The Hermetic Tarot of the Golden Dawn
By Ike Baker
The earliest extant versions of the tarot are a collection of decks created during the 15th century known as trionfi or ‘triumphs’—the etymological derivation of the word ‘trumps.’ Portions of the compilation of early tarot imagery are currently scattered among museums and private collections in various corners of the world. These protomodern cards are not only valued for their antiquity, but also for their sumptuous colors and design. In the 17th century, the schema of the twenty-two trumps, sixteen court cards, and forty number cards was fully fleshed out in one of the most well-known decks from that time—the Marseilles Tarot. Until the 18th century, these decks were thought merely to be playing cards.
Toward the end of the 18th century, a French nobleman and former pastor named Antoine Court de Gébelin published several volumes which he titled Le Monde Primitif–The Primitive World. In an essay within the second volume of this work, he proffered the idea that the tarot was not merely a deck of playing cards, but a book–The Book of Thoth–referencing the Egyptian god of wisdom, art, and writing...
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Toward the end of the 18th century, a French nobleman and former pastor named Antoine Court de Gébelin published several volumes which he titled Le Monde Primitif–The Primitive World. In an essay within the second volume of this work, he proffered the idea that the tarot was not merely a deck of playing cards, but a book–The Book of Thoth–referencing the Egyptian god of wisdom, art, and writing...
Subscribe to the New PRS Journal to read on...
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