Masonic Tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Sep 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

VGimlet	22 Sep 2002
I really want this deck right now, but for those of you who have it - do you use it? Is it worth it? I don't really read well (at all) with non-illustrated pips, so I'm wondering if the majors make up for that. The moon card, the card which makes or breaks a deck for me (sometimes) is fabulous. I've read the reviews, (mixed) and seen the scans, but sometimes I think it's better to talk to people who have actually seen the deck IRL.

jmd	22 Sep 2002
The Masonic Tarot, in my opinion, is one of those decks which has many wonderful qualities which need time and effort for them to be discovered. If you have interests in sacred geometry, you may enjoy discovering what each card has to reveal. Apart from that, however, it is, in my opinion, another variation of Tarot. With specific regards to Freemasonry, I personally found it in many ways disappointing - but I guess the illustrator took the vow to heart (not to reveal any part or parts, point or points, of or belonging to, etc). If you are in the Craft, then, do not expect to find much overtly Masonic symbolism. To be sure, there are many, but no much more than can be extracted from any standard deck - though it could be a worthwhile exercise in itself to find these (but include the full 33 degrees of the Ancient and Accepted rite, not just the Blue). I wasn't aware that the deck was back in print, and I'm certain that it will sell for both its title and the care taken in its execution. If you wish to ask specific questions about certain cards, I would be happy to attempt to answer.

catlin	24 Sep 2002
Hm, guess what I am holding in my hot little hands? Yep, the Masonic Tarot. Got it in the mail today. I am glad that there is good ol' faithful jmd at hand to discuss this deck *grin*

Diana	24 Sep 2002
edited

AmounrA	24 Sep 2002
This is the first time I have seen this deck [thanks for link], and I have to say it looks fairly weak......which is perhaps a good thing. I think any true masonic tarot deck, would and should be kept in house and not put on general release. Saying that, I don't think freemasonary fits well within the tarot structure, and therefore would not work in serious, masonic only, deck......although masonic elements could be brought out more in certain cards of a traditionally based deck. Sadly. if you are seeking more information about Freemasonary, it can be found on the web. I say sadly because I genuinely believe a lot of the power in the degrees is lost if you know what to expect....the mark would not be so deep perhaps. ( although I accept that this doesn't benifit women very much :-) Athough not myself on the level, I certainly meet at the square. JMD, do you think the artist here was a freemason?, I have doubts that such a project would have been allowed, with any official approval.

Diana	24 Sep 2002
edited

AmounrA	24 Sep 2002
"AmounrA: Please tell me what the reason is that women are still excluded. Pretty please." yikes, How do I answer that without being shot ? "Its tradition" and also of course, if they let women in, they would have to make extra toliets...:-) There is a womens branch of freemasonary, the order of the silver star (I believe).

jmd	24 Sep 2002
Women are admitted into Freemasonry... but not all Grand Lodges recognise the ones which do. Try doing a search within the forums on comasonry (or co-masonry). The international Co-masonic order is also known as Le Droit Humain, and first initiated women in the late 1800s. There is also evidence that women were admitted much earlier! I'll post other replies later... I'm on my way out... sorry to part!

catlin	25 Sep 2002
I only have looked through my Masonic Tarot and I also think that there is only this revealed what is already public concerning Freemasonry. I do not expect any deeper secrets revealed in this deck (hey, I also do not reveal all I know to the ones interested in Celtic Elder Wicca). Just think of one of the Witch laws which also says "keep silent". It is just a nice addy to my collection as there was a Masonic-inspired deck still missing.

jmd	25 Sep 2002
AmounrA earlier asked if I thought that the artist of this deck was a FreeMason. I strongly suspect that the peculiar way in which the deck is executed suggests that it comes from the artistic hand of someone who has studied the Craft... and possibly from within. If the artist was not initiated into Masonry, I would be surprised.

Cerulean	29 Dec 2002
Just got it at one of those independent shops in Minneapolis. Somebody liquidated their collection and this was one not listed by the shop on E-Bay. I was pleasantly happy when I did a 12 card reading for recent themes. Excellent color gradations and various design details for a tarot published in the 1980s. The large size and ideas are well explained, so I feel it is a 'complete' tarot that leaves room for self-exploration of related ideas. It fills some bits in my collection for art theme decks of the 20th century with other esoteric influences. The courts remind me a bit of Eclectic Tarot, the German deck. I really enjoyed looking at the scans and kept my eye out for it this past year. Mari H.

