Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot Deck • Ordo Templi Orientis - Tarocchi

Aleister Crowley was born October 12, 1875, and he joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1898, rising rapidly through the grades of the Order.
In 1904, while in Cairo, Egypt, the climax of his career occurred when he claimed to have received, via direct voice transmission, the first communication to mankind from the hierarchical forces ruling the earth during the present Age of Aquarius.
Know as the Book of the Law, it forms the cornerstone of Crowley's teachings and profoundly influences the imagery of his Thoth tarot deck.
Crowley poured the entire contents of his magical mind into his tarot deck. Although members of the Golden Dawn were sworn to the most solemn oaths of secrecy, Crowley published many of the Order's secrets.
Neither Crowley nor the artist of the Thoth tarot deck, Lady Frieda Harris, managed to publish the tarot deck during their lifetimes. Crowley died in 1947 and Lady Harris died in 1962.
The Thoth tarot deck remained unpublished until 1969.
Lady Frieda Harris was born in 1877. She married Sir Percy Harris, distinguished member of Births Parliament.
Although Lady Harris had little or no previous knowledge of the tarot, she possessed in her own right an essential perception and understanding of the spirit of the Book.
Crowley and Lady Harris expected the project of the tarot might involve three months of work, but the preparation of the cards required more than five years of labor between 1938 and 1943.
Sometimes many versions of the same card were painted to achieve the desired effect. Crowley was a fanatical slave-driver and his rough sketches and descriptions often went far higher and deeper than anything Lady Harris had previously known.
Two original essays on the Thoth tarot are reprinted with this deck - one edited by Lady Harris from the writings of Crowley, the other written entirely by Lady Harris. Both essays provide unique insight into the artist and her interpretations of the tarot of Crowley.

«The symbolism, traditional postures, attribution of the Cards and the planetary, zodiacal and elemental colours have been given to me by an expert who has studied the Tarot for forty years and to whom my thanks are due for his courteous co-operation.» (Lady Frieda Harris, July 1942)

«Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law

Aleister Crowley designed this Tarot as illustrations for The Book Thoth. They were painted by Lady Frieda Harris, and are now issued as cards. To use them is to learn. To use them with the delicacy of great art is to embark on the path of initiation.
Those interested in the qabalistic and astro-logical attributions of these cards are referred to Aleister Crowley's 777 and The Book of Thoth. Those interested in the Thelemic attributions are referred to Aleister Crowley's Liber AL vel Legis (The Book of the Law), especially chapter 1:57, where it is written: “All these old letters of my Book are aright; but Tzaddi is not the Star.”

Love is the law, love under will

Hymenaeus Alpha, Caliph Ordo Templi Orientis»