When you’re completely new to the world of tarot, it can be a bit daunting choosing what tarot cards to buy for the first time. There is some mythology that you should only be gifted your first tarot deck, but many of us have gone against this tradition, taking our first tarot decks into our own hands.
What do you need to think about when choosing a tarot deck?
When it comes to choosing your new tarot deck, there are a couple of things you will want to think about. A lot of the decisions you will make when it comes to deciding on the types of cards you want, will depend on your understanding of and experience with tarot reading.
You will also want to think about whether you want to use your cards for personal use or for clients. If you want to use your tarot cards for your own personal readings, then you can pretty much choose any deck you like the look of, just as long as it comes with a guidebook to help you understand the meanings of each card.
If you are looking for a tarot deck to use for client readings, then it is important that you can read the cards intuitively and easily. This means you need to be able to really connect with the imagery of the cards and be able to pull together a story, that also makes sense and connects with your clients.
Connecting with the imagery
The imagery is, for me, one of the most important aspects of a tarot deck, if I don’t connect with the pictures on the cards, I find it very difficult to interpret their meanings. I have to be excited by the cards I’m reading, which is why I always choose cards that look beautiful and inspire creativity in me.
If you are just starting out with tarot and you’ve never even come across a tarot deck before, I highly recommend getting yourself the Rider Waite tarot deck. This is the OG deck and the imagery is something many of us will have seen throughout popular culture. The images on the Rider Waite deck are immensely detailed and they hold a lot of hidden clues and meanings that can be used to give very detailed readings.
Luckily for us modern tarot readers, we have our pick of beautifully designed tarot cards and many of them are based off the Rider Waite meanings, allowing us to transition seamlessly from the original Rider Waite tarot deck, to more contemporary cards, such as the Mystic Monday’s Deck or the Elemental Power Deck.
The images in these more modern decks are very closely based on the Rider Waite images, meaning that if you are familiar with the more traditional illustrations, you won’t have too much trouble interpreting these custom designs.
The most important thing to think about when choosing a more modern tarot deck, is that you NEED to be able to connect with the imagery on a spiritual level. Just because a deck looks beautiful, doesn’t always mean that it will be a good deck for you. Listen to your gut, does the imagery excite and inspire you?
Meanings and interpretations
There are hundreds of books out there that aim to help you understand the different meanings of the cards, but remember that many of these focus on the Rider Waite meanings and only apply to tarot decks that follow the same meanings.
All of the tarot decks in our store follow the Rider Waite meanings, so it doesn’t matter which deck you want to transition to, you’ll have no problem applying everything you’ve already learned.
Keep in mind that not all tarot decks follow the same meanings, so if you’ve learned the meanings of one deck, that knowledge may not always apply to a new deck. Make sure to check before buying whether you’ll have to start from scratch with your new tarot cards.
Quality of the cards
Good quality tarot cards should be thick, easy to shuffle and not too slippy if they’re laminated. All of the decks we have in our store have been tested by myself to determine their quality and they are all excellent!
We have beginner decks that are laminated and a medium thickness, such as the Rider Waite, Mystic Mondays and the matte Elemental Power Tarot.
Pricier than some of our other tarot decks but 100% worth every penny. These cards are sure to last a lifetime, as they are very thick, matte and have a beautiful finish to them. The illustrations on these are for those that are a little more accustomed to tarot reading, as they’re fairly abstract.
The quality of your cards are very important, especially if you want to invest in a good quality deck that will last you forever. If you read tarot for clients, the Threads of Fate tarot is highly recommended.
How do you know it is time to buy a new tarot deck?
If you’ve been thinking about getting yourself a new tarot deck, then that is your sign! If you are completely new to tarot, I highly recommend jumping into the deep end, grabbing yourself a deck and get started doing simple 3-card tarot readings for yourself in order to learn the cards.
If you already have a deck and you’re looking for something a little more impressive or indulgent, then investing in thicker, higher quality cards like the Threads of Fate tarot is highly advised.