Trish	29 Dec 2002
Can anybody who is not in the loop with Freemasonry really get anything out of it? Isn't there a whole lot of symbolism in it that people who aren't Freemasons would miss? No offense ... I'm just curious. :D

Cerulean	29 Dec 2002
Actually, I don't know Freemasonary, but there were some nice notes of triads, sacred geometry, numbers that touch on other systems that I have read. A lovely collection of esoteric art symbols with tarot and with distinct allegory sometimes can be harder or easier if the colors disagree or agree with you strongly. However lovely blue-green tones deepening into cobalt or seablue or plum melting into violet or enriched with pink tones can make me react well. Also, the ink drawings are not as hard to handle as say...the Dante Tarot. I am going to plunge back into Dante soon and I like the Dante Tarot well enough---but I have a stronger affinity for historic renditions of the Divine Comedy right now. I read the Masonic Tarot better than I read the Dante Tarot right now. And if I'm getting it wrong, thank goodness that I keep this one for self-reading. Best wishes, Mari H>

rota	29 Dec 2002
I was interested to see this deck. I've been a member of the Blue and Scottish Rite Lodges here for some years, so naturally I was curious to examine it. If I were going to design a deck that spoke Tarot in the language of Masonic symbolism I would be at somewhat of a loss... The overlaps are not obvious, although there is in Masonry a reliance upon Jewish, Gnostic Christian, even Egyptian and Greek symbols. I'm sure it could be done. I've looked at the deck and tried to puzzle some of it out. There are some juxtapositions I'd consider odd. The Death card uses the B.O.T.A. motif of harvesting body parts, and mixes it with the Rosicrucian lamb. In the Star card, I see an altar that uses the Tessellated Pavement and Staircase motifs to flank the T-with-serpent logo of the Theosophical Society. The Ace of Swords card includes the Micro/Macro cadeucus serpents along with the Mercury/Venus symbol occasionally seen on some versions of the Devil card... The High Priestess card pretty much ignores the Jachin and Boaz columns in favor of the silver and gold keys usually found on the Hierophant card... More of the symbology here is alchemical and Rosicrucian than Masonic, though I guess the cable-tow and the skull count. This may simply be a very personal deck. Maybe the author of the cards is here somewhere and can straighten us out on some of these questions. The feel of the card art seems... (I don't know if I can say this and be taken seriously :P ) fairly unMasonic. It's actually kind of ... girly. Not that that's a bad thing, I'm hastening to add! I see it rates 3 stars in the summary section. It's just that, since Masonry is pretty much totally a male sort of thing, you wouldn't expect soft, delicate, gentle art in a Masonic Tarot deck. (I'm squeezing my eyes shut, knowing rocks are about to be thrown at me...)

zander770	30 Dec 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Mari_Hoshizaki A lovely collection of esoteric art symbols with tarot and with distinct allegory sometimes can be harder or easier if the colors disagree or agree with you strongly. However lovely blue-green tones deepening into cobalt or seablue or plum melting into violet or enriched with pink tones can make me react [/b] yes; the "flashing colors" (apart from astetic sensibilities) are used to affect the body and the mind (as too "musical notes/vibrated tones") and are used for meditation, et al purposes. my first time seeing this deck, too. very interesting. the cisero's "new g.d. ritual tarot" uses the same "flashing colors" and symbolism. leat, ~Z~770 :TDEV

Cerulean	30 Dec 2002
This may be a girlfriend deck. Not all, but many girls that I babysat liked pink and purple...I'm talking Asian, Irish and American backgrounds from the 1970's through the 1990's. Someone said those bright Barbie colors were a secret code to our magpie minds...'pick me,' the shiny colors beg, 'pick me!' Easily distracted by shiny objects, Mari H.

