Tarot Original (1909) by Waite & Smith

Restored from the first edition. The deck is reproduced from the original December 1909 printing, recovering the earliest colors and line work before later reprints altered them.

Expert instructions by Sasha Graham. The included guidance comes from one of America's best-known tarot writers, who explains the meaning of each Arcana.

Faithful 78-card deck. A full 78-card Rider-Waite-Smith deck with a booklet, produced to Lo Scarabeo's high printing standards.

From the publisher, Lo Scarabeo: the masterpiece of Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, reproduced from the very first edition of December 1909. A top-quality deck of the first great tarot of the modern era, for clear, in-depth, and profound readings, with instructions by Sasha Graham, one of America's most famous tarot experts, who reveals the secrets of each Arcana. The deck contains 78 full-color cards with a booklet in a multilingual edition.

The art is by Pamela Colman Smith (1878-1951), the Jamaican-British artist and Golden Dawn member who illustrated the original cards under the direction of A.E. Waite. This edition's aim is fidelity: to present her 1909 work as it first looked, before later reprintings shifted its colors and lines.

• 78-card full-size tarot deck with instruction booklet
• Reproduced from the original December 1909 first edition
• Instructions by Sasha Graham
• Art: Pamela Colman Smith, under the direction of A.E. Waite
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo (distributed in North America by Llewellyn)
• Multilingual edition
• Card size: approximately 2 1/2" x 4 3/4"
• SKU: DTARORI1909

It is hard to overstate the influence of the deck Pamela Colman Smith illustrated in 1909. Before it, most tarots left the Minor Arcana as plain arrangements of suit symbols; Smith gave every one of the 78 cards a full illustrated scene, a person, a moment, a story, and in doing so made the tarot legible to anyone. Nearly every modern deck descends from her work, and nearly every tarot book describes her images.

For a long time the deck was called simply Rider-Waite, after its publisher and the man who directed it, while the artist who actually drew it went largely unnamed. Restoring Smith to the title, as Smith-Waite or Waite-Smith, is part of a wider effort to honor her enormous, once-overlooked contribution.

There is something meaningful about reading from the imagery as it first appeared in 1909. The Major Arcana trace the soul's journey and the four suits map the textures of daily life, exactly as generations of readers first encountered them, and because this is the reference point for a century of tarot scholarship, whatever you learn here will carry over to almost any other deck.

1. When the deck is new, clear it in whatever way suits you: passing it through cleansing smoke, resting it under the moon, or simply shuffling while you set your intention for your work together.
2. Spend time with the imagery. Because this is the foundational Rider-Waite-Smith deck, its scenes are the ones nearly every tarot book describes.
3. Choose a spread, whether a single daily card, a three-card line, or a fuller layout, and shuffle while holding your question in mind.
4. Read the cards with Sasha Graham's instructions or any Rider-Waite-Smith guide close at hand, letting the images guide your intuition.
5. Close your reading with a moment of thanks or reflection, and store the cards somewhere that feels right, wrapped in cloth or kept in their box.

• Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck: U.S. Games' bordered reproduction in Pixie's muted colors, for readers who prefer a classic frame and bonus art.
• Smith-Waite Borderless Tarot Deck: the same classic art with the borders removed for edge-to-edge, immersive reading.
• Tarot Vintage: an antiqued, linen-finish take on the same imagery, for readers who want an aged, well-loved look.
• Ultimate Guide to the Rider Waite Tarot: a card-by-card companion that maps directly onto this deck's imagery.
• White Sage Smudge Sticks, Set of 6: cleanse your deck and reading space with sacred smoke before you begin.

How is Tarot Original 1909 different from the other Waite-Smith editions you carry?

This is Lo Scarabeo's restoration of the actual December 1909 first edition, aiming for the truest early colors and details, with a Sasha Graham booklet. The U.S. Games Centennial and Borderless decks reproduce the muted 1909 art with and without borders, while Tarot Vintage gives the imagery an antiqued, aged finish.

What makes it "the original 1909"?

It is reproduced from the very first printing of December 1909, restoring the earliest colors and line work before a century of reprints gradually shifted them. For collectors and purists, it is the closest widely available deck to the original as it first appeared.

Who wrote the instructions?

The accompanying guidance is by Sasha Graham, a bestselling author and one of America's most recognized tarot experts, who explains the symbolism and meaning of each card in a clear, modern way.

Is this deck good for beginners?

Yes. It is the foundational Rider-Waite-Smith imagery, so nearly every tarot book and resource matches it, and Sasha Graham's instructions offer an accessible way in for newer readers.

How do I cleanse or care for a tarot deck?

Many readers cleanse a new deck before first use by passing it through cleansing smoke, setting it under the moon, or knocking and reshuffling to reset its energy. Store the cards in their box or wrapped in cloth, keep them dry, and handle them with clean hands to protect the art.