So you're interested in reading tarot? Perhaps a particular deck has caught your eye already, or you simply feel an inexplicable urge to learn the craft. Whether you have a starter deck in mind or you're yet to make that connection, this is the article for YOU! My goal in creating and maintaining this blog is to make tarot (and other elements of witchcraft and spiritual exploration) enjoyable, accessible and understandable to all! I can only hope that this blog has found you at the right time and will provide the assistance you require at this point in your spiritual journey with the tarot.
Can you buy your own deck?
I'd first like to address a rumour, or rather a superstition, that seems to circulate the tarot reading communities that I come across online. That is, is it bad luck to purchase your own tarot deck? From personal experience, I can confirm that this is a matter that extends to real-world scenarios too! I often overhear potential customers' concern over buying their own deck. "I've been interested in tarot for a while," they say, "but nobody has gifted me a deck yet". Having witnessed this dilemma first hand, I began wonder to what extent this myth actually affects the likelihood that a beginner would prevent themselves from taking the plunge into the world of tarot. I purchased my first deck (Black Cats Tarot by Maria Kurara - £24.99) without a second thought for bad luck or a seemingly unfounded superstitious belief that struck me more as an outdated and extreme tarot gatekeeping method than a genuine reason to feed my imposter syndrome.
The only truth I could potentially extract from this rumour is this: the only deck of mine that was gifted to me is the one I feel the strongest connection to. It's the deck I keep in a fancy hand-carved wooden box on my altar and the deck I instinctively reach for when my fingers crave a shuffle or I want to pull a quick personal spread.
To summarise: if you're ready to dive into the world of tarot, of course you can buy your own deck! Chances are that you'll build up quite a collection of decks, each with different art, authors and personalities. You may not immediately resonate with your first deck and that's okay! It certainly doesn't mean you're doomed to a life of bad luck! Once friends and family learn of your new interest in tarot, it's likely you'll receive some gifted decks somewhere along the way too. Maybe you, like me, will find a deeper connection with a gifted deck, but don't let that stop you from learning and practicing with a deck of your choosing first!
Which deck is right for you?
You may be reading this article with a certain deck in mind. What's stopping you from taking the plunge? Are you concerned it isn't the right starter deck for you? Are you overwhelmed by options, with a list of beautiful decks so long that you can't narrow it down to one? Or maybe you haven't made the connection at all. Maybe you don't know where to buy or who to support when making your purchase. These are my top 5 points to consider when picking the right deck!
Structure: Opt for a Rider Waite (or Rider Waite inspired) deck to make learning the cards as easy as possible.
Imagery: Start with an image heavy deck, particularly if you're a visual learner.
Art: Find a deck that pleases you aesthetically.
Size: Consider your physical dexterity, in addition to when, where and how frequently you will be using your deck.
Price Point: Do you wish to support large corporations or small businesses?
1. Structure
If you know a little about tarot already, the images that spring to mind when you think of the cards probably look like this, right?
This is the art of Pamela Colman Smith, illustrator of the Rider Waite tarot deck, under the instruction of occultist scholar Arthur Edward Waite. The Rider Waite tarot was first made available in England in 1910 and continues to be celebrated as the most widely used deck amongst modern readers and learners. The deck consists of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards, divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles (or Coins).
I am not alone in recommending this as the ultimate starter deck. You'll find that the vast majority of books and online guides refer to the Rider Waite (and the symbolism within this deck) in teaching the meaning of the cards. Opting for a Rider Waite, or a deck that's structure and imagery is heavily inspired by the Rider Waite, will allow you to better relate to and understand the symbolism at play in each of the cards from day one.
2. Imagery
So you've gained a little insight into the art of the Rider Waite. Not for you? Not a problem! Many other decks rely on the structure and symbolism of the Rider Waite and can be learned in exactly the same way. Understanding the symbolism depicted through the images of each card is crucial in learning their regularly perceived meanings, particularly if you're a visual learner.
Take my first deck, Black Cats Tarot, for example. The cards follow the structure of the Rider Waite and the imagery, though visually different, often depicts the same meaning as can be extracted from Smith's illustrations above. The cards aren't named, rather the Major Arcana are numbered and the suits of the Minor Arcana are depicted through images rather than words. This could appear daunting, but once you've learned the names of the Major Arcana (something you will pick up fairly quickly) it shouldn't hinder your experience with this deck at all, nor should the imagery differ too greatly from what you will be learning through Rider Waite based guides.
Top Tip: When first learning the meaning of each card, take a moment to meditate on the image depicted (regardless of which deck you use) and try to make a connection between what you can see and what the card means. If you're a visual learner, making and solidifying this connection will more easily allow you to mentally retrieve the meaning of the card when faced with the card itself.
Conversely, if you're less of a visual learner, a slightly more experienced reader or indeed prefer a simplistic looking deck, I have a wonderful recommendation for you! The Magic of Tarot by Liz Dean boasts simple images printed on wonderfully thick card stock. These cards are a little larger (see point 4) so do bear this in mind. Other advantages include: a large, easy to navigate guide book and very substantial box!
