Deck Deck Suggestions Major Arcana Minor Arcana Spreads FAQ

See also: Fairy Tarot

Tarot Decks

Suggestions For Choosing Your Tarot Deck

When I began working with the Tarot there were only two or three decks widely available. Now there are literally hundreds and we can buy most of them online via internet shopping. Which deck should you choose? I can't answer that, but I can give you a few suggestions.

On this page I'll list just a few of the Tarot decks on the market - you can see more Tarot stuff here. No-one can tell you what the best deck is for you, choosing a Tarot deck is intensely personal. As always, be guided by your instincts.

The Rider Waite Tarot Deck
This is known as a "beginner's deck", which is intended as a compliment! The Rider Waite deck has clean, simple symbolism which is easy to pick up. understand and apply. It's also benign and uncontroversial. If you're new to Tarot reading and looking to choose your first deck I'd recommend you consider this one. The Salvador Dali Tarot Deck
On purely aesthetic measures this deck is far and away my favourite. It's beautiful, the cards showing gloriously reproduced Dali images. As a work of art it can't be faulted - as a scrying tool I find it totally useless! Buy this deck simply because it's a thing of beauty - not because you expect to get any serious use out of it.

Thoth Tarot Deck
This deck's rather more controversial - as was it's originator, Aleister Crowley. This deck is not for beginners. However if you are familiar with the Tarot and - vitally - can control Crowley's symbolism then this is a really powerful deck. The cards are visually stunning and full of the most detailed symbolic references. They are, of course, all based around Crowley's personal philosophy and as such need plenty of taming. Handle with care. Jungian Tarot Deck
If you're in the mood for a more modern approach to symbolism then try this deck. It's also great when you have a querent who is sceptical about "all that occult stuff" - yet quite happy to worship at the shrine of the shrink. A useful tool for meditating on Jungian symbolism, the cards of the Major Arcana represent various Jungian archetypes. The only thing that really lets this deck down is that the Minor Arcana cards show generic images rather than being individually illustrated.