10 Tarot Decks for Beginners

In this guide, we’ll explore 10 tarot decks specially curated for beginners, each offering a unique blend of symbolism, artistry, and accessibility. Embarking on a journey into the mystical realm of tarot can be both exciting and overwhelming for beginners. The first step in this enchanting adventure is selecting the right tarot deck. With a myriad of options available, it’s crucial to choose a deck that resonates with your energy and helps you connect with the ancient art of divination.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Tarot Decks

Selecting the right tarot deck is akin to finding a key that unlocks the door to the spiritual wisdom embedded in each card. It’s not just about aesthetics; it’s about establishing a connection between the reader and the cards. A harmonious connection enhances the reading experience and facilitates a deeper understanding of the messages within the cards.

1 Tarot Decks for Beginners: Rider-Waite Tarot

Rider-Waite Tarot has set the standard for hundreds of other tarot decks, which follow the archetypal images created by Pamela Colman Smith in 1909 under the direction of Arthur Edward Waite. This edition includes Smith’s original hand-drawn titles.

“A unique feature of the Rider-Waite deck, and one of the principal reasons for its enduring popularity, is that all of the cards, including the Minor Arcana, depict full scenes with figures and symbols. Before the Rider-Waite Tarot, the pip cards of almost all tarot decks were marked only with the arrangement of the suit signs — swords, wands, cups, coins, or pentacles. The pictorial images on all the cards allow interpretations without the need to repeatedly consult explanatory text.

The Wild Unknown Tarot: A Contemporary Gem

Kim Krans is not only a vanguard of the new tarot movement, but the person who is redefining it for the twenty-first century. For a legion of contemporary seekers, The Wild Unknown is more than a tarot deck; it’s become a resonant guide for people all over the world, inspiring them to share countless images of their readings, tattoos, and art prints from the deck.

Each of the seventy-eight cards in Krans’s Wild Unknown tarot deck is a work of art that explores the mysteries of the natural world and the animal kingdom. Handdrawn in her spare, minimalistic style, the striking images invite deep contemplation. Her Wild Unknown guidebook is also an extraordinary cult art object—a hand-lettered and fully illustrated primer that leads readers through shuffling and cutting the tarot, creating spreads, and interpretations of all seventy-eight individual cards.

3. The Everyday Witch Tarot: Playful and Accessible

Black cats, pointed hats, and magic brooms, too!

Favorable Fortunes for Curious Witches

A fun, practical, easy-to-use tarot kit for every witch. Charming images pair with simple explanations to make this the go-to deck for anyone seeking to learn or practice the tarot. Based on the classic Rider-Waite deck but updated for the busy modern witch, this tarot has a whimsical air while still being dedicated to the serious job of providing answers to life’s tough questions. Author Deborah Blake brings her friendly, approachable style to a tarot experience that’s focused on the positive.

Includes a deck with brilliant art and a full-color guidebook.

4. The Modern Witch Tarot: Empowering and Inclusive

The 78 cards of the tarot deck are rich with meaning—archetypes like The Magician, The Empress, and The Chariot reflect our lived experience and are a mirror of how we interact with the world. Acclaimed artist Lisa Sterle takes these symbols into contemporary life with vibrant art that celebrates the diversity, excitement, and energy of the new kind of magic that is happening in this world. The Modern Witch Tarot Deck is the answer to your questions about the past, the present, and whatever the future may hold, and its empowering messages will help you take the next step toward whatever you desire. Includes 78 contemporary tarot cards and a guidebook (hardcover).

5. The Fountain Tarot: A Visual Masterpiece

The Fountain Tarot is a bold re-envisioning of the classic tarot deck, bringing the traditional archetypes and symbology of tarot into a contemporary context. This boxed set features lush, ethereal paintings by artist Jonathan Saiz, rainbow holographic packaging by designer Andi Todaro, and an intimate guidebook by writer Jason Gruhl that teaches you how to read the cards and how to use them as a tool for introspection, empowerment, and connection.

The Fountain is the unchanging, unnamable force of which everything and nothing are a part. Whether you’re selecting a card to set the tone for your day, invigorate creative energy, or navigate a specific question, The Fountain Tarot helps you unlock your deepest longings and greatest potential.

6. The Gilded Tarot: Luxurious and Intuitive

One of Llewellyn’s bestselling tarot decks has been updated with brilliantly refreshed art and an updated guidebook. With borderless cards, richer colors, and stylish design improvements, the deck retains its powerful readability with a more contemporary look to engage its many fans and new users alike. Following the RWS style and abounding with medieval magicians, priestesses, emperors, and knights, the Gilded Tarot Royale will continue to inspire tarot readers for years to come.

Tarot of Mystical Moments

Popular inspirational artist Catrin Welz-Stein has created a magical tarot deck in her signature collage style with lush images drawn from her intuition and imagination. This unique 83-card deck, with a distinctively feminine point of view, includes five bonus cards: extra female versions of the four Kings and the Emperor. Readers can customize the deck by choosing which cards to include in their readings. Tarot of Mystical Moments features silver gilt-edged cards and a 96-page guidebook with upright and reversed meanings. Packaged in a two-piece, silver foil accented box.

8. The Light Seer’s Tarot: Positive and Uplifting

The expressive characters who live within the landscapes of the cards tell stories, ask questions, and provide guidance. This unique tarot deck is an ideal companion as you seek to uncover the places in your life – and in yourself – that are most in need of illumination.

9. The Good Tarot: Spiritual Guidance for Everyday Life

The suits in The Good Tarot are the four elements, with Air standing in for the traditional Swords, Water replacing Cups, Earth for Pentacles, and for Wands, Fire. A crucial difference from traditional decks is that the cards’ messages are all written as positive affirmations in the present tense, rather than forecasts, instructions, or warnings. Those who use the cards in the suggested way can integrate their energy immediately and personally.

10. The Mystic Mondays Tarot: Vibrant and Modern

A tarot card set like no other, Mystic Mondays Tarot is energetic, beautifully illustrated, and ready to help you connect to your intuition. Mystic Mondays was created by Grace Duong who is a multidisciplinary artist and visual designer. Her inspiring and unique set features bright artwork, holographic card edges, and foil accents on the keepsake storage box, designed to create an experience that is visually appealing and all your own with each card reading.

Conclusion

Selecting a tarot deck is a personal journey, and these 10 decks offer a diverse range of options for beginners. Whether you’re drawn to classic symbolism, contemporary art, or thematic decks, there’s a tarot deck waiting to guide you on your mystical voyage. Remember, the key to unlocking the secrets of the tarot lies in the connection you forge with your chosen deck. May your journey into the world of divination be enlightening and transformative.