Tarot decks worth owning

The site gives you every card meaning for free. If you want to hold the cards, these are the decks and books we would start with, and why.

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Decks

• Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck

  by Pamela Colman Smith and Arthur Edward Waite, published by U.S. Games Systems

  The deck most guidebooks, and this site, take as the standard. Every minor card has a scene on it, which is why it is easier to learn from than decks with only suit symbols.

  Good for: Learning the cards

• The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck and Guidebook

  by Kim Krans

  An animal and nature deck with spare, black-lined artwork. Its structure follows the traditional 78 cards, so what you learn here carries over.

  Good for: A modern deck once you know the basics

• Modern Witch Tarot Deck

  by Lisa Sterle

  The Rider-Waite-Smith scenes redrawn with a contemporary cast. If you already know the traditional images, you can read it without a guidebook.

  Good for: Readers who like the classic layout in a contemporary style

Guidebooks

• Learning the Tarot

  by Joan Bunning

  A beginner’s course built round practice readings rather than memorising card lists.

  Good for: Complete beginners

• Tarot for Your Self

  by Mary K. Greer

  A workbook that treats tarot as a way of reflecting on your own life, with exercises after each section.

  Good for: Reading for yourself

• 78 Degrees of Wisdom

  by Rachel Pollack

  A long, literate commentary on every card and its history, for readers who want to know why a card means what it does.

  Good for: Going deeper

• The Biddy Tarot Handbook

  by Brigit Esselmont

  A short practical guide to doing readings for yourself and other people, with spreads and reading routines.

  Good for: Reading for other people