(Part 2) Top products from r/tarot

I've been studying Tarot and western mysticism for over 2 decades. My recommendation is that you ignore all the fancy decks out there and pick up some version of the Rider-Waite. It isn't the prettiest, but it's the one that almost EVERY deck for the past 100 years has been based on. If you can read a Rider-Waite, then you can read anything. Someone suggested the Marseille deck (of which there were a few from the 18th c. onwards), but I wouldn't recommend starting out with an older style deck like that. Older decks (Marseille, JJ Swiss, Visconti-Sforza etc.) were designed for Game Play - NOT divination. They don't have handy titles or pictures on the minor arcana (number/suit/pip cards).

Some decks you might consider:

Standard Rider-Waite. Can't get any easier than this.

Quick and Easy Tarot. This one has the meanings printed right on the cards! Easy to learn from, and based on Rider-Waite.

Golden Dawn tarot. This one was my favorite for a while. The colors are nicer than Rider-Waite, but it's still a traditional deck, and all the cards have titles and additional symbolism (Astrological/Qabalistic) so they're easier to read and remember.

B.O.T.A. deck. This one comes in black-and-white. You're supposed to color your own cards! I've used the link that includes the book with coloring instructions/descriptions. You can buy the cards by themselves here. Following the traditional (Qabalistic) color scheme and coloring your own (with markers, colored pencils, or maybe watercolors) will help you learn and remember them better.

Regarding the influence of Qabalah on modern decks, it's VERY hard to find a modern deck without it. A.E. Waite was a member of the Golden Dawn (19th c. Hermetic order), and they're largely responsible for the popular appeal of modern Qabalah-influenced decks. They drew on several 18th-19th c. sources (Levi, Etteilla, Court de Gebelin etc.) and put it all together into the tarot we know and use today.

Some books that may be helpful:

Mystical Origins of the Tarot. This is a very good book that talks about the history of the cards, all the way back to the 14th c. Extremely insightful. You can read this on Scribd, btw.

Qabalistic Tarot. The best book on how modern tarot fits onto the Tree of Life, and how the symbolism describes states of consciousness and aspects of Qabalah. When you're ready to scratch below the surface and use your cards for meditation, this book will help you.

This may be a good book to help you get started. I haven't read it, but it gets good reviews.

Related-topic: if you enjoy playing cards, I highly recommend trying out the traditional Tarot games that make use of either modern French or German style decks (which look like modified normal playing cards with extra cards) or older decks such as the JJ Swiss, Marseille, or even Lo Scarabeo's Ancient Italian Deck. Tarot games are quite fun! You can't use a divination deck for them, though. European or Italian folk games such as Scopa and Briscola are also quite fun, and they make use of decks that are distant cousins to Tarot. This link will explain other tarot type games if you're interested.

Anyway, I hope that helps you make sense of the Tarot. Go with Rider-Waite to start, and take your time. There's a lot to learn!

This was my first deck I learned a little with it but I found that I had a difficult time pulling meaning from the cards.

This is the deck I use now and I love it. The pictures are beautiful and instead of cards like "the magician" there's "strength", "prosperity", etc..

A lot easier to interpret and the illustrations are beautiful. I love that deck. That being said, it is not really a traditional deck, so while it would be a good starter deck, it might throw her off a little when she sees different cards.

Whatever deck you go with, I know she will love.

I would recommend you also get her a deck of Grace Cards. They are beautiful and finish off a reading wonderfully, they are even great to just grab one when you feel you need a little direction. They have thought provoking messages on them and really make you think. She would also love these.

"Modern" is a pretty broad category -- it would help to know more about what kind of art style you're looking for. For example, are you hoping for something that's more minimalist, or detailed? colorful, or monochrome? digitally drawn, or painted? focused on figures, or more inventive with imagery?

That said, here are some decks in a pretty wide variety of styles that come to mind when I think "modern art." I personally own the first six decks on this list and can vouch that I like them; the rest I don't own but I know other people like them.

