How to Choose A Tarot Deck

The important thing to think about when choosing a Tarot deck is whether or not it appeals to you. There are hundreds of different sets of Tarot cards on the market, but you need to be able to connect to the deck you are using, as Tarot is essentially a spiritual way of working.

There are people who work with only one deck - ever, and there are those who have different sets of cards and work with them depending on the person asking for the reading, their own mood, or the type of questions needing answers.

Tarot decks also come in different sizes, which is great if you have small hands, as traditional decks with their 78 cards are rather bulky. There are now mini decks on the market that are easier to handle, make storage simpler and that are more portable, fitting into a pocket or bag. Click here for more information on how to store your tarot Deck. There are also square Tarot decks, round ones, oval ones and all manner of shapes in between.

 One of the most popular traditional Tarot decks, is the Rider Waite.  They were illustrated by pamela Colman Smith, under instruction from A E Waite, and the illustrations are quite childlike, but colourful and with a wealth of symbolism included on which to meditate.  Most decks also contain a little 'how to' booklet in the package, that is actually quite informative.

It is a traditional 78 card deck, and the cards are larger than a standard playing card, so they are a little difficult to handle at times.

The cards were originally published in 1909 and were influenced by the occultist Eliphas Levi.  The Rider Waite Deck has become inseparable from the notion of the Tarot and has lent its imagery and language to the study of the cards.  Numerous other decks have spawned from this original.  It remains a highly attractive useful deck to this day and is easily obtainable.

 The Aquarian Tarot is another extremely popular Tarot deck, which was first published in 1970.  The deck was illustrated by David Palladini, who combined traditional Rider Waite symbolism with modern images in an Art nouveau and Art Deco style.

In addition to these two popular decks, there are also :

Wiccan Tarot cards, depicting witchcraft symbolism.  These probably have more resonance for anyone wishing to use the Tarot for magic spells.

Angel Tarot, a good Tarot deck for those put off by the original Tarot symbolism.

Manga Tarot.  Yes, believe it or not, there is even a Tarot dedicated to this popular style of animation.

Druidic Tarot, depicting Druidic symbolism.

Avalon Tarot.  There are various decks depicting the legends of King Arthur. 

One popular prediction deck in the UK, is Titania's Fortune Cards, and Titania's Oraqle, written by the practising Wiccan, Titania Hardie. Titania has been brought up with the Wiccan tradition all her life, and much of her work is based on natural magic and divination.

The best way to choose a Tarot deck is to browse a store, either a good online one that lets you see the images on the cards, or a high street store, where you can look at the images, pick up the cards and see how they feel in your hand, then choose images that chime with your personality.

 Most Tarot decks will also have a book written about them, that explains the symbolism of the cards and that gives you 'how to layouts,' so that once you choose a Tarot deck, you can then get to work with it straight away.

Collecting different decks may even become a hobby.