Deck and Book Combo Recommendations
For Rider Waite, Thoth, Marseille, Playing Cards and Lenormand
I absolutely love diving into a new cartomantic system and thought I would share my top recommended deck and book combos for each. It was very hard to narrow things down to just one book and deck, however I cheated a bit and added “other favorites” as well because I couldn’t help it. The main system that I currently work closely with is the Thoth system and I could talk for days about it, as well as recommendations… which I might expand more on in another post!
Ok, lets dive in!
Deck: Next World Tarot (Cristy C. Road)
This was very hard to narrow down since I don’t work closely with Rider Waite decks as much these days but I have so many Rider Waite favorites. I didn’t want to just say the original Rider Waite Smith deck, rather I wanted to share a more modern deck that still mirrors the Rider Waite but resonates more in line with current life today. The Next World Tarot is the first deck that comes to mind and one that I really love. The cards are relatable and very recognizable when it comes to the daily grind. I can easily find myself, my neighbors, friends and strangers in these cards. This is also a great study deck to work side by side with the original Rider Waite or by itself.
Other Favorites: This Might Hurt, The Weiser Tarot and Queer Tarot
Book: Going Beyond the Little White Book (Liz Worth)
A top favorite of mine and I tend to recommend this book quite often. It’s a nice big read that is so well organized and gives you a lot of things to mull over and think about. This book holds on to the core essence of each card but pushes it even further. The card profile pages offer insight on areas of interest (career, relationships, everyday, etc) and also leaves you with several journaling prompts. I still pull this book off the shelf from time to time when I’m in need of fresh inspiration.
Other Favorites: 78 Degrees of Wisdom (Rachel Pollack) and The Power of Tarot (Liz Worth)
Deck: Tabula Mundi (M.M. Meleen)
The Tabula Mundi was created by M.M. Meleen and you can tell the artist paid close attention to detail and knows the Thoth system very well. While the traditional Thoth by Aleister Crowley is still my go-to and top favorite, I find the Tabula Mundi to be a great study aid, fantastic reader and more approachable for the Thoth curious. I highly recommend that if you ever get this deck to also pick up the guidebook that goes with it called Book M: Liber Mundi, you’ll thank me later!
Other Favorites: Crowley’s Thoth Tarot and Asherah Tarot
Book: Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot (Lon Milo DuQuette)
If you’re just getting into Thoth I highly recommend DuQuette’s book to start with. It helps break the ice a bit and creates a sort of foundation in understanding Crowley’s Book of Thoth and the Thoth deck. DuQuette explains things quite well! This was the book that started it for me before I dove head first into the the Thoth rabbit hole.
Other Favorites: Tarot: Mirror of the Soul (Gerd Ziegler) and Book of Thoth (Aleister Crowely)
Bonus: If you really get into Thoth and want a place to keep all your notes and studies (hint: there will be a lot), I highly recommend the The Great Work Book by Numinous Press! Seriously, I absolutely LOVE this workbook/journal and I pull it out often to work on.
Decks: Jean Noblet Tarot de Marseille (Flornoy)
When it comes to Marseille, I prefer to stick with traditional and historic decks. Getting a chance to see the art on the cards through the lens of how they were created in the first place delights me to no end. I’m a massive history nerd! The Jean Noblet is my absolute favorite Marseille deck, it was the deck that my own Squid Cake Marseille was inspired from.
Other Favorites: Le Tarot de L’étoile Cachée (Elisa Seitzinger) and Jean Dodal Tarot (Artisan Tarot)
Book: Tarot - the Open Reading (Yoav Ben-Dov)
I prefer an open reading approach when it comes to Marseille and often times with playing cards as well. This book was one that really cracked that wide open for me and gave me a good glimpse into the world of Tarot de Marseille. It’s a fantastic primer for Marseille if you’ve never worked with the system before or want to work with it in a different way.
Other Favorites: Marseille Tarot: Towards the Art of Reading (Camelia Elias) and Tarot on Earth (Tom Benjamin)
Bonus: The Squid Cake Marseille is my own deck published through Rockpool Publishing. This deck and book set was created not just for beginners but also well seasoned practitioners. I wrote the guidebook in a way that explains the cards from both a stand alone interpretive angle as well as visual based on the illustrations.
This was a tough one to narrow down but I wanted to share a deck that I tend to work with most and grab for often, which is the Highlander’s 1864 reproduction poker deck by U.S. Game Systems. This deck is a Faro deck, which simply means that the cards have no written numbers on the pips, just the suit symbols. This playing card deck really started my cartomancy practice with playing cards and I think the numberless suits remove the distraction when reading with an open reading (no set meanings, but rather looking at the patterns and how the cards interact with one another).
Other Favorites: Hidden Leaves (Mahdi) and Hotcakes (Uusi)
Book: Hands of Fate (Robin Artisson)
While my first experience with reading playing cards started with an online course by Kristen of OTM Academy (which is a fantastic course and system if you prefer a more calculated approach to the cards), once I read Hands of Fate it started to transform my practice in a different way. This book talks about the cards from a creative fantasy approach where the Clubs are trees and the Spades are elf arrows. It’s a book that I’ve read so many times that my copy has fallen apart and has since been taped back together. I highly recommend this book! I tend to use this system alongside the open reading.
Other Favorites: Savage Tarot (Brad Ashlock) and 54 Devils (Cory Thomas Hutcheson)
Deck: Green Glyphs (James R. Eads)
I would consider myself a comfortable beginner when it comes to Lenormand, I’m still trying to learn the system and get along with it. My favorite deck to use for lenormand is the Green Glyphs by James R. Eads. I just adore this deck to pieces! Not only is it gorgeous, but what I like about it most is that the cards are color coded to match the positive/neutral/negative cards. This is really helpful to see at first glance what cards aren’t playing nice or which are.
Other Favorites: Grand Tableau Lenormand (Lo Scarabeo) and Titana’s Fortune Cards (Titania Hardy, I only have the OOP version)
Book: The Petite Lenormand Oracle (Lisa Young-Sutton)
After a few years of trying to learn the Lenormand system, this book was a massive game changer for me! I wish I had it from the beginning when I started Lenormand. I only have the Kindle version and writing this post reminded me that I need to get a paper copy as well, I love it that much. It’s so down to earth and easy to understand. I also highly recommend Lisa’s YouTube channel - great videos and lessons.
Other Favorites: The Essential Lenormand (Rana George) and Read Like the Devil: The Essential Course in Reading the Lenormand Oracle (Camelia Elias)
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This is great. Thank you
Love this! Thank you for such an awesome breakdown of recommendations!