• The Light Grey Tarot
  
  
• The Cosmos Tarot & Oracle
  
  
• The Body Language Tarot
  
  
• The Fountain Tarot
  
  
• The Dark Goddess Tarot
  
  
• One of my all-time favorite decks, a feminist classic Thea's Tarot is apparently getting a second printing soon! Maybe not in time for your friend's gift, but perhaps for the future.
  
  
• The Book of Shadows Tarot, Volume 1: As Above and Volume 2: So Below
  
  
• The Wild Unknown Tarot
  
  
• The Wooden Tarot
  
  
• The Prisma Visions Tarot
  
  
• The Linestrider Tarot
  
  
• The Wanderer's Tarot: Solar Edition and Midnight Edition
  
  
• The Golden Thread Tarot
  
  
• The Illuminated Tarot (note that this is a playing-card style deck with 53 cards instead of 78)
  
  
• Dame Darcy's Mermaid Tarot
  
  
• The Prismatic Tarot
  
  
• The Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot (I'm including this even though Art Deco is decidedly not modern because it is very different from the traditional RWS style, so your friend might like it anyway)
  
  
• I don't know of any specifically videogame/media themed decks, but The Steampunk Tarot does come to mind as being up that alley, thematically.
  
  I have to stop here otherwise I'll just keep on going, lol, I love talking about different tarot decks. So I'll just leave you with a note that there are lots of items in the Little Red Tarot shop that might interest you.
  
  Hope this helps!

Tarot just sees where energy is and possibly going, as as baptized (though admittedly non-churchgoing) Catholic I don't see it as 'viewing the future' at all- we make the future, tarot just helps show where the energy MAY lead.

Kawaii Tarot is a cute deck and I actually reach for mine fairly often, but I quite honestly could not (and would not) recommend it for a first deck- the minor arcana are VERY. VERY. minimalist. I recommend a classic RWS deck or one with the classic symbolism to start and learn from (and I think having one for a reference is GREAT when you start branching out into other decks!) I personally adore and use my Radiant Wise Spirit deck almost daily:

https://www.amazon.com/Radiant-Wise-Spirit-Tarot-Scarabeo/dp/0738762369

The Smith-Waite Centennial, the smaller tinned edition. I adore this deck. It consistently amazes and surprises me. I love the muted colors and the faux antique look of the deck. I like the tinned edition because it's smaller (about the size of a standard playing card), which makes it easy to shuffle and handle and easy to use for larger spreads when you don't have a lot of room, which I often don't. It also makes it easier when reading for other people, since I like to have them shuffle the cards a bit before the reading, and a lot of people have trouble shuffling larger cards when they aren't used to it. The metal tin makes it really easy to tote around too. I just wrap a rubber band around it and pop it in my bag without worrying about any damage to the cards. There is also a larger, standard size edition, which I would recommend over the tinned edition if size isn't a factor for you because it makes it easier to enjoy Smith's lovely artwork.

Forgot to add this - my other fave, and one I only use to read for myself at the moment, is the Druidcraft Tarot. Will Worthington's art is so lovely.

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!

Out of all my decks, the Linestrider deck is the one I resonate with the most. I bought it a year or so ago, but I just checked on Amazon, and it’s still selling for about $20:
The Linestrider Tarot https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738748293/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_W9aUBbEQA4NHF

Things are really, really good! I’ve received so many birthday messages today and I feel very loved. Thank you so much for the good vibes and well wishes! :)

Well, to that end, I highly recommend The Qabalistic Tarot by Robert Wang. It's dense and rigorous, but not at the expense of subtle insight. The author successfully cuts through New Age mumbo-jumbo and gets to the heart of what tarot is about.

The Hermetic Tarot deck appeals to me most. It's nearly overloaded with imagery, which allows me to get completely lost in the experience of a card. The ultimate goal is establishing unconscious intuition, of course, but a strong intellectual base can only help.

As for this comment:

>Unfortunately, I have yet to consciously connect to my higher self.

I think the whole concept of a "higher self" is a bit of a misnomer and potentially dangerous. The term keeps people searching for some threshold moment, a cut and dry experience of Enlightenment. Anyone who claims to have attained this state permanently is lying and probably selling you something. The truth is that you ARE your higher self just as you are.

