- The Book of Thoth (Egyptian Tarot) by Aleister
Crowley Review by Michele Jackson
-
- This book, written specifically for Crowley’s deck is a classic Tarot reference.
Crowley
- describes the symbolism and concepts behind the choice of symbolism in a detailed, if
not
- simple manner. I have read this book twice in the last 20 years and still can not say I
- understand it fully, however as a means of understanding the Qabalistic and astrological
- underpinnings of the Tarot, it can not be beat. Crowley’s book and deck are often
- foreshadowed by his media reputation. This is too bad because this book and deck are
- both worthy of serious study. Crowley begins with some historical and background
- information on the cards. He limits himself to what can be verified historically vice
going
- into flights of fancy. Crowley believed, however, that the Tarot is a pictorial form of
the
- Qabala, despite the lack of historical evidence to support this theory. As a member of
the
- Golden Dawn, he was privy to their system, which he drew upon heavily in his own work.
- He made several corrections to what he considered errors or deliberate attempts to
- mislead on the part of the Golden Dawn. The book has sections on the Majors, Court
- Cards and Minors, describing the symbolism and correspondences. His descriptions reveal
- his extensive reading and travels, for he brings mythology, Eastern philosophy,
- mathematics, and physics into his discussions. This book does a thorough job of
explaining
- the Tarot as a whole, both esoteric and exoteric. Crowley can get a little dense at
times,
- and he will certainly send you to your largest dictionary several time throughout your
- reading, but one gets the impression that he enjoyed writing the book and was having a
- good time throughout. His biting humor comes through on more than one occasion and it
- is obvious that Crowley gave a lot of thought and study to his system. A familiarity
with
- Qabala and Astrology are necessary to get the most out of this book, though you could
- nuke your way through it, as I did the first time I read it. It is difficult to
appreciate
- Crowley’s work if you are struggling to understand the basic underlying concepts. I
would
- recommend this book to those who have mastered the basic interpretations of the cards,
- have some familiarity with astrology and Qabala and who are looking for something
- substantive in a sea of beginner’s books. This book will definitely give you a lot
to ponder
- and will certainly enhance your understanding of the Tarot.
-
- The Book of Thoth (Egyptian Tarot)
- Author: Aleister Crowley a.k.a. Master Therion
- ISBN: 0913866121
If you are
interested in purchasing a copy of this book, click
here.
- Excerpt
- XI LUST
- This trump was formerly called Strength. But it implies far
more than strength in the
- ordinary sense of the word. Technical analysis shows that the
Path corresponding to the
- card is not the Strength of Geburah, but the influence of
Chesed upon Geburah, the path
- balanced both vertically and horizontally on the Tree of Life
(see diagram). For this reason
- it has been thought better to change the traditional title.
Lust implies not only strength, but
- the joy of strength exercised. It is vigor, and the rapture of
vigor.
- The Book of Thoth pages 91 - 92
Copyright 1996/97 Michele Jackson