Rider–Waite Tarot Deck

The world’s most popular tarot deck! This classic deck has long been a favorite of beginners as well as tarot enthusiasts.

In 1909, artist Pamela Colman Smith, under the direction of Arthur Edward Waite, created an innovative 78-card tarot deck that would come to be recognized as revolutionary. With descriptive pictures on the 56 minor Arcana cards, the Rider–Waite deck digressed from the tradition of tarot decks used for centuries and set the standard for nearly every tarot deck published.

“A unique feature of the Rider–Waite deck, and one of the of the principal reasons for its enduring popularity, is that all of the cards, including the Minor Arcana, depict full scenes with figures and symbols. Prior to the Rider–Waite Tarot, the pip cards of almost all tarot decks were marked only with the arrangement of the suit signs—swords, wands, cups, and coins, or pentacles. The pictorial images on all the cards allow interpretations without the need to repeatedly consult explanatory text. The innovative Minor Arcana, and Pamela Colman Smith’s ability to capture the subtleties of emotion and experience have made the Rider–Waite Tarot a model for the designs of many tarot packs.”—The Encyclopedia of Tarot, Volume III