I frequently get emails from clients asking for advice on picking the “perfect” tarot. Like many of us, they are looking for that one person who will become their “life partner,” a dependable friend who shares their values and can relate to them. But it’s such a private matter! What strikes a chord with one individual very strongly might merely elicit a “meh” from another. Images that immediately come to mind and move you emotionally could be offensive or unimportant to someone else. Perhaps you enjoy large decks, heavy cards, black-and-white, or animals.
You see what I mean?
It’s incredibly intimate! Making dependable deck advice is difficult in my opinion. Instead, I provide a list of questions to think about when perusing the tarot shelf for those of you looking for a new deck.
In This Article...
Does the artwork speak to me?
This is typically the most important consideration when selecting a deck. Tarot is primarily a visual tool for most of us (not all, mind you; some readers read without looking at the card, and there are undoubtedly blind and visually challenged readers). We discover the narratives, the symbols, and the hints for interpretation in the images on the playing cards.
It’s crucial that you connect with the pictures and the overall artistic style. For instance, I myself find myself drawn to vibrant colors and quite abstract artwork, in which images are more symbolic than figurative. You might discover that you prefer abstract collage, watercolours, or sketches with few or no details.
To truly understand the feel and energy of the deck, try to look at as many card photos as you can.
Does theme matter?
You’ve probably noticed that there is a tarot deck available for just about any “theme” you can imagine. Tarot of unicorns, Star Wars, trees, herbs, and other spiritual paths. Numerous decks featuring cats, urban themes, steampunk, fey, mermaids, and social justice are available. I even have a deck of cards that were written by Emily Dickinson!
A deck’s philosophy could require a little investigation or it might be immediately apparent. Some decks, like the Brady Tarot, which is based on nature and has a strong ecological message, display their ideologies outwardly and boldly. Others (like the Wanderer’s Tarot, which is based on profound feminine/goddess spirituality) make the guiding principles of the deck explicit in a manual or pamphlet.
Themes can help us develop a stronger bond with our cards.
A herbalist who is able to draw on current plant knowledge to help study the meanings of the cards, for instance, may find it beneficial. A herbal tarot blends the wisdom of plants with the message of a specific card. The archetypes presented in Cristy Road’s Next World Tarot, which imagines a post-revolutionary world, may be recognizable to people who work in social justice circles.
Does representation matter?
The lack of body diversity depicted in card imagery and how white, cisgendered, and heteronormative conventional tarot may be have been extensively discussed recently. Those of color (POC), queers, and people with rebellious bodies have a difficult time finding ourselves depicted in traditional decks like the Rider Waite Smith tarot. I urge you to take note of and be conscious of who is graphically portrayed in your tarot deck, even if it doesn’t matter to you (either way is fine!). First, you should choose a deck that you believe accurately portrays you. Second, if you want to read for others (or already do), you’ll know which deck to use or whether the person you’re reading for is likely to see images of “themselves” when you lay out their cards. Additionally, it’s encouraging to see a variety of people in a tool for personal development.
Although there are more and more diverse decks available (my favorites are Thea’s Tarot and Numinous Tarot), it’s still uncommon to see a large variety of people in our cards. This is one of the reasons why some readers like “people-free” tarot decks, such as those with animals or other beings as the main “characters.”
What do I know about the creator/s?
I personally enjoy learning who made my tarot cards and why. I prefer to have at least a tenuous connection to the person or persons who conceptualized and created those cards. As a queer woman, I particularly like using decks made by other queer women and by producers who speak openly about political issues like feminism, decolonization, and other subjects that are significant to me.
This is also a potential area for problems like cultural appropriation. On closer investigation, it’s fairly uncommon to find decks focused on culturally particular themes that were made by people who don’t belong to such cultures (often white people). Therefore, for me, it’s crucial to get the impression that the individual who created the deck has a personal and spiritual connection to the symbols and concepts they’re conveying (and profiting from).
Big cards or small cards?
Because the cards are too big for their hands, many people find it difficult to mix larger decks! Some people detest compact decks and want a larger format for aesthetic or other reasons. In terms of card material (the thickness and texture of the cards), lamination, gilded/not gilded edges, and other factors, I’ve observed a wide range of preferences.
What about the price?
Some decks are simply out of reach for people with lower incomes. This is frequently true for self-published decks, whose production expenses are typically far greater and which are giving their author(s) a (hopefully sustainable) revenue. There are a ton of mass-market cards that are less expensive if you can’t afford independent decks. The Rider-Waite-Smith, the Shadowscapes, and many others can be purchased for under twenty dollars (see below for a where to buy mainstream decks).
Platforms like Instagram might also give us the impression that we need to have a large collection of decks in order to be legitimate tarot readers. However, a lot of readers just own and utilize one deck. As with all “hobbies,” there is no cap on the amount of money you can spend, and at the moment, a burgeoning and extremely gentrified “wellness” industry is ready to sell you all kinds of things you don’t need under the pretense that having them will somehow elevate your spirituality or improve your tarot reading skills.
I want to emphasize how accessible and affordable tarot is, which is one of its best qualities. Anyone can read the cards if they have a cheap deck and access to the internet. It doesn’t have to be a costly endeavor.
