The Tarot
The Tarot was transformed by many hands from a game into a fortune-telling and introspective device. Seventy eight cards depict the facets of human existence——and I'm sort of obsessed with them.
As a subject, Tarot's study can run deep and lifelong, but I hope to share some snippets of what I love with you. This site is focused exclusively on the Rider Waite Smith (RWS); there are plenty of places to find meanings and basic instructions (in fact you can check out the 'books' section for recommendations) so instead let's go on a more personal journey together.
What is the Rider Waite Smith? Named for its publisher and two creators, this deck was first printed in 1909 and featured full illustrations on each card instead of normal playing card pips. Although Tarot decks had existed long before for card games such as Trionfi and Tarocchi, this deck was designed with Golden Dawn mystical symbolism for divination and occult workings. Arthur Edward Waite led the project, but the art was by Pamela Colman Smith, who also made many of the decisions herself about the meanings of the minors. Most modern Tarot decks are based on this system of meanings.