How you choose your own tarot deck?

Hi, i am Sky from Singapore, just interested to learn tarot cards a few weeks ago.

But when i went to bookshop and look for tarot deck, i got this question in my mind. How to choose my own tarot deck?

I thought this question for hours and there is nothing come out from my mind.

In the end, i just went out empty handed.

Do you all encounter such cases before? What is your solution?

Hope someone can advise me.

For me, the biggest help was the list of decks here on AT and the Tarot Garden where card scans were shown. I got a feeling for the variety of art styles and what attracted my attention. I have never purchased a tarot or oracle deck without looking into it online first.

I actually have the opposite problem. Which ones should I NOT buy!

If you're just a beginner, I heartily recommend you start with the Rider Waite or Universal Waite. You might also consider starting with the Robin Wood deck but get the book with it because it's an excellent accompaniment to the deck.

What cardlady22 said. I found AT just before I bought my first deck. In fact AT was what got me interested in Tarot enough so that I knew I needed to get a deck and learn.

I always go onto the Decks section of AT first and look at the images of the decks and pick one I like, that calls to me...the one when I see it I know I need to have it. You just feel it inside, it's intuition I guess. I also tend to stay away from decks that have low ratings on AT.

I have also found a few decks that were recommended here on AT by other members. If those were not yet listed in the Decks section on AT then I just googled them and tried to see some of the card images there.

BTW, I have tons of decks and I have never bought one in a store. Once I found the one I know I want I order it online, although a few of my decks were also AT trades, and a few were gifts.

Did I ever tell you all that I would be lost without AT?

Babs

faunabay said:

I actually have the opposite problem. Which ones should I NOT buy!

Click to expand...

LOL! Me too!

I went through a period where I was grabbing every single deck I came across. They were like Pokemon- I had to have 'em all. Then, I slowed down and only bought those decks that I felt impelled to buy- like there was an inner push. Every deck that I've felt an inner push to buy, I've loved. The other ones generally end up getting traded away.

Have a look at, and read about, those three decks:

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/rider-waite/

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/marseilles-us-games/

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/aleister-crowley-thoth/

They each represent one of the major traditions in decks used today. (For the second one, since it is a historic, centuries old design, there may be better editions, I just linked to one commonly available - others more knowledgeable than me might be of help.)

Most (but not all) other decks follow more or less closely the iconography of one of those three, so it might be a good idea to start with one of the "originals".

My personal choice was the first, the RWS*, sometimes I wish it had been the second, the TdM.

The third one is one I personally will not ever use, because of my opinion about its creator, but others here think highly of it.

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*Edited: Actually, this is not totally true, it was a very similar one for me, the Morgan-Greer.

Definitely check out the decks here. You can look at them by theme or any number of ways. Once you have narrowed down what appeals to you, see if you can find a shop that has sample decks you can actually touch and hold. This is essential for me. You may love the look of a deck, but it may be a whole different thing when you actually have them in your hands. My first deck was the Albano Waite. All the RWS decks are good for beginners, but also look for a good companion book as well.

Whichever deck you choose, just make sure it's one you love looking at and handling. You'll connect to it and the learning part will be fun and exciting for you.

Good luck with your search. You'll probably end up with a bunch before too long like the rest of us.

If I were new to tarot and wanted a good starting point, I would start with the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. The book is excellent. The images are spectacular. The price is very reasonable. This is a great place to start your tarot journey. I will say the exact same thing about the Guilded Tarot. I also love the Morgan Greer deck but you would have to find a good book to go with it. And of course, if you want to spend a little more, the Tarot of Dreams is my all time favorite.

Other slightly more expensive choices are the Tarot of Prague, Victorian Romantic, and if something dark appeals to you, the Bohemian Gothic is a sure winner.

Check out the scans here. If something appeals to you, take a chance.