My Best Tarot Decks

These cards have a slightly 80s look, and for this reason can be a teeny bit irritating, but put that to one side because this deck is hardworking and very accurate. My favourite workhorse deck, this is the one I pick up when I need clarification. I carry the images in my head so that when using another deck I can 'check-in' to make sure my intuition is on track. Sometimes my clients wonder why I am seeing things that aren't there and I have to explain that I am also reading with a second lot of cards. Nuts? Yep, for sure.

The Robin Wood was the first deck I bought and I am now, after nearly ten years, on my second pack. The cards wear pretty well. They are easy to shuffle and they feel 'easy' in the hands. This one is a 'must have'.

Robin Wood Tarot Deck - This deck brings the Minor Arcana to life in a way that is easy to understand and interpret. It features nature imagery and energies to enchant and excite both pagans and non-pagans, experts and novices.

The Robin Wood Tarot has rapidly become one of the most popular Tarot decks in the world. And no wonder! Robin Wood's beautiful art, with its vibrant imagery and luminous energies, has enchanted Pagans and non-Pagans alike.
Wood combines the traditional Tarot card designs and symbolism with a more current and natural symbolism. If you are new to the Tarot, this makes the cards easy to interpret. If you've been working with the Tarot for a longer time, this will open you to new insights and clarity in all of your readings.

Songs for the Journey Home - wonderful, glorious and full of stories. Created in New Zealand by two women - one who had the original inspiration and wrote the accompanying book, and the other who brought forth this gorgeous artwork.

The most attractive deck in my collection. Reads like a dream. The creators' website is here:

Songs For The Journey Home

I have the most fantastic insights when reading with these cards. If you manage to get hold of a copy, then don't be afraid of speaking exactly what you see on the card. They can be very literal.

This is another early purchase of mine and, at the time, it was difficult to find. I managed to get mine eventually on eBay. It is still somewhat elusive but can be found if you are willing to look.

At first this one can seem a little sugary. The art is lovely; very easy on the eye, but a closer examination will reveal lots of detail which can be invaluable during a reading. Georgeous sunsets.

I used to read a lot for the Free Tarot Networks run by the American Tarot Association. I would do half a dozen one-card readings and perhaps a couple of three-carders most evenings. That's where I cut my tarot teeth. Great practice. Many of the questions were of a romantic nature and this deck proved its worth.

A collector's item.

Beautiful Majors and Courts, photocopied them and decoupaged to my dining table. Delicious. However, minors are boring pips. They are lovely if you like reading with pips instead of picture cards, and many people do because the artist's interpretation does not influence their intuition.

I coveted the deck for months before buying it. I'm glad I did for the sake of my table but they remain, little used, as part of my collection.

CRYSTAL TAROT
(cards)

Crystal Tarot - As rich and complex as life itself, the Crystal Tarot blends the look of stained glass with art nouveau style to gracious effect. The use of patterns within patterns gives depth to the traditional pictures of the Tarot. Influenced by both the Rider-Waite and Thoth Tarot decks, this modern Tarot is an exquisite blend of the old and the new. The familiar images are all there, while the details-executed in brilliant and unusual colors-invite viewers to linger, to search, to make sure they miss nothing-an effective trait in a tool of self-examination.
(Tarot Card Deck)

A gift from a friend. I use The Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti quite a lot. The images are gorgeous and readings are clear and unambiguous. Based heavily on the Rider Waite Smith deck, it will work for beginner and more experienced reader alike.

Example: an extract from one of my email readings, using this deck:

Advice/Other considerations - Ten of Cups

Lovely card. Feel yourself surrounded by love, happiness and the cosiest security blanket in the world. What set of circumstances could make you feel like this? Let your imagination play with this one. You can have those things. But what you mustn't do is feel the lack of them. Pretend as if you can have them by clicking your fingers, or Know, with a capital K that they are just around the corner and waiting for you to arrive.

The Gilded Tarot - Heralding archetypal elements of traditional Tarot, The Gilded Tarot is teeming with shimmering, classic imagery. High priestesses in flowing robes, wise emperors, knights on majestic steeds, mystics wielding magical tools, and other intriguing characters from medieval times abound in the Major and Minor Arcana. This richly coloured, easy-to-use deck also features standard symbols for the card suits swords, cups, wands, and pentacles which provide universal appeal.
(Boxset includes 78 card Tarot deck and Bag)

The Gilded Tarot - Ciro Marchetti (Florida) is an award-winning artist from the United Kingdom. He studied art in London, followed by a career working in Europe and South America before settling in the United States where he opened a design agency in Miami. In addition to managing his company, Ciro also gives workshops and lectures on digital digital imagery and illustration at the Fort Lauderdale Art Institute, and continues to create his own visionary art.

