Best Tarot Decks For Beginners

[katrinka]

People often ask about this, and the usual advice is to "get the deck that calls to you."

I have to disagree with that. There are a lot of very appealing decks out there, but they aren't necessarily beginner-friendly. (Here is one example https://marykgreer.com/2011/11/12/tarot ... oly-light/) Often, the symbolism is nonstandard, and it might not be adequately explained. Or it might be all wrong - a lot of non-readers are creating decks, and while some of these are good, others miss the mark.

I'd suggest starting with the classics. Rider Waite Smith, Crowley Thoth, or Tarot de Marseilles. These three are the Tarot lingua franca. It's easy to find people who are familiar with these, and are able to help out.

The RWS is the most recommended beginner deck - every card has a scene on it. It's based on the Golden Dawn's method, but Waite changed a few things in order to keep the Order's secrets. It's still very readable, and you can read Waite's book about it online, free. https://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/index.htm

The Thoth is more complex, but don't be scared off by that. It's also Golden Dawn based, and Crowley gives you the method, no fudging. Recommended reading: Crowley's Book of Thoth, Lon Milo Duquette's Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, and this wonderful old website: https://www.corax.com/tarot/cards/index.html

The TdM can be read several ways. Many read according to number and suit, the way playing cards are read. (As Andy Boroveshengra says, the Tarot IS a deck of playing cards.) So you have the advantage of being able to use playing card resources! Caitlin Matthews covers all of this and more in her book Untold Tarot. https://tarot-heritage.com/2018/11/01/u ... ok-review/

If none of these appeal, there is always Baba. The Baba decks are based on RWS and use some nonstandard images, but each deck has a companion book available with the complete explanations, and Karen and Alex are very knowledgeable on the subject. And the decks are absolutely stunning. https://baba-store.com/collections/deck ... -available

[BlueStar]

I would disagree. I am cautious about saying to beginners you must use the RWS or Thoth first. Yes, they are great decks, with great systems, without a doubt, and I understand the reasoning for recommending them, but they may not appeal to everyone, and at the end of the day what you are drawn to is probably what you are most likely to find works for you. You are drawn to it for a reason i.e. I think your subconscious is at play, you intuitively are sensing that the deck suits you.

You can always look into the RWS and Thoth cards a bit later (or at the same time) for comparison and learning - very useful to gain extra insight. There is enough free information online so that you probably don’t even need to buy RWS/Thoth to do that. But there’s absolutely no point getting RWS, Thoth or TdM if you don’t like the cards or feel they don’t speak to you. You want to enjoy using your cards, not find it a chore.

For myself I don’t think I will ever read with the RWS (I’m open to it but it’s just not my cup of tea yet), definitely not the TdM. I'm so glad I didn't get these when I started exploring tarot again after many years. I really dislike the imagery so that wouldn’t work as this is an important part for me, which I hadn't realised starting up again. So if I had taken that recommendation, rather than going with what I was drawn to, it would have been wrong for me, made it frustrating, and could have really put me off Tarot. I do however have a big book on the RWS and refer to it, and also my Thoth deck, when exploring meanings and to see how it complements/contrasts with other decks I have and with each other. Just something I find interesting to do.

There are decks which I’ve seen people say ‘you should use this as a beginner’ I’ve looked at and thought ‘huh?’ I just wouldn’t buy them, they aren’t what suits me. I’m not saying don’t look at recommendations. Do! Check them out, but don’t feel constrainted to have to get those, especially if you don't really feel drawn to them or some kind of connection with them, or there is some aspect which you don’t like about them.

The Thoth deck was the first deck I ever bought decades ago. I bought it because I was so drawn to it, and that was a good thing. It opened the door for me for Tarot in so many ways. I then didn't use tarot for a long while, and when starting up again I bought other decks because I was drawn to the imagery, and they are not what I would have expected to like! In every case I’ve done this the deck has turned out to be very right for me i.e. I can connect with it well and use it. Ones where I’ve bought it for some more ‘rational’ reason like ‘I should get this because…blah blah’ I just end up not being able to use them.

