Which order?

[cookie17urs]

I have recently purchased a copy of the Illuminated Tarot and I received it in little packages that were out of order so I have gathered all the cards up and put them into Major and Minor arcana, ace-10, then king, queen, page, knight but was wondering if there is an 'order for the suits? Should cups go first then pentacles etc? Is there a 'correct' order?
Thank you x

 

[starrystarrynight]

There is no correct or "one right way" to do anything in tarot!

Once I shuffle a new deck, for instance, I never put it back into any kind of order. However, since I associate the suits this way:

Wands = spring
Cups = summer
Swords = fall
Pentacles = winter,

that would be the order I would put them in if I had a mind to do it! Others will tell you different, though, I'm sure. And you really just have to go with what feels right to you, anyway.

 

[cookie17urs]

Thank you StarryStarryNight for your reply.

I didn't even realise about the seasons being associated so thank you for that. As you can tell I am a very new newbie! lol

 

[rwcarter]

Of course there is an order that every deck comes in out of the box. I don't believe there is any consensus on a standard order across decks though. If I'm putting a deck in order (usually to check it for completeness), and I don't have a LWB or companion book to follow, I use this order:

• Majors starting with Fool and ending with World
• Pentacles - Ace through King
• Swords - Ace through King
• Cups - Ace through King
• Wands - Ace through King

Works for me. YMMV.

Rodney

 

[Trump Lloyd]

I always like to jot down on my inventory spreadsheet the original order (collation) of the deck from the publisher. To me, it's part of the deck's personality. It usually matches the booklet or companion book, but not always.

I have received a few new decks that seemed to be in random order. Or maybe they were in the order of some secret elaborate 78 card spread. I always wondered if everybody got the same order of it was different with each copy. Hey, that could be a new gimmick: Each deck comes pre-shuffled by the publisher.

Can't remember the titles, but one or two of my older USG decks list the original collation in their booklets.

 

[Lavandula]

Most of the new decks I've opened have been in the following order:

Majors
Wands King - Ace
Cups King - Ace
Swords King - Ace
Pentacles King - Ace

When I opened the first one like this I thought it odd the suits were "backwards", but I've found several packed this way since.

**edited to add: when I'm putting a deck in order, I still do Majors first, then Wands to Pents as above, but I do Ace to King, not the other way around.**

 

[Hooked on TdM]

Only decks I'm not using or currently studying go back in order. I order mine with Majors first, then Minors.

Minors:
Cups (for Spring)
Swords (for summer)
Wands (for Fall)
Coins (for winter)
I go from Ace to King.

Hooked

 

[Bernice]

Last deck I opened had the Majors first then the Aces, then the Courts. The suits began with the 2s. Weired.

Bee

 

[Sheri]

Hmmm. I've never paid attention to the order the cards came in when first out of the box. I sometimes reorder a deck to make sure all the cards are there when passing it on to someone else... or if I have trimmed a deck, also to ensure all cards there. Not so much for my peace of mind but for the person getting the deck.

When I do reorder the deck, I just go by alphabetical by suit names in the particular deck. Cups then Pentacles then Swords then Wands usually.

valeria

 

[Anam Cara]

I remember reading in a Tarot book (or two, or more!)
the "correct" order of the cards, but I didn't pay any
attention.

I put them in the order of my own preference...
Majors first, Fool through World, then the minors in
the order of my favorite to least favorite suit at that point
in time...right now the order is Cups, Wands, Pents, Swords...
(subject to change!) from Ace to King.

I never thought to order them alphabetically, though...
excellent idea, I may start doing it that way!

When I get a new deck that is not in any discernable order,
I sort them as described above - that way I know they're all
there, I get a quick "first look" at each card, and I'm somehow
comforted knowing they're in "my order"...
Then I shuffle the sugar out of them!!
I won't put them in order again unless I'm trading/selling
them or I think I may have lost one.

Great question! it's very interesting to see all the different
answers!!
cara