queen of pentacles
How To Choose Your First Tarot Deck
Buying your first deck of tarot cards can be daunting, especially for beginners. However, when approached the right way, it can be a magical and enjoyable experience.
I remember when I decided to buy my first deck years ago. I received a flood of recommendations from well-meaning friends and seasoned readers, all eager to point me toward their personal favorites.
True to my rebellious nature, though, I ignored it all. Instead, I followed my intuition.
I visited a cozy metaphysical shop downtown and wandered to the back, where the tarot decks were displayed on a few revolving racks.
One particular deck instantly captivated me. It had an angelic theme, and even though the imagery and Roman numerals weren’t exactly beginner-friendly, I didn’t care. I knew instantly that it was mine.
Even though I was new to Tarot, I had immersed myself in as much knowledge as I could find before purchasing my first deck. I read every book I could get my hands on and spent hours combing through spiritual forums and metaphysical blogs.
The advice I received from seasoned readers, though sometimes conflicting, gave me a broad foundation of ritual practices and deck care.
I was especially drawn to the idea of treating the cards as sacred tools, rather than just objects. So, by the time I brought my new deck home, I already had a sense of how I needed to honor it and energetically align with it.
The People In Your Tarot Court Cards
In a psychic tarot reading, several court cards, also known as ‘people cards’, may come up in a spread. This can be challenging and even confusing, because the reader must now interpret not only the situational influences and circumstances revealed by the spread, but also the other people who are playing a role, or may still be involved in the matter.
There are many different approaches to interpreting tarot court cards, but my personal preference is to associate each card with an astrological sign of the zodiac.
There are 78 cards in a traditional Tarot deck. The first 22 cards are the Major Arcana and the remaining 56 are the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are divided into four suits that correspond to the four classical elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.
The element of Air is typically represented in the deck design as swords, feathers, birds, or clouds. The element of Fire is usually represented as wands, batons, or staffs. The element of Water is represented by cups, chalices, bowls, or mermaids. And the element of Earth is represented as pentacles, coins, or stones.
Sixteen of the 56 minor arcana are the court cards. The court cards of each suit represent people who embody the personality, traits, or influence of the associated element. Occasionally, a court card may also represent someone who fits the physical appearance of a particular person card as depicted in the card’s design.