Melissa Cynova Hey, there!
If you grew up in a place like I did, tarot decks were scarce. I saw my first one at 14, and didn’t see another until college. There was no internet (gasp!) til I was in my twenties and I wasn’t a part of the tarot community until about 6 years ago.
Now, there seems to be the opposite problem – decks are everywhere!
It can be a bit overwhelming, for sure, especially when you’re a beginner.
Here are some deck-hunting resources that you might enjoy.
- In Person sources! Go to your local bookstore and new age hippie stores. Most of them have a sample deck that you can hold in your hands. There is a second hand bookstore in my town that often has really weird and old decks. It’s like Christmas.
- Kickstarter! I love finding decks on Kickstarter. I love finding new authors and artists.
- The big guys – Llewellyn, US Games, Rockpool Publishing, Red Wheel/Weiser. These are mainstream publishers who have catalogues a few times a year and websites that are updated often.
- Indie Deck Review – this badass website is run by my friend, Amanda Bell, and a pack of my other friends write the reviews. I know for a fact how much time and effort is put into each review and they are constantly posting things that tug at my wallet.
How do I know I should get a deck?
- The artwork makes you smile.
- You can FOLLOW the deck. If you’re a new reader, maybe hang onto a symbolic deck until you’re more practiced.
- It fits your hands. I like the Mary El tarot. It is gigantic and I can’t shuffle the damn thing.
- You feel comfortable using it. Try to find a deck that represents you. One that you can see yourself in.
Happy hunting! And remember that if you accidentally pick a deck that doesn’t work for you, you can always trade it. There are Facebook groups for everything, you know?
Xo,
Melissa