How to Choose a Tarot Deck: What to Look For (and What to Avoid)

There are a staggering number of Tarot decks out there, and trying to pick one can feel utterly overwhelming. If you’re just starting out here are the things I look for when selecting a deck, along with a few of my favorite recommendations for beginners.

Look for Art That Speaks to You

This sounds obvious, but it matters more than people think. It does absolutely no good to pick a deck you dislike just because someone on the Internet said it was good. If the imagery puts you off, you won’t want to interact with the cards, and the whole point is interaction.

Case in point: even though I learned on the Rider-Waite-Smith system, for years I never owned an RWS deck. The yellow used on The Fool and other cards felt like an aggressive assault to my eyes, and the complexions of the figures all had a vaguely jaundiced look. I couldn’t stand it! I didn’t realize that the lurid colors I was used to seeing weren’t Pamela Colman Smith’s original palette but an “enhanced” version from the 1970s.

Then I stumbled on a restored edition that reverted to the original colors. The yellow is still there as an important color symbol, but it’s softened to a buttery tone that doesn’t bring back the ghost of 70s décor. That Smith-Waite deck has become one of my all-time favorites.

All of which is to say: look for some genuine appeal that draws you in. If you don’t enjoy looking at the cards, the deck will gather dust.

Look at the Background of the Artist

There’s a surprising number of creators who decide to make a Tarot deck for fun or because it seems interesting, do some cursory research, and then self-publish without spending sufficient time learning what Tarot actually is. When you splurge on a self-published deck, you run the risk of buying a beautiful stack of cardboard that wears the names of the cards but lacks actual grounding in the Tarot system.

That’s not to say all self-published decks or Kickstarter decks are like that. I've seen some amazing decks available through non-traditional routes, but I’ve also slapped a pretty penny down a few times only to discover that a deck was not what I hoped it would be.

Decks published by one of the major Tarot publishers—Llewellyn, Lo Scarabeo, U.S. Games—give you a somewhat better chance of getting a vetted creator. But even then, you might run into situations where an artist lacked a background in Tarot and was selected for a specific desirable style. Checking the bio of the artist should tell you whether they have any real grounding in Tarot themselves.

Avoid Themed Fandom Decks (Unless You’re Collecting for that Fandom)

There are Tarot decks based on Taylor Swift, David Bowie, Lord of the Rings, The Dark Crystal, Jane Austen, and any number of other pop-culture references. If you’re a superfan, these might be a fun addition to a collection. But for studying or for readings, they’re unlikely to serve you well.

The problem is that themed decks are trying to combine Tarot with another story or icon, and something has to give. They’re more likely to drop important elements from a card or force-fit an ill-suited character into a position just to maintain the theme, adding confusion between the referenced fandom and the Tarot system.

They’re also more likely to skimp on illustrating all the cards, leaving the pip cards of each suit as generic designs rather than full scenes.

Unillustrated pips are those that look generic like playing cards and make for very difficult learning through memorization.

Find a Way to View the Cards Before Buying

This might be the most important tip I can offer on buying a deck, though it’s also the one that becomes most useful as your familiarity with Tarot grows.

Stores that primarily sell Tarot decks will often have a demo version available for each deck they carry. This is the best way to get a sneak peek. You can see the imagery of each card and feel the size and texture of the deck before you commit.

A few practical things to look for:

•        A size that’s comfortable for your handspan and allows shuffling without too much difficulty.

•        Traditional rectangular shape. Novelty shapes are often more frustrating than fun.

•        Good quality card stock—not flimsy, and a coating that is neither too sticky nor too slippery.

•        If you want to work with reversals, a symmetrical back design so you can’t tell whether a card is upright or reversed when shuffling.

Symmetrical back design, traditional size, and appropriate coating for shuffling are important for usability. Photo by Dave Garcia.

If you can’t find a physical demo deck, the next best option is viewing the cards online. Some artists put every card on their website, but at the very least you should be able to find sample selections from a publisher’s or retailer’s listing. If you can’t view the entire deck, look for samples from all three sections: Major Arcana, Minor Arcana pips (cards numbered 1–10 for each suit), and Court Cards.

Some decks, like Tarot de Marseille, only feature illustrations on the Major Arcana and Court Cards while the pips look more generic, like a playing card. For starting out, you’ll want a deck where all the cards are fully illustrated. Without illustrated pips, you’re looking at a lot of memorization to make the pips useful.