3. Art
My third point won't reveal any earth-shattering information. You'll be looking at these cards a lot so it's important to ensure that the art is visually pleasing to you. Aesthetically appealing decks exist in spades, but finding the one for you can be difficult due to the sheer number of different art styles available!
A visually distinct deck of mine that springs to mind is The Muse Tarot by Chris-Anne. While this deck also follows the structure of the Rider Waite, the imagery is quite distinct (to say the least!) and making a connection between this imagery and the cards meaning may be a challenge for a complete beginner. Additionally, the suits are named differently than what you'd expect from a traditional deck. Wands become Inspiration, Cups become Emotions, Swords become Voices and Pentacles become Materials. Though this may be confusing at first, it is a reasonably simple switch that you may be willing to look past if you've fallen in love with this artistic style!
TL;DR - Don't underestimate the importance of visual appeal! If the cards don't excite you or resonate with you, you won't feel as compelled to pick up your deck and learn. The benefits of selecting a deck that suits your personal aesthetic may far outweigh any hurdles, such as those mentioned above.
4. Size
You may not have heard this one before, but when it comes to selecting your first tarot deck - size matters! This is an under-appreciated aspect of the tarot experience that you may not have even considered yet. Tarot cards are generally quite substantial and many decks can be somewhat difficult to handle for people with small hands, or who may be less dextrous. If you're experienced in shuffling playing cards, you may already know your ideal size, but if you're entirely new to handling cards in any capacity, I urge you to consider this point. Many mass-produced tarot decks can be purchased "pocket size", so size doesn't necessarily have to be a limiting factor when browsing decks.
Not only could the size of your cards impact your ability to shuffle, it can also affect when, where and how frequently you might interact with your deck. Anything too bulky might be inconvenient to carry with you if you tend to travel light. Tarot boxes can be quite big when you take the accompanying guide books into consideration, though tarot pouches such as this one can be a great solution. No matter how big the box, if the cards themselves are too bulky to fit in your pocket or bag, it may limit interactions between yourself and your deck.
Of course, if you only wish to practice tarot from the comfort of home, bigger cards may be more appropriate for you! Or perhaps you wish to forge a connection with multiple versions of the same deck; one to keep at home and one to use on-the-go? Peggy's Emporium stock standard and pocket sized versions of Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot. This is a wonderful starter deck (with only very slight deviations from the Rider Waite), that I would heartily recommend to lovers of the occult.
5. Price Point
It's no secret that decks can be found at different price points across many different retail outlets and online marketplaces. As the owner of a witch shop, I can't ignore the bias of the message I'm attempting to convey in this point, but I hope you can look past this and understand the countless reasons why your purchase would be better made through a small business.
If tarot-ing on a budget, you may be tempted to buy your first deck through a big corporation that offer even bigger discounts. However, there is no escaping the fact that, when buying from large online marketplaces with multiple anonymous sellers, you never truly know what you're buying until it arrives at your door. Bootleg decks do exist and they're something to be cautious of if you are shopping on sites like eBay and Amazon. I can't imagine the heartbreak of receiving a cheap reproduction of a deck you've fallen in love with! Thin, flimsy card stock can render the deck impossible to shuffle. Not only this, poor quality cards are easily damaged when riffle shuffling or using any other methods that may apply stress the cards. The print quality will also suffer and, as mentioned in point 3, the visual appeal of the cards plays a really big part in your experience with your deck!
My suggestion? Go local. This is your sign to support your local witch shop! I know of many small businesses, including my own, that would be more than happy to take a special order if you're looking for something specific that they may not regularly stock. I have access to a great number of decks through my suppliers, but often only sample a limited variety of decks at any given time. If you have your heart set on a certain deck that you can't find in store - just ask! Your custom means the world to your local witch shop.
Conclusion
Picking out your first tarot deck can feel like an overwhelming process. With so many desirable options out there, narrowing down can be difficult and fear of failing to spark that emotional connection with your deck is a very real concern felt by beginners. It seems a little hypocritical to suggest this upon concluding an entire blog post dedicated to the topic, but don't overthink it! Take my key points as nothing more than guidelines that touch upon certain aspects of the physical cards that may (or may not) influence your continued interest in and enjoyment of tarot. Most importantly, you should go for the deck that feels right. What's the worst that can happen? If your chosen deck doesn't work out as expected, it's time to expand your collection!
Next Steps: If you're local to St Andrews, pop in and say hello! Either myself or my staff would love to assist you in finding your perfect deck. Otherwise, feel free to browse our online store (we currently ship within the UK only) and keep an eye out for my next tarot reading blog post! In the meantime, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more regular updates.
Do you have some top tips for choosing a starter deck or a deck recommendation for beginners? I'd love to hear your contributions! Leave a comment below and start the conversation.
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