Picking the right Tarot deck is very important. Your deck will become your portal to the energies of the universe and a valuable tool in most of the decisions you make. So, it’s important that you really connect with your deck.
At first glance you need to like what the deck looks like, and be able to interpret the meaning of the cards easily from the images on them. For a beginner it might be difficult to tell what some decks are trying to portray with images and symbolism, so picking a deck that you can associate the image to the meaning is important.
Each person is different and you will associate different things with different symbols and illustrations. That is why there are so many different decks available. While most of the decks are based on the Rider-Waite deck, you will see that each deck has a different feel to it. Some of them even incorporate ideologies and philosophies to cater to the needs of different types of people and the Spiritual elements that are important to that specific person.

Which tarot deck is right for me?

That depends on what you like. To find out what tarot deck is right for you to need to be sure of who you are. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to make picking the right deck a little easier:

What types of pictures do you like?

Are you someone who likes realistic images, cartoon illustrations or whimsical fairies? Do you like bold colors or softer pastels?
Choosing a deck with illustrations that you resonate with will help you connect to the deck more easily.

What Spiritual path calls you?

Are you more connected to nature and animals or fairies and elves? Are you Pagan, and you like witchcraft and spells? Or do you have a more Catholic background? Or are you interested in Eastern Philosophy like Buddhism?
There are decks that focus on each of these different Spiritualities (and many more). Finding a deck that compliments your Spirituality will help you to connect to it and get readings that mean a lot more to you.

Are you a beginner or experienced Tarot reader?

Your experience level will determine how much guidance you need with a new Tarot deck. Some Tarot decks have a very in depth guide book that explains each card in detail, while some only give short meanings, others don’t even have a guide book!
If you haven’t practiced your Tarot reading skills with a deck that provides a lot of guidance you may find it difficult to interpret the cards in a deck that only gives minimal guidance.

What don’t you like?

This is a question not many people focus on when they’re looking for a deck. For some reason we seem to think that over time a deck will grow on us and we can ignore some key aspects that we dislike about a certain deck in favor of all the things we like about it, but out of personal experience I can tell you, don’t get a deck that you don’t like in any way, doesn’t matter how inconsequential your distaste may seem at first.

The Deck I should have left behind…

When I first got interested in the art of reading cards I didn’t know much. I went to my local Esoteric store and stood looking at the decks. From the very first time a specific deck caught my eye. The picture on the box spoke to me. The name of the deck sounded so intriguing…
Because it was a small local store and I was young and naive I didn’t bother to ask if I could open the packaging, I didn’t do an online search either. Big Mistake.
After months of deliberation I finally bought the deck.
My hopes were shattered.
It wasn’t a Tarot deck and all the meanings of the cards were basically the same…
I ended up using the deck because I spent so much on it and I thought I had a connection with it… But, with every reading the resentment inside grew.
I started looking at the illustrations and seeing how basic and uninspired they were, which bothered me. The image on the front of the packaging ended up being the one I liked the most out of the whole deck and the other cards made me feel uneasy.
I ended up shoving the cards into the back of my cupboard and forgetting about them.
Let this be a lesson to you.

When you’re looking for a Tarot deck:

1- Make SURE it’s a Tarot deck…

And not some other type of deck. There are wisdom cards, Angel cards, all kinds of cards… Which all have their purpose and are very helpful if that’s what you’re looking for, but if you don’t want them, getting them may be a big disappointment.

2- Do your research!

The image on the front of the packaging may be nice, but to really know if you like the deck you’ll have to look at most of the cards to get a real feel for them.
While you’re doing research on a deck you like also keep your Spiritual path in mind and if you can find out more information about the guidebook, or even find an online copy of it, take a look through it and see if you understand and like the way it’s written.

3- Take your time and be sure.

I may have taken my time with my first deck of cards, but in all honesty, the reason I finally took the plunge was because I started doubting whether I wanted that deck in the first place.

4- If in doubt look some more.

If you do find a deck you like, but there is something not quite right about it, do take the time to look some more. There are numerous decks out there and settling for the first one that’s appealing to you is like buying a chocolate you kind of like because you saw it first, but your favorite one is on the next shelf.

5- Use the web.

The internet is a wonderful place to find the right Tarot deck for you. When you’ve found a deck you kind of like do another search using similar words that describe the deck you already like. You can also look for reviews and videos that explain and show the deck in more detail.
Just going to the creator’s page will give you insight into the person that made the deck,  but remember, this is a page made to sell, so it’s a bit biased.
For a real idea of the deck you need the opinion of people that have used the deck (and guide book).

How many cards in a Tarot deck?

It’s important to know how many cards there are in a standard Tarot deck to know that the deck you’re buying is actually a Tarot deck.
There are 78 cards in a full Tarot deck, but some decks only use the 22 Major Arcana cards. Other decks add an extra card or two to the Major Arcana, which increases the number of cards in the deck.
The rest of the deck is known as the Minor Arcana, and consists of four suits, like a normal deck of playing cards, except that each suit has 14 instead of 13 cards, for a total of 56 Minor Arcana cards. Some decks omit certain Minor Arcana cards for various reasons, but in most cases each of the suits has an Ace, number cards from 2-10 (marked in Roman Numerals) and 4 court cards (Page, Knight, Queen and King).
The names of the suits can vary, but the most common is based on the Rider-Waite deck, Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.
Some decks add an extra “Arcana”, like the Pagans Otherworld Tarot Deck that not only added an extra Major Arcana card, but also added five extra Luna cards for a total of 84 cards.
As you can see the number of cards in a Tarot deck can vary, but anything less that 78 is not a full deck and I would advise you to do more research about why some cards were left out and also whether it is a true Tarot deck…