Rider-Waite-Smith vs Thoth vs Marseille: Tarot Decks Compared
By Julie Zhu · Published · 4 min read
Walk into any shop that sells tarot and you will see dozens of decks, but most of them descend from three traditions: the Tarot de Marseille, the Rider-Waite-Smith and the Thoth. Knowing the differences helps you choose a deck and understand why books sometimes disagree.
Short answer: The Tarot de Marseille is the older pattern, with simple, repeated pip cards. The Rider-Waite-Smith (1909) added illustrated scenes to every card and is the most common deck for beginners. The Thoth, designed by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Frieda Harris, uses dense esoteric symbolism and renames several cards. Astra’s meanings follow the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition.
What is the Tarot de Marseille?
The Tarot de Marseille is a family of French designs that became standard in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; Nicolas Conver’s 1760 deck is a famous example. Its Major Arcana are illustrated, but the numbered pips show arrangements of cups, coins, swords and batons without scenes. Readers interpret the pips through number, suit and pattern. Strength is numbered 11 and Justice 8.
What is the Rider-Waite-Smith deck?
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck was published by William Rider and Son in London in 1909. Arthur Edward Waite designed it and Pamela Colman Smith illustrated it; both were members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Smith drew a scene on every pip card, which made the deck far easier to read intuitively. Waite swapped Strength and Justice, making Strength 8 and Justice 11, to fit Golden Dawn astrology. Waite’s companion book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, appeared soon after.
What is the Thoth deck?
The Thoth deck was designed by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Frieda Harris. Crowley’s book about it, The Book of Thoth, was published in 1944, and the deck itself was published after both had died. Several cards are renamed: Strength becomes Lust, Justice becomes Adjustment, Temperance becomes Art and Judgement becomes The Aeon. Its courts are Knight, Queen, Prince and Princess, and each pip has a title, such as Ten of Swords: Ruin.
Which tarot deck is best for beginners?
For most beginners, a Rider-Waite-Smith style deck is the easiest start. Its scenes give you something to read even before you learn meanings, and most books and websites, including ours, use its imagery. If you are drawn to numerology and pattern, try a Marseille deck. If you love esoteric symbolism and astrology, the Thoth rewards study.
Which tarot cards often come up for choosing a deck?
- Strength: numbered 8 in Rider-Waite-Smith, 11 in Marseille, and called Lust in the Thoth.
- Justice: numbered 11 in Rider-Waite-Smith and 8 in Marseille, and called Adjustment in the Thoth.
- Temperance: called Art in the Thoth.
- Judgement: called The Aeon in the Thoth.
How can you use Astra for choosing a deck?
Astra’s card meanings and images follow the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, so what you learn transfers to most modern decks. Astra is on Android and the web app, with iOS coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Rider-Waite-Smith meanings with a Thoth deck?
Partly. The Majors and suits overlap, but many Thoth cards carry different titles and emphasis. A Thoth guidebook is worth having.
Why are Strength and Justice numbered differently?
Waite swapped them to match Golden Dawn astrological correspondences. Marseille decks keep the older order.
Is the Marseille deck harder to read?
Many people find it so at first, because the pips have no scenes. Others enjoy its simplicity.