It's really important to pick a deck that is clear and will be easy to use with different Tarot books when first buying a deck.
It is said to be bad karma or whatever to buy a deck for yourself. I don't believe this personally and every deck that I have with the exception of one has been bought by myself for myself. I haven't noticed any difference in the readings between one that I have bought myself and the one that was given to me as a gift. Nor have I ever had any bad experiences as a result.
This is a popular myth that doesn't really have anything to do with reading the Tarot. I suggest that you buy a deck for yourself if you want to read as you are more likely to pick the one that you need for reading rather than one picked by another. I see picking a deck as closer to picking crystals than anything else - pick the one that feel right to you.
Another myth is that you can't read the Tarot for yourself. Also not true. I read for myself every day and I will soon have a section in the site about this. I have talked about this further in my Spreads and Reading the Cards sections in the meantime if you want to know more.

Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

Universal Waite Tarot Deck

This is another nice deck that's simple and will work with most Tarot books. It is the first deck that I bought and it's my most used deck too. It's similar to the traditional Rider-Waite however it's images are softer and the colours a little prettier. :) It is very easy to learn to read with this deck.


Universal Waite Tarot Deck-Book Set This is the same as above only this one comes with a book. As I said, I love this deck and with a book it's easy to get started right away. But the Rider-Waite decks will match with most Tarot books that you buy from other authors.


Pocket Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

The Pocket Rider Waite is smaller in size. I have one of these and it's much easier to shuffle for the newbie who isn't used to shuffling the larger cards. But bear in mind that the larger cards are good to learn on as they will get you used to it for other decks. I have a hard time shuffling normal cards now! But this kind of deck is great for carrying around with you on trips and the rest of it. I use it also for larger Tarot Spreads that require a lot of floor space. This deck is probably better for readings for yourself than as a deck to use for spreads with others.


Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

This is the Rider-Waite deluxe deck set. It is a little more pricey, but the images are lovely and the quality of the deck is great. It is probably best to think about buying this one after you have decided that you are going to keep reading the Tarot. The images are good for the newbie and considering the prices of Tarot decks here, USD28 is reasonable for this set. I think it retails for over 80 bucks here. Good value for what it is - no question.

      

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