Favorite Rider Waite Decks?

[aceofcups]

The Rider Waite decks are my favorite! These are so easy to understand and comprehend. 

[aceofcups]

What’s everyone favorite RW deck? Mine is probably the standard one.

[DanielJUK]

I've merged your two threads about RWS together to this one @aceofcups because they are quite similar 🙂

[fire cat pickles]

My three favorite RWS-based decks are  the Fantastic Menagerie, the Universal Fantasy and the Tarot of the Magical Forest.

[Misterei]

I like Lo Scarabeo's radiant wise spirit ... borderless with vibrant colors. But a couple of the cards are kinda messed up. I wish they had neated up the line work on Chariot and King of Cups for example. I also like US Games centennial edition in a tin (with borders)

 

I don't like Centennial borderless. Priestess' pillars look wonky.

Edited March 9, 2023 by Misterei

[Guest]

Among the RWS clones, my favorites are the Centennial/Borderless and the LoS Vintage.

 

Among RWS-derived decks, the Heaven and Earth, the Sol Invictus, and the Klimt top my list. 

[MustaKissa]

On 3/10/2023 at 1:42 AM, Misterei said:

I like Lo Scarabeo's radiant wise spirit ... borderless with vibrant colors. But a couple of the cards are kinda messed up. I wish they had neated up the line work on Chariot and King of Cups for example. I also like US Games centennial edition in a tin (with borders)

 

I don't like Centennial borderless. Priestess' pillars look wonky.

Radiant Wise Spirit is my go to deck now as well. I don't like the ordinary Rider Waite at all, aesthetically. Radiant Wise Spirit though is awesome. It's amazing how much colorwork can change things.

You're right that line work is sometimes kinda rough. But I got used to that I guess... 

[Misterei]

On 4/8/2023 at 8:43 AM, MustaKissa said:

Radiant Wise Spirit is my go to deck now as well. I don't like the ordinary Rider Waite at all, aesthetically. Radiant Wise Spirit though is awesome. It's amazing how much colorwork can change things.

You're right that line work is sometimes kinda rough. But I got used to that I guess... 

Yes, one of my students brought it to a tarot & tea session ... and I HAD to have it. I ordered it on the spot };>

I always hated the palette on the original US Games plaid-back version (if you're old like me ... we were stuck with those awful colors until the 2000s changed everything).

[Raggydoll]

My favorite is the ‘blushing fool’ vintage RWS

[Shaira]

On 4/8/2023 at 5:43 PM, MustaKissa said:

Radiant Wise Spirit is my go to deck now as well. I don't like the ordinary Rider Waite at all, aesthetically. Radiant Wise Spirit though is awesome. It's amazing how much colorwork can change things.

You're right that line work is sometimes kinda rough. But I got used to that I guess... 

 

I'd never used a "pure" RWS deck until I saw the Radiant Wise Spirit a few years ago and was stunned by how gorgeous it was. It's true that the linework could use a revisit on some of the cards - I kinda wish Lo Scarabeo would get on that - but otherwise it has completely revitalised Pixie's imagery IMHO, and certainly for me led to a whole new path of inspiration and interpretation. Previously I'd used mostly the Sacred Rose, which is a RWS-derivative, but I'm finding the Radiant Wise Spirit to be wonderfully clear and accessible. I tried the Thoth once and it just used to give me headaches. 

 

I haven't tried the Radiant Wise Spirit yet for any Ashcroft-Nowicki style pathworking (the Sacred Rose was always good for that), but I'm looking forward to taking it out for a spin at some point. 

[Natural Mystic Guide]

My favorite RWS decks are the various colored permutations created by Carol Herzer and augmented by custom augmentations of glitter and fluorescent paint.  These are drop dead gorgeous but must be seen in sunlight or with good lighting to be full appreciated.  She hand painted all of the cards remaining fastidiously faithful to the original cards but adding all kinds of energy lines.  Look what she does here with the Three of Swords, which upright is a very positive card in my book -- yet many deck creators make it so depressing and negative.

[Chariot]

The one I used the most is the Smith-Waite Tarot Deck - Centennial Edition, published by US Games System.  The one that comes in a tin and contains a couple samples of Pixie's non-tarot art.  

The cards are an excellent size ...not too big or too small.  2.25 x 3.75 inches.  Mine has borders, but they are very thin plain white borders and are not obtrusive at all. The card stock is sturdy but thin enough to enable easy riffle shuffling.  The back is the white rose on grey ground ...very nice and subdued.  The print quality of the images is excellent ...clear and non-smudgy.  And the colours are muted but very distinct.  I have never liked garish colours in tarot cards, but I do like colours.  This is an ideal deck.  Great size, easy to carry in a protective tin.

I'm also fond of the Before Tarot - nice smallish cards, easy to handle, nice subdued colours and an interesting take on what might have happened to the figures depicted in the RWS cards just before those images were made.

 

[laforza76]

Hello RWS fans, I have a couple favorites: the Albano Waite, and the newly released Taschen box set which I believe is a facsimilie of the first edition. Both offer great historical and colorful examples: the original shows nuances in colors that even the editions from the 1930s lack, and the card stock they chose is hefty and shuffleable at the same time. Alternatively, the Albano Waite (I feel) really captures the resurgance of Tarot's popularity in the 1960s, and also exemplifies the effort to further esotericise the original by 'correcting' the colors in a fashion that might have suited the needs of the Golden Dawn order-- while also reflecting the psychedelic trends of the time.

 

I'll give the standard U.S. Games edition high marks for their card stock though-- it's one of those decks that just 'feels right' in the hand. I'm a sucker for that light coating.