I think the point about the quantity of decks available is very relevant. There are just soooo many decks out there it can be daunting to know which to choose - going with what you feel drawn to will help narrow it down. Places like tarot.com let you look through each card in a deck. There are also numerous deck reviews online. I’ve been drawn to a deck and viewing a video walkthough just confirmed it for me. Other times I 'thought ' I might want a deck from one or two cards I’d seen, but wasn't sure, and on seeing the walkthrough I didn't like it.

I’d say don’t be afraid to look at what may appear to be non-traditional decks as a beginner. Some decks at first sight don’t seem to follow the traditional RWS and Thoth structure, having very different keywords and/or imagery, but when you look at them they do still have the 4 elements with their own variations on the court cards and pips, and are balanced decks (i.e. mixture of challenging and positive cards). Dreams of Gaia and Zen Osho are two such decks I know of.

The really non-traditional ones which have a very different structure and meanings could be challenging if you are trying to learn the traditional one. But if that’s what you are drawn (not because you think you should get it for some logical reason) I’d say go with your intuition.
There are readers out there that use non-tarot decks, using themed playing cards which have characters and scenes on them, and do so very well. But some might argue therefore that this is not Tarot – I guess that’s true and it’s more cartomancy. But here’s the point: You may be interested in Tarot but end up with a non-tarot deck or at the least a very non-traditional one, that’s okay if you are drawn to them and find you are still able to read with them. Not everyone can, especially as a beginner (I think it's more likely that those with a more developed psychic ability can jump in and do that), but if that's your jam, and you are able to, do it

If you are primarily interested in a very spiritual journey, self development etc. I would say that it may be more useful to find decks similar in structure to the RWS or Toth because they contain a balance of both challenging and positive aspects of life and variety of energies, which reflects life and the world around us. Also, there can be a lot to learn from the RWS/Thoth systems spiritually and esoterically if you so wish. A deck which moves too far away from these may not provide the variety of cards to give you readings that adequately reflect life’s journey and energies, and satisfy your requirements. I personally always try to go for balanced decks for tarot, even for more mundane readings, because of this, but some people like to use more fluffy overtly positive decks. Each to his own!:)

These are just my personal ideas and experiences. It's an interesting conversation and it's difficult to convey all my thoughts on it without writing more. But ultimately I think you have to go with what you are drawn to. It may not be what you expect, and it may change. That’s okay. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Not every deck will be ‘the perfect’ deck. They each have a slightly different ‘flavour’, even if based on the same systems and you may end up using different ones for different readings or types of questions, even as a beginner.

[katrinka]

I would disagree. I am cautious about saying to beginners you must use the RWS or Thoth first. Yes, they are great decks, with great systems, without a doubt, and I understand the reasoning for recommending them, but they may not appeal to everyone, and at the end of the day what you are drawn to is probably what you are most likely to find works for you.

That's why I mentioned Baba at the end of my post. There are decks based on the "big three" that are very well thought out, very well executed. I'm sure we could compile a big list of them here.

But there are others that...well, not so much. I've seen images posted online that totally missed the mark.

You are drawn to it for a reason i.e. I think your subconscious is at play, you intuitively are sensing that the deck suits you.

There are always reasons for things, but not necessarily that reason. It may be that the deck features cats, and the person just loves cats. Or vampires. Or a particular color scheme, or art style, or it's on sale, or any number of other things. But the images might not express the meanings correctly.

Humans are drawn to a lot of things, and it often can't be attributed to intuition. Some people might be drawn to taking a few slugs of gin before going to work, groping other mens' wives, or punching their neighbor. Some critical thinking skills are in order.

I think the point about the quantity of decks available is very relevant. There are just soooo many decks out there it can be daunting to know which to choose - going with what you feel drawn to will help narrow it down. Places like tarot.com let you look through each card in a deck. There are also numerous deck reviews online. I’ve been drawn to a deck and viewing a video walkthough just confirmed it for me. Other times I 'thought ' I might want a deck from one or two cards I’d seen, but wasn't sure, and on seeing the walkthrough I didn't like it.

Well yes, you can narrow it to say, a half dozen that you like, and then choose from those using reviews and walkthroughs. It's a bit of a crapshoot, though.

Thoth, TdM, and RWS are a safe bet. And I really don't know anyone who loathes all three, except for the kind of people who think all cartomancy is the work of Satan.

