My Favourite Tarot Decks: A Personal Journey Through the Cards
Where It All Began
I've always been drawn to the esoteric arts, dabbling here and there throughout my youth. But my true journey with tarot began at 15, when my mum deliberately left her tarot cards out one day. I knew immediately they were for me – she never left anything out like that. My mum used tarot and was psychic herself, though she never truly embraced her gifts. I took the cards and the book, and started reading for my friends.
My very first reading remains vivid in my memory. My friend and I were just mucking around the way teenagers do, when I found myself drawn into what her cards were saying. Following the book, I told her she'd be pregnant soon. At the time, she didn't even have a boyfriend. But she did meet a boy, and they ended up having a child when she was 16. I was hooked from that moment, though life had other plans for me first.
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I recall we practised every single day on her kitchen floor, just reading for each other. It was exciting. I put countless hours into learning, absorbing everything I could. Then one day, something shifted. I was giving her a reading, looking at the High Priestess card, when my intuition took over completely. I saw and read things for my friend that weren't in the cards, weren't in the book. She asked, "Where are you getting this from?" I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I just know."
This was back in 1999/2000. I haven't looked back since. Interestingly, my friend has given up reading tarot, but for me, it became my path.
When I first started working with tarot, it was mostly about prediction. Would that person like you? Were you going to move? What was coming next? And there's nothing wrong with that — tarot is very good at looking ahead.
But as I grew with the tarot, I realised just how powerful a tool it really is.
Tarot isn't only about foreseeing the future. It's about helping you navigate the present. It gives you insight into what's happening now, what needs your attention, and what you can do to move forward consciously rather than passively waiting for life to happen.
The cards show potential — the likely outcome if you continue on your current path. But nothing is set in stone. You are human, and you always have choice. Sometimes one decision changes everything, and when that happens, the outcome changes. The reading changes. A new path opens.
Tarot doesn't deal in fixed good news or bad news. It doesn't trap you. It empowers you. If you don't like the direction a reading points to, you're being given the opportunity to change it.
Choosing Your Deck
As someone who's been reading tarot for over two decades now, I'm often asked which decks I'd recommend. The truth is, choosing a tarot deck is deeply personal – what speaks to one
reader might leave another cold. However, I've collected quite a few decks over my
journey,
and I'd love to share my favourites with you, from the essential beginner's deck to the
more esoteric choices that call to my soul.
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The Essential Starting Point: Rider-Waite-Smith Deck
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Let's address the obvious first choice for anyone beginning their tarot journey: the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (often simply called Rider-Waite). There's a reason this deck has remained the gold standard since 1909. It's beautifully simple, with prominent colours and clear imagery that makes the cards accessible to beginners. If you're just starting out, this is the deck I'd recommend without hesitation. The symbolism is straightforward, and because so many tarot books and resources reference this deck, you'll find it invaluable for learning.
The Rider-Waite deck provides a solid foundation. Once you understand its imagery and symbolism, you'll find that many modern decks are variations on its themes, making it easier to work with other decks later in your journey.
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My Personal Favourites
The Wildwood Tarot
If I had to choose a favourite, it would be the Wildwood Tarot. This deck speaks to something
deeper in me – that mystical, pagan side that yearns for connection with the ancient
rhythms of nature. The Wildwood Tarot is pagan-orientated, drawing on pre-Celtic
mythology and
the wheel of the year. It goes beyond the surface level of the Rider-Waite, calling
to a deeper spiritual awareness. When I work with this deck, I feel connected
to something primal and true. The imagery is earthy and powerful, grounding my readings in the natural world.
The Witches Tarot
The Witches Tarot captivated me immediately with its stunning imagery. It's ethereal
and medieval, with artwork that transports you to another time and place. Each
card feels like a window into a magical realm. The illustrations are detailed
and atmospheric, making it a pleasure to work with during readings. If you're
drawn to witchcraft or want a deck that embraces magical practice,
this one is exceptional.