[RickInBakersfield]

On 3/9/2023 at 3:42 PM, Misterei said:

I like Lo Scarabeo's radiant wise spirit ... borderless with vibrant colors. But a couple of the cards are kinda messed up. I wish they had neated up the line work on Chariot and King of Cups for example. I also like US Games centennial edition in a tin (with borders)

 

 

I use the Lo Scarabeo Radiant Wise Spirit as my working deck. I like everything about it. Even the heavy card stock, some comment that it's a hard deck to shuffle and I tend to agree, but I really like the deck overall.

[RickInBakersfield]

I am also looking to get the Crafterian RWS deck shortly in the future, have a look.

 

Amazon.com: CRAFTERIAN Classic Tarot Set - 78 Gold-Edged Classic Cards with Guidebook - Perfect for Beginners - Sleek Light Deck & Comprehensive Manual - Authentic Tarot Experience. : Toys & Games

[gregory]

I think recommending that as perfect for beginners when all the colour symbolism is antiqued out is a bit questionable. But it's pretty. Others have done likewise with it before this, mind.

 

https://www.drivethrucards.com/product/240136/Pams-Vintage-Tarot-size

 

One thing though - are you sure you want gold-edged cards ? They are such a pain. If I bought them I'd go for regular.,

Edited December 15, 2024 by gregory

[Mayari]

I like the original Rider Waite, the Albano Waite, and the Pamela Coleman Smith Tatot. The last two are brighter colors of the original designs. I also have the Universal Waite. Again, the colors are different but they sharpened the figures more. Not a fan. They look like a coloring book. 

[Misterei]

16 hours ago, gregory said:

I think recommending that as perfect for beginners when all the colour symbolism is antiqued out is a bit questionable. But it's pretty. Others have done likewise with it before this, mind.

https://www.drivethrucards.com/product/240136/Pams-Vintage-Tarot-size

I have the Vintage Pam deck in poker-size cards. I think I got it from MakePlayingCards or Gamecrafter, tho.

Anyway, its a great deck. It costs more than the Amazon one @RickInBakersfield links, but I think Pam's Vintage was done with more care and attention. The antique effect makes it a bit dark. I want good lighting to read it. Anyway I use it often when reading for clients. The vintage aesthetic sets a mood.

[Scandinavianhermit]

I haven't understood which decks are reproductions of Pam A, Pam B, Pam C and Pam D, respectively, or how faithful or not each reproduction is to original colouring before the latter began to fade or darken. Any clues?

[Rose Lalonde]

48 minutes ago, Scandinavianhermit said:

I haven't understood which decks are reproductions of Pam A, Pam B, Pam C and Pam D, respectively, or how faithful or not each reproduction is to original colouring before the latter began to fade or darken. Any clues?

This made me think of a comment I read once by @Raggydoll, who shared this helpful link about the versions. https://www.wopc.co.uk/tarot/rider-waite/rider-waite-early-editions  (Edit: read it incorrectly (Interesting that Pam B predates) 

Edited February 2, 2025 by Rose Lalonde

[Scandinavianhermit]

19 minutes ago, Rose Lalonde said:

  https://www.wopc.co.uk/tarot/rider-waite/rider-waite-early-editions  (Interesting that Pam B predates Pam A)

That's not what the article says, and the original edition of 1909 hasn't got any letter code. I presume there are more than one classification of the five editions?

[Rose Lalonde]

4 minutes ago, Scandinavianhermit said:

That's not what the article says

You're right. I read "youngest," but for some reason was thinking "oldest." In any event it's a helpful comparison.

Edited February 2, 2025 by Rose Lalonde

[Scandinavianhermit]

1 minute ago, Rose Lalonde said:

You're right. I read "youngest," but for some reason was thinking "oldest." In any event it's a helpful link which also links to the 1909.

Indeed it is! I'm very grateful. 

 

I suppose Waite Smith Tarot Centennial edition from US Games and Tarot Original 1909 from Lo Scarabeo both attempt to reproduce the colour scheme and the drawings of the first edition correctly. Which one is most successful in this undertaking? 

[Rose Lalonde]

42 minutes ago, Scandinavianhermit said:

I suppose Waite Smith Tarot Centennial edition from US Games and Tarot Original 1909 from Lo Scarabeo both attempt to reproduce the colour scheme and the drawings of the first edition correctly. Which one is most successful in this undertaking? 

I only rarely use RWS, so I couldn't say. But to your list, I'll add my favorite -  the Tarot of A.E. Waite, which says "Colors and backside of the cards according to the first edition from 1909." BUT it has crackle backs, so based on its art and that link, it seems like they're actually referring to Pam A rather than the short run in 1909. My unboxing pics are here, and a comparison beside the Centennial is here. It's lighter than the Centennial, which looks more like the vintage decks at the link that show their age. Of course, the Centennial has a back that's not crackle or lilies, if the backs are if interest.

[Scandinavianhermit]

19 minutes ago, Rose Lalonde said:

I only rarely use RWS, so I couldn't say. 

I dropped US Games' plaid-back Rider-Waite, when I felt disappointed, but, since Ben-Dov was able to warm me up to Marseille, I thought the RWCS-lovers here could warm me up to Colman Smith's original design and restored authentic colour scheme. Perhaps US Games were to blame. Now it seems like there were five colour schemes depending on edition. 

 

25 minutes ago, Rose Lalonde said:

My unboxing pics are here, and a comparison beside the Centennial is here. It's lighter than the Centennial, which looks more like the vintage decks at the link that show their age. Of course, the Centennial has a back that's not crackle or lilies, if the backs are if interest.

I'm very grateful.