So, the Rider Tarot. Feels like everyone starts here, doesn’t it? I remember getting my first deck. Wasn’t anything fancy. Just the standard yellow box version you see everywhere. I’d been curious for a while, reading bits and pieces online, and folks always said, “Just get the Rider-Waite-Smith, it’s the classic.” So, I did. Ordered it, waited for it to arrive.
Opening that box felt a bit strange, almost like I was doing something I shouldn’t. The cards felt stiff, new. And that smell! You know, fresh ink and cardboard. Came with that tiny white booklet, the LWB they call it. Honestly? Didn’t find it much help. The meanings were so short, almost cryptic. Seemed useless for actually figuring things out.
Trying to Figure It Out
So, I mostly ignored the booklet after the first glance. What I did instead was just look at the cards. Really look at them. The pictures, Pamela Colman Smith’s art, they tell stories, right? That’s what caught my eye. I’d just shuffle, pull a card, and stare at it. What’s this guy doing? Why does she look sad? What’s with all the swords?
It felt clumsy at first. Shuffling was awkward, the cards sometimes flying everywhere. Laying them out, trying those spreads I saw online… yeah, didn’t make much sense initially. I remember trying a simple ‘past-present-future’ thing for myself early on. Got some cards, stared blankly, tried to connect them. Mostly felt like I was just making stuff up, trying to fit the pictures to my day.
- Handling the stiff cards.
- Trying to understand the pictures.
- Ignoring the little white book mostly.
- Feeling a bit silly talking to cardboard pictures.
Getting Comfortable
But I stuck with it. Kept pulling a card each morning. Didn’t always try to ‘read’ it in a deep way, just looked at the image, thought about what vibe it gave off. Slowly, very slowly, things started clicking. You start seeing patterns. You remember, “Oh, that’s the guy who looks like he’s sneaking away,” or “That’s the happy family card.” It wasn’t about memorizing booklet meanings anymore, it was about recognizing the scenes.
I remember one time I pulled the Ten of Swords. Looked terrifying, right? Guy flat on his face, swords in his back. I braced for disaster. Nothing major happened, but I did have this awful, draining day at work that left me feeling utterly spent, like I just couldn’t take anymore. And I thought, “Huh. Okay. Maybe not literal swords, then.” That was a bit of a turning point. Realizing it’s more about the feeling, the energy of the card.
Still My Go-To
Over the years, I’ve picked up other decks. Some are gorgeous, real works of art. Some have different systems. But it’s funny, I always come back to the Rider deck. It’s like an old friend. Familiar. Straightforward, in its own way. The images are just so direct, so easy to connect with on a gut level.
It’s worn now, the corners are soft, the box is battered. But it works. When I just need a clear answer, or want to get straight to the point, this is the deck I grab. It’s not magical in some spooky way, for me anyway. It’s a tool. A set of pictures that helps untangle the mess in my head sometimes. And it all started with that simple yellow box. Still got it, still use it. It just feels right.
