Customer Reviews

Universal Waite Tarot Deck and Book Set

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Having started with the Original Rider Waite, I needed a deck that easier on my eyes. The Universal Waite does the trick. I get a stronger feeling of awareness, within a 3 diminsion visual per card. I highly recommend this version for anyone just starting out. The clairity and colours of the cards are too good to pass up.

This set also comes with a 340 page book called "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot" by Arthur Edward Waite. ISBN#: 0913866083. This book is very nice. I like introduction it gives for each card as well as a picture of the card itself.

Lastly, a nice poster of the 10 card Celtic spread is included. This was published by US Games. The poster shows the layout as well as the postion meaning. It also displays the lay down order for each card.

I also noted that the black/gold box shown was not what I received. My box was a blue/red combination that I will upload.

I use the Rider-Waite Deck all the time to do my readings, and so I was fascinated with this deck. One reads so many books which describe things in the cards which one cannot see so easily in the Rider-Waite. When I got the deck and went through it, I could see those things - like the river in the Emperor card and the Death card. You can see the water body more clearly in the High Priestess.

What I did not like, however, was the fact that the expressions on the faces of the court cards were changed! Case in point - the Queen of Wands.

Overall I like the re-coloring done in the cards. They have become more green and lovely.

I got this set for Christmas, several years ago. Unfortunately, I lost the deck while moving out of my college dorm room but I recently bought a new one. As of yet, I have no other decks to compare this to but I think it is well suited for both beginners and experts.
The deck itself is sturdy and quite lovely. The artwork is beautiful on the fronts and the backs have a field of gold stars on a navy blue background. The only probem I have is that the cards are quite glossy and tend to stick together during shuffling but that could be because it's a brand new deck. Perhaps it will get better with more use.
The book that comes with the deck is interesting but a little boring. I have not been able to get very far into it yet. There seems to be a lot of good information in there, if you're dedicated enough.
The deck also comes with a small instruction booklet that fits inside the card box. It contains a list of all the cards and a brief description of each card's meaning. Also, at the end is a guide for using the ten card spread. I've found this to be a great quick reference tool when doing my readings. The problem is that it's very easy to rely on the booklet, so it can become a crutch.
Also included is a foldable "map" to aid when using the 10 card spread.

It took me several trials to find the "right" Rider-Waite/Pamela Colman Smith deck. The first I tried was the basic Rider Waite Tarot deck, which has clear imagery but a little bit of a "3-color" comic book look to it. The second I purchased was the "original" Rider tarot, which I gather is a facsimile reproduction of what the deck used to look like when it was originally produced - the artwork is more detailed but the colors are a bit washed out; however it comes in a nice box set with a pocket sized copy of Waite's originial Key to the Tarot.

This deck, the "Universal Waite" deck, is my personal favorite of the three. The original illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith have been retouched and recolored, so it is not the deck for "purists" but the colors are brighter and the details clearer than either of the other editions I have. This deck is available sold separately from the book; the book included in the book and deck set is the same text found in the "Original Rider" deck box set, and seemed like an unnecessary inclusion with the deck. A beginner will be better served by other books on tarot, and an expert probably already has a copy of this book. The set did include a fold-out paper "mat" describing the celtic cross spread which was rather nice and possibly useful to a beginner but overall I found myself wishing I'd just bought the deck by itself.

This is the deck featured on the cover design of "Tarot for Beginners" by Joan Bunning.

The cards are great but its not worth the extra money for the book. Just buy the cards on their own. The descriptions for each card were very short. It would have been useful to be able to read some of the pages before I bought it.

This is my first set of tarot cards i have bought. I found the instructions very esay to under stand . The scenes on them are wonderful. I would recomend this book to any one who wants to learn about the tarot.

Arrived in the mail today and I'm extremely pleased! Super buy ~ full-sized paperback book included along with a beautiful (free!) "Ancient 10-Card Tarot Spread" Poster AND the cards are extremely beautiful! Having had the "original" set, I was very glad to see the more colorful Universal and Radiant sets come out. I could not imagine the Radiant set being more vibrant and beautiful than this (Universal). I think it is the correct "fit" (at least for me) of all three of the "classic" Waite Decks. You won't go wrong with this item ~ you'll be extremely pleased and happy!

This beautiful redrawing/coloring by Mary Hanson-Roberts of this most traditional deck is complete with a depth of color that many other versions of the same are lacking. If what you are seeking is a softer alternative to the bold colors and heavy black outlines of the "traditional" Rider deck, you've found it.

Interpreting this deck is like resting on a soft pillow. This is my original working deck, and is still my second working deck, after the Robin Wood. It's an excellent place for beginners to start. There's no wondering why the images created by Pamela Colman Smith are singularly the most popular in the world. These images are timeless and are traditionally known as being easy to read, as well as providing depth and insight for the more advanced.

This deck is pencil-colored with delicate, soft lines drawn around the faces and figures, and soothing rich colors within the cards. The backings are a fully reversible gold and indigo star field. The Fool in this deck is absolutely gorgeous with his gentle yellow sky and snuggly robe. The High Priestess is absolutely beautiful. You will want to be enveloped by the velvety wings of Temperance.

I am reviewing the deck alone, as I don't have the book that now comes with it. I found this deck to be excellent when coupled with Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners by Joan Bunning, which uses the Universal Waite for illustrations. This book gives a solid grounding in how to read Tarot, and along with this deck, you will be well on your way!

I have around 65 decks and among all the complete RWS clones out there, this is my favourite. I was always put off by the orginal colouring and thick lines, ugly!

When I came across this and delicate, exquisite and sumptious re-colouring by Hanson-Roberts I was very delighted! I love her way of drawing and use of colour(among my other favourites are her signature deck and the Whimsical) technique. The details just pop out and sing their message. It's astounding how simple colour changes and line restructuring can totally change your experience with a deck you formerly couldn't work with.

So many books use the RWS for study and illustration, and it's been a treasure having this gorgeous deck to take out and follow along. As an alternative to the basic or original versions, this comes the most highly recommended by me!

Each card is clearly explained in the book which accompanies the deck.

The cards are beautiful, detailed and rich in color, and they match card for card in the book.

The book has a variety of layouts to help you answer a single question quickly, or follow a path through a full Celtic cross.

This is the most popular Tarot set because it has everything you need to get started, or keep going if something has happened to your cards.