Gilded Tarot Royale
The Gilded Tarot Royale is bright, sharp, and beautifully clear. Based on the
Rider-Waite system, it maintains that essential clarity whilst adding a touch of
opulence. The colours
practically leap off the cards, and the symbolism remains accessible. It's an
excellent choice if you want something that feels more luxurious than the
traditional Rider-Waite whilst still maintaining that foundational structure.
I find it particularly useful when I want clear, direct answers.
Illuminati Tarot
The Illuminati Tarot is visually stunning – one of the most beautiful decks in my collection. It's explosively colourful, incorporating ancient aspects for each suit in a way that
feels thoughtful and intentional. The deck demonstrates real consideration
in its design, weaving together esoteric knowledge with breathtaking artistry.
When I use this deck, I'm always struck by how the ancient symbolism
enhances the reading without overwhelming it.
Steampunk Tarot
The Steampunk Tarot offers something completely different. It reimagines the
tarot through a Victorian-industrial lens, creating a unique aesthetic that appeals
to those who love alternative history and mechanical wonder. It's a deck that
proves tarot can be both traditional in structure and wildly imaginative in execution.
A Word on AI-Generated Tarot Decks
Before I move on to discussing reading styles, I need to address something that's become increasingly prevalent in the tarot community: AI-generated decks.
Today, there are a lot of tarot cards being produced with AI imagery. For me personally, I do not like them. They come with no thought. They're just created for money.
If you want tarot decks that actually feel like the artist spent time understanding the tarot, then look on the artist's actual website or seek out cards from before 2022. AI, for me, is destroying beautiful artwork.
When you choose a deck, you should be able to feel and see that the artist understood the meanings. With current AI decks being produced, you'll find odd counts of fingers, things that are wrong with the symbolism. It doesn't feel constructed from a place of thought or love. It's a money-maker to sell on Etsy.
You can see an artist's journey with their designs if you go to their websites or follow them on Instagram. I've enjoyed watching the craft and cards come alive under someone's talent and love for tarot. The dedication shows. You can feel the energy that's been poured into each card.
So if you want artist-drawn cards, go to their website. See the process. Enjoy the journey. Watch the deck develop. Connect with the creator's vision.
For me, AI is destroying the beauty of tarot artwork. And that's a shame.
Tarot, Intuition & Finding Your Own Way
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I don't read reversals as a rule. When reversed cards appear in my readings, they come out of the deck that way — I don't deliberately flip cards to create them. If a card presents itself upside down, I'll acknowledge it, but I don't force the process.
In my experience, the upright cards already provide more than enough information when combined with intuition and guidance. If a reading feels as though it's asking more of you, the answer isn't in turning cards upside down — it's in going deeper. Sitting with the spread. Allowing the message to unfold in its own time.
That moment on my friend's kitchen floor, when the High Priestess spoke to me beyond the book's meanings, taught me that the real power comes from within — from trusting what you know, even when you can't explain how you know it.
Over the years, I've also noticed how much unnecessary gatekeeping exists around tarot. You'll come across people who insist there's a right way and a wrong way to read. Ignore them. Tarot isn't a rulebook — it's a relationship. If the way you read brings clarity, insight, and results, then it isn't wrong. Full stop.
Tarot is a deeply personal journey. What works for me won't work for everyone, and that's exactly how it should be. Despite what some people claim, there are no hard and fast rules. Your relationship with the cards is shaped by your intuition, your experience, and the language you build with them over time — not by someone else's framework.
Read in the way that feels true to you. Don't allow anyone to distort or override what you feel when you're working with the cards. Your path with tarot is personal — just as theirs is personal to them.
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Finding Your Deck
Ultimately, the best tarot deck is the one that speaks to you. Handle the cards if you can before buying. Look at the imagery – does it resonate? Does it spark something in your intuition? Your relationship with your deck matters more than any expert recommendation.
Whether you choose the reliable Rider-Waite-Smith, venture into the ancient woods with the Wildwood Tarot, or explore any of the other beautiful decks available, trust yourself. Your deck will find you just as much as you find it.
Love the tarot.
Grow with it.
Let it grow with you.
[Note: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.]
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