The Original Rider-Waite Tarot Set

Customer Reviews

• C. A. W.

  High Quality Item

  After a spot-on tarot reading (by Madame Claudia in San Antonio) I became intrigued by Tarot in my senior years. I bought a set of cards and instruction book at Barnes and Noble. This was fine for a beginner and very informative, but the book kept referencing the Waite cards’ illustrations. The Original Waite Tarot Pack cards are (to me) a very high quality and the pictures are beautiful and full of symbolism which I think is the point that sets Waite above his peers. I disagree with those that say the little book included in this pack is worthless - - for me it was a wealth of information, and Waite references several tarot scholars’ opinions that I think should be considered if you really want to learn the cards. The book, as small as it is, kept me enthralled the entire flight from San Antonio to Charlotte, because I found myself re-reading Waite’s advice and “getting” the meaning of his words which I believe may be misunderstood if you just glance and dismiss. I’m happy I finally broke down and got the best.

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• W.

  Just Starting Out? This IS the deck for YOU!!

  This is a great deck to start out with not just because of the simplicity of Rider Waite but also because this deck is so sturdy the cards are on thicker material than regular playing cards and can take a lot of handling as for other decks of tarot cards they are usually really thin and damage easily. Of course this is a reprint otherwise they would cost a lot more but the quality is still great. The pictures are a little speckled but again if you are just starting out this is still the deck to get. Upon opening the little book that's it comes with I did look through it and decided it was useless, its so much more beneficial to go and buy a decent book and use it instead since most books use this deck anyways.

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• M. C.

  The deck for people who “truly” want to learn tarot

  This is my second tarot deck used, the first being the Druidcraft deck (Carr-Gohm). In this review, I’ll be making comparisons between the two as these are what I have learned/ am still learning from.*To Beginners, symbolism is a large facet of reading and understanding, as well as making your own connections between cards in any given spread. You may benefit from taking a bit of time to understand which meanings and representations are commonly associated with popular symbols/ images.To someone genuinely interested in learning to read tarot cards, this deck is a great place to begin understanding the secrets of the tarot and the symbolism associated with the various suits and numbers. The simplified imagery helps to create focus on the symbolism present in each scene depicted, compared to art styles present on cards in other sets such as the aforementioned Carr-Gohm Druidcraft deck. The elaborate art styles can be pleasing to the eye, but can also be a distraction from the conveyed message. For this reason, I believe the simplicity of the images is excellent for individuals with a genuine curiosity of the art of tarot.As for convenient understandings of the card meanings this tarot deck had a small booklet included. Carrying on the theme of the cards, simplistic design was implemented to give you the information you need to make your interpretations. Though not quite as well organized and presented as the DC tarot deck booklet, the information you need is present at your fingertips after a bit of navigating. Being a man of considerate proportions, flipping through the tiny pages to locate the meanings associated with each card was a little inconvenient. Aside from the presentation, the information you’re looking for is all present in this book.The definitions and associations vary between these two decks of cards despite sharing common themes (suits, numbers, major and minor arcana). A personal viewpoint on the obvious differences lay within the art style and the level of personal connection involved. The Rider-Waite deck seems to hold symbolism more directly related to life events and the trials involved whereas the Carr-Gohm deck seems to relate to a more emotionally connected side of self, such as themes of relationships, love, and personal development. This being said the Druidcraft deck was designed with influences of Wicca, Paganism and nature.I would recommend this deck to people with a genuine interest in learning about the cards as something that is more than a “game” to play with your friends. To the individuals who cast shade on the design of the cards, keep in mind they were originally released in 1909. These are reproductions of originals which is something that is truly only going to be appreciated by individuals who are enthused by these types of things. There are plenty of spin off decks out there based around this collection of art. For this reason, I don’t believe it’s a fair judgment call to say these cards are in any way “bad” based on the simplistic approach to art.I thoroughly enjoy these cards, even down to the simplicity of the symbolism. Reading and understanding the Tarot is a process involving a flexible mind open to interpretation, meaning it’s not comparable to reading a magazine or cooking instructions for your dinner. For this point, I would strongly recommend this deck to someone looking for a hands on way to learn with minimal visual distractions involved. The cards are roughly 2 3/4″ x 4 3/4″, with the complete deck at about 1 1/4″ so they are relatively small compared to the Druidcraft deck. Ideal for small handed individuals, not so much for the visually impaired. I believe there is a “giant” edition with larger cards and imagery for the large handed and/or poor sighted individuals.Hopefully this was helpful to any potential plans for those hoping to acquire this deck or get started into doing your own readings/ spreads. I’m also not a fan of the expired mustard yellow that seems to dominate the majority of these cards, however that is something to be taken in stride with the art style and the time period these were originally produced in!

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• K. M.

  Beautiful reprinting of the original 1909 edition of the RWS tarot deck

  This is a reprint of the original edition of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot cards that were published between 1909 and 1910. Other editions have been released since then. This reproduction has remained true to the original back of the cards and the muted tones.I've read complaints from people about the spotty printing on these cards, saying the colors are not even and people look like they have the pox. The less than perfect appearance is because this reproduction has stayed true to the appearance of the printing methods that were used when the deck was first released.Don't order these cards and expect them to look like a new modern deck designed on a computer in PhotoShop with HD graphics -- you'll be disappointed because that's not what these cards are. This deck reflects the appearance of a deck produced in 1909, over 100 years ago, and that's actually part of the deck's charm and uniqueness.Personally, I adore this deck. I have the deck I've been using and I keep several new ones for backup just in case they ever go out of print.

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• C. M.

  Great quality deck! Would recommend to anyone!

  I haven't read the booklet yet, not sure I will since I ordered another book to go with it. However, I will say that the quality of these cards is great. When I read some of the reviews, I honestly wasn't expecting to like this deck as much. Some said that their cards weren't aligned, others that the graphics weren't that good. Yet, I love this deck. All of the cards I got came aligned, and the colors are so vivid. Frankly, I think this is a great deck for anyone, even beginners. Out of all the Rider-Waite decks on Amazon, I would definitely recommend this one.

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