This is a question that I am very often asked and which took some time for me to answer for myself. It has a very simple answer: chose the deck you are most attracted to. This being said, there is a lot on offer and it's sometimes hard to find your way through the jungle of decks now available on the market. Here is a few tips on how to chose a deck.

Tarot cards

The most classic of all decks is the Rider-Waite deck. It is an excellent learning tool and it has all the necessary reference to esoteric tradition to make it a wonderful deck to do readings with. However, the deck requires quite a bit of commitment as it is so rich with symbolism that a lot of reading and practice is necessary to explore its richness. If I can make this comparison it's like starting to cook with a recipe for moussaka. It's rich and layered and requires some skills to put together. Each card can have over thirty nuances to it plus combined with another, it increases the wealth of meaning.

I am not saying it cannot be used by complete beginners but it might put off some beginners due to its high complex content. I do highly recommend it though. And there are some very good books to explore its imagery and symbolism. My favourite are: Learning the tarot by Joan Bunning and The secret language of tarot by Ruth-Ann and Wald Amberstone. Joan is so passionate about tarot that he offers a online free tarot course that is really good for beginners.

My favourite tarot deck at the moment is the Mythic Tarot Deck. See picture on the right.

However most tarot cards usually include cards like death and the tower which can be scary for some people. For this reason I highly recommend angel cards for those who are scared by classic tarot.

Angel cards

Angel cards only contain uplifting messages. Angel cards are good to take a card out for the day as a meditation practice. They are easy to use by beginners and usually have a fairly upfront easy to understand message. They can also be wonderful for children. They are also good to do readings with or to answer questions. I recommend them highly for self-development. They are not however as complex and rich as tarot cards.

My favourite angel cards at the moment are the saints and angels card by Doreen Virtue. But any angel cards can be good as long as you like the graphics and that you are happy with the legend. I like almost all of Doreen Virtue's angel cards. They all have uplifting messages in the booklets attached and I find the art on the pictures totally uplifting and magic.

It's ok to start with to go by the book. Pick up a card for the day and read what is in the book. I often recommend that people take the card into their bag or wallet and look at it throughout the day to check how it is relevant to their day.

But most of all, enjoy it!