Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, by Lon Milo DuQuette A Review

The Thoth tarot, by Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris, is a beautiful but inscrutable occult tarot deck. Lon Milo DuQuette sweeps away much of this inscrutability in Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot. Thelemites, dilettantes, students and scholars will all find much of interest within its pages.

DuQuette quotes liberally from Crowley's Book of Thoth, as well as letters between Crowley and Harris. These fascinating documents add humanity to the book and the deck. The author also compares Crowley's original designs with Harris's final drawings. Sure, he slips up here and there, putting in "too much DuQuette," but his engaging writing makes these lapses very forgivable.

The book's first part gives background information about the Thoth deck, its history and the "little bits of things you should know" before studying it, from the symbols of the Rosy Cross to the basics of the Kabbalah. The book's second part interprets all seventy eight cards in the Thoth tarot deck, explains their symbolism, and offers Kabbalistic, esoteric, astrological and mythological correspondences for every card.

The Thoth tarot, like the Rider-Waite-Smith deck before it, is based on the teachings of the Golden Dawn. As influential as it was short-lived, the Golden Dawn was a magical order whose members swore to "divulge nothing...concerning this Order to the outside world." A.E. Waite, Pamela Smith and Aleister Crowley were all members, and all received the same teachings on the tarot.

If occult tarot theory confuses you, this book is right for you, even if the Thoth deck isn't. DuQuette makes everything as simple as possible--though no simpler--and clarifies the underlying ideas with avuncular good cheer. If you can apply the lessons learned in this book to your tarot deck of choice, you will be pleasantly surprised by your new and improved insights.

This book lacks an index, even though it's over 300 pages long. Without one, it's hard to find some passages, especially DuQuette's entertaining tangents. This said, there is a nice glossary, a bibliography and oodles of endnotes at the book's back.

Understanding... is a companion text for the Crowley/Harris tarot. It will deepen one's knowledge of the deck's meaning and symbolism. Those without the deck will still enjoy reading it, provided they have an interest in tarot, occultism, Aleister Crowley, the Golden Dawn or all of the above. If you are thinking of getting the Thoth tarot, but are still on the fence about it, read this book first. Be warned, though: after reading, you'll probably want to buy it!

This review originally appeared on Know Your Tarot (knowyourtarot.com).

Elizabeth Benefiel is the webmistress of Know Your Tarot, a website about the history and meaning of tarot cards.

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Reading Reversals in the Aleister Crowley Tarot

Reading tarot reversals in general is subject to much debate. Many people use them, others do not, and you will find passionate reasons as to why they should or should not be used from practitioners on both sides of the argument. As with anything, it comes down to what makes sense to you and how you want to do your readings. I however, do not read reversed cards any differently than I would if they were placed normally.

Since I have dedicated my study to the Aleister Crowley tarot system, it should be noted that there is no precedent in any of Aleister Crowley's writing on the tarot to indicate that the cards' symbolism or meaning is altered by being placed upside down in the spread. Also, the tarot system most closely related to Thoth-the tarot of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn-has no precedent for reading reversed cards any differently. This is the primary reason for my aversion to reading reversals with the Thoth tarot deck.

Advocates for reading reversals suggest that interpreting the cards in reverse allows you to get more information out of the cards. They say that if we do not consider the cards' orientation, we may be only getting half the story. To me, this argument stems from a lack of understanding of the cards. Each individual tarot card can be interpreted differently depending on its relationship with other cards in the spread, as well as its specific position within the spread. This makes the different interpretations of the 80 cards in conjunction with their possible permutations within a given spread endless. The fact that the cards were intended to be interpreted this way is most likely the reason why authoritative books on the Thoth tarot do not provide a concise summary of the meaning for each card-like you would find in your average book on tarot.

From my perspective there is no need to complicate things by trying to attribute different meanings to each individual card simply based on its orientation in the spread. Learning the complex symbolism within the Thoth tarot deck is a scholarly endeavor in and of itself. Once you become more familiar with the Thelemic system of correspondence, there will never be an ambiguous reading. I would suggest concentrating your efforts on becoming more familiar with the cards and how the various symbols would affect the overall interpretation of the reading, when combined or set at odds with one another. Only use simple descriptions of the tarot cards' meaning as a quick start guide or reference point to begin your divination practice. In the end, if you feel using reversals will help your reading abilities; by all means do what thou wilt, but for your own benefit, do not let it be a substitute for learning the in-depth symbolism of the cards.

The Aleister Crowley tarot system is the Rosetta Stone for understanding the Occult. Join us for more information on the Thoth tarot deck, tarot card meaning, and tarot card spreads.

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Using a Tarot Mat

Certain Tarot decks such as the Rider-Waite deck, the Thoth deck, the Golden Dawn deck and the Tarot of the Spirit deck are all based on the Kabbalistic glyph called the Tree of Life. The twenty-two Major Arcana correspond to particular paths on the Tree, and those paths influence our understanding of the cards. For example, The Fool corresponds to the first path on the Tree, from Keter to Chokmah. Because this is the first path on the Tree, we associate such meanings as new beginnings, will, impulse and impetus to this card. Without the associations that come from the Tree, we might not understand the implication of the cliff, which indicates a "fall" from a higher state to a lower state. We might not recognize that the bag The Fool carries is his karma or his assignment in this incarnation. Similarly, The High Priestess is assigned to the path from Keter to Tifaret. This card symbolizes the subconscious, which carries information from the highest levels of creation to the spiritual center of man.

