Favorite Deck Interview Spreads?

[Misterei]

As per the title.

I always thought deck interviews were silly ... and never got good results anyway.

But i wish to give it another go with Triunfi della Luna deck.

I've already used that deck quite a few times sans interview ... and get really inconsistent results ... sometimes it just HITS ... other times no.

Usually a deck is 90% hits or 90% misses (and it goes to thrift store). I've never had a deck that was 50/50.

 

Bunch of deck interviews on the internet, of course ... but this is a more discerning group.

 

Your faves?

Edited September 18, 2023 by Misterei

[Raggydoll]

I have done this a few times and I typically allow the deck to dictate the conversation. So I start with asking a general question about what the deck wants me to know, and then depending on the cards I pull, I tailor further questions to get to know it. I guess it’s like an actual conversation with someone you want to know better, there needs to be a flow to it, and you’ll want to ask spontaneous follow up questions about certain things. I don’t believe that I’ve ever used an actual spread for this. 

[Chariot]

@Raggydoll  I use an actual spread, but have never been 100% satisfied with the results ...I put the 'misses' down to the deck and I not knowing each other 'yet.'  But I think I'll try your approach instead.  I have two new decks I haven't interviewed yet.
 

Do you re-shuffle after each 'statement' from the deck, or do you build it like a normal spread?

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Chariot

[Raggydoll]

5 minutes ago, Chariot said:

@Raggydoll  I use an actual spread, but have never been 100% satisfied with the results ...I put the 'misses' down to the deck and I not knowing each other 'yet.'  But I think I'll try your approach instead.  I have two new decks I haven't interviewed yet.
 

Do you re-shuffle after each 'statement' from the deck, or do you build it like a normal spread?

 

I reshuffle. Otherwise the deck can’t repeat an answer, and repeated cards are important when looking at patterns and trying to figure out the personality of a deck (certain decks seem to favor particular cards, and it can be that their personality or their way of communication is well described by that specific card). 

[Chariot]

To be useful, I keep a journaled record of each interview, and I sum up the interview in a sentence or two afterwards.  This sum-up statement is what proves helpful, when choosing a deck to read on a specific issue.  I write things like: This deck deals best with personal life issues and will challenge complacency.  (Anna K Tarot)

I have two copies of two different decks that I use ...and I interviewed both copies.  These are decks I use a lot, and it was interesting how spot-on the interviews were—and how differently the two decks perform.

1) Tarot Grand Luxe (1) - politics and world issues  (This one is amazingly accurate!)

2) Tarot Grand Luxe (modified) (2) - Likes to deal with challenges, but will strongly steer me away from taking on too much and being overwhelmed by things I can't control

and

3) Druidcraft Tarot (partly modified) (1) - Will be an emotionally calming deck, focused on learning and teaching, especially emotional and practical things that are everyday occurrences.  (There were no major arcana cards in the interview.)

4) Druidcraft Tarot (fully modified, no borders at all) (2) - This gave a very strong interview.  This deck will encourage me NOT to give up on practical matters, but also not to cling to things that should go.  It will get me to reject wishful thinking and promote inner clarity and wisdom.

 

[Natural Mystic Guide]

I think that doing a deck interview is super fun.  I like to do one before I actually start working with a deck.  It gives me a good heads up.  Here are the questions that I am using now.  You can find several examples of my  'Deck Interview' readings in my blog here.

 

Today’s interview questions:

1.    Welcome to my temple, to my home, and to my mission work.  How do you describe yourself?

2.    What are your strengths?

3.    What are your challenges or limitations as a deck?

4.    What is your favorite type of reading?

5.    Advice for strengthening and enjoying our relationship together.

6.    What lesson are you here to share with me right now?

 

[DanielJUK]

These are some of my bookmarked faves....

 

This is one of the best in wording from FireRaven on Aeclectic originally here, I see this one all over the net and not credited to them 😞

****** 5 ****** 6 ******
********** 4 **********
****** 3 ****** 2 ******
********** 1 **********

1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?
2. What are your strengths as a deck?
3. What are your limits as a deck?
4. What do you bring to the table -- what are you here to teach me?
5. How can I best learn from and collaborate with you?
6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

 

Another old AT one -

https://www.tarotforum.net/threads/a-new-interview-spread-for-my-new-deck.110942/

by Mateo06

1. The deck's most important characteristic
2. What can I do to learn from the deck
3. The deck's strengths
4. The deck's weaknesses
5. Where will the relationship go

.........1.........
...................
..3.....5......4..
....................
........2..........
 

From this forum in the past.....

 

 

[Misterei]

8 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

These are some of my bookmarked faves....

 

This is one of the best in wording from FireRaven on Aeclectic originally here, I see this one all over the net and not credited to them 😞

****** 5 ****** 6 ******
********** 4 **********
****** 3 ****** 2 ******
********** 1 **********

1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?
2. What are your strengths as a deck?
3. What are your limits as a deck?
4. What do you bring to the table -- what are you here to teach me?
5. How can I best learn from and collaborate with you?
6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

 

Another old AT one -

https://www.tarotforum.net/threads/a-new-interview-spread-for-my-new-deck.110942/

by Mateo06

1. The deck's most important characteristic
2. What can I do to learn from the deck
3. The deck's strengths
4. The deck's weaknesses
5. Where will the relationship go

.........1.........
...................
..3.....5......4..
....................
........2..........
 

