20 Best Tarot Card Decks for Beginners Looking to Channel Their Spiritual Side

Become your own psychic (kind of.)

During uncertain times, many of us have often wished that we had some way of knowing how things in life will turn out—or at the very least, perhaps some spiritual guidance as—to paraphrase Robert Frost—we find our way out through the situation. For centuries, people have used tarot cards for divination, reading the cards like a storybook to provide guidance for self-improvement and decision-making.

Tarot dates back to the early 14th century when wealthy European families used the decks to play tarocci, a parlour game similar to modern-day bridge. According to Bicycle Cards, in the late 1700s, Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Alliette (under the pseudonym Etteilla) wrote a guide to using the cards as a tool for divination, and Etteilla’s work in tarot reading took off. The practice became even more widespread in the early 20th century when the Rider company collaborated with mystic and poet Arthur E. Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith on an updated tarot system. First published in 1909, more than 100 million copies of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (sometimes called the Waite-Smith, Rider-Waite, or simply the Rider deck) are in circulation in more than 20 countries. The widely popular deck has inspired hundreds of other designs and is the basis for many tarot reading approaches used today.

If you are a novice interested in learning the tarot, selecting a deck can seem like a daunting task—there are hundreds to choose from! Here, with the help of tarot reader Wille from A Little Spark Of Joy, we’ve tried to explain how tarot can be useful in your day-to-day life, what to look for in selecting a deck, and which tarot sets are the best for beginning readers.

What Are Tarot Cards?

While tarot cards won’t exactly predict the future for you, they can help you make more meaningful decisions and think out your choices in a different way. “Tarot cards can help you in the way you perceive and deal with the changes in your life,” explains Wille. “They can serve as a tool for self-exploration, transformation, and personal growth.”

How Many Tarot Cards Are in a Deck?

The traditional tarot deck—based on the RWS system—features 78 cards broken into two groups: 22 cards make up the Major Arcana and the other 56 are the Minor Arcana. “The Major Arcana cards typically refer to major influences and often represent the big archetypal themes that are influencing your life and your soul’s journey to enlightenment,” explains Wille. “The Minor Arcana cards, by contrast, reflect day-to-day events and can give more context and detail to the Major Arcana cards.”

The Major Arcana cards are numbered 0 to 21, while the Minor Arcana is divided into 4 suits: wands, pentacles, cups, and swords. “Starting with the Ace, the cards go up from 2 to 10, then closing with four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen, and lastly, the King,” notes Wille. “Each of the suits has a ruling element—water, earth, air, or fire—corresponding to specific areas in life. It's important to consider these elements and areas when working with the Minor Arcana cards, making it much easier for an intuitive reading to happen. After a bit of practice of course!”

Can Tarot Cards Predict Your Future?

Most often, people go to a tarot reader with a specific question in mind, like when will they find love, or will they get hired for a new position. “While the cards won’t give a specific answer, like ‘You’ll meet your future partner on New Year’s Eve,” they can give you great insights into past, current, and future events based on your current path at the time of the reading,” notes Wille. “The cards will determine the best course of action based on what is known and what the cards show.”

“For me,” Wille continues, “tarot is also a valuable form of meditation and reflection on the present moment. It can help me to understand what I need to do in a particular situation and enables me to connect with your inner wisdom.”

Related: An Introduction to Tantra and Chakras

How Do I Choose a Tarot Deck?

Selecting your first tarot deck can be an overwhelming process, simply because there are so many on the market! But Wille says that a good rule of thumb is to find a set that resonates with you. “Like choosing a partner, selecting a tarot deck is all about personal connection!” she shares. “Just as you wouldn’t pick your wedding dress, husband, home, or vehicle based on someone else’s opinion, the same is true of the cards. You are the one who will be using your cards day in and day out, so you’ll want to choose based on your intuition, artistic eye, and other personal preferences while still considering things like sizing and quality.”

So, are you ready to get in touch with your higher self? Then read on for some of the best tarot card sets for novice readers!