The Minor Arcana are assigned to particular sephirot: the Aces are assigned to Keter, the Twos to Chokmah, the Threes to Binah, the Fours to Chesed, the Fives to Gevurah, the Sixes to Tifaret, the Sevens to Netzach, the Eights to Hod, the Nines to Yesod and the Tens to Malkuth. The court cards are assigned to the sixteen "invisible" paths, which are the paths not assigned to the Major Arcana.

The meaning of the cards is often dependent on the assigned paths of the Tree. For example, drawing The Sun (Hod to Yesod), Temperance (Tifaret to Yesod) and any of the Nine cards suggests paying particular attention to an aspect of Yesod, the sephirah which is common to those three cards. If the cards drawn include The High Priestess (Keter to Tifaret), Temperance (Tifaret to Yesod) and The World (Yesod to Malkuth), we see that the entire Middle Pillar is being highlighted, suggesting that we pay particular attention to balance between opposing forces.

Using a Tarot Mat, a paper or vinyl mat on which the Tarot cards may be placed on their assigned Kabbalistic paths, helps the reader recognize if a particular aspect of the Tree are being highlighted in the reading. This can lead the Tarotist to discover hitherto unseen aspects of the cards. Tarot Mats are available from some of the private mystery schools (mine came from the Desert Mystery School) and may be purchased online.

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The Best Tarot Decks

A question I get asked a lot is "What are the best Tarot card decks?" Well, "best" is a relative term. I don't really think there is any such thing as "best" but I do agree that there are some decks that are more popular than others and maybe a little easier to understand. In this article, I'm going to briefly review the most popular and probably the most easy to learn Tarot card decks in the world today. Hopefully, after reading this, you'll have a pretty good idea of what Tarot card deck you will ultimately end up with.

Without a doubt, the most popular and easiest to learn Tarot card deck is the Rider Waite Tarot Deck. This deck was named after the very famous occult scholar, Dr. Arthur Edward Waite. The deck was first created in 1910. He had the designs drawn by a very talented lady by the name of Pamela Coleman Smith. Pamela was a member of the occult society group called the Order of the Golden Dawn.

The deck itself is very pleasing to look at. The symbolism is very easy to understand. But the best thing about using this deck is that there are so many books written on the use of these particular cards that learning to use the Rider Waite deck is going to be easier than just about any other deck in existence. For this reason, most occultists recommend that beginners start off with the Rider Waite Deck.

Another very popular Tarot Card deck, though nowhere near as easy to learn, is the Llewellyn Tarot. The illustrations in this deck are based off of the legends and the mythology of Wales. The artwork is created ina a very beautiful watercolor style.

The Llewellyn deck isn't as easy to read as the Rider Waite and there aren't as many books on it either. However, you can find some decent ones in your more established occult stores, whereas you can find a Rider Wait book in just about any book store.

Of course, probably one of the most popular Tarot Card decks of all time is the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot, which was created by another Order of the Golden Dawn member, Aleister Crowley. Reading this deck is extremely difficult and requires some pretty serious prior knowledge of Tarot Cards. One of the most unusual things about this deck is that it contains three versions of the Magus card. If you're going to use this deck for your divination, some serious study of the Tarot beforehand will be required.

There are of course many other Tarot Card decks, but these three should be more than enough to get you started. I suggest starting with the Rider Waite, then moving on to the Llewellyn Tarot, and then finally tackling the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot, when you begin to feel more adventurous.

To YOUR Divination Success.

Steven Wagenheim

Please visit my Squidoo Lens on the World Of The Occult located at http://www.squidoo.com/the-world-of-the-occult/ where you can learn a little bit about me and pick up some tips on just about every form of divination that there is.

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Tarot Basics A Guide to Understanding the Basics of Tarot

When you first begin to read tarot cards, the only way to start understanding the meaning, is by looking at a book, on a website or learning from someone. This is a great way to learn about tarot cards, and begin reading the cards; however it is not the best way. For those who are starting to learn more about reading tarot cards it is often recommended to use a Waite-Rider deck because it is the easiest one to read and work with. There are other two decks of cards which can also be used toward peace three main purposes, these are called Morgan-Greer and Thoth decks.

The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits: Cups, Swords, Pentacles, and Wands These four suits correspond to the four elements:

Cups for Water Swords for Air Pentacles for Earth Wands for Fire

Tarot readings, in line with psychic readings could help people understand their traits better and become aware of what can motivate them to carry out their true potential. They could also convey the message of coming dangers and troubles. There are sites nowadays that offer online tarot readings and you can arrange a call with any of those who are gifted in psychic readings, clairvoyance, paranormal investigation, card readings and other crafts. Sites that offer free tarot readings will allow you to ask limited questions at a time. This is often a very useful aspect of online readings as it allows you to try out your connection with a psychic before getting more deeply involved.