I’d say don’t be afraid to look at what may appear to be non-traditional decks as a beginner. Some decks at first sight don’t seem to follow the traditional RWS and Thoth structure, having very different keywords and/or imagery, but when you look at them they do still have the 4 elements with their own variations on the court cards and pips, and are balanced decks (i.e. mixture of challenging and positive cards). Dreams of Gaia and Zen Osho are two such decks I know of.

For a true autodidact, an off-the-beaten-path deck is fine to start with. But for people who come to forums looking for help, it's better to use something that a lot of people are familiar with.

I've been raving elsewhere here about the Vamp. I love that one. The Minors feature the 15th century tarot poetry of Count Matteo Boiardo. It's quite different, and I'm sure a beginner could learn to read it. The problems come in if they want help - it takes time to learn how to put things in context. It's a very limited edition - 200 copies - there's just not many of us who have it. The same can be said for a lot of the indie decks.

I don't really see people talking about the Osho Zen the way they used to, though it was quite popular at one time.

Or the Holy Light that I mentioned in the OP. Payne-Towler's method is idiosyncratic in a lot of ways. A beginner, if solitary and driven enough (most people aren't), could immerse themselves in the deck, book and ArkLetters for an extended period of time (and I'm talking years) and become proficient with it. There just aren't many people to talk about it with. It had Mary Greer stumped.

[stronglove]

thanks for your comment, bluestar, i couldn’t agree with you more! you did quite a good job at conveying your thoughts!
the wonderful thing about tarot is that nobody ‘owns’ it, so nobody can tell you what to do with it or how to use it. there is no ‘right’ or ‘correct’ way, there is a multitude of ways to connect with the cards and their messages. that’s why, in my experience, there is no such thing as ‘the best tarot deck for beginners’ (or, for that matter, the best tarot deck for pathworking, or shadow work, or past life readings)
picking a (first) tarot deck is something highly personal/ individual. so starting with what you are most ‘drawn’ to is an excellent idea. sure, there are different ‘systems’ in use, like RWS and the Thoth, but even those represent nothing more (and nothing less) than a highly personal and individual interpretation of the tarot archetypes....
i remember the first deck i bought, years and years ago. it was the gran tarot esoterico, and i bought it because i liked spain, i loved the colors and rather crude drawings and it looked like a fun deck (which it was). i took a course in tarot and my teacher, who was an expert on both the RWS and the TdM, told me i had bought the ‘wrong’ deck, because some of its drawings deviated from standard RWS and TdM imagery. I was supposed to learn the ‘right’ tarot systems and explore the keywords and symbolism and astrological correspondences and read the cards accordingly. so i bought the universal RWS and tried very hard but nothing really ‘stuck’, i just couldn’t get into it. bought some more decks, a couple of RWS clones that did nothing for me and some more ‘deviant’ decks that i was drawn to (maxwell miller’s universal, pamela eakins’ tarot of the spirit) but though the ‘deviant’ ones kept me intrigued and mesmerized i never felt secure enough to dive into them because i kept hearing that voice telling me they were ‘wrong’ decks..... kept me away from tarot for at least 15 years.

so i would say the same thing to all tarot ‘newbies’. start with the deck you are most drawn to and explore it in depth. try to connect with it. then browse the LWB (or even better: the guidebook, if there is one) and see if it adds to your understanding of/ connection with the deck, if it helps clarify the messages. if it doesn’t: throw it out! yes, indeed, stop consulting it because it will only confuse you. i threw away the guidebook to my Wild Unknown tarot because for me it was full of unintelligible BS. If you want to know more about the ‘standard’ keywords and interpretations information you can always consult the standard books or websites like Biddy tarot. and if the deck you picked doesn’t work for you in the long run, you can always look for another......

as for the gran tarot esoterico: i lost it after one of our moves, but recently reordered it, after discovering that Luis Peña’s drawings were inspired by Eudes Picard’s tarot system, which also influenced Oswald Wirth’s images for the minor arcana...... i guess i just love ‘deviants’......

[Charlie Brown]

It's all fine and good to say people should get what they're drawn to. I'm certainly not going to argue against that. BUT... if there's already some deck that someone is drawn to and feels they need to have, then they probably aren't going onto a tarot forum to research what deck they 'should' buy. I often get real frustrated with the "it's all intuition/follow your path" school of thought because, too often, I see it used as an excuse to avoid giving people the concrete help that they ask for. If someone is looking for guidance on what deck to buy, Katrinka's original post is much more helpful than "whatever." We could debate It. I, for example, would never recommend a TdM to someone who can't already read a good amount. But the whole "the only rule is that there are no rules" schtick isn't as helpful as it seems, I think, to someone who's come searching for guidance.

