(Part 3) 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.

Whenever I saw the Mystical Manga deck at the bookstore, I would just glance at it briefly, but never felt drawn to it. Recently though, I was feeling nostalgic about youth, and someone somewhere in this sub really encouraged people to give this deck a chance. I looked up the actual cards online and BAM, I felt this instant connection to it!!! Honestly, it's such a beautiful beauuutiful deck and the answers I asked it during the interview were super accurate and interesting.

I think the outside box did not give the cards justice, but hey don't judge a book by its cover. I can't wait to use it more and it's very easy to read because it has a lot of RWC elements...but still is its own magical masterpiece without being a replica! Please give this deck a look :) Especially if you were/are into anime/manga!

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Manga-Tarot-Barbara-Moore/dp/073875353X

My favorite cards that I could look at for hours: https://imgur.com/a/4J3rcol

Yeah it is a bit off-topic. I'm well invested in the history of Tarot, so I don't mind discussing it here.

Playing cards definitely didn't evolve from Tarot, it was the other way around. Regular playing cards entered Europe from contact with the Middle East. In Europe, contemporary lists of games from the 1360s don't mention card games, but lists from the 1370s have an over-abundance of it (but not Tarot). This would place the first mention of tarot in the 1420s (Milan) chronologically very early in the history of card games in Europe, because it wasn't after 50 years after the introduction of regular cards for Tarot in particular to become wildly popular. Tarot very quickly spread to what is now France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Czech republic, Slowakia, Poland, Romania, Hungary - but never to the Great Britain, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. In the 18th century it was likely more popular than chess in some areas. Later of course also heavily redesigned with French suits of hearts/spades/diamonds/clubs - walk into a random supermarket in France and you'll find cheap 78-pack cards for playing games in this fashion, next to the regular playing cards - a specific form of tarot is still a VERY popular game there.

The best source for the factual history of the game and pack and the games played with it is; "A History of Games Played With the Tarot Pack: The Game of Triumphs, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2"

https://www.amazon.com/History-Games-Played-Tarot-Pack/dp/0773464476/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=history+of+games+played+with+the+tarot&qid=1564598447&s=books&sr=1-2

https://www.amazon.com/History-Games-Played-Tarot-Pack/dp/0773464492/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=history+of+games+played+with+the+tarot&qid=1564598447&s=books&sr=1-3

But the more modern occult connotation also has an excellent (factual) history book;

https://www.amazon.com/History-Occult-Tarot-Ronald-Decker/dp/1468308599

Cardgames, also of the Tarot-family, were always widely banned because of the gambling aspect. This is always explicitly mentioned, but sometimes Tarot-games (as gambling games) were explicitly allowed. All textual references to it we have from medieval times up until le Monde Primitif are in fact references to it as a trump-trick taking game.

It is however true that trump-trick taking games did NOT exist before tarot, so games like Jass, Whist and Bridge are all derived from it. This isn't widely known, simply for the fact that tarot as a game never spread to the English speaking world.

Depictions on the trumps are definitely simple, regular medieval Christian images.

I once wrote an article for historum about the factual history, you can find that here if you are interested in reading;

https://historum.com/threads/tarot-the-game-of-triumphs-european-heritage-in-the-form-of-leisure.95793/page-2

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.

My fave beginner deck (the one I learned on) is The Spirit Within. It’s elegance and clarity won me over and gave me confidence to try other decks.

The images are deceptively simple - meaning that while they’re modern and easy to read, they pack a lot of info and are true to the symbols in traditional decks (like The Rider).

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.

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!

I like:

• Understanding the Tarot Court (Mary K Greer and Tom Little) - 'cause I struggle with these cards more than any others. And apparently I'm not alone.
  
  
• The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals (also by Mary K Greer) - if you use reversals, Ms. Greer does an outstanding job of explaining
  
  
• 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card (also by Mary K Greer; I am an unabashed fan of Ms. Greer)
  
  
• Around the Tarot in 78 Days (Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin) - This one's on my wish list. I have not read it but heard all sorts of good things. This book takes you card by card through the deck, with exercises to help you interpret each one according to different systems.

A big break-through for me was identifying cards that resonate with me and keep coming up. The Nine of Swords instantly jumped out at me, and has come to represent my own tendency toward worry and anxiety. (I use a psychological approach, not really mystical).

When I was first learning, I had maybe one or two cards like that. Now that I've been reading for myself and friends for a few weeks, I have about fifteen cards that, the moment they come up, I get an intuitive impression of their meaning and relevance to the question. Someday, I hope to feel that way about the whole deck!

I really recommend 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card, which walks you through interesting steps like 'tell a story about what's happening in the card' and 'what would you say to the characters in the card, and what would they say to you'.

I highly recommend this book, Have Tarot Will Travel it pretty much covers everything you need to know about reading at festivals, including some things that you may or may not have thought of (i.e., how to deal with a festival organizer that may have negative perceptions of Tarot readings. That it might seem "cute" to have a setup in a tent with just some cushions and pillows and such, but that is not handicapped accessible. You may set up a really nice chair for yourself and a simple folding chair for the querent, but that can send a negative impression to the querent that you don't care about their comfort. All about how to portray yourself as a professional instead of in a gimmicky manner, etc, etc. Basically just lots of good, solid advice).

