Pamela Colman Smith: The Artist Who Brought The RWS to Life

Today (Feb. 16) is Pamela (Pixie) Colman Smith's birthday! Pamela, as you probably know, is the iconic illustrator behind the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, arguably the most well-known deck across the globe. She was also a successful illustrator in many other rights, a performer, writer, poet, costume designer and a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (though later converted to Catholicism).

Pamela surrounded by examples of her art, along with her iconic signature.

To honour this day, we wanted to explore Pamela’s remarkable contributions to the world of art and occultism. Were it not for her influence, artistry and vision, the tarot would not be what it is today. She truly brought those keys to life!

Pamela was already a successful artist when commissioned by Waite to illustrate the RWS tarot. While Waite dictated the majors to her, Smith was given reign with the minors. Even though she was influenced by the Sola Busca, we can also see where her vision and intuition diverged and took over to create the vibrant images we have today; images that paved the way for pretty much every tarot deck that followed. Smith also leaned on the people, places and things she loved, as a way to bring life to the cards. For example, she was heavily involved in the theatre scene at the time, and as such, we see many nods to performance and costume in her designs. She had the remarkable ability of creating images that were not only personal to her, but also highly accessible to the collective, making her a true visionary of her time.

“The Tarot cards which are issued with the small edition of the present work, that is to say, with the Key to the Tarot, have been drawn and coloured by Miss Pamela Colman Smith, and will, I think, be regarded as very striking and beautiful, in their design alike and execution.” - A.E. Waite

Smith may have been relatively unknown at points throughout history, but she is not a secret anymore. In fact, there is actually quite a bit of information out there about her life and legacy, so there is no reason not to know about her at this point. Pamela Colman Smith deserves a lot of credit for the work she did and luckily, many authors and historians would agree! So, if you’re new to tarot, or just looking to get a little more informed on the lineage of this incredible tool, and its artist, we’ve compiled a list of resources for you to explore.

• Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story by Stuart Kaplan (published by U.S. Games)

• Pamela Colman Smith: The Commemorative Set by Stuart Kaplan (tarot deck and book)
  This set contains the Centennial Edition of the RWS, which is by far our favourite edition in terms of colouring, cardstock and back design. The set is also fantastic as it contains additional art work by Pamela (outside of her work with tarot). It is truly a homage to her - her artistry and influence.

• Pamela Colman Smith: Life and Work by Colleen Lynch & Melissa Staiger

• The Green Sheaf: The Complete Series (vol I - XIII)
  The Green Sheaf was a publication that Pamela Colman Smith created, featuring articles, art and poetry by many in her circle. This series includes all 13 editions that were published between the years 1903-1904. It’s a wonderful resource to get to know Pamela’s work outside of the cards.

• Pamela Colman Smith: The Pious Pixie by Dawn G. Robinson (published by Fonthill Media)

• Women of the Golden Dawn by Mary K. Greer (published by Park Street Press)
  This resource touches on Pamela Colman Smith along with other prominent female members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

A sample of what you'll find in the Commemorative set.

We hope you find these resources helpful, and if you haven't worked with your deck today already, let this be an excuse to draw a card in Pamela’s honour! Happy Birthday, Pixie!