The Rider-Waite tarot deck, also known as the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, is by far the most popular and well-known tarot deck in the world (other famous decks include Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, the Deviant Moon tarot deck, and the French Marseille tarot deck).
It is usually the first Tarot deck encountered by people living in English-speaking countries.
There are a few differences between the meaning and the illustrations of some of the cards when you compare the Rider-Waite-Smith arcana with those found in earlier decks like the Marseille, but the vast majority of currently produced and designed tarot decks have followed the RWS structure since it was first published in the early 20th century.
This tarot is also known as the Rider tarot, the Waite tarot, the Waite-Coleman- Smith tarot, the Waite-Smith tarot, and other variations.
As a matter of fact, we will use the Rider-Waite-Smith name (or RWS) throughout your initiation; Rider was the publisher, Alexander Edward Waite was the author, and Pamela Coleman Smith was the illustrator.
Pamela Coleman Smith’s gorgeous illustrations for this tarot deck (as a work for hire funded by the tarot creator, A.E. Waite) indeed deserve some homage and praise.
