Rider-Waite Tarot Deck
In 1909, artist Pamela Coleman 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 deck used for centuries and set the standard for nearly every tarot deck published.
Recommended Ages:12 and up
Dr. Authur Edward Waite, the revered 19th- and 20th-century occultist and metaphysical scholar, had insight enough to create a tarot deck that peers into the human spirit with both subtlety and directness. The Rider Tarot Deck is the only original, authorized Waite deck since his death in 1942, and contains all 78 major and lesser arcana cards. Artist Pamela Colman Smith accents the slightly oversized cards with Roman numerals, bright yellow backgrounds, and Waite-commissioned illustrations. These perceptive images are based on a medieval theme and are known for affecting each user personally. The deck comes with a detailed thumbnail instruction booklet in the box and a small biography about Waite and his legacy. Exceptional reading resources for novice tarot readers are Joan Bunnings Learning the Tarot and Tarot for Your Self, by Mary K. Greer. --Diane Beall