This edition of the Crowley Thoth Tarot has "standard" size cards smaller than the usual large edition, measuring 2-7/8" x 4-3/8". This is probably a better size for doing readings. The larger size cards are fine for meditation and ritual use, but too cumbersome for reading purposes. Also, this edition comes in a large box, with the deck in its own smaller box, a 20" x 17" Celtic Cross layout sheet, and a small 48 page instruction booklet. Although this edition is printed in Belgium, it comes with the two extra Magus cards normally found in the Swiss decks, and does not include the OTO cards.
The Thoth deck was designed by Aleister Crowley, and painted by Lady Frieda Harris. The project spanned some five years, from 1938 to 1943, and it might be instructive to think about what was happening in the world during that time. Crowley was a member of the Golden Dawn, a secret society that pursued occult studies and magickal workings based in part upon the ancient Hebrew Cabala. The GD had its own Tarot deck, based upon its cabalistic teachings, which was given to initiates who were required to make their own copies, and who often did so with their own embellishments -- not surprising, since at that time there were no copy machines. Members were sworn to secrecy regarding the deck itself, but several members, including Crowley and Arthur Edward Waite, later designed and published decks based on the order's symbolism. Crowley eventually split with the GD, founding several orders of his own, among which the OTO -- Ordo Templi Orientis -- still exists and operates. In 1904, Crowley had a mystical experience of sorts, which fundamentally changed the way he looked at the world, and influenced all of his writings thereafter, including his Tarot. For this reason, there are significant differences between Crowley's Tarot and other Tarots based on the GD system.
The deck itself is of the usual Tarot structure, having 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The court cards are rearranged to suit the esoteric GD interpretations. The court cards are Knight, Queen, Prince, and Princess. The Kings of the old packs are renamed Princes, and shown seated in chariots, to reflect the GD's assignment of them to elemental Air.
What makes these cards truly unique is their abstract imagery. While the deck is fully illustrated, the cards do not have the "personalized" illustrations found in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. With the exception of the court cards, the Arcana in the GD system were never intended to represent persons, or their personal characteristics. They were intended to represent the impersonal forces and energies described by the Cabala, as understood by the Order's initiates. The design of the Crowley deck helps to avoid the trap into which readers of the Rider-Waite deck all too often fall -- projecting one's personal beliefs and characteristics into the cards, and winding up believing the cards are all about one's own personality and beliefs. It is easy to fall into that trap using cards that are illustrated with human figures, as are the Rider-Waite. Whether Waite did that intentionally, to hide the true meaning of the cards from the uninitiated, or because he really was the mental baboon Crowley thought he was, is difficult to say. I suspect neither -- Waite probably thought he was doing everyone a real favor by making the Tarot accessible, while at the same time honoring his Oath of Secrecy. In any case, the effect has been to lead readers and students down the very path the GD sought to avoid. The Tarot, at least in the initiated system of the GD and its offshoots, is an esoteric system that yields insights into otherwise invisible forces and events. It has nothing to do with "counseling," "personal growth," "empowerment," or any of the other absurdities with which the nihilism of modern revisionists has associated it.
That makes the Thoth deck one of the best to learn with, assuming one wants to learn the Tarot as its designers in the esoteric tradition intended it. Its imagery is abstract, symbolic, suggestive, and evocative. Lady Harris is often given short shrift in terms of her esoteric knowledge, but any serious study of the deck will show that her ability to translate the abstract and complex ideas of both the Order's teachings, and Crowley's elaborations thereupon, is nothing short of genius.
The booklet that comes with the deck is, in actuality, an excellent introduction to the cards and how to read them. It contains the original essay by James Wasserman, accompanied by two essays written by Lady Harris herself, which together give some excellent insights into the cards and their interpretation. The title page indicates that it has been "edited and updated" -- uhh-ohh, when I read that, I can't help thinking of the Grand Inquisitor's "We have corrected thy work!" There is a little of that, but no real harm done.
Those who would like further information on the use of the Tarot in the Golden Dawn tradition will find
Introduction to the Golden Dawn Tarot
and
The Qabalistic Tarot: A Textbook of Mystical Philosophy
, both by Dr. Robert Wang, excellent sources. The definitive guidebook to the Thoth Tarot is Crowley's own
Book of Thoth A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Equinox Volume III, No. V
which contains detailed historical and theoretical analyses, descriptions, and suggested interpretations.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
Frequently bought together
$23.69
Get it as soon as Friday, Apr 12
Only 8 left in stock (more on the way).
