MAKE SURE IT’S A TAROT DECK!

There are many card decks out there now – oracle cards, daily guidance cards, etc. Most of them do not have a specific format or structure other than the creator’s/author’s intention. Be absolutely certain that the deck you are looking at, ordering, &/or purchasing is a 78-card, 79-card, or 80-card Tarot deck.

CHOOSE A DECK WHICH RESONATES WITH YOU

There are quite a few decks available. Things you may want to consider about the decks as you look at them are:

– Do you like the artwork? If you enjoy looking at the pictures/imagery, you’ll enjoy working with the deck more often.

– If you can, read a bit about the author/designer of the deck and their inspiration to create it and/or their philosophy behind it.

– Does the deck represent a culture or religion that aligns with your personal faith and/or that you have an affinity for? Look for decks with the names and/or key words from those cultures/religions in the title.

– Do you understand some or most of the symbolism on the card? If not, are you interested in learning it? To that point, make sure the deck comes with a booklet (most do) or that there are other/additional books available about the deck so you can learn about the symbolic details of your chosen deck.

– Some decks come in only one size, but some of the more popular decks may come in varied sizes. Decks also may come in unusual shapes (circles, squares, triangles). Make sure the cards feel good in your hands, or that the size and/or shape of the cards is something you can manage. If they’re hard for you to work with, you won’t really want to use them.

Go with what feels good & right for you! If a deck doesn’t feel good to you or right for you, don’t purchase it! 

BEST PLACES TO RESEARCH OR PURCHASE A TAROT DECK (SF Bay Area & Northern California focused)

• East-West Bookshop – 324 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA – Here they have many decks to choose from, and they have full decks of each one on display so you can look at them before buying them. This is a great resource because you can also tangibly experience the cards in your hands and see if you like the size and/or shape of the cards. Again, some decks come in only one size, but some of the more popular decks may come in varied sizes. Also, if there’s a deck you want and it’s not in stock, they may be able to order it for you.

• The Universal Connection Store – 1261 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA – Tracee carries a handful of Tarot decks in store, but if you’re searching online and there’s a deck you want and it’s not in stock, they may be able to order it for you.

• Rock Mama Gallery – 5501 Power Inn Road #140, Sacramento, CA – This store has a great selection of tarot and oracle decks, along with an amazing offering of crystals and stones.

• Soul Connections – 329 N. Mt. Shasta Blvd, Mt Shasta, CA – This the largest and most popular metaphysical shop in the Mount Shasta area, and for good reason. They have a great selection of tarot and oracle cards for you to peruse.

• Tarotstack.com – Purchase classic and new tarot decks and oracle decks. There are a quite a few brand new decks making their debuts here! Quite a few popular “pick-a-card” readers on YoutTube and TikTok have packages and may have discount codes you can use for this site.

• Tarot.com – Browse Our Tarot Decks – http://www.tarot.com/tarot/decks – Here is an online readings site
that gives you an option for which deck you’d like to use for your reading. When you click on the deck, you
can see ALL of the cards in the deck for most decks. A great opportunity to see all of the cards if you don’t
want to drive up to East-West, but you won’t be able to buy the decks on this site. You’ll need to order
elsewhere.

• Aeclectic Tarot – http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/list.shtml – This site is actually more of an archive than an actual store. They have approximately 1500 card decks for you to choose from!!! It’s a rather daunting list, but it’s great if you have an idea of
what you’re looking for, especially decks with specific themes. For example – if you’re looking for a deck
with Eqyptian or Native American or Japanese art or symbolism, you can find those on the list. However,
they only show a sampling of the cards in the deck, so you’ll be able to get a sense of the aesthetics of the
cards/deck, but you won’t get to see them all.

PREPARING & CARING FOR YOUR TAROT DECK

Once you’ve purchased your Tarot deck, there are a few other things you’ll want to do.

 1) Keep the box the deck comes in! I highly recommend keeping the boxes for your cards, just in case
you decide to purchase a different/additional deck or in case you choose to collect decks. Storing your decks in
their boxes is an easy way to keep track of and maintain multiple decks over time, and it’s also helpful if you want to reorder the deck in the future. I also suggest keeping the little reference booklet in the box once you’ve gotten used to your deck. This way, if you ever need it again, you know where to find it.

2) Make sure you have something to carry your deck in. For the deck you use regularly, I highly recommend having something to keep your deck in other than the box. The box will deteriorate quickly if it is your main carrying case for the deck. A wooden or metal box is good if you plan to keep your cards at home or on a desk, altar, or shelf between readings. A scarf or altar cloth is good if your deck travels with you often, and it can double as a tablecloth if you need to read on a surface that is rough or could otherwise damage your cards.

3) Keep your deck clean physically. Make sure that your hands are as clean and dry as possible when you are using your deck. Water, hand lotions, oils, and food remnants (sauces, oils, etc.) are easily transferred to the surfaces of your cards. Also, make sure you are reading on surfaces that won’t damage or dull your cards. Clean, dry surfaces are obviously recommended and if necessary, put down a cloth to use your cards upon.

4) Keep your deck clean energetically. Keeping a piece of clear quartz, smoky quartz, and/or citrine on top of or with your deck between readings helps keep energy from carrying over from reading to reading and person to person. A small piece will usually do, especially if you travel with your deck or store it in a box/container. At home and/or if you don’t keep your regular deck in a container, you may want to keep a larger piece on top of the deck between readings. For more thorough energy clearings or cleansing, smudge your deck with white sage periodically or lay the deck out in the moonlight during a Full Moon. Be careful not use anything that could
damage the surface of the cards ( i.e. – liquids (including sprays) or smudging too close to the cards to burn or smoke damage them).