Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot — Review
If you buy one tarot deck in your life, this is the safe answer. The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) is the most influential tarot deck ever made and the reference point for almost everything else. Some links are affiliate links; see our standards.
The short version
Best for: absolute beginners and anyone who wants their deck to match the guides they read. Watch-outs: the art is over a century old and won't suit everyone's taste; many editions exist with slightly different colour palettes.
Background
Published in London in 1909, it was conceived by A. E. Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. Its breakthrough was giving every card — including the numbered Minor Arcana — a full illustrated scene, which made intuitive reading far easier. That innovation is why most modern decks are "RWS-based." Read the full story in our history of the deck.
What it's like to read
Clear and legible. Because our card meanings (and most books and apps) follow RWS symbolism, every meaning you look up will line up with what's on the card — the gentlest possible learning curve. The scenes are packed with readable symbols (the falling figures of The Tower, the four suits on The Magician's table), which trains your eye to read images, not just memorise keywords.
Pros & cons
- ✅ The standard — matches virtually every guide and course
- ✅ Fully illustrated minors; ideal for beginners
- ✅ Inexpensive and widely available
- ✅ Public domain art (in the US), so editions and spin-offs abound
- ⚠️ Vintage art style isn't to everyone's taste
- ⚠️ Colour and cardstock vary by edition