by Marcus Katz
Upright : Wealth
Reversed: Ruin
2 of Pentacles: The Organization of Resource
Upright : Organization
Reversed: Disorganization
3 of Pentacles: The Activating of Resource
Upright : Loyalty
Reversed: Resigning
4 of Pentacles: The Application of Resource
Upright : Selfishness
Reversed: Generosity
5 of Pentacles: The Boundary of Resource
Upright : Loss
Reversed: Fulfilled Expectations
6 of Pentacles: The Use of Resource
Upright : Resources
Reversed: Lack of Resource
7 of Pentacles: The Reorganization of Resource
Upright : Cultivation
Reversed: Barrenness
8 of Pentacles: The Direction of Resource
Upright : Self-Confidence
Reversed: Self-Doubt
9 of Pentacles: The Resting of Resource
Upright : Selfishness
Reversed: Sharing
10 of Pentacles: The Return of Resource
Upright : Good Returns
Reversed: Lack of Return
Page of Pentacles: Resource Channeling
Upright : Starting Work
Reversed: Waste
Knight of Pentacles: Resource Responding
Upright : Capability
Reversed: Incapability
Queen of Pentacles: Resource Connecting
Upright : Nurturing
Reversed: Neglecting
King of Pentacles: Resource Demonstrating
Upright : Obviousness
Reversed: Hiding
Swords
Key Theme for Swords: Expectations
Ace of Swords: The Seed of Expectation
Upright : Movement
Reversed: Fixation
2 of Swords: The Organization of Expectation
Upright : Confusion
Reversed: Clarity
3 of Swords: The Activation of Expectation
Upright : Disappointment
Reversed: Expansion
4 of Swords: The Application of Expectation
Upright : Hiding
Reversed: Truth
5 of Swords: The Boundary of Expectation
Upright : Defeat
Reversed: Winning
6 of Swords: The Utilization of Expectation
Upright : Holiday
Reversed: Work
7 of Swords: The Reorganization of Expectation
Upright : Trespass
Reversed: Integrity
8 of Swords: The Direction of Expectation
Upright : Trust
Reversed: Mistrust
9 of Swords: The Rest of Expectation
Upright : Pessimism
Reversed: Optimism
10 of Swords: Upright: Distress
Reversed: Delight
Page of Swords: Expectation Channeling
Upright : Obedience
Knight of Swords: Expectation Responding
Upright : Pursuit
Reversed: Retreat
Queen of Swords: Expectation Connecting
Upright : Acknowledgement
Reversed: Refusing
King of Swords: Expectation Demonstrating
Upright : Deliberation
Reversed: Thoughtlessness
Cups
Key Theme for Cups: Imagination
Ace of Cups: The Seed of Imagination
Upright : Motion
Reversed: Stagnancy
2 of Cups: The Organization of Imagination
Upright : Trust
Reversed: Singleness
3 of Cups: The Activation of Imagination
Upright : Harmony
Reversed: Disharmony
4 of Cups: The Application of Imagination
Upright : Distraction
Reversed: Calling
5 of Cups: The Boundary of Imagination
Upright : Guilt
Reversed: Innocence
6 of Cups: The Utilization of Imagination
Upright : Immaturity
Reversed: Maturity
7 of Cups: The Reorganization of Imagination
Upright : Release
Reversed: Collecting
8 of Cups: The Direction of Imagination
Upright : Attending
Reversed: Absence
9 of Cups: The Rest of Imagination
Upright : Fulfillment
Reversed: Disappointment
10 of Cups: The Return of Imagination
Upright : Ecstasy
Reversed: Heartache
Page of Cups: Imagination Channeling
Upright : Sophistication
Reversed: Primitive
Knight of Cups: Imagination Responding
Upright : Exhibition
Reversed: Recluse
Queen of Cups: Imagination Connecting
Upright : Affection
Reversed: Conceit
King of Cups: Imagination Demonstrating
Upright : Recognition
Reversed: Forgetfulness
Wands
Key Theme for Wands: Ambition
Ace of Wands: The Seed of Ambition
Upright : Advancement
Reversed: Interruption
2 of Wands: The Organization of Ambition
Upright : Planning
Reversed: Ignoring
3 of Wands: The Activation of Ambition
Upright : Building
Reversed: Dismantling
4 of Wands: The Application of Ambition
Upright : Welcoming, appropriate response
Reversed: Loss, Exile
5 of Wands: The Boundary of Ambition
Upright : Disconnection
Reversed: Connection
6 of Wands: The Utilization of Ambition
Upright : Amusement
Reversed: Weariness
7 of Wands: The Reorganization of Ambition
Upright : Exposure
Reversed: Concealment
8 of Wands: The Direction of Ambition
Upright : Management
Reversed: Misdirection
9 of Wands: The Rest of Ambition
Upright : Care
Reversed: Approachability
10 of Wands: The Return of Ambition
Upright : Work
Reversed: Sloth
Page of Wands: Ambition Channeling
Upright : Entrance
Reversed: Retirement
Knight of Wands: Ambition Responding
Upright : Advancement
Reversed: Hesitation
Queen of Wands: Ambition Connecting
Upright : Independence
Reversed: Dependence
King of Wands: Ambition Demonstrating
Upright : Authenticity
Reversed: Falseness
Majors
Key Theme for Majors: Pattern
I: Magician
Upright : Success
