Reddit reviews Universal Waite Tarot Deck

Keep in mind that there are dozens of versions of the Rider-Waite deck with different colorations, typography, etc. I think the [Universal Waite] (https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Waite-Tarot-Stuart-Kaplan/dp/0880794968) deck is the best for beginners because the coloration and linework makes for a clearer and easier reading of the many details and symbols in each card.

Here are the basic, basic decks.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Deck, on which most decks base their symbolism. Has many different versions, such as the Radiant RWS or the Universal Waite Tarot. Most decks you find will be based on this one.

The Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley, which relies much more on occultism and knowledge of the symbols to read. If you want a project that you can really lose yourself in and study for, this is probably a good deck.

The Marseille Tarot which, unlike the other decks I've listed, does not fully illustrate the Minor Arcana (Ace-10 of Cups/Swords/etc). Instead they are called "pips" and don't show a scene, so you have to rely on your knowledge of the cards to read them.

These are the three most well-known tarot traditions for symbolism upon which most other decks are based, with RWS being the most popular in the English-speaking world. Marseille, as I understand it, is very popular in non-English speaking European countries, and the Thoth is just the Thoth.

You don't have to stick to these decks though. Choose any deck that you feel speaks to you. What's most important is feeling connected with your deck, that way you don't lose interest in the cards before you've learned all you can about them.

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First of all I am so happy for you that you've found a deck that you feels like it's yours. That is one of the most awesome feelings in the world.

Unfortunately it sounds like as a beginner you've bonded with a deck meant for a more intermediate to advanced user. But that's okay! What I recommend is this -

Go grab this deck - http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Waite-Tarot-Stuart-Kaplan/dp/0880794968/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415550859&sr=1-6&keywords=rider+waite+tarot+deck

Let this be your practice and learning deck to work with as well as your your original deck. With this deck it's much easier to see the symbolism (what does the rose The Fool is holding symbolize and how does that reflect on your query. Is the color of the flower important? Etc) versus what does the "insert random card" mean again.

Also, this book was the best investment I ever made in learning how to really understand the minor arcana, hands down. - http://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Tarot-Signet-Rosemary-Guiley/dp/0451168003/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415551290&sr=1-1&keywords=the+mystical+tarot

What ever you decide to do, good luck and remember to keep having fun!

I agree on Rider-Waite, definitely a great place to start, perhaps with a view to then getting Crowley's Thoth deck after some study (they're quite different, though they share the same foundation.)

As for the versions you've picked out, the reviews seem to indicate that the Original is better in terms of quality, however I personally use the Universal Waite. The images are the same, Universal Waite just has (imo) better colouring. Another option could be Radiant Rider Waite, another recolouring of the Waite deck.

astralanarchist has already recommend 78 Degrees of Wisdom and Tarot For Yourself, I can't agree more, they're great books and are the ones I started with. Other good resources are learntarot.com and it's associated book by Joan Bunning, and a good resource for using Tarot for ceremonial magic (if you're into that) is Portable Magic by Donald Tyson.

For sure, just use one that is in the public domain.

But you can get a deck for less than 10$ online

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Waite-Tarot-Stuart-Kaplan/dp/0880794968/

My handouts were a hit at the table. I stained them using coffee, folded them every which way, even stuck them in some clothes which went through the wash.

If you have the time you can get Strahd's seal from AliExpress or for a little more money on Etsy if you need it sooner.

I actually really dislike the official tarokka deck. I think it looks tacky af with the 90's style tribal tattoos around the edge. I replaced mine with a tarot deck from Amazon. I can't find the exact link but there's a few cool ones (and a bunch more you may like). You'll just have to use the name on the card instead of the book but my deck had some pretty similar cards.