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20 Best Tarot Card Decks for Beginners

1. Spirit Speak Tarot, $43 at Etsy

The traditional RWS tarot deck is reimagined with amazing black and white folk art in this beautiful set from artist Mary Elizabeth Evans. The meaning behind each hand-drawn image is easy to interpret, and Evans provides a pamphlet to explain each card, making the Spirit Speak Tarot set simple to use for even first-time readers. Spirit Speak Tarot, $43 at Etsy

2. Rider-Smith-Waite Tarot, $22 at Amazon

You can’t go wrong with the OG deck that set the standard for most of today’s more modern tarot cards. Featuring the iconic hand-drawn images of artist Pamela Colman Smith, the brightly-colored Rider-Smith-Waite cards depict full scenes with both figures and symbols—allowing the reader to easily interpret the cards’ meanings. Rider-Smith-Waite Tarot, $22 at Amazon

3. Tarot for Kids, $19 at Amazon

Your tween will love learning how to set goals and learn to rely on their own instincts with this Tarot for Kids set specifically designed by Theresa Reed for readers 8 and up. The beautiful cards are based on the traditional tarot deck, with some age-appropriate modifications like “change” instead of the death card, and “friends” rather than the lover's card. Tarot for Kids, $19 at Amazon

4. Everyday Tarot Mini Deck, $13 at Amazon

From renowned reader Brigit Esselmont, the founder of BiddyTarot.com, comes the Everyday Tarot mini deck of cards. Approximately the size of a deck of playing cards, this cheap-priced set is easily portable for take-along readings and features eye-catching bold designs in regal gold and purple color scheme. The tarot deck and helpful guidebook are compactly stored in the included box. Everyday Tarot Mini Deck, $13 at Amazon

5. Llewellyn’s Classic Tarot, $32 at Amazon

Based on the traditional illustrations of the Rider-Waite system, the Llewellyn Classic Tarot by Barbara Moore features romantic, watercolor artwork, exceptionally detailed in each card’s meaning. The illustrations also include the written meaning of each card’s name rather than the Roman numeral of the traditional deck, while the accompanying book thoroughly explains each symbol for readers just starting out. Llewellyn Classic Tarot, $32 at Amazon

6. OK Tarot, $22 at Amazon

With simple black illustrations on calming pink cards, the OK Tarot kit by artist Adam J. Kurtz features the most basic keywords and pictures—perfect for the beginner who may be struggling to intuitively read the classic symbolism of a more traditional tarot set. OK Tarot, $22 at Amazon

7. The Modern Way Tarot Card Deck, $25 at Amazon

Though based on the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck, these cards are simple and vibrant, making them easy to interpret without getting too caught up in the details. The accompanying booklet is the exact same way, making this deck an even more obvious choice for beginnings. The Modern Way Tarot Card Deck, $25 at Amazon

Related: The Benefits of Meditation

8. Easy Tarot, $20 at Amazon

Designed especially with beginners in mind, the Easy Tarot kit includes the traditional 78-card deck of cards and The Easy Tarot Handbook by experienced reader Josephine Ellershaw. The vibrant artwork on the beautiful cards is eye-catching, while the informative guidebook will help even a first-time reader understand the process. Easy Tarot, $20 at Amazon

9. The Good Tarot, $25 at Amazon

The Good Tarot by Colette Baron-Reid takes replaces the medieval, dark connotation of tarot reading with a modern and unique focus on transformation and personal growth. Unlike a traditional deck, these cards feature dreamy, magical-like images accompanied with messages that are all positive affirmations written in the present tense. If you are looking for love and light in your tarot readings, you’ll love The Good Tarot! The Good Tarot, $25 at Amazon

10. Cat Tarot, $20 at Urban Outfitters

Purr-fect for the cat lover! With Cat Tarot by Megan Lynn Knott, the traditional deck gets a tailed twist in this feline-themed set. High-quality tarot cards are beautifully illustrated with vibrant depictions of cats, while a detailed guidebook assists beginners in reading the deck.
Cat Tarot, $20 at Urban Outfitters

