Gifts for Tarot Readers: What to Give Someone Who Reads

The problem with buying for a tarot reader is that they already have a deck — often several — and their favourite is deeply personal. Choosing a new art style for someone else is like choosing their glasses. The good news is that a reader's practice involves much more than the cards, and there is an old tradition on your side.

The test: will it be on the table the next time they read?

The tradition of being given a deck

A long-standing piece of tarot lore says your first deck should be given to you rather than bought. Not every reader believes it, and plenty bought their own, but it makes a deck a meaningful gift — especially for someone just starting out.

If you are buying a deck, choose the classic: Pamela Colman Smith's 1909 artwork, the images almost every tarot book and course is written around. Even experienced readers often keep a copy as a reference. Our version has gilded edges and comes in a metal tin, which makes it a natural travel deck — the one that lives in a bag while the precious deck stays home.

A second practice: runes

Many tarot readers are curious about runes but have never bought a set. A set of the 24 Elder Futhark runes with a bag for drawing and a casting guide opens up a different way to reflect — shorter, starker answers than the cards. Pair it with our beginner's guide, how to read runes, and the full Elder Futhark meanings.

For the reading journal

Most teachers suggest recording readings: the date, the question, the cards, and what happened next. It is the fastest way to learn.

• A quill pen. Writing up a reading with a feather quill turns a note into a small ritual. How to write with a quill pen.
• A good notebook to go with it, if you know the paper they like.

Small objects for the reading table

• A memento mori coin. For the reader who loves the Death card and knows it rarely means death — an hourglass and skulls in antique silver. See Death tarot card meaning.
• A yes or no coin. For the quick questions that do not deserve a full spread.
• A deck of playing cards for cartomancy. Many readers also read ordinary playing cards, where each suit matches a tarot suit — see suits in a deck of cards: meaning. A black deck with gold pips looks the part on a reading cloth; a lucky koi deck, painted on every card, suits someone who likes symbolism.

Gifts for tarot readers by experience

A note on cleansing

Many readers like to cleanse a new deck before using it — with moonlight, sound, a crystal or simply by handling it. If you give a deck, it is a thoughtful touch to include a note pointing to how to cleanse tarot cards, so they can make it their own.