Hermetic tarot

It's one of those decks so replete with symbolism that I consider it even more difficult than the Thoth (which I'd rather use). I find the deck impenetrable. I wonder who the people were that were clamouring and begging for it to be reprinted in 2004 because I honestly can't understand it being an accessible and must-read deck in the tarot community.

Glad it's in print because we need denser decks to be in print. Otherwise the world would be taken over with angels. But I find it extremely difficult. I always think that decks which people say "oh I use it for study" (rather than reading) is like daming with faint praise. I think the Hermetic is the tarot equivalent of Latin; everyone feels they ought to study it but nobody uses it. I love its monochromatic spookiness but I wouldn't dare read with it. Just too out there. It makes the Thoth look so accessible and "chatty" (as they say)

Le Fanu said:

Glad it's in print because we need denser decks to be in print. Otherwise the world would be taken over with angels. But I find it extremely difficult. I always think that decks which people say "oh I use it for study" (rather than reading) is like daming with faint praise. I think the Hermetic is the tarot equivalent of Latin; everyone feels they ought to study it but nobody uses it. I love its monochromatic spookiness but I wouldn't dare read with it. Just too out there. It makes the Thoth look so accessible and "chatty" (as they say)

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I agree about the angels.

But I read with this deck too, when I want a straight up unadulterated unemotional answer.

I recently bought this deck and just received it yesterday. I love the art and I can see that it's a challenging deck. I'm currently working with the Thoth so I think I will take it up afterwards. I would like to read with it and I think I could for myself, but I think the average querent would go what the f....

Le Fanu said:

Glad it's in print because we need denser decks to be in print. Otherwise the world would be taken over with angels.

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Or fairies/faeries. Or zombies. Or kittens. Or doe-eyed urchins. Oh wait, it's too late . . . . <runs screaming for the cave with his Thoth>

Babalon Jones said:

But I read with this deck too, when I want a straight up unadulterated unemotional answer.

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Just a question; would you say that the balance of your readings with this deck are tipped more towards deciphering the symbolism and references or just what you see in the cards? Or would you say exactly 50-50? I can't imagine reading with this deck and just going off the visuals - there is a sense of a vast yawning chasm behind each card that you simply must draw upon.

closrapexa said:

I would like to know more about him, too. I wonder if he was a member of some order. The scope of the deck seems to suggest so, as it includes things not commonly included even in GD decks, like the angelic names. Those and a few other things suggest someone with a background in practical ritual work.

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Just saw this. Here you go.

Bit more, not v helpful

There appeared to be a Godfrey Anthony Dowson still