For the curious, these are the seven and nine of swords respectively from the Rider-Waite deck, which is one of the most well-known tarot decks. While the meaning of the nine of swords is approximately correct in the meme (anxiety, hopelessness), the seven of swords is a bit more of a stretch — I usually read it as deception or trickery.
Waite-Smith deck. I don’t know why we’re giving credit to the publisher of the deck and erasing the queer woman of color who did the artwork. Oh, wait…
Pamela Colman Smith, a British artist. Who, I have just learned, was actually not a woman of color. Despite her spending a lot of time in Jamaica, writing books on Jamaican folklore, and even adopting the dress and mannerisms of a Jamaican…she was actually European. Kids these days would call that “problematic”.
However, she never married or had children, and she lived with a female best friend, so I think the odds are very good that she was either a lesbian or asexual.
It says Waite “commisioned” Smith to draw the cards so she, maybe, got some compensation but nothing about her getting anything from the sales.
Smith was one hell of a woman though.
Smith also illustrated over 20 books, wrote two collections of Jamaican folklore, edited two magazines, and ran the Green Sheaf Press, a small press focused on women writers.[4]
For the curious, these are the seven and nine of swords respectively from the Rider-Waite deck, which is one of the most well-known tarot decks. While the meaning of the nine of swords is approximately correct in the meme (anxiety, hopelessness), the seven of swords is a bit more of a stretch — I usually read it as deception or trickery.
Waite-Smith deck. I don’t know why we’re giving credit to the publisher of the deck and erasing the queer woman of color who did the artwork. Oh, wait…
Ooo, this is the first I’ve heard of this. Tell me more about that.
Pamela Colman Smith, a British artist. Who, I have just learned, was actually not a woman of color. Despite her spending a lot of time in Jamaica, writing books on Jamaican folklore, and even adopting the dress and mannerisms of a Jamaican…she was actually European. Kids these days would call that “problematic”.
However, she never married or had children, and she lived with a female best friend, so I think the odds are very good that she was either a lesbian or asexual.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Colman_Smith
https://tarotarts.com/pages/rider-waite-smith
It says Waite “commisioned” Smith to draw the cards so she, maybe, got some compensation but nothing about her getting anything from the sales.
Smith was one hell of a woman though.
It seems she was paid but not very well: “a big job for very little cash”
https://www.openculture.com/2025/10/meet-the-forgotten-female-artist-behind-the-worlds-most-popular-tarot-deck.html