I finished Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris a few weeks ago and I highly recommend it. If you're not familiar, he's a vocal member of the "New Atheist" community and is extremely critical of religion/mysticism. But despite this, he has profound insight into the nature of consciousness and how mindfulness practice changes the mind. And of course, what is tarot if not a form of mindfulness meditation?

If that seems a little too atheistic for your taste, Thou Art That by Joseph Campbell is a fantastic introduction to mythological thinking, which is crucial to understanding tarot.

All and all, every aspect of your spiritual and intellectual life will enrich your experience of tarot, so explore liberally!

I purchased a Tarot deck for my wife for our anniversary. It's the "Welcome to Night Vale" Tarot deck (WtNV) and I'd say it's certainly for a more advanced tarot reader than my wife and I are (both very new/casual to performing readings).

I've also been reading that it's good to have multiple decks as each will give a different "feel" to the reading. The WtNV deck seems to have a brooding feel to it, which may be appropriate for specific questions or people. I picked up the "Everyday Tarot" deck for myself as I instantly fell in love with the minimalist look and feel of the deck. I felt it was also a great deck to start learning each card with as it's pretty close in artwork to the Rider tarot deck and less distracting. My wife also bought me "The Pyschic Tarot Oracle Deck" a while back and I've started using that deck for a "1 Card a Day" Draw to get more in tune with my intuition.

To me, the deck is cheeky. It's often blunt with a funny twist. I liken it to seeking advice from a good friend with a dark sense of humor who always tells me what I need to hear.

Since you mentioned the Hermetic Tarot was your first deck, and the Zombie Tarot is your first time branching out to other decks, I think it's important to mention just how different the Hermetic Tarot is from most other decks that stick more closely to the RWS style and meanings. If you've done the majority of your studying with the HT, almost any deck you add to your collection right now is going to be harder to click with at first. People who start with the Thoth Tarot tend to have the same issue.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the Zombie Tarot considering it's a novelty deck. They did a really good job adjusting the cards into the context of a zombie apocalypse. Keep in mind, though, it also deviates quite a bit from the common RWS meanings and imagery. The Devil card is a perfect example with the cigarette machine. Of the multiple meanings for The Devil, the ZT has focused in on addictions, vices, and temptation. I would read that card differently than if I pulled The Devil from another deck.

That being said, my advice would be to not give up o the deck just yet. Instead, purchase a RWS style deck--the Centennial Edition is my favorite--and begin studying that. From there, decks like the ZT, Wild Wood Tarot, Deviant Moon Tarot, etc. will be easier to click with and understand. It's like knowing Spanish and trying to learn Portuguese.

Edit: Formatting.

I decided to cruise the town one day and check out all the local occult shops. One was mostly focused on wicca. I happened to put my address on their e-mailing list, and one day I received an e-mail from them about a series of beginner tarot classes that would be held nearby for $30, presumably taught by an acquaintance of the owner of the shop.

I didn't attend these particular classes, but my point is you might try finding local community stuff in a similar manner, by poking your head in an occult shop and asking around.

I have consulted these sources:

• The Book of Thoth on Hermetic.com - Crowley's approach to tarot is syncretic, throwing qabalah and astrology into the mix among other things. If you're wanting to work with popular Rider-Waite-style decks maybe skip this one and check out:
  
  
• Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom - A popular reference. Pretty dry, IMO, but comprehensive.
  
  
• The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages - Paul Foster Case knows his shit. I just got this one, haven't started it yet. Also a syncretic approach tying in other disciplines.

I have three.

My first deck was the Original Rider Wait Tarot Pack.

My second and main/ favorite deck is the Morgan Greer deck. I love the colors, and full bleed on the edges.

And my newest deck that I've been working with is the Golden Universal deck. I got it second hand on ebay. I customized by coloring the edges black. Looks very sleek and elegant now!

The Tarot is an entire spiritual path in itself, a superb tool to understand your sub-conscious and the world around you.

Can I suggest you look at Meditations on the Tarot by Anonymous, and, [The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Tarot-Key-Wisdom-Ages/dp/1585424919) by Paul Foster Case.

Both will give you an enormous amount of wisdom. None of them are incompatible with your faith, in fact will reinforce and broaden it.