A good one for beginners, though I find there is little depth in the images. I prefer decks where I can keep noticing new things even after years of use. The Glastonbury Tarot by Lisa Tenzin-Dolma uses Arthurian legend to add layers of meaning to the cards. The accompanying book is comprehensive and divinatory interpretations are based on the familiar RWS system.

Chalices/Cups
Swords
Vesicas/Pentacles
Staffs/Wands

Looks like this is another deck that is hard to find though. Again, if you can get one, then hang onto it and treat it well.

The Glastonbury Tarot - Glastonbury itself is as filled with archetypes and symbols as any tarot pack, encompassed as it is within the landscape and the mysticism of earth-lore, in Pagan and Arthurian legends, and in Christian history. This pack blends the philsophical paths that meet at Glastonbury to make a melting pot of ideologies, and a cauldron of inspiration for all those who go there.:
Timeless Wisdom from the Isle of Avalon

One of my very first decks. I yearned for it. I used it a lot, really without understanding it. It isn't a deck for beginners, as several of the Major Arcana have been reinterpreted in such a way that their meanings become blurred together. For someone trying to get the basics into their head, this can be difficult. I loved it lots but now when I look at it, I wonder why... I suppose it was different and somewhat magical. The Majors and Courts feature photo-images of people placed onto a separately imaged background. Compared with today's digital decks, this one seems a little clumsy now. Still, I'm glad I bought it.

The Sacred Circle Tarot - is a new concept in tarot design, combining photographs, computer imaging and traditional drawing techniques to create stunning images. It draws on the Pagan heritage of Britain and Ireland, its sacred sites and landscapes. Key symbols unlock the deepest levels of Pagan teaching. The imagery of the cards is designed to work on a number of levels, serving as a tool not only for divination but to facilitate meditation, personal growth and spiritual development.:
A Celtic Pagan Journey

The Sacred Circle Tarot - Anna Franklin [England] has been a witch for 30 years, and a Pagan in her heart for all her life. She has conducted many rituals, handfastings and sabbat rites. She is the High Priestess of the Hearth of Arianrhod, a coven of the Coranieid Clan, a group of traditional witches with their roots in the New Forest, and branches in several parts of the UK. The Hearth publishes the long running Silver Wheel Magazine, runs teaching circles and postal courses as well as a working coven. Anna Franklin is the author of eighteen books on the Craft including the popular Sacred Circle Tarot, Midsummer, Lammas [with Paul Mason], and The Fairy Ring.:
A Celtic Pagan Journey

This is my absolutlely favourite deck of all time. And vastly under-rated it is too. It is the perfect size, with the perfect amount of gloss. Some decks, like the Glastonbury are so glossy that they feel sticky and hard to shuffle. Not this one. I have small hands and find large cards awkward to handle and this one suits me brilliantly.

The images are complex and simple at the same time. Zach Wong has managed to convey the meaning of the card in the very expressions of the figure portrayed on them. They are full of energy and vibrancy.

Additionally, the artist has, very skillfully, integrated reversals into the deck. I have deliberately scanned the Queen of Wands upside down so you can see for yourself.

The cards come in a boxed set with a really good book - I found some interesting aspects mentioned that I hadn't considered before. The cards have their own kinky black net bag to nestle into.

If you are going to buy one new deck this year, then this has to be the one. I reckon I use this deck for 70% of all my readings.

Revelations Tarot - Many feel that interpreting reversals offers additional depth and insight to readings. But reversals are not easy for those who haven't mastered this age-old divination practice. Revelations Tarot makes it easy for beginners to use reversals too. Each card of this exquisite deck has reversible images that allow for easy interpretation no matter which way the card is laid. Striking imagery bearing a sophisticated stained glass style with illuminated colors enliven all the major and minor arcana of this innovative, Rider-Waite-based deck.

Revelations Tarot - Zach Wong (Australia) grew up in Malaysia where he studied Western and Asian mythology. He has a degree in architecture and works in illustration/graphic design. The art featured in Revelations Tarot will be exhibited in local galleries and on his website.

I think this one arrived in a batch sent to me from a friend. It is extremely... well... odd. The creator, Yvonne G Jensen has put so much work into this deck. Each card was originally a woven cloth wall hanging.

Ms Jensen refers to the tarot as 'tahroh' as an anagram of the goddess, Hathor, but the cards are loosely based on the RWS . I find her interpretations a little way out though; one example given is where the Tower is deemed to mean a sudden decision. Hmm... maybe.

