Knowing what tarot deck is best for you can be a daunting task. This article is here to help break it down into the key steps of choosing the Best tarot cards for beginners.
Step One: Determining Your Personal Preferences
The first thing to do when deciding on a tarot deck is determine what your personal preferences are. What things do you like? What things would you rather not have in your cards? For example, if you don’t like rose petals and want a “clean” reading with no distractions, then look for decks that say they’re “clean” or “uncluttered,” meaning no flower petals or other objects present in the cards. What about a certain type of material for the cards? For example, if you’re looking for a modern deck, then does it have synthetic cards that are made with plastic or other non-organic materials? Does it have cards that are lighter than others? These are just as important to consider as the art and images in the deck. You do not want to lead someone astray by having them shuffle your deck and find out that they can’t read because they’re reading and shuffling a heavy-handed 78-point version of the Rider-Waite or Golden Vision.
Step Two: Consider Influences
Also take into consideration what sort of influence each tarot deck will have on you. The more a deck resembles the Rider-Waite in the Golden Vision (for example), then the less a person will be able to change the readings for their self-initiation. Conversely, do you feel perfectly at home with a 78-point deck or do you prefer something smaller and more intimate? This will also influence your style of reading, as well as your choice of card meanings.
Step Three: Choose Your Style
The next step in choosing a tarot deck is deciding what sort of tarot style you prefer. Sceptics are very comfortable with Sworn Priest’s Tarot by John Matthews because it is so close to the Rider-Waite. They prefer this deck because it is the one they are used to and the one that feels most like their own psychic ability. If you prefer a more traditional deck and want something closer to traditional than a Rider-Waite, then you may want to consider something akin to Golden Vision or Jean-Michel de Gheest’s Tarot of Marseille. If you prefer a nontraditional style or something more avant-garde, then it might be best to consider something such as the Tarot of Shadows or The Hermit.
Step Four: Decide Which Card Meanings You Prefer
The next step in choosing your tarot deck is deciding which card meanings tend to suit your style of reading the most. If you’re a traditional reader, then it would be great to have a deck that is closest to the Rider-Waite if possible. If you prefer an unconventional, vibrant style, then a less color- and flower-laden deck might be more suitable.
Step Five: Decide What You Want to Include
The next step in choosing your tarot deck is deciding what things should be included in the cards. Some people like the cards as they are and do not want anything added or taken away from them – they just want to shuffle, pull three cards, and then read them. Other people like reading their own books (“the book within”) and may want something more akin to Golden Vision or The Hermit.
