You are about to buy your first tarot deck. Then you see that there are many different decks. It makes you dizzy. Which one should you choose now? Should you be guided by your intuition and feeling, or by your mind?

Listen To Intuition Or Mind?

It’s always good to listen to your intuition, because you want to buy a deck that suits you. A pitfall here is that you buy a deck that looks nice, but is difficult to interpret. That is why it is important that you choose a deck that is rich in symbols and with clear illustrations. Illustrations that allow you to form a good picture of the scenes depicted on the cards.

Start With A Traditional Deck

It is also useful to buy a deck that fits the most common descriptions about tarot. Think of books, websites and other sources. A deck that doesn’t fit the most common ‘picture’ is much more difficult to interpret and can lead to frustrations. It is therefore wise to start with a more traditional deck. As you get to know the tarot better, you can always choose other, alternative tarot decks.

Which Decks Are Best To Start With?

The deck with dot on number one is the Rider Waite tarot. It is one of the most traditional decks you can choose and perfect for beginners. The cards are full of symbols and the scenes are clearly illustrated, so you can easily form a picture.

A variant of the Rider Waite tarot, is the Radiant Rider Waite tarot deck. This is very similar to its classic ‘brother’, but with the difference that the images are more vividly illustrated and have a rich and deep look.

Another deck we recommend is the Morgan Greer Tarot is another example of a reworking of the Rider-Waite deck. The characters on the card are shown in close up and are fairly easy to understand, making it a good first deck for a beginner.

Take a look at the Arcanum Tarot. These cards are not only gorgeous, but they also photograph beautifully with realistic figures set among lush and magical landscapes and settings. The art is so detailed that if you are a beginner reader you will be able to figure out what the card means by the details in the image.

If a modern deck appeals to you more, take a look at the Ethereal Tarot Deck, the creator Matt Hughes has taken the traditional Ride-Waite deck and mixed it with inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement. This way it features more traditional looking illustrations with a modern distinctive twist.

A deck that is a bit more difficult to read, but appeals to many people worldwide, is The Wild Unknown tarot deck. The cards contain symbols from the animal kingdom and have a magical look. Listen carefully to your intuition whether this deck is ‘readable’ for you, or whether you start with a deck that requires less explanation. Because of the detailed book, I would even recommend this deck for beginners who aren’t up for the standard Rider-Waite tarot deck (just keep in mind that the court cards are named differently, but you will get used to this pretty fast).

Four Practical Tips

We will list four more tips:

1. On our site you will find examples of the images on the maps. This will give you an idea of the tarot deck. Then trust what your intuition tells you, but also trust your common sense. You are at the beginning of a journey and your ‘navigation’ still needs to be adjusted. So don’t make it too difficult for yourself.
2. Ask yourself if you want to go for a traditional deck or for a modern one.
   Take a look at how your favourite deck is pictured. Does this resonate with you?
3. Also ask yourself what exactly you want to use the deck for. Does the deck meet this need or wish?
4. Do I need to buy a book?
   There is a whole range of books about tarot. But, is it necessary to purchase a book? You don’t have to buy a book to do a good tarot reading. We advise you to take the time to get to know the cards first. Take a close look at each card and ask yourself what you see and what meaning you attach to it. Know that there is no right or wrong. It is not a ‘guessing game’. Trust what your feelings tell you. Write down your impressions. A tarot book can then help you to gain more depth in the readings you are about to do. Whether these are for yourself or for someone else. With our selection of tarot books the same applies as with the tarot decks: research what suits you. Where are your questions? What appeals to you? If you want to dive deep into the tarot, take a look at the books of Hajo Banzhaf. If you want to get started right away, we can recommend Tarot for everyone or Tarot an open book.

Tarot decks help you to connect with your inner wisdom. The cards reveal what you already know, deep down inside. The cards create a line with your subconscious and give you insight into your past, present and future. The messages you receive are based on the current path you are walking.

Good luck making a choice!

If you need any advice or tips, we are happy to help you.