The iconic drawings of Pamela Colman Smith have been beautifully re-colored by artist Mary Hanson-Roberts. The original meanings and rich symbolism of the Rider-Waite artwork come though with greater clarity and fresh, new details. The enhanced imagery make the Universal Waite Tarot deck more accessible to newcomers and more appealing to seasoned tarot readers. Hanson-Roberts’ serene colors also make the Universal Waite deck as perfect for meditation as it is for divination.
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Painterly –
Really in this day and age this is the staple tarot deck for those pining for cryptic euro imagery. The original waite deck really isn’t easy on the eyes in retrospect with retina burning yellows and distorted art that used its own quality issues to hide little secrets that…don’t need to be hidden any more lol
This does its job perfectly: it faithfully reproduces the original waite lovingly and uncompromisingly clarifying the images.
Google any card from the old waite deck, then this universal version. Look at the original empress compared to one on this box…she looked like a melting drag queen here she’s totally fab fertility goddess.
I love the new wheel of fortune!! Total upgrade you’ll probably never go back to old waite… And so faithful to original all those nods to the classic deck will be clear to someone learning tarot from it. Its so faithful you’ll still get questions like “why does the lady have b and j on those pillars? Is it an innuendo?”
There are some cards that lose something in their new found digestability…
I’m a lil bummed the tower isn’t jarring. It doesn’t look all that exciting or bad. There’s such a theatrical twist to turning up the old freaky tower that’s kinda lost with this. No gasping here ……it looks like a classic rock album cover (where as original was more punk obviously)
I’m mixed on new devil adds a clownish look …which is fine I guess…there was something sexier about the whole scene (him included) without all that shading softening and clarifying. I don’t mind death isn’t as freaky as it was because that’s one I DONT want as reactionary as the old but its def gentler even with the horse clearly having red eyes n such lol.
The back of the cards…are a dreamy purple with stars. Another big upgrade.
The minor Arcana looks spectacular. There are so many decks that don’t narrate all of them with little stories…this deck remains ambitious. It also shows the whimsical good humor side of the original deck a lot clearer.
A fun gift to any one… The mystically inclined will find this ranges between the perfect starting deck to a pros staple deck.
If you like tarot get it unless any of this is a block for you
1. As a product of its time it has no racial diversity.
2. Unlike newer tarot it still juggles Christian iconography with themes of judgment day, garden of Eden pope etc despite coming from an almost cult of mystics hell bent on synthesizing all spiritual and religious practices.
3. You’re going strictly gypsy (this looks too nice)
4. You need explicitly in the included little instruction book. Waite was kind of…He enjoyed smoke and ash to get people thinking i guess? There’s full books on this consider that a possible hidden fee lol
linxred –
Please ignore all negative reviews about this deck. You are not going to get any better deck than this. The quality of cards, overall feel the coloring and story telling of each card is beyond amazing. The cards have slippery texture so it makes them very easy to shuffle as compared to original rider waite deck. Just get it without a second thought. Words can’t describe how good is it. I love it, thank you Amazon for making it available at ease. Heartfelt Gratitude to Amazon..
Akshay –
Very happy with the colours of this deck despite its “age”. Not my first Tarot deck but definitely my first proper RWS after many years. It came shrink wrapped in a simple cardboard box which is fine at this price point.
Have been seeing the online images but the actual cards look much better under natural lighting. It will definitely make readings easier. In comparison I’ve had the Osho Zen Tarot much longer and only dug it up recently to provide companionship while I’m temporarily stuck at home. I bought this deck as the Zen approach and keywords resonated more easily with my meditation practice. However, the more I read for myself, the more it seemed too direct and limited.
After self studying the RWS version, it was clear that many layers and variations were unfortunately eliminated. The Osho Zen version has beautiful imagery and simple keywords, great for someone who just needs a nudge with affirmative and growth oriented messages. The RWS cards reflect a more realistic and raw portrayal of life.
The RWS’s LWB (little white book) covers the basics and interestingly describes the minor arcana in more detail. The Osho Zen version had come with a nice booklet that explains every card, which is well written and also essential because it has specific interpretations for each card.
Given there’s so much material online on RWS, just having the bare deck is sufficient. I’ve put up a few images comparing the Osho Zen and Universal Waite Tarot in terms of size and general look.
John E. –
First published in 1909, the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) Tarot deck is one of the most (if not THE most) popular Tarot decks in the world. It has spawned hundreds of variations and art decks all based on the same system of meanings as those published by Arthur Edward Waite over 100 years ago.
The Universal Waite Tarot is a newer rendering of that original design as illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. This newer rendering has more color depth and better shading than the original RWS. In the illustrations of the older deck published in 1909, you will see only basic colors and black ink lines used for shading. In the Universal Waite, the new rendering uses variations of color for shading, giving the illustrations more vibrancy and a cleaner look. Other than the colors, the illustrations are the same as the original and are interpreted the same way.
You can see this in the photo above which compares The Fool from the RWS (on the left) to the Universal Waite. You see a more realistic skin tone on his face and hands instead of the orange color used in the RWS. You can also see the difference in the shading of the sky, and other details as well as cleaner lines.
This edition is published by U.S. Games and is a very well made deck which will withstand many years of regular use. If you’ve looked at the RWS before and felt a little put off by the flatness of the images, you may find this deck much more appealing. I’ve been studying and working with the Tarot for over 20 years and I always recommend this as an excellent starter deck. The price is also low enough that one can gift this deck without breaking the bank.
John E. –
I bought this deck because I use the RWS system and love the varying decks released by Rider-Waite.
My two favorite versions are the Universal Rider-Waite and the Centennial Smith-Waite editions.
I really love the way they have removed the hatching lines/shading and colors, and completely redone all of the color work with added tonal values in coloured pencil; It makes for a softer and well-rounded appearance without looking animated or cartoonish.
I like that this deck has a satin finish, I see and hear a lot of people refer to this as “matte”, which it isn’t. A matte finish would be dry, flat, not water resistant- it wouldn’t give any sort of reflection or subtle sheen when turned toward the light like these do.
This beautiful satin finish (with a bit of a waxy residue that wear off quickly) allows for a water resistant surface and a nice soft, diffused sheen that doesn’t obscure the image and allows for a smooth shuffle.
The cards stock in my opinion is a nice happy medium- It’s not too stiff or too thin. When cardstock is took thick it can increase the risk of the edges chipping and if they’re not flexible, it can’t flex enough to prevent creasing.
These cards have enough flexibility and strength that the medium-weight cardstock suits it perfectly and the edges hold up very well against chipping,tearing and peeling. I would definitely recommend this deck for anyone just getting into Tarot, it’s not sexy, but it’s a great deck to learn symbolism and it holds up well so it’s a good “beater” deck (should you choose to treat them poorly).
If the price goes down I’d grab two to have a backup. It’s not my only deck, but I’m glad I have it, it reads well and U.S Games are awesome about replacing individual damaged cards- even years later.
Lawrence Goh –
Très beau jeu, les couleurs sont magnifiques, j’adore !
Meow –
Le carte sono bellissime. Credo che sia il più bel mazzo che abbia mai acquistato. Spedizione veloce e venditore molto serio. Grazie!
Akshay –
I love this version of the Rider Waite deck. It’s bright but not overwhelming, and these cards feel really good when shuffling. I love handling them. This is a great deck for tarot readers. I plan on working with it for client readings. It’s sturdy, flexible, and traditional. It’s great for both beginners and professional readers. The cards are of great quality, but the box is cheap. Get this for cards, place them in a nice pouch or protective tarot box, and ditch this box.