by Brian Hogg
The Rider Waite Tarot Deck
Whenever you say tarot cards, you would in most cases find it means the Rider Waite tarot deck. This is because this is one of the most commonly used types of card decks. The history of using tarot cards may take you to ancient times, however the tarot cards as they are known today can be traced to the year 1910 when Arthur Edward Waite designed these with the help of a very talented illustrator named Pamela Colman Smith. While Waite was British, Smith was American at that time, Waite, who was a renowned publisher, also printed an excellent guide to help with the interpretation of this tarot deck titled, ‘The Key to the Tarot.’ This book has often been re-run and used by a slightly modified title, ‘The Pictorial Key to the Tarot.’
This is a wonderful book for any tarot enthusiast because it assists you in every step while using tarot cards for a reading. Waite made a few changes when he designed this new set of cards. The Justice and Strength cards were interchanged so Justice read as card 11 while Strength reads as card 8; all the Minor Arcana cards, which previously only had their numbers and suit symbols inscribed on them, had pictures added by Waite and Smith creating a more interesting and in many ways, easier-to-read tarot deck.
You will find that this particular deck is not only the most popular found today, but also one that is most eloquent in readings. Owing to the beautiful scenes and symbols that Rider Waite and Pamela Smith introduced, each card becomes a miniature book for the diviner, who is able to read the symbols as they become apparent during a reading. The tarot deck, with the help of the key can encourage any amateur to want to learn more about this occult art. Each card has scenery,
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