"The direct descendant" of the Thoth?

earthair

I'm a little surprised that the good people of the Thoth forum haven't been talking about the Mutational Alchemy deck http://abrahadabra.com/projects/the-mutational-alchemy-tarot/

Especially with a claim like this!...

"Few tarot decks are as complex and meaningful as Aleister Crowley’s THOTH tarot, and The Mutational Alchemy Tarot stands as the direct descendant to his and Frieda Harris’s work, correcting some of the errors he made and implementing the Tree of Life and Hexagrams into the Tarot as well in a mathematically perfect way."

But maybe you haven't seen it, or are recoiling at the blasphemy :joke:
*in a hushed voice* the Star and Emperor are reversed

I have bought it, it's just arrived, and I've got to say that the deck is beautifully produced :) And comes with a whopping 426page book online too :thumbsup:
 

Snaut

Nice.
But for my taste there is a little bit too much cgi. Also I am not well versed in the I Ching, on which the mutational alchemy tarot seems to rely much.

Nevertheless, I wonder about the attributions of court cards to "diamond paths". There is a short explanation at the bottom of http://abrahadabra.com/mutational-alchemy-tarot-book/introduction/
I have never heard about the "Hidden Diamond Sutra" or some concept of "hidden paths". can someone please elaborate?
 

ravenest

Vivid and garish . and yes, excessive cgi .

Hidden paths are the ones not there that you make up yourself (like the 'father letters' ;) )
 

Zephyros

Browsed the book this morning, I think it's great that they're offering it free of charge. I didn't get much of it since, as Snaut mentioned, they do rely greatly on the I Ching, something I don't know that much about. While I could nitpick here and there, especially with regards to their superior attitude, credit where credit is due, they've done their homework here. I just can't begin to hazard a guess as to what that homework means. :)
 

Ross G Caldwell

I can't see the poetry in it.

For the creators, obviously a labor of love.
For the rest of us, just a labor.

But to each his own. More power to them, and to those who find it useful.
 

Zephyros

Also, am I the only one who's getting tired of modern occult pomposity? Seems everyone these days is trying to "correct" Crowley or the Golden Dawn, and often without any leg to stand on. On stuffy Victorian gentlemen that superior air was practically par for the course, but in modern times it just doesn't gel. Crowley was special not only because of his achievements and "credentials" but because of the scientific method he employed. Everything he did was meticulously documented, for better or for worse. Anything less than that, certainly someone using an internet handle like "m1thr0s" or whatever and claiming to be "deep into the occult" ... well, that raises my ire.
 

Ross G Caldwell

You're not alone in feeling that, Zephyros.

But I don't read much modern occultism, so maybe my general impression is wrong.

In any case, I won't be giving up the study of my stuffy Victorian-Edwardian gentlemen and women to study the Mutational Alchemy Tarot anytime soon.
 

Samweiss

I can't see the poetry in it.

For the creators, obviously a labor of love.
For the rest of us, just a labor.

But to each his own. More power to them, and to those who find it useful.

This is how I feel about the deck. I just don't find the visuals that appealing. I take closer look of the accompanying book when I have the time.

Also, am I the only one who's getting tired of modern occult pomposity? Seems everyone these days is trying to "correct" Crowley or the Golden Dawn, and often without any leg to stand on. On stuffy Victorian gentlemen that superior air was practically par for the course, but in modern times it just doesn't gel. Crowley was special not only because of his achievements and "credentials" but because of the scientific method he employed. Everything he did was meticulously documented, for better or for worse. Anything less than that, certainly someone using an internet handle like "m1thr0s" or whatever and claiming to be "deep into the occult" ... well, that raises my ire.

It's the spirit of the modern age. Everything old is seen something outdated and must be torn down and replaced with modern innovations. Of course most of the time these so-called innovations are nothing more than something based on whims and fancy of their creators.

I also took a peek at the forums of that website, and it appears that the reviews of the deck here in Aeclectic are done by the members of Abrahadabra Institute. No wonder they were such glowing reviews and described the deck as "must have".
 

earthair

So far I've only dipped into the book/website when cards come up, but it seems to explain the I Ching well.
The art doesn't look at all cgi-ed in person, and except for the very digital choice of luminous colours, it feels very painted.
Even if I completely ignore all the symbols/bits and bobs around the edges, this deck reads well, so I'll give it some time.
Visually it doesn't feel remotely related or descended from Thoth or GD, which is a good thing I feel.

My only criticism might be that this is an uber-glommed construction, which ends up sinking under its own weight in information and possibilities...or maybe it will keep me entertained for years. I'm having fun so far :cool2: :livelong:
 

smw

I was wondering what Cgi means... I looked at the first 10 minutes or so of a demo of the cards on the forums there. From what I could see I quite liked the figure work ( I would like to see it in the flesh) and a lot of thought and care seems to have gone into the deck.

There is a reversal back to the Golden Dawn system of Lust being Strength VIII because it is correct (?) and changed because of the astrological symbols. The Empress is now a dragon and the scaly Devil relates to Balarama, a hindu deity, a close figure for one of the co- creators. Apparently, both were 'sick of the Hairy Devil', that usually refers to Satan, Baphomet or Pan. Not sure how that fits with being a direct descendant of the Thoth.