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A Quick Tarot Deck Review
I collect tarot decks, I currently rotate between three decks, but own currently 14 decks. Two I have made myself and three that are not traditional tarot cards.
I use divination cards exclusively for my magickal workings, though I do own a crystal ball and runes.
Here are some of note, though the list is far from complete (there are literally hundreds of decks commercially available).
Rider-Waite
By US Games, Inc. C.1971
A traditional deck and one of the most common on the market today. This is usually the deck most people think of when they hear the word Tarot. The pictures are simple and a great many books on tarot reading will use this deck to illustrate meanings and spreads. An excellent deck to learn from and usually the cheapest, so you can doodle and make notes on the cards without too much guilt. However, the influence of Christianity on the images leaves me feeling cold. Sometimes the meanings behind such images as the Devil and Death are hard to convey to querant who is dismayed at the harsh images protrayed.
The Witches Tarot
by Ellen Cannon Reed
Llewellyn Publications c.1996
Another popular deck, this deck attempts to reconcile the images with Wiccan practices and beliefs. It adds elements of Qabala (Hebrew mystic tradition) and Ceremonial Magick. The images are quite different from traditional decks, though the meaning is clearer on many of the cards. There is a high level of anatomically correct nudes, which may cause some to object to their use in a reading. Be always sensitive to your querent.
Tarot of a Moon Garden
By Karen Marie Sweikhardt
US Games Systems, Inc. c.1994
Okay, I have dubbed this my 'hippie' deck. The images are filled with fairies, unicorns and gnomes. I love the whimsy of the rendered scenes. The traditional images are recognizable, but with a lighthearted touch. This deck is excellent in readings for children or to introduce a child to tarot magick.
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