Top 5 Tarot Decks for Beginners

It can be hard to know where to start if you are wanting to learn how to read tarot. In the past the biggest barrier was a lack of resources. In order to learn tarot you had to first purchase a deck. This meant you often had to go to a specialty store, which not every town had, and the selection of decks and books on how to read the tarot was quite limited. There was also a lack of people teaching the tarot if you were looking for one on one instruction. These days we have the opposite problem. There are a million different decks and a plethora of tarot books, podcasts, and Youtube videos to learn from. There is so much it can be hard to know where to start. Given this, I thought I’d write about my top 5 decks for a beginner to start with. 

 

The Rider Waite Smith deck

 

Please note that there are loads of wonderful decks that a beginner can start with, these are just my suggestions. I also tried to keep it to decks that are widely available at the time of writing this post, and to those that are on the more affordable end. You don’t need to buy an expensive deck to get started. You also don’t need to have a giant collection of decks or books on tarot to learn how to read. One deck and one good book is all you really need to get started.

 

The Rider Waite Smith – This is the classic deck that is most commonly referenced in tarot books and the one that most contemporary decks are modeled after. First published in 1909, it has remained continually in print for over 100 years. It was known throughout most of the 20^th century as the Rider Waite deck, named after the publishing company (Rider) and the author (A.E. Waite). In recent years Smith has been added to pay homage to Pamela Coleman Smith, who was the artist of this iconic deck. Part of the reason this deck became so popular was because of the addition of scenes to the minor arcana cards (the 4 suits, cards numbered ace – ten). Prior to this, these cards were usually just “pips”, meaning that, for example, if you pulled the three of cups card, the card would have just three cups pictured on it. So you had to memorize what that card meant, you had no visual clues to help you. With the addition of scenes to each of the suit cards, it was easier to figure out and remember what the meaning was. The author Arthur Waite was a member of the Golden Dawn, a late 19^th/early 20^th century secret esoteric society and wanted a deck that combined the medieval imagery of the tarot with western mystical symbolism. There is debate as to how much was Waite’s and how much was Smith’s design, but the result is an at once familiar and mysterious set of images. This deck is a good place to start as most instructional tarot books reference this deck in their imagery, so you have a variety of books you can learn from. It is also a great one to start with as so many other decks are based on it, making it easier to use other decks, should you wish to add more to your collection. Once you learn the RWS (Rider Waite Smith) you can pick up any other RWS based deck and be able to read with it.

 

The Morgan Greer – This deck was first published in 1979 and has since become a classic. During the 1970s there was a renewal in interest in the tarot, and when this deck came out it was a best seller and has remained in print ever since. This deck retains the medieval imagery and esoteric symbolism on the RWS, but with a more contemporary art style. Many of the figures are closer to the viewer, making it a more intimate and personal connection. Being a deck from the late 1970s it has a retro vibe with garish colours, and fluffy moustaches. Think of it as the hippie take on the Rider Waite Smith. It is also a deck you will find commonly referenced in tarot instructional books.

 

The Osho Zen Tarot – This deck reads more like an oracle deck, which can make it less intimidating for those new to the tarot. This deck came out in the 1990s and is based on Osho Zen teachings. Each deck has a key word on it, which can help those in the process of learning. It also comes with an excellent guidebook for reference, (as do many decks these days) to help the reader expand on the cards meaning beyond the key words. This is a great alternative for those not interested in the more traditional style decks, or who want something a little more like an oracle deck. This deck does a good job of balancing between the zen focus while still maintaining the meanings of the cards. The Osho Zen is one of the first decks that I had in the 1990s and helped me to learn and understand the elemental significations of the suits. It is also a relatively affordable deck that is still in print and widely available today.

 

Angel Wisdom Tarot – There are several angel themed tarot decks by Radeleigh Valentine (prior to 2017 he partnered with Doreen Virtue). The Angel Tarot, Angel Wisdom Tarot, Guardian Angel Messages Tarot and other angel themed tarot decks by him are very accessible for newcomers as they all have key words and phrases at the bottom of each card. You don’t need to pull out the book or memorize to be able to start reading effectively. This can also be a great way to ease into the tarot for those that might be interested, but a little intimidated or even fearful of the tarot. The angels can be a positive and reassuring sign for not only readers, but for those you are reading for that might be a little more superstitious about the tarot. It can also be great for those interested in learning more about and working with angels in their spiritual practice.

 

The Wandering Star Tarot – This deck is the most recent one on this list, being published originally in 2020 as an independent deck. It was so popular that it got picked up for distribution by a large publisher, making it affordable and easily accessible. This deck has a fun playful art style that focuses on the feminine. The deck features mostly female figures from a variety of backgrounds, making this deck modern and representational to a wide audience. The deck also has key words woven into the artwork on each card, making it easy to read for those who are just learning. I think this deck is a great one for teens and young adults as it is fun, beginner friendly and diverse.

 

While I’ve given you my top five recommendations, please note that there are many wonderful decks on the market that a beginner can start with. I think the biggest piece of advice is to find one where you love the art work as you are more likely to keep working with it over time. Also don’t start with something too complicated or abstract as it will make the learning process more difficult. This is also why I recommend decks with key words or phrases on them as you can start working with it right away. This keeps the process fun and engaging. If you get bored or frustrated you are likely to put the deck away and forget about it. After all, for all its mystical symbolism, this is supposed to be an enjoyable tool.

 

I’d love to hear about what decks you recommend for beginners or what deck you started with, or are thinking of starting out with if you are brand new. If you’d like to learn more about the tarot, I currently am teaching about the Minor Arcana (suits) on the Coven level on my Patreon. You can also follow me on my Instagram for the tarot card of the day. And as always, if you would like a personal tarot reading from me you can check out my Etsy shop.