Generally speaking, the Tarot is viewed by many as a fixed system. This means every deck will typically be the same 78 cards, 22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana, with the same type of meaning to each card.
In my studies and in my own decks I have found that though the meanings generally applies from deck to deck not all Tarot decks will have the same names of Major Arcana or suits for the Minor Arcana.
Below is the general meaning for each card:
The Fool –
Upright: Cycles, Guidance (needed), Innocence, Optimism, Openness, New Beginnings, Spirituality, Spontaneity
Reversed: Discipline (needed), Fear of Commitment, Look before you Leap, Holding Back, Naivety, Recklessness, Risk-Taking
When it comes to decks, you’ll see that there are thousands of decks out there, each with their own unique style and flare.
You might be asking yourself, how do you choose? Here are a few questions to ask yourself and tips to follow.
First the creators of the decks do their best to inform you as to what their deck is designed to be used for. Read the box and/or guidebook and see if you like the way they write. If you can’t follow their writing style you may find you wont be able to work with the system they set up for the deck itself.
Go to their websites and learn more about them and the inspiration for the creation of the deck you are looking to purchase.
Second search the art work of the deck. If you are like me the art work has a huge impact on how well you work with the cards. If you can’t stand to look at the art work its a sure sign you wont be able to read the message they are suppose to be giving.
How well does your intuition pick up on the cues in the art work? The reason the cards have artwork in the first place is for you to be able to read the signs within them.
A few other questions to consider:
What am I attracted to?
Which deck speaks to me?