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Can I Buy My Own Tarot Cards?

    Can i buy my own tarot cards

    If you are looking to buy your own tarot cards, that means you are interested in learning this spiritual practice.

    But your research might have left you a bit confused.

    You might have read in some places that you shouldn’t buy your own tarot cards. You might have even heard from people that tarot cards should always come as a gift.

    So, what’s the truth?

    Can you buy your own tarot cards?

    The short answer is yes. You can definitely buy your own tarot cards if you follow a few rules( see below). Anything else you hear is a myth or a misconception. Unfortunately, the practice of tarot has been mired in all sorts of myths ever since the beginning. Thanks to the internet, though, it is easier than ever to dispel those misconceptions and learn the truth.

    In this article, I am going to first talk about the myth that you shouldn’t buy your own tarot cards and then look at the steps you can take to buy the right deck for you.

    So, let’s get started!

    Where Does The Myth Come From?

    antique people playing cards

    Tarot cards were first created many centuries ago… six centuries to be precise!

    Back then, there was no internet where you could simply go and buy a deck for yourself.

    In fact, the printing press was just invented and people were just beginning to understand how transformative it can be.

    Anyway, tarot cards were mostly painted by hand during those times. And that means, they were quite expensive.

    They were simply out of reach of common people and were limited to the rich and noble people of the time.

    That means tarot cards were initially passed down through the generations in rich families. Either that or a noble person had to gift it to you. So, that’s probably where the myth first started.

    Even just fifty years ago, when the internet still hadn’t been invented, people still had a tough time getting a deck.

    Also, there were many seminaries dedicated to teaching the art of tarot.

    These seminaries could have peddled the myth further to establish themselves as the authority for all things tarot.

    So, people used to rely on inheritance and gifts from others to get their first set of cards.

    ( I admit, this rule of passing a deck from generation to generation or from a tarot reader to another one makes the deck you are given even more special…. so yeah if this is the case, that is great but it is not compulsary…)

    How To Buy Your Own Tarot Cards

    perosn checking tarot cards

    Now that we have taken a look at where the myth probably came from, let’s try to understand how you can buy your own tarot cards.

    Before we begin, I would like to tell you that buying your cards is perhaps the best option.

    That’s because, it involves actively seeking cards that you can connect with the best, which starts things on the right foot. Plus you choose it yourself, so it makes it special too 🙂

    A special bond is established from the very first moment and this will make you resonate much better with the cards. ( check our article about the ways to bond or connect to your deck Here)

    Now that that’s out of the way, let’s take a look at the steps.

    1) Use Your Intuition

    person trusting her intuition

    The practice of tarot is all about intuition.

    And you get a hint of this when you first start choosing your deck of cards.

    Whether you are browsing online or at a physical store, there will be some decks that you will instantly like and some decks that you will instantly repel. This is normal and you should observe where your heart leads to.

    It is often said that you are not the one who chooses the tarot cards but the tarot cards that choose you.

    Yeah, I know, this gives you Harry Potter vibes, doesn’t it?

    Anyway, no matter how much a particular tarot deck is recommended by people, you shouldn’t buy it if you don’t feel an energetic or emotional pull toward it.

    It is one of those things that you just have to feel by yourself.

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    2) Use A Traditional Structure

    tradditional structured tarot cards on a table

    There are all sorts of cards out there.

    Some come with a traditional structure that is more than a century old, while some come with a more modern structure.

    And beginners usually have a hard time choosing between the two.

    Well, if you ask me, you should go for a more traditional tarot structure, like the popular Rider-Waite deck.

    This is because it is much easier to learn the basics of tarot reading if you start off with a traditional deck.

    You will also find much more resources available relating to traditional structures that will help you learn the meanings and interpretations of the cards more easily.

    3) Decide On The Theme

    tarot card with an art nouveau theme

    Tarot cards come in all sorts of themes.

    Even within the traditional decks, you will find a variety of themes to choose from.

    For example, there are animal-themed decks, ocean-themed decks, Halloween-themed decks, and so on. There are also different styles such as the one with art nouveau style ( see picture above). This deck is called Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot Deck. You can find it on amazon HERE.

    So, which one should you choose?

    Again, use your intuition to make that decision.

    Browse through the various themes and see which one you can connect with the most.

    The theme needs to resonate with you because you will probably use your tarot cards regularly. And whenever you pull your deck out, it needs to feel familiar, like an old friend!

