Deck traditions
Tarot traditions explained
"Tarot" isn't one fixed deck — it's a family of related systems that genuinely differ in imagery and, sometimes, in meaning. TarotCards24 is built on Rider-Waite-Smith, the most widely used tradition and the best starting point for beginners.
Rider-Waite-Smith
The most widely used tarot deck, illustrated in 1909 — the tradition this site is built on.
Tarot de Marseille
An older French tradition where the Minor Arcana show patterned suit symbols rather than illustrated scenes.
Thoth Tarot
A 20th-century system layering in astrology and Kabbalah, created by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between tarot and Lenormand cards?
They are different systems entirely, not different tarot styles. Tarot has 78 cards with the Major/Minor Arcana structure; Lenormand is a separate 36-card system with its own symbols and reading method. This site currently covers tarot only.
Why does this site use Rider-Waite-Smith as its primary tradition?
It's the most widely recognized tradition, and its fully illustrated Minor Arcana make it easier for beginners to learn than pip-card systems like Marseille. See the Rider-Waite-Smith page for the full reasoning.
Can I mix card meanings from different traditions in one reading?
Not reliably. Card names, numbering, and correspondences genuinely differ between traditions — Thoth renames several Major Arcana cards outright, and Marseille's Minor Arcana don't carry the same illustrated scenes RWS does. Pick one tradition per reading rather than blending meanings.
Is one tarot tradition more accurate than another?
No — accuracy isn't really the right frame. Each tradition is a different, internally consistent symbolic system built by different people for different purposes; none of them is a verified predictive method.
Do all three traditions use the same 78 cards?
The total count matches — 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana — but the specific cards differ. RWS and Marseille swap the positions of Strength and Justice, and Thoth renames cards like Judgement (The Aeon) and Strength (Lust).
Which tradition is easiest for a complete beginner?
Rider-Waite-Smith, mainly because every Minor Arcana card has its own illustrated scene to read from — Marseille and Thoth both expect more prior knowledge of numerology, astrology, or symbolism to read well.
Is Thoth genuinely harder to learn than Rider-Waite-Smith?
Generally yes. Thoth layers in astrological, Kabbalistic, and Thelemic correspondences that RWS doesn't require, and several of its card names don't match what beginners expect from the more common deck.
Does the tradition I pick change how the daily or weekly reading here works?
The interactive readings on this site — daily card, weekly spread, yes-or-no — are built on Rider-Waite-Smith specifically. The traditions pages are reference material for understanding other systems, not alternate reading modes.
Are there tarot traditions beyond these three?
Many — Etteilla, the Golden Dawn's own system, BOTA, and numerous modern authored decks all count as distinct traditions or schools. See the tarot wiki's field guide to schools and systems for the fuller picture.
Do reversed-card meanings work the same way across traditions?
No — how (or whether) reversals are used depends on the school or individual reader's method, not the tradition alone. Some Marseille readers skip reversals entirely; RWS practice commonly includes them.