Old Style Tarot

Old Style Tarot - Rider-Waite symbolism with antique cameos and botanical motifs

The Rider-Waite structure is so familiar that many decks built on it barely stand out. The Old Style Tarot chooses a different path: it keeps the symbolism intact and dresses it in antique garments. Cameos, botanical ornaments, muted colours and a vintage printing technique give the whole an atmosphere of European heritage.

Alexander Ray drew this deck and brought his background as a psychologist into the imagery. No dramatic deviations, but exactly the kind of subtle details that connect with how people read a card: the gaze of a figure, the posture, the surroundings.

What you see on the cards

The cards follow the structure of the Rider-Waite system: 78 cards plus one blank card as an extra. The imagery follows the same framework, but every detail has been redrawn. Portrait-like faces as you know them from old cameos, botanical borders that reference 19th-century botanical atlases, and a colour palette that is restrained.

No hard contrasts, no bright accents. The colours are muted, as if faded by time. This gives the cards a calm, almost nostalgic character. The format is large: 105 x 149 mm. That shows the details well, but also asks for hands that can shuffle comfortably with that size.

The blank card can be used however you wish. Some people draw on it themselves, others set it aside and use it as a focus for meditation. The deck does not prescribe what to do with it.

Who this deck works for

This deck is designed for those who know the Rider-Waite structure and are looking for a version with a different visual expression. The symbolism is directly recognizable, so beginners can work with it. But the visual translation is more refined than a standard RWS reprint, and that will appeal to people who have mastered the basics and are now looking for something with more visual depth.

The 104-page guidebook covers upright and reversed meanings, with advice for each card. No philosophical depth, but practical interpretation. That suits a deck that is meant to be worked with, not thought about.

Set the blank card aside and use it as a signal card: if you draw it in a reading, pause and ask yourself what theme you had expected or hoped to see.

About Alexander Ray

Alexander Ray works as a psychologist and illustrator. His background in psychology is noticeable in the way the figures on the cards look and stand. No dramatic gestures, but postures and gazes that tell something about the inner state of a figure.

This is his first published tarot deck, released by U.S. Games Systems.

Specifications

• Number of cards: 79 (78 tarot cards + 1 blank card)
• Card size: 105 x 149 mm
• Guidebook: 104 pages, English
• Card language: no text on the cards
• Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
• Author and illustrator: Alexander Ray
• Weight: 453 g
• Material: sturdy cardstock

Questions we often get

Does this deck deviate from Rider-Waite symbolism?
No. The structure, the order and the symbolism follow the Rider-Waite system. What is different is the imagery: the style, the colours, the execution. Someone who knows RWS will immediately recognize which card is which.

Is the guidebook suitable for beginners?
Yes. It gives interpretations for each card, both upright and reversed, with advice and warnings. No in-depth essays, but practical information you can use directly in a reading.