Buying a Deck
Buying a Deck
Buying a deck seems pretty straight forward and simple until you go to do it. There is actually a lot to consider if you are getting a deck to practice with. If you are getting a deck for intuition or as a collector then you can just choose whichever one you like.
For this course we will be using the Tarot de Marseille. It is a so-called “pip deck”, meaning the number cards do not have scenes on them. They are like playing cards, showing just 8 cups for example. There are flourishes, flowers and other decorative elements - but there is no scene with a person doing something, unlike most tarot decks today.
We are going to start with rote memorization - think abc’s - as a jumping off point. This is the first benefit to using a pip deck. Rather than memorize 56 meanings for the number and court cards, plus 56 reversed meanings - You can have 14 keywords for numbers and court cards. See my chart below:
| RWS Keywords | RWS + Reversals | TdM Keywords | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 pips | 40 | 80 | 10 |
| 16 courts | 16 | 32 | 4 |
| 22 majors | 22 | 44 | 22 |
| Totals | ==88== | 156 | ==36== |
When you are getting started just skip on the reversals. You can begin to incorporate them later if you choose. They are not needed at all to read. I do not use them, or very rarely.
Even without the reversals, using the TdM keywords requires less than 1/2 of the initial memorization. You will become comfortable with the cards quicker, and your own understanding will expand beyond the keywords. That is when the real fun begins, and the tarot becomes useful for every day problem solving. (And More!)
For this course you will need a Tarot de Marseille deck. It should be a classic replica. It needs to be an actual tarot deck. What I mean is 78 cards comprised of 22 major arcana, 40 pip cards and 16 court cards. There are several decks for sale on Amazon or the publishers websites. Below are two recommendations:
Both links go to Amazon, but I am not affiliated. It is just the quickest and easiest way to get a deck. You can also buy from the publishers, and sometimes I do. At book stores I rarely find a Marseille deck, but you could get lucky. I will be using images from the CBD tarot in this course, mainly because they are free to use with the authors permission from his website.
Get your deck, look it over, and enjoy the artwork. Shuffle it and get the feel for it. Then begin the practice!
[1]: What I mean is 78 cards comprised of 22 major arcana, 40 pip cards, and 16 court cards.