Find out how you too can use psychic readings to find love, improve finances, answer your questions and get romance for free at my blog Psychic Tarot Readings

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The Different Varieties of Tarot Card Decks

Specific Tarot readings will be affected by the Tarot card deck you have chosen. Because of this fundamental reason, it is important to know and understand the differences inherent in different decks. While some decks may be popular and others obscure, all hold power and insight. Knowledge is always important, and knowing the fundamentals about the Tarot decks which are out there will help you interpret your reading.

The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck The Rider-Waite Tarot deck is one of the most popular decks in the Americas. This deck was initially published in 1909 by the Rider company. The visionary behind the cards was Arthur Edward Waite. He took the popularized Tarot de Marseille from France and, with the help of the talented illustrator Pamela Colman Smith, enhanced their symbolism and meaning through colorful illustrations. This deck is comprised of 78 cards with four suits of minor arcana as well as the classic major arcana, and is the foundation from which many recent variations have been modeled. The Rider-Waite deck is iconic and has led to many interpretations including Eden Gray's story of the Fool's Journey.

The Thoth Tarot Deck The other major Tarot deck in the Americas is the Thoth deck, which was the product of Aleister Crowley's efforts in the middle of the twentieth century. This deck differs from the Rider-Waite in a variety of ways. For one, the names of many of the cards have been changed. This includes the court cards of the minor arcana as well as many major arcana. In addition to the traditional Latin symbolism of the Rider-Waite deck, Crowley introduced ancient Egyptian and Chinese symbolism in the Thoth. This broadens the mystical tradition which the cards draw upon, and enable more people to connect with them personally. The Thoth deck also has an authoritative text by Crowley which explains the meanings of the cards - the Book of Thoth.

Hermetic Tarot Decks The Hermetic tradition differs from the previous two in that it seeks to use the Tarot cards to explore hidden truths buried within the subconscious and the imagination. The Hermetic deck uses the archetypes within each Tarot to draw upon ancient and modern knowledge to do so.

Oracle Tarot Decks These are more modern Tarot incarnations which draw upon other sources of mysticism for their symbolism and occult power. This includes use of power animals, angels, Greek gods and goddesses, etc.

Pop Culture Decks The latest version of Tarot cards is merely a spin on one of the more established traditions. These decks simply replace the illustrations of Rider-Waite or Thoth cards with images from pop culture like comic book heroes or heroines. This may appeal to a broader audience, but removes much of the thought and symbolism which mystics like Waite and Crowley put into their work.

Edward Dietfried is an armchair intellectual who writes articles about Tarot card [http://tarotcardmeaningsrevealed.com] history and lore. His studies into the occult and the field of divination have extended for many years and have led in many unexpected directions.

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History of Facade Tarot Readings

The history of Facade Tarot reading goes back to the middle of the fifteenth century. Originally, tarot cards were used to play games and it was not until the late eighteenth century that they were used as divinatory tools by spiritualists and occult authorities. In fact, even today, tarot cards are still used primarily for games in some European countries.

Early appearance (1400s)

Tarot first was known by the name "Tarocco" in Milan, Italy, and the first known deck was believed to be created for the Vicsconzi-Sforza family. The cards in this particular deck are believed to represent figures from a local annual parade. Further experts theorize that early figures from the Major Arcana were designed to symbolize colorful characters that Italian nobles would recognize. There are very few surviving decks from this time period, though references do exist to Tarocco.

Transition (1700s)

The practice of tarot card reading for divination purposes is believed to begin in the late eighteenth century. Count de Gebelen, a prominent occultist, saw meaning and symbolism in a Marseilles Deck relating to Egyptian arcane knowledge, a subject that he had studied extensively. His work, "Le Monde Primitiv," was one of the earliest known studies in Tarot. His heavy emphasis on arcane Egyptian matters can be attributed to Europe's obsession with Egyptian history at that time.

Rise to prominence (1800s)

In the nineteenth century, Eliphas Levi (also known as Alphonse Louis Constant), a disenchanted priest-in-training, began to study occult and mystic forces. He began to research Tarot cards exclusively, and theorized that Tarot was connected to Kabalah (the Hebrew mystic order of life) and was a key towards finding heaven.

Further research into Tarot was conducted by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a late nineteenth century alchemy and occult organization, whose members included two future Tarot deck creators: Aleister Crowley and Arthur Edward Waite. Crowley's Thoth Tarot deck was heavily symbolic, textured, and rooted in mysticism. Waite's Rider-Waite Tarot deck, on the other hand, is based on storytelling, and relies on the interpretation of symbols for its divinations. It is the Tarot deck most commonly used today for Facade Tarot Readings.

Ultimately, Facade Tarot reading has overcome its humble beginnings to become a tool of divination associated with great foresight and wisdom. From kings and queens of Europe in the past to spiritualists across the world today, students of tarot know that its history tells the story of a great power for good.

For more information, please visit http://www.facadetarotreadings.com.

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