All true! I think this highlights the fact that tarot is rich enough to encompass a wide variety of meanings, both "traditional" and extended - and as long as one reasonably acquaints oneself with the former before embarking on the latter, I don't think there's anything wrong with developing one's own personal set of meanings and associations for any given card.

Dafjei, you also might also want to check out Mary Greer's ["Tarot for Your Self: A Workbook for Personal Transformation"] (https://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Your-Self-Workbook-Transformation/dp/1564145883/). Greer takes you step-by-step through a series of exercises designed to both familiarize yourself with the entire tarot deck and develop your own personal relationship with each card. (She also discusses how ritual, including spreads and cleansing, can be used to strengthen your relationship with tarot archetypes.) It's a book I wish I'd encountered earlier in my study of tarot (= going on thirty years now!).

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.

​

It's a beautiful deck! I love the artwork and I've seen it on Amazon before;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0880790903/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

Hanson-Roberts is a beginner friendly deck with a lovely feel to it, and much of the original symbolism in the cards. Read the reviews.

I would recommend buying Benebell Wen’s book Holistic Tarot. It’s a great intro to Tarot & western esotericism that covers’s everything from beginner to advanced.

I have a copy of the Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot that has a pretty solid stock and is about a centimeter wider than the standard issue RWS. The colors are more subdued, almost like the cards were treated with a tea wash, but I rather like it. Definitely look at some pictures or even watch some videos on YouTube as some people really dislike the change in color. Personally, it's the reason I got the deck in the first place. Also the card backs are a lovely teal-mint color with a white rose (the same as the one adorning the flag of the Death card).

https://www.amazon.com/Smith-Waite-Centennial-Tarot-Games-Systems/dp/1572817623/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?keywords=rider+waite+tarot+deck&qid=1573107039&sprefix=rider+&sr=8-15

I haven’t dove into it, but I believe the Holistic Tarot takes a more psychological and less spiritual take. I like what I’ve read of it so far, although the book is HUGE.

I learned to read on the Hanson-Roberts deck. I bought it with my best friend when we were 15 and she spilled wine on it a couple of years ago, unfortunately. ._.

Currently I am using the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg for my readings. I actually bought it a couple of years ago and started to do a couple of readings with it, but I wasn't ready for it at the time. I found the imagery to be too intense for me. Now, though, I find that it is exactly what I need and I find myself very in tune with this deck.

I bought the Art Nouveau deck at the same time as the St. Petersburg deck, and although I used it at first and I think the cards are beautiful, it does not speak to me whatsoever. I don't really know what to do with the deck since I have already used it, I can't exactly gift it to anyone else, but I have zero communion with the deck and won't be using it again. The symbolism is virtually non-existent for me and I find myself becoming irritated with the cards very easily.

They are so pretty. They are The Good Tarot by Colette Baron Reid
Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Tarot-78-Card-Deck-Guidebook/dp/1401949509


:)

It is the druid craft deck, I have it, it's beautiful! And it comes with a decently sized book.

Link to Amazon: The Druidcraft Tarot https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312315023/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9HJNDbPT2W3RJ

i don't really like apps except as a reference, because it doesn't give you the option to draw your card of the day. i hold fast to the belief that divination in cartomancy is driven by the subconscious; how many shuffles you do, how you cut the deck, which cards you're drawn to. unless you have the option to do these things, i don't put much weight into the apps.

​

if you're short on cash you can always color your own deck, a book you can pick up at amazon. or you could find many of the less expensive decks, such as the smith-waite centennial deck, everyday mini deck, or the ceccoli mini deck. all these decks listed are cheaper than the coloring book, with the exception of the first they are under $10, and if you have prime they will come in two days with free shipping.

This is a great book about reading Tarot for Yourself.

Smith-Waite Tarot Deck Borderless Edition

Same art as the centennial edition, just borderless. I'm super all about it.

The Borderless Edition Smith-Waite only has the copyright mark on the card backs, not on the fronts.

Don't know if that helps. Maybe you could trim them if you'd prefer not having the mark on the back of the cards as well.

