Choosing a Tarot Deck

Once upon a time, Tarot decks were hard to come by. If you were lucky enough to have a choice at all, it was usually between a Rider Waite Smith deck or a Marseilles deck. Some people still think of the Rider Waite Smith deck as "the" Tarot, and are deeply suspicious of anything else. I've had clients solemnly inform me that the deck I'm using is not a "proper" Tarot.

These days we are overwhelmed by choice. There are Gummy Bear tarots, Baseball tarots, Lord of the Rings tarots and "Feng Shui" tarots. I have to admit that I find myself wondering whether some of these novelty decks are "proper" tarots, chuckle. A lot of people find themselves attracted to a pretty deck, only to find that it is very hard to work with. So - how to choose?

Unless you are deeply into a particular theme, like Greek myths or Egypt, I always recommend sticking to a Rider Waite Smith based deck, as they are much easier to interpret visually. My favourite is the Robin Wood deck, published by Llewelyn. It is attractively coloured, and the illustrations are more modern than the original Rider Waite. A lot of people find the Waite deck somewhat sinister, as it is illustrated in a style which is no longer commonplace, to fit in with more primitive printing processes. It has quite a dark feel to it.

If you've already bought a deck that you're struggling with, I'd suggest retiring it temporarily, while you become more adept with the Robin Wood. You can then transfer to your favoured deck once you're more familiar with the card meanings. I am always sad to see people give up learning because it's "too hard." Often it's the deck that's the problem, not the Tarot or the student!