Humans have used many forms of divination since ancient times and it is perhaps a fundamental trait of human nature to try to predict the future. In this article we will explore the history of tarot and the original Rider Waite tarot deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith.
The tarot deck dates back to the 14th century, having its roots in Europe and Northern Italy. The modern tarot deck is based on the Venetian or the Piedmontese tarot which was made up of 78 cards. These decks were initially used for playing card games but then adapted for fortune telling by assigning meanings to the cards.
The Minor Arcana
Each suit in the minor arcana (56 cards) is associated with a different element and meaning.
Cups: Element (Water) – represents emotions and relationships
Pentacles: Element (Earth) – represents money, business and material possessions
Swords: Elements (Air) – represents mind, thought and logic
Wands: Element (Fire) – represents passion, energy and action
The Major Arcana
The major arcana is made up of 22 cards, each of which tells a story about the human experience. The major arcana is designed to represent the human life cycle of birth, death and all the lessons that come in-between. In doing so, the layers of symbolism in the cards have a way of calling out to the human subconscious, pointing out aspects of ourselves that we do not see at a glance.
The Rider Waite Tarot Deck
In exploring the history of tarot, it cannot be done adequately without touching upon the history of the Rider Waite tarot deck. The Rider Waite tarot deck is the classic deck that many tarot readers still use today and is wildly popular, with over 100 million copies sold however many are unaware of its tarot history.
The Rider Waite tarot deck was released in 1909; it was originally commissioned by Arthur Edward Waite who wanted to create a deck where every card was fully illustrated, something that was rare to come across at the time. Arthur Waite had an American father and English mother and worked as an author and editor, releasing many different books during his life on poetry, romance and the esoteric.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
Arthur was known to have esoteric spiritual views and was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a British secret society of a few hundred members that met together to study and practice esoteric spiritual concepts. Two famous members of the movement were known to be poet William Butler Yeats and Aleister Crowley, the order also included many artists.
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn showed interest in magic, kabbalism, astrology and mysticism with many members of the group translating and publishing ancient texts relating to magic and esoteric rituals. Waite himself was known to have translated and published several books relating to magical and ceremonial rituals.
The Rider Waite tarot deck was published by Rider and Sons, hence why it became known as the Rider Waite deck in tarot cards history, an amalgamation of the publisher’s name and Waite’s.
Arthur Edward Waite Photo by J. Russell and Sons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Artist Pamela Colman Smith and the Rider Waite Tarot Deck
An iconic figure in the history of tarot and history of tarot cards was Pamela Colman Smith. Pamela was the illusive illustrator of the Rider-Waite tarot deck, long forgotten and uncredited for her work, she was only paid a small sum for her artworks. Pamela did not receive any recognition or acclaim for this hugely popular tarot deck, apart from her characteristic squiggle signature which can be found worked into the corner of all her illustrations.
In fact, the deck was named Rider-Waite and this immensely talented woman’s artistic contributions, without which it would have never been possible, were lost to time and the history of tarot. I’m sure Pamela, who never received recognition for any of her artworks, would have been astonished to know that people would be using her iconic tarot deck illustrations more than one hundred years later!
Pamela Colman Smith Photo - By The Craftsman - The Craftsman, Vol. XXIII, Number 1 October 1912, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=122740468
About Pamela Colman Smith’s Life
Pamela Colman Smith was born in 1798 to a Jamaican mother and American father. She spent her childhood in both the UK and Jamaica, these cultural influences shaped her and influenced her writing and artworks. She was heavily involved in the theatre and had a period working as a costume and set designer, at which she was quite talented. She also produced many artworks, preferring an illustrative style; some of her unique and stylistic watercolors were exhibited in her younger years. She later worked as an illustrator, illustrating books by the famous poet; William Butler Yeats and many others, although she was never paid a great deal for her work.
Pamela was known to have esoteric beliefs and became a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1901, it is thought that William Butler Yeats is the person who introduced her to the order. It is through the Hermetic Order that Pamela met author Arthur Edward Waite and the Rider Waite tarot deck was first commissioned.
Pamela was troubled with financial difficulties throughout her life and her work never got the recognition it deserved. Information about Pamela’s sexuality is ambiguous but she never married and shared her house with her female companion and business partner, Nora Lake. Although the nature of their relationship is unknown, there has been some speculation that it may have been romantic. Tragically, Pamela eventually withdrew from the art world in her later life and died penniless in Bude, Cornwall in 1951, having never lived to see the raging success of the Rider Waite tarot deck and how it would be used for generations.
Next time you bring out your Rider Waite tarot deck, give a thought to the interesting history of tarot and contributions of those who made it possible for everyone to enjoy.