I've heard this deck, the Pamela Colman Smith Centennial Deck, is very good quality. You can buy the deck alone, or as a boxed set. Don't buy the version in a tin, it is (allegedly) a smaller deck printed on cheaper cardstock.

This is a reprint of the original Ryder-Waite deck illustrated by Pamela Smith. It is very traditional.

https://www.amazon.com/Smith-Waite-Centennial-Tarot-Games-Systems/dp/1572817623

https://www.amazon.com/Pamela-Colman-Smith-Commemorative-Set/dp/1572816392

Hi all, I am paring down my collection and am looking to donate some decks. I'm not charging anything and I'll ship anywhere in the continental US at my own cost (I am in FL).

• Rebel Deck - Light wear, not published with a book (but cards have explanation on backs).
  
  
• Wisdom of the Oracle - Light wear, book included.
  
  
• Golden Wirth Tarot - Major Arcana only. Like new, pamphlet included.
  
  
• Cary-Yale Visconti - Like new, book included. These are large format cards.
  
  
• Hedgewitch's Botanical Oracle - Light wear, book included. The cards don't have a box anymore (it came in a large book/card combo box that I threw away), but there was nothing else inside the box except the book and cards.

I got mine at Overstock.com.


Apparently there's going to be another printing of the deck, because Overstock right now is taking pre-orders for the Dali Tarot. As of today (3-21-2014) Overstock is charging $27.26 for the deck, with shipment scheduled for August 2014. There's very little info on it, so I can't speak to the card stock or case it comes in or anything like that.


I paid Overstock $66 for my Universal Dali deck when I bought it from them a few years ago. They still have the edition I purchased listed available for that price on the site, but it's not listed in stock. Amazon has the stock, but lists the Universal Dali for a much higher price.

$27 strikes me as a good deal if you don't feel the need to have the Universal Dali.

I recently found the 'starter tarot deck' in a shop where it tells you on the cards the interpretation. Hopefully this link works: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Starter-Tarot-Deck-George-Bennett/dp/0880793570/ref=asc_df_0880793570/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310817460612&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16515124045072842742&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045248&hvtargid=pla-563224207382&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

I really like the Wolf Pack deck (it's published as a tarot deck but it's not tarot, IMO), the Wisdom of the Oracle, the Animal Spirit oracle, and theMinimalist Oracle deck.

Going to steal this to ask, where should I buy a deck? Has anyone bought theirs off Amazon?

Also, has anyone purchased this one?

Thanks. <3

Please read Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen. She really breaks down the tarot in an easy-to-approach manner.

You can order it on amazon

There are a lot of used ones on Amazon for around 9.14
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0738715794/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=

This deck isn't OOP. The Ephemera Edition has been re released (NB with the world's thinnest cardstock) and can be purchased as a set on Amazon and many other sites:

https://www.amazon.com/Antique-Anatomy-Tarot-Kit-Guidebook/dp/141973914X

I got one myself but haven't used it yet, I'm not proficient enough at Tarot to intuitively read the pip cards yet in this deck.

It says on the cards that it is the starter tarot deck (Amazon link). They appear to have upright and reversed meanings on the cards (which in the case of the cards pictured in the article the reader seems to have amended in accordance with their own interpretations or experiences).

The Darkness of Light Tarot might be up your alley, maybe even the Linestrider Tarot (I don't think it scratches your Skyrim itch, but it's minimal and high fantasy-ish)

You can purchase a new one here - http://www.amazon.com/The-Qabalistic-Tarot-Textbook-Philosophy/dp/0971559139/

You might wanna check out Shadowscapes or Tarot of the Hidden Realm!

Huh, that's strange. I'm not sure what country you're in, but I believe this is the deck + book combo pack: Shadowscapes Tarot https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738715794/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aWSHAbVWC913C

I'm currently reading Holistic Tarot too!

I haven't read them, but here are a couple books on reading tarot for yourself that might be more along the lines of what you're looking for. I'm thinking that since these books are focused on self-development and not on the divination aspect of tarot they might be less mystical, though I could be wrong.

Tarot for Your Self, 2nd Edition: A Workbook for Personal Transformation https://www.amazon.com/dp/1564145883/

Tarot for One: The Art of Reading for Yourself https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578635950/