The best way to learn to read tarot cards is to first choose a tarot deck and take it home. Don't worry at first about the meanings of the cards or how to lay them out or how to read them once you get them home. Choosing a deck is an important step, and it pays to spend as much time as you need with it.

Today, so many fabulous decks are available that it is a real treat just to look at them all. The most common deck is the Rider-Waite Tarot. First published in 1909 by US Games (the organization that still holds the copyright), the cards in the Rider-Waite deck were drawn by artist Pamela Colman Smith under the instruction of 19th century mystic Arthur Edward Waite, whose written works on tarot and the occult were published by the Rider Company.

Although the Rider-Waite deck is a common deck today (and some even might say even the standard deck today) it was a significant departure from the Christianized decks available before to its 19th century creators. In the Rider-Waite deck the Pope becomes The Hierophant, and the Papess becomes the High Priestess, and the Devil becomes less of an omen of evil and more an avatar of the pagan god Pan.

If you don't have a store near you that carries a good selection of cards, you can browse 115 different decks at the US Games website at http://www.usgamesinc.com/home.php?cat=3. The Hanson Roberts Deck is also a popular first deck because of the brilliant colors, the fairy tale imagery, and the benign quality of the artwork. It's a good 'safe' deck to start out with if you are feeling the least bit apprehensive. The Morgan Greer Deck also has a fairy tale feel to it, with slightly less childlike imagery, and brilliant coloring.The New Palladini Deck also has traditional symbolism with bright colors and mythic illustrations that appeal to many first time users.

Although you can purchase many different novelty decks now (all cats, all dogs, all animals, all Egyptian, all Native American), I personally recommend starting with a more traditional deck so you can become familiar with the original symbolism of each card over time. Then, if you find you enjoy the traditional deck and are drawn to a novelty deck, go for it.

Once you choose your deck, take it home, take the cards out of the box, and spend some time just looking at them in a quiet place. It is not a bad idea to make a bit of a ceremony out of this. At the very least, you should be alone, and in an uninterrupted space for at least half an hour or more. Light a candle or some incense and look over each image. Write down any impressions that come to you if you wish. Some people like to keep a special journal for readings and tarot intuitions. Especially in the beginning, you might find this very helpful.

When you are done looking at the cards and touching each one, do not put them back into the box. Wrap them in a favorite scarf or small decorative bag, or a decorative box. Take some care with how you intend to store them. Once you choose something to wrap or store them in, stay with that and don't be changing things around all the time.

Lay the wrapped cards (or boxed or bagged cards) next to your bed that night and record anything that might come up in your dreams or when you awake. Whether you realize it or not, you have started a journey into yourself and your place in creation, a very exciting journey. Over time you will find yourself developing a relationship with the cards as if they were alive. This is what you want and why it is important to take some time looking at cards and choose a deck that speaks to you.

Next hub, I will write more about the meanings of the cards and how to become intimate with those meanings over time.