Musie	02 Jan 2003
I just wanted to jump in here :) In regards to women being admitted into Freemasonry. In Canada, I've never heard of this. It is a strictly male tradition, a sacred brotherhood. Though allowing women in this day and age I guess I can see it *g* Here they have set up an organization - a woman's counterpart of Freemasonry called The Eastern Star, which bases it tradition on biblical stories (Esther, Ruth, etc). Young girls are part of Rainbow Girls, the boys go to Demolay. There is a lot of ritual. I can't say what exactly the Masons do, my father wouldn't let me look at his ritual book :P But I remember the apron he wore and some of the symbols. I was initiated into Eastern Star (I'm no longer in it though), I went to Rainbow Girls and my father was a Mason, a shriner and a knights Templar. Actually only sons, daughters and wives of Masons can be initiated into the counterpart organizations. Except for Rainbow, you can invite someone in. Unless this has changed - maybe it has. My guess if anyone created a Masonic Tarot deck, must have been initiated into the Masonic Lodge. Perhaps the artist/creator was demitted/quit later on, so he felt he didn't feel bound by his oath of secrecy anymore. You are not allowed to reveal anything about the rituals, symbols of Freemasonry. I know for Eastern Star I was not allowed. I had to kneel before an altar and swear secrecy. But in all honesty, there wasn't that much mystery in it! There is probably more in Freemasonry and it is a very old sacred tradition. I'm surprised such a deck was ever made. But there seems to be a deck for everything. Even Hello Kitty has a deck! I really can't picture a bunch of the masons I knew reading the tarot, but who knows! :) It might make a cool present for my father though! :P

jmd	03 Jan 2003
International Co-Freemasonry (Le Droit Humain) also exists actively in Canada.

Musie	03 Jan 2003
I didn't know that jmd wow Well, it has been a long time since I was part of it all, so I don't really pay attention to it anymore, save for any enlightening news my father and mom share with me, but they moved to the States. Thanks for sharing that :)

Cerulean	08 Mar 2003
I looked this past weekend at their site and it is in their new section. If anyone wanted this colorful tarot...I call it a girlfriend deck, as it has much color for inspiration...you might find it a little too bright. Sometimes I need a colorful take. Mari H. P.S. I found a used copy in Minneapolis in a visit there and began painting studies right afterward.

Rusty Neon	12 Mar 2003
Besides the LWB that comes with the Masonic deck, there is also a separate book (in French) on this deck written, if I recall correctly, by the artist. It would certainly shed some light on the symbolism of the cards, including hopefully the minor arcana. Does anyone here have that book?

Melvis	06 May 2003
Holy cow...I just got this deck from a friend of mine, who found it at flea market in Nevada for around $10. Then I saw how much it was going for at Alida...more than 40 Euro! I guess if I ever sell this deck, I'll have to give my friend a cut of the profits! But I don't think I'll be selling this one ever, because I just love it. Now I'm pretty much of an intuitive reader, and I know next to nothing about the Freemasons, but I'm with Mari in that this is a very pretty deck! I also don't usually read well with pip cards, but I rather like these. (Then again, maybe all those years of staring at pips from different decks has finally paid off!) The book is quite large for a "Little White Book", and it contains both English and French versions. The English translation from the French is a little stilted for my taste, though. I find myself rereading sentences a few times trying to get the gist of what they're saying. As to whether or not any Masonic 'secrets' are given away in the deck, here is a paragraph from the LWB (and remember what I said about the stilted English translation! ;): Quote: Not that the observer is invited to a game of rebus or enigma (puzzle), but because many things cannot signify anything without reference to something acquired or established or something experienced. In the same way, in the text which will follow, the masonic references indicated in bold-faced type cannot be anything else than references and they are not always complete. So, I think that means that there are hints concerning the true Masonic references in the deck, but all they are is hints. Anyway, I thought I'd add my two cents to this thread since I'm so excited about this new deck of mine! :D Peace, Melvis :TSTRE

Cerulean	06 May 2003
What a great find for your friend and you, as well. Others can also find it at tarotgarden.com. Maybe if they do a sale on all the tarots in the "M" category, that will be the time to snatch up a copy. Glad you like the jewelike tones. Gives me pretty pen color cravings. Mari H.

jmd	06 May 2003
How interesting that this deck, which I rarely make significant mention, was also one the ones I discussed at some length with a more elderly woman during Melbourne's recent Tarot Café... It certainly is a great find - and quite frankly, though working the Masonic rituals may certainly illuminate certain aspects of the cards of this deck, they can be as understood through careful study.

wolfen045	08 May 2003
I have had the Masonic tarot for years and it is just about my favorite deck. The rather abstract imagry works well me, allowing my intition and imagination free play. I don't know much of anything about Masonry, But I like the Bright shiny colors. As I believe it was Mari H who pointed out this deck is rather feminine in tone. But hey it works for me! I did read the LWB a few times and it is helpful although it does't seem to explain much about the deeper symbolic meanings of the cards. Blessings and Blessed Be! wolfen

The Masonic Tarot thread was originally posted on 22 Sep 2002 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.