My Quick Test for Tarot Deck Quality

Once you know enough about the Tarot system, you can check specific cards as a quick litmus test for a deck’s depth and nuance. I go into more detail in my course about why these cards are important to me, but here are the cards I frequently look at when considering a new deck:

•        The Lovers: Does it maintain a choice element? I vehemently resist the reduction of the Lovers to “falling in love.” It’s a card of tension where desire demands choice and is in dialogue with other cards about desire such as the Devil. You’re looking for a card that depicts themes of choice, temptation, and conflict with options along with desire.

•        The Empress: Is she depicted with power beyond procreation? A pregnant Empress is almost a deal-breaker for me—something I explain more in my course.

•        Death: If there isn’t something hinting towards transformation or rebirth, the artist probably only knows it on a surface level. •        The Chariot: Is the vehicle drawn by two animals or just one? If it doesn't feature animals, is there something else that points to potential conflict and potential cooperation?

•        The Court Cards: Are there symbolic elements that tell you something about their personalities and functions? There’s nothing worse than generic Court Cards. These cards are some of the hardest to read well, and every little bit of character helps.

•        Celestial cards (Sun, Moon, Star): Despite the name, these are not literally about the celestial bodies but phases of a process. If all you get is a sun, moon, or star, don't buy the deck.

Five Beginner-Friendly Decks I Recommend

Below are my five recommendations for beginner-friendly decks. The first two are directly using Pamela Colman Smith's art, while the last three provide slightly different artistic styles for those who still don't vibe with Smith's artwork itself, color palette aside.

1.     Smith-Waite Tarot by Pamela Colman Smith. There’s no better way to learn than with Smith’s art, and this deck restores the original coloring and the artist’s name to where they should be. I offer a special edition of this deck featuring additional cards portraying Smith's other artwork as an add-on when you enroll in my course, More Than a Fool’s Errand.

2.     Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot. This is Smith’s artwork, re-lined and recolored by Virginijus Poshkus to create more depth. He manages to make many of the cards look like they’re glowing and adds a goldenrod overtone to the yellow that makes it warmer, though it’s still pretty bright.

3.     The Steampunk Tarot by Aly Fell and Barbara Moore. This deck closely aligns with the Smith deck, often alluding to Smith’s original work, but with fantastical corsets, gears, and blimps. The book is excellent, the artwork is detailed, and some of the cards are standouts—particularly the Hierophant, The Devil, and the Court Cards (this deck might have my favorite Court Cards of any deck I own).

4.     Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg by Yury Shakov. Featuring the famous Palekh art style from a Russian artist commissioned by the chairman of U.S. Games, this deck is stunning and incredibly detailed...and painted to size! Shakov remains true to Tarot symbolism while adding an iconic Russian flavor. It passes my card check and then some...and gets bonus points for being easy to shuffle for small hands.

5.    Tarot of the Golden Wheel by Mila Losenko. Another deck with a Slavic twist, this is a gorgeous watercolor deck with vibrant pictures. Of the decks I’ve listed, this one differs the most from RWS but always remains true to the essence of the cards. Losenko infuses allusions to Russian and Ukrainian fairytales and folklore throughout, creating an interesting opportunity to amplify the cards by reading up on Slavic tales. I particularly appreciate her take on the Wheel of Fortune, Two of Wands, and the Hierophant.

And for the advanced Tarotist, I give an honorable mention to Forest of Enchantment Tarot by Lunaea Weatherstone and Maraylah Allwood. This is a gorgeous deck, but it renames some cards and incorporates a lot of elements that require additional amplification to get a full experience of its nuance, making it harder as a starter deck but an excellent challenge for those with a strong foundation. This is one of my favorite decks to read with when I want to let imagination, folklore and fairytales, and herbal tradition lead the way.

Ready for a Deeper Dive?

If studying Tarot on your own has sparked something and you’re ready for more structure and depth, my course More Than a Fool’s Errand: Tarot’s Gateway to the Soul is an interactive learning experience and an initiation into the language of Tarot. You’ll immerse yourself in the iconography of one of the most used and influential Tarot decks in history, learn Tarot lore and tradition alongside its psychological underpinnings, and explore curated recommendations for supplementary resources, personal reflection, and experiential engagement.

With completion of the course, you’ll have the ability to use Tarot as a gateway to your own depths and to recognize when the archetypal motifs you’ve learned about show up in your life. You might find yourself spontaneously thinking “Oh, here’s a Tower moment” or “I need the King of Swords approach to this”—expanding Tarot’s use beyond drawing a card or laying out a spread for a specific question.

You can also check out my other post on how to deepen your relationship with Tarot symbolism on your own here.

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