Hello little sunshines!

How is your week going? Expecting the holidays? (or at least, a bit more of sun?). For me, it's finals week and I am quite busy! But it has been a while I wanted to write down this article so I just took a break and got myself into it!
When we start tarot, there are so many decks that it can be hard to find which one we want to go to first: a simple one to learn easily? one with a beautiful art? one you just love -no reason-? Well, I hope this little post will help you take the decision and take the step!
All the decks below are beginner friendly, I do not own them all but I have studied them before putting them on my list! I also wanted to focus on decks that would not cost you half of your rent, so all the decks presented bellow are under $30!
And I'm not gonna lie, I wanted this list to be a top 10, but I could not find more decks to present you that were not Rider-Waite Smith clones, which in the end, would have been like telling you over and over the same thing, with a slight difference. There are many others you could go to, that are close in structure and symbolism to the RWS, and if you want to see more, I recommend this list from Aecclectic. I only presented a few here, and some I felt were a bit more "original" and interesting. 
For each of the decks, I put a picture of the High Priestess, so you can compare the changes from one deck to another.
Last piece of advice: when comes the time to choose, go with your heart!

Rider-Waite Smith by AE Waite & Pamela Smith


This one is not really a surprise right? It is one of the most popular deck nowadays. Inspired from the Tarot de Marseille, it has been published in 1910 and named after the publisher (Willian Rider), the instructor for the card's meanings (A E Waite) and the illustrator (Pamela Smith).  Since then, a lot of RWS "clones" appeared, following the same structure and symbolism for the cards.  It grew a lot among American tarot readers... and the others. It is the one for which you'll find all the basic card meanings;  Most of the books you can read in English will use this deck or a very similar one. The images on the RWS are "straight forward", the art is simple and so, the meanings are easier to learn.  . This is why it's a good deck to start with, the "purest" form of deck in a way.




Shadowscapes tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law


The Shadowscapes... this deck is the most gorgeous of them all. The art is just stunning and I think it will always be my favorite. Because in addition to a gorgeous art, this deck is great when you start tarot, the four suits are quite different and easily identified. The symbols are clear and close from the original meanings, but just a thousand times more beautiful; this deck speaks directly to your soul! Really an indispensable tarot wise!











Paulina tarot by Paulina Cassidy


The Paulina is quite a special deck.. very crowded but very unique as well! Again, we are staying close to the meanings of the RWS cards, but with a very different atmosphere here! Like if you were stepping in strange and magical woods, where dangers and wonders are all around!
The cards can be a bit overwhelming, they do contain a lot of symbols and elements, but they are also amazing to work with, even as a beginner!











Revelations tarot by Zach Wong & Barbara Moore


This colorful deck has a great advantage for beginners: the reverse side of the cards is different! If you want to learn the reverse meaning of the cards (in addition to the upside one), this deck can really help! Instead of just a few words in your little white book telling you what the reversal mean, you have here an illustration of it! I have seen many beginners struggling with reversals, that's why I think this deck can be a good start, because with it, you do have an easier way to learn them!








Gilded tarot by Ciro Marchetti


This RWS clone presents a very unique kind of art, a mix of steampunk, cosmic and medieval illustrations. This deck has a more "magical" vibe than the classic RWS but the meanings of the cards are still very close to the original and clear enough for beginners. Most of the card's illustrations are digital but the faces of the characters. So you have to be confortable with a .. modern version of tarot let's say. The companion book is dense and very useful if this is a first deck as well.
I do not own it as the art is not really my style, but if it is for you, it's a very speaking deck and I really recommand it!







Wheel of the Year tarot by Lo Scarabeo


Feeling a bit more witchy? The Wheel of the Year might be for you! Inspired from all the Wiccan and Pagan celebrations around the year, the deck still keeps the card's meanings close to the original RWS, with similar symbols or figures. The art is colorful and vivid, with a gentle and cheerful vibe. It is a very positive deck if you ask me, adding a bit of poetry to the RWS usual cards. I love how the colors are really an important part in the cards, and give an additional interpretation layer to your readings!









Morgan-Greer Tarot by Bill Greer & Lloyd Morgan


Created in the 70's, this deck still sticks up close to the RWS but with some modification, like the inclusion of People of Colors in the cards.  The art is simple and soft, with a lot of natural elements such as flowers or green leaves appearing on a lot of cards. And it has no borders! I personally do not mind them, but I know that some of you might prefer to have nothing to distract their attention from the illustration. Well, this deck is great for that: when you look at one card, you feel drawn into its universe. Actually, the more I look at this deck and write about it, the more I want it for myself!








Crystal Visions tarot by Jennifer Galasso


If you like purple, this deck is for you! Yes, all the cards have a purple dominating tone, and it's gorgeous! This deck steps a bit aside from the RWS, but the symbolism is still clear, even more than for some RWS cards if you ask me. The majority of the characters are female figures and for sure this deck has a feminine energy attached to it. Fairies, dragons, enchantress... this deck is inspired by fantasy, but in a very whimsical way. Again, no borders here! And there is an extra card called the Unknown card for you to work with! I would recommend this deck especially for women or persons looking for empowering their feminine side, or even who wants to improve their inner power and self love.







And that's it for now! I am curious, which deck did you start with? which deck would you recommend for beginners??

With love <3

Elyssa





*Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links, which only means that if you buy one of these decks using my links, I'll get a small commission. It does not influence the opinion stated in this post in any way*