A friend once asked us why her Witches Tarot reading felt different from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck she had used for years. She pulled the Five of Cups and saw not the cloaked figure mourning spilled cups, but a witch standing before three overturned cauldrons, a single full cauldron behind her. The meaning shifted. The Witches Tarot is a 78-card deck created by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans in 2004, published by Llewellyn Worldwide, that adapts the classic Rider-Waite-Smith system into a working witch’s toolkit. Every card was redesigned to reflect modern witchcraft practice while preserving the traditional structure that makes tarot readable across traditions.
Where the Witches Tarot Came From
Ellen Dugan, a practicing witch and author of Garden Witchery (2003), wanted a deck that showed witchcraft as she lived it: rooted in nature, seasonal cycles, and practical magic. She collaborated with artist Mark Evans, whose watercolor style gave the cards a luminous, earthy quality. The deck was released in 2004 and quickly became a staple for Wiccan and eclectic pagan readers.
The structure is pure Rider-Waite-Smith. The Major Arcana follows the same 22-card sequence, the Minor Arcana uses four suits, and the court cards remain King, Queen, Knight, and Page. What changed was the imagery. The High Priestess became The Witch. The Hierophant became The Wise One. The suits were renamed to match witch tools: Wands became Brooms, Cups became Cauldrons, Swords became Athames, and Pentacles became Stones.
This was not a superficial rebranding. Dugan and Evans rethought each card’s composition to reflect how a witch actually uses these tools. The Ace of Stones shows a single stone with a carved pentagram, not a floating pentacle. The Knight of Brooms rides a broomstick across a moonlit sky. The changes gave practitioners a deck that mirrored their own altars and spellwork.
How the Cards Differ from the Rider-Waite-Smith System
A reader who knows the RWS will recognize every card’s core meaning. The Witches Tarat does not invent new interpretations. It deepens existing ones by grounding them in witch-specific symbolism.
Take the Major Arcana. The Fool is still the Fool, but here he carries a bundle tied to a broomstick instead of a bindle. The Magician works at a table covered with a cauldron, athame, broom, and stone. The World shows a woman dancing inside a wreath of seasons, surrounded by the four witch tools. The Death card features a Crone figure standing at a crossroads, her scythe resting beside a cauldron of transformation. The meaning remains the same: endings leading to renewal. But the imagery speaks directly to the witch who has worked with these symbols in ritual.
The Minor Arcana suits follow the same pattern. The Brooms (Wands) represent will, creativity, and action. The Cauldrons (Cups) hold emotions, intuition, and love. The Athames (Swords) cut through illusion and bring clarity. The Stones (Pentacles) ground us in the material world, abundance, and the body.
One notable change: the court cards. The Page of Brooms is a young witch learning to fly. The Queen of Cauldrons stirs a brew with focused intent. The King of Stones sits on a throne of moss and rock, holding a crystal. These are not generic nobles. They are archetypes of the witch at different stages of mastery.
Reading the Witches Tarot in Practice
We use this deck for both divination and spellwork. The imagery is dense enough for deep readings but clear enough for quick draws. A three-card spread for the day might show the Ace of Brooms (new inspiration), the Three of Cauldrons (celebration with coven), and the Ten of Stones (material stability). The witch who reads these cards sees not just abstract meanings but concrete actions: light a candle, share a meal, pay the rent.
For spellwork, the cards can serve as focal points. Place the Ace of Cauldrons on your altar to invite emotional healing. Use the Six of Brooms to symbolize victory before a ritual. The deck was designed with this in mind. Each card’s border includes a small symbol of its suit, making it easy to identify at a glance during a working.
The deck also includes two extra cards: a title card and a card explaining the suit changes. Some editions include a blank card for personal addition. We have seen readers use that blank card to represent their own witch name or a personal totem.
How the Witches Tarot Compares to Other Witch-Themed Decks
The Witches Tarot is often compared to the Tarot of the Witches (1971) by Fergus Hall, which was created for the James Bond film Live and Let Die. That deck is more surreal and less grounded in actual witchcraft practice. The Witches Tarot, by contrast, was written by a practicing witch for other practitioners. Every symbol has a functional meaning.
Another common comparison is the Halloween Tarot (1996) by Kipling West, which uses Halloween imagery for a Rider-Waite-Smith base. That deck is playful and seasonal. The Witches Tarot is year-round and serious in its intent. It does not dress up as spooky. It presents witchcraft as a living tradition.
The closest relative is the Rider-Waite-Smith itself. If you know the RWS, you can read the Witches Tarot immediately. The differences are in the details, not the structure. That makes it an excellent second deck for RWS readers who want to deepen their practice without learning a new system.
Common Misconceptions About the Witches Tarot
It is only for Wiccans. The deck draws heavily on Wiccan symbolism, but its meanings are universal. Any reader who works with the RWS system can use it. The witch imagery is a lens, not a gate.
The cards have completely different meanings. They do not. The Fool is still the Fool. The Three of Swords still represents heartbreak. The changes are visual, not interpretive. A reader who relies on the RWS meaning will find the same core truths here.
It is a beginner deck. The deck is RWS-based, so it is accessible to beginners. But the imagery rewards experienced readers who recognize the deeper layers. The Witch card (II) shows a figure holding a book and a wand, standing between two pillars. A beginner sees a wise woman. An experienced reader sees the balance of inner and outer knowledge, the same as the High Priestess.
The deck is dark or spooky. The art is bright, warm, and nature-filled. The colors are greens, golds, and deep blues. The only darkness comes from the cards that deal with shadow work, like the Ten of Athames or the Death card. That is not spookiness. That is honesty.
FAQ
What is the difference between the Witches Tarot and the Rider-Waite-Smith?
The Witches Tarot uses the same structure and meanings but replaces RWS imagery with witch-specific symbols: brooms, cauldrons, athames, and stones.
Can I use the Witches Tarot for spellwork?
Yes. The deck was designed with spellwork in mind. You can place cards on altars, use them as focal points, or draw a card to guide a ritual.
Is the Witches Tarot good for beginners?
It is an excellent beginner deck if you are learning the RWS system. The imagery is clear and the companion book (included with the deck) explains each card in detail.
What does The Witch card mean?
The Witch (Major Arcana II) corresponds to the High Priestess. It represents intuition, hidden knowledge, and the inner voice. In a reading, it asks you to trust your instincts and look beyond the surface.
Closing
The Witches Tarot is not a novelty deck. It is a working tool that bridges the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition with modern witchcraft. For readers who want a deck that reflects their practice without abandoning the system they know, it remains one of the most reliable choices. If you are new to tarot, start with our tarot reading basics guide. For a deeper look at the symbols that appear in this deck, visit the Rider-Waite-Smith symbolism glossary. And for more decks that blend tradition with innovation, explore the full oracle systems hub.