The Original Tarot, Deck of 78 Cards

Really nice color and lines. Improvement over the yellow box. There are same gender variations of the lovers included as alternates. The original lovers is also included. The card size is perfect for shuffling. Not too big like some other decks. The paper is just right, not cheap but not slippery.

This deck is a dream. I was turned off the RWS by the dull colors of the Centennial, and I didn't think I'd ever like it. This deck changed that. I love to just flip through the cards - that's how pretty it is. And the linen finish is a dream. Everything about this is a pleasure to work with.

This is the RWS deck I have been looking for. The colors are neither as garish as the yellow-box Rider nor as gloomy as the Centennial Rider-Waite. The colors of the Radiant and Universal are beautiful, and I often refer to those cards when I want to make out small details, but... while calling them cartoonish would be going too far, they do seem somewhat lifeless to me. The line work of this deck quite crisp, but it retains the "earthy" feel of cannonical decks like the Centennial and yellow-box Rider. The card backs are symmetrical and have a really nice antique look. The card stock is terrific. The cards have a very tactile linen finish and essentially no glare. The stock is thick and sturdy: the deck is close to a quarter inch thicker than a typical US Games deck. The lettering is Smith's hand-drawn characters, rather than a typeface, and... (drumroll please), no copyright symbol on the card faces! The enclosed guidebook is well made and well written, with color images of every card. It's a clear step up of from a typical little white book. I think the deck is essentially perfect. I can't think of anything to change or improve.

This is my favorite tarot deck! The cards are excellent quality and come with a handy guidebook. I love the original artwork on each card — it really makes reading a joy. I’ve purchased this deck several times and have been thrilled every single time. Highly recommend!

L - US Games Centennial, R - Da Brigh Original I own the pocket centennial deck but wanted a full size version of the RWS deck. Decided to purchase this one because it has no copyright on the cards and has a linen finish. The colors are more muted than the standard US Games version, but more vibrant than the centennial (which is still my favorite coloring). - The vector art does take away some of the original linework, but not to a degree that I'd say detracts from the art. I also prefer the texture of the solid colors from the centennial edition, but untextured backgrounds are pretty common in most versions of the deck so it's not a big deal. - The lack of copyright on the cards is a HUGE plus and was the only reason why I didn't buy the full size centennial edition. - I LOVE the linen finish. It's really nice on the hands, but may or may not be a dealbreaker for you because it is visually noticeable (especially in the light). I personally very much prefer the tactile feeling. The finish also diffuses a bit of glare. - The cardstock is fairly thick and sturdy. It's hard to riffle shuffle with a full deck and you'll likely have to split the deck for any type of shuffling that requires flexibility. It's also not for small hands like mine, but that applies to all full-size tarot decks, haha. - The booklet is pretty hefty for a LWB. Bonus points for the full color print. Some of the negative reviews are likely outdated. The deck doesn't feel like a knockoff at all and the quality is better than some other decks I've owned.

Pros: Cards are linen cardstock, attractive beige Mandela backing, shuffles easy, enhanced colors. Overall nice deck. Cons: some divergence from the original. The backgrounds on each card are much less textural because the color has been evened it making the so is look less realistic. Also some deviation from the original Pamela Coleman Smith illustrations. For instance, the lovers card depicts two females versus the traditional depiction of Adam and Eve. Also, the linework has been modified making the figures depicted to be slightly altered from the original deck. Card box was also a negative. It is thin cardboard which flaps open from the top like a traditional deck of playing cards. Opening and closing this box will easily rip with moderate use meaning you will need to buy a card holder for your deck.

This RWS digital age clone became my favorite, fast. What's not to like? Full size, narrow borders without trademark, brilliant high contrast solid colors which are outstanding in low light; and the linen texture is unique to me for tarot cards. At times your spread will appear as, in reflected light, a tapestry or a cloth, giving a mysterious and/or ancient aspect. And the numeral 7 is there in the black shadow of the saturn cup on 7 of cups. Not there on Radiant Tarot. At first I thought, 'these colors aren't true to RWS'. Now I don't care. Maybe they are truer, like on Acid. I didn't care for how they shuffled first time. But I have an older pocket RWS for that, or my mini Rws. However, I most often now prefer to use tarot dice to "pull" a card out of the deck (see my review on tarot dice as to how this works). And last, but certainly not least, I love the box. The Wheel is on the box! This symbol is at the heart of Tarot for me now. The changing world is not really about change leading into a future. The wheel is a loop, a wave, an endless cycle, in which the future is the past and vice versa. How do you change a cycle if you are it? What IS looking is NOT on the wheel. Do you know where the star design came from, the pentagram? Venus, the Morning Star. If its 1st appearance (after not being visible) is plotted five times in sequence against the Zodiac, then a line drawn connecting the 5 dots, bingo: Pentagram. And the star (pentagram) points are rotating, click - click - click, one 365th of the solar year, day by day, like hands of a giant clock. A Star Wheel. If we were on Venus we would never see this. Amazing how all of this was made up simply cueing off form. It must mean something, surely? What do you see in the Wheel of Tarot? Here is a Zen Mirror you can put in pocket or purse. All in all, this deck is very well done. I think it will surprise you.

There were a few duplicates, but otherwise it is an excellent tarot deck.