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African Tarot: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: The is one of the more interesting decks I use. It was created by Marina Romito, and is distributed by U.S.Games. The cards measure 2.5 x 3.5", come in a corrugated box, are are Rider Waite clones. Even though this deck is small, and really quite amusing, I find that it gives wonderful readings. If you want to see images of this deck, go here: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/african/index.shtml.
Alchemical Tarot: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are not made for reversals.
MJ: When I am asked to give a reading, I usually offer the Querent one of four decks. This is always one of them. At first glance you would tend to dismiss this deck. It doesn’t jump out at you, the graphics are understated, and the colors are muted. This is, however, an illusion. The symbolism draws you into the cards, and the resulting Alpha state allows the needed information to flow through you without hesitation or conflict. I have experienced some of my most profound readings with this deck.
Ancestral Path Tarot : This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: I was pointed to this deck when I complained that all my decks seemed to be of the ‘white bread’ genre. This deck combines Egyptian, American Indian, feudal Japanese, and Arthurian English images. There are Princes/Princesses instead of Pages and Knights. This deck uses staves and sacred circles instead of wands and pentagrams. A truly beautiful and insightful deck.
Aquarian Tarot: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: I revisited this unused deck when I started these descriptions. I don’t know why I haven’t been using this deck! The graphics are beautifully illustrated. It is very easy to hear the messages from this deck. Quiet messages. Love this deck. You should try it. Good for beginners. Highly recommend.
Art Nouveau Tarot: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana are illustrated, kinda. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: Ok, I bought this deck on a whim because I love the stained glass style of the illustrations. But, alas, another white bread deck. Even though it is not supposed to be, the people in the cards have a very modern feel to them. Perhaps that is because human models were used for the illustrations! An ok deck, pretty even, even if some of the minor graphics remind me of Ken and Barbie. I would not recommend it for beginners, as it is a little difficult to read. I do have to say that most of the Majors are incredibly beautiful. I’d frame them. The Minors are pretty lame. Yes, they are illustrated, but not very well, and they really don’t give a good representation of what the cards are suppose to be.
James Mitchell : This deck was given to me by MJ. I like this deck a lot. The Majors and the Court Cards are very life-like in their renderings, and the Minors have a stained glass quality to them.
I think this would be a tough deck for beginners because of the Minors. Each suit depicts the trials of a different couple, which would be good for relationship readings. I think you would have to now the traditional meanings of the cards to use this deck effectively, though.
Bright Idea Deck: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana is fully illustrated. The backs are made for reversals.
James Mitchell: I bought this deck because I liked the artist's (Eric Hotz) cartooning style, and because I had read books by the creator (Mark McElroy). This deck was conceived as a "creative brainstorming tool," and is marketed toward a business/corporate audience. A lot of familiar traditional imagery has been replaced by more business or corporate imagery. There are some esoteric symbols in the pictures, but you have to look for them. The deck is separated into color suits: Red (Wands), Blue (Cups), Yellow (Swords), Green (Pentacles), and Purple (the Major Arcana). The Court Cards are called Approach Cards: Learning (Pages), Doing (Knights), Feeling (Queens), and Controlling (Kings). I would not recommend this deck to anyone looking for something along more traditional Tarot lines. This deck is a departure from that. Even though I like the deck very much, I don't use it that often. I try to use it for the brainstorming process for which it was intended.
Builders of the Adytum Tarot: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are not made for reversals.
MJ: This deck is used for study with the BOTA. It is a black and white Ryder-Waite deck that you color in while studying. Very good course work. This is not a deck that is meant for general readings. For more information on the BOTA you can go to their website: http://www.bota.org/
Celtic Tarot (Llewellyn): This is a 78 card deck. The Minors are illustrated, but confusing. The backs are made for reversals.
Jeff Dull: The four suits are Chalices (Cups), Pentacles with a three armed sign, Wands, and Swords. The artwork is beautiful, but it seems somewhat Nordic vs. Celtic. The Majors are beautiful, but somewhat confusing as some don’t relate to the normal meanings of the cards and the pictures also confuse the issue. It gives great stories in Celtic mythology, but this makes it harder to relate in divination. The LWB is minimal and confusing. It is in several languages.
Destiny Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minors are pips. The backs are not made for reversals.
MJ: I love the Major Arcana. Not so much the Minors. Good for Major Arcana readings though. BIG deck. Really big.
Dragon Tarot, created and illustrated by Peter Pracownik: This is a 78-card deck. The Minors are pips. The backs are made for reversals.
MJ: Until you know the symbolism of the standard tarot cards forward and back do NOT get this deck. I use it very seldom, and when I do the dragons are never nice. I only use it when I absolutely, positively, with no regrets, need to know the absolute, brutal truth. Not for beginners. Nope. Not at all. I still have trouble with my readings, and I tend to write them down and then research the cards. Only then do I go back and read the cards again. Beautiful illustrations. The symbolism is amazing.
