Rider Waite Colours

Emily

I've just took delivery of the Spanish version RWS AGMuller and this is also very nicely coloured. I've always loved the artwork of the RWS but only had the limited colours of the blue box so-called 'Original' to go on and a very small pocket RWS. So was very pleased with the colouring of this deck.

Actually until I read this thread I really hadn't took much notice of all the variations of colour used but now looking through it, they are very obvious. The Pentacle Queen is awash with colours. :)
 

Cerulean

Question--background on your Hanged Man RWS

My U.S. Games Giant version has a light gray background, similar to my 1971 U.S. Games (Park Avenue, NY) Accurate color tones deck. Also, my Albano Waite, 1968 from Tarot Productions has the light gray background, although the tunic and hose are brighter on the figure.

But the AGM Mueller Giant Tarot deck has a light blue background on the Hanged Man--is that just the scan on my computer screen? It's the English language version, with the ISBN on this version appearing as follows: 0-88079-474-7.

http://www.tarotworld.com/

The reason I ask is the my U.S. Games Giant version was printed in the U.S and it's the 1992 version...the coloring may be different than the AG Mueller Giant version...?

The Tarot Total set also has the light blue coloring on the Hanged Man scan and is printed in Switzerland.. Gunter Hager is the author of the book.

Thanks!

Cerulean
 

Emily

Hi Cerulean,

Just had to edit my post - I also have the US Games system Giant Rider Waite and the background to The Hanged Man is pale grey but in my Spanish version RWS the colour is a pale lavender grey. I hadn't noticed this.
 

Cat Eyes

Major Arcana/ Colors

Another great way to interpret color is to look at the Major Arcana. The prevalant color in each card may represent the cards meaning. For example, I have always interpreted yellow as the color of strength. Look at the Strength card, the Magician, The Empress, The Chariot, Justice, The Sun, etc....all express a strong force and charge.

Look at the blue cards...the High Priestess, Temperance, The Star, etc....all are highly emotive and based on feelings.
 

Scion

Does anyone know of a way to identify a 1971 Deck when purchasing a RWS... Most online bookstores and eBay sellers just put the copyright date as the year, but usually the address on the box is Stamford which postdates this reprinting of the 1909 colors. Any way to find out if the deck your looking at is the 1971 printing other than looking at the box?

Thanks

Scion
 

Cerulean

Observable suggestions that I know about:

1. No copyright notice on the bottom, right side of the card facing you; U.S. Games started putting a copyright notice on every card after one of the 1971 editions.

2. It doesn't have the Frankie Albano/BOTA coloring which is quite different and bright.

3. The grays on backgrounds such as the Hermit, Hanged Man, have a light, matte look, a clear gray and the color separation is distinctive, no lavendar tints; the gray in the Hermit and Hanged Man seem similar to the 7 of Cups cloudy scenes and the grays are distinctive:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/xr/cu07.htm


the eight of cups has a distinctive, very beautiful serge-blue background and while this 1909 scan hints at color variations, you can see variations and feel the matte finish for the card. Newer lamination is very very slippery, more plastic:

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...1&prev=/images?q=eight+of+cups&hl=en&lr=&sa=G

4. The booklet, if included, should have the date, the New York Park Avenue address, paper that is not glossy but like newsprint.

Hope that helps

Cerulean
 

caridwen

I find the colouring to be integral to the meaning of the cards. I use the Original Rider Waite deck but you can see the differences in the decks if you look at this link:http://www.tarotpassages.com/waite.htm

It shows the difference in colouring between the Original, Universal, Albano-Waite and Golden Rider.

I use this as a basic guideline:


BLACK: The unknown, the center of the earth or situation, black shadow (anima), the darkside of the soul, new psychological territory
Darkness, formality and convention. Since black is the absence of light it can symbolize ignorance and restrictions

BLUE: Open sky, space and clear water, spirituality, tranquility, meditation
Consistency of purpose, strength and reliability

BROWN: Connected to nature and the earth, rooted in the soil
Practicality, plainness and honesty

DARK RED: More violent or passionate emotions than bright red

GREEN: Healing, prosperity, fresh, young, promising, inexperienced, immature
Fertility, vegetation, stability and healing

GREY: Unawareness or deliberate indifference
Neutrality or uncertainty

OLIVE GREEN: Envy and cunning

ORANGE: Strength, success, joy
Ambition, intelligence and earthly desires combined

PINK: Emotional love, harmony, self-love, friendship

PURPLE: Spirituality, intuition, mystic ideals, a highly developed imagination

RED: Heart, soul, willpower, vitality, love, passion, courage
Passion, earthly desire, action and the need to use direction, optimism and cheerfulness

REDDISH BROWN: Sensuality

VIOLET: Experiencing boundaries, a mixture of blue and red meanings

WHITE: Beginning, ending, healing, white shadow (animus), union through the mind, new intellectual frontier, purity, protection

YELLOW: Sun, consciousness, zest for life, clairvoyance, communication
Pure intellect and scientific thought
 
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