IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY A.E. WAITE AND P COLEMAN SMITH CREATED THIS DECK. IT WAS A DECK FOR THE NEW CENTURY AND THE ARISING CONCIOUSNESS OF THAT ERA. THOUGH STILL USELFUL TODAY THE RIDER-WAITE DECK DOES NOT HOLD THE SAME APPEAL IT DID WHEN IT WAS FIRST PUBLISHED. THIS IS LARGELY OWING TO THE EMERGING CONCIOUSNESS OF THE 21ST CENTURY. FOR US A DECK SUCH AS THE OSHO ZEN TAROT OR SHAPESHIFTER TAROT BETTER REFLECT OUR PSYCHOLOGY. NERVERTHELESS, THIS DECK IS STILL HANDY FOR OLD-STYLE FORTUNE-TELLING “A STRANGER WILL BRING GOOD NEWS”.

PROS: SIMPLE TO LEARN AND INTERPRET (SURFACE) MEANINGS.

CONS: FORCES MEMORIZATION. DEEPER MEANINGS ARE COVERED IN CABALISTIC AND JUDEO-CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM. RELYS HEAVILY ON MEDIEVAL AND FEUDAL IMAGERY.
Rating: 3 / 5

This is the best beginner set I have found and am happy to refer it to all of my members!

Dan McFarland, St. Louis, Mo Professional Psychic for 8 years
Rating: 5 / 5