Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

By Pamela Colman-Smith and Arthur Edward Waite.

While it is not the first Tarot Card deck, the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck is the world's most popular and best-selling tarot deck.  In fact, many modern decks are derived from the Rider-Waite deck.

In 1909, artist Pamela Colman 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 Tarot Deck digressed from the tradition of tarot decks used for centuries and set the standard for nearly every tarot deck published since. The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck has long been a favorite of beginners as well as tarot enthusiasts. Professional card readers often use this deck due to the many symbols found in the deck’s images.