Which Tarot Deck should I buy?

In this entry I want to address the question "What tarot deck should I buy?"

Note that I say "buy". It is perfectly acceptable to buy your own deck(s). I say this because I have heard many times that the first deck should be "given" as a present, never bought.

Well, this is a cute tradition and I encourage any Pagan moms to give their own sons and daughters tarot decks at the time of rituals for entering adulthood (note: entering adulthood is not the same as being a fully functioning adults, but this belongs to another post), but it is not mandatory to receive your first deck as a gift. You and your deck will have to build your own relationship whether this deck is given or bought.

So let's assume your mom is not fond of the gypsy ways and you are very much into symbolism, subconscious, and open to messages from your guardian angel/higher self.

At this point comes the question: Which Tarot Deck should I buy?

If you have googled a minimum you will see that there are countless tarot decks and oracle cards. Oracle cards are not the same as tarot decks.

Tarot decks have a long story of symbolism back to medieval Europe with some people say they go back to Egypt but there is no evidence supporting this theory. Oracle cards on the other hand have no restriction on the number of cards and type of character present on them.

I must say I am biased to tarot cards. Most oracle decks I have seen are too fluffy for my taste, that is, are unbalanced in the positive and negative aspects with a very high number of only "positive" and "feel good cards". This is not my cup of tea and sounds like spiritual bypassing.

Having made that different clear, among all available decks my favorite has to be the Rider Waite (RW). This is an all time favorite and I recommend it through and through for beginners, for meditation, for magic, for solo readings, for advanced readings, etc. The symbolism in each card is incredibly rick and at the same time you are not distracted by meaningless content. Everything that needs to be said about the card is there.

I am not a tarot deck collector. I own three decks and and the RW has been my to-go deck since I first bought it 10 years ago. My first deck was called “El Grand Tarot Esoterico” and I bought it because I desperately wanted a deck and it was the only one available at the shop. It didn't resonate with me at the time so I kept looking until I found a proper RW deck. The third deck is a “Thot Tarot” designed by occultist Aleister Crowley. I don't like it and don't use it.

TL;DR If you're thinking of buying a tarot deck, get a Rider Waite. This deck will stay with you from beginner to advanced. Here I leave the (associated) link

MandAlimited Classic Tarot Cards Deck with - a Modern Touch