Hanson Roberts Tarot Deck

Hanson-Roberts Tarot - Rider-Waite with soft lines and expressive faces

The Hanson-Roberts Tarot follows the Rider-Waite-Smith system but translates the imagery into something softer. The characters have faces that speak. You see directly whether someone grieves, hopes, or withdraws.

Mary Hanson-Roberts drew this deck with fine pencil lines and warm colours. The whole feels like illustrated storybooks: fairytale-like without becoming childish. The symbolism remains fully intact. All traditional attributes, numbers and colour coding are present.

What you see on the cards

The faces stand out most. Where many tarot decks show neutral or stylised expressions, Hanson-Roberts shows you what happens inside the character. The Three of Swords shows grief. The Six of Cups shows memory. That directness makes reading more intuitive.

The compositions are clear and uncluttered. No overcrowded backgrounds, but enough detail to recognise symbolism. The colours are saturated without becoming harsh. The whole is harmonious and easy on the eye.

Compact format, daily use

The cards measure 65 x 100 mm. That is smaller than standard tarot format. For many people that feels more comfortable. You can shuffle them more easily, especially with smaller hands. And you lay larger spreads without needing a big table.

The multilingual guidebook is concise but useful. You find basic meanings in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Draw one card each morning and look only at the character's face. What emotion do you see? That often gives enough direction for the day.

Who this deck works for

This deck is designed for readers who want the Rider-Waite structure but find the imagery somewhat cool or distant. The expressive faces bring warmth and humanity. That also makes it accessible for beginners still looking for an intuitive entry to the cards.

The compact format suits people who draw cards daily and want the deck easily at hand. Also suitable as a travel deck.

About Mary Hanson-Roberts

Mary Hanson-Roberts is an American artist who, besides this deck, also created the colouring for the Universal Waite Tarot. Her style is characterised by soft pencil work and attention to emotional expression. She works within traditional tarot symbolism but gives each character its own face and posture.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 78
• Language: Multilingual (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish)
• ISBN: 9780880790796
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
• Weight: 238 g
• Card dimensions: 65 x 100 mm

Questions we often get

How does this deck relate to the original Rider-Waite?
The structure and symbolism are identical. The difference lies in the drawing style: softer, with more attention to facial expressions and a fairytale atmosphere. If you know the Rider-Waite, you can use this deck directly.

Is the small format difficult to read in a spread?
No. The illustrations are clear enough to remain legible even at small format. Precisely because the cards are more compact, you can lay larger spreads without lack of space.