Understanding Court cards is perceived to be difficult by tarot students. Generally court cards represent one of these three aspects: A personAspects of a personalityAspects of a situation All of these can be either yourself or somebody else, just to make things a bit...
An alternative Magical Circle
There are other magical circles... He stood tall in the circle facing east. He had lost track of time hours ago – the incense was working well. His temple was a locked basement room that had been specially consecrated by the Master of his Lodge. He had worked...
Spider symbolism and Tarot
Spider and tarot hold a deep secret. Tucked away around the edges, cobwebs appear on the Thoth Art Atu. There is nothing in Aleister Crowley's commentary on spiders or cobwebs, but there is a comment in Liber 777 on Column XXXVIII: The Spider is particularly sacred to...
Golden Dawn origins of Aleister Crowley’s Fool
The Fool is unnumbered, therefore it can appear anywhere in the sequence. Some decks put the Fool last, after the Universe, but most place it before the Magus, 1. The Golden Dawn Cipher Manuscript is unambiguous on the subject: First cometh the Atu numbered 0, the O...
The Fool and the Pole Star
The Pole Star demonstrates evidence of the influence of Papus in Crowley's commentaries on the Fool, the Ace of Disks and the Princess of Disks in particular. Ace of Disks The Ace of Disks is the chapter where Crowley mentions Papus. Dr. Gerard Encausse, "Papus", who...
How Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris created the Book of Thoth
The Book of Thoth is a unique partnership in wartime conditions with all the restrictions on travel, materials and other disruptions by Frieda Harris. She was an artist who was the wife of the Leader of the Liberal Party, and a member of Churchill's War Cabinet. She...
Learning Tarot meanings for Beginners
Learning tarot meanings to help your readings is only part of the skill set. I started reading professionally long before I knew the meanings. Between readings I was avidly researching the books, matching up my insights and experiences with what was happening. In the...
Buddhism, Tarot & Opening the Key
Having spent some time with The Opening Of The Keys Spread as taught by Paul Hughes-Barlow, I believe that the true secrets to the Tarot have truly been opened. In my early work with Tarot, I had spent some time relating to the Tree of Life and then trying to remember...
Frieda Harris, artist for the Thoth Tarot
Aleister Crowley commissioned Frieda Harris to paint the Thoth Tarot. Although involved in the women’s branch of Freemasonry – Co-Masonry, her interest in the occult was not deep. Crowley had to initiate her into his Orders to expand her knowledge and commence the...
Shamanic Techniques and Thoth Tarot
Enhance Tarot visions through shamanic techniques Shamans use techniques to access other worlds via a door, a crack, or a cave etc. Similar methods are employed to enter the world of the 22 Major Tarot. One method is to view the back of the card and project oneself...