The Pictorial Key to the Tarot

What It's About

Published in 1911, this is Waite's guide to the tarot deck he designed with artist Pamela Colman Smith, now known as the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. It explains the symbolism and divinatory meaning of all seventy-eight cards, including the Major Arcana and, notably, fully illustrated pip cards, which was unusual for tarot decks of the time. The book also covers the deck's history, its connections to esoteric tradition, and instructions for laying out and reading the cards.

Key Concepts

Central to the book is Waite's interpretation of the Major and Minor Arcana, drawing on Hermetic, Kabbalistic, and Christian mystical symbolism. He outlines several methods of divination, including the well-known "Celtic Cross" spread, and gives upright and reversed meanings for each card.

About the Author

Arthur Edward Waite (1857–1942) was an American-born British poet and scholar of occultism and Western esotericism. A member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, he spent decades researching mysticism, alchemy, and ceremonial magic, and was also a recognised authority on Freemasonry.