Inner Revealings Tarot

Choosing A Tarot Deck

Choosing your own Tarot deck is a deeply personal process.  The relationship you develop with your deck is an intimate one in which a pathway of communication is established between you and your deck of cards.  Finding the right deck can take years and what can happen is that you develop relationships with several different cards over the course of your life.  It may be that over time as you grow along your spiritual path other cards and other forms of symbolism may speak to you more, and this is all a reflection of our inner work and the revealings the cards provide of that growth.

There are so many different decks to choose from!  Its exciting really, and if you're not careful a major collection can start to amass in your home.  The art can be that compelling, so take you time and really look through as many decks as you can.  This is one of the reasons why Aeclectic Tarot is so great.  You can look through over 500 decks, read reviews and scan through countless pictures. 

Its always ideal to be able to purchase you deck in person, although to do this means you restrict yourself to the often times limited selection in stores.  Its important to feel the cards, the way they fit in your hands, the texture, the combination of visceral and visual stimulation that you get from shuffling them in your hands.  Remember this is an incredibly intimate relationship you are embarking on, and you need to give yourself time to all the symbolism and imagery of a deck connect with you so that you are clear about whether or not they resonate deeply with you.

This is ultimately what you are looking for.  That sensation of deep soulful resonation.  Images that trigger a deep mysterious response from you that may be unidentifiable, but palpable none the less.  These cards are keys to a subconscious symbolic language within yourself.  Allow for that to be moved, pulled and activated by the cards you look through.  Some will repel you, and some will fell inexplicably like home.

For me personally, I tend to gravitate towards cards that are very dreamlike and surreal, but also have keywords, astrological and Kabbalistic symbols on them.  Not everyone responds to this so there are a variety out there that caters to each persons need. The following is a list of cards I really like and some that I already have in my collection. 

Rohrig Tarot is the one I use daily and have had for over a decade.  I love this deck.  Its sumptuous, expressive, and very bold.  I remember first seeing these cards being used by a reader I went to with a friend.  I was transfixed. I can't imagine reading with any other deck as regularly as I do with these.  They have truly become a dear dear friend.

 The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is typically considered to be the standard and what most beginners learn on.  I have this deck, but truthfully it never really spoke to me.  I do think everyone should have this deck though.  Its a good foundation to start with, and it tends to feel more concrete and consistent which is a soothing thing for those who are not comfortable with excessive surrealism.  With that said though, I have really only used this deck for learning and not for any extensive reading.

The Haindl Tarot Deck is on my wish list!  It has been on that list for quite a while.  This deck is a dream... truly.  Its a shaman's dream that spins you deep in its embrace.  The images are wonderful for meditating on and they take you to that deep trance space quickly if you surrender to the wisdom held there.

 The New Palladini Tarot. This deck is awesome if you want the structure of the Rider Waite but with a more richly illustrated imagery.  The deck is strong, vibrant and boldly painted.  I always get the sense of a deeply rooted strength in the voice of this deck.  Gorgeous!

Vertigo Tarot Deck Set is not typically for beginners, but quite a deep journey of the subconscious.  The art is incredibly dreamlike, abstract and a bit dark.  Its another really great deck for meditation, but lacks the symbolism of the stars and Kabbalah that others have.  This deck lends itself to a wide array of interpretation thus giving the reader the freedom to develop a very unique relationship with the deck.  I love this deck, but find that many people are put off by the imagery. 

The Artist's Inner Vision Tarot is a new discovery shared with me by Liz over at  Athena Dreams.  I love this deck and promptly placed this on my wish list as well!  This deck was created by 26 artist who each created 3 cards to make up this deck.  Soon... soon.. I will have this one too!  (insert maniacal laugh here)  ;)

When looking for cards it may be helpful to ask yourself the following questions:

~How do you feel while looking at them?
~What if any visceral reaction are you having in your body?
~The imagery, does it pull you in, repel you or scare you?
~How do they fit in your hand?  Are they comfortable?

