Tarot - Where to Start?

Tarot can have a very magnetic effect; the images are alluring and the messages and interpretations are so interesting. I find myself getting asked: “What deck should I get?” very often.

When I hear this, I hear somebody that’s intrigued and wants more and more of this awesomeness.

where does one begin?

How do you choose a deck?

There are a LOT of tarot decks out there and you could spend days browsing the different art styles and imagery. However, before you do that, I’d like to point out something about the system of tarot.

One thing that a lot of people don’t realize when they’re eager to get started is that tarot is a deep and complex system. The images and symbols represent a vast body of knowledge. You could literally spend a whole life time studying it all  from many different angles. Having said that, you could also potentially pick up a deck and work solely with your intuition. The beauty of tarot is that there is no right or wrong. Different people read the cards in different ways and that’s totally fine.

I would recommend starting first with answering the following question:

Am I up to hunker down, study and really learn something new? Or, do I just want to flow with it, and see where my intuition takes me?

There is no right or wrong answer - it's more about knowing yourself and letting that inform your next move.

If you’re up to study and learn this system I would say you would want to start with the traditional and most common deck: Rider-Waite Tarot Deck. The reason I would recommend this deck is that it is referenced by most modern books about tarot and by most teachers. Also, lots of other tarot decks are actually a spin off of this deck. Often, the themes and imagery are the artists’ interpretation of this deck.

However, if you know yourself and you’re much more intuitive and not so much into studying, I would recommend that you take the time to browse different decks and see what images pop out at you the most. Look for something that triggers your imagination and intuition. You can browse decks at a metaphysical store or online.

Note: There are a few different color schemes to the Rider-Waite deck (exact same images, but slightly different coloring). I would recommend that you see which you like best and go for that. Look up the following decks: 

• Original Rider-Waite Tarot Pack
• Universal Waite Tarot Deck
• Rider-Waite Tarot Deck 

Next week I'll be writing about how to actually begin studying the Tarot!

Good luck and don't forget - have fun!