Tarot card decks are ideal for guidance regarding any aspect of one's life, career, love life, goals to be achieved, or wealth. If you have been interested in getting tarot card readings to gain insight into your future, you might consider getting one. Practicing reading and interpreting these cards is a skill and can prove quite beneficial to your life and others!
You will come across decks with different illustrations and prints. It might make you question whether or not all tarot card decks are the same? To answer shortly, yes. The meanings and interpretations of the cards remain the same. That being said there can be major visual differences in the imagery of different decks. Some of the most popular decks you will hear about are Thoth and Rider Waite Smith. In this article, we will explore the differences between the cards and which deck takes priority.
The Thoth Tarot Deck
Created by Aleister Crowley during 1904-1909, this beautiful deck is based on the rituals of his secret society. This unique deck has English, Latin, and Egyptian words written on the card representing the illustration printed on them. This deck was named after the Egyptian god of wisdom. It is rich in Jewish symbolism, alchemy, and the Kabbalah. It is ideal for experts that can understand and deconstruct the interrelated symbolism.
Thoth's images are more ethereal, allowing you to comprehend its energies without relying on pictures. A minimalistic tarot deck or deciphering with plain poker cards might provide a similar result. Intuition can add an additional depth of meaning that studies the card's shadow and light, purpose and resolutions. The artwork on this 78-card deck is mesmerizing. The cards have bold letters and details on the back and are extremely easy to shuffle. Hence, as someone who has been reading tarot for a long time, these cards might become your most popular choice.
The Rider Waite Smith Tarot Deck
This deck is the most popular choice among tarot readers. Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith created this deck in 1909, known as one of the most used decks in the world. Seventy-eight beautifully designed cards have rich and thought-inducing imagery, so much of the insight can be left to the imagination of individuals getting their cards read. There is a lot of religious, astrological, and kabbalistic symbolism that you will find in this deck. It is simplified to be understood by many since the primary purpose of its invention was to provide for the masses. The Rider Waite-Smith (RWS) deck was created to make intuitive divination readily available and clear to read. It includes a lot of Christian symbolism that was instinctively understood by Western society back then.
The deck has been simplified to easier interpretations by dividing it further into numerology, among other components. The interpretations follow a more linear narrative called The Fool's Journey. The cards are a clear representation of the concepts that are expressed.
The Differences
Intent:
The creation of the decks was quite similar in the beginning but changed before being published. The RWS deck focuses more on Christian divination and includes concepts that portray occult ideas. The Thoth deck was also meant to be designed following a similar intent but was changed to include much of the Thelemic philosophy as well.
Style:
The Waite deck has a more elegant vibe with solid backgrounds. In contrast, the Thoth includes far more art deco. The figures have also been designed according to the style of the deck, with figures in the major arcana and courts intersecting and overlapping each other.
Minors:
Most of the minor arcana cards are designed with people interacting with objects that are intended to have varying meanings. However, the RWS was the first modern tarot deck with scenes and figures. Later, Thoth redesigned the cards by completely excluding people from the illustrations. They designed their cards to have several objects and aesthetics of just the style, color, and background.
Courts:
The decks also use different courts for their imagery. The Waite uses the traditional courts, including the page, knight, queen, and king. The Thoth uses the golden dawn courts, including princess, prince, queen, and king.
Content:
The Thoth deck is fully packed with symbolic elements. We can notice the Lovers, including a royal couple, two children, a priest, Lilith and Eve, Cupid, an eagle, a lion, an Orphic egg, and an arch made of swords. On the contrary, we have the RWS deck designed with Lovers, including Adam and Eve, an angel, trees of Eden with serpents, a mountain, and the Sun.
Labels And Titles:
There have been a lot of label and title changes that have been made in the Thoth.
Some of them are:
● The Magician – The Magus
● Justice – Adjustment
● Strength – Lust
● Judgement – The Aeon
● The World – The Universe
There has also been a change in the traditional sequence of the cards. The titles have been limited to one word and are mostly taken from the Golden Dawn. There is a lot of representation of Hebrew letters, glyphs, planets, zodiac signs, and other elements that are designed next to the title.
Which Deck Should I Choose?
Choosing one deck over another is impossible. It depends on where you are on your tarot reading journey and which deck resonated with you the most. As a beginner, we suggest buying the Waite deck since it is far easier to decipher and interpret. The system of these cards helps greatly in self-development, spiritual guidance, or fulfillment of your manifestations. If that is something that you are currently seeking, then this deck will prove more beneficial.
However, the Thoth deck is ideal for understanding the symbolism of each card at a more profound level. They are often used for shadow work, cosmic fortune-telling, and karma readings. If you are aiming to achieve that, then choosing this deck will be the right choice. Spiritual language differs from human language a lot. Hence, following your intuition is crucial if a deck calls out to you.