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Discussion
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Hello! So I’m new to tarot and I’m trying to learn all I can before I buy a deck and start! I was talking to my sister who reads tarot and she told me not to get a “Rider-Waite” deck because it invites negative energy and that I should stay away because it has “The Devil, The Fool, Three of Swords.” I’m a little nervous now because I don’t want to invite any bad energy or malicious spirits.. BUT I wanted to get a complete deck with EVERY card as to get the most honest readings possible.
Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!
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Question about Tarot Decks
updated 3 years, 2 months ago 1 Member · 15 Replies
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No offense, but your sister is dumb.
The ONLY time these cards invite negative energy is in c-grade horror movies.
I mean, if your sister was right, don’t you think EVERY metaphysical store / Amazon warehouse / etc. would be burning down?
Also – if the deck doesn’t have those cards (under one name or another – depending on the deck, they may be called something else), it’s not a tarot deck. Then it’s an oracle deck of some variety (and they won’t call themselves a tarot deck).
Rider-Waite is the best to get for a beginner, because the images are pretty self-explanatory, and almost every book on tarot uses them (or a variation on them) for teaching.
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Those are three pretty standard cards, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a tarot deck without them. Also I wouldn’t consider the Devil to be that negative and the Fool isn’t negative at all, unless it’s reversed.
I always recommend new readers start with something that is at least based on the Rider-Waite because it’s the most common deck and so there’s lots of resources out there.
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I honestly feel like everyone who wants to really learn tarot reading, and not just play around with it every so often, should start with a RWS deck. They’re extremely common and inexpensive, the symbolism is a GREAT learning tool, and the majority of modern indie decks are based on this reading system.
I don’t believe anything bad will happen to you by owning and using these cards. Not only do I not believe the cards cause things to happen (they’re just cards, if anything they could REFLECT bad things that are happening anyway) but I also can say I’ve never felt like my decks have caused a negative outcome in my life.
If these cards caused bad things to happen, then the majority of tarot readers would be having bad things happen all the time. They’re the “standard” cards. Everyone has and uses them.
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You should do research, but in reality, those cards are not evil per se, they are cards of messages that can be read as bad things. Ex: 3 of swords could indicate deceit
I’m thinking that if you want to adhere to what your sister said, you should look at oracle cards.
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I mean basically, negative things happen, you need negative cards to display that, or you’ll only get the “rose coloured glasses” results
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I actually asked a tarot reader i follow on instagram who sometimes does tarot Q&A like.. are certain cards good or bad.. and she said the meaning is based on the cirumstances and the question asked and no card is inherently good or bad.. like “tower” can mean a new beginning and “death” can mean a total upheavel of your current situation and that may be something that you want, etc etc
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Tarot is supposed to span the entire spectrum of human emotions and experience. There is good and bad in everything, otherwise there is no balance. These cards aren’t inherently bad, they just signify hard times in our lives. Don’t be afraid to use them.
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That’s what people who don’t understand Tarot think (and I think she means well).
I bought my first deck at Five Below to see how I liked it. For my second deck I went to an occult shop and handled every deck they had (a shop will have an open deck of each type for you to look at) and I picked the one that I felt energy from. My third deck was literally sitting in the check out aisle at TJ Maxx just waiting for me to grab it.
My favorite card is the Death card because it signifies the ending of one thing and the beginning of something else.
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The devil is just over indulgence, the fool is someone starting a new journey, and three of swords is experiencing sorrow. They are from the same symbolism and the energy is neutral. Every deck has those cards and they aren’t “bad” no card is.
People always freak out at the death card but it just signifies change.
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Hello! I’ll start by saying this is based on my experience and that each person who practices tarot has their own relationship with the cards.
That being said, I very much know where you are coming from. I bought my first deck (RWS) about three years ago and had the same concerns. Some of the imagery can seem overwhelming, especially to those unfamiliar with tarot. Virtually all proper tarot decks have the same structure, and that does include some more intimidating themes, especially in the major arcana. Although I am biased because I started with it, I agree with the general sentiment that it’s a great deck to start with. The imagery is very clear and it’s very accessible with a lot of resources to learn about it.
Rather than thinking of the tarot as bringing these themes into my life, I view the tarot as 78 cards that represent many common parts of the human experience. For me, they help me understand the energies that are already present in my life and bring greater awareness to myself. For example, when the Devil appears in a reading for myself (and it does quite often!) I will take this as a sign to reflect on my indulgences and temptations, thinking about how they might be holding me back from achieving balance.
Good luck on your tarot journey; I hope you find the same level of fulfillment that I have. And if you don’t, you can always pass your deck onto someone else who might.
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If you want a RWS deck, then by all means get a RWS deck.
As far as the negative spirits thing or whatever, I own 12 different tarot decks all with all of the cards, and have no issues of the sort.
Admittedly I don’t own and have never owned a RWS deck, but that’s a matter of preference.
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Those cards are in every Tarot deck lol
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Highly recommend the Light Seers Tarot – based on the rider Waite with updated imagery and a pretty positive guide book. It’s one of my née favorites. Also, I always set the intention that no outside force interfere with the cards or the reading.
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I’m new aswell, and even I can tell that’s not true. Life has negative and positive things in it, so so should tarot cards. The Fool, imo, isn’t really all that bad. To me it really shows how someone begins, they are innocent and not educated on the subject. I’m a fool, I just began tarot, but that’s life.
And get whatever deck you want, I personally didn’t go for a Rider Waite deck because the artwork doesn’t speak to me as other decks do. But if you absolutely love the art on the Rider Waite deck, go for it!
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As others have said, don’t listen to your sister. The advantage of getting a Rider Waiter Smith (RWS) is mainly because most learning resources, books, so on, are “keyed” to RWS; it is the deck that set the standard, so most people start with it. However, there are decks for any taste and like, including plenty of RWS “clones.” After all, you may use and love RWS system but not like Pamela Colman Smith’s art (open secret: there are many people in that camp).
If cards like that are an issue, there are also Tarot decks that “soften” the cards a bit, so the Devil, for example, may be labeled “Temptation.” One example of a deck that is “softer” is Colette Baron Reid’s *The Good Tarot*.
Hope you find the deck that is best for you, and let us know when you do. Paz y amor.
