Michele Knight-Waite is a celebrated, award-winning astrologer and psychic. Once voted “UK’s Favourite Psychic,” she is a media personality, best-selling author, and regular astrology columnist at various magazines. These days you can also find her on Instagram and YouTube where her generous spirit is on full display.

I love that she has channeled her many gifts into creating a modern RWS-based tarot deck that blends together the art of photo collage, with cameos from some of our favorite historical figures, and the familiar iconography of Pamela Colman Smith, who is featured on the High Priestess card.

There are notable graphic design elements here that I really love. Somehow, it’s both borderless and it has a border, where the full composition continues all the way to the edge, but then there is that classic tarot card white margin for the card title. See also how, for instance, in the Seven of Pentacles, the Pentacles “spill” over and out of the border.

The deck has that gilded edging and production value overall giving it an “indie” vibe. I really love the flip-top box it comes with.

A selection of historical figures are featured in this deck, “empowering, magical beings” who “paved the way for our freedoms – dazzling souls who changed the world,” writes Knight-Waite. W. E. B. Du Bois is The Hierophant, Aida Overton Walker is The Chariot, Maria Montez is the angel Temperance, Mata Hari is The Star, Bessie Smith is The Moon, and so on.

Personally loving the inclusion of Anna May Wong on The Hermit card. The back of the hardcover guidebook has a biography of all historical figures featured in the deck, along with tidbits on each figure’s astrological information.

While I’ve seen many decks that feature a photo-collage of well-known figures, this may be the first time I have seen the creator take the time to research and spotlight each figure’s biographical background.

The guidebook is fantastic. It not only shows a strong command of classical, canonized card meanings and RWS interpretation but it goes the extra step of finding ways to make it more relatable and relevant to now. The deck and book set is perfect for a total tarot beginner.

Oh, and it also doubles as a workbook with lined space to write in your first readings with the deck. That way you can test drive the spreads that Knight-Waite, a seasoned professional tarot reader, has shared.

Here you see how the deck comes with three options for Key VI: The Lovers.

Another aspect I love about this deck is the diversity, but more specifically, how it does not feel forced. Sometimes it can feel unnatural, like the deck creator is giving the diversity consideration a superficial and clinical treatment, but not here. I love the artfulness and sensitivity that Knight-Waite has brought.

I loved learning that diversity was in fact front and center one of the main points of consideration. Writes Knight-Waite:

I wanted to do this project because, although I have the most profound respect for the Rider-Waite-Smith and other original Tarot cards, I’ve also felt genuine frustration with their lack of diversity. . . . [T]hey don’t honor different sexualities and gender expressions, and are generally white-centric. I think Pamela would have approved of a more inclusive vision, which is what led me on the journey to create this deck and to carry her vision on into a new, more inclusive age.

The coloring on this deck is beautiful, at just the right saturation, richness, and balance. (Oops, sorry the above photo fuzziness is my fault, not the cards. Actual printing on the cards is crystal clear and sharp.)

Funny personal mix-up: My first impression of the King of Swords, before thinking it through, was that it must be a portrait of Aleister Crowley. And then immediately I thought, no, wait, that’s not right. So I looked it up in the guidebook: it’s Oscar Wilde, who was born on October 16, 1865, a Libra sun; Aleister Crowley was born on October 12, 1785, also a Libra sun. And of course there’s an association of eccentricity with both of them. Kind of a strange personal mix-up, eh?

As for the deck’s namesake, funny enough, Michele Knight married her now wife Cathy Waite in 2020 at the start of the pandemic, a period of time coinciding with the completion of this deck. And so Knight’s deck became the Knight-Waite deck. (Psst.. scroll back up: You’ll find the creator depicted on The Magician, The Empress, and Death cards.)

Not only is there that meaty, lengthy hardcover guidebook that both the tarot beginner and the seasoned reader will love, there’s a quick-reference little white booklet (LWB) tucked into the box with the cards. And so truly as a total package, the Knight-Waite Tarot set would make for a great gift to either the new cartomancer or the deck collector.

FTC Disclosure: In accordance with Title 16 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 255, “Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” I received the deck from the publisher for prospective review. Everything I’ve said here is sincere and accurately reflects my opinion of the deck.