Which Waite?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 May 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Aerin	10 May 2002
I've just got the recoloured Universal Waite today. I like it so much better than the original Rider Waite - you can see so much more of the detail. The first thing I noticed was the picture of the Queen of Pentacles on the box, the detail on the chair is lost for me on the Original. Particularly the little crouching figure decorating the side of the chair. I am looking forward to spotting what I missed on the other cards. I think I will get on better with this version. I used the Original to learn on as it was the only deck WH Smiths had at the time. I didn't realise for ages that there was more than one version. Aern

faunabay	10 May 2002
The universal waite is much more to my liking too!! :) I couldn't really work with the regular rider waite - couldn't get past the ugly colors and thick black outlines. There are a couple of other recolorings of this deck too. The Albano and the Golden. I've only seen the Golden and didn't care for it. It does have different colors, but to me was as flat as the original. I'm curious to see the Albano but not enough to buy it, hopefully I'll find a store that has a copy I can look at in person as I can't really tell the difference on the net - other than brighter colors???

lunalafey	10 May 2002
couldn't help it....

Jewel	10 May 2002
*LOL* Lunalafey. Twice I gabe away my copy of the RWS because I could not work with it, I just never connected with that deck. When I started reading 78 Degrees of Wisdom I decided to get the RWS another try, but decided to get the Universal instead. I am very pleased with my choice, although it is not a favorite deck of mine it certainly is great for study purposes and for deck comparisons with the RWS. The one I am really wanting to get is the Diamond Tarot. I think it pretty much follows the original RWS in terms of image colors but has some really neat looking psychodelic borders *LOL*.

Riversea	10 May 2002
I just got the Universal a week ago, and like it. I had always avoided getting the original (seemed to dull and boring!), but I really wanted to actually start studying the Tarot and decided that I needed a Waite. The other decks we had (Vertigo and LofR) weren't new student friendly. I found out there were recolored versions of the Waite, and decided that was the way to go. At first, I was drawn to the Diamond, but then felt it was probably better to go with a larger image size for study. The Golden didn't attract me, the Albano was a little better. So, on to the Universal. I actually think the UW is attractive. It kind of looks like a child's story book. I probably will try to pick up the Diamond at some point, also the RW. Oddly, I really like the coloring on The Hermit from the original deck.

Emily	10 May 2002
I learned with the Original Rider Waite and ordered but then had to cancel the UW :( But on the online scans I've seen I do like the colouring of the UW. The Diamond is a nice deck too, just as long as you don't try to use it when you have a headache lol :)

Phoenix	10 May 2002
I have the Universal Waite, and it is still my most favorite deck to work with, as well as my first deck. I also have a Rider Waite Standard, and love it as well. I really want to get the Diamond Tarot now.

kayne	11 May 2002
I bought the original RWS recently and I am glad I bought it mainly for study purposes. I wanted the original because it is the main source of ideas for the deck I am creating and I use some of the images in my cards... (eg. painting behind the Lovers bed, flower on the Hairdresser's client's cloak etc...) I think I would prefer reading with the Universal though. I saw a version of RWS that someone I know has... I had forgotten my cards and she desperately wanted a reading. The cards were two-tone brown and pale yellow. Errgh yuck! I could barely bring myself to flick through them, let alone read with them. I had to give it a miss and not do a reading for her... *Kayne promises not to forget his cards next time*

Nightwalker	12 May 2002
After reading through this thread and another one about RWS decks I got to looking and actually found one I like. The Diamond Tarot was mentioned and if I ever get a RWS clone this will be the one. The others are nice but for me to have a deck it has to yell at me the first time I see it. Usually it yells "I'm the one", and that's what the Diamond Tarot has hollered at me. I have trouble spending money on something I don't like, even if it is the one a lot of books/study guides are based on. But this is one deck I could definitely spend money on. Thanks for bringing this subject up and to Kayne for the other thread about RWS. Nightwalker

Aerin	13 May 2002
One thing which I have noticed on the Universal vs the Original is the six of cups. On the Original, the small woman can be seen in two ways - one, she is looking at the other person she is handing the cup to / being handed the cup from (she has an orange face and yellow hair). The other, she is looking away (there is a yellow face surrounded by an orange shawl). This effect doesn't happen in the Universal. Have a look: http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/cups06.jpg Aerin

Liliana	13 May 2002
Wow thats wierd, of course Pollux ad I have our own opinion of that particular card hehe ;) :THP

Pollux	13 May 2002
I someone cares to know them, here I am! ;) *LOL* :D Liliana you are a thief! I think that after that chat session, I lost much of the repsectability I had gain here on Aeclectic! *LOL* :D And YOU are a bad companion, I know it's just you dragging me in the Dark... :* I forgot to add that I am going to have a Universal Waite too...

lunar_rabbit	13 May 2002
I like the Universal Waite a lot too. It is my preferred deck right now. I have had much better readings with it than I ever had with my Witches Tarot or Mythic Tarot.

Emily	13 May 2002
Young girl/old lady I've never noticed this before but I have the Original re-print of the Rider Waite, the one that doesn't use blue, and in this deck her hair is white and the shawl a sort of red and pink colour, the effect isn't the same at all - it just shows you what a difference a colour change can make - I can see the old lady clearly in the scan you Aerin posted but not in my deck lol :)

faunabay	13 May 2002
For all of you who are interested in the Diamond Tarot deck - keep in mind that it's almost impossible to read with. The pictures of the cards are pretty small. The cards themselves are very cool though!! More of an art (psychedelic art!!) deck, not a reading deck IMO.

Jimilyn	14 May 2002
I got the Diamond Tarot a couple of weeks ago because I really loved the colors. I hope that eventually when (and notice I say "when"...used to I would have said "if"...lol) I get familiar enough with the RWS, I could use the Diamond because I'd already know the details. It's just to beautiful to sit in its box, poor thing. :P I wish I'd known about the Universal Waite when I bought my deck, but I guess that there's a reasons that my RWS came into my life as my first deck. Even though it's not my favorite deck as far as art goes, I am most bonded with this deck. Guess that's inevitable when you spend 1 1/2 years bonding with a deck because you don't know what else to do with it...as a matter of fact, I didn't even know I was bonding with it. LOL! :P Jimilyn

Jewel	14 May 2002
Quote: Originally posted by faunabay keep in mind that it's almost impossible to read with. The pictures of the cards are pretty small. More of an art (psychedelic art!!) deck, not a reading deck IMO. Excellent point Faunabay. I am going for it precisely for my collection, and I have the Universal Waite as a reference deck to pin point details in the art. I just cannot resist the psychedelic borders *LOL*.

Emily	15 May 2002
I love using my Diamond, it was given to me by a friend, but its not that easy to read with, I get easily side tracked by some of the borders which although bright are quite beautiful. The inner cards are also nicely re-coloured. Its the kind of deck that I would like to have some of the cards blown up to poster size for hanging on a wall lol :)

The Which Waite? thread was originally posted on 10 May 2002 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.