ETA: I'd also say that there are so many decks that basically follow RWS iconography that, if they can't find one that they like, then they aren't really interested in learning tarot as much as they are looking at cards. They'd be just as well off with an oracle deck that would be less mentally burdensome.

[Joan Marie]

I have to say for myself the deck I was most drawn to was the one I thought would give me the best start at learning to read and understand Tarot and that was the RWS.

Most of the best beginner books use it and it is cheap enough and easy to get so I dove right in.

I would have gotten discouraged trying to figure things out on my own entirely. I needed something to get hold of, I guess that's my character.

I can hardly look at that deck anymore but I have to say it got me off to a very good start.

Recently a good friend asked me what deck she should start with. She had a nice deck someone had given her, nice art, but my advice was get an RWS if she really wanted to get going with it.

I agree that when someone asks for a recommendation that's what they want, something concrete. They can take it or leave it if course.

[katrinka]

Exactly! People are free to take it or leave it. Advice is not the same thing as coercion.

...Luis Peña’s drawings were inspired by Eudes Picard’s tarot system, which also influenced Oswald Wirth’s images for the minor arcana...

Erm, Wirth never did any images for the Minors.

[Nemia]

Hm, I think that reading around a bit and looking at pictures online or in a shop might help. A beginner might ask him/herself: do I want to study and learn a system like Golden Dawn that will connect my tarot practice with astrology, alchemy, kabbalah and mythology? Sounds daunting on the one hand, but on the other, learning it through tarot is probably the most enjoyable journey and it really gives a structure to your spiritual interest and search. And there is no time pressure. You start by reading the pictures and slowly, the deck starts to teach you about astrological signs and planets and elements... the RWS teaches in a more laid-back manner, the Thoth throws challenges your way, but once you know this system a bit, you have a huge choice of decks that the Golden Dawn key will open for you.

Then there are non-Golden Dawn decks by artists who made their own systems, like the Holy Light. Studying them is very rewarding but will keep you within a system that only ONE deck uses. Let's compare it to languages. Study Spanish and you can travel not only to Spain but to many South American countries, too. Study Korean and you can go to Korea. And that might be just the fascination factor for you. Spanish is not better or more important than Korean.

The third option is decks that you can read intuitively like oracle decks. Many decks have beautiful, expressive art and can be read either through a Jungian approach that connects symbol to the soul, or like story books for a narrative reading style, and you can be a great reader by using your emotional reaction to the field between deck, querent, question and spread. There's nothing wrong with that. It's possible to read Marseille decks like that, too. Yoav Ben Dov's Open Reading style is a good example of an approach without astrology and kabbalah that lets you get answers from the cards.

I guess a beginner who reads that is able to know what attracts him/her.

Golden Dawn? Then go for RWS or close RWS "clones" (they're no clones of course but new interpretations) like the Golden, Morgan Greer etc, accompanied by Rachel Pollack's books. Or go the Thoth road with Thoth or Tabula Mundi and study a bit harder with Milo DuQuette's book. Enter the world of magical associations that will make the world meaningful to you.

Non-Golden Dawn? Choose your deck and book and enter its own special and unique world. Celestial, Holy Light, Spirit Keepers, any Marseille, Cosmos Tarot and Oracle... wonderful botanical or animal decks...

Intuitive-narrative style? Then go and buy the deck that starts talking to you the moment you see it. For me, the Silhouettes, Dreaming Way, Badgers Forest and many other decks work that way.

No matter how you start, this is just your first deck. You can always branch out. You'll grow anyway, no matter where you start.

Personal confession: I started with the Thoth. For many years, I read it intuitively because I was afraid of Kabbalah (I knew astrology basics from an earlier obsessive phase ). One day, I started to read about kabbalah and meditate and think about it, and now it's part of my tool box. But I still react to the colours, contrasts and composition of every card, to the symbols, facial expressions, directions and where the light comes from.

