Decks

If you plan to learn the tarot, probably the easiest deck to begin with is the Rider-Waite-Smith or one of it's close cousins. There are a number of variants of the RWS - the Original, the Radiant, the Universal Waite, the Mini, the Giant etc.

However, if you don't feel especially drawn to any of the RWS decks, then here are some other decks that follow the same general meanings, but with different imagery. I've divided them into how similar they are to the RWS, but if the images speak to you, that's the most important thing! For the Tarot Workshops it's best if you have a deck from this list to work with, though some will also be available to borrow on the day.

High RWS Compatibility - these decks might be termed RWS "clones" - the imagery and symbolism are almost identical, and if you can read the RWS you can read these

Fenestra Tarot - a very pretty deck, with cartoon-style artwork and characters that are largely homogenous in terms of age and race.
Gilded Tarot - a photographic deck, the first by Ciro Marchetti, this has become a classic. It combines traditional imagery with a lot of animal symbolism, all in vibrant colours.
Hanson Roberts Tarot - a fairy-tale feel to this deck makes it great for reaching the inner child.
Morgan-Greer Tarot - deck with no borders and a closer perspective on the characters.
Robin Wood Tarot - this is a pagan influenced deck, so some of the more overt Christian symbolism of the Rider Waite Smith has been replaced, but without losing any of the meaning.

Sharman-Caselli Tarot - a medieval depiction of the cards, with some influences from the Visconti-Sforza, one of the oldest known decks.

Universal Tarot - an Italianate version of the RWS, a little less symbolic and more edgy.

Medium RWS Compatibility - these decks follow the RWS system, but with some difference in symbolism. Still, they are close enough to be fairly easy to read using the RWS system.

Anna K - these cards have a very nature-based feel to them.

Ancient Egyptian Tarot - while the author claims these cards are Thoth-influenced, for the most part the pips are RWS compatible. There are more changes in the Majors, but these are still easy to read. My favourite Egyptian-themed deck, with lovely artwork and a realistic feel to them.

Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot - a lovely deck from Magic Realist Press. The cards may be a bit "busy" for some, but the idea of dressing cats in clothes and making them the characters on the cards is rather cute, and well done.

Buckland Romani Tarot - a deck based on the British Gypsy tradition. The images are beautiful in both colour and content, and the book gives a fascinating glimpse into this largely lost heritage.

Celtic Dragon Tarot - this deck ascribes the suits to different elements than most RWS decks, but the individual card meanings stay the same. However, you must really love dragons to like this deck, as they're on every card. I think the Majors are great, not so impressed with the Minors.

Comparative Tarot - this is a great idea: four deck images shown on each card so you can compare different approaches. However, I don't personally like any of the decks chosen. Still, certainly cheaper than buying four decks!

DruidCraft Tarot - a beautiful, pagan-themed deck. The cards are somewhat larger - great for meditating, not so great for shuffling.

Fey Tarot - a fun, playful take on the traditional imagery. However, don't let the cartoon style fool you, this is a deck with a lot of depth.

Halloween Tarot - this is a fun deck combining American-style Halloween images and movie monsters. Despite the humour, this is a very readable deck that can give deep answers.

Herbal Tarot - in this deck, each card depicts a medicinal plant, with its name, alongside a more traditional image to show the meaning of the card. The Little White Book (LWB) describes the plants and their medicinal uses. Each has been chosen to match or be a cure for the energies of the related card. This could well be used as a learning tool to better understand herb lore, or if you already have this knowledge it might make understanding the tarot images easier.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot - the third of Ciro Marchetti's tarot decks, this one is a little further in form from the RWS, but the differences are all very interesting, and within the RWS range of possible meanings.

Llewellyn Tarot - based on Welsh mythology, the Majors each tell a tale, while the Minors are lovely pastel images with a more equal gender distribution than the original RWS.

Lo Scarabeo Tarot - a combination of the RWS, Thoth and Marseilles traditions, it is still mainly RWS-based, with nods to the other decks.

