Introducing The New Tarot Deck I'm Creating

first images I've designed in my tarot deck

If you're familiar with tarot, then you've come across the original Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck. The Waite-Smith tarot deck has long stood as a cornerstone of modern esoteric practice. A.E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith were instrumental in bringing the ancient knowledge of Kabbalah to the forefront of Western esotericism in the early 1900s. Waite and Smith were able to popularize the ancient mysteries that Eliphas Levi and Etteilla had alluded to a century before.

What sets the Waite-Smith deck apart—and why it has stood the test of time—is its commitment to a single, coherent tradition. They resisted the "Egyptomania" of their era, which continues to muddle tarot's historical roots even today. Instead, they captured and illustrated the spiritual teachings of Kabbalah, drawing from a long-established mysticism that predates even the classical religious traditions. The result is a deck rich with layered symbolism and mystic references. Yet, over time, much of Kabbalah's deeper architecture—especially its system of correspondences—has been overlooked or obscured in modern practice.

This deck was born from a desire to further awaken the original currents that Waite and Smith tapped into. While they lit the Kabbalistic fire in the West, there are deeper lessons to be drawn, beyond the philosophical frameworks of the Tree of Life.

As ever, we stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. Following the days of Waite & Smith, many occultists have since become tarot legends in regard to Tarot in the tradition of Kabbalah. It would be remiss of me to forget to highlight Robert Wang's seminal work in the 'Qabbalistic Tarot', or the perfect introduction to Kabbalah in the Tarot that Eugene Vinitski designed in his deck, and of course the traditional echos Dowson brings forth in his creation of The Hermetic Tarot.

Still, I’ve always felt a need to bring clarity where there has been confusion. With this deck and its accompanying guide, I hope to bring cohesion between the ancient symbolism and the modern understanding of tarot—particularly by focusing on the cards as tools for the soul’s spiritual journey, rather than as instruments of divination alone.

The new tarot deck I’m creating will hopefully bring a visual language that honors Waite and Smith’s legacy while drawing out the deeper spiritual structure within the Kabbalah. The intention is to illuminate the soul’s journey to awakening by bringing into focus:

• The lessons of Kabbalah

• Tarot’s correspondences with ancient astrology

• The angelic attributions of the Shemhamephorash

• And a Seeker’s personal alchemical signature

  
  

By reimagining each archetype through the lens of my own initiatory path, this project aims not to replace, but to illuminate—to honor the foundation laid by Waite and Smith while offering a more coherent bridge between tarot, Kabbalah, and inner work.

By creating this deck, my hope is not only to offer a tool for contemplation, but to invite fellow seekers into a deeper dialogue with the mysteries that have always been present—veiled, perhaps, but never lost. This is not about reinventing tarot, but about refining our gaze; about seeing with new eyes what has always been there, quietly waiting to be remembered. May this deck serve as both a mirror and a map—a companion for those navigating their inner terrain, and a humble contribution to the ever-unfolding tradition of esoteric wisdom. I will be launching this deck later this year, so stay tuned. LVX Frater Lucis

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