Getting started with tarot can feel both exciting and a bit overwhelming. That's why it's a good idea to choose a deck with clear images and symbolism that follows a well-known tradition. Most beginners start with decks based on the Rider–Waite–Smith system, where the images are easy to interpret and there is a wealth of literature. Many who are drawn to a more powerful artistic expression turn to the Thoth Tarot, where the images speak more directly to the intuition.
See our collection of Rider–Waite–Smith decks!
A.E. Waite
Arthur Edward Waite, as he was actually called, is the founder of the world's most influential tarot deck. He was born in 1857 and died in 1942. He was a spiritual seeker and mystic who for a period freelanced as a translator. In 1889, he published A Handbook of Cartomancy, Fortune-Telling and Occult Divination, one of the first English books to describe how to work with tarot. In 1909, he created his first deck, the Rider Waite Tarot, together with Pamela Colman Smith. Their decks have become immensely popular and suit both the beginner who needs to learn the basics of tarot and the experienced reader, as the imagery is rich and endlessly deep.
Pamela Colman Smith
Pamela Colman Smith, also known as Pixie, was an English-American artist, illustrator and writer who spent part of her childhood in Jamaica. When she was older, she studied art in New York and then toured with an English theatre company. Between 1890 and 1910 she collaborated with W.B. Yeats on various artistic projects. In 1909 she illustrated her first A.E. Waite deck. He continued to employ her because he believed that her psychic abilities were an advantage for his tarot decks. Like A.E. Waite, she was also a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn, which during the 19th and early 20th centuries was a closed order, founded by Freemasons, that influenced the entire Western mystery tradition. She was born in 1878 and died in 1951.
Thoth Tarot
Although the Rider–Waite–Smith (RWS) deck is traditionally recommended as the standard choice for beginners, many today choose to begin their journey with the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot (illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris).
The Thoth Tarot is a fantastic choice as a first deck if you value strong artistic expression and want images that speak directly to your intuition rather than only through everyday scenes:
- A visual masterpiece: The paintings are filled with Art Deco aesthetics, geometry and dynamic colour palettes that evoke feelings and associations the very second you turn the card.
- Direct intuitive connection: You don't need to have studied esoteric symbolism, Kabbalah or astrology from day one to appreciate the Thoth. Many beginners find that the abstract and powerful imagery of the cards makes it easier to let go of performance pressure and instead read entirely intuitively from colour, shape and mood.
- A deck to grow with: For those who eventually want to go deeper, the deck offers enormous depths of symbolism and philosophy – making it a deck you can keep with you throughout your entire development.