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BB126: The Iconic Imagery of the Original Rider Waite Tarot

Original Rider Waite Tarot



BB126

The Rider-Waite Tarot deck is one of the most popular Tarot decks for card reading. The deck consists of 78 cards, featuring vivid imagery that depicts scenes with characters and symbols. Pamela Colman Smith illustrated these images under the direction of Arthur Edward Waite. This deck is rich in symbolism and suitable for both beginners and professional readers.

Key Highlights of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck:

  • Simple Imagery with Deep Meaning: Despite the simplicity of the images, the details and backgrounds are filled with many symbols. Some images remain consistent with previous decks, but the overall design of the Waite-Smith Tarot significantly differs from earlier versions.
  • Influences from Eliphas Levi and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn: The symbols and imagery in the deck are influenced by the 19th-century magician and mystic Eliphas Levi, as well as the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
  • Adjustments to Align with Astrological Correspondences: To align with the astrological correspondences taught by the Golden Dawn, Waite made several improvements to the deck. For example, he changed the order of the Strength and Justice cards so that Strength corresponds with the Leo constellation and Justice with the Libra constellation.

Some Important Cards in the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck:

  • Major Arcana: Includes cards such as The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, and The World.
  • Minor Arcana: Consists of the cards of the four suits: Cups, Wands, Swords, and Coins.

The Rider-Waite Tarot deck has become an indispensable part of Tarot research and usage and has inspired many variants and copies.

More info

https://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/original-rider-waite/

Contact

Get in touch with the Museum


Address

MUSEUM OF TAROT AND ORACLE

44 Nguyen Khuyen Street, An Cu Ward, Ninh Kieu District, 900 000 Can Tho City, Vietnam

Phone number

(+84) (0) 916416409

Email:

contact@museum-tarot.org