Rider Waite Tarot Cards: Still The Best Deck
Since It’s Publication in 1910, The Rider Waite Tarot Deck Has Become The Standard
Created in 1910, The Rider Waite Tarot deck was revolutionary in its time. This was the first deck to actually do something interesting and pictorial with the minor arcana cards. For example, take, say, the five of cups. In tarot decks before this, the best anybody would do with this is show five cups on the card- pretty boring and not very engaging. Take a look at the Tarot de Marseille for an example. Terrible minor arcana here! But back to Rider Waite- great minor arcana. Just like the major arcana, each of the minor arcana cards is a piece of art. The scenes depicting the energy of each card is richly textured replete with symbolism and drama that brings you into it the world of the tarot.
A Tarot Deck to Inspire Intuition
This is something you need in a tarot deck. You need to be brought into the world of the suit to spark and inspire your intuition. Even if you have no idea what a card means without looking up the meaning in a book, it is important to feel a connection to the image and its meaning to you. The Rider Waite deck does this splendidly with only one real exception, and that is the eight of wands. It’s hard not to scratch your head and say “Huh?” when you look at that one. “Are there people just out of the frame holding sticks in the picture?” But, be that as it is, the minor arcana are powerful in the Rider Waite deck.
Arthur Edward Waite and Tarot
The Rider Waite deck was conceived by Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn member, Arthur Edward Waite, an occult writer of books on such subjects as freemasonry, ceremonial magick, and tarot. Essentially, he said to himself, “Hey, why are all minor arcana cards so boring in all the tarot decks? How is anybody supposed to understand what they mean? Oh look… the nine of swords has a picture of nine swords on it. Real creative.”
Enter Pamela Colman-Smith
Enter prolific artist Pamela Colman-Smith, whose work Waite was taken by. In time, the two of them collaborated on what has, to this day, become the classic rendition of tarot. How did it become known as “Rider Waite?” Its first publisher was Rider and Sons Publishing, who perhaps foresaw its long-enduring importance to the tarot community and wanted to secure their own place in history with it.
The Long Endurance of Rider Waite Tarot
And has it not had a long enduring importance to the tarot community? Over one hundred years since its initial publication, it is still a favorite to many tarot enthusiasts, having morphed from its original plates; which were destroyed in the Great War by the way, into such incarnations as The Radiant Rider Waite, The Golden Rider Waite, The Universal Rider Waite, and such. That is not to mention the fact that so many subsequent tarot decks have been created in the near likeness of The Rider Waite deck. It’s popular. People like it and want to create their own take on it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If Waite and Coleman-Smith were alive today, let’s just say they would be really, really flattered at this point.
A Great First Deck
The Rider Waite tarot deck is a great starter deck, as well as a trusty go-to deck for any advanced reader. When learning to read tarot, the images and symbolism are easy to understand and remember. This sort of thing really helps when any new initiate into tarot is developing their own style. Likewise, for a reader of any level, this is a great deck to read for other people with, as you want to do more than simply recite textbook meanings of the cards to your querents. If you can present the cards to them and draw them into the world of tarot with you, they will appreciate you all the more for it.
The Rider Waite deck- it is considered a classic for a reason. Learn from it, appreciate it, and treat it like as a trusty old friend. — Jim Larsen
Enjoy these tarot card books by Jim Larsen
What’s Tarot Got To Do With It?
Double Oh Fool Guide to Tarot Mastery
Enoy the Knowings From The Silence: Simple Wisdom For an Enlightened Life Books
Knowings From The Silence: Simple Wisdom For an Enlightened Life, vol. 1
Knowings From The Silence: Simple Wisdom For an Enlightened Life, vol. 2
Knowings From The Silence: Simple Wisdom For an Enlightened Life, vol. 3
Knowings From The Silence: Simple Wisdom For an Enlightened Life, vol. 4