Mythic Tarot - a deck based on Greek mythology. Each of the suits follows one myth through the pips. The Majors are represented by Greek Gods and Goddesses. Works very well, and I really like the new images (2009 reprint), though the ones shown here are the original version.

Revelations Tarot - an amazing concept: the artist has drawn upright and reversed meanings onto each card while retaining a feeling of cohesiveness.

Robin Wood Tarot - another pagan-themed deck. The imagery is very gentle, making this deck very non-threatening, while still offering an interesting perspective.

Tarot of Dreams - the second of Ciro Marchetti's decks, this one is far less obviously photographic. Here he began to branch away more from standard RWS images, while retaining the meaning. This deck contains my favourite variant of V - the Hierophant, here changed to Faith.

Tarot of Prague - a photo montage deck, the first from Magic Realist Press and now out of print.

Tarot of the New Vision - this deck turns the RWS on it's head. Looking at the traditional RWS images from behind offers a fascinating new perspective.

Low RWS Compatibility - these decks still generally follow the RWS system, but the image content is very different, or there are some cards which don't match. While not perhaps the best for beginners, if you are particularly drawn to one of these you will still be able to use these cards with most books, DVDs and workshops on learning tarot.

Ancestral Path Tarot - an Out-of-Print deck, but very beautiful. Each suit is represented by a different culture. The artist also created the Ma'at deck.

Animals Divine Tarot - the number (pip) cards here are all images of animals, while the Majors and Courts are divinities from around the world.

Arthurian Tarot - although theoretically RWS-based, this deck only has landscape scenes with objects in them decorating the pips. This makes it harder to read for most people than cards illustrated with a mix of humans, animals, objects and scenery.

Bohemian Gothic Tarot - this is another "dark" deck, which offers somewhat twisted variants of the traditional meanings.

Bright Ideas Deck - the first of Mark McElroy's decks, it's aimed more at the business/brainstorming market, but still has plenty of symbolism that links it to traditional tarot.

Cosmic Tarot - with cards that look like movie stars from years gone by, and a somewhat hippy approach to some of the meanings, this is an interesting deck for celebrity fans.

Dark Grimoire Tarot - not for the faint of heart, this deck takes a walk on the shadow side.

Fantastic Menagerie Tarot - another deck from Magic Realist Press, this one takes the notion of seeing people as animals, as in the political caricatures of J.J.Grandville. The deck is done in this old-fashioned caricature style, but is very readable and a very interesting take on card meanings. The accompanying book is also excellent.

Ferret Tarot - a very amusing deck with black-and-white images of ferrets and socks (it's a ferret thing).

Ma'at Tarot - these large size, special edition cards by artist Julie Cuccia-Watts are amazingly beautiful. This deck has lunar astrological associations, a first. However, you don't have to understand them to be able to use and enjoy the deck - it's also perfect for using intuitively.

Tarot of the Pirates - this "Pirates of the Caribbean" flavoured deck won't be to everyone's taste, and with quite large discrepancies from the RWS may not be the best for a beginner. Still, it's a fun deck, and if it calls to your seafaring heart...

Tarot of the Mermaids - a very beautiful, pastel deck. The suits are sometimes a little difficult to tell apart, and are re-named. Also, considerable female semi-nudity, which isn't for everyone.

Tarot of Jane Austen - a deck based on the novels of Jane Austen. It's just about readable without the book, but this does add a lot more depth as it provides information on the scene and book from which the image is taken, relates it to the card meaning, as well as providing a "What would Jane do?" section.

Universal Goddess Tarot - every card represents a goddess from around the world. The LWB gives each goddesses name, as well as a few attributes. There is a nice racial mix here, though it is all a little "pretty".

There are also lots of other decks with different symbolism and meanings. These are harder to learn, not following the RWS system, and won't be covered by general books. However, if the cards really appeal to you, go for it!

Others - these decks are completely unrelated to the RWS, but if they speak to you...

Celestial Tarot

Vision Quest Tarot - while based on the Thoth, this deck has a Native American slant. Although the pips only feature objects, they are still quite easy to read and emotive. Some of the Majors have also been renamed. Altogether my favourite Thoth-alike!

Waking the Wild Spirit