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Discussion
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Hi! So I’ve been interested in tarot for a while and I’ve been trying to find a first deck for myself. The problem is that for almost a year I wasn’t able to find one, I just don’t really feel connected to any of them except one. Unfortunately there are some problems with the only deck I love, that make it really hard or almost impossible to have good readings from this deck (that’s what I heard from people) and it is also really expensive. I really tried to find a different deck that I would like but no luck and I really feel discouraged before I properly started. Did anyone have similar problem with finding a proper deck? And do you have any advice on what to do? I don’t want to spend another year just searching for a deck because I know I’ll start to hate it. Thanks in advance for any help!
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Problem with choosing first tarot deck
updated 3 years, 8 months ago 1 Member · 4 Replies
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In my personal experience learning Tarot is like learning another language. While a song or poem might sound elegant to the ear, understanding the meaning of what is being said is a much deeper degree of connection. The same is true with Tarot. Finding a deck that you have a really strong connection to can be really time consuming, I’ve been reading for a few years and it takes a while for me to build a relationship with a deck. Your first doesn’t need to be “the one,” although my first will always have a special place in my heart.
I am definitely biased because I started this way, but I would recommend starting with a Rider-Waite-Smith deck since it’s one of the most ubiquitous and has tons of resources to learn about it. For me, studying RWS first really help me understand the cards and gave me a working knowledge to assess other decks and figure out what I like. Right now, I have a few different decks and the one I feel most connected to is the Fountain Tarot.
If you feel *really* put off by the imagery on the RWS deck, you could try taking a look at some of the RWS inspired decks in the resources on this subreddit and see if any speak to you. I have a friend who is starting out with the Ethereal Visions tarot and it’s similar to RWS with softer imagery.
Good luck! I hope you find fulfillment in your journey.
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I actually asked my partner, and he chose the card deck for me. At first, I wasn’t 100% thrilled. Then, the cards started to speak to me like a match made in the eternal. The deck is perfect even if it didn’t immediately feel perfect. I have the Haindl tarot deck.
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Do you mind me asking which deck you are after? No worries if you don’t want to say. In terms of finding a deck, I’ve recently got into the foolsdog app as a way of testing out decks before committing to owning a physical copy. It’s working well for me in refining my understanding of what I love, but the cost of samplig a few different decks adds up..
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Don’t hang too tightly on the idea of a perfect deck. You might miss out on some great ones. I was like you until I bought a deck that was not perfect in the beginning but it became perfect later.
My first dream deck was the Alchemical. Super expensive on ebay and almost impossible to find. Like you, I thought I would feel something like a cupid’s arrow hitting me in the chest and it did with this deck but I just could not get my hands on it. My first love was unatainable.
Ok, then I ordered the Da vinci and immediately regretted it. The cards didn’t speak to me at all but visually they were just too close to the Alchemical. A couple of days after the order I got a message that it was unavailable. I thanked them and they gave me my money back.
Then I browsed the Book Depository and found Shadowscapes. Not my favorite artwork but I love fantasy. And the Moon card is especially important to me (and this one was beautiful) so I was not in love but I took the plunge. It became the most amazing first deck. Detailed artwork that made it easy for me to learn the meanings, soft imagery pleasing to the eye, not a dream deck at first but it became one.
Then, I got the Witches Tarot as a present. I hated the artwork. It’s pretty enough but not my aesthetic. It became one of the most straightforward, no nonsense decks ever. If I have a specific question, not a meditative one, this one will not mince words.
Now I am waiting on the Deviant Moon deck cause I needed something darker. In the mean time I am sighing over the Hush Tarot deck but somehow I feel it’s not my time yet. I realised I want my decks to have different characters/personalities and even though I will love them in different ways, I will love them equally. Like kids 😀 Just pick one that’ll make it easier to learn so you don’t get frustrated. Tarot decks are like people. No such thing as the perfect first deck.
