Christian mysticism and Hermetic occultism

Arthur Edward Waite

1857 – 1942

Arthur Edward Waite was an American-born British occultist, mystic, and prolific author who sought to reconcile Christian mysticism with the Hermetic tradition, producing encyclopedic works on Kabbalah, Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, ceremonial magic, and Tarot. He was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and later founded the Independent and Rectified Rite, and is best known for co-designing the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck (1909), which became the most influential Tarot deck in the English-speaking world. His A.E. Waite editions of classic occult texts — including works by Éliphas Lévi and the Rosicrucians — remain standard reference works in the field.