sudden interest ...where to begin

[silverSpice]

So ...my title says it all ...I have a sudden interest in Tarot and feel drawn to learn to read ...where do I start and what is the favored deck? I keep coming across Rider Waite ...go with those I guess. TYVM!

[tealily]

Yo! Welcome to the awesome world of Tarot.

I wouldn't really say there's a "favoured" deck (it's kind of like asking what's the "favoured" food - we can tell you what's popular but it's totes a matter of personal taste) but RWS is definitely one of the most well-known, and hence there's typically more support/learning material for it so is a popular starting deck. In terms of what's popular here - http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...ad.php?t=92277

Best place to start is probably to go to Aeclectic forums (google it) and have a look through different decks. Start getting a feel for what resonates with you and what doesn't - I'm of the camp that your personal relationship with the cards is of utmost importance, because they're going to be your buddies when it comes to tapping into your intuition!

Aside from that, I would say practice is key (like learning how to drive a car!).

Expect to feel like an idiot and to constantly be looking up card definitions when you start - this is normal, tarot has a steep-ish initial learning curve - after a while, most of the classic definitions stick in your head + you start making up your own/listening to your intuition more and relying on 'set' definitions less But again, practice and experience is key. We've got a bunch of practice threads on this forum and I highly recommend playing around in those once you've got your first set of cards.

[silverSpice]

Thanks Tealily ...I looked up that forum and browsing decks ...found 2 that feel better than RW ...good start!

Here.
Here is a great place to begin.
We are more than happy to help in anyway we can. If it's out of our level of learning, we'll guide you to somewhere that can help. Honestly, we don't bite (although I have been known to bark or growl sometimes).
Ask questions, read as much information as you possibly can, but always keep an open mind. Keywords are great as a starting point, but don't become stuck on them and above all else, TRUST WHAT YOU FEEL!!!!!!!

Hi tealily

[silverSpice]

TY! I can't wait to get started! I just have to decide on a deck ...it's a toss between Gilded (Ciro Marchetti) & Golden(Kat Black) ...both stunning

I adore Ciro's decks. My go to deck is Legacy of the Divine, not exactly ideal for beginners but the Gilded deck would be.
Its not not my style of deck, but I know a lot of people love Kat Black's Golden tarot and it does have good reviews.

As a side note, if you look up the book 'Easy Tarot' by Josephine Ellershaw it comes supplied with the Gilded Tarot deck. Josephine Ellershaw is a great writer on tarot and it kills two birds with one stone, metaphorically speaking

Let us know what deck you decide to get, and come and join our practice threads, it's a great way to get to know your cards.

[Bluebird13]

When I first started learning tarot, I chose a deck I felt drawn to.

[silverSpice]

Why are some decks not recommended for beginners? What makes reading them more complex? I have just come across Pauline Cassidy & love both her decks ...one is suggested for beginners, one is not.

[tealily]

^ I can't speak for the Pauline Cassidy cards as I'm not familiar with them, but am sure Pisces Moon will be able to answer that one :) (hi Pisces Moon! )

More 'basic' cards tend to be based on standard, or 'classic' RWS/Thoth symbolism. It can be clunky to begin with but having really obvious symbolism/representation can be useful for beginners as the card will help "tell/show" you more, rather than you looking at something vague and having to rely on your intuition a lot - which is the "art more than science" side of tarot and can be tricky even if you've been reading for a while (but something most of us aspire to anyway). Remember, they're not just there to be pretty - they are tools and need to communicate with you!

Pending feedback from people familiar with Pauline Cassidy's cards though (I've just had a quick google and they are SO cute!), if you feel a strong vibe with them and can already start to feel different messages/ideas/concepts radiating from each card, I think that's a really good sign :)

I started off with RWS but still remember the first time I saw pictures of The Fountain Tarot, which is to date the only other deck I've been willing to put money down for. It just... spoke to me! No other way to put it. Perhaps a good way to start, seeing as you can view a lot of the cards online, is to start your card study now based on online pictures (you can even start participating in a few of the tarot practice threads - eg Pandora's tarot exercise threads) and see how easily you can associate card meanings with images. Take it for a test drive before putting money down, so to speak :)

As a super-experiment, it might actually be really cool to write the names of all the cards (of one of her decks) on slips of paper - shuffle and pull these like any normal spread, and use the paper slips as cues for actual Cassidy images when doing the reading (you're welcome to try in the tarot practice thread, I'd actually be really keen to see an experiment like this in action!).

Final bit of advice - USE A SIMPLE SPREAD to begin. Stacks of beginners start with the Celtic Cross, and that's a nightmare. A simple three or four card spread would be a good place to start - enough cards to give you some context/depth, but not so many that it's confusing.

Originally Posted by silverSpice

Why are some decks not recommended for beginners? What makes reading them more complex? I have just come across Pauline Cassidy & love both her decks ...one is suggested for beginners, one is not.

It's crucial to find the right deck art wise and symbol wise. Decks labelled 'beginner' have a high level of common symbolism and portray the message easily and are compatible with the amount of study books out there (and that's a whole other minefield).

Tarot is a visual 'trigger' for the subconscious mind. Symbolism in the cards is subjective yet has to be set to the 'structure' of tarot. So 5 of Wands is always going to deal with conflict, 2 of Cups is always about connection. However, how each artist depicts this visually can be very different.

Paulina Tarot is a 'busy' deck, there is a lot of symbolism in each card, but it's not always obvious and can be missed (the colours don't help either).
Joie de Vivre is a lot more 'pared down' and the symbolism is more obvious. Both are beautiful but compare The Magicians of both decks and you will see what I mean (I prefer Joie de Vivre due to the colours and simplicity)

Paulina Magician https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298011700312830222/
Joie de Vivre Magician https://www.pinterest.com/pin/15621929927587866/

Depending on basic tarot knowledge some decks need a lot of studying to actually find the symbols and deeper meaning of the cards (because tarot is deep).
More books are written on the Waite Smith style of tarot than other systems(Thoth and TdM), so any deck with obvious Waite Smith symbolism is going to be a good starting point (hence 'beginners' decks).

Unless you have a grasp of the basic meanings and symbols, tarot will become confusing, frustrating. Although some people are able to find a deck and click straight away, it's actually quite rare. Tarot is a study, it's a skill that is learnt from basic knowledge to an understanding. It's like trying to learn algebra without knowing how to count. With a base knowledge of math, some people will be physicists, some will be checkout operates, it's how you apply the basics that matter.

Without a basic understanding of the key symbols and intention of each card, some artist depictions can seem way off the mark, and yet eventually there comes an understanding of how the image fits.

The best examples of head scratching decks are Fairy Lights tarot and Nicoletta Ceccoli tarot.

Sorry I feel like I'm giving you a lecture but tarot is my passion (along with Oracle decks) and there are so many ridiculous myths spouted about it that either scares people off or they get scoffed at for believing in it. Tarot is not woo woo, tarot is 78 windows of a life path (or 78 mirrors if you only read for yourself )

Ok ramble over.