Entdecke die Botschaften, die das Universum für dich hat
The Rider-Waite is the most widespread tarot deck in the world. Published in London in 1909 by William Rider & Son, it was created by British occultist Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942) and illustrator Pamela Colman Smith (1878-1951). It is the first deck in which all 56 minor arcana cards are illustrated with complete narrative scenes, and it remains the worldwide reference for modern cartomancy.
The deck has 78 cards: 22 major arcana (from the Fool to the World) and 56 minor arcana in four suits (Wands/Fire, Cups/Water, Swords/Air, Pentacles/Earth). Each suit runs ace to ten plus four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, King). The big innovation was illustrating every minor card with a story, which makes intuitive reading accessible even to beginners.
Enter a concrete question, choose a spread (one card, three cards, Celtic Cross) and shuffle. The cards are drawn randomly; for each one the tool shows the official image and a textual reading generated in the moment, taking into account position and context of the question.
Illustrator of the deck, nicknamed Pixie. She was paid a flat fee and never received royalties: her small signature appears on every card. Recognition has grown in recent years and the deck is often called Rider-Waite-Smith. The 78 illustrations are in the public domain in many countries.
Seventy-eight: 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana in four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles).
You can, but it is less suited: the Rider-Waite gives nuanced narrative readings. For sharp answers try the Yes or No Tarot tool.
It depends on the mode: some readings include reversed cards, others do not. A reversed card usually highlights a block, a nuance or an excess of the upright meaning.