 What exactly is a beginner's deck anyway?
I often read and hear about how some decks are more user-friendly or easier to understand for those who are just starting out on their Tarot journey. The Rider Waite Smith is almost universally acclaimed as THE beginner's deck par excellence.
I couldn't disagree more, both with the idea that there is such a thing as a beginner's deck in the first place and with the premise that if there was such a deck, that the RWS would be it.
Now don't get me wrong, if the sole purpose of your Tarot journey is the in-depth study of the symbolism, artwork and historical significance of a particular deck, the RWS is probably a good choice as a starting block. The images, especially in the Minor Arcana, are quite easy to understand and provide a very solid base for any new student of the Tarot. From there, you can then move on to study more obscure, less candid decks such as the Thoth or the Marseilles.
However, if you're planning on using your deck as a fortune telling tool or even just for personal meditation, the idea that there is such a thing as a beginner's deck becomes rather laughable. The best beginner's deck is the one you connect with on a primal level, regardless of how user-friendly the so-called "experts" might think it is. It's very much like what people say about true love: When you find it, you will KNOW.
When you pick up a deck, look through the cards and instantly feel that you've found your best friend; when the artwork speaks to you with crystal clarity, no matter how convoluted, abstract or impenetrable it might seem to others; when you can pick any card out of the deck and get an intuitive response to it, even if you have no clue what the traditional meaning might be. THAT is the best beginner's deck in the world for you. If you find it, congratulations and don't ever part with it. This deck will be your constant companion from now on. It will see you through the highs and lows of your life. You may stray every once in a while and try out other decks, but this is the one you'll keep coming back to time and time again.
I was lucky enough to find such a deck in Alistair Crowley's Thoth. No matter how many more decks have been added to my collection over the years, my Thoth is the only one I really trust my intuition implicitly with. It's like an extension of myself. It's never made it on any "Best Tarot Decks for Beginners" list I've ever seen, but it is definitely responsible for my unending love affair with the Tarot.
Some people have a very clear idea of how they want their funeral arrangements to be carried out. For me, I honestly don't care what my loved ones decide to do with my body, but whatever their choice, be it a burial, cremation or any other fancy new trend of the day, I want to leave this world clutching my Thoth deck to my heart.
We shall be one until the very end, my beginner's deck and I. =)
Image: Lust (Strength), from Crowley's Thoth (art by Lady Frieda Harris)
 | I could not agree with you more :D |
 | Me2... My beginner's deck are the THOTH.. I'm totally agree with you ..... U must treat her as the frd, if u treat her just a tool....It's hard to know wht's actual meaning of each card.. |
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