Rider-Waite-Smith

If you are thinking Tarot chances are pretty good you're thinking of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This was the biggest shift in Tarot history and also is the first modern deck to become popular.  What the deck is called varies, the names of import are A.E. Waite, the architect of the deck, Pamela Colman Smith, the artist of the deck and the publishers the Rider Company.  At the time Tarot decks typically only had detailed pictures for the major arcana, or around one fifth of the total deck.  A.E. Waite also drew on the work of mystics of the age so each card was designed to have symbolic meaning.

More importantly the images are in the public domain so pop culture typically uses the images from this deck rather than a deck which is still copyrighted.

 The first decks were published in 1910 and were a very early foray into a complete mystically symbolic Tarot deck and it shows.  On the other hand A.E. Waite knew what he was doing.  This is one of the best and most comprehensive decks ever created and has stood the test of time.  Every part of every card is carefully thought out.  In fact you can read the Rider-Waite-Smith deck pictorially if you are well versed in the symbolism in use at the time.

To this day one of the styles of Tarot decks are Rider-Waite-Smith.  This is also the oldest deck I prefer use.  Earlier decks, like the Marseilles Tarot, are beautiful in their own way and I'm content using them for myself but I find them needlessly esoteric when I'm using them for other people.

There's something very special about this deck.  I already had a few decks when I finally gave the Rider-Waite-Smith a chance.  General Tarot books all referenced it and I thought I should have one for myself.  I was amazed at how simple such complex concepts could be illustrated and how easy the deck was to use.  While I only use decks I am very familiar with this is a deck where I know each and every card incredibly well.  I always reference back to this deck when I have a new deck but because I know it and I don't need to have it with me to do so.

While I love beautiful and more modern decks, this is the pinacle of tarot design.