Tarot cards come in 4 major suits consisting of 14 cards each. The numbering system of the cards is much like a poker deck except that between the 10 and the face cards is another card called the Page. Instead of a Jack, you have a Knight. The names of the 4 suits are the Wands, Swords, Cups and Pentacles. This makes a standard 56 card deck. In addition to these cards, you have a fifth set of cards called the Major Arcana. These are image cards. The total deck then has 78 cards available to the user.
You can readily purchase Tarot cards online and in most major book stores. They seem to be popping up all over these days. For many people, the commercialized cards are not quite what they are accustomed to using. These cards often are attached to movies and popular themes. This makes them more about marketing than fortune telling.
If you are one of those people who choose to rebel against the approach of capitalism in an arena you deem sacred, then making your own cards may be the better idea for you. You can make the cards out of any type of card stock that suits your needs and wants. Many people use 4×6 blank index cards. You can purchase blank cards in many specialty shops and some book stores for this purpose. Finally, you can buy the sheets of card stock and cut the finished cards to your preferred size.
In the past, to create you own cards required you to either enlist the services of an artist or have artistic talent yourself. Even a black and white set with line art called for some type of talent to them well. Today, computers have changed this. With some diligence, you can either create your own pictures or borrow from those that are available online.
Most publishing programs can be used to do this work. Publisher and Print Shop are two of the lesser cost programs that you can employ. This type of program can furnish pre-made images or allow you to browse the web and import them. Be careful to not run afoul of copyright laws. Most of the time these are not a problem as long as you are not producing the product to sell. Personal use is generally allowed free of charge. Just check it out first if you are uncertain.
Before creating your first card, you need to be familiar with the Tarot deck and how it is used. If this is new to you, do some research to make sure that you do not produce something that you can not use. Any decent search engine can furnish you with more information than you can digest. So, spend a week or two learning the basics.
After you have a good idea of how the Tarot works and what type of deck you want to produce, begin your search for images that fit your ideas. Be as creative as possible without corrupting the flow of the deck. This is your personal deck. So, make it yours. Use imagery you can relate to and enjoy as you do readings. Just do not wander so far that someone familiar with the Tarot will not recognize your deck as authentic.
Plan on this being a hobby for several weeks or months. You may even want to revise the deck several times over a period of a year or two until it seems just right. Do not be afraid to borrow from other decks that you see. You will be using this deck for years to come. A little extra effort and time now will reward you from now on.
