Good First Deck for a Beginner?

Nikat: Your plan sounds good. Get one deck you're strongly attracted to and a clear RWS style deck that attracts you for contrast and simplicity of learning. My first deck picked me. I looked through the decks on aeclectic and elsewhere, read a lot. I asked myself which deck would be best for me if I were to get only one deck. The clear choice was the Rosetta, a Thoth-based deck. I've been thrilled with it since it arrived. It chatted with me right away, so I can use it intuitively and have the option to study with the excellent book for more detail.

Next I bought the Deviant Moon, also trusting inner guidance in looking for a RWS-based deck that would suit me for the long haul. It took more handling and studying the cards to bond with this deck, but I love the cards' irreverent, flippant, penetrating insight.

Third was the Mary-el, a mostly intuitive deck with powerful artwork. It just felt right when I checked my inner guidance, so I wasn't disappointed. The Temperance card is my favorite Temperance card, and right up there with any card I've seen!

Although I was open to the RWS at a very experienced friend's recommendation, I didn't want it. It's the same learning to play musical instruments. You'll spend a lot of time with your favorite decks, so why not start now?

stonesatiety said:

It's the same learning to play musical instruments. You'll spend a lot of time with your favorite decks, so why not start now?

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Yes, I agree with that wholeheartedly!

In my own experience too, I feel that sticking to rigid "traditional" interpretations of card meanings is something to eventually move past as one deepens their connection with the cards specifically through personal use. Otherwise, Tarot remains a pre-defined system - organized, yes, but inflexible and limited - rather than something that's open and free-flowing and growing alongside within ourselves... I think that using those favorite decks, the ones that strongly appeal to us is very helpful in enjoying this ongoing learning process, as it's those decks that I think "speak" very well to who we are in the moment.