Rating: 
Summary: One of the 5 best decks in the world.
Review: This was my first tarot deck, and even though I have over 25 decks today it's still my favourite.Waite's deck is good for both beginners and seasoned readers - it's easy enough to start with, but deep and complex enough for those who dig deep to find more and more meanings in it. I'll give examples to explain what I mean : [1] The Tarot de Marseilles is another excellent and popular deck, but has the drawback of having geometrical pips, which make it hard to read for beginners - unless the reader has a very good memory, she'll have a hard time handling about half the deck. [2] Aleister Crowley's Thoth deck is as popular and good a deck as Waite's, and would certainly reward those who learn all the appropriate associations (e.g. astrology), but for someone who knows that material there's only a small extra penalty in remembering the associations for the Waite deck on account of the missing symbols. [3] The Conolly deck is based on Waite's and is friendly to both the new reader and the readee, but is 'dumbed down' and doesnt have the symbolical depth of the Rider, so an experienced reader would most probably leave the Conolly deck in favour of the Rider-Waite or Thoth decks. The Rider-Waite deck is very christian in it's symbology, with some Judaistic symbols (e.g. Cabbala) in it [as is the Thoth deck] so people who want a deck with a symbology coming from a different culture might want to opt for some other deck (e.g. the Haindl tarot, the Osho Zen tarot, etc). Some of the deck's advantages are not directly related to it's images - it's popularity means there are many books about it to learn from, it's cheap and widely available (if you lost your copy and want to buy a new one or want to buy someone a deck as a present), etc.
Rating: 
Summary: A personal arcana
Review: Waite, like Crowley, was of a time and place that is not entirely of a "universal" appeal or intelligence. He, like his contempories, often strives to be obscure and arcane even when he claims that his goal is clarity. This book, however, is a classic of both tarot and self-help and has lessons that transcend time and words. His elitism is unappealing today but his feeling for the age old feelings of sense and self are beyond reproach. To study Tarot without Waite, is to study mind without Freud. This is a book to enjoy, savor, and question.
Rating:
Summary: Steeped in Mystery...An Enduring Classic...
Review: What exactly is it about this deck? Today there are literally hundreds of tarot decks to choose from, most of which are artistically superior to this seemingly rudimentary little deck. And yet, those many decks, which use subtle colors, modern printing techniques and even computer imaging, fail to compete with it. Why? The Rider deck truly has a soul, and it's images shoot straight to the heart. People can often "intuitively" read this deck without any previous experience with the tarot. If the point of art is to make you feel your humanity, this deck's art is truly amazing. For all it's coarse lines and flat colors, the deck somehow rises above itself, gracefully conveying all aspects of the human condition. The Rider deck is a perfect first and last deck. Pamela Coleman Smith's unique symbolism ranges from the simple to the truly arcane...It stirs the psyche and livens the soul. If you are in the market for a deck, my advice is to look not only with your eyes, but with your heart. The Rider deck is not as "glittery" as some of it's more modern counterparts, but in the long run it is a wonderful and rewarding tarot without equal.
Rating: 
Summary: An OK deck
Review: When I become interested in a subject, I research it. The Tarot is no different. I bought this as my first deck based on the reviews here at amazon, and in various books and online sources. The symbolism is very rich, but i found it incredibly difficult to read and interpret. The reason is a simple matter of personal aesthetics: the cards are ugly. Because I didn't like them, I fought them every step of the way. Because of the rich symbolism, this is a very good deck for a seasoned expert, or someone who likes to look at them, but they are definitely not for me.
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