For a first tarot deck, choose one where every card, including the numbered Minor Arcana, shows a full illustrated scene rather than a simple arrangement of suit symbols. The pictures do half the teaching. That usually means the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, first published in 1909 with images by Pamela Colman Smith, or one of the many modern decks built on its structure. After that, choose the art you actually want to look at every morning.
The three main families of tarot decks
Thousands of tarot decks exist, but most belong to one of three families. Knowing which one a deck comes from tells you how it will read.
Rider-Waite-Smith and its descendants
The deck designed by Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of Arthur Edward Waite, published in London in 1909, gave every one of the 78 cards a scene: a figure carrying ten heavy staves, someone mourning over spilled cups, a craftsman at a bench. That makes it the easiest structure to learn from, because you can read a card you've never studied just by looking at what's happening in it.
Most modern decks follow this pattern, even when the art is completely different. Look for phrases like "RWS-based" or "follows the Rider-Waite-Smith structure" in descriptions. Our short history of tarot tells the story of the deck and Smith's long-overlooked role in it.
Tarot de Marseille
The older French pattern, with roots in Renaissance Italy. The 22 Major Arcana have bold woodcut-style pictures, but the numbered Minor cards show only an arrangement of suit symbols: seven cups, four coins. Readers of Marseille decks lean more on numbers and suits than on scenes. These decks have a devoted following and a lovely graphic style, but they're harder for a complete beginner. They also number Justice 8 and Strength 11, the reverse of most modern decks.
The Thoth deck
Painted by Lady Frieda Harris to Aleister Crowley's design between 1938 and 1943, and first published in 1969. It's dense with astrological and esoteric symbolism, and it renames some cards: Strength becomes Lust, Temperance becomes Art, Judgement becomes The Aeon. Its court cards are Knight, Queen, Prince and Princess rather than Page, Knight, Queen and King. It's a rich deck, but most readers find it easier as a second or third deck than a first.
A checklist before you buy
Once you've chosen a family, these practical points matter more than any symbolism.
- Illustrated Minor Arcana. Flick through images of the Fives and Sevens online before you buy. If they're just arranged suit symbols, it's a pip deck, and harder to learn from.
- The standard 78 cards. Some art decks rename cards, add extras or change the court titles. A beginner is better off with the standard names and numbering, so meanings in books and on our tarot card meanings pages line up with your deck.
- A guidebook. Even a slim booklet helps, especially for decks with unusual art.
- Card size. Tarot cards are noticeably larger than playing cards. If you have small hands, look for a pocket or mini edition, or a deck sold as "easy to shuffle."
- Cardstock and finish. Matte cards shuffle more easily and show fewer fingerprints; glossy cards can be slippery and clump together at first. Very thin cards bend quickly.
- Borders and titles. Card names printed on the face help while you learn. Borderless decks look beautiful but can be harder to identify at a glance.
- People and places you recognize. A deck whose figures and settings feel like your world makes it easier to see your life in the cards.
- Art you love. You'll look at these pictures a lot. A deck you find beautiful will get used; a sensible deck you find dull will sit in a drawer.
Tarot decks vs oracle decks
Shops often shelve oracle decks beside tarot, and the boxes can look alike. They're different things.
A tarot deck has a fixed structure: 78 cards, 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana in four suits. Every tarot deck shares that skeleton, so knowledge carries over from one to the next.
An oracle deck has no fixed structure. It might have 36 cards or 60, with any themes the creator chooses, and each deck's meanings are its own. Oracle decks can be lovely companions to tarot, but learning one won't teach you tarot. If you want to learn tarot, check that the box says tarot and lists 78 cards.
Buying online without getting a fake
Popular decks, especially independent ones, are sometimes copied and sold cheaply on large marketplaces. Fakes tend to have blurry images, flimsy card stock, odd colors and no guidebook. A few habits help:
- Buy from the publisher, the artist or a known bookshop where you can.
- Be wary of prices far below the usual.
- Read reviews for complaints about print quality or cards sticking together.
Secondhand decks are a good, inexpensive option. Count the cards when they arrive to make sure all 78 are there, then give the deck a quick reset if you like; our guide on how to cleanse tarot cards has a few simple, safe ways.
Your first week with a new deck
The way you start with a deck makes a real difference to how quickly it starts to feel like yours.
- Go through all 78 cards slowly, face up, one at a time. Notice details you like.
- Sort them into suits and order. It's the quickest way to see the deck's structure, and it checks nothing is missing.
- Pick a favorite and a least favorite card. Write a line about why for each. Your least favorite often teaches you the most.
- Shuffle gently every day. New cards are stiff; a few minutes a day loosens them. Our guide on how to shuffle tarot cards covers methods that won't bend them.
- Try a deck interview. A popular first spread: four cards for What are you like? What will you help me with? What might be hard between us? How should I work with you? It's a playful way to meet the art.
Then simply start using it, one card a day. Our guide on how to read tarot cards for beginners has a four-step method to follow.
Questions readers ask
Should a beginner start with the Rider-Waite-Smith deck?
It's the most common recommendation for good reason: every card has a scene, and most books and websites, including ours, describe meanings based on its imagery. But any deck built on the same structure works just as well. If you find the original art old-fashioned, choose a modern deck that follows it.
Can I learn tarot without buying a deck?
Yes, for a while. A daily online draw, such as our free daily tarot card, is a good way to meet the cards one at a time. Most people eventually want a physical deck, though, for the pleasure of shuffling and laying out spreads.
How many tarot decks do readers own?
Anything from one to a shelf full. Many readers keep one main deck for everyday readings and collect others for their art. There's no need for more than one while you're learning.
Do I need the guidebook that comes with a deck?
It helps, especially for decks with unusual art or renamed cards, since it explains the creator's intentions. For an RWS-based deck, any good general guide or card-meaning site will also do the job.
