Tarot Total - the Rider-Waite deck with pocket guide
If there is one tarot on which nearly all courses, books and reading methods are based, this is it. The Rider-Waite, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith in 1909, remains the most widely used and most recognized tarot worldwide.
This set adds the English pocket guide by Hans Günter Hecht. He explains for each card what you see, what it means upright, and what changes when the card is reversed. The guide is small enough to take anywhere.
What you see on the cards
All 78 cards show scenes with people, objects and landscapes. The colors are clear, the symbolism recognizable. The Fool stands at the edge of a cliff, the High Priestess between two pillars, the Ten of Wands shows someone carrying ten heavy staffs.
These are not abstract symbols. You can see what is happening, and that makes the deck suitable for someone who has never held tarot cards before. The images tell their own story.
Why this deck works as a foundation
Most tarot books describe the cards based on the Rider-Waite system. Once you know this deck, you recognize the structure in almost every other deck you encounter later. That familiarity speeds up your learning process.
The card size is 70 x 120 mm, not too large, not too small. The material has a matte finish that shuffles smoothly. The guide fits in a jacket pocket.
Draw one card each morning, read the description in the guide and let the day itself show you where the card returns. That works better than trying to memorize all meanings at once.
About the creators
Arthur Edward Waite designed the deck in 1909 together with illustrator Pamela Colman Smith. Waite was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and wanted a tarot in which the symbolism was accessible to a wide audience. Smith drew all 78 cards with figurative scenes, including the Minor Arcana, which was unusual at the time.
Hans Günter Hecht wrote the included guide. He is a tarot teacher and has published several books on tarot and symbolism. His texts are practical and straightforward.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Card size: 70 x 120 mm
- Material: Card stock with matte finish
- Language: English
- Guidebook: 'The Pocket Guide to the Tarot' by Hans Günter Hecht (English)
- Publisher: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
- Designer: Arthur Edward Waite
- Illustrator: Pamela Colman Smith
Questions we often get
Is the guide comprehensive enough to get started?
Yes. Hecht describes each card in both upright and reversed positions. It is a pocket guide, so compact, but the information is complete enough for daily use.
Why has this deck become the standard?
Because Pamela Colman Smith was the first to give all 78 cards figurative scenes. That makes the cards readable without having to know all the symbolism by heart. Other decks still use this system as their starting point.
