Secrecy vows caused changes of meaning?

linabeet

A friend told me a theory she has that due to Waite's GD secrecy vows he made some changes in the deck to protect himself.

Particulalry the switching of the 11 and 8, Justice and Strength and the difference between the court cards in the Thoth system and his.

Thoughts? Opinions? Has this been discussed before?
 

cartarum

correct

many things were not mentioned by waite for his secrecy vows, although his deck is pretty much the tell all. what waite got away with, was the position that many authors take today. if its wrong, but it fools someone, oh well. it doesent matter. and if its too vague, theres other books. waite just felt compelled to express his knowledge. he did so, but only to a few. maybe one out of twenty.
 

Pagan X

Waite says as much in his book on Tarot--not that he incorporated "blinds" (deliberate errors for the uninitiated) but that he can only say so much without breaking his oaths.

Had the Golden Dawn insisted upon professional editing of the books produced for the masses, they probably would have had more applicants! Waite releasing a "training wheel" Tarot with promises of a more advanced version within is a terrific marketing idea.
 

linabeet

thanks for the thoughts, I'll have to read that review.
 

FlipTarot

Crowley's disdain

I've read the review - hard to supress a laugh, though I respect RWS. Crowley certainly had his bitchy mojo workin' that day. Not one to mince words: he HATES Waite's LWB. And who can forget such acidic gems as:

"I am infinitely sorry for any artist who tries to draw after dipping her hands in the gluey dogma of so insufferable a dolt and prig".

and

"Nobody but Mr. Waite knows "all" about the Tarot, it appears; and he won't tell."

Ouch! And I thought he was just going to say that RWS might be a "wee bit twee". Still, he did seem to like some of the artwork.

Is all of his writing this funny?

FlipTarot
 

Vincent

Re: Crowley's disdain

FlipTarot said:
Is all of his writing this funny?
FlipTarot

It is when it concerns Waite.

You may want to look at these articles by Crowley;

Wisdom while you Waite
http://www.the-equinox.org/vol1/no5/eqi05011.html

Arthur in the area again
http://www.the-equinox.org/vol1/no7/eqi07029.html

Dead Weight
http://www.the-equinox.org/vol1/no10/eqi10017.html

Crowley's autohagiography "Diary of a Drug Fiend" is an excellent source of his wit, and even his magic(k)al writing have gems like this one, from the Book of Thoth, concerning The Emperor;

"...for the ram, by nature, is a wild and courageous animal, lonely in lonely places, whereas when tamed and made to lie down in green pastures, nothing is left but the docile, cowardly, gregarious and succulent beast. This is the theory of government"


Vincent
 

Fulgour

"During his lifetime Waite was castigated, and with justification, for his peculiarities of style, for his frequent errors of historical fact and for his cavalier attitude and contemptuous references to his contemporaries."

http://www.mastermason.com/luxocculta/waite.htm

by Bro. R. A. GILBERT
 

Penelope

The real secrets are probably still just that. Former
members who chose to publish were out of it anyway.