Lo Scarabeo – Tarot Original 1909 (Rider-Waite-Smith)

7/26/2026

Lo Scarabeo – Tarot Original 1909 (Rider-Waite-Smith)

After the entries on the history of Tarot and the Bourgeois pattern, some readers might be under the impression that I somehow disapprove of using these decks for purposes other than those for which they were originally conceived. Nothing could be further from the truth. While I admit the occult is not my cup of tea, I find the history, evolution, and design of playing cards fascinating, whatever their use may be.

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Today we examine a deck that revolutionized the concept of Tarot—and the playing card industry as a whole. It is, in a sense, the flip side of the Tarot Bourgeois: its design addresses the very same points, but takes them in the exact opposite direction. More so, at first glance, it's hard to believe these two share a common ancestor. The comparison between a bat and a whale springs to mind—entirely different animals that are nonetheless mammals, branching from a shared origin millions of years ago.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot was created in the early 20th century by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, both members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn—an occult society of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Determined to develop his own revised version of the Tarot, Waite commissioned the artwork from Pamela Colman Smith. It was originally published in London in 1909 by William Rider & Sons Limited. The deck was accompanied by a book explaining the meanings of the cards, which was later replaced by an illustrated version incorporating Smith's artwork.

Its main innovation was the inclusion of narrative scenes across all 56 Minor Arcana. For this, Smith drew inspiration from the 15th-century Sola-Busca Tarot—one of the very few (if not sole) historical exceptions where the pip cards were not mere repetitions of suit symbols, but richly illustrated compositions. Furthermore, her linework reveals influences from painter John William Waterhouse and the Japanese ukiyo-e style popular at the time.

Cards from the Sola-Busca Tarot, 15th century

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Major Arcana feature heavily symbolic imagery, stepping far away from the genre subjects of the Tarot Bourgeois to return to pure allegory. Furthermore, Waite modified the traditional Tarot de Marseille sequence by swapping the positions of Justice and Strength to align with his esoteric beliefs. We also see departures from classic iconography in cards like The Lovers or The Sun, where the symbolism becomes distinctly more mystical.

The original printing plates were destroyed during World War II, and to this day, Smith's original artwork remains unaccounted for.

It is worth noting that both Waite and Smith passed away without witnessing the success of their creation—or the immense influence it would exert on the global landscape of Tarot and Western occultism.

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It would be no exaggeration to call this one of the most famous and best-selling Tarot decks in the world, with countless editions, copies, and variations produced by publishers worldwide. The one featured in this post is Tarot Original 1909, published by Italian manufacturer Lo Scarabeo, based on the first edition. I selected it for its outstanding execution: its colors closely match the original palette, and it convincingly recreates the line work and stippling of the lithographic process.

Setting aside any connotations it may carry, I find this deck quite simply beautiful. Its intricate artwork invites the viewer to linger and admire it. Its success comes as no surprise, nor does the fact that it has inspired several generations since its creation over a century ago.

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Lastly, a brief tangential reflection on this deck and similar ones. Today, the playing card industry is little more than a shadow of its former self, dominated by a few established brands—many of them absorbed by multinational corporations—with well-curated catalogs, yet far smaller than they were just 50 years ago. While it is true that thousands or even millions of decks are sold daily, it feels more like an industrial assembly line serving casinos and poker: a mass-consumer market that has ultimately stifled any hint of diversity or creativity. However, this is not the case for cartomancy decks, where I perceive a healthy variety of models and publishers, as well as a large, active community of collectors and users. This niche is quite possibly one of the last bastions of card collecting—and perhaps even the heir to an industry that has been diluted and largely sterilized.