How To Pick Your First Tarot Deck: A Beginner’s Guide
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You’ve been slowly embracing your spiritual or witchy side. Now, you’re curious to bring tarot cards into the mix but aren’t sure where to start.
How to pick your first tarot deck
While I invite you to trust your intuition above all, there are true practicalities to know when considering your first tarot deck.
What to consider as you shop for your first tarot deck:
Do you want a Tarot deck or an Oracle deck?
Tarot and oracle decks are both tools used for personal development, divination, and self-reflection, but they have distinct differences.
A traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck consists of 78 cards divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana includes 22 cards that represent significant life events or karmic lessons, while the Minor Arcana, divided into 4 suits, consists of 56 cards that deal with everyday events and influences. While variations exist across tarot decks, they typically follow this structure.
Oracle decks are more free-form, as unique as their artwork. with their own set of symbols and messages. Oracle decks can range widely in number of cards, themes, and structure. Many turn to Oracle decks to offer clear, targeted advice without having to consider the traditional meaning of tarot cards.
Which is right for you?
Consider getting a tarot deck AND an oracle deck and see which one feels most helpful to you. Yes, I did just tell you to buy two decks. Now you have the start of your collection!
I have tarot decks and oracle decks for different needs and uses. Often, when I read tarot for others, I’ll use a tarot deck for the main reading and an oracle deck for a positive wrap-up message.
You can explore what feels right for you.
Let your intuition and body guide you
Tarot’s power is connected to how we resonate with the artwork and symbolism in the deck. I recommend you choose a deck whose artwork uniquely resonates with you. You don’t have to like all the cards, but you might notice a ‘pull’ towards a certain style or format of artwork. (If you want to get super nerdy, check out The History of Tarot Art.)
The more you connect with the artwork and energy of the deck, the easier it will be to tap into your intuition and interpret the cards.
It’s normal to have some confusion around the imagery when first learning, but if you feel put off by the artwork, it may not be the right choice for you.
Pay attention if you feel repelled, pulled towards, excited by, or neutral with a deck.
If you can’t tell what it feels like to be ‘drawn’ to a deck, try this:
Choose a deck that you know is not to your taste. See what happens to your mind, body, and emotions as you consider the deck.
Next, choose a deck that ‘could’ be your taste. What do you feel?
If you feel mildly curious, that’s a great sign. It’s okay to not feel ecstatic when you find your first deck. The relationship with your deck will build over time.
When I’m shopping for a new deck, I often feel a subtle ‘pull’ or I find myself lingering longer than normal over the artwork. As I use the deck, I will build a relationship with it and connect more with its energy.
I’ve had the reverse happen, too. I was initially excited about a deck, but as I started to use it, I realized that it was not the right one for me. That’s okay, too! (I gifted it to a friend who loved it!)
Finding your first deck is an explorative process.
Pictured: The Wild Unknown Tarot
Where should you shop?
I enjoy supporting local metaphysical shops or bookstores when deck shopping, so then I support local businesses and can handle the decks. Goddess Books (Denver) even has sample decks, so you can view the cards before you purchase them.
You may not have access to a local metaphysical shop, or you may not feel comfortable visiting them yet. I've bought plenty of decks online (Amazon, Etsy) or on the deck creator's website. As you would with any purchase, follow your values when choosing who to purchase from.
Browse My Favorite Tarot & Oracle Decks:
Oracle Decks
Season of the Witch Oracles has a deck for each sabbat or Witches’ holiday:
Litha, Yule, Mabon, Lammas, Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Ostara
Tarot Decks
Radiant Rider Waite Smith (traditional imagery, which can be very helpful when learning)
I am drawn to decks that are human-based. But tons are based on magical creatures (fairies, dragons), animals (i.e., Cat Tarot) the surreal (The Mystical Dream Tarot.)
A Helpful Guidebook for Interpreting Cards
Most tarot decks have a small guidebook to help you interpret the cards. In some cases, these are sufficient (i.e. The Light Seer’s Tarot has a great guidebook), but other decks only have 1-2 sentences per card, which can make reading difficult for a beginner.
I have found it helpful to have a “Tarot Basics” book to reference as you learn to read.
My favorites:
Tarot: No Questions Asked: Mastering the Art of Intuitive Reading
Tarot for Real Life: Use the Cards to Find Answers to Everyday Questions
Decoding The Cards: A Tarot Workbook for Intuitive Exploration
You can also refer to free websites like Biddy Tarot and Labyrinthos that have practical interpretations of each card.
Allow your preferences to evolve
As you start to hone your tarot practice and connect more with your intuition, your preference for your decks will change. The decks I practiced with in 2011 are different than the decks I’m called to in 2024. The decks I use to read tarot for others are different than those I have for personal use.
I believe decks come in and out of our lives for a season, a reason, or a beloved lifetime favorite.
You may also be drawn to different styles depending on the season of your life or time of year. For example, I love the Season of the Witch: Samhain Oracle during late fall, but don’t feel connected to it in the summer.
If you’re going through a time of grief or intense transformation, you may be drawn to darker or more provocative decks.
If you’re in a period of expansion, you may be drawn to decks that reflect this, too.
Above all, trust your intuition
Like I said in the beginning, the most important factor in choosing your tarot deck is your intuition.
If you’re just starting to explore or hear your intuition, see searching for your tarot deck as an explorative exercise, as opposed to something you have to ‘get right’.
There’s no such thing as the ‘right’ deck, just the right one for you.
Happy shopping!
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