The cards have keywords on them, which I don't like much because one word cannot possibly encompass the whole meaning of the card and also because keywords don't always work when you are reading the cards in conjuction with others. For example, the Ten of Pentacles is designated 'wealth' - but sometimes this card can mean something completely different, such as family structure.

The cards are quite large and almost square, making them difficult to hold and shuffle.

I wouldn't use them in a reading but they are certainly a novel addition to my collection. I believe they are not so difficult to find, either. You may pick up a used deck on eBay or Amazon for quite a reasonable sum.

And look at that scan - it's Michael Jackson for sure!

Gorgeous deck by Luigi Scapini. I love its creaminess. I also love the fact that there is so much to see in it and plenty of sly humour too. The minors are really pip cards with a difference. They are not illustrated with scenes a la RWS, but they are full of detail and relevent symbolism. A lovely deck to work with.

What I would like, is a decent book to accompany it - sometimes it is useful to have things pointed out or explained... it's also good to know why the artist interprets the card the way he does. There is a book by Ronald Decker, which was published after the deck but it wasn't what I was looking for.

The Medieval Scapini would definitely be in my top 5 tarot decks. In fact, if you had this one, you wouldn't need another. It might slightly overwhelm beginners... but persevere; it's worth it.

Medieval Scapini Tarot

The Medieval Scapini Tarot:
Deck and Book Set

Based on the concept of human duality, Patrick Valenza has created a unique deck of cards, which adds substantially to the 'tarot pool'. I was sent this out of the blue, by the same friend who gifted me the Gilded and who also recommended the Revelations.

RWS based, the cards are almost like grotesque illustrations of fairy tales; the sort of thing nightmares are made of. There is a lot to learn from this deck, particularly if you are drawn to exploring the darker side of human nature.

It has received some fabulous reviews elsewhere and I would recommend it. Use it for readings where you feel that getting a more psychological twist would be helpful.

Deviant Moon Tarot:
Premier Edition

Deviant Moon Tarot:
Premier Edition

A humourous and colourful deck... and surprisingly easy to read with. I don't use it regularly but my children like to look through it occasionally. These cards are not so whimsical as they might first appear and there are insights to be gained by giving them a close examination.

The Fairy Tarot hails from the Lo Scarabeo stable and has the usual excellent quality and neat-sized cards.

Suits:

Pentacles = Bells
Cups =Hearts
Wands = Acorns
Swords = Leaves.

Fairy Tarot by Antonio Lupatelli - A perfect blend of whimsy and depth, The Fairy Tarot will charm you with their enchanting images and clever symbolism. True to the cunning Fairy nature, odd and thought-provoking Latin mottoes on the Aces introduce each suit. The suits reflect the Fairy lifestyle (Acorns, Hearts, Leaves, and Bells). Deck includes 78 full-color cards and instruction booklet.

The Fairy Tarot Kit - This kit combines Lupatelli's incredible deck with in-depth studies of The Fairy Tarot. The suits correspond to traditional Tarot, but reflect the fairy lifestyle (Acorns, Hearts, Leaves, and Bells). Some of the Major Arcana are renamed in honor of fairy history (for example, Justice becomes The Dryad and Temperance becomes The Sylph). According to myth, this deck was created by the Great Magician of the Fairies of the Enchanted Realm in order to help the undisciplined fairies learn appropriate behavior. The Great Magician wove magic into the cards; they could, when consulted properly, show seekers their problems and provide possible solutions. Kit includes 78 full-color cards and 160 page book.

Many readers will not consider using anything else; others won't touch it with a bargepole. The Thoth Tarot was created by the occultist, Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Frieda Harris. Whatever your opinion, this is a beautiful deck and worth the extra effort it takes to understand them (not that anyone can ever understand them fully). You will be able to use them if you are used to the RWS system but there are differences within the structure. I would definitely recommend a period of study before using them to read for other people.

"Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot" by Lon Milo Duquette is the place to start:

Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot:
An Authoritative Examination of the World's Most Fascinating and Magical Tarot Cards

Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot - Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot was his final opus, the culmination of a lifetime of occult study and practice. With artist Lady Frieda Harris, he condensed the core of his teaching into the 78 cards of the tarot. Although Crowley's own Book of Thoth provides insight into the cards, it is a complicated, dated book. Now, in clear language, Lon Milo DuQuette provides everything you need to know to get the most out of using the Thoth deck.

The Celtic Wisdom Tarot is not for the faint-hearted. It really is worth making the effort to get to know this deck. Although based on Celtic mythology, there is still plenty of RWS influence there for an intermediate reader to get a good grasp on it. Caitlin Matthews and Olivia Rayner have created a beautiful, chunky and very workable tarot.

