For the first instalment of Georgie’s Magic Card Collection, we’ll be looking at the Albano-Waite Tarot, Special Edition. It was first published in 1968, then republished in 1991, and regularly since then. I don’t know what year my deck is from, but it’s definitely not an original.
Five Points About This Deck:
- The deck is a Rider-Waite-Smith Clone. Pamela Colman Smith’s pictures are simply recoloured in bright, bold, and vivid colours … Sixties’ style I guess. I like the colours, though I can imagine some people might consider them gaudy. Well, actually, I consider them gaudy … but that’s part of why I like them.
- Given that it’s an exact copy of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, but with new colours, the Albano-Waite Tarot is an easy deck for beginners to use while learning to read. There are many, many books, and courses, and websites, etc. with info on what the RWS images traditionally ‘mean’ when they appear in a reading. Having so much literature/teachings around the images on this deck makes it especially accessible for newbies.
- And for the more practised reader, the different colours not only make for fun art, they offer a different perspective on one of the most commonly read Tarot decks in North America. You might be very familiar with the RWS Tarot, but seeing cards you know so well with newly coloured skies, or clothing colours you’re not accustomed to, can really change the tone/mood of the message in that card. Colours are often an important part of a reading, and I really like how the colours in the Albano-Waite shake things up and get me reconsidering my usual take on an image.
- With all the bright colours in the pictures of this deck, I appreciate how clean and quiet the backs of the cards are, all in white with a small gold sun. Classy.
- There are lots of these decks around at reasonable prices. No need to spend a ton for an excellent deck.
So that’s my quick take. I like the Albano-Waite Tarot, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good RWS clone.