Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck in a Tin- Review

I received my first Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck in a Tin a few days ago. I often read and write about tarot decks, but this one is special to me. I’ve always been a fan of the Smith-Waite deck and am indebted to Pamela Colman Smith for her creation of this deck, which results from a collaboration between the two of them.

The deck is a beautiful memento of a holiday, and I am happy to be able to cherish it. Today, I will provide a detailed review.

Sale

Smith-Waite® Centennial Tarot Deck in a Tin

Colman Smith, Pamela (Author)
English (Publication Language)

About Author:

Arthur Edward Waite was commonly known as A.E. Waites. He was an American-born British who was also a scholarly mystic. He wrote mainly on occult and esoteric matters and was also a poet. Also, he was also the co-author of the tarot deck Rider-Waite Tarot.

He was born on 2^nd October 1857 and died on 19^th May 1942. His biographer was R.A. Guilbert. Waites was widely known and remembered due to his specific contribution to attempt and study a systematic history of western occultism.

As occultism was viewed as a spiritual tradition rather than its proto-science approach, Waites was the first to discover its pathological side with religion.

Pamela Colman Smith, also widely known as Pixie, was a British Tarot artist and writer. She was born on 16^th February 1878 and died on 18^th September 1951.

She was also an occultist like Waites. Her creation of the Smith-Waite Tarot deck became a standard among the tarot reader, which remains the most widely used tarot deck today.

In her career and lifetime, she illustrated over 20 books and edited two magazines. Even though her early life was based in Manchester when her father was transferred to Jamaica for work in the West India Improvement Company, her family moved there.

She was inspired by her time spent there; she wrote two collections of Jamaican Folklore. Also, she also ran a small press that solely focused on women writers, called Green Sheaf Press.

Let’s check out more on Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck in a Tin:

Smith-Waite Centennial Tarot Deck in a Tin Review

This is the faithful reproduction of the original standard deck created by A.E. Waites and Pamela Colman Smith in 1909.

This classic tarot deck is full of artist Pamela Colman Smith or widely known as Pixie’s handpicked pictorial scenes, which were carefully colored in muted tones by none other than Pixie herself.

For commemorating the artist’s legacy, Pamela Colman Smith, U.S. Games Systems, issued a version of this tarot deck as a commemoration set.

Features and Specifications:

It is available in the language of English and cards version on Amazon. It was published on 13^th May 2015 by U.S. Games System Inc. It weighs about 1 pound and has a dimension of about 2.75 x 1.25 x 4.25 inches.

The deck has 80 cards.
The cards consist of standard 78 tarot deck cards plus two samples of Pixie’s (Pamela Colman Smith) non-tarot artwork.
This deck comes in a sturdy tin box for safekeeping.
The cards measure a pocket size of 2.25in x 3.75 inches.
A booklet for instructions.

Past Users’ Experience:

The deck was a bit more sepia-toned than other mainstream decks, which was calming to the eyes.
The card deck is pocket-sized and small, so they can be a little bit of a challenge to shuffle at first.
The booklet is not the original version of A.E. Waites, so it does not contain the authentic version.
The cards are small enough but not too small to notice the details in the illustrations on the cards.
The tarot deck is recommended for the ones used to tarot, but it can still be of use to beginners if they follow more comprehensive instructions about the cards.
The tin is handy for keeping the cards for safekeeping, and it’s also good for travel. But the cover on the tin isn’t like any illustrations on the cards.

Pros:	Cons:
The cards are regular playing card size, not big standard, making them easier to handle. The illustrations are gorgeous and clear. The artwork has a muted tone, so it stays true to its original artwork, and it’s also a bit darker in tone with white spaces, which gives it an aged look. The saturated theme of the cards and the artwork are soothing to the eyes. The tin which the cards come in is very convenient for preserving and traveling, and they’re also pocket-sized and can be carried easily.	The cards are slightly smaller than other mainstream tarot decks, which can be unsatisfactory to many customers. The tin display images not relevant to the deck and can be described as flimsy.

Pros:

Cons:

The cards are regular playing card size, not big standard, making them easier to handle.
The illustrations are gorgeous and clear.
The artwork has a muted tone, so it stays true to its original artwork, and it’s also a bit darker in tone with white spaces, which gives it an aged look.
The saturated theme of the cards and the artwork are soothing to the eyes.
The tin which the cards come in is very convenient for preserving and traveling, and they’re also pocket-sized and can be carried easily.

The cards are slightly smaller than other mainstream tarot decks, which can be unsatisfactory to many customers.
The tin display images not relevant to the deck and can be described as flimsy.