Tarot Reading: Which Tarot Deck To Choose?

Reading tarot cards is one of the most common methods for predicting the future. It is possible to practice cartomancy with a simple deck of 32 cards, with an oracle, or with a tarot deck. Before delving into tarot reading, one must know which tarot deck to choose for divination.

What are the origins of the tarot game?

Did you know that the game of Tarot appeared in Italy in the 15th century? At its creation, it was a simple leisure game and had no divinatory significance.

From the beginning, this game had the particularity of having 78 cards, including 22 additional cards, then called "trionfi" (the triumphs).

These special figures, which allow to beat the ordinary cards, are the cards that Tarot players today call "trumps" and that fortune tellers call "major arcana".

However, it took nearly two centuries for these playing cards to start being used for divinatory purposes.

What is the vocabulary of tarot reading?

When using a divinatory Tarot deck, we are not talking about cards but rather about "lames" (blades).

In addition, as mentioned earlier, cartomancers distinguish between two types of lames:
• The major arcana correspond to the trump cards.
• The minor arcana refer to all the other cards (numbered from 1 to 10, as well as the Page, Knight, Queen, and King).

Thanks to its major arcana, this deck is a powerful tool for divination as it conveys images and symbols of universal significance.

What are the most commonly used tarot decks for divination?

In France, a wide variety of games are used to draw cards. The classic Tarot deck can be used, as well as more or less well-known variants or oracles.

It should be noted that different Tarot decks have been developed over the centuries, each with its own cards and symbols. But they all have in common a total of 78 cards, including 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana.

If you don't know which Tarot deck to choose for divination, note that the two reference decks for reading the future are the Marseille Tarot and the Rider-Waite Smith Tarot.

The Marseille Tarot is known for its major arcana representing scenes or allegorical symbols. These 22 cards are numbered and their order symbolizes the soul's journey.

This Tarot deck is undoubtedly the most common in divination shops and the easiest to find if you are looking for a gift idea on this theme.

Much less known in France, the Rider-Waite Smith Tarot is a variant favored by Anglo-Saxons. It is the most widely used divinatory Tarot deck in the world because it is easy to access. The interpretation of the draws is more intuitive and less complex than with the Marseille Tarot.

What is the difference between an oracle and a tarot?

When you start getting interested in cartomancy, you may feel a certain confusion when faced with the different divination tools available.

In esoteric shops, you can find several types of tarot decks but also oracle decks, such as the Belline oracle, the mirrors oracle, or the Gé oracle.

The main difference between an oracle and the Tarot is that the structure of oracles is more flexible than that of tarot decks.

For example, the Belline oracle only consists of 53 cards to interpret:
• 7 groups of 7 cards in reference to the seven fundamental planets in astrology
• 4 complementary cards, each with its own symbolism.

Its origin is more recent than that of the Tarot deck, as these cards were drawn in the 19th century.

If you are still unsure about choosing a particular deck for card reading, know that there is no wrong choice! Divination is primarily a matter of intuition, so let your instinct guide you towards the divination tool that suits you best.