spread with the calendar wheel. It's based on astrology chart wheels (it has a sister spread that uses houses in each positions). There are multiple ways of doing it, the traditional method I have in a book starts at card 1 (January or whatever month you want to start with) it at 9 o'clock and then it goes clockwise. In an astrology chart, real time goes clockwise and the houses and movement of the planets are counter clockwise. Other people have first month January and go Counter Clockwise. I notice a lot of people now start at 12 as the first month these days.

 

However you want to lay it out, deal 12 tarot cards for each month ahead and put a 13th in the middle as the overall theme.

 

Then take the Tea Leaf Oracle, there is a year spread in the book that I don't have near me right now. But you make a circle in a similar way but I seem to remember you deal out every card, all 200 of them or something like that. I think make it work for you. I would deal them under or over the tarot cards already laid out. if you want you can do about 3 cards per tarot card per month or if you want 5 or 6, it's up to you.

 

I think that would be a great way of combining them to get a comprehensive look at the new year. Just an example of how I used them.

Wow, that's an interesting method. Yeah super comprehensive - would be a good one for a client. Thanks for sharing Daniel!

[Jon_Carlo_the_8th]

 I have thrown my faith into a particular random number generator.  I use RNG to pick a chapter in verse in books that have a chapter and verse.  I have prayed about my RNG,  I have created rituals for my RNG.  I have made offerings my Allies thanking them for my RNG.  I mix my RNG with my tarot readings.  It works great i think because i have clear agreements about how to use RNG and I ask smart questions and i have faith in my RNG.

[AlbaTross]

Through my various exchanges, I have picked up a habit of following up a Tarot reading with a single Oracle card to tie it all together.  That's all the mixing I do though.  

[ilweran]

On 12/9/2021 at 12:13 PM, DanielJUK said:

It just takes a lot longer and more work, it's more cards!

Sometimes I draw an oracle card instead of a tarot card - though I'm rather relaxed about spreads!

 

So, for example, if I was doing a five card reading with a central card, I might draw an oracle card instead of a tarot card for that centre card.

Edited January 23, 2022 by ilweran

[Nemia]

I have used a pendulum in the past to choose a card or confirm a solution card. I should do that again, it worked really well. I always feel the pendulum is such a direct and physical way of finding an inner truth. Have to get out my old pendulum again! 

 

Oracle cards worked less smoothly for me; I probably haven't found an oracle yet that I can connect to. The oracles I have are all too positive; when I know the answer will be nothing but affirmative and uplifting, it loses its power for me. I prefer to make my own affirmations based on the card that impresses me most. 

[Page_of_Swords]

Heyy

 

I normally see the mix between the oracle cards and tarot. But I saw lenormand in combination with tarot as well (Actually this was a hell of a reader).

I like to mix numerology and tarot, specially when I read a numerology chart.

[Jewel]

I sometimes add an oracle card as an overarching influence over my reading that permeates throughout.  Like DanielUK probably about 10% of the time.  It can add a nice layer to the reading.   I often do this with Lunar readings using a card from my Queen of the Moon Oracle.  I also sometimes use a card from one of my Crystal or Animal oracles, just depends on what the topic of the reading or a gut feeling that I should.