Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot
by Lon Milo Duquette
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Book Summary Information
Author: Lon Milo DuquetteEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-11-01
ISBN: 1578632765
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Weiser Books
Book Reviews of Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot
Book Review: a review
Summary: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed Duquette's book and devoured it when I got it. He does an admirable job teaching people who do not have the background in kabbalah, tarot, or many occult subjects to give an introduction and insight into the Thoth tarot and into Aleister Crowley. That is his stated goal. Individuals without a great knowledge of the occult, Crowley, and the tarot are his intended target, and he beautifully introduces both tarot and Crowley to a wider audience.
If you have read extensively on Crowley, have great knowledge of the occult and understand Crowley then this book is not for you. You are not the intended audience. So don't bitch because you bought the wrong book. That's not DuQuette's fault.
For those of you who bicker about the black and white illustrations just get out your tarot deck and look at the card when you read the text. That's what I did. We'd all like to see color instead of black and white illustrations but I'm sure it would add greatly to the cost of the book and these books are already expensive enough. I don't want to pay an additional 15 or 20 dollars for color and better paper.
For those of you wanting a text with which to do a reading, this is not the book for you. You will not be able to give a reading with much understanding or synthesis based on this book and according to other reviews there are other books out there that better suited to this objective.
I picked this book out after reading many negative reviews of this book and others about the thoth tarot on the amazon site. I was not disappointed in this book and recommend it enthusiastically. Having been guided by another to look into kabbalah and having found Isreal Regardie and the Golden Dawn, I wanted to use tarot cards to help me understand and integrate knowledge of the kabbalah, tarot, and astrology. I didn't have a background in tarot and the occult. I've avoided occult orders because they seem to attract Luciferian characters. I've assiduously avoided Aleister Crowley because I've read the author's work directly and intensely disliked him. I think it is a tribute to DuQuette that he could improve my opinion of a man I detested. I learned that Crowley was a great patriot for England and an accomplished intellect. To the person who criticized the lack of a link with astrology, in his notes DuQuette explains that Crowley was the ghost writer for texts on astrology published under Evangeline Adams name.
One of the critics of DuQuette stated that Crowley told Harris to illustrate Crowley's tarot. Crowley did supervise Harris. Quoting from Greer's column on Crowley, "Crowley made clear that his student and artist, Frieda Harris, at no time contributed "a single idea of any kind to any card, and she is in fact almost as ignorant of the Tarot and its true meaning and use as when she began." That's the kind of misogynist arrogant remark I remembered typical of Crowley. I find it much more likely that Harris approached Crowley about producing a tarot deck than Crowley recruiting her for the project. Why would Crowley pick a woman artist whom he would consider inferior to and incapable of understanding his intellect? On the other hand, I doubt Crowley could have found a male artist willing to put up with all of Crowley's arrogance without abandoning the project and telling Crowley where to stick it (deservedly so). Crowley, while a great intellect, was an unbearable prick.
I learned from Duquette that the Rider Waite deck which I had been introduced to as an easy way to learn tarot was not the definitive tarot but merely an introduction. I'd always suspected as much but Duquette confirmed it. I wanted tarot cards from the Golden Dawn but when I looked at what was available, the art was so disappointing, I knew I would never use them. Since Crowley based his tarot on the Golden dawn's tarot and I liked Harris's art, I bought the cards even if they were directed by the Beast himself. There is a huge sexual overtone to the Thoth cards that isn't in the Rider Waite deck. DuQuette tells us that Crowley and the thoth tarot are based on sexual magic so don't be surprised to find that bias in this deck. Tantra is one of the paths to enlightenment. For some of you this may make the Thoth tarot even more attractive while deterring others. DuQuette doesn't dwell excessively on the sexual content; he doesn't have to, it's all in the images.
For those of you who want an introduction to the tarot, a brief overview of the various occult societies who contributed to the development of Crowley's Thoth tarot, this book delivers and it's an enjoyable read. I disagree with the person who found it useful only for the Thoth tarot. It deepened my understanding of the Rider Waite tarot as well as the Thoth tarot. So what if DuQuette apologizes and tells us little ditties about his wife's sign. I wasn't offended. Compared to what DuQuette brings to the table, these criticisms of his books are just so petty. I want to address the negative criticisms so others may find this book more attractive because it deserves your attention. Many of these occult texts are so densely packed with knowledge and so drily written, that I enjoyed a little levity for a change. I'm not affiliated with DuQuette or the OTO. Duquette delivers information and he makes learning fun, not a chore. I'd enjoy reading more from this author.
Summary of Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot
Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot was his final opus, the culmination of a lifetime of occult study and practice. With artist Lady Frieda Harris, he condensed the core of his teaching into the 78 cards of the tarot. Although Crowley's own Book of Thoth provides insight into the cards, it is a complicated, dated book. Now, in clear language, Lon Milo DuQuette provides everything you need to know to get the most out of using the Thoth deck.Tarot Books
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