Getting your first tarot deck
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Looking into getting your first deck? Let's go over a few tips to help you start your journey and bust some myths.
Do I need to be gifted a tarot deck?
Not at all! Many people do believe that you should have decks gifted to you, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying decks for yourself. Even for your first deck - in fact, you might prefer it as it is a personal choice that will start you on your journey.
If a card calls to you, then I personally believe it was more meant for you than a deck someone wanted to get rid of. That's not to discount a friend or family member seeing a deck and thinking of you! That's a good sign, but I've always liked to pick my own.
Where do I find cards and how do I choose?
You can find tarot cards all over. I bought my first Rider-Waite deck from Waterstones! If you can, I think the best thing would be to go into an occult shop that sells crystals, tarot and incense and that sort of thing. Lovely little shops run by a couple of people that tends to smell nice. There's one I used to like visiting just for the joy of being in there.
In that cozy, more intimate setting, I find it easier to look around and really focus in on what calls to you (and it helps support small businesses). They often have more variety of decks in stock as well, so you have more choice and are likely to be able to support smaller tarot creators.
As for finding a deck, just have a walk around the tarot section. Have a look at each one. Pass over any you see that you're 100% not interested in and see where your eyes linger. Sometimes a deck will call to you, or you'll feel drawn to one. That's not always the case, though. If you find one that you think is exceptionaly beautiful or you think will convey the card meanings well (like Inlustris Tarot 😉), then consider buying that one. There's nothing wrong with buying a deck just because it's pretty.
You can also buy tarot decks from larger bookshops, like Waterstones. There's not usually a wide range, however. When I bought my first deck from there, my choice was Rider-Waite or Doreen Virtue's angel cards. I ended up buying Rider-Waite. I was never drawn to Doreen's cards. I'd even go as far to say I felt like I needed to stay away - and my intuition was right, because Doreen Virtue disavowed tarot.
Finally, you can also buy online. I'd rather avoid Amazon, but there are a lot of decks there. You could try searching for Tarot Cards on Etsy if you're looking for more indie tarot, or browsing Llewellyn. If you browse Twitter, there are often small businesses threads, or art threads where you might come across a deck or two. There's also plenty of deck creators on Instagram as well!
What do I do if I'm unsure?
If you really don't know where to start, or if nothing calls to you yet, that's fine! You could start with the Rider-Waite deck, which is a very safe choice to go with first. It's what I started with, along with countless others. Many decks are based off of it! You'll be in safe hands. You can find this deck almost everywhere, but you can buy the Rider-Waite deck on Holistic Shop.
Now that I have my deck, what do I do with it?
The first thing you'll want to do is cleanse the deck. How you do this differs from person to person. Some people leave the cards out overnight where the moon can see them. Some place them near them while they sleep. Some people meditate on them and others visualise white, cleansing light covering the cards. I do a mix of the last two. There are also more ways people cleanse their decks.
Once you've cleansed the deck, you'll need to get to know the cards. Have a quick look through the meanings booklet if you want, but you'll probably want to try and rely more on your own intuition and interpretation of the cards than reading out of a book - especially if you want to be reading others. You can take a look through my interpretations on this site.
Now, keep practicing! Don't keep doing readings for the same people on the same subject, but otherwise the best advice I can give is to keep practicing. As you get to know the cards, your readings will come easier. Don't forget to ask for your guides' assistance too, as this will help your readings' accuracy.
