We've all been there, standing in front of a library of tarot decks all with unique artwork and styles that makes your choice even more daunting. On top of that you have a belief that carries a heaviness of "You can't buy your own deck!" (which lets all agree together right now is NOT true for everyone). I am not of the belief that having a shelf full of different decks at your disposal makes you a better reader, in fact I am the opposite. Working with one deck compared to 5 or 10 will yield a stronger bond between you and your tool and will actually work with you on your frequency. If having a million decks in your arsenal works for you then that works for you but this is my guide on finding that one true deck just for you.
I am going to help you as best as I can to guide you on your decision for the perfect deck so brew a cuppa, sit back, and let me navigate you through the world of Tarot
Before buying any deck take into consideration these simple things to help you in your decision making:
Art Style
The Deck's energy
Connection
GOOGLE!!!
Cleansing isn't essential
The art style of cards plays a huge role in our readings as well as connecting to us on a spiritual level. I stay well clear of minimalist or simple designs. This style of deck yields no connection to the spirit and ensures you to rely heavily on the pre-prescribed meanings given by the deck author. Tarot is far from the "aesthetic" and if you are doing Tarot for the reason then I advise Tarot isn't for you. Take up Runes, you'll get more insta likes. The art of Tarot is not about simplicity but about the complexity of life and what trials and bumps are to be revealed along the way which is why finding an art style that goes beyond the physical and into the spiritual is key to finding the perfect deck for you!
The energy that the deck emits can be difficult to pick up on when there are many decks in a singular location so I advise to pick up each deck in your hand and get a sense of its energy. What can you feel? What energy is the deck giving off? Does it make you want to explore it further or is it making you want to put it down? If the deck wants you to explore it further then move on to step 2. If not then stay on this step and keep exploring the other decks available. Remember, online has millions of decks so the Internet may be your friend if local stores do not have anything that speaks to you which leads us to step 3 and that is one that seems to elude many people. It's an ancient form of knowledge known as GOOGLE! Yes, the crutch of all society being the one place you can find anything on! Google more about the deck you are feeling a connection with. Find out more about the art style and if the other cards speak to you as not all decks show their cards on the boxes. Google can also show you other peoples thoughts on the quality of the cards. You don't want cheap feeling cards that can easily break or be damaged as you'll be buying more decks than you realise. It sounds so small but it makes all the difference. I have two decks currently and one is very stiff thick card whilst the other is the perfect texture, flexibility, and ease of use which can make all the difference in a reading. Google has the answer to many of your questions so use it to help you in your decision making... but also to see if that deck comes in different sizes and materials as most have "cheap" versions of themselves to make them more affordable for the user but uses cheaper materials and usually smaller in size too, perfect if you have little hands. One thing I cannot stand is a deck that is too big for my hands. (That sentence was one letter away from being a whole other thing!) You end up dropping them all the time whilst attempting to shuffle and your shuffle is mediocre at best with these large decks so finding one that fits well in your hand makes such a difference.
Once you have found your perfect deck, and don't lose heart if it takes a while, now comes the decision "do I cleanse it or not?" That is entirely up to you. I tend not to cleanse my deck as you want energy, both positive and negative to reside in your deck. Positive and Negative energy makes up life, makes up the universe so I only cleanse if I want to completely wipe away any energy that the item emits to bring it to a neutral state and restart building those balancing energies back into the item. Everywhere you look in the spiritual community you will always have 40 year old white women screeching about the importance of cleansing when they have a very minimal understanding of what cleansing does so make this decision by yourself and do not let another person make it for you. Like I said, I do not cleanse my decks because I work with the balance of energies and utilising it to deliver excellent readings.
Now, lets have a little look into the decks I use:
When I began my journey into the world of Tarot reading I bought my first deck from WHSmith known as The Rider Waite Tarot by Pamela Colman Smith. I always advise this deck to newcomers of the divine art because it houses easy to read designs and a booklet that is easy to navigate. It is also a great deck to begin expanding your knowledge and tapping more into psychic reading. Not everyone can read tarot psychically so don't be put off if Tarot isn't your method, there's more than one way to divine the future. When I was starting with Tarot I found that using the pre-prescribed meanings of the card only allowed for very restricted and limited readings. It wasn't until later when I realised that my ancestors and spirit guides would show me, with the aid of the cards, the true mystery of the Tarot and the secrets it could unlock. I continued to work with this deck for many years giving greater and greater readings and results as the years went on. You begin to notice things within the cards that are not there to begin with. The lines get blurred and reality comes out. The art work of this deck is vibrant and is very lighthearted in its readings so bare that in mind when making your decision. Do you want it to be light and airy or do you want nothing but the stone cold truth no matter how bad it hurts?
For the latter of the two I use my Thoth deck by Aleister Crowley and art by Frieda Harris. This deck was commissioned by Crowley to Harris with the guide of notes and explicit details given to her by the self acclaimed Prophet, Aleister Crowley. This deck features exclusive cards never found in other decks such as The Aeon, Change, Debauch, and Failure to name a few, each with their own thought evoking imagery and hidden messages within each and every card. This Deck was gifted to me by a very dear friend who loved my readings and wanted to share a favourite deck of theirs with me and I have been in love with this deck ever since! I use this deck in all of my readings but I do switch to my Rider Waite deck if I feel the client is needing a softer guide in their life. The Thoth deck however taught me a very unique and never before seen skill (in my experience at least) and that is Psychic Aura readings. This reading allows me to look into your auric field and pick up on external influences that make you, YOU! It delves inwards to reveal the outwards as well as a form of reiki in which I am able to release any blockages and give guidance on ways to strengthen your psychic shield and wellbeing. I can use this reading to pick up on ancestors, spirit guides, or even deities that wish to work with you and offer their guidance and messages straight to you! This is what I mean when I say finding the right deck for you leaves you and the client amazed with the results! This deck is always revealing new faces, new methods, and new meanings at every turn. It keeps me on my toes for sure!
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