Tarot Decks and Shoes👠

Hi there Tarot Friends,

It's just 2 days until I close on the sale of my house! Woohoo!!!

The weather here in San Antonio has been hot cold, hot cold. We hit 90 and then plunge to 37.🤷‍♀️

I hope things are smooth and easy where you are, if that's how you like it.

When Tarot Decks Are Like Shoes...

Tarot decks are a lot like shoes.

Some people have closets full of them.

Others keep just a few pairs that get the job done.

I just counted and I own nine pairs of shoes.

Nothing fancy. Several of them came from Skechers.

I basically need one thing from a shoe:
it has to be comfortable and get me where I’m going.

Tarot decks are the same way.

Every now and then someone tells me you should find one Tarot deck and use it for the rest of your life.

That idea sits right up there with another Tarot myth:

that your first deck has to be gifted to you.

Imagine telling someone they should only own one pair of shoes.🙄

Here’s a quick tour of my Tarot closet.

The Marseille Tarot

My very first deck

Yes… I started on hard mode.

The Marseille Tarot doesn’t illustrate the minor arcana.
No scenes. No storytelling.

Just a number of wands, cups, swords, or coins.

Many people avoid it for exactly that reason.

But I bought it because I’m a sucker for woodcut art.
Flat. Graphic. Two-dimensional.

There’s something beautifully stark about it.

Working with Marseille forces you to rely less on visual storytelling and more on number, suit, and pattern. It trains your intuition in a very different way.

Looking back, it was a fantastic first teacher.

The Gaian Tarot

Earthy goodness.

I used the Gaian Tarot for quite a while.

The images are grounded and human.

The people look like people you might actually know.

That deck always reminds me of the years I lived in the mountains of Arizona. The art has that same quiet, earthy quality.

It’s a very approachable deck, especially for readers who like symbolism that feels connected to the natural world.

Morgan Greer Tarot

My party readings deck.

This deck is fantastic for party readings.

The images are zoomed in close to the figures.
The colors are bold and saturated.

Everything pops.

When someone is sitting across a small table in a dimly lit setting, I can see the cards no problem!

Also: pocket decks are underrated.

They travel well. They shuffle easily. And the people I read for feel less on the spot handling them.

The Deck I Just Ordered

I also have a new deck on the way: Out of Hand Tarot.

I managed to snag a “defective” copy, which made it possible to actually get one.

I love indie decks, but I’m usually late to the party and arrive after they’ve sold out.

The images in Out of Hand are framed from a first-person perspective, focusing on hands interacting with the world.

Hands holding cups.
Hands reaching.
Hands offering.

It’s an incredibly useful point of view for Tarot.

I’m curious to see how “defective” the deck is once it arrives.

My Go To Deck at the Moment the Slow Tarot

Special and just for me.

I love the rich, painted images and the wonderful color palate.

The suit themes are very well done.

The swords cold and crisp blues and grays.
Wands orange, yellow and teeming with life.
Lots of coins and bees flying with the pentacles.
Formal tea cups with the cups.

Many of the interpretations of the Majors are quite unique and there’s a bonus card or 2 in the deck.

The point is, no one else needs to get it. I do.

Why I Also Keep a Black & White Deck Around

I almost always keep a black and white deck on hand.

Many Tarot decks today are incredibly detailed.
Layered symbolism.
Bright colors.
Complex scenes.

That can be wonderful… but sometimes it’s also a lot.

When I want a sharp, clear perspective, I reach for a black and white deck.

Black and white immediately lowers the volume.

Without color directing your attention, the structure of the card becomes easier to see:

the gesture
the shapes
the contrast
the movement

It strips the image down to its bones.

In that sense, black and white decks feel a little like the Marseille tradition to me. Fewer distractions. More direct communication.

Sometimes the cards don’t need to shout.

Sometimes they just need to speak plainly.

The Truth About Tarot Decks

You don’t need to be gifted a deck.

You don’t need to find The One Deck.

Different decks reveal different facets of the cards.

Some are loud.
Some are quiet.
Some are symbolic.
Some are cinematic.

Each one becomes a different doorway into the Tarot.

And sometimes the deck you need changes as you change.

👇👇👇

If you’re the type who loves exploring different Tarot decks, you’ll fit right in at the Tarot Cocktail Party in the free Circle group.​

Bring your favorite deck, your weird deck, your brand-new deck, or the one that’s falling apart from years of use.

We’ll pull some cards, talk Tarot, and generally enjoy being among people who understand why someone might own twelve different decks and still want another one.

🗓 March 21 at 4 PM Central

Come show off your deck.

-Cassandra the Card Reader
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