Dragon Tarot, by Nigel Suckling. Illustrated by Roger & Linda Garland: This is a 78-card deck. The Minors are pips. The backs are made for reversals.
MJ: James bequeathed me this deck. The Majors and the court cards are absolutely beautiful. Even the Minors are pretty, but they definitely reduce the usefulness of this deck. If I was going to get a tatoo I would use this deck for inspiration.
Crowley Thoth: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana consists of pips. The backs of the cards are not reversible.
James Mitchell: This was my starter deck. A challenging deck to begin with. The emphasis is on astrology and cabbalah. If I were asked to recommend it, I would not. It's not one I really use anymore.
MJ: Challenging yes, but beautiful. One can get lost in the imagery easily. Not recommended for beginners. As a matter of fact, I don’t recommend it for anybody except those ready to spend serious time learning the symbolism of this deck. It’s a lot like learning a new language – only harder!
Egyptian Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are pips. The backs of the cards are not made for reversals.
MJ: Don’t bother.
Fradella Adventure Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
James Mitchell: Another deck I like very much. The deck combines the lore of superheroes (from the iHero Universe) and the tarot. I come from a background of working in the small press comic book world, so this deck is right up my alley. I consider it to be a novelty deck; if you aren't into comic books/superheroes, I wouldn't recommend it.
Gill Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are not made for reversals.
MJ: One of the most amazing decks I have ever encountered. The spread that comes with this deck was presented by Monti in 2003. The illustrations are powerful, the meanings are intense and truthful to a fault. Recommended for intermediate to advanced users. The artwork alone makes this a must have deck.
Goddess Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This is the first deck I owned that moved me in a very powerful way. The cards represent different Goddesses and traditions. Anybody can use this deck, but be prepared to get lost in the graphics. Beautiful, beautiful deck.
Golden Dawn Magical Tarot: This is a 79-card deck. The Minor Arcana are pips. The backs of the cards are not made for reversals.
MJ: This deck was designed around the symbols and traditions of the Golden Dawn magickal system. Not for a beginner, or even an intermediate reader, this deck really is for people interested in this path of study.
Golden Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This was one of those decks that I purchased strictly for the artwork. The write-up states that “it is a compilation of collages from artwork of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance.” The deck is gilded and comes in a beautiful cardboard box that holds the deck and the LWB. Even with using the iconic artwork, the cards reflect the true meaning behind the images. Now that I have it in my hands again I don’t want to put it away. Perhaps it is time to offer this deck as one of the four as it is definitely not meant to hide in the armoire.
Halloween Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
Jeff Dull: The Majors and Minors are pretty much traditional. Pumpkins are Pentacles, Bats are Swords, Ghosts are Cups, and Imps are Wands. This really is a very fun deck to work with. The deck is very non-threatening. I think it would be great for a kids Halloween party. The LWB is very good.
James Mitchell: I got this deck after looking at it from someone else who owns a copy. I was then asked to participate at a ball as a reader around Halloween, so I thought I'd get a copy as a lark to use for the occasion.
This deck has been so much fun to use! I have done some personal readings with great results. Don't let the title fool (no pun intended!) you; this is a deck that you could use daily, not just as a seasonal deck. It follows traditional Rider-Waite imagery, with a Halloween slant. The art is cartoon-like, not dark, creepy, or scary. The suits are renamed Imps (Wands), Bats (Swords), Ghosts (Cups; my personal favorites!), and Pumpkins (Pentacles).
I would recommend this deck to beginners, and to anyone who would like such a deck in his or her collection.
Hanson-Roberts: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This is an easy to use R/W clone with some beautiful illustration. My only problem is with The Magician who looks like a reject from the disco era. Button up the shirt buddy, nobody wants to see your gold chains. I usually give this to new readers if I have an extra deck. I don’t know how I keep getting new copies, but I do. Guess it likes me too!
Herbal Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: Another R/W clone with some interesting herbal illustration. The LWB talks about the properties of each herb, and their astrological correspondences to the cards. This deck would be wonderful for a herbalist.
Housewives Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: If you ever needed a reminder not to take yourself too seriously, this deck will do it! Billed as a Domestic Divination Kit, it looks like a set of recipe cards from the 1950’s. My absolute favorite is The Devil card which is a, well, it’s a devil’s food cake with horns and a looooong pair of legs. This devil is drinking a martini and smoking a cigarette. She is surrounded by images of things that are BAD for you; drugs (a bottle of valium), cigarettes (vice), a bottle of instant coffee (shudder), cheese in a bottle, Spork (canned pretend meat), and a TV dinner! This is absolutely the greatest deck I have ever seen. Try it, you’ll like it!
