Finding the right deck for divination: a discussion

TWH — With Samhain getting closer and days getting shorter, many Pagans turn to divination outside of their daily routines. Tarot cards are one of the most popular and most common forms of divination found in magical circles. With the 100s of decks available, trying to find one that fits into one’s practice and spiritual life can be difficult. Star Bustamonte, who is a professional tarot reader in North Carolina and the writer of the Wild Hunt weekly tarot, offers her tips on how to pick the right deck for your work. The Wild Hunt: There are so many decks out there. Does anyone know how many there are?  How does someone, whether they are new to magical practice or just new to Tarot, begin the search for a deck?

A Place in Tarot History

SAUGERTIES, NY — Robert Place didn’t set out to be a tarot artist and scholar. Once upon a time, he made jewelry, including the wedding ring worn by Margot Adler. Through a series of messages and signs he received from his patron deity Hermes, Place set aside that work and turned his artistic abilities to the creation of cards for divination, including tarot. Along the way, he became an expert in the history of how cards have been used for oracular purposes. Place’s best-selling work thus far has been the Alchemical Tarot, but he has created several other decks in that style, as well as writing a treatise on the subject, called The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination.