The tarot deck can be a source of fascination for the art enthusiast interested in history and culture. The artwork on tarot card decks is a reflection of the modern culture of the time and place where each version, or style, originated. There are several hundred different decks in existence, some dating back as far as 15th century Italy and France. Tarot card decks display images, symbols, and values from cultures such as India, China, France, Italy, Scotland, and Ireland, and they represent time periods that span six centuries. The decks also display religious themes such as Celtic, Buddhist, and Christian. Today's decks often focus on theme as well.



A tarot card deck is a special deck of cards that comprise of 21 trump cards, the Fool, an extra face card per suit, plus the usual suit cards found in normal playing cards. Some decks are a set of 78 face cards, cards that represent some aspect of human life such as the Wheel of Fortune, the Moon, Death, etc. the images on a deck of tarot cards are highly detailed. Some decks exist primarily as miniature collections of artwork. Others are specially designed to portray unique qualities of a particular region. For this reason, there are many people who collect decks of tarot cards.

In the English speaking world, the most common deck of tarot cards is the Rider-Waite deck. It is often called the first "modern" deck because they were the first to use detailed pictures on the minor arana cards. Until then, only the major arcana had such detailed symbolism.

The Robin Hood deck is another favorite. A spin-off from the Rider-Waite deck, it is somewhat simpler and therefore easier for newcomers to tarot to understand and interpret. The Robin Hood deck is rich in pagan symbolism. With the recent surge in interest in Paganism, this deck is enjoying great popularity.

Another popular deck is the Crowley Thoth deck. The striking artwork in this deck was created by a famous occultist, Aleister Crowley. This deck is considered to be a classic, but not particularly for the novice. Previous knowledge of tarot is required to use this deck.

Yet another deck that is a must for any collector is the Golden Tarot deck. The artwork in this deck is an amazing blending of medieval and Renaissance styles into the Tarot scenes. It is a collage of images, quite fascinating in its complicated designs in addition to its in-depth symbolism.

This is just a brief summary of some of the tarot decks readily available on the market. A sampling of these decks is likely to get you hooked on the charm of the eclectic history and artwork in tarot and you just might find yourself seeking out older and rarer decks as a full-time hobby.