3x different Magus Cards in Thoth deck

foolMoon

Hi All

I received an old Thoth Deck (Printed in 1986 by AG Muller CH-Neuhausen) via the post today, and there were 3x different Magus / Magician cards.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/68mqro62fc1ajjh/20140711_145352-1.jpg

Just wondering how they are different, and which one you use. cheers.

ps: This deck has cards which are brighter, and far sharper on printing than the one I used to have previously, which has greenish images on cards.
 

Richard

Use the one in the center. The other two are rejects.

Hi All

I received an old Thoth Deck (Printed in 1986 by AG Muller CH-Neuhausen) via the post today, and there were 3x different Magus / Magician cards.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/68mqro62fc1ajjh/20140711_145352-1.jpg

Just wondering how they are different, and which one you use. cheers.

ps: This deck has cards which are brighter, and far sharper on printing than the one had, which has greenish images on cards.
 

Zephyros

I have to wonder why they were rejected, though. On the surface, any of them could have been the Magus. Conceptually and in terms of execution all three are outstanding works, so that preference of either falls to personal taste. Also, why did the paintings get to be fully finished, and only then rejected? Didn't he see at least sketches during the probably lengthy period during which each painting was done?

I don't recall reading anything in Crowley and Harris's correspondence about specific issues having to do with specific cards, except for general talk about certain cards as a whole. Nothing along the lines of "this is wrong, paint it from scratch." To tell the truth, though, they're so full of mundane talk about weather and things that, so I may not have read it that deeply. Does anybody know?
 

foolMoon

Upon a glimpse I noticed the first one has formidable long arms, and the last one is wearing small wings around his ankles.
 

Richard

I have to wonder why they were rejected, though.......
Whatever the reason, It's only natural that the card having the Mercury/Hermes/Thoth attribution would receive careful scrutiny.
 

ravenest

Upon a glimpse I noticed the first one has formidable long arms, and the last one is wearing small wings around his ankles.

Yeah . I call that one Dr Octopus (urk!) and the last one the swastika (urk again) I use the middle one ( Golden Boy )

The ankle wings ?

http://johnrchildress.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/hermes.jpg

I thought I saw a brief glimpse, (for the first time ?) the other day, an image of a 4th Thoth magician, amongst a page of tarot images.

Anyone familiar with that ( I will try and find it again) ?
 

ravenest

Ha har! I found yet another one I haven't seen before - sure looks like one of Frieda's ( and a bit like something of Blake's ).

http://tathayoga.com/tarot/ThothHistory/Harris Paintings/Harris_MAGICIAN2.jpg

I cant seem to find the other one ... it looked like he was wearing a thick robe with a large belt ?

Oh ... here is a 5th one

http://www.oocities.org/tarocchi2000tarocchi/artists/harris/magician.jpg






Anyway, here are some others I like

http://tathayoga.com/tarot/ThothHistory/Harris Paintings/Harris_KNIGHTD.jpg

http://tathayoga.com/tarot/ThothHistory/Harris Paintings/18_MOON_Earlier.jpg





Not a tarot card - but I like it

http://corrinekenner.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/freida-harris-painting.jpg
 

ravenest

I have to wonder why they were rejected, though. On the surface, any of them could have been the Magus. Conceptually and in terms of execution all three are outstanding works, so that preference of either falls to personal taste. Also, why did the paintings get to be fully finished, and only then rejected?

" ... often painting the same card as many as eight times until it measured up to his Vanadium Steel yardstick! " - Biographical Note. Book of Thoth.

Sounds like they were judged on the finished product ?

[Vanadium was named after Vanadis or Freyja, a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, gold, seiðr ( a type of shamanic, visionary sorcery), war and death.


Why do I get the feeling that the card selection process went something like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMnNvjUOd3Y
 

Aeon418

I have to wonder why they were rejected, though. On the surface, any of them could have been the Magus.
Maybe, being so Mercurial, it was a difficult card to pin down into one final form.

The 'swastika' reject has got all the right symbolism, but he does seem a bit stiff and rigid. Mercury is fluidic and transmissive, and I don't really get that vibe from him.

The multi armed 'octopus' reject has got lovely fluid arms. And combined with his wand-rigid posture creates a nice duality suitable to the cards nature. But he doesn't suggest the swastika.

The final 'official' form of the card combines both the sense of fluidity with the swastika. The arms of the Magus seem to be the important feature as per Liber 418 - 6th aethyr:

Liber 418 said:
But now I come into the centre of the maze, and whirling dust of stars and great forgotten gods. It is the whirling Svastika which throws off all these things, for the Svastika is in aleph by the shape and number, and in beth by the position of the arms of the Magician, and in gimel because of the sign of the Mourning of Isis, and thus is the Crown defended by these three thunderbolts. Is not thrice seventeen fifty-one, that is, failure and pain?
 

Always Wondering

Is not thrice seventeen fifty-one, that is, failure and pain?

I can't make anything out of this trying basic gematria, or common sense, for that matter. Googling "1751 thelema" comes up with lots of hits, but they all seem happenstance. Any thoughts?


Yet I stand at the centre of the spider's web, whereof the golden filaments reach to infinity.
Love this though.

AW