New student - which deck should I start with?

I am a new student of tarot and I went a little ape and bought several decks. I am trying to decide which deck I should initially learn the basic meanings with. I have the Sacred Circle which I have used a little bit, but the artwork does deviate quite a bit sometimes from the "standard" rider-waite symbolism. I do have the book that goes along with it so that does help. I also have the Revelations, cat people, Marseilles, and Haindl decks. I am leaving the last 3 for when I feel comfortable with the basics. Would the Revelations tarot be a better starter deck for me than Sacred Circle? Any advice would be great. Thanks.

For the basics, I would stick with the Marseille.

I wish I had started off with a Marseilles when I first began reading.


Everything else just seemed to slow down my progress.

Now it's the only style of decks I use.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Out of the decks you own, I'd pick the TdM. Use AT as your 'book' and keep a journal. If I was to recommend a deck to a beginner, I'd recommend the Iternational Icon Tarot. If you use either the TdM or the IIT, do it for 6 mos before jumping to something else.

Jen

Out of the decks you own most definetly the TdM. If you are wanting to start with RWS type deck, then I would recommend the Gilded. But I honestly think you should stick to the decks you own and start with the TdM.

connegrl said:

Out of the decks you own, I'd pick the TdM. Use AT as your 'book' and keep a journal. If I was to recommend a deck to a beginner, I'd recommend the Iternational Icon Tarot. If you use either the TdM or the IIT, do it for 6 mos before jumping to something else.

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This is the best advice I could give as well. I often wish I had started with the Marseilles, or at least another deck with nonillustrated minors.

The International Icon Tarot is absolutely fabulous, even though I never believed I could read with it. Not enough detail, I thought. If I was going to go the illustrated minors route, I wish I had started on the International Icon. Just the right amount of details are there to learn on.

That said, out of the decks that you have, I'd say go with the Marseilles. The Sacred Circle and the Revelations might work well too. I've used the tarot of the Cat People and the Haindl, and I wouldn't reccomend either of those for a beginner. I found the Cat People too vague and the Haindl too detailed.

Hope this helps!

I´d absolutely advice you to start with a deck with illustrated Minors, to learn the cards.It will speak to your intuition much better.

Another vote for the Marseille. I wish I'd started my tarot journey there - it would have made more sense to me, rather than closing me into the RWS and its imagery for so long. The Marseille is the basic deck of tarot - the one that the later tarot masters - Etteilla, Waite, Crowley - based their own tarot on.

The trouble with starting (as opposed to going onto) decks with scenic minors is that your very first deck will stick in your brain forever. So you will forever have trouble seeing anything but the scene invented by one tarot creator for any of the minor arcana, which is a shame, because there are many ways of viewing those arcana (the Majors are less of a problem as they are universal across tarot decks, even with the changes).

So take a deep breath and get your teeth into the Marseille. Also - unlike what is sometimes said - non-scenic minors do wonders for the intuition - the true intuition, not the type that reads pictures. You will learn to read shapes and click into your own scenes, rather than have them imposed on you by a creator.

Once you have mastered the Marseille, you can then open up to the wonderful world of scenic minors, but without being tied to any one creator's interpretation of what "3 of Swords" or "9 of Cups" look like!

Thank you for all the great feedback

Many thanks for all the wonderful advice and feedback. I must admit, the TdM is probably the least favorite that I own I acquired it from a stranger who was giving it away. I didn't realize I even got this particular deck until I opened the bag she left on my porch. I don't dare part with it though because it was a gift and it is circa 1960's - she told me that's when she bought it so it is an old deck. It actually greatly intimidates me for some reason. But I think I will revisit it using the books my friend gave me.

I also realize I forgot to say that I will be receiving the Quest Tarot in a few days. How about that for a starter deck?

(sorry I don't know the Quest)

Would the Marseille be less intimidating, if I told you that for centuries it was Everyman's deck. Anyone and everyone tossed it about, played with it, kept it in their pockets and generally treated it as a daily object. It was used for divination relatively late, as far as we know, but it was used by everyone for games. The Visconti, with its aristocratic connections and associated poetry, I can see as intimidating, but your bog-standard Marseille? In my country, you find it in supermarkets, alongside the regular playing cards.

It's a deck that has lived long, and has centuries-worth of collective wisdom. But it's also a very kind deck. It helps people that want to approach it. I used to wonder how to read with it - and for me it was that much harder, because I had all these RWS preconceptions! - but I found it helped me, it never went faster than I could manage.

If yours is 1960s deck, it must be a much-sought after Grimaud, which is wonderful - the real deal!