giving due mention to Pamela Coleman Smith. She is the
most famous woman of Tarot History today.
She was born in Middlesex, England to American Parents. Around 1903 she joined the Order Of Golden Dawn. In
1909, under the guidance of Arthur Edward Waite, she
undertook for token payment, a serious of 78 allegorical
paintings described by Waite as a rectified Tarot Pack.
The designs published by William Rider & Son Publishing,
exemplify the mysticism, ritual, imagination, fantasy, and
deep emotions of the artist.
She had occasional favorable art shows and favorable
reviews by critics, but commercial publishers continually
rejected her work and the sales of her work were so slow
that she was left utterly disappointed. Her name is not
even mentioned on the infamous Rider-Waite Tarot Deck
sadly.
She never married and she had no known heirs except
for an elderly female companion who shared her flat. She
died on September 18, 1951, penniless and obscure.
There were no funeral processions to honor her life and
no memorial service to touch on the impact her work
would one day have on its admirers. She died
disappointed that her paintings and writings failed to
achieve success, yet she never stopped believing in
herself.
She would no doubt be astonished and gladdened to
know that today the deck touches the hearts and
emotions of millions of people.
I use the Rider-Waite Deck designed by the beautiful
artist, Pamela Coleman Smith, and I pay tribute and honor
the soul stirring artwork painted by her, as it touches my
soul daily and those of each of you that I divine for.