Hudes Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated, but sometimes not very well. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This is such a melancholy deck. Maybe it’s because the figures all seem to be carrying such a heavy weight. Even cards like the four of wands, which is a wonderful card, seem to lack the energy to have a good time. Celebrations should not be a burden! Intermediate students would be ok with this deck.
Legand: Arthurian Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This is MY deck. It speaks to me the way no other deck has, and that is saying a lot! These are not in the R/W style exactly. The majors are easily recognizable, and are absolutely magickal. The minors are fully illustrated but tell a story different and more complex than the R/W.
While I think this is an acceptable deck for a beginner, I would probably recommend it for more advanced students.
Lord of the Rings Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated, but not in the R/W fashion. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This deck was created using Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. Nice imagery with a quote on the bottom of each card. This is an ok deck, and if you are a LOR geek, a must have. Most people can live without this deck though. I like it, but I don’t use it much. The cards tend to get in the way of the messages.
Medieval Scapini Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are somewhat illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This deck has a very medieval look and feel to it. There are some very major differences between this deck and a standard R/W deck. The Minor Arcana has illustrations, but some of them take a little getting used to. Probably not for a beginner, but a very wonderful deck to use.
Miss Cleo's Tarot Power: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: Yes, Miss Cleo. Pretty basic imagery. Nothing special at all about this deck, but ok for a beginner I guess.
Morgan-Greer Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This is the deck that travels with me. While this follows the basic imagery of a R/W deck, the graphics, colors, and overall feel of this deck that draws one into the cards. Bill Greer studied the symbolism of the colors in The Original Rider Waite Tarot, and has incorporated that symbolism into this deck. Excellent for beginners and advanced students.
Mythic Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are not made for reversals.
MJ: This deck is based on ancient Greek mythology. Not a bad deck, but sometimes I get a little confused as to what a card is suppose to be. Not really standard R/W style. Intermediate users.
New Century Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated somewhat, but I would still consider them pips. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: I was disappointed. An okay deck, but probably not for beginners.
Nigel Jackson Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: Minor variations on the R/W style in the Minor Arcana.. Absolutely wonderful imagery. Big deck. Based on the Pythagorean theory and Numerology, but it does not overwhelm the images. Good for beginners so long as they don’t get lost in the symbolism, and they understand the differences in this deck. Well, maybe for those who can remember what the Minors are suppose to be because it does get a little confusing.
Original Rider-Waite Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: I like this deck. The coloring of it is supposed to be closer to what the original drawings of the Rider-Waite deck looked like. The plates for the original Rider-Waite deck were destroyed supposedly to make munitions during WWII.
Pagan Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are not made for reversals.
James Mitchell: As the title of the deck
suggests, this deck is about the spiritual and religious journey of a young
Wiccan woman. It carries a lot of symbolism of the Pagan and Wiccan paths.
I am not Pagan or Wiccan, but when I saw the box, I just had to have
this deck. I called out to me, and this was without seeing any of the cards
inside!
The artwork in this deck is stunning. Some of the cards are illustrated differently than the Rider-Waite (my personal favorites are Judgment, the Devil, and the 7 of Cups), so it might help to know the more traditional interpretations first. For me, the only drawback to this deck is the backing of the cards. I like to use reversals, and it's too obvious when a card is in reverse; I like the "surprise" element of a reversed card. Aside from that, I would definitely recommend this deck.
Revelations Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This is another deck that I had to have once James showed it to me. It is one of the four decks that I offer to Querents when I do a reading. Not only are the graphics well done, but they actually show a reverse image of the graphic. For example, The Queen of Wands upright shows a queen with the strength to make informed decisions. He words and actions are true and without guile. In reverse this queen is looking to make major mischief. You can’t trust anything she says because she only wants to create havoc. A very well done deck.
Rider-Waite: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
James Mitchell: This is the one almost always recommended as a starter deck; I have done so myself to others. I got this deck to use exclusively to read for others.
MJ: I used this deck back in the 80’s, but it was destroyed. I picked it up again several years later but quickly realized why I didn’t care for it. The colors are very bright primary colors, and I always feel that they are yelling at me. Maybe my ‘psychic’ ears are just sensitive, but I moved on to a much quieter deck soon after and gave this deck away. The deck most people recognize and is usually the first deck novices use.
Robin Wood: This deck consists of 78 cards. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
James Mitchell: This is my personal favorite deck; I absolutely adore it! The artwork is striking; it consists of a lot of Celtic and Pagan imagery. It is a variation of the Rider-Waite deck. I would definitely recommend this deck!
Jeff Dull: The Robin Wood tarot deck is
a standard tarot deck based on the Rider Waite format, (referred to from now on
as RWC, Rider Waite Clones) with reversible backs of a Celtic knot work design.