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may ship from close to you
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the brand
-
The Premier Tarot Publisher Since 1968
U.S. Games Systems, Inc. publishes the original and only authorized edition of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck. Other popular, award-winning tarot decks published by U.S. Games Systems include: Crowley Thoth, Universal Waite, Ethereal Visions Illuminated Tarot, Hermetic, Aquarian, Crow, Goddess, Morgan-Greer, Golden Tarot, and Spiritsong Tarot. We also offer oracle, affirmation and inspirational gift products.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
In 1909, artist Pamela Colman Smith’s involvement with the Order of the Golden Dawn led to a commission to create a 78-card tarot deck that was the first to include full pictorial scenes for the Minor Arcana. Pamela’s mystical influences are evident throughout the art.
The Rider Tarot Deck, known also as the Waite Tarot, Rider-Waite Tarot, RWS Tarot and Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot are registered trademarks of U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
The ideal deck for the intuitive
I am a fairly respected demon sorcerer and occultist, and I was given a suggestion by a fellow occultist that I should try out the Thoth Tarot by Crowly. I am, by no means, in any way a practitioner of any of Crowley's magick or legacy, though I do believe many of his fundamental ideas are essential to understanding the world of magick and the occult.That being said, I am intuitive, I work magick with Demons, chaos currents and more. However, I was never a big fan of Tarot, and prefer mirror scrying or fire gazing, or ball gazing. And I have always found regular Tarot to be a bit... off for me. A bit... Complicated... a bit... stifling. There is an endless number of decks, all with muddled symbolism but really pretty artwork, or terrible artwork and more apparent symbolism. The various meanings of the cards are skewed depending on who makes the brand, and whose websites you read.However, the Thoth deck is utterly fantastic for the intuitive who prefers to SCRY into the reading, not simply draw cards and read or memorize meanings from some website or the decks instructions.The suit cards have the basic broad meaning in big bold letters, and the major arcana (trump) cards are pretty self-explanatory just from the name and imagery. Reading the manual shows several different collections of similar or the same meanings for each chard, and they can be used to enhance the reading if the card doesn't speak to you.But most of the time, even if you never picked up this deck before, the cards meanings will be clear enough.I have spent a week doing various readings and my confidence in this deck and my ability to read it has skyrocketed. Using similar methods to gazing or scrying, I work the cards and evoke various relevant forces, and draw my cards.And so far these cards have not failed me, provided I not fail them.Now, that isn't IMHO a sign the cards are magick, anyone who knows the occult knows the cards are just slips of paper or cardboard, that we use to give our psychic mind something to latch on to and work with via association. The fact that cards tend to come up exactly in the right way to inspire a psychic reading is mostly a factor decided by our subconscious ability to know when the cards are shuffled right to deploy a series of relevant cards.Any power the cards have is the power you give them in ritual or by using them for long enough.The artwork of these cards is great, I love the Art Deco style, and some of these cards are truly amazing (2 of disks AKA change for example, with the yin-yang elements as featured on the cover of the box, is probably my favorite looking card).Bottom line, if you are an intuitive like I am, and you normally like to scry and gaze, and tarot often feels clunky or overly complex... or If you ever wish you could just stare at the cards like you do a mirror or ball, or scry bowl and get visions or ideas pop into your head based on the symbolism of the cards to inspire you??This deck is for you.The cards are about the same size and consistancy of normal playing cards. I like this better as I begin every reading with a good old fashioned card shuffle like a dealer at a poker table, then proceed to fine tune it with other methods.So these respond well to normal card manipulation without excess wear from what I can see.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2007
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2018
I am a fairly respected demon sorcerer and occultist, and I was given a suggestion by a fellow occultist that I should try out the Thoth Tarot by Crowly. I am, by no means, in any way a practitioner of any of Crowley's magick or legacy, though I do believe many of his fundamental ideas are essential to understanding the world of magick and the occult.
That being said, I am intuitive, I work magick with Demons, chaos currents and more. However, I was never a big fan of Tarot, and prefer mirror scrying or fire gazing, or ball gazing. And I have always found regular Tarot to be a bit... off for me. A bit... Complicated... a bit... stifling. There is an endless number of decks, all with muddled symbolism but really pretty artwork, or terrible artwork and more apparent symbolism. The various meanings of the cards are skewed depending on who makes the brand, and whose websites you read.
However, the Thoth deck is utterly fantastic for the intuitive who prefers to SCRY into the reading, not simply draw cards and read or memorize meanings from some website or the decks instructions.
