Whether you are just beginning to search for your first Tarot deck, or you are an established collector of card decks of every description, it is important to know that not all decks labeled "Tarot" are alike. If you are familiar with the differences between various decks you may more easily find a deck style that is best suited to you. You may spare yourself disappointment if you intend to invest in only one deck. As your studies deepen, you'll become better able to grasp stylistic differences in use, and you will be better able to enjoy the amazing variety of interpretations if you decide you enjoy cards well enough to collect them. Broadly, most decks may be classified into Classic Tarot, neo-Tarot, or non-Tarot styles.

Divination is a general term for any means of gaining information that is not available through conventional means. Cards are classed as a "structured" technique because card meanings are defined, and most layouts help frame the categories of inquiry. Therefore, there is less room for misinterpretation, misunderstanding or abuse. Answers tend to be more specific and may more readily suggest concrete actions and solutions. Tarot is good if your confidence in your psychic talent is low or if there is a personal involvement which may bias interpretation. However, all information can serve as a stimulus for psychic insight.

Tarot cards are an extremely complex and subtle symbol system that can be employed to deepen your exploration of magic by several approaches.
These approaches may include:

• Meditation
  
• Path working
  
• Identification of archetypes
  
• Divination
  
• Association with astrology and the Kaballah.
  

The full seventy-eight card deck is traditionally thought of as two different decks, called Arcana, that work together to illumine different aspects of our universe. The twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana are sometimes called Trumps, or Keys. They represent universal "forces" or "laws" or "archetypes" for humankind. The fifty-six cards of the Minor Arcana represent the kinds of things these universal laws act upon.