There are countless tarot decks on the market, and some are better than others. Some have questionable interpretations, some have questionable quality control. These are the 6 best decks I know of this year that I think are most applicable to anyone interested in tarot.
I avoided non-standard decks (so no Thoth, no oracle cards, etc.) in this listing. There are a few which include some extra cards, but they’re easy enough to pull and have a standard 78 card deck they’ve added to. This list is in no way the only good decks available (or even really in a specific order), but the best ones I’ve found, personally.
While this is largely subjective, I tried to objectively focus on selecting these based on quality of the cards, how much they fit standard tarot readings (with a few exceptions that were exceptional), and similar. For the art, I tend to like more ethereal and mystic art so you’ll see a trend there (with some exceptions for classic or quintessential decks). Without further ado, here are the 6 tarot decks I thought were the best in 2021.
Everyday Tarot
Everyday Tarot is one of my favorite tarot decks of all time. I’ve actually written about it before here, but it’s still relevant and worth mentioning again.
Everyday Tarot is a mini tarot deck in a small box that makes it extremely portable. The artwork is very minimalist (composed of just white, purple, and gold for the coloring) but both elegant and modern. The cards themselves are well made and appear to be made of vinyl. I’ve used this deck for quite a while and it has virtually no wear unlike some of the other decks I have.
The deck is modern but also feels timeless (as ironic as it sounds). It fits readings for all sorts of scenarios from the mundane to the spiritual. The symbolism is reminiscent of the Waite inspired decks without feeling merely derivative. This deck fits more traditional tarot readings and is compatible with most standard tarot reading books. To top it all off, the deck is extremely cheap.
Many people complain about the box but I found it trivial to deal with once I learned to work with it. All you have to do is put the little reading mat in with cards against the back of the box each time.
Shadowscape Tarot
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s Shadowscape Tarot is a gorgeous deck which really got me into tarot in general. I hadn’t connected with a deck before I bought this one. The art is exquisite and the deck works great for more spiritual or philosophical readings. This is also a full sized deck which makes it more attractive for some people.
The cards themselves are extremely well made and resilient. I’ve had this deck for quite a while and it shows very little wear overall. Each card has a mixture of what feels like Celtic and Asian influence and borrows freely from world mythologies. The depictions on each card have an ethereal quality which works best with less mundane readings.
This deck deviates heavily from many more “standard” tarot decks without throwing away the core principles of tarot. The Shadowscape Tarot almost stands alone with its readings as the cards differ from the more traditional Waite inspired decks (though the traditional readings aren’t necessarily at odds with the creator’s intended readings). For instance, the cards don’t really have an intended reverse reading. These are a bit of a reimagining of traditional tarot into something new, different, but very much rooted in the history and spirit of traditional tarot.
Rider-Waite Tarot
The Rider-Waite Tarot is considered the root of modern tarot. This is the most fundamental tarot deck from which almost all modern decks are derived in some way (either inspiration or interpretation).
There are literally hundreds of Rider-Waite, Smith-Waite, etc. decks, and many of them are great (while some are cheaply made and printed, looking at you Wish). This is the quintessential tarot deck. The Rider-Waite deck is heavily influenced by the Golden Dawn and has been used by many occult societies and is suggested in a huge amount of occult literature. If you don’t know where to start with tarot or are into high magick, this deck is near indispensable.
There are many versions of this deck. They’re all based on the same fundamental artwork, but there are some minor differences between versions. Colors can be substantially different between decks. Below are several highly rated decks. The examples below don’t even touch on a fraction of the sheer number of similar decks there are. It doesn’t even touch on a small percentage of high rated and suggested decks.
The Modern Witch Tarot
Lisa Sterle’s Modern Witch Tarot is a modern reimagining of the classic tarot deck. One of the big selling points of this deck is the art, which focuses on diversity and [an] all-female celebration of womanhood with each illustration.
This deck is exquisite with its art and the overall quality of everything included. The cards are high quality and the back is simple but elegant. One arguable detractor is that the back is not truly reversible. It’s a bit hard to see at first, but the printing is not truly symmetric. Aside from that, the little hardback it comes with is a great guide and the whole package is good enough to not need an extra box or similar.
Each card feels classic yet distinctly modern, timeless yet contemporary. It’s a great deck that gives great readings if you resonate with it. It makes a great first deck, but it’s always a fine addition to any set of tarot decks.
There’s also a journal for your exploration and journey through this deck and with tarot cards in general. This is a great way to take note of what a card means to you and a way to compare it with the traditional explanations. Different decks and different cards resonate differently with different people. There are standard readings, but each deck and person will give the same descriptions a different interpretation based on the depictions and their own wisdom and experiences. This journal just gives you an easier way to verbalize and internalize what this deck means to you while learning more about tarot.
The Wild Unknown Tarot
The Wild Unknown Tarot is a deck which is as beautiful as it is brutal. The artwork on this deck is vivid and surreal, albeit a little on the darker side for some people. Personally, I love the aesthetic and think it really adds to the more mystic angle of tarot myself.
This deck isn’t too far out there in terms of interpretation, but it’s arguably not exactly 100% standard tarot either. It’s close enough a beginner could go from it to any standard system with a little work, and someone who has worked with more standard decks could jump to it easy enough however. Granted, part of working with any tarot system is coming to terms with how the deck varies from what’s in the book based on your own experiences and interpretations.
The symbolism is thick in this deck and varies from more traditional decks in a refreshing manner. The provided interpretations are much more brutal (and direct) than most traditional tarot decks as well. Overall, it’s a great deck if you’re into collecting or if the art really resonates with you.
The cards themselves are high quality cardstock and are really well made. I haven’t had a huge amount of interaction with this deck, but I get the feeling it will hold up for ages from what I’ve seen. You can read Benebell Wen’s (the author of The Tao of Craft) review for a little more in depth information about this deck.
They also make a pocket version of the deck if you don’t like a standard full-size deck.
Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot
The Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot is an absolutely gorgeous tarot deck. Cards have a mix of dreamy, ethereal artwork with gold foil (where relevant) which creates a surreal luster that accents the art. As you hold a card and look at it, the feel shifts as the foil shimmers one way or another. The deck is largely standard, though it does include 2 extra major arcana cards (though they can just be left in the box if you want to stick with standard tarot readings).
You can check out Matt Hugh’s website for more images of the art and information about the deck. This deck started as a Kickstarter and made it into the catalog for U.S. Games Systems due to its success.
The art in this deck makes it great for more spiritual or mystic readings, but it can work for the more mundane readings as well. While the art is dreamlike, surreal, and ethereal, it also has a level of realism that most surreal type decks don’t have. You have a dream world grounded in reality, but which also transcends it. It feels like a paradox, but each image follows its own physics while also having a surreal quality which just expands its potential. You can also think of it like Renaissance art where the depictions seem surreal, but are also feasible.
This is probably one of the most gorgeous decks I’ve seen. I’d rate it up with the Shadowscape deck for aesthetic beauty. It feels somewhere between the Shadowscape deck and a more traditional deck for readings in my opinion. There’s a flexibility which makes it a bit more open depending on mood, lighting, and even just wants.
Conclusion
These are just a small selection of the decks available which I feel are amazing. Each of these decks has its own strengths and weaknesses which put it above other selections I’ve seen. Some of these decks have been faithful companions for years, others are new.
There are a lot of great tarot decks out there so there’s no way I can hit them all, but these are my favorites this year. What decks do you feel are quintessential to someone interested in tarot? What do you feel I missed?
Image by jacqueline macou from Pixabay