Picking a Tarot Deck
Finding Tarot cards that resonate with you can go a long way toward making your readings more fun and accurate. Tarot decks come in all shapes and sizes; they can feature a huge variety of art styles, backgrounds, imagery choices, and themes. There are animal Tarot decks for people who like animals, lover-focused Tarot decks for people with lots of love questions, life-path-oriented cards for people who are looking for their purpose, and even regional decks for people who want to gaze at certain types of terrain!
Some Tarot decks also connect back to a specific region or historical
period. Elements of cultural tradition and physical geography are often reflected
in a deck’s art and design. However, Tarot isn’t limited to an earthly focus,
with other Tarot decks sometimes featuring outer space for a more cosmic
experience.
With so many Tarot decks to choose from, how can you find the one that’s right for you? Here are some factors to consider when deciding what deck (or decks) to use while developing your Tarot reading skills.
1. Look for Cards That Draw You In
Think about what the cards reveal to you about yourself. As you work on your Tarot reading ability, you’ll eventually start developing your own personal system. It’s important to choose a deck with imagery that you can relate to — one that will make it easier for you to access your intuition.
For instance, an avant-garde deck won’t appeal to people who like traditional or classical imagery, and vice versa. What symbolism makes sense to you? If you think that the pictures in a deck seem like nonsense, it might not be a good fit. Have fun looking through lots of decks online or in metaphysical shops and figure out what imagery resonates with you before you decide which one to buy.
2. See How the Deck Feels in Your Hands
It’s important to find a deck that you’re comfortable
working with. Can you shuffle and maneuver the cards without breaking concentration?
That’s a good sign. If the deck feels like a pair of shoes that don’t quite
fit, no matter how much you try to “break them in,” it may be harder for you to
read from them. Before you commit yourself to a set of Tarot cards, ask
yourself whether you’ll find them easy to carry and whether you’ll actually
enjoy pulling them out and using them.
3. Look at the Guidebook
Flip through the deck’s guidebook if you can. Do the
explanations make sense to you? Ask yourself if those explanations connect to
the imagery of the cards in a way that you find intuitive. If the meanings
provided by the guide are completely different from what you expected, that
could indicate a bad match.
Furthermore, it may be worth finding a deck with a guide that
is pleasant to read, especially if you’re inexperienced. You’ll probably be
referring to it often, at least in the beginning, so look for one that you won’t
struggle to understand and can learn from easily.
4. Look for Durability
If you happen to get the deck wet, or heaven forbid, spill
your coffee (or another drink) on it, can it be wiped off and dried without it fraying
and falling apart? You should also ask yourself if you can place the cards
face-up in the sunshine to cleanse and refresh them without the colors fading
or blurring.
Good quality decks, printed on sturdy stock, will let you do
those things. They can serve you for years while retaining their quality and still
functioning well.
5. Decide on a Purpose
The most important thing you should do is ask yourself why you want to dive into Tarot and what you’d most like to do with it.
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Tarot is for everybody! However, by remembering why you’re exploring and developing your Tarot reading skills, you can better choose a Tarot deck that will help you realize your goals. Do you want to read for others? Do you just want to use the cards for self-reflection and meditation? Perhaps you want to do both — and that’s perfectly alright!
Regardless, the audience you’re reading for and how they relate
to certain types of imagery will impact which deck is the best fit for you. Answering
these questions can help you determine what you need, especially if you’re
choosing your first-ever deck of Tarot cards.
It may also be helpful to consider your experience level! Extremely cryptic, strange symbolism is often better for readers with a lot of expertise who are branching out, while simpler images and explanations are typically best for beginners.
Let Your Intuition Lead You
In the Tarot community, there is a common belief that you
shouldn’t use a deck unless it was given to you by someone else. However, it’s
worth noting that even if you respect and admire the person who has given you
this gift, don’t use a deck if it doesn’t resonate with you. It won’t work. If
you don’t know what to do with a deck that’s a bad match, consider passing it
on to someone else!
And despite this tradition, always go with what feels right
to you. Follow your instincts. You are the ultimate authority on what you
think, feel, know, and experience. At the end of the day, you should choose a
Tarot deck that fills you with energy and gets you excited to learn more
If you stick with Tarot, you’ll probably end up collecting multiple favorite decks. These will all play a part in helping you develop your own unique reading style. You may even want to branch out into reading Oracle cards. Eventually, you should notice your intuitive powers deepening as you read each card. With time, you’ll develop a “bank” of reference points and interpretations that you can use in your own unique way.
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