Type of Cards??

[Krysta]

There are so many types of Tarot Cards, I am a beginner and would love to make my own deck of cards. Could someone possibly add a link or some information on which card is better to use for a beginner and why. Thankyou
Krysta

[IvyWitch]

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but if you're just starting out I would suggest you begin with a traditional Waite or Waite variation deck. Preferably something that doesn't have images or names that does not veer too far from the original. I would suggest starting with Universal Waite, the Robin Wood or even the Old Path tarot if you're feeling adventerous.
Asfar as making your own deck...until you're familiar with the meanings and imagery of the cards, creating your own may not be a good idea. Tarot is lot more than just associating the names of the cards with keywords - the images on the cards are very important.

HTH! ^__^

[Dagda Moon~Lily]

Well said!

You will want to choose a deck that really speaks to you, or draws you to it. Here is a link that will let you look at several cards from different decks. Once you get a feel for what is out there, you can decide which to buy!

www.aeclectic.net/tarot

Happy shopping!

[hedgecub]

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but if you're just starting out I would suggest you begin with a traditional Waite or Waite variation deck. Preferably something that doesn't have images or names that does not veer too far from the original. I would suggest starting with Universal Waite, the Robin Wood or even the Old Path tarot if you're feeling adventerous.

I'd definitely second this opinion.
Most books and online tutorials are geared towards the Rider-Waite deck, so it's best to start with that deck or one of its clones. That way you have access to the widest range of beginners' information.
The original Rider-Waite deck is, how shall I put it, visually unappealing. The Universal Waite is a recolouring of the deck that is much nicer to look at, so if you want to go for a standard deck that's also nice to look at, I'd definitely recommend that to you.
The Robin Wood is my favourite deck for readings. Its artwork is imo absolutely gorgeous, and while it's occasionally quite Wiccan, it's also easily read by a non-Wiccan, and the imagery is very similar to that of the Rider-Waite so it's also compatible with a lot of the beginners' books and online tutorials that are out there.
Another good deck for beginners is the Hanson-Roberts. The pictures are very similar to those in the Rider-Waite, but the artwork is nicer to look at. The illustrations are reminiscent of those in a book of fairytales :)

A couple good online tutorials are here:
http://www.learntarot.com/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/


And I would agree that creating your own deck is best left until you know the tarot well and have spent a lot of time reading and meditating on the cards.

[IvyWitch]

I'd definitely second this opinion.
Most books and online tutorials are geared towards the Rider-Waite deck, so it's best to start with that deck or one of its clones. That way you have access to the widest range of beginners' information.
The original Rider-Waite deck is, how shall I put it, visually unappealing. The Universal Waite is a recolouring of the deck that is much nicer to look at, so if you want to go for a standard deck that's also nice to look at, I'd definitely recommend that to you.
The Robin Wood is my favourite deck for readings. Its artwork is imo absolutely gorgeous, and while it's occasionally quite Wiccan, it's also easily read by a non-Wiccan, and the imagery is very similar to that of the Rider-Waite so it's also compatible with a lot of the beginners' books and online tutorials that are out there.
Another good deck for beginners is the Hanson-Roberts. The pictures are very similar to those in the Rider-Waite, but the artwork is nicer to look at. The illustrations are reminiscent of those in a book of fairytales :)

A couple good online tutorials are here:
http://www.learntarot.com/
http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/


And I would agree that creating your own deck is best left until you know the tarot well and have spent a lot of time reading and meditating on the cards.

Man I keep forgetting about the Hanson-Roberts. lol That's an excellent deck too.

[LisaT4P]

I think that starting out by making your own deck is a good idea! :thumbsup:

What better way to really learn the meaning of each card? I would certainly suggest that you read as much as you can about the tarot (there are many really good books out there), and also study different types of decks (Waite, Thoth, Marseilles) to get a feel for which style you prefer, but I see no reason at all not to just jump right in and start creating!

Probably the easiest place to start is with the Majors, there are only (only!) 22 of them and they will give you a better feel for "your" deck. Then you can begin researching each suit and creating the cards for it. There are so many different approaches to take with the minors! You could associate them with different cultures, seasons, etc.

At the end of your project you'll have a really good understanding of tarot, and of yourself becuase of all you've learned from the creation process! Dagda gavie you the link to Aeclectic.net and there is a good forum over there that has a section for deck creators, in case you'd like to see what others are doing, and for general support.

Good luck!
Lisa :)

[Krysta]

I am researching as much as I can on the internet and am going to shop online for a book on Tarot. Thank everyone for they're reply's.

[mucgwyrt]

The crowley deck (called Thoth?) is also a good, widely used deck. Much prettier than Waite. I began with that one :)