The suit cards have the basic broad meaning in big bold letters, and the major arcana (trump) cards are pretty self-explanatory just from the name and imagery. Reading the manual shows several different collections of similar or the same meanings for each chard, and they can be used to enhance the reading if the card doesn't speak to you.
But most of the time, even if you never picked up this deck before, the cards meanings will be clear enough.
I have spent a week doing various readings and my confidence in this deck and my ability to read it has skyrocketed. Using similar methods to gazing or scrying, I work the cards and evoke various relevant forces, and draw my cards.
And so far these cards have not failed me, provided I not fail them.
Now, that isn't IMHO a sign the cards are magick, anyone who knows the occult knows the cards are just slips of paper or cardboard, that we use to give our psychic mind something to latch on to and work with via association. The fact that cards tend to come up exactly in the right way to inspire a psychic reading is mostly a factor decided by our subconscious ability to know when the cards are shuffled right to deploy a series of relevant cards.
Any power the cards have is the power you give them in ritual or by using them for long enough.
The artwork of these cards is great, I love the Art Deco style, and some of these cards are truly amazing (2 of disks AKA change for example, with the yin-yang elements as featured on the cover of the box, is probably my favorite looking card).
Bottom line, if you are an intuitive like I am, and you normally like to scry and gaze, and tarot often feels clunky or overly complex... or If you ever wish you could just stare at the cards like you do a mirror or ball, or scry bowl and get visions or ideas pop into your head based on the symbolism of the cards to inspire you??
This deck is for you.
The cards are about the same size and consistancy of normal playing cards. I like this better as I begin every reading with a good old fashioned card shuffle like a dealer at a poker table, then proceed to fine tune it with other methods.
So these respond well to normal card manipulation without excess wear from what I can see.
That being said, I am intuitive, I work magick with Demons, chaos currents and more. However, I was never a big fan of Tarot, and prefer mirror scrying or fire gazing, or ball gazing. And I have always found regular Tarot to be a bit... off for me. A bit... Complicated... a bit... stifling. There is an endless number of decks, all with muddled symbolism but really pretty artwork, or terrible artwork and more apparent symbolism. The various meanings of the cards are skewed depending on who makes the brand, and whose websites you read.
However, the Thoth deck is utterly fantastic for the intuitive who prefers to SCRY into the reading, not simply draw cards and read or memorize meanings from some website or the decks instructions.
The suit cards have the basic broad meaning in big bold letters, and the major arcana (trump) cards are pretty self-explanatory just from the name and imagery. Reading the manual shows several different collections of similar or the same meanings for each chard, and they can be used to enhance the reading if the card doesn't speak to you.
But most of the time, even if you never picked up this deck before, the cards meanings will be clear enough.
I have spent a week doing various readings and my confidence in this deck and my ability to read it has skyrocketed. Using similar methods to gazing or scrying, I work the cards and evoke various relevant forces, and draw my cards.
And so far these cards have not failed me, provided I not fail them.
Now, that isn't IMHO a sign the cards are magick, anyone who knows the occult knows the cards are just slips of paper or cardboard, that we use to give our psychic mind something to latch on to and work with via association. The fact that cards tend to come up exactly in the right way to inspire a psychic reading is mostly a factor decided by our subconscious ability to know when the cards are shuffled right to deploy a series of relevant cards.
Any power the cards have is the power you give them in ritual or by using them for long enough.
The artwork of these cards is great, I love the Art Deco style, and some of these cards are truly amazing (2 of disks AKA change for example, with the yin-yang elements as featured on the cover of the box, is probably my favorite looking card).
Bottom line, if you are an intuitive like I am, and you normally like to scry and gaze, and tarot often feels clunky or overly complex... or If you ever wish you could just stare at the cards like you do a mirror or ball, or scry bowl and get visions or ideas pop into your head based on the symbolism of the cards to inspire you??
This deck is for you.
The cards are about the same size and consistancy of normal playing cards. I like this better as I begin every reading with a good old fashioned card shuffle like a dealer at a poker table, then proceed to fine tune it with other methods.
So these respond well to normal card manipulation without excess wear from what I can see.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
anagutjor
Son las cartas grandes, la edición Large de US Games Inc.
Reviewed in Spain on March 2, 2024Shubham Bose Roy
Does justice to Lady Frieda Harris' Art!
Reviewed in India on October 22, 2023
Katerina Zdanovich
great deck
Reviewed in Germany on May 29, 2023
Katerina Zdanovich
Reviewed in Germany on May 29, 2023
Images in this review