[Tomatosauce]

I think there's an element of practicality to consider as well (there I go, with my Queen of Pentacles schtick again...). My favorite decks are indie decks printed in small runs and shipped by hand- they're EXPENSIVE and difficult to replace. I can't run through a ton of those to see which ones I'm vibing with, and I can't look most of them up in common tarot books and websites for a demonstration of the detailed thinking on how the imagery works.

I would never tell a beginner just to go get an RWS without thinking about it and try to dig in on that, for a lot of reasons- the imagery is not to everyone's taste, and the representation is crap- there are a lot of people who will just not find themselves represented there. However, if a beginner is looking to learn to read Tarot, and they want a deck with a narrative style, they're going to be learning RWS whether they want to or not- the images are public domain and therefore used in a lot of tarot tutorials and books.

And it's useful to have a sense of the "lingua franca" of the narrative style of tarot cards, because it is my experience that you have a much better basis to decide what you really like in a deck once you're accustomed to using one.

So probably what I'd tell someone is to start with something mass-produced and not too expensive, maybe a small one that comes with a tin to make it easy to carry around, just to get the practice for making pictures of the stories. Find something they like looking at, because they're going to be looking at details in cards, but don't spend a lot of time hemming and hawing about whether it "calls" to them, because that comes with time. Don't spend a lot of money on it, because in many ways, your first deck is like training wheels and you may find that you outgrow it quickly as you discover how tarot fits into your life.

(Similarly, I've taken up axe-throwing as a hobby. I had to buy an axe to join a league. I bought a particular kind of axe with an integrated steel handle, because beginners do a lot of banging axes into the wall instead of landing them in the targets, and they're more durable. But I didn't spend a ton of money on it, knowing that if I stick with it, I'll eventually want lighter-weight ones with wooden handles that are easier to throw precisely but can't stand up to the same level of repetitive abuse that a steel axe would. A beginner's needs are specific.)

[Diana]

...Luis Peña’s drawings were inspired by Eudes Picard’s tarot system, which also influenced Oswald Wirth’s images for the minor arcana...

Erm, Wirth never did any images for the Minors.

As this thread has been bumped up, let me go even further. Wirth never bothered with the minors at all. He worked only with the Majors.
US Games once produced a 78 card Tarot deck and called it the Oswald Wirth deck. For sales and marketing purposes I presume. If I'd had loads of money, I'd have sued them !! It was a piece of trickery. (And on top of it didn't respect some of the details in the Majors that he SPECIFICALLY mentions in his treatise on his work.)

[Joan Marie]

(Similarly, I've taken up axe-throwing as a hobby. I had to buy an axe to join a league. I bought a particular kind of axe with an integrated steel handle, because beginners do a lot of banging axes into the wall instead of landing them in the targets, and they're more durable. But I didn't spend a ton of money on it, knowing that if I stick with it, I'll eventually want lighter-weight ones with wooden handles that are easier to throw precisely but can't stand up to the same level of repetitive abuse that a steel axe would. A beginner's needs are specific.)

Wait. I don't mean to take this thread off-topic, but, did you just say you are in an axe-throwing league?

That is the singularly coolest thing I have ever heard anyone say in my life.

[katrinka]

Nobody will break into Tomatosauce's house. Not if they know what's good for them.

[AstralPasta]

I was wondering if we were just going to gloss over that. I can't believe it. Maybe I really can achieve my wildest dreams. If there are axe-throwing leagues, then my people must be out there too, braiding spaghetti and living on a pure diet of Spanikopita.

I think getting a deck you're drawn to is well and good, but....like how many people get the Wild Unknown? And then come to forums or Reddit or whatever like "??????" and then give up, or just get another deck. Or get another RWS and still don't see the connection because TWU breaks the mold.

I think I'm with tomatosauce here. I think, yes, get a deck you're drawn to, that's mass market. It's like twenty bucks ish, and if you don't like it, it's not the end of the world. In person is better.

And TWU should have a disclaimer LMAO.

My basically first deck was the Afro-Brazillian, and holy s### that deck was HARD. It made me work my ..butt off (I've been doing really well not cursing in this forum ) but some of us stay interested because of the challenge.

I got more decks this year and passed it on to someone who I felt would appreciate it because I realized it was going to stay difficult unless I went to Brazil or something. I learned the RWS through that damn deck. Just layers and layers of WTF and forcing connections, but not knowing it didn't have to be that difficult. And this was in large part because I had wanted a Black deck.