11. Good Karma Tarot, $25 at Amazon

Good Karma Tarot is an ideal deck for beginning readers looking for personal guidance at a crossroads in life. With cheerful, inclusive images reminiscent of pictures from children’s books, the Good Karma cards shuck the doom and gloom feeling of traditional tarot and give off vibes of kindness and light. Good Karma Tarot, $25 at Amazon

12. Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot, $20 at Amazon

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the original RWS deck’s publication, the Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot was issued in 2009 as part of a commemorative collection honoring the work of Smith. The pocket-sized Centennial deck comes in a sleek green tin and features beautiful, faithful reproductions of Smith’s detailed illustrations in muted sepia tones rather than the original deck’s bright primary colors. Smith-Wait Centennial Tarot, $20 at Amazon

13. True Heart Intuitive Tarot, $30 at Amazon

From actress Rachel True—you may remember her as aspiring witch Rochelle in the 1996 supernatural teen cult movie The Craft—comes the True Heart Intuitive Tarot. With her deck and guidebook, True helps readers use the cards with an intuitive approach, understanding that different cards can mean different things to different users, rather than memorizing an assigned definition of each card. True Heart Intuitive Tarot, $30 at Amazon

14. The Robin Wood Tarot, $24 at Amazon

With vibrant illustrations (with the feel of colored-pencil drawings) by artist Robin Wood, this tarot set is another popular deck amongst beginning readers. Drawing upon the energy of nature, The Robin Wood Tarot provides descriptive images clearly explaining each card’s meaning for an intuitive, easy read. The Robin Wood Tarot, $24 at Amazon

15. Morgan Greer Tarot, $22 at Amazon

Based on the RWS system, the Morgan Greer deck featues bold, evocative artwork in saturated primary colors with groovy images straight out of the 1970s. The borderless design of the cards makes interpreting them simple, and when laid out together in a spread, they create a beautiful bigger picture. Morgan Greer Tarot, $22 at Amazon

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16. Beginner’s Guide to Tarot, $25 at Amazon

In the Beginner's Guide to Tarot, expert reader Juliet Sharman-Burke guides novices through the intricacies of tarot with a fully illustrated guidebook and accompanying deck. The cards themselves feature beautifully simple images in bright colors that one reviewer says “actually speak to your intuition” and are easy to read. Beginner's Guide to Tarot, $25 at Amazon

17. Revelations Tarot, $30 at Amazon

Modern and colorful stained-glass images adorn the cards in the Revelations Tarot set from Zach Wong. The cards in this set align with the traditional RWS interpretations, but Wong also includes an upside-down illustration on the bottom of each card so that beginning readers can see the inverted images upright while doing a reverse reading!
Revelations Tarot, $30 at Amazon

18. The Wild Unknown Tarot Kit, $40 at Amazon

There is some debate about whether The Wild Unknown deck by Kim Krans is a suitable set for novice readers. Krans’ beautiful hand-drawn ink and watercolor images of the animal kingdom and the natural world are striking in their simplicity, and the deck is wildly popular among a new generation of tarot readers. While the meanings of the Wild Unknown cards are the same as traditional RWS decks, these images rely heavily on animal symbolism, so using this set may prove harder for some to learn tarot. The Wild Unknown Tarot Kit, $40 at Amazon

19. Hanson-Roberts Tarot, $22 at Amazon

In her detailed drawings, Mary Hanson-Roberts faithfully follows the symbolism of the RWS system, allowing readers to intuitively understand the depictions without memorizing all of the cards’ meanings. One reviewer raves that the “engaging” artwork of the Hanson-Roberts Tarot offers a “modern take” on the classical tarot images. Hanson-Roberts Tarot, $22 at Amazon

20. MagicSeer Large Tarot Deck, $16 at Amazon

The MagicSeer Large Tarot Deck features the classic RWS artwork, but some reviewers have criticized the quality of the reproduction of the images. But the deck’s oversized cards make shuffling and handling an easier feat for newcomers and those with smaller hands while the borderless format provides a more immersive reading of the depictions. MagicSeer Large Tarot Deck, $16 at Amazon

Next, check out these free printable goal-setting worksheets.

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