1. You've recently put together The Deck of 1000 Spreads. What inspired you to create the deck?

Simply put, frustration is what inspired me to create The Deck of 1000 Spreads. Most of the time when I would give readings, it would be at a tarot meetup or over coffee with a friend. Because of the spontaneous nature, I usually didn't have paper with me, so I would make up a spread on the fly. As I was dealing out the cards, I would say, "This is the Situation, and this is What is Hidden, and this is what your Partner thinks," and so on. By the time I was done, I'd have maybe seven tarot cards on the table, and usually about the time I got to the third card, I'd forgotten what position I said it was going to be! Even if I had paper available, having to write stuff down while I was "in the zone" was annoying. Or if I was at home creating a spread on my computer or on paper, the editing process and logistics of it got on my nerves. I just felt there had to be a way to craft spreads easier and without taking me out of the "zone." Then one day it hit me—a deck of spread cards!

2. There is already a great deal of books and decks about tarot spreads available; what makes The Deck of 1000 Spreads stand out from this crowd?

There are certainly books about spreads and spreadcrafting out there, but there has never been a deck of cards like The Deck of 1000 Spreads. It's a deck of sixty-five cards, each with a different spread position name on it. Choose the positions you want for your spread one-by-one, then move them around and arrange them as you like. It's a visual, tactile, three-dimensional way of creating spreads and, short of making your own version, you won't find anything else like it for tarot. It's a whole different category of tarot tool, and it opens the door to new techniques people haven't been able to do before. The companion book that comes with the deck has a lot of information about spreadcrafting and has a number of sample spreads in it, but it distinguishes itself from other spread books by describing the color-coded spreadcrafting system of The Deck of 1000 Spreads itself. While there's a lot of great information in the book, people will be buying this kit for the cards and its simplified spreadcrafting system.

3. My tarot experience is limited; would I still be able to use the deck to create my own spreads?

Absolutely. I imagine many will craft spreads right out of the box without even reading the companion book. It's that easy. But if you're an absolute beginner, the book will tell you everything you need to know to start creating your own custom spreads. It guides you step by step, first having you recreate a spread you find in a book, then having you change out a few positions in that spread to customize it, then creating new spreads from scratch. But even more remarkably, it's a valuable tool for advanced readers and experienced spreadcrafters, as well. I mentioned divining spreads in my article about personalizing your tarot readings through spreadcrafting. You can turn this deck face-down and choose spread cards the way you choose tarot cards, allowing the universe to decide what you'll read about today. Professionals can use the deck to label their spreads and collaborate more closely with their querents. Because this tool has never been available before, I can't wait to hear what other uses people come up with for the deck. It's a whole new frontier!

4. What do you hope users of the deck will take away from their experiences with The Deck of 1000 Spreads?

I guess my greatest hope is that they'll find it an easy way craft spreads, tailor their readings to individual question, and just have fun!