Most importantly: listen to your gut
Choosing a tarot deck has no right or incorrect answers. I provide these questions to assist you consider whether a deck would be appropriate for you, but it’s like to picking a loveronly you can truly know whether it is. Feel free to disregard all of my inquiries and base your decision only on whether the deck gives you a positive sensation in your gut (or heart, or soul, or bones, or wherever you get *that feeling*). You can’t fail if you follow this advice.
Which Tarot hand do you choose?
Therefore, when we haphazardly shuffle the cards as a Knight of Pentacles is on the verge of jumping ship (or, you know, falling to the ground), we’re really just putting a little bit of ourselves into the mix. As a result, when we draw a card, it will give us a precise reading of what might be in store. By putting your trust in the divine power of your deck and allowing it to lead you, you can really infuse it with a kind of intuitive energy. Because of this, connecting with that higher power may depend, at least in part, on the hand you use to shuffle your deck.
“Because the left side is connected to feminine, intuitive, and receptive energy, card readers have always shuffled with their left hand. They were able to get genuine, exact celestial insight as a result.” Spiritual adviser Alexis Alvarez
Because the left side of the body is linked to feminine, intuitive, and receptive energy, card readers have traditionally dealt and shuffled the cards with their left hand, according to Alvarez. “They concurred that doing so enabled them to access authentic cosmic wisdom. Some people think you should shuffle and play with your weaker hand. Since the majority of people prefer using their right hand, shuffling still requires utilizing the left hand. However, if you are left-handed, your dominant hand would be your left.”
Can you interpret your own tarot cards?
It most certainly is. Tarot is a technique that aids in deepening our understanding of the present moment, honoring our intuition, and predicting future possibilities. Although it might seem complicated, the technique is actually quite straightforward.
Familiarize yourself with the traditional meanings
During intuitive tarot readings, your intuition will direct you in conveying messages, but Rose thinks it’s still beneficial to comprehend the conventional meaning of each card. She advises developing a regular tarot reading ritual where you ask your trusted tarot deck questions about your life and keep a journal of the readings you do for yourself to explore the meanings of the cards. According to Rose, intuition can come through more clearly the more you connect with yourself and your deck.
What should you do initially while using a tarot deck?
What to Do First:
- Get out your tarot deck.
- In your hand, hold the cards.
- “Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
- Shuffle the cards completely.
- The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.
How do you begin studying the tarot?
Howe advises to be calm and believe in your own agency if this sounds daunting. “In order to see it less as “This holds all of these secret meanings that I have to do all this work to access” and more as “I know all the meanings; it’s just a matter of establishing the connections and being able to articulate them,” use language or knowledge that you already possess. She points out that the four elementsearth, water, fire, and airplay a significant role in the tarot, which is advantageous because the majority of people already have an understanding of the meanings of each element. ” If you do that, your viewpoint will be more personal, and you will be able to express yourself more freely.
Howe suggests the Celtic Cross and the three-card pull as the two fundamental spreads for beginning readers. In the former, three cards are chosen at random from the deck to symbolize the subject’s mind, body, and spirit, or past, present, and future. According to Howe, you could even up the stakes and use a six-card draw, with one card for each location.
Does tarot shuffle correctly or incorrectly?
Short answer: According to tarot reader and astrologer Bess Matassa, “there is literally no right or wrong approach.”
She argues that more intuitive methods of reading that stress leading with feeling have grown in popularity as tarot has developed over time. Therefore, there are numerous valid ways to shuffle in modern society. “Matassa advises shufflers to disregard preciousness in favor of pulsations. If you decide to keep your eyes open while you mix, just feel the weight of the cards in your hands and use touch or sight to navigate.”
Having said that, here are a couple to try if you want a more structured approach to shuffling.
Do you deal the cards in a fresh deck of tarots?
Tarot cards should always be thoroughly mixed up when you obtain a new deck to prevent order. I believe the simplest method is to shuffle your tarot cards by placing them on the ground, then picking them up and continuing to shuffle them.
New tarot cards should be kept close to you for a week (in your bag, on your desk, under your pillow, etc.) so they can pick up on your frequency and energy. Imagine it as a toy Tamagotchi from the 1990s! Others simply enjoy taking their time when shuffling them. You are in charge.
What kind of tarot deck should I use, and does it matter?
It’s a journey that is ultimately personal. There is “no one accurate deck” to begin with, psychic medium Michael Cardenas tells Oprah Daily. “Each person will have a different deck to bond with. Find the one who will actually speak to you.”
Questions you don’t really want answered
Even though it might seem apparent, it’s advisable to refrain from asking the tarot cards questions that you aren’t prepared to hear the answers to. That’s because answers to these questions can reveal information you’re just not quite ready to hear.
“Tarot can definitely come off as offensive if you’re not willing to hear the truth or consider an opposing point of view. Tarot reading Nicole Fortunaso
According to tarot reader and life coach Nicole Fortunaso, “tarot may truly come out as offensive if you are not willing to hear the truth of the problem or look at an alternate viewpoint.” She advises considering why you’re responding the way you are in order to reflect on the best way to address the underlying cause if you ask the question and are unsatisfied with the response.