If you're going to get into Tarot you're going to be needing a deck, thus prompting the question of which to buy. With so many different decks and so many different people trying to push their own to make a buck a green witch is often lost in the forest. That being the case, as someone who has been reading tarot for around 10 years I would like to compile a few things to look for when making your decision. My hopes is that by showing you what look for in a tarot deck, you can avoid buying a deck that does not serve you. fig.1 Now, naturally i have to preface this by stating that if you have a deck that resonates with you or that you enjoy using by all means, I'm not hear to shit all over your favorite tarot. This guide is a simple easy to understand map to picking a tarot for a beginner. SO if you're new and cant decide on a deck to use there are a few things to consider. What kinds off images are on the cards, if the deck comes with a guide book, and what the cards are made of. When looking at the images on the cards you have to remember that each card has a corresponding meaning zodiac, ruling planet etc. While looking at the cards if you can, make sure that they have images that help you to remember their meanings. Because of its popularity the Rider Waite deck is normally used as the stencil for most decks today save for a few. This means that many of the images will try to relay the same messages as those of its relative the Rider. On the one had this makes finding an accurate learning deck simple. For example, fig.2 Figure 1 Depicts The Labrinthos Golden Thread Tower. According to the guide book it represents upheaval, broken pride, disaster, and crumbling foundations. Depicted in Figure two is its wait counterpart and we can see that the images are, for the most part very similar save for a few minor details. The Waite general description of the card points to an equally similar meaning This card represents darkness and the destruction in the physical rather than the spiritual. Knowing this having a card image that represents this clearly will help the New Diviner in their learning and memorization of meanings. When speaking of the card meanings I made a brief mention of the guide book in the Golden Thread Tarot. Contrary to popular belief not every set of tarot cards comes with said guide books. On top of that, not all of the ones that do give accurate information. There are resources that help to subvert this issue both online and in your local library or bookseller. Some of those links can be found here. Furthermore, and I will continue to post this always have your own notebook / book of shadows / Book of tarot as each deck of cards may speak to you in a particular way. (more on this in out Interviewing your tarot thread) Lastly, make sure that the cards you pick are made of a material that balances the price with how long you intend to keep them. Most cards are made from basic playing card stock. The stock is easy to use and often times finished with a gloss or matte. These will last you so long as you aren't playing them like Pokémon cards on the playground. I like using cards that are plastic based because they have a far longer life with the daily use that I make of them. There are those decks out there that are made from all sorts of material and finding one that suits your aesthetic will always work best -TwT

So you've acquired your 1st Tarot deck and might be asking yourself. . . What now. There are many avenues that one can take including and not limited to just taking the tiny booklet and beginning your readings based off the information provided. There is nothing wrong with this and a lot of new witches dive into readings this way. The purpose of this post, however, is to teach the importance of interviewing your tarot before use. As you may know, there are a plethora of different stylized Tarot decks out there; not just the Rider set. That being the case, and assuming that each deck has its own *soul* we can only conclude that because of this each deck will communicate with you in its own way. And so we come to the road block of how one gets to know their tarot deck and luckily you get to know your deck the same way you might get to know a friend; Spend time with it and ask it questions in a ritual referred to as a deck interview. In normal cases a deck interview would be one of the very first things that you but this doesn't prevent you from doing one with a deck that you've possesses for any amount of time. How your deck communicates to you may change over time as well, so doing a deck interview regularly will make it easier for you to interpret the messages your deck may be relaying. The ritual 1. Cleanse a space in which you will preform your ritual 2. take your tarot and lay it out before you 3. clear your mind of external thoughts as best you can so as to *hear* what your tarot has to tell you. 4. Mix / Shuffle your deck "deconstruct the Universe" Bring your cards together and reform your deck keeping their orientation as it is when you gather them* This means if you can tell when card is turned up side down or otherwise, to keep it the direction you gather it in With the faces of the cards down begin asking your Tarot a question and pulling a card few questions about it: Some have been listed below • What are some of your most important characteristics? • What is your communication style? • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a deck? • What readings are you best suited for? • Do you have limits? Is there anything that I shouldn't / cant ask about? What do you have to teach me? / What can I learn from you? • Do you have a connection to my purpose? • What line of magic / Element do you best represent? • What is your preferred manner of cleansing? • How do you want to be used? • What do you think of me? / Do you have any questions? I normally ask these questions of all of my new decks and sometimes the responses can be confusing. Maybe your deck isnt comfortable answering a question that you have right then, or maybe you may need to rephrase your questions. At the end of the day your Tarot is your friend and there to help. -TwT