Discover the life, work, and magic of Pamela Colman Smith, the visionary artist behind the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck, the most popular and renowned divination deck in the world.

With rich imagery, stunning colors, and an iconic place in the realm of divination, the Rider-Waite Tarot is perhaps the best known deck in the world. Seasoned readers and fledgling diviners alike turn to these cards in search of inspiration, understanding, and even a hint at the future. But the story of their origin is less well known, with their brilliant creator’s name stripped away from them for decades. Now, for the first time, mystics, art-lovers, and fortune-tellers will uncover the magical story of Pamela Coleman Smith, rendered in full-color illustrations by artist Cat Willett, and inspired by the work of Pamela herself.

From a childhood spent between the United Kingdom and Jamaica, to early artistic success in New York, to involvement in the secret occult society Order of the Golden Dawn, Pamela — or Pixie, as she was known to many — had a life full of enchanted inspiration and profound hardship. Through it all, her art acted as a guiding force, culminating in her custom illustrations for the deck that would become the Rider-Waite Tarot. Though she received little money and almost no credit for her contributions to the magical realm in her lifetime, Pixie’s impact on tarot, divination, and the worlds of mysticism and the arts have reverberated for nearly 150 years, and her story serves as an enchanted spark. Depicted in whimsical, full-color detail, with interludes tying Pamela to the resurgence of modern magic and the world of tarot throughout, this singular work is a must-read for witches, creatives, and activists.

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Cat Willett is a Brooklyn-based illustrator; her work celebrates women and aims to uplift and inspire others through bold, vibrant imagery. She is the author of The Queen of Wands: The Story of Pamela Colman Smith: The Artist Behind the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck (Running Press, September 2022 and a French edition, La Reine de Bâtons, Le Lotus & l'èlèphant, 2024), Women of Tarot, An Illustrated History of Divinators, Cards Readers and Mystics (Running Press, June 2024), and the forthcoming book Unconditional, Women and the Animals They Love (Princeton Architectural Press, 2026). Cat is also the illustrator of Golden Mantras and Prosperity Mantras by Destiny Taylor and Cat Willett (Running Press, 2023).

From the RP Mystic Blog

August 18 2022

Exclusive Excerpt: The Queen of Wands: The Story of Pamela Colman Smith

Learn about the visionary artist behind the iconic Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, Pamela Colman Smith, in this exclusive excerpt of Cat Willett’s “The Queen of Wands.”

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Exclusive Excerpt: The Queen of Wands: The Story of Pamela Colman Smith

Cat Willett

About the Author

Cat Willett is a Brooklyn-based illustrator; her work celebrates women and aims to uplift and inspire others through bold, vibrant imagery. She is the author of The Queen of Wands: The Story of Pamela Colman Smith: The Artist Behind the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck (Running Press, September 2022 and a French edition, La Reine de Bâtons, Le Lotus & l’èlèphant, 2024), Women of Tarot, An Illustrated History of Divinators, Cards Readers and Mystics (Running Press, June 2024), and the forthcoming book Unconditional, Women and the Animals They Love (Princeton Architectural Press, 2026). Cat is also the illustrator of Golden Mantras and Prosperity Mantras by Destiny Taylor and Cat Willett (Running Press, 2023).

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