The Best Places to Shop for a Tarot Deck in Los Angeles

When searching for a tarot deck, it is best to look at a sample of the full deck. Looking at three or four cards will not always give you an accurate representation of a specific deck. You can see general colors and artistic style, but some decks have a very different Major Arcana than Minor Arcana. If you are in the Los Angeles area and you wish to hand pick your tarot deck, here are a few great places to go:

1. The Bodhi Tree Bookstore- 8585 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles (310) 659-1733

The Bodhi Tree Bookstore is my number one place for buying a tarot deck in person. They have samples of every deck in the store. With over two book cases full of tarot decks and meditation cards, The Bodhi Tree has the largest selection of tarot decks I have seen in a single store. The main area for tarot decks is just to the left of the check out register, in front of the information desk. The case is usually open and contains over 50 decks inside. Everything from Vampire Tarot to Thoth Tarot to Tarot of the Renaissance is available here. And, the staff is friendly, so if there is a particular deck that you need, which you do not see available, ask them. Chances are, they might have it at the info desk (if it is too large to fit into the case), or they can order it for you. If you are looking for books on tarot interpretation, you have hit the jackpot at The Bodhi Tree. They have a large section of tarot books (compared to other bookstores) and they also have a used bookstore annex behind the main building. It's a great one-stop-shop. You can find books on astrology, numerology, shamanism, reiki, alternative health, and channeling as well. The Bodhi Tree also offers live tarot readings every day, 7 days a week. And, if you need to do other kinds of shopping on the same day, you are close to the Melrose Avenue shopping area, which offers small, trendy boutiques with affordable pricing.

2. Shiva 1335 3rd Street Promenade Santa Monica (310) 394-1191