Arthur Edward (A. E.) Waite (1857-1942) was a scholarly mystic, occultist, and prolific author on esoteric subjects. Best known globally as the co-creator of the widely popular Rider-Waite Tarot deck, Waite was a prominent early member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and later founded his own esoteric orders. His rigorous, academic approach to occultism and his extensive writings on the Kabbalah, Freemasonry, alchemy, and ceremonial magic remain foundational texts in the study of Western esotericism.Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942) was a scholarly mystic, occultist, and prolific author who wrote extensively on Western esoteric traditions. A prominent early member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Waite is best known globally as the co-creator of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck-the most popular and widely used tarot deck in the world. As a historian of the occult, his rigorous, academic approach to magic, alchemy, Freemasonry, and the Kabbalah elevated the study of esotericism in the early 20th century, seeking to bridge the gap between mystical tradition and historical scholarship.