Take your time, and please let me know which decks you have and decide on getting for yourself.  I would love to know and explore new cards myself. 

Disclaimer or FYI:  I am an Amazon.com affiliate, which means that the links above lead to an Amazon page.  If you choose to purchase one of the above decks I get a commission off of the sale.  I say this in the interest of full disclosure and also to state that I will only list items here that I myself really like or endorse.  I am committed both to making a living and doing so in a way that is in alignment with my values.  With that said, if you do decide to purchase a deck and do so following one of my links, I thank you.  Truly.  :)

Making Your Own Tarot Deck

Creating your own Tarot deck can be a very meaningful and deepening experience.  Spending time to really dive in and conceptualize each card, and what you will include in each image can really amplify the act of learning tarot.  So when I got the comment to a previous post from Silvia, I decided to include it here and address it so all can read.  She wrote:

"HI! I know very little on tarot, so I might be making silly questions.
Here's my first:
You say "The Tarot is a deck of cards, a visual medium using symbols, numbers, colors, words, archetypes, that help reflect/mirror the reality of what is truly happening in the past, present and future of our lives." I would like to make my own deck since I've been looking and have not yet come across one I've liked. So I'm guessing I would have to know all these symbols, numbers, colors, etc. to make my own tarot deck?
Thank you!"

If you are going to make a tarot deck specifically, then learning the symbols and the numbers and as many layers as you can into each card can lead you into a profoundly enriching learning experience.  Doing this however takes time and I have heard of several instances where such an endeavor has taken several years to complete!  This is partly because the process of making a deck becomes its own ritual, where each card that is being made takes the creator on their own unique spirit journey into the meaning and wisdom of each card as well as deeper into the heart of intuition.

But the beauty of creating your own deck is that you can do with it whatever you want, and so if you want a deck that has as many symbolic references on there as you can fit, or if you want a deck that is simple and very straight forward, you can choose that for yourself!  There is no right and wrong here.  The idea is to make a tool that will speak to you and that you can have a relationship with. 

The other option is to create a deck of cards depicting a variety of themes to aid in self exploration that has nothing to do with the tarot, but can still be used as a tool for divination and personal growth.  You can also create an inspiration deck with cards that are designed to be pulled one at a time to provide inspiration or affirmations for that specific day.  Again, the options are endless.

Cards can be created with paints, ink, collage, photography, digital collaging, block printing, pastels or anything else you can think of.  You will need a good sturdy cardstock and will want to consider the possibility of laminating if you are using mixed media.  It is however, always a good idea to make copies of your work so that you have the original deck as an art piece and then the copy which you can use for your every day use.  This gives you a back up, if over time the wear and tear becomes to much for the cards that you are using.

If you are going to make yourself a tarot deck specifically, a good way to organize the work is to break it down in sections.  You could devote a month or two to the Major Arcana and start creating the cards from the beginning with the Fool.  Doing this will help you move through the progression of the Major Arcana and also help imprint in your consciousness the path that the Fool travels in the cards.  When working with the Minor Arcana, working with all four of a number of court card will help teach you the significance of the number and the difference in the suits and elements of each suit.  For example, you could start with working on all 4 aces, and then moving on to the 2 cards and so on.

A website to check out is Plain Cards.  They offer a fairly inexpensive downloadable program that helps you digitally design and print your cards.  I have not personally used this, but it looks like it may be worth a look.  Another option would be to create your cards and have them transferred into a digital format and then having them printed professionally.  I have consider doing this after I created my postcards, because they came out so lovely and vibrant and the UV coating on them feels much better then a thick laminate.  Its also something to consider if you love your work so much that you want to sell copies to others. 

Please let me know if any of you begin to undertake this project for yourself.  I would love to hear how it is going and what route you decide to take.  Whatever it is, I assure you it will be a potent process through learning tarot.

And thank you Silvia for posting your question!