Egyptian Tarot

Origin of the genre

The Egyptianising current was started by Antoine Court de Gébelin in 1781, who argued that the Marseille tarot was actually the surviving fragment of the legendary Egyptian Book of Thoth. Etteilla shortly after (1788) developed the same theory and created the first deck with explicit Egyptian iconography. Throughout the 19th century the theory captured European esoteric imagination — although academic Egyptology after Champollion (1822) gradually demolished the historical premise, the artistic-symbolic creativity continued.

Notable Egyptian tarot decks: Etteilla I (Egyptian Tarot of Etteilla), modified iconography of Marseille with Egyptian elements added; still produced today. Tarot of Eteilla / Tarot Egyptian Grand Etteilla, evolution of the original system. Falconnier Tarot (Saint-Beuve, 19th century, with engravings of strict Egyptian style). Brotherhood of Light Tarot (CC Zain, 20th century, Egyptian symbolic-occultist deck of the order). Tarot Oswald Wirth (1889, with Egyptian and Kabbalistic correspondences). Crowley's Thoth Tarot (1944, although Crowley combines Egyptian iconography with multiple other esoteric correspondences). Modern decks: dozens of contemporary "Egyptian tarots" varying widely in visual quality and esoteric depth.

Distinctive features

Common features of Egyptian tarot decks: 1) Major arcana with Egyptian iconography: pharaohs, Egyptian gods, Egyptian temples, hieroglyphs. 2) Use of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (often inscribed on each major arcanum) — esoteric correspondence between Hebrew letters / paths of the Tree of Life / 22 major arcana, established in 19th century occultism. 3) Astrological correspondences explicitly inscribed (each arcanum associated with a planet, sign or modality). 4) Alchemical correspondences in some decks. 5) Specific Egyptian deities: Isis often associated with the Empress; Thoth with the Magician or the Hermit; Horus with the Sun or the Chariot; Anubis with the Moon, Death, or the Hierophant.

Reading style: the Egyptian tarot is generally read with more emphasis on archetypal-cosmic correspondences than the popular Rider-Waite. The card is meditated as condensation of esoteric correspondences multilayer (Egyptian + Hebrew + astrological + alchemical) rather than as visual narrative scene of psychological situation. Therefore the Egyptian tarot is favoured by serious occultism scholars; less by purely intuitive readers.

Choosing and using

For those interested in Egyptian tarot: 1) Recognise it is esoteric symbolic decoration rather than authentic Egyptian historical reconstruction (the actual ancient Egyptians did not have the tarot). 2) If your interest is in Western occultism + Egyptian symbolism, the Thoth Tarot of Crowley is currently the most aesthetically and esoterically ambitious deck — but it is also more difficult to learn than the Rider-Waite. 3) If you want a more accessible "Egyptian tarot", there are popular editions of "Egyptian Tarot" produced by US Games and other publishers — vary widely in artistic and symbolic quality. 4) Consider that the Egyptian tarot does NOT replace learning of the basic Rider-Waite; it complements it for those who go deeper into esoteric correspondences.