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Buying guide · Deck + guidebook
What to look for in a first tarot deck—and why a real guidebook in the box beats a pretty tuck and a keyword list.
Choosing a tarot deck is less about “the one that calls you” and more about four practical checks. If a listing fails the guidebook or the system test, keep scrolling—even if the box is gorgeous.
Look for a book written for the art you are holding—card-by-card meanings and how that deck actually reads. A tiny LWB (little white book) leaves you hunting generic keywords mid-spread. Both of our signature decks ship with a full-colour guidebook in the box.
Most first decks sit in one of two lineages: Rider–Waite–Smith (illustrated scenes on every card) or Tarot de Marseille (pip Minors, classical structure). Pick a lineage you want to practise—not a mash-up that abandons both. Then buy the deck that matches.
A complete tarot is Major plus Minor Arcana. Check stock, size, and finish: will you use this daily, or only display it? Numbered editions and studio fulfillment tell you who printed the cards and who packed the box.
You will stare at these images for years. Inclusive figures, queer-inspired aesthetics, and a mood that feels like your table matter more than a trending look. If you need to translate every card into your own life, the deck is working against you.
A guidebook written for that deck is the difference between learning and googling. Mass-market reprints often ship a thin pamphlet with recycled Rider–Waite keywords. Indie decks sometimes ship nothing at all. The useful middle: a full book that names the images in your hands—so you can start the same night without a second purchase.
The New Voice Tarot includes a 120-page guidebook (meanings, spreads, reading intro). New Choice Tarot de Marseille includes an 80-page full-colour booklet (TdM meanings, flower language on every Minor, numerology, and reading resources). Neither requires a second book to start. This page is buying advice only—the physical booklet in the box is the guide written for the cards.
Choose Rider–Waite–Smith if you want a story on every card—including the pip Minors. That is why most beginners start there, and why The New Voice Tarot is our RWS-style pick. Choose Tarot de Marseille if you want classical European structure and are willing to learn number and suit; New Choice Tarot de Marseille keeps that lineage and adds floral cues in the Minors.
Still torn on the system? Use the side-by-side Rider–Waite vs Tarot de Marseille guide, then come back here for the buying checklist.
Both are designed by Rosario Salerno, packed from our studio, and sold with the guidebook included. Same artist, two lineages—pick the system, then open the product page.
RWS-style · 120-page guidebook
Fashion-inspired, scene-based Minors in the Rider–Waite–Smith tradition—easiest if you learned from apps, books, or social media. Inclusive, queer-friendly imagery and a 120-page book covering meanings, spreads, and a reading intro.
Best for: First decks, gifts, and anyone who wants a picture on every card.
Buy The New Voice TarotClassical TdM · 80-page guidebook
Classical Marseille structure with hand-painted watercolour, magenta gilding, and floral motifs on the Minors. The 80-page full-colour booklet covers TdM meanings, flower language, numerology, and reading resources—so you are not guessing at pip cards.
Best for: Readers drawn to European tarot, pip reading, and a limited numbered edition.
Buy New Choice Tarot de MarseilleIf you buy New Voice, how to read The New Voice Tarot walks through inclusive RWS scenes. If you buy TdM, flower language in Tarot de Marseille shows how the Minors work. Shopping for representation first? See best LGBTQ+ & queer tarot decks or the queer tarot collection.
Check four things: a guidebook written for that art, a clear system (Rider–Waite–Smith or Tarot de Marseille), a full 78-card set you will shuffle, and imagery you can live with. From our studio, The New Voice Tarot (RWS-style, 120-page book) and New Choice Tarot de Marseille (TdM, 80-page book) both include the guidebook in the box.
Yes. A real book written for that art beats a foldout or a generic keyword list. Both New Choice Tarot signature decks ship with a full-colour guidebook: New Voice covers meanings, spreads, and a reading intro; TdM covers meanings, flower language, numerology, and reading resources.
Most beginners start with a Rider–Waite–Smith–style deck because every card shows a scene. The New Voice Tarot is our inclusive RWS pick. If you prefer classical European structure, New Choice Tarot de Marseille works as a first deck when the 80-page booklet is in the box.
No. The New Voice Tarot’s 120-page book and New Choice Tarot de Marseille’s 80-page booklet are written for those images. Extra books are optional later—not required on night one. This web guide is buying advice; it does not replace the booklet in the box.
Both signature decks ship from our studio with a full guidebook. Start from the beginner collection to compare them, or open a product page when you already know the lineage.