    4) Make Sure You Connect With The Images

    person feeling connected

    Another aspect to look at while choosing your deck is the pictures on the cards.

    In my opinion, this is one of the most important aspects.

    After all, whenever you do a reading, the images are what you will see the most.

    Not only that, it is the images that will help you interpret the messages of the cards. If you select a deck with confusing imagery, your readings might get thrown off.

    So, take a good, hard look at the available options and select something that just speaks to you.

    A great way to tell whether a deck is right for you is to take a look at a few images and see if you can understand their meanings. Remember it is your first deck. 🙂

    Do the cards speak to you? Are you somehow able to understand what they are trying to tell you?

    If yes, then that’s the deck of cards you should get for yourself. Otherwise, you should keep looking.

    5) Make Sure The Cards Have Keywords On Them

    Witchy Cauldron Beginner Tarot

    When you start reading tarot cards, you will probably first have to learn the names of all the cards.

    As you may already know, a tarot deck typically has 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards.

    And each has its own meaning.

    So, you will need some time to just learn what each card is called and its meaning.

    As such, it could be a good idea if the cards have keywords on them. These keywords contain the name of the card and its meaning in one or two words. You can find such a tarot deck with keywords on each card HERE on amazon.

    That way, you won’t have to keep going back to your guidebook or an online article about tarot cards to see which card you have.

    It can be very distracting to keep doing that and it can throw your reading off. It can also leave a bad first impression that tarot reading is a difficult practice.

    6) Examine The Quality

    woman checking the quality of tarot cards

    Finally, we come to the quality.

    If you are investing in a deck of cards, you must make sure that you get good-quality cards.

    Since you will probably be working with your cards a lot, you need a deck that doesn’t wear and tear easily.

    Imagine being in a situation where one or more cards in the deck get torn or start losing their print. That would be a mood killer for sure! I am a bit of a control freak when it comes to keeping my decks in perfect shape haha. ( I am not the only one)

    So, if you are buying your cards online, make sure you read the reviews properly.

    These days, people also post pictures of the cards they bought and that should give you an idea of the quality. And if you are buying cards at a store, you can physically touch them to see if the material is good enough.

    can i buy my tarot cards quote 2

    Great Tarot Decks For Beginners

    The above steps will definitely help you buy the right tarot cards for you.

    But let’s take a look at two popular decks to make your decision-making even easier.

    If you don’t have much time to research or look around, you can select any one of the following decks.

    1) Witchy Cauldron Beginner Tarot

    We mentionned this deck briefly earlier.

    For beginners, this deck is absolutely awesome as it has keywords for each card, whcih makes it really a great deck to start with as you will learn along the way. It has a lot of details from the meanings ( reversed too), numerology correspondance, planets etc…

    The cards are high quality, thick and sturdy. They will last you a long long long time 🙂

    It is quite cost effective as it is about $20 at the time of writing this post. You can find it HERE on amazon at a good price.

    2) Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

    rider wait tarot deck

    This is the most common and popular tarot deck in the world.

    I love it !!! probabbly because I learnt Tarot with it haha.

    The original Rider-Waite tarot deck was first issued in 1910. ( you can find it HERE on amazon)

    And since then, it has been loved by beginners and experienced readers alike. This is probably because the images used in these tarot cards are very intuitive and detailed.

    They are also very easy to memorize. As such, even an inexperienced reader can make out the meanings of the cards simply by looking at the images.

    Also, as mentioned above, beginners should go for the traditional structure to start off their tarot journey. And the Rider-Waite tarot deck is based on the traditional structure.

    3) The Good Karma Tarot Deck

    The good karma tarot deck

    This deck is not that common but it is certainly a beautiful deck to get started.

    It is based on the classic Rider-Waite deck but exudes illustrations that convey messages of truth, kindness and hope and still based on the traditional images. I bought mine on amazon. You can find it HERE on amazon.

    The images used in this deck are masterfully crafted and you will definitely feel a certain calmness or familiarity with them. ( It is not called the good karma tarot for nothing lol).

    This obviously makes it perfect for beginners.

    Along with the deck of cards, you also receive a 128-page guidebook. It contains all the information you need about the cards and what they represent. Thanks to the intuitive images and the guidebook, you can easily learn the meanings and interpretations of the cards. And you can certainly start your journey to become a great tarot reader!

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