Advice on Tarot Decks
& Tarot Reference Books

For those just starting, your first Tarot deck and reference book are important selections to make. A basic deck that is very traditional is what you should get. This means a Rider-Waite deck. There are many to selection from that use the basic Rider-Waite design. One advantage to Rider-Waite is the rich traditional symbolism.

There is a very practical reason why Rider-Waite decks are used. The symbolism used by Rider-Waite is logical so it is an effective aid in interpreting the aspects of each individual card. Each symbol represents one aspect of that card's interpretation. This use of symbolism is practical in learning a confusing number of cards, and makes Rider-Waite decks the only ones for any new student of Tarot to consider.

I now use 1) the Robin Wood Tarot and 2) the Universal Waite (the Smith designs with re-colorization by Mary Hanson-Robberts by US Games) There are several Universal decks, so names can be a little confusing. Robin Wood and the Universal deck mentioned above are both based on Rider-Waite symbolism and they are both most excellent.

You should then get a book that describes the cards that uses the same deck as you purchased. Most decks come with a booklet or book that describes the meaning of individual cards. Use this as your main reference. However, booklets tend to be too brief. Sometimes you need to buy an additional reference book.

To begin with, buy no more than two books. One should be based on the design of the cards you select and purchase. Many Tarot card guide books are based on the Rider-Waite deck. But you will need to check and be sure.

Go here to see some specific: Deck & Book Recommendations