Choosing a tarot deck is, of course, a very personal choice. First of all, you have to choose a deck that you connect well with. Look at the pictures – do they catch your eye? Do they please you or make you confused? Do they attract or repel you? It’s no use choosing only rationally. The cards have to communicate with your heart! You have to feel good using them and talking to them.

There are dozens of varieties of decks, but I suggest that, at least in the beginning, you look for a more user-friendly tarot, where the symbolism of the 78 cards is more evident. Over time, after studying and practicing, it will become easier to use decks where the symbolism is less explicit, if you so desire.

One of the tarots that are most recommended for beginners is the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) and decks based on it. These tarots are easier to use and learn because they have illustrations that refer to the meaning of the card on each of the 78 cards, and not just on the 22 cards of the major arcana, such as the Marseille tarots, for example. In addition, the rich symbolism of this deck will give you a solid foundation, which will help you to understand and use other tarots.

Rachel Pollack, one of the most renowned tarot writers in the world, says, in her book “78 Degrees of Wisdom”, that she did not learn tarot by taking courses or books; she learned just by looking at her RWS tarot images, thinking about them and considering how they appeared in her readings in practice.

Due to its ease of use, the RWS tarot has become not only the most popular of all, but also the standard for the development of 90% of the new decks, which are based on the illustrations by artist Pamela Colman Smith, made in 1909, in partnership with the scholar and occultist Arthur Edward Waite.

Another well-known tarot is the Marseille tarot, of which there are several similar versions. It is one of the oldest and most faithful to the origins of the tarot, and dates back to the 17th century (the oldest copy was produced by Jean Noblet, in Paris, around 1650). In this one, there are illustrations that refer to the meaning of the card only in the 22 major arcana. In the remaining 56 cards there are only drawings of the suits, as in the common playing cards. However, they can be good tarots for those who already have more experience with the cards or some previous knowledge of numerology. Or, still, for those who prefer not to see drawings that can overly direct the interpretation of the cards.

In addition to these two main models, there are other types of tarot, such as the Angels, the Alchemists, Aquarian, Dalí, etc. Each one has its own symbols and designs, so if you choose one of these, it is better to study the chosen deck in depth before starting to use another one.

Whichever tarot you choose, my tip is: if it’s your first contact with the deck, take a moment to look at the cards and reflect on them before reading the meaning written in the books. Write down your impressions and observations. You will be surprised at how much can be deducted from the cards!