The suits are renamed and, in fact, all the cards have been renamed to reflect the Celtic tradition. The divinatory meanings are based on appropriate legends, tales and folklore. If you are into Celtic mythology, you will love this deck and if you aren't you'll still love this deck.

The Celtic Wisdom Tarot

The Celtic Wisdom Tarot with Cards - Reviews: . . . remarkable and stunningly illustrated tarot adaptation. A completely new path into personal divination. -- Napra Review
One of the top three or four decks ever in terms of art. -- Lee A. Bursten
The Celtic theme provides a nice introduction to Matthews' knowledge of Celtic myth and cultures. -- Michele Jackson

This deck proved its worth once when I received a request that made my heart flip over. A grandmother was asking for insights after her dear grandbaby had passed away. She wanted comfort for herself and for her daughter. I almost turned the reading down because I was pregnant with my daughter and the questions were too difficult to contemplate. I decided to go ahead, using this deck.

The reading was one of the best I'd ever done and have ever done since. I was astounded by the thoughts and feelings that the cards engendered and was completely happy to pass these on to the lovely lady who had asked for the reading. I was overwhelmed by her response and her gratitude. A little later she emailed to say that her daughter, the baby's mother, had decided to take the recurring element - butterflies - and have one inscribed on to the baby girl's memorial stone.

It was a life-changing reading for me and I will never forget the warmth of this lady and her family.

The Inner Child is illustrated by familiar and not-so-familiar fairytales. It is certainly not a 'fluffy' deck, as it is full of very useful insights. Keep an open mind and you will learn lots. Great for introducing children to tarot and, photocopied, they'd make a lovely frieze for a child's bedroom, where they would inspire you to tell all manner of bedtime stories.

The cards are huge and impossible to shuffle in any normal manner. I get round this by dealing them into random piles, face down (the cards, not me).

Inner Child Cards - "This is a great deck to use when reading for children or those who may otherwise be hesitant to use one of the traditional decks.The Inner Child Cards are wonderful for tarot collectors, as the illustrations are vivid and energetic. I highly encourage all tarot enthusiasts to consider purchasing this deck for variety and added insight."
Wayne Muller, author of Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood
A delightful odyssey. The images and stories of childhood become an enchanting guide for inner reflection. :
A Fairy Tale Tarot

Inner Child Cards - Inner Child Cards bring charming, fairy-tale images to the age-old tradition of the tarot. Authors and professional astrologers Isha and Mark Lerner intended to offer a fresh, innocent perspective on tarot readings while also staying grounded in recognizable archetypes. And what better way to tap into our true spirit than to recall the soul-inspiring stories of childhood? "Fairy stories, told and retold, enrich the depths of our hearts from which our hopes and ideals are born," the authors explain. "No other literary creation has such a fundamental effect upon us than has the fairy tale." Indeed, Little Red Riding Cap with her basket of goodies and her outstretched finger holding a butterfly speaks eloquently to the fragile process of individuation. The Rapunzel card with its maiden's long braid (which is eventually shorn by the evil enchantress) and the blind prince speaks to challenging times when we are cut loose from the strands of our past and must go forward in blind faith. All of the cards are lovely, with their rich images and rainbow borders. But it is the excellent accompanying text that offers readers the most enchanting journey into the past as they make meaning out of the present. --Gail Hudson :
A Fairy-Tale Tarot

Another gift.... people know exactly how to make me happy! I'd heard a lot about the Golden Tarot but hadn't seen any of the cards until they arrived quite unexpectedly. They are very Rider Waite Smith based, almost a clone, I'd say, except the images are very cleverly collaged from artwork from the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance period. The creator, Kat Black, has done a really good job. If you are familiar with RWS then you will be able to read with these straight out of the box... well, after a good shuffle at least. However, if you are a beginner the set comes with a useful 194 page booklet to help you along.

A bonus is hidden at the back of the book: the Appendices contain all the sources of the artwork used for each card - fascinating.

The box is a delight too; being chunky and compact but perfect for the cards and book. I have to mention the gorgeous gilded card edges... my daughter loves shiny things, and says that this is her favourite deck.

My only gripe, and it is a wee one, is that not many of the faces are smiling, but I suppose it wasn't the done thing to smile for your portrait in 'those' days. So ignore me... go ahead, you'll love this deck. And look at that Amazon.com price. Bargain!

