Tarot Vintage by Waite & Smith

An antiqued, aged look. A linen finish and softly aged backgrounds give the cards a broken-in, well-loved patina that many tarotists prize.

Selectively colored artwork. Figures and objects are picked out in color against the muted, aged ground, lending each scene a distinctive vintage atmosphere.

True to the Rider-Waite-Smith key. The deck uses the full pictorial key of the original, so it reads exactly like any Rider-Waite-Smith deck, with a 78-card deck and a Sasha Graham booklet.

From the publisher, Lo Scarabeo: a new spin on the classic Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, this deck has been created with a linen finish and antiqued look for readers who want a more historical feel. Selectively colored figures and objects are set in an aged background, giving these cards a broken-in, well-used appearance, a patina preferred by many tarotists. Using the pictorial key of the original Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it is a perfect reading deck for times when you want to feel vintage tarot vibes. The deck includes 78 cards and instructions.

The imagery is Pamela Colman Smith's original 1909 artwork, created under the direction of A.E. Waite, here given an aged treatment. The accompanying booklet is by tarot expert Sasha Graham. Pamela Colman Smith (1878-1951), nicknamed Pixie, was a Jamaican-British artist long under-credited for creating the world's most influential tarot imagery.

• 78-card full-size tarot deck with instructions
• Linen finish with an antiqued, aged appearance
• Selectively colored figures on aged backgrounds
• Uses the pictorial key of the original Rider-Waite-Smith deck
• Booklet by Sasha Graham
• Art: Pamela Colman Smith, under the direction of A.E. Waite
• Publisher: Lo Scarabeo (distributed in North America by Llewellyn)
• Box size: approximately 2.85" x 5"
• SKU: DTARVIN

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.

To read with this deck is to work with the foundational language of modern tarot. The Major Arcana trace the soul's journey, the four suits map the textures of daily life, and because the imagery is the reference point for a century of tarot scholarship, whatever you learn here will carry over to almost any other deck. The aged treatment simply lends the timeless images a sense of history, as though the deck has already accompanied someone through many readings.

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 uses the Rider-Waite-Smith pictorial key, 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 booklet 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' faithful bordered reproduction in Pixie's muted colors, for readers who prefer a crisp, classic presentation.
• Smith-Waite Borderless Tarot Deck: the same classic art with the borders removed for edge-to-edge, immersive reading.
• Tarot Original 1909: Lo Scarabeo's restoration of the actual December 1909 first edition, for purists who want the earliest colors and details.
• 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 Vintage different from the other Waite-Smith editions you carry?

Tarot Vintage is an aesthetic reimagining: a linen finish and antiqued, selectively colored art give it a well-loved, historical feel. By contrast, the U.S. Games Centennial and Borderless decks are faithful reproductions of the muted 1909 art, and the Tarot Original 1909 restores the actual first edition.

Does the aged look change how the deck reads?

No. It uses the full Rider-Waite-Smith pictorial key, so every card carries the same meaning and imagery as a standard deck. The antiquing is purely a visual treatment; the deck reads exactly like any Rider-Waite-Smith tarot.

What does "selectively colored" mean?

Rather than coloring the whole card evenly, this edition picks out the figures and key objects in color while letting the backgrounds sit in muted, aged tones. The effect gives each scene a vintage, storybook atmosphere.

Is this deck good for beginners?

Yes. Because it follows the standard Rider-Waite-Smith imagery, every tarot book and resource applies, and the Sasha Graham booklet helps. Readers who want maximum crispness may prefer a standard reproduction, but many enjoy the vintage character.

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.