The Rider-Waite-Smith is easily the most popular Tarot deck in history, having sold the most copies by far as well as having countless clones and other RWS-styled offspring. The RWS is probably the easiest deck for beginners to pick up and use without much need for study. This deck departs from occult tradition with the removal of the old pip cards in favor of easy-to-read scenarios pictured on the Minor Arcana. This deck's adoption of Etteilla's cartomancy reversals simplified it even further. Without the need to interpret elemental dignities, the RWS delivers blunt readings that are difficult to misinterpret. Most readers learn this deck first.
The Surrealist Tarot is an unorthodox deck with a unique twist of humor. This deck does not rely on the customary structure of the RWS nor the Thoth structure, but instead employs a set of 12 core Majors based on the LaVey Personality Synthesizer. The LPS is a brilliant yet practical system of classifying personality types based on criteria such as mentality, body type, and ego (shown by choice of automobiles). Images are reminiscent of everything from Star Trek to Super Mario Bros.
The Diary of a Broken Soul is a gateway to the dark dimension of Jahanam, rendered from the visions of Ash Abdullah's 3-year soul search. Jahanam is a mysterious place which shadows the mundane common perception of reality. In Jahanam thoughts are tangible and emotions have faces. This is a sublime deck about personal therapy and the painful process of digging deep into the unconscious mind in order to face one's deepest fears.
The Langustl Tarot relies on both Crowley's and Waite's Tarot methods, along with a combination of other systems such as astrology, kabbalah, and numerology. Stephan "Langustl" Lange's simplistic style of art is vibrant with life, using brilliant color and contrast to portray the feelings of each card. This deck is certainly approachable for the beginner, but of course a better understanding of the systems the deck employs makes for deeper readings.
The bifrost Tarot is an occult deck that is firmly rooted in Thoth/GD tradition, but also influenced by the teachings of several of Crowley's most distinguished followers along with mysticism from all corners of world history. This deck was designed for those who appreciate and study the highest esoteric traditions and for those who are open to unlocking new and often painful spiritual understandings. Despite the modernized and easy to recognize symbolism that departs from the old occult style of Thoth, this deck's potentially uncomfortable secrets may make it somewhat difficult for beginners to grasp. This is a deck intended for spiritually-developed individuals who are not prone to making ordinary egocentric judgements.
The Tarot de Marseilles and the Visconti-Sforza are ancient decks that pre-date the adoption of Tarot by occultists. The Marseille was produced in the 1800's by Heraclio Fournier. The Visconti-Sforza dates back to approximately 1455. These decks' main usage was probably for the popular trick-capturing card game of Tarot, AKA Tarocchi or Triumphs. Readers who prefer these ancient designs are often purists who appreciate the cards' long-lived role in history. |
