So, i’m planning on the nearby future (Which is quite a fell months from now, I live with my parents and have no job yet, I have yet to receive my certificate) to buy a deck of tarot cards to get started on my divination training.
So, I was wondering, is all kind of decks ok? There is this cute little manga styled deck with 78 cards that I want, and I wonder if it does matter what kind of cards I use.
Also, how many cards a regular tarot deck has? And what about virtual ones? You guys ever tried?
Do you mean online readings? If so, yes I use tarot.com a lot, I’m average with tarot but I just like their style, I’ve been using them for years now and I’ve found the readings are excellent, they also log them all so you can review your past questions - the “free online” sites not so much, they’re usually excessively negative for some reason whenever I’ve used them.
Online readings are not as good as a real reading by a skilled reader who knows about you personally, because they’re geared to the mass market (usually people with relationship problems) and they also tend to be very white-light in terms of the values expressed, but perfectly acceptable for minor everyday questions.
I’ve not heard of a tarot deck with any number other than 78 cards, but there must be variations out there. I use Rider Waite when I do my own card readings because I really like it and did some classes that were based on that deck and the specific colurs etc used in it.
I use facade.com and tarotsmith. I can’t recommend those 2 sites enough. Mystictarot.com is good if you want to do a chakra spread. I also recommend learning to read upright and reversed cards in the long run. It’s much more brutally honest which is what beginners need.
I would say some decks are “better” than others for divination, and typically I’d advise someone towards more “standard” known decks, such as Rider-Waite, Marseilles, Thoth etc. Simply because they tend to get the “balance” of life a bit more accurately than many others I’ve seen. Many other decks often lean too far to one side, either too light and fluffy or too dark. This can skew the reading a bit, making things seem overly positive or negative.
That said, if there is a particular deck that you love and want then go for it. You will probably get far better results with a non-standard deck that you are drawn to, enjoy looking at and engaging with than a standard deck you do not enjoy much. It’s not just about the deck but about the person reading the deck, and different people have different aspects of themselves developed to different degrees - and so will be drawn to different decks and will find better results with those that agree with their current development because they can relate to the deck better. It is like reading your native tongue compared to a second language you’ve only learnt a bit of. I would just say be aware of any potential bias of whatever deck you are using and take that into account when you read.
As an aside, you do not have to wait until you can get a tarot deck to get started on your divination training. Even if you ultimately only want to focus on tarot, any other divination system you learn to use now will absolutely not be wasted time, and will help and enhance your ability with the tarot later.
Can you find some dice from board games? Then you can start learning to divine with them. No? Do you have a regular playing card deck? You can learn to divine splendidly with them too, and it’s close to tarot. Ok ok, you don’t play any of those kind of games. Can you get 3 coins together of the same type - nothing fancy just whatever your currency is. Then you can use those to start learning the I-Ching. Alright, I hear you, you’re homeless and haven’t got two pennies to rub together. Well, can you go somewhere and poke holes in the ground? If so, you can practice geomancy (you can do that with a piece of paper and a pencil too)
What I’m saying is, don’t let your lack of tarot cards currently hold you back from getting started now.
If your going to read reversals be diligent about resetting your deck before each reading. What may have been correct to be reversed before may not new to be on the next reading. You can get around reversals by learning elemental dignities as well as paying attention to any astrology that’s on the deck.
I also urge anyone who reads to learn both the traditional Rider-Waite meanings as well as the Thoth as they are different but interchangeable. The 7 of swords may mean deceit in one spread and mean indecisiveness in another spread the other cards in the spread will offer context to how a card should be read.
One last thing is to look at the spread before you start reading it and see what the prosoma any suit is if any, this often relates a good deal of info as well. If you see a lot of swords your looking at thoughts, ideas and internal/external conflicts, a lot of cups indicates the situation is emotionally fueled but lacks clarity etc.
Personally I prefer decks that don’t have detailed minors like the Rider-Waite style does, I find this can color your perception of the reading instead of letting intuition guide you to what the cards are pointing to. My current favorites are the Thoth, Golden Dawn, Quest, and Rumi decks and pick the decks often according to the type of question I’m reading for.
In the end they’re just cards so pick what resonates with you and not just what you think is cool or neat.