The Rider-Waite deck is what is called a traditional Tarot deck. This means it has 78 cards (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana), divided into four suits (Cups, Pentacles, Wands and Swords). The scenes portrayed are those of Europe in the Middle-Ages, with the populace decidedly Caucasian, although an occasional dark skinned "exotic" may appear.

Traditional decks can differ, though, in their depiction of Minor Arcana cards. Some are fully illustrated, depicting a life scene, while others simply show a certain number of arcane objects, i.e. cups, wands, pentacles or swords.

In recent years, a variety of non-traditional decks have appeared. Some have 78 cards, some do not. Many retain the traditional four suits, but rename them. For example, the Ancestral Path Tarot uses Sacred Circles instead of Pentacles while Tarot of the Old Path replaces Cups with Cauldrons. Further departing the norm, the Healing Earth Tarot suits are Shields (Pentacles), Rainbows (Cups), Wands, and Crystals (Swords), plus an additional two: Pipes (healing energy) and Feathers (psychic).
   
The most striking divorce from the traditional is the inclusion of many of the world’s cultures. Instead of only white Europeans walking through the cards, Native Americans, ancient magical people, Asians, Australian Aborigines, African shamans, and South American healers all share center stage.

Not quite Tarot, but . . .
In 1988 Jamie Sams and David Carson created the Medicine Cards. The 44-card deck depicts the many animals closely associated with Native American tales and legends. They include, among others, the Turkey (Give-Away), Dragonfly (Illusion), Wolf (Teacher), Bear (Introspection), Horse (Action) and Beaver (Builder). The accompanying book tells each animal’s story and how that story relates to your question or situation. For example, we learn of Buffalo’s sacredness through the tale of White Buffalo Calf Woman and the bringing of the Pipe.
   
A few years later, Sams created the Sacred Path Cards, the Discovery of Self through Native Teachings. This deck opens a doorway to Native American life, blending traditional teaching with Sams’ own work with her medicine teachers. A few of the card include Counting Coup (Victory) , Fire Medicine (Passion), Moon Lodge (Retreat) and Kokopelli (Fertility).

Today there are well over a hundred decks created "in the spirit of Tarot." Are any of them Tarot decks? No. They fall into a category of “almost Tarot”. While they may not be true Tarot decks the majority of them do have value and are worth exploring.

How To Pick a Deck
Should you buy a variation of the Rider-Waite as your starter deck? If this is the deck you resonant with, then the answer is yes. Much of the esoteric study and writing done about Tarot uses this deck. If you have an interest in delving into “traditional” Tarot, you’ll want the Rider-Waite deck on the shelf. What if you aren’t attracted to the deck, and prefer to read more intuitively, less traditionally? Then you may want to pick another deck.

I believe we do our best Tarot work with the deck that attracts us in an almost magical way. I like the art work in the New Palladini Tarot, but it doesn't speak to me in the same way the Healing Earth Tarot does. That's because I don't feel the same level of attraction to European history that I do to the history of native peoples. You may be completely opposite. When you hold a deck that truly blends with your energy, it feels like an old friend - - someone you can sit down with and gab about the day’s events.
   
Some New Age stores have sample decks that you’re welcome to open and go through. If this is the case, take your time and simply be open to the deck that makes something deep inside you say “wow!”.

What if you have to order a deck sight unseen? Look at deck pictures online and see if you find a particular culture appealing—realizing that we play out our natural attraction to other lifetimes through the books we read, the movies we watch, and the objects we surround ourselves with. Are you on a continual search for books about Arthurian Britain (Legends, The Arthurian Tarot)? or do you feel a contented warmth when you pass a store window filled with wizards and crystals (Tarot of a Moon Garden)? or maybe the film Dances with Wolves stirred something so deep inside that you know life as a Native American was part of your past (Native American Tarot). Whatever the attraction, seek the deck that meets it. At the end of this chapter, you’ll find a brief description of several decks which may help with your decision.

 I recommend buying a deck in which the Minor Arcana cards are fully illustrated. Since this book relies heavily on how you symbolically interpret cards, it’s far easier when you're interpreting a life scene.

Don’t be surprised if, over time, you switch decks. We don’t live static lives (Praise Be!), so it’s natural that our personal growth will trigger new choices in many things, including our Tarot deck. You may also go back and forth between decks, or feel compelled to use one deck when reading for Sarah, and another for Jim. As with most things in life, trust your heart.