Golden Tarot - Comprised of collage imagery from the European masters paintings, the Golden Tarot is a stunning addition to any tarot collection. The cards are beautifully treated with gilt edges and the deck is specially packaged in a deluxe display box. While the deck pays tribute to artwork of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance, it celebrates the exploration of tarot and its artistic heritage. Kat Black's interpretation is both welcoming and modern while remaining true to the original traditions of Rider-Waite.

Golden Tarot Deck - Golden Tarot has been collaged completely from artwork of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.

From a time of violence, pestilence and oppression came poignant images of gentle beauty and human frailty.

They speak to me of a truth that is timeless, and hope that flowers even in the darkest conditions. I hope that they also speak to you.

- Kat Black, artist/author of Golden Tarot.

Why don't I use this deck? There's no reason why I should have ignored it all this time. I inherited it from a friend who had decided that the 'craft' wasn't for her... and this is a very witchy deck. However, these cards are not dark in any way. In fact they are light and airy and quited detailed. The nature, and in particular the flower symbolism is prominent throughout.

Some of the Majors have been renamed; for example Death is The Close and Justice is Karma. Not a bad thing, given the heavy Pagan influence. The cards are easily read by anyone with a grounding in the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition. They'd be quite good for beginners too, especially those who are drawn to witchcraft, Druidism and/or Paganism.

As an extra bonus check out the cheeky little bottom peeping out from under the Six of Sword's tunic!

I think I am definitely going to pay more attention to this one and use it in my next reading.

Tarot of the Old Path - A modern approach to what is known as the magical Old Religion, the Craft, or the Old Path of female wisdom.

Tarot Of The Old Path Deck - The magic tarot of female energies and wisdom

The Witches Tarot is one that I have used a lot. Not always an easy read, the cards are, nevertheless, strong and direct in their message. The creators, Ellen Cannon Reed and Martin Cannon, have devised a strange system with the Court Cards whereby a second card is drawn alongside. The Court then modifies the second card. For example say you draw the Queen of Pentacles and then draw oh... the Two of Wands. The Two of Wands, which means following a call to action, making plans and possible delays to those plans, would be modified by the Queen of Pentacles, who is ruler of all things domestic (among other attributes). So one could assume that the plans being set forth are of a down-to-earth and perhaps connected to the home and hearth. Maybe not, but you get the idea.

Frankly, I tend to ignore all that and simply go with what I know about the Court and the surrounding cards.

The cards are a nice size, easy to shuffle and borderless, which makes the artwork even stronger.

My one moan is that one of my favourite cards, the Six of Swords, looks like it has been snaffled from a different deck altogether. It simply does not make any sense to me at all.

Okay, I have another one. The LWB (Little White Book) gives a pretty decent interpretation of each card but, for some reason, the creators have reversed the attributes of Swords and Wands. It is fairly common for Swords to represent Fire and Wands to represent Air... but this is different; Swords still represent Air but the attribute given is action, which is obviously a Fire/Wand ...er... thing. Well, it is to me. YMMV. It is possibly due to the deck incorporating Qabala, about which I know as much as a gnat - not for the lack of reading about it though - it simply doesn't float my boat. I do know that many people are continually attempting to fit the tarot to the Qabala and the general consensus is that it doesn't really work.

Right, my very last gripe (it's my lens, I can have as many as I like) is that the Court Cards are the same people dressed in different colour clothes and set against backgrounds of different seasons. It's not really a downside but I see it as a wasted opportunity to include varying personalities.

It's a good deck, well worth a try. Ignore my moans - you may not feel as picky as I do right now. It might be a moon cycle thing happening :-)

Witches Tarot Deck - This Tarot deck presents the mystical cabbalistic symbolism from a pagan point of view. Changes include a Horned One in place of the traditional Devil, a High Priest instead of the old Hierophant, and a Seeker in place of the Hermit.

The Witches Tarot
(Kit)
(Llewellyn's Modern Witchcraft)
(Bk.2)- The 320-page companion guide to The Witches Tarot included with this kit contains complete divinatory meanings for the cards, and an indispensable list of correspondences for each of the Qabalistic Paths with associated Tarot card, Hebrew letter, colors, astrological attribution, animal, gem, and suggested meditation.

The Witches Tarot kit also includes a large layout sheet for doing the Four Seasons Spread. It can be used anywhere, adding a special touch to your readings. However you choose to tap the unique powers of The Witches Tarot, it will open you to your deepest, intuitive self.

This is a visually stunning deck but limited in its usefulness unless you are into crystals in a big way or have a good reference book. I should imagine if you have then this deck could add a great deal of depth to your readings.

The Tarot of Gemstones and Crystals: 78-Card Deck