Thoth Tarot

Origin and creation

In 1938, the British painter Lady Frieda Harris approached Crowley to learn about the tarot. The collaboration crystallised in a major project: design a complete new deck of 78 cards. Crowley provided the deep esoteric vision and the symbolic correspondences; Harris translated his ideas into striking visual paintings using projective geometry (technique inspired by Rudolf Steiner) — visually-spectacular technique that generates dynamic three-dimensional forms.

The work took 5 years of intensive collaboration: Crowley wrote his accompanying book The Book of Thoth (published 1944, the conceptual reference of the deck); Harris painted and repainted multiple versions of each card to capture the deep meaning. The original paintings (78 watercolours of high artistic quality) are preserved today in collection of the Warburg Institute of London — they are major works of 20th century esoteric art.

Crowley died in 1947 in poverty, never seeing his deck commercially published. Harris kept the originals carefully and tried unsuccessfully to publish during her remaining life (she died in 1962). Finally in 1969 the OTO (Ordo Templi Orientis, the order Crowley directed) achieved the first commercial edition. From there has been periodically reprinted; today is one of the four most popular tarot decks in the world along with Marseille, Rider-Waite and Tarot Oracle.

Distinctive features

1) Accumulated multiple symbolism: each Major Arcanum integrates simultaneously: Hebrew letter (the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet correspond to the 22 major arcana via Kabbalah), specific astrological correspondence (planet, sign, decan), specific Egyptian deity in many cases, alchemical reference, Thelemic reference (Crowley's Thelemic religion). It is the most "encyclopaedic" tarot deck of the 20th century.

2) Renamed cards: Crowley renamed several Major Arcana to reflect his Thelemic vision: "Justice" of the Marseille became Adjustment; "Strength" became Lust (with new violent-tantric iconography of woman riding the seven-headed beast — central image controversial of the deck); "Temperance" became Art; "Judgement" became The Aeon; "The World" became The Universe. The minor arcana also have specific names different from the standard. 3) Court cards renamed: instead of King-Queen-Knight-Page, has Knight (Father), Queen (Mother), Prince (Son), Princess (Daughter) — restructured family system.

4) Visual style: striking modernist colours, dynamic projective geometry, prismatic visual energy. The aesthetic is unmistakable — completely different from any traditional tarot deck. 5) Esoteric depth: requires more years of study than the Rider-Waite. The accompanying book The Book of Thoth by Crowley is dense and demanding — ideally to be read with prior background of basic Western occultism. 6) Polarisation: love it or hate it. Crowley's admirers find it the most magnificent and esoterically deep tarot ever; sceptics find it pretentious, narcissistic or too "dark".

Use today

For those interested in Thoth Tarot: 1) NOT recommended as first tarot deck — start with Rider-Waite, master it, then explore Thoth. 2) Read Crowley's The Book of Thoth as conceptual reference; complement with modern interpretive guides like Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo DuQuette (much more accessible than Crowley alone). 3) The Thoth deck is favoured by: serious students of Western occultism, advanced practitioners of Western ceremonial magic, those who appreciate dark beauty and dense esoteric symbolism. 4) Recognise the controversial features of Crowley as person while honouring the artistic-esoteric value of the deck. The work transcends the personal failures of the author.