I don't know if an easy or clear deck or rote memorization situation or something that just wasn't that level of Ridiculously Difficult would've kept my interest either. I don't know why. But consequently, I had some really powerful readings. It makes me think of Zen koans..?? I had a friend talk about them. Something about the conditions for generating insight being meaningless or as result of the effort of your mind, not circumstances. My readings now are fine, but there's something about staring at a spread for 4+ hours with INTENSE FOCUS that really makes the payoff worth it. I wasn't as irreverent about drawing cards as I am now as a result, haha, just because if I wanted to do a reading....it would take a while. I would get frustrated trying to do that though.

I also had some... interesting synchronous experiences, I guess, with that deck. I have Shrine of the Black Medusa now, but it's Thoth based /sigh. My Black decks make me work.

Then I bought Shadowscapes drunk online and found my soul deck. I experimented with decks afterwards and eventually found the RWS I could get behind, the Universal Waite. It felt like a reward for all my hard work, having the symbols brought to the surface so clearly (I had reluctantly tried a RWS mini to understand the Afro-Brazillian, but mostly used the web a lot so I was familiar with the RWS instead by then).

I feel like there's something to choosing a deck that calls to you or whatever. The weird twisty journey is part of the experience of getting good at tarot. But if anyone were to ask for recommendations, I definitely wouldn't put them on my path haha. I'd probably say get the Universal Waite since it's a good and clear study deck with a friendly vibe, or any RWS derivative that isn't too deviant....Something like the Halloween tarot. Or the Thoth, or Rosetta tarot since the book is apparently great for beginners.

I probably wouldn't recommend Britt's Third Eye because it makes it too easy and clear. The knowledge wouldn't transfer over as well, and you'd be limited in the scope of meanings and symbolism and have unrealistic expectations for other decks. Unless the person didn't care and just wanted to be able to read, period.

And I love the Shadowscapes, but I don't think it's actually a beginner's deck, these days. I've had it for years and am realizing now that it requires study, with it's symbology and how each card has it's own personal universe of meaning that fills in the blanks and swims off to do it's own thing. It almost feels like the RWS is a drop in the ocean with those cards, even if it does follow the meanings closely.

Maybe if my first deck had been the Thoth, I'd be able to read Thoth and know Kabbalah by now, considering the ridiculous mental effort I'd put into one reading. And I do have to remember these days that I don't need to do that with every reading or deck, scry into it to the point of exhaustion. The answers are often right there on the surface, and that's where intuition is supposed to come in. But I also think if it weren't for that deck, I wouldn't have a craving for more esoteric decks with heavy symbology. I'm sure I'll get over this, and it'll be healthy, but I feel like if I'm not being challenged by a deck, at least a little, then I'm not going to be totally happy with it. That's one way Britt's Third Eye had been helpful. It doesn't have to be that difficult or complicated, there are other more subtle things to learn about tarot that requires relaxing into it instead of intense scrying.

I think if someone gets an RWS-derivative that isn't mostly a clone, so long as they journal and have a good guidebook or book of some sort they'll be ok. I might recommend the Numinous because the guidebook is so good, for example. But #1 would be the Universal. And maybe the Halloween, hehe.

[Tomatosauce]

(Similarly, I've taken up axe-throwing as a hobby. I had to buy an axe to join a league. I bought a particular kind of axe with an integrated steel handle, because beginners do a lot of banging axes into the wall instead of landing them in the targets, and they're more durable. But I didn't spend a ton of money on it, knowing that if I stick with it, I'll eventually want lighter-weight ones with wooden handles that are easier to throw precisely but can't stand up to the same level of repetitive abuse that a steel axe would. A beginner's needs are specific.)

Wait. I don't mean to take this thread off-topic, but, did you just say you are in an axe-throwing league?

That is the singularly coolest thing I have ever heard anyone say in my life.

Oh yes. It's a thing in lots of American cities, and I believe in Europe as well. https://badaxethrowing.com/axe-throwing-league/

But to offer something on-topic to the thread... I think there's definitely an element of WHY someone is picking up tarot to begin with. I was not personally ever looking for something esoteric or spiritual, I was just really looking for something to help me think differently about how to solve problems and make better creative connections, and if it enhanced my spiritual life, great... (I'm just not a terribly spiritual person, to my ongoing disappointment). But if you ARE looking for those things, your needs in a beginner deck are going to be different than mine.

