Cover of the Thoth Tarot deck, designed by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Frieda Harris. Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer Frieda Harris (born in London 1877 died 11 May 1962 in Srinagar, India was an associate of the occultist Aleister Crowley and designed The cover is similar to the illustration of the Two of Disks.

The Thoth Tarot /təʊt 'tær. əʊ/ is a divinatory tarot deck painted by Lady Frieda Harris according to instructions from Aleister Crowley. Frieda Harris (born in London 1877 died 11 May 1962 in Srinagar, India was an associate of the occultist Aleister Crowley and designed Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley (ˈkroʊli (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947 was a British Occultist Writer, mountaineer Crowley referred to this deck as The Book of Thoth, and also wrote a book of that title intended for use with the deck. The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians is the title of The Equinox, volume III number 5 by

Background

Crowley originally intended the Thoth deck to be a six-month project aimed at updating the traditional pictorial symbolism, perhaps best demonstrated by the Rider-Waite-Smith deck; however, it was to span five years, between 1938 and 1943, as the scope of the project grew ever wider. The Rider-Waite tarot deck is the most popular Tarot deck in use today in the English-speaking world (the Tarot de Marseille being the most popular deck in the Latin Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Crowley and Harris were meticulous in their work; Harris painted some cards as many as eight times. The current printing of the deck actually includes two alternate illustrations of The Magus, each making use of markedly different style and symbols. Unfortunately, neither Harris nor Crowley lived to see the deck published; a follower of Crowley undertook the work of publication in 1969. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This initial printing was of markedly inferior quality, and in 1977 Harris' paintings were rephotographed for a second edition; the current edition is based on a further update that took place in 1986. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)

Symbolism

The illustrations of the Thoth deck are rich in symbolism, based upon Crowley's stated desire to incorporate symbols from many disparate disciplines, including science and philosophy, as well as to draw on his extensive knowledge of various occult system (as described in detail in his Book of Thoth). For example, The Hanged Man and The Moon draw from Egyptian mythology, and the Princess of Disks holds a disk bearing the Taijitu. Ancient Egyptian religion encompasses the various religious beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Egypt from the predynastic period until the adoption of Christianity In Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang ( is used to describe how seemingly opposing forces are bound together intertwined and interdependent in the The pip cards in the four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Disks) depict their objects in carefully-crafted positions; for example, the Four of Swords (which Crowley named "truce") shows four swords with their points toward the center of an imaginary square, suggesting a possibly tense peace. The card illustrations are uniformly stark and vividly illustrated throughout.

Differences from Rider Waite Tarot

Order and names of trumps

Crowley renamed several of the trumps, and also re-arranged the astrological and Hebrew alphabet correspondences of some cards, in accordance with his earlier book, Liber AL vel Legis:

All these old letters of my Book are aright; but צ is not the Star. Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems The Hebrew alphabet (אָלֶף-בֵּית עִבְרִי alephbet ’ivri) consists of 22 letters used for writing the Hebrew language. Liber AL vel Legis is the central sacred text of Thelema, written by Aleister Crowley in Cairo, Egypt in the year 1904 (AL I:57)

The minor arcana

Each of the minor arcana pips (1-10 of each suit), has been given a title, other then the four Aces. The Magician The Magus or The Juggler (I is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks The High Priestess (II is the second trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks Strength is a Major Arcana Tarot card and is numbered either XI or VIII, depending on the Deck. Justice is a Major Arcana Tarot card numbered either XI or VIII, depending on the deck Wheel of Fortune (X is the tenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks Temperance (XIV is the fourteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks Judgement (XX, or in some decks spelled Judgment, is a Tarot card part of the Major Arcana suit usually comprising of 22 cards Within the system of Thelema, history is broken down into a series of Aeons, each with its own dominant concept of divinity and its own "formula" of redemption and The World (XXI is a trump or Major Arcana card in the tarot deck Crowley titled them based on his intended symbolism. This symbolism, does not always follow the more popular Rider-Waite tarot deck. The Rider-Waite tarot deck is the most popular Tarot deck in use today in the English-speaking world (the Tarot de Marseille being the most popular deck in the Latin

Names of court cards

Crowley altered the names of the all the court cards apart from the Queen in the Thoth deck, which can cause some confusion for people used to the more common Ride-Waite deck and its derivatives. The typical^[1] corresponding names are as follows:

Titles and attributions of the Wands Suit

Titles and attributions of the Cups Suit

Titles and attributions of the Swords Suit

Titles and attributions of the Disks Suit

References

1. ^ Corresponding Court Cards Between Decks for alternative

• Duquette, Lon Milo (2003). Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot. Weiser Books.
• Wasserman, James. Instructions for Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot Deck, included in the U. S. Games Systems publication of the deck.

External links

• Pictures of all 78 cards
• Corresponding Court Cards Between Decks
• Thoth Tarot Online Reading