Choosing Your First Tarot Deck

Your first tarot deck sets the tone for your entire learning experience. A deck with imagery that speaks to you makes card meanings easier to remember, readings more intuitive, and daily practice something you actually look forward to. A deck that leaves you cold — no matter how popular or highly recommended — will sit on a shelf gathering dust. This guide will help you navigate the hundreds of available decks and find one that works for you as a learning tool and a creative companion.

What to Look for in a Beginner Deck

Not every deck is equally suited for learning. Some are designed for experienced readers who already know the traditional meanings and want a fresh artistic perspective. Others prioritize aesthetic beauty over readability. For your first deck, prioritize these qualities:

Illustrated pip cards. The Minor Arcana includes 40 numbered cards (Ace through Ten in each suit). In some decks, these “pip” cards show only the suit symbol repeated — for instance, the Five of Swords displays five swords and nothing else. Decks with fully illustrated scenes on every card are far easier to learn from because the imagery tells a story that anchors the meaning in your memory. When you see a figure weeping before three spilled cups with two cups still standing behind her, you remember the Three of Cups reversed far more easily than if you were staring at three abstract chalices.

A standard 78-card structure. Some oracle decks and non-traditional tarot decks use different numbers of cards or rename the suits and court cards. While these can be wonderful once you know the basics, starting with a standard deck means that any book, course, or guide you consult will map directly onto your cards. You will not need to constantly translate between systems.

Clear, distinct imagery. Look for cards where the scenes are easy to read at a glance. Highly abstract or very dark artwork can be beautiful but harder to interpret when you are still learning. You want to be able to pick up a card and immediately notice details — the figure’s posture, the surrounding landscape, the objects in the scene.

A guidebook or strong community support. Most decks come with a small booklet explaining each card’s meaning. Some include detailed companion books. For your first deck, having a reliable reference specifically written for that deck saves time and prevents confusion. Alternatively, choosing a widely used deck means you will find abundant free resources, tutorials, and discussion groups online.

A size that fits your hands. Tarot cards come in a range of sizes, from standard playing card dimensions to oversized cards more than five inches tall. If you have smaller hands, an oversized deck will be difficult to shuffle comfortably. If possible, see the deck in person before buying, or check the listed card dimensions in the product description.

Rider-Waite-Smith: The Classic Choice

The Rider-Waite-Smith deck (often abbreviated RWS) was first published in 1909 and remains the most widely recommended deck for beginners. It was created by A.E. Waite with illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith, and it established many of the visual conventions that modern tarot decks still follow.

The RWS deck is the standard for several practical reasons. It was one of the first decks to include illustrated scenes on all 78 cards, including the Minor Arcana pip cards. The imagery is rich in symbolic detail — colors, numbers, animals, plants, and architectural elements all carry meaning. And because it has been the dominant tarot deck for over a century, the vast majority of tarot books, courses, and online resources reference its imagery directly. When a guide says “notice the angel pouring water between two cups,” it is describing the RWS version of Temperance.

The artwork, painted in a flat, woodcut-influenced style, is not to everyone’s taste. Some people find it dated or visually busy. If the original RWS does not appeal to you, dozens of modern decks use the same symbolic framework with updated art styles. These “RWS clones” or “RWS-inspired” decks let you benefit from the universal symbolism while enjoying artwork that resonates with your personal aesthetic.

The original Rider-Waite-Smith deck is now in the public domain in many jurisdictions, which means you can find reproductions at very low prices. It is also available in multiple sizes, including a pocket edition for travel and a larger version for detailed study.

Other Popular Beginner Decks

While the RWS is the default recommendation, it is far from the only good option for beginners. These alternatives are widely available, well-supported by learning resources, and include fully illustrated pip cards:

The Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle reimagines the classic RWS scenes with diverse, contemporary characters in modern settings. The symbolic structure is unchanged — if you know the Modern Witch version of a card, you know the traditional meaning — but the art feels fresh and immediately relatable. It is an excellent choice if the 1909 artwork feels too distant.

The Light Seer’s Tarot by Chris-Anne uses a loose, watercolor-influenced style with warm, inclusive imagery. The scenes depart more from the strict RWS compositions than some other modern decks, but each card includes enough traditional symbolism that beginners can learn effectively from it. It comes with a comprehensive guidebook.

The Everyday Tarot by Brigit Esselmont (founder of Biddy Tarot) was designed specifically as a learning deck. The imagery is a minimalist reinterpretation of the RWS, paired with an extensive companion book that walks beginners through each card. It is a particularly good choice if you prefer clean, uncluttered visuals.

The Morgan-Greer Tarot was published in 1979 and uses the RWS framework with borderless, zoomed-in artwork that has a warm, painterly quality. It is close enough to the traditional imagery that all standard references apply, but the slightly more saturated, intimate style appeals to readers who find the original RWS too pale or sparse.

