Tarot dates back to the early 14th century when wealthy European families used the decks to play tarocci, a parlour game similar to modern-day bridge. According to Bicycle Cards, in the late 1700s, Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Alliette (under the pseudonym Etteilla) wrote a guide to using the cards as a tool for divination, and Etteilla’s work in tarot reading took off. The practice became even more widespread in the early 20th century when the Rider company collaborated with mystic and poet Arthur E. Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith on an updated tarot system. First published in 1909, more than 100 million copies of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (sometimes called the Waite-Smith, Rider-Waite, or simply the Rider deck) are in circulation in more than 20 countries. The widely popular deck has inspired hundreds of other designs and is the basis for many tarot reading approaches used today. If you are a novice interested in learning the tarot, selecting a deck can seem like a daunting task—there are hundreds to choose from! Here, with the help of tarot reader Wille from A Little Spark Of Joy, we’ve tried to explain how tarot can be useful in your day-to-day life, what to look for in selecting a deck, and which tarot sets are the best for beginning readers.
What Are Tarot Cards?
While tarot cards won’t exactly predict the future for you, they can help you make more meaningful decisions and think out your choices in a different way. “Tarot cards can help you in the way you perceive and deal with the changes in your life,” explains Wille. “They can serve as a tool for self-exploration, transformation, and personal growth.”
How Many Tarot Cards Are in a Deck?
The traditional tarot deck—based on the RWS system—features 78 cards broken into two groups: 22 cards make up the Major Arcana and the other 56 are the Minor Arcana. “The Major Arcana cards typically refer to major influences and often represent the big archetypal themes that are influencing your life and your soul’s journey to enlightenment,” explains Wille. “The Minor Arcana cards, by contrast, reflect day-to-day events and can give more context and detail to the Major Arcana cards.” The Major Arcana cards are numbered 0 to 21, while the Minor Arcana is divided into 4 suits: wands, pentacles, cups, and swords. “Starting with the Ace, the cards go up from 2 to 10, then closing with four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen, and lastly, the King,” notes Wille. “Each of the suits has a ruling element—water, earth, air, or fire—corresponding to specific areas in life. It’s important to consider these elements and areas when working with the Minor Arcana cards, making it much easier for an intuitive reading to happen. After a bit of practice of course!”
Can Tarot Cards Predict Your Future?
Most often, people go to a tarot reader with a specific question in mind, like when will they find love, or will they get hired for a new position. “While the cards won’t give a specific answer, like ‘You’ll meet your future partner on New Year’s Eve,” they can give you great insights into past, current, and future events based on your current path at the time of the reading,” notes Wille. “The cards will determine the best course of action based on what is known and what the cards show.” “For me,” Wille continues, “tarot is also a valuable form of meditation and reflection on the present moment. It can help me to understand what I need to do in a particular situation and enables me to connect with your inner wisdom.”
How Do I Choose a Tarot Deck?
Selecting your first tarot deck can be an overwhelming process, simply because there are so many on the market! But Wille says that a good rule of thumb is to find a set that resonates with you. “Like choosing a partner, selecting a tarot deck is all about personal connection!” she shares. “Just as you wouldn’t pick your wedding dress, husband, home, or vehicle based on someone else’s opinion, the same is true of the cards. You are the one who will be using your cards day in and day out, so you’ll want to choose based on your intuition, artistic eye, and other personal preferences while still considering things like sizing and quality.” So, are you ready to get in touch with your higher self? Then read on for some of the best tarot card sets for novice readers! Here at Parade.com, we’re all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned.
20 Best Tarot Card Decks for Beginners
1. Spirit Speak Tarot, $43 at Etsy
The traditional RWS tarot deck is reimagined with amazing black and white folk art in this beautiful set from artist Mary Elizabeth Evans. The meaning behind each hand-drawn image is easy to interpret, and Evans provides a pamphlet to explain each card, making the Spirit Speak Tarot set simple to use for even first-time readers. Spirit Speak Tarot, $43 at Etsy
10. Cat Tarot, $20 at Urban Outfitters
Purr-fect for the cat lover! With Cat Tarot by Megan Lynn Knott, the traditional deck gets a tailed twist in this feline-themed set. High-quality tarot cards are beautifully illustrated with vibrant depictions of cats, while a detailed guidebook assists beginners in reading the deck.Cat Tarot, $20 at Urban Outfitters Next, check out these free printable goal-setting worksheets.