From this forum in the past.....

 

 

@DanielJUK

thanks. I tried searching this forum ... but didn't find the thread you link above. Thanks for unearthing it. Some good stuff there.

[Barleywine]

I do these for fun since I don't think decks have personalities, they just capture the artist's creative brio and then we project onto it how that makes us feel. I don't interview the deck so much as conduct a quasi-psychological personality profile on it. Here is a Dropbox link to the spread I use:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wsz2m38qfzgh9p1/Expanded New Deck Challenge Spread.pdf?dl= 0
 

[dancing_moon]

Over the years, my favorite new deck interview essentially boiled down to this:

 

1...3...2

 

1 - What kind of a deck are you?

2 - Who am I according to you?

3 - Our connection.

 

If the connection card shows any problems, I might pull an additional one for how to resolve them. I don't do deck's strengths, weaknesses challenges, etc. anymore. In my experience, any well-balanced deck will answer any questions and handle any topics - if they don't, I consider it my limitation, not the deck's. I've read on finances and health with erotic decks and on romance and sex with spiritual ones - and it worked. And I can never remember particular decks' preferences anyway, so it's just as well  

[Misterei]

On 3/21/2024 at 3:31 PM, dancing_moon said:

...  I don't do deck's strengths, weaknesses challenges, etc. anymore. In my experience, any well-balanced deck will answer any questions and handle any topics - if they don't, I consider it my limitation, not the deck's. ...

Interesting. I've found for me it does matter ... but this was before I started doing Deck Interviews ... I just observed organically.

For example I tried to use Triunfi della Luna for an e-mail client and had to scrap the spread. He just wanted some basic romantic advice ... and TdlL is all shadow work and deep emotional transformation ... accurate, certainly ... but NOT what the client paid for.

Quick switch to RWS and I had a reading I can email the client to answer his question.

But maybe this is what you address by saying a "well-balanced" deck. TdlL is more on the dark side. But, for example, i just got Arlecchino deck and it's actually darker than I might have guessed ... which emerged in the interview and test readings.

 

In past I would discover the deck's strengths and weaknesses [or whatever] organically. Now I use those types of questions in my interview  spread which has finally stabilized as such:

 

Anastasia's deck interview

1.     Energy: Describes the deck’s essence / overall vibe

2.     Timing: Why has the deck come to me now? / Why do I feel drawn to this deck now?

3.     Teaching: What can the deck teach me? What areas will it help me explore?

4.     Challenge: How will the deck challenge me? What might I find difficult to work with?

5.     Limits: What areas are NOT this deck's expertise? For what topics should I read a different deck?

6.     Grace: In what areas will the deck and I organically connect and flow together?

7.     Whisper: the deck’s message / guidance for this moment

 

Edited March 23, 2024 by Misterei

[dancing_moon]

36 minutes ago, Misterei said:

But maybe this is what you address by saying a "well-balanced" deck. TdlL is more on the dark side. But, for example, i just got Arlecchino deck and it's actually darker than I might have guessed ... which emerged in the interview and test readings.

 

Yes, some decks are just obviously inclined in a particular direction (darker, fluffier, etc.). They just don't have enough vocabulary for certain spheres.

 

36 minutes ago, Misterei said:

In past I would discover the deck's strengths and weaknesses [or whatever] organically. Now I use those types of questions in my interview  spread which has finally stabilized as such:

 

Anastasia's deck interview

1.     Energy: Describes the deck’s essence / overall vibe

2.     Timing: Why has the deck come to me now? / Why do I feel drawn to this deck now?

3.     Teaching: What can the deck teach me? What areas will it help me explore?

4.     Challenge: How will the deck challenge me? What might I find difficult to work with?

5.     Limits: What areas are NOT this deck's expertise? For what topics should I read a different deck?

6.     Grace: In what areas will the deck and I organically connect and flow together?

7.     Whisper: the deck’s message / guidance for this moment

 

That's a lovely spread. Thanks for sharing!

[Natural Mystic Guide]

4 hours ago, Misterei said:

Anastasia's deck interview

1.     Energy: Describes the deck’s essence / overall vibe

2.     Timing: Why has the deck come to me now? / Why do I feel drawn to this deck now?

3.     Teaching: What can the deck teach me? What areas will it help me explore?

4.     Challenge: How will the deck challenge me? What might I find difficult to work with?

5.     Limits: What areas are NOT this deck's expertise? For what topics should I read a different deck?

6.     Grace: In what areas will the deck and I organically connect and flow together?

7.     Whisper: the deck’s message / guidance for this moment

 

I really like this deck interview.  I'm copying it and my use it or modify my own.  Thanks for sharing.  I do find the deck interview interesting.  It really helped me, for example, to better understand the Mary-El Tarot deck.  I was ambivalent about it at best -- even though it had given me several good personal readings.  The deck interview opened up my mind about it more.