The artwork is what makes this deck stand out from other RWC's . Many of the
cards stand out but here are some examples, the ten of cups has the joyful
family but they are facing you not the rainbow that surrounds them. The nine of
cups reminds me of several bartenders I know (party hearty), and the seven of
cups reminds me of a young girl I know who is dreaming her life away.
The Lovers card is a good example of deeper meanings with all the
symbols, from the tree of life in the background, to the sun and moon in the
lovers hands. The Devil is a true break from tradition with its treasure chest
trap a true symbol of the devil. The two of swords is another one with a really
deep meaning - a dark decision based on blind faith. The High Priestess is very
beautiful woman in a moon lit forest. Her counterpart, the Magician, is the
opposite, with his light coming from two candles.
There are two
companion books that use the Robin Wood Tarot. One is the one written by Robin
Wood, and while it gives great insight to the symbols and meanings behind the
deck, (plus an artist's insight into what all goes into producing a tarot
deck), it is kind of light on the meanings of the cards. Also, like many tarot
readers, she does not read reversals, and as such gives no reversed meanings.
But it does explain the rules for Tarocchi and gives some insight into ethics.
A more in depth book for getting the meaning of the cards, (I had this
book before I got the deck of cards), is "Tarot Plain and Simple" by Anthony
Louis. This book goes very in depth on meanings. Each card has three sections ,
key words and phrases, situation and advice, and people - for both upright and
reversed positions. This book is also good for most other RWC's.
Overall the Robin Wood tarot is one of my favorite decks and one I come
back to time after time. I would recommend for new readers as well as
experienced readers.
Spiral Tarot:This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: Absolutely beautiful. Wonderful imagery and illustrations. Beginners and up.
Tarot of Durer: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana is illustrated. The backs of the cards aren't made for reversals, but it's subtle to attempt them, if you wanted.
James Mitchell: This is another deck I absolutely adore! It's got a wicked sense of humor! The deck is modeled after the work of the German engraver Albrecht Durer. The Minors have an animal throughout each suit: There's a lion in the Wands; a dove in the Cups, a fox in the Swords; and an eagle in the Pentacles. Some of the cards may be a bit of the shock, especially the Fool and the Queen of Pentacles. I have shown the deck to people, who were turned off by those cards. Also, there are some violent images in the suit of Wands that might also be off-putting.
This might be a deck that could be a bit of a challenge for a beginner.
Tarot of a Moon Garden: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are pips. The backs are made for reversals.
MJ: This is a beautiful deck that at first glance looks like a happy, happy, joy, joy deck. Ha! Don’t let it fool you, those fairys bite! You must know the Minor Arcana inside and out to use this deck.
The Original Rider Waite Tarot Pack: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs are made for reversals.
MJ: Most people are familiar with the Rider-Waite deck, and would be surprised to know that this is a clone of the original. Actually, this deck is also a clone as the original print plates for the Rider Waite were destroyed during the London Blitz of 1940. These graphics were taken from notes from A.E. Waites, and follow what is believed to be his personal preferences. The colors are muted, with an almost brown hue to the sky which lead some to believe that it is really a pieced together version of the designs by Pamela Colman Smith with the original Tudor Rose back design, The set contains Celtic Cross divinatory chart, and The Key to the Tarot book by Arthur Edward Waite. NOTE: There are two sets of this deck available. If you can, get the set in the largerblue box from U.S. Games. This has the words, "The Original Rider Waite Tarot Pack" on the left, and Temperance on the right. This is a highter quality printing.
Universal Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
James Mitchell: This is another variation of the Rider-Waite deck. Much of the symbolism is true to the Rider-Waite, just drawn in a different style. I got it because I am drawn to its artwork. I would recommend this deck.
Universal Waite: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
James Mitchell: This deck is just like the Rider-Waite, except for the coloring; it is much softer compared to the stark, primary coloring of the Rider-Waite. I would recommend this deck.
MJ:This is the deck I turned to after I gave away my Rider-Waite deck. Muted colors, easy to read. I usually give this and the Hanson–Roberts deck to new readers.
Witches Tarot: {by Ellen and Martin Cannon} This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated, but not in the normal R/W fashion. The backs of the cards are a Pentacle, not made for reversals.
MJ: Lots of Nekidness going on here. Very modern, which I didn’t expect. Confusing imagery. Fun to play with, not so much fun to read with. Not for beginners unless you just like looking at naked people.
World Spirit Tarot: This is a 78-card deck. The Minor Arcana are illustrated. The backs of the cards are made for reversals.
MJ: This is another deck that I like because it is not a white bread deck. The people are of various backgrounds and colors. This is a very interesting deck. It makes me happy just to see it. There is one variation; the King, Queen, Knight, and Page are now Sage, Sibyl, Seeker, and Seer. This deck can be used by anybody with great results. Highly recommend!
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