The Tarot of Marseille is worth mentioning as a historical alternative. It predates the RWS and is the dominant tarot tradition in France, Italy, and much of continental Europe. However, its pip cards are unillustrated (the Five of Cups shows five cups, period), which makes it significantly harder for beginners to learn from without a teacher. It is a better second deck than a first deck.

Tarot Deck Myths

Several persistent myths surround buying and owning tarot decks. None of them are true, but they circulate widely enough that you may encounter them.

“Your first deck must be given to you as a gift.” This is the most common tarot myth, and there is no basis for it in any tarot tradition. It likely originated as a marketing tactic or social convention, but it has no bearing on the effectiveness of your readings. Buy your own deck. Choose one you are drawn to. You will connect with a deck you selected deliberately far more easily than one someone else chose for you without knowing your taste.

“You should not let other people touch your cards.” Some readers prefer to keep their decks personal, and that is a valid choice. But there is no rule that says someone else handling your cards will contaminate their energy or ruin their accuracy. Many professional readers hand their deck directly to the querent for shuffling as a standard part of their process. If you are comfortable sharing your cards, do so without worry.

“Tarot decks should be stored wrapped in silk.” This tradition comes from certain ceremonial magic practices and is not a requirement for effective tarot reading. Store your cards however you like — in the original box, in a cloth pouch, in a wooden box, or loose in a drawer. What matters is that they are protected from damage, not the material they are wrapped in.

“You need to sleep with a new deck under your pillow to bond with it.” While some readers enjoy this as a personal ritual, it is not necessary. The best way to bond with a new deck is to use it regularly — pull a daily card, study the imagery, and practice readings. Familiarity comes from handling the cards, not from proximity while you sleep.

How to Connect with Your New Deck

Once you have your first deck in hand, resist the urge to jump straight into readings. Spending some time getting to know the cards first will make your early readings much more productive.

Look through every card. Sit down without any agenda and go through all 78 cards one by one. Do not worry about meanings yet. Simply observe the images. Notice which cards attract you, which ones make you uneasy, and which ones confuse you. Your initial reactions will shift as you learn, but they form a useful baseline.

Sort the deck. Separate the Major Arcana from the Minor Arcana. Arrange the Major Arcana in order from The Fool (0) to The World (21) and look at the visual progression. Then sort each suit from Ace to King. Seeing the cards in order reveals patterns and narrative arcs that are invisible when the deck is shuffled.

Pull a daily card. Each morning, shuffle the deck and draw a single card. Spend a minute observing the image, read the meaning in your guidebook or the tarot card meanings reference, and carry the card’s theme with you through the day. At night, reflect briefly on whether and how the card’s energy appeared in your experiences. This simple practice builds vocabulary and intuition faster than any other study method.

Journal your impressions. Keep a small notebook where you record the date, the card you drew, your initial thoughts, and any reflections at the end of the day. Over weeks and months, this journal becomes a personalized tarot reference that captures not just textbook meanings but your own evolving relationship with each card.

Do not rush to memorize. You will remember card meanings through repeated exposure and personal experience, not through flashcards and rote memorization. Trust the process. Every daily pull, every reading, and every moment of studying a card’s imagery adds to your understanding. Meaning accumulates gradually, and that is exactly how it should work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I spend on my first deck?

A quality tarot deck typically costs between $15 and $35. The most popular beginner decks — including the Rider-Waite-Smith, Modern Witch, and Light Seer’s — all fall within this range. You do not need to spend more than that for a first deck. Expensive collector’s editions and limited-run indie decks are wonderful, but they are better appreciated once you have enough experience to know what you value in a deck. Start affordable, learn the fundamentals, and invest in a premium deck later if you want one.

Should I buy a deck online or in person?

Buying in person lets you see the card size, feel the cardstock, and look at the actual artwork rather than photographs. If you have a local bookstore, metaphysical shop, or even a large bookstore chain that carries tarot decks, browsing in person is ideal for a first purchase. If buying online, look for unboxing videos or detailed reviews that show every card. Many YouTube channels do full flip-throughs of popular decks, which is the next best thing to holding the cards yourself.

How many decks do I need?

One. You need one deck to learn tarot. Many experienced readers collect dozens of decks over the years, but this is a hobby in itself, not a requirement for effective reading. Working with a single deck for your first several months of practice builds deep familiarity and a personal connection that makes your readings stronger. Once you feel fluent with your first deck and curious about different artistic interpretations, adding a second deck can offer fresh perspectives. But there is no rush, and more decks does not mean better readings.

Once your deck arrives, the next practical skill is how to shuffle tarot cards — the mechanics matter more than most beginners expect.