Reversed: Failure
II: High Priestess
Upright : Revelation
Reversed: Secrecy
III: Empress
Upright : Cultivation
Reversed: Harm
IV: Emperor
Upright : Endurance
Reversed: Instability
V: Hierophant
Upright : Teaching
Reversed: Learning
VI: Lovers
Upright : Union
Reversed: Separation
VII: Chariot
Upright : Momentum
Reversed: Stop
VIII: Strength
Upright : Action
Reversed: Rest
IX:
Hermit
Upright : Solitude
Reversed: Companionship
X: Wheel
Upright : Movement
Reversed: Pause
XI: Justice
Upright : Accuracy
Reversed: Mistake
XII: Hanged Man
Upright : Surrender
Reversed: Struggle
XIII: Death
Upright : Life
Reversed: Stagnation
XIV: Temperance
Upright : Assessment
Reversed: Over-Compensation
XV: Devil
Upright : Withholding
Reversed: Liberation
XVI: Tower
Upright : Acceleration
Reversed: Fall
XVII: Star
Upright : Enlightenment
Reversed: Darkness
XVIII: Moon
Upright : Ignorance
Reversed: Knowledge
XIX: Sun
Upright : Demonstration
Reversed: Concealment
XX: Judgment
Upright : Awakening
Reversed: Sleep
XXI: World
Upright : Beginning
Reversed: Ending
0: Fool
Upright : Frivolity
Reversed: Seriousness
Having looked at the work of Pamela Colman Smith and A. E. Waite in this chapter, we will now travel all the way to Egypt and encounter a totally different type of tarot creator, the notorious Aleister Crowley. Prepare yourself for a riot and let us head to Cairo.
[contents]
145 Katherine Cockin, Edith Craig: Dramatic Lives (London, UK: Cassell, 1997), 52–53.
146 The sunflowers and the stool pictured in the Queen of Wands can still be seen at Smallhythe Cottage. Several photographs of Snuffles, the boat, trellis work, and the Smallhythe “gypsy gang” smoking and playing are held in archive. See Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin, Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot (Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2015).
147 Minetta, 15.
148 C. C. Zain, The Sacred Tarot (Los Angeles: Church of Light, 2005), 401.
149 Eden Gray, The Tarot Revealed (New York: Signet, 1960), 19.
10
The New Aeon
This card is beautiful in a strange, immemorial, moribund manner. It is the card of the Dying God; its importance in the present pack is merely that of the Cenotaph. It says: “If ever things get bad like that again, in the new Dark Ages which appear to threaten, this is the way to put things right. But if things have to be put right, it shows they are very wrong.”
—Aleister Crowley on the Hanged Man card, 1944 150
Noon, 20 March, 1904: Cairo, Egypt
We stand in the corner of a room, presently unseen, watching a young man who is invoking the ancient Egyptian god of Horus. He is stood with his back to us, holding a sword and speaking his invocation out of a window, against which is a small writing desk. We can see sheets of blank paper, and a small vellum notebook filled with scrawling notes and diagrams. The air is dense with incense smoke—kyphi, rich with frankincense and myrrh yet almost ethereal with lemongrass and wine. It is the world’s oldest known recipe for incense, carved in the walls of the most ancient temples. The man is aged twenty-nine and wearing a white robe sewn in gold as well as a turban. His name is Aleister Crowley.
As his words cascade out into the blazing hot air of Cairo, he begins to shift his whole state of awareness. He has already been promised success on Friday by his god, Horus, who spoke through his wife. The fact that this is their honeymoon has long escaped him; his wife, Rose, has been channelling the gods and he now means to attain samadhi, a Vedic state of ultimate union and bliss.
He has abased himself, made confessions of his sins of ignorance, and pointed his whole mind to transcend time and space. He has already started experimenting with sexual magick but now it is just him, his words and ritual, and a broken string of pearls on the desk.
His words finish, words not spoken in this way for twenty-seven centuries. He then waits, sitting down to take up his pen.
Over his shoulder to us, he says clearly, “I know you are not of this world. Tell me what it is I will write which will prophesy the future and connect me to the divine.”
We are startled but not surprised—magick, after all, is the act of transcending time. We look up his Book of the Law 151 on our time pad and begin reading it for him to write down;
Had! The manifestation of Nuit.
The unveiling of the company of heaven.
Every man and every woman is a star.
Awhile later, we complete our reading, and tell Crowley we will return tomorrow and the day following with the other two parts of the book—it is an exhausting process, particularly when we are called across time by such a magician.
