Tuesday’s Tarot for Beginners – The Rider-Waite Deck

When starting out with Tarot it is often easiest to start at the beginning. For this reason, this week we will cover the most common deck for beginners. All decks have 78 cards, the 22 Major Arcana cards represent life’s karmic and spiritual lessons, and the 56 Minor Arcana cards reflect the trials and tribulations that we experience on a daily basis. However, the imagery and interpretations of these cards will often vary slightly from deck to deck. For this reason, most people begin with the Rider-Waite Deck

The precise origin of Tarot cards in antiquity remains obscure. However, most people recognize Dr. Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942) as one of the original creators. He was a genuine scholar of occultism whose published works include Occult Divination, The Holy Kabbalah and The Key to the Tarot first issued in England in 1910. Waite utilized symbolism as the key to the Tarot pack. The vibrant cards, featuring full scenes with figures and symbols, were drawn in 1909 by Pamela Colman Smith under direction of Arthur Edward Waite. While this deck is not necessarily as pretty as the newer decks it’s fairly inexpensive and perfect for the beginner due to the abundance of information on the cards.

The Major Arcana are based on the Tarot de Marseilles with flourishes from Eliphas Levi’s descriptions and Waite’s personal symbolism. The card meanings are drawn partly from the Golden Dawn and partly from Etteilla. The lack of overt occult attributions and the Christian symbolism set this deck apart from other occult decks of the time such as the Egyptian decks or Oswald Wirth’s deck.

The Rider-Waite-Smith deck has inspired hundreds of imaginative spin-offs like the Morgan Greer, Robin Wood, Hanson Roberts, Hudes, and Aquarian decks. It has permeated Anglo-American tarot and become the paradigm and touchstone through which we think about Tarot.

If you are looking for a solid foundation, you cannot go wrong with this deck. We look forward to helping you develop your connection and understanding of Tarot every Tuesday.