Okay, so 2023 rolled around, and I got this itch, you know? My trusty old tarot deck, the one I’d been using for years, suddenly felt a bit… dusty. Not physically dusty, but like the energy was kinda stale. I figured it was time to see what was new, what decks people were buzzing about last year.
Starting the Hunt
First thing I did was just dive headfirst into the internet. Spent a good few evenings just scrolling. I looked through online shops, watched a bunch of flip-through videos on YouTube – some folks do amazing reviews, really showing you the cards up close. I also poked around some forums, seeing what names kept popping up.
Man, the number of decks out there is insane now! So many different styles. You got your minimalist ones, your super colourful ones, animal themes, mythology themes… it was a bit overwhelming at first. I wasn’t looking for anything super specific, just something that felt different, something that kinda spoke to me visually.
Filtering Through the Noise
So, I started making a mental list, then a real list. What did I actually want?
- Art Style: Definitely wanted something unique, not just another Rider-Waite clone. Something evocative.
- Card Quality: This is big for me. I hate flimsy cards, but also don’t want bricks that are hard to shuffle. Gotta have that nice snap.
- Vibe: Hard to explain this one. Just needed a deck that felt… right. Grounded, maybe? Intuitive?
I started bookmarking decks that caught my eye. I’d look closely at the artwork for the Major Arcana, and also key Minor Arcana cards like the Aces and the court cards. Read the descriptions, tried to get a feel for the creator’s intention. Some looked beautiful but felt a bit cold, others were maybe too niche for me.
Down to a Few Contenders
After a while, I managed to narrow it down to about three decks that I kept coming back to. One had this really cool, almost modern-witchy aesthetic, very clean lines. Another was super lush and nature-focused, lots of plants and earthy tones. The third was more abstract, which was interesting, but maybe a bit too much guesswork for me.
I spent a lot of time just staring at images of these decks online. Comparing the Fool card, the Death card, the Lovers. Trying to imagine myself actually using them, pulling cards, doing a spread. Which one felt like it would give clear, honest answers? Which one just felt good to look at?
Making the Call
In the end, it was the nature-themed one that won out. There was just something about the artwork that felt calming and deep. It wasn’t overly complicated, but each card seemed to have a lot of layers to it. I read a few user reviews too, and people seemed to really connect with its energy and find the cardstock was decent. So, I took the plunge.
Getting My Hands On It
Ordering it was exciting, that little thrill of waiting for a package. When it finally arrived, I took my time opening it. You know that feeling? Carefully unwrapping it. The box was nice, sturdy. And the cards themselves… yes! They felt great. Good size, nice smooth finish but not too slippery, and they shuffled beautifully right out of the box. That perfect little thwack sound.
The colours were even better in person. Rich, deep greens and browns, really vibrant. I just sat with them for a while, going through each card one by one. Didn’t even do a reading straight away, just wanted to soak them in.
First Reads and Settling In
My first reading with it felt… refreshing. Like a conversation with an old friend who suddenly had a whole new perspective. The images really helped my intuition flow. Sometimes a card would jump out at me in a way it never had in my old deck. It just clicked.
So yeah, that deck became my go-to for the rest of 2023. It’s all subjective, right? What’s “best” for one person isn’t for another. But for me, going through that whole process – the searching, the comparing, the final choice, and then really connecting with it – that made it my best deck of the year. It wasn’t just about buying a thing; it was about finding the right tool that resonated with where I was at that moment. And it really did.