[Tag Jorrit]

...Luis Peña’s drawings were inspired by Eudes Picard’s tarot system, which also influenced Oswald Wirth’s images for the minor arcana...

Erm, Wirth never did any images for the Minors.

As this thread has been bumped up, let me go even further. Wirth never bothered with the minors at all. He worked only with the Majors.
US Games once produced a 78 card Tarot deck and called it the Oswald Wirth deck. For sales and marketing purposes I presume. If I'd had loads of money, I'd have sued them !! It was a piece of trickery. (And on top of it didn't respect some of the details in the Majors that he SPECIFICALLY mentions in his treatise on his work.)

Late coming, as usual, but I had to put in my 2 cents Wirth.

Here are some of the *real* Oswald Wirth majors. You can compare them with the fake US Games version here .

[katrinka]

Yes. I have those lovely things and they are SUBLIME.
(And you'll be hearing from me in the wee hours of the morning as per what we discussed. )

[Diana]

Late coming, as usual, but I had to put in my 2 cents Wirth.

Oh that is so funny!!!!! Can't stop giggling.

I wanted to thank you for your post, but for some reason the button "thank you" doesn't appear next to your post which is rather strange. There is the quote and report button though. )

[Joan Marie]

There is the quote and report button though. )

Your thank you appears under Tag Jorrit's post. Maybe you had clicked it already and didn't realise it (Once it's clicked the little thumbs-up icon disappears.)

[chongjasmine]

I am a beginner, and I find the waite cards useful.
I like the imagery in it.
I love the facts that most tarot beginner books talk about it.
That is just my opinion, though.

[Diana]

I am a beginner, and I find the waite cards useful.
I like the imagery in it.
I love the facts that most tarot beginner books talk about it.
That is just my opinion, though.

Many people start out with the Waite deck. It is a deck that has stood the test of time and will continue to be popular forever I would think. And very fine readings can be made with this method. And so many other decks are based on his deck that it's easy to move around between them.

[SaturnCeleste]

I work with beginners everyday and I prefer them to get either one of these kits.

The Radiant Rider Waite kit and Llewellyn's Classic tarot. The kits are essential because the books that come with the decks are great and can be used as a resource well after the beginner had learned the cards.

https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Tarot- ... PSH89P39ZR

https://www.amazon.com/Llewellyns-Class ... VJ4WQJ86EE

I believe beginners need to make an attempt to learn the meanings of the cards and research and practice are the best ways. The books that come in these kits are really excellent.

[Charlie Brown]

I've heard really good things about the book that comes with the Llewellyn. I didn't know there was a Radiant kit, but I do hate that deck.

[katrinka]

As do I. The Radiant AND the Universal. Ack! Ack! Ack! Recolorings are fine, but redrawing PCS's lines makes for a cheesey-looking deck, IMHO. It changes the facial expressions, too.

Still, a lot of people seem to like those, and they're close enough to standard that if somebody wants to use one of them, it would still be an OK learning deck. Bonus if the book is good.

[Venus Rising]

This has been an interesting thread to read.

When I started out, I was told to get a RWS deck, because it was the only way to learn. I was discouraged from trying out the Thoth, as it would be 'too difficult' although it was more pleasing to my eye. I remember looking at that RWS deck and hating it, because I thought it was super ugly. And so, I didn't connect with it and put it aside for a long time. Eventually, I got my hands on a clone that was beautiful, but I sort of felt that I was missing some 'pieces'.
All the books referenced the RWS, and my clone wasn't exactly the same in some of the scenes, so I was wondering what I was missing. I eventually got a Universal Waite deck and used it as a study deck along with clones that I felt connected to. A) The Universal is somewhat more attractive to my eyes, and B) I suddenly began to understand tarot better. Things finally clicked.

I now appreciate the importance of using a RWS deck for the symbolism, but I also know that I would never have become a reader if I hadn't found decks that are aesthetically pleasing to my eye.

ETA: I'm using the term clone when I really mean 'RWS based decks', but I guess technically, they're not 'clones'. I think you know what I mean

[chongjasmine]

I like the universal waite deck, too. It is the current deck I use.