Much has been said about the lack of a coherent traditional system for interpreting the minor - or "pip" - cards of historical tarot decks (which, after all, were never intended for divination). The scenic minor cards of the Waite-Smith deck are basically an imaginative "work-around" designed to squeeze meaning out of these inscrutable icons … Continue reading The Stairway from Heaven
Thoth Material
More Thoth Musings
Since there is some interest in my view of the Thoth as an alkahest, or "universal solvent" in the world of tarot divination, I thought I would strike while the iron is hot. The best place to chase down this notion is with Frieda Harris's wonderfully evocative Minor Arcana (aka "pip") cards, and one of … Continue reading More Thoth Musings
Thoth As Universal Solvent
I'm feeling a bit mystical this morning and got thinking that, with enough dedicated study and contemplation, Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot is well-positioned to be "all things to all people" in the world of tarot divination. It has one foot in the New Age (and often strides nimbly past that metaphysical sink-hole, which is why … Continue reading Thoth As Universal Solvent
The Gold Standard
It's a rare tarot deck that doesn't have a single fan of its charms, even if appreciation is limited to the deck's creator or reserved for a particular purpose (such as esoteric study, self-reflection or divination). Generally, it's the skill of the artist that garners the most interest followed by the accessibility of the symbolism … Continue reading The Gold Standard
The Book of Thoth – An Appreciation
One doesn't really review Aleister Crowley's Book of Thoth (BoT), his exquisitely (and often excruciatingly) erudite companion volume to the magnificent deck of tarot cards he and Freida Harris bestowed upon the world. One stands back at a safe distance, squints sagely at it, maybe scratches one's addled pate, and tries to think of something … Continue reading The Book of Thoth – An Appreciation
“Got Love If You Want It,” or Love In Its Cups
It's likely that the song of the title (written by bluesman Slim Harpo and recorded by several '60s rockers) was talking more about the tumescent love of Crowley's Ace of Disks ("It'll last all the while") than the sweet emotion of the RWS 2 of Cups. But with the "season of love" - or at … Continue reading “Got Love If You Want It,” or Love In Its Cups
Cheap Shots #21: Thoth vs RWS, Head-to-Head
Let it be said right up front: I'm not a huge fan of the Waite-Smith (aka Rider-Waite-Smith or "RWS") deck. I think that, in many cases, the narrative vignettes embedded in Pamela Colman Smith's scenic "pip" cards - the minors with their ready-made stories - hijack the deeper esoteric meaning that lies at its core, … Continue reading Cheap Shots #21: Thoth vs RWS, Head-to-Head
Thoth Pip Cards as Emotions
A couple of years ago one of my Aeclectic Tarot forum mates conducted an exercise to explore how the Minor Arcana, or "pip" cards, of the Thoth deck might be categorized as a range of emotional expressions: Joy, Anger, Love, Grief, Surprise, Fear, Trust and Anxiety. Because the Thoth pips have titles on them as … Continue reading Thoth Pip Cards as Emotions
Confessions of an Incurable Thothie
By all reliable accounts, Aleister Crowley was not a nice man. Yet he fathered one of the enduring icons of modern tarot - the Thoth deck - along with its remarkable companion volume, The Book of Thoth or BoT. A revisionist attempt is afoot to give the lion's share of the credit for the excellence of … Continue reading Confessions of an Incurable Thothie
Wilt or Want? That is the Question
"Do what thou wilt." Arguably the four words in Aleister Crowley's vast esoteric oeuvre that are at the heart of his repugnance to polite (that is to say, religiously - and now also politically - correct) company because they seem to fly in the face of the hallowed Golden Rule. Not, of course, that he … Continue reading Wilt or Want? That is the Question
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 