Editing Rider–Waite Tarot (section)

== Overview ==
The Rider–Waite tarot deck has 78 cards: 56 [[Minor Arcana]], and 22 [[Major Arcana]]. The Minor Arcana generally correspond to the [[Playing card suit|suits]] of [[Spanish-suited playing cards|Spanish]] or [[Italian playing cards]]. The Major Arcana, corresponding to the [[Trump (card games)|trump cards]] of gaming tarot, have unique designs numbered from 0 ([[The Fool (tarot card)|The Fool]]) to 21 ([[The World (tarot card)|The World]]).

While the images are simple, the details and backgrounds feature abundant symbolism. Some imagery remains similar to that found in earlier decks, but overall the Waite–Smith card designs are substantially different from their predecessors. Christian imagery was removed from some cards, and added to others. For example, the "Papess" became the "High Priestess" and no longer features a [[Papal tiara]]. The "Lovers" card, previously depicting a medieval scene of a clothed man and woman receiving a blessing from a noble or cleric was changed to a depiction of the naked [[Adam and Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]], and the ace of cups featuring a dove carrying [[Sacramental bread]]. The [[Minor Arcana]] are illustrated with allegorical scenes by Smith, where earlier decks, with a few rare exceptions, had simple designs for the Minor Arcana.<ref name="Kaplan2018">{{cite book |last=Kaplan |first=Stuart R. |title=Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story |date=2018 |publisher=U.S. Game Systems |location=Stamford, Connecticut |isbn=978-1-57281-912-2 |pages=74–76}}</ref>

The symbols and imagery used in the deck were influenced by the 19th-century magician and occultist [[Eliphas Levi]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Place |first=Robert M. |author-link=Robert M. Place |title=Levi's Chariot and Smith's Chariot Versus Waite's Chariot |url=https://robertmplacetarot.com/2015/05/14/397/ |website=Tarot & Divination Decks |access-date=21 August 2020 |date=14 May 2015 |archive-date=12 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812235608/https://robertmplacetarot.com/2015/05/14/397/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Place |first=Robert M. |author-link=Robert M. Place |title=Smith, Waite, Levi, and the Devil |url=https://robertmplacetarot.com/2015/08/07/smith-waite-levi-and-the-devil/ |website=Tarot & Divination Decks |access-date=21 August 2020 |date=7 August 2015 |archive-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930213217/https://robertmplacetarot.com/2015/08/07/smith-waite-levi-and-the-devil/ |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as by the teachings of the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn]].<ref name="Decker139">{{cite book |last1=Decker |first1=Ronald |last2=Dummett |first2=Michael |title=A History of the Occult Tarot |date=2019 |publisher=Duckworth |location=London |isbn=978-0-7156-4572-7 |pages=139–141}}</ref> In order to accommodate the [[astrology|astrological]] correspondences taught by the Golden Dawn, Waite introduced several innovations to the deck. He switched the order of the [[Strength (Tarot card)|Strength]] and [[Justice (Tarot card)|Justice]] cards so that Strength corresponded with [[Leo (astrology)|Leo]] and Justice corresponded with [[Libra (astrology)|Libra]].<ref name="Jensen2005">{{cite journal |last=Jensen |first=K. Frank |title=The Early Waite–Smith Tarot Editions |journal=The Playing-Card |date=2005 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=26–50 |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/9915943/The-Early-Waite–Smith-Tarot-Editions |publisher=International Playing Card Society}}</ref><ref name="Decker82">{{cite book |last1=Decker |first1=Ronald |last2=Dummett |first2=Michael |title=A History of the Occult Tarot |date=2019 |publisher=Duckworth |location=London |isbn=978-0-7156-4572-7 |pages=82–84}}</ref> He based [[the Lovers]] card on Italian tarot decks, which have two persons and an angel, to reinforce its correspondence with [[Gemini (astrology)|Gemini]].<ref name="Jensen2005" />