Also my first and still one of my favorites! I love the use of negative space in the art. And it’s such an affordable deck considering it comes with a well-written guidebook as well! The creator came out with an oracle deck that I love using in tandem: Hedgewitch Botanical Oracle deck

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

Most of the ones I really like are independent decks.

Tarot of the Golden Thread is more modern but the effect of the cards is simply captivating.

Raziel Tarot by Robert M Place and in his distinctive style. It's not completed yet though :,(

Revelations Tarot is a reversible deck with the reversed meanings incorporated into the illustrations.


Prisma Visions Tarot is very Van Gogh/Impressionist in style, and I love how each suit connects to be its own long mural.

I also have a tendency to lean towards decks that are more narrative in the illustrations so the Manga Tarot and Mystical Manga Tarot (to be released in Sept 2017) appeal to me as well... even if I may be showing my youth and inexperience by mentioning them.

Edit: corrected the links

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 really like the traditional Marseille decks. They show the tarot as it originally developed in the culture before it was redesigned for the purposes of occultists. There are a lot of amazing historic reproductions of Marseille decks, but the easiest entry point to the world of the Marseille tarot might be the Convers Ben Dov deck. https://www.amazon.com/Cbd-Tarot-Marseille-Yoav-Ben-dov/dp/1572819049/r

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.

It really depends on what kind of tarot reader you want to be. Do you want to work from a shop? Do you want to work at a market or fairs? Do you want to work online? Hire a shop space? You won't find tarot readers advertised in normal job listings so you have to figure out what kind of reader you want to be. Here are some books I can recommend to you if you are looking to take the plunge. https://www.amazon.com/Fortune-Stellar-Every-Professional-Reader/dp/0692988041/ref=sr_1_1?crid=142VPEQVQNS8K&keywords=fortune+stellar&qid=1557368295&s=gateway&sprefix=fortune+ste%2Caps%2C206&sr=8-1


https://www.amazon.com/Have-Tarot-Will-Party-Comprehensive/dp/1796316121/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=Jenna+matlin&qid=1557368326&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

​

https://www.amazon.com/Have-Tarot-Will-Travel-Comprehensive/dp/1530833043/ref=sr_1_2?qid=1557368342&refinements=p_27%3AJenna+Matlin&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Jenna+Matlin

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

The Sun and Moon Tarot has really simple artwork and includes a keyword title for each card. But.. it uses the Thoth system, so some of those meanings diverge a lot from the RWS.

The Tell Me Tarot has a meanings on the cards, beyond keywords.

And I FINALLY found the one I was looking for...
The Quick & Easy Tarot
Which is RWS artwork with keywords. But that Simple Tarot looks cool!

For a basic deck you could stick with the very first decks arrived to us, I mean one of the oldest ones ever found on earth, the Visconti - Sforza tarot. Their symbolism is essential, I personally found them amazing https://www.amazon.com/Visconti-Tarots-deck-Lo-Scarabeo/dp/0738700193/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=visconti+sforza+tarot+deck&qid=1571037083&sprefix=visconti+sforza+tarot&sr=8-3

Otherwise, moving few centuries after, I will pick the Wirth deck to start

Tarot del Fuego might suit you. It is not easy to read with but one of may favorite decks none-the-less

https://www.amazon.com/Tarot-del-Fuego-Ricardo-Cavolo/dp/073874994X

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 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

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

I got it from this place called attic salt but you can also find it on Amazon c:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1454929073/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6UFzDbPGFB7WD

Schiffer picked it up and published it commercially.

https://www.schifferbooks.com/spirit-within-tarot-6291.html

it is on Amazon for 17 bucks.

https://smile.amazon.com/Spirit-Within-Tarot-Steven-Bright/dp/0764353888/

Googling the name on the bottom right corner got me this:
Ancient Italian Tarot https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738700266/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kr4WDbM66P6QR

Hello, kanukia

​

The cards in the image appear to have been taken from the reproduction of the so-called Visconti Sforza tarocci that Lo Scarabeo offer (the said reproduction is titled Visconti Tarots): https://www.amazon.com/Visconti-Tarots-deck-Lo-Scarabeo/dp/0738700193

​

Here are links to two other reproductions, one by Mary Packard and one by U.S. Games:

https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Tarot-Visconti-Sforza-Deck/dp/1937994090

https://www.usgamesinc.com/Visconti-Sforza_Pierpont_Morgan_Tarocchi_Deck.html?partner=VN1

​

Regards

KevinM

Tarot reader and horary astrologer

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).

I bought this kawaii tarot deck - I love pink & found it adorable...

And of course after getting it, it turns out to be a brutal deck for me, lol. Edit: also, the novelty wears off and the illustrations are so simple - they don't give you much time to feel out the card or its meanings (if you're still memorizing them) by the illustration alone. You just pick it, look at it for a second (and no longer bc there's not much to see), and bounce over to the guidebook

Check the Ricardo cavolo fire tarot

Tarot del Fuego https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/073874994X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rDZSCbTH0JDTW

Here are some Marseilles decks I've been considering, but haven't bought yet.

• Dodal Tarot by Jean-Claude Flornoy
  
  
• Noblet Tarot by Jean-Claude Flornoy
  
  
• CBD Tarot by Yoav Ben-Dov
  
  They are all historical reproductions, except Ben-Dov changed facial expressions. I'm not sure I like that. The Flornoy decks have to be ordered direct from France, so it's kind of a pain.