Quick Specs
- Cards: 78
- Tradition: Rider-Waite-Smith
- Artwork: Pamela Colman Smith (1909), recolored
- Publisher: Weiser Books
- Includes: 78-card deck and 64-page booklet
The Weiser Tarot is Weiser Books’ own edition of the 1909 Rider-Waite-Smith deck, released in 2022 to celebrate the publisher’s long history in esoteric publishing. It’s built on Pamela Colman Smith’s original pen-and-ink line art, newly repainted in watercolor to bring out the elemental energy in each card.
What sets this deck apart from a standard RWS reprint is the palette. The Weiser editors returned to watercolor, the technique Smith herself likely used, and pushed the colors further: Cups run in deep blues, Wands in warm oranges, Swords in moody purples, and Pentacles in earthy greens. The Major Arcana cards also carry printed Hebrew letter and astrological sign correspondences, which the original 1909 deck left off. If you’re working with Qabalah or astrology alongside your tarot practice, that added layer is genuinely useful. The figures across all suits reflect diverse skin tones, so you’re more likely to see yourself in the cards. Every symbol and card position stays true to the RWS system, meaning any book, course, or app built around Rider-Waite-Smith works with this deck without translation.
Browse my full tarot deck collection or explore tarot and divination books to pair with your new deck.
How to get started with the Weiser Tarot.
- Start with a Single Card Pull
Each morning, draw one card face down, take a breath, then flip it. Sit with the image for thirty seconds before reading the booklet. Notice what catches your eye first. That instinct is worth tracking in a daily journal.
- Try the Three-Card Spread
Lay three cards left to right for past, present, and future. The Weiser colors are distinct by suit, so you can spot elemental patterns at a glance. Cups run blue, Wands run orange, Swords go purple, Pentacles go green.
- Work with the Major Arcana First
Pull the 22 Major Arcana out of the deck and work through them one by one over three weeks. The Hebrew and astrological symbols printed on each card give you a second layer to study once the imagery feels familiar to you.
Yes. The Weiser Tarot uses Pamela Colman Smith original line art, so every card position and symbol matches the standard Rider-Waite-Smith system. Any RWS guidebook or course works seamlessly with this deck.
The Weiser Tarot was recolored by the editors at Weiser Books using a watercolor approach, intentionally channeling the style Smith likely used in 1909. No named individual colorist is credited on the deck.
The Major Arcana cards include printed Hebrew letter and astrological sign correspondences, which the original 1909 deck did not show. These additions make the Weiser Tarot useful for Qabalah and astrology study.
The Weiser Tarot features figures with diverse skin tones across all four suits, which the 1909 original did not. The imagery and symbolism remain identical, so seasoned RWS readers will feel at home right away.
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