This is probably the most well-known Tarot deck, the one whose images most people think of as “Tarot.” It is also the one most people buy—by far.

Arthur Edward Waite, a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, conceived this Tarot in 1909. It was painted by Pamela Colman Smith. The Waite Tarot was a radical departure from the earlier Tarot Decks in that it was the first deck to use descriptive scenes on the numbered Minor Arcana cards, thus setting a precedent that has changed the Tarot and our understanding of it enormously. There have been innumerable imitators of the Waite deck and a whole class of rectified Tarot decks that owe their existence to the Waite Tarot. One of the interesting facts about the Waite deck and its direct descendants, is that each suit of the Minor Arcana tells a story of the family depicted in the Court cards.

Recommended especially for beginners and anyone interested in the evolution of the Tarot.

The deck is available in three sizes: the standard 3 x 5 inch size, a “small” size, and a “miniature” size. There is also a deck available in a giant size including only the Major Arcana.