The Rituals of the Old Time are Black
Aleister Crowley (1875–1947) was the most infamous magician of his time, and his legacy is still often seen within the headlines of the time where he was dubbed by one newspaper “the wickedest man in the world.” However, his life, philosophy, and magic go beyond a singular headline to encompass the realms of mountain climbing, the foundation of a new magical religion (of sorts), and—of most interest to us—a sublime and complex tarot deck, the Thoth Tarot.
We are about to head into some deep waters in this chapter, so whilst we hope to make everything as accessible as possible, time travellers should be aware that Crowley’s work is a lifetime study and that repeated visits may be necessary. 152
The Thoth tarot deck was designed and executed by Crowley and the artist Lady Frieda Harris between 1938 and 1943 and first published in 1969. To understand it, we first need to understand the concept of Thelema; it is the Greek word for “will,” and represented to Crowley a key part of his philosophy and worldview. We will see when we travel backwards in time that Crowley is actually the sixth of many notable Thelemites throughout history, hence why we sometimes in other works refer to his presentation of Thelema to be Thelema v.6.
No doubt Crowley was a Thelemite of some magnitude, and the most recent in popular memory. If we first consider Thelema as a way of life which itself engages life, and not seeks to escape it with distraction, then Crowley certainly engaged life.
At the age of twenty-three, Crowley had already defined himself. He stated that he was a “magus, poet, mountaineer, explorer, big game hunter, chess master, cook.” Later in life, he updated his personal résumé to include “poet, novelist, and artist” as well. He also—in an application to design a series of golf courses for St. Andrews (which was turned down)—described his various gaming exploits including his golf handicap of +3, building a golf course on his own estate, and playing chess since the age of four, to the standard where he could play three games simultaneously whilst blindfolded.
When cards came into his gaming, not only had he invented a game called Thelema similar to Fives (a sport played with an Association football), but also three new forms of Patience and a new form of Baccarat.
He was certainly able to put his mind to many pursuits and did so with vigour, as his whole life-story attests. Our favourite of many stories is that he left a troupe of dancing girls stranded in Russia when he himself flitted off to some other country—China, perhaps, or back to Europe. One might not have wished to have been in his irregular and wild company.
However, his taking up of the doctrine of Thelema comes through an interesting lineage, perhaps one that evolved (or devolved) over time, depending on your point of view. When he came to design his tarot deck towards the latter end of his life, he saw it as an opportunity to fully illustrate his teachings, particularly Thelema, sexual magick, alchemy, astrology, and the passing of the great aeons of human history and evolution.
It is vitally important that we appr
eciate how this simple word—will—infuses the deck so much, and that by understanding it as a core concept we can practically use the Thoth deck to provide extremely powerful and proactive readings for ourselves and others.
The origin of the doctrine of Thelema is attributed to an ancient Christian philosopher, Augustine of Hippo (354–430), which may also be surprising to some readers. He wrote in his Homilies:
The deeds of men are only discerned by the root of charity. For many things may be done that have a good appearance, and yet proceed not from the root of charity. For thorns also have flowers: some actions truly seem rough, seem savage; howbeit they are done for discipline at the bidding of charity.
Once for all, then, a short precept is given thee: Love, and do what thou wilt: whether thou hold thy peace, through love hold thy peace; whether thou cry out, through love cry out; whether thou correct, through love correct; whether thou spare, through love do thou spare: let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.”
—(Homily VII, paragraph 8)
This philosophy teaches that so long as we find ourselves in the love of the divine, no wrongdoing can follow as a result in our actions. Therefore, it is of paramount importance we attain this grace to avoid sin and wrongdoing.
Crowley recast this doctrine in reverse by stating his fundamental doctrine of Thelema: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”
Augustine also points out that discipline can be in the service of charity, which Crowley later re-phrases as his second fundamental doctrine, “Love is the law, love under will.”
However, although Crowley was no doubt aware of Augustine, his prime influence for the development of Thelema was François Rabelais (1494–1553). This author, scholar and monk—who is now seen as a Christian Humanist—wrote several satirical books, critiquing the society of the time, the most well-known being Gargantua and Pantagruel (c. 1532–c. 1564).
One section of the book describes the Abbey of Thélème, a place where the inhabitants live a life of freedom from social conformity and religious doctrine thus:
All their life was spent not in laws, statutes, or rules, but according to their own free will and pleasure. They rose out of their beds when they thought good; they did eat, drink, labour, sleep, when they had a mind to it and were disposed for it. None did awake them, none did offer to constrain them to eat, drink, nor to do any other thing; for so had Gargantua established it. In all their rule and strictest tie of their order there was but this one clause to be observed, Do What Thou Wilt; because men that are free, well-born, well-bred, and conversant in honest companies, have naturally an instinct and spur that prompteth them unto virtuous actions, and withdraws them from vice, which is called honour. Those same men, when by base subjection and constraint they are brought under and kept down, turn aside from that noble disposition by which they formerly were inclined to virtue, to shake off and break that bond of servitude wherein they are so tyrannously enslaved; for it is agreeable with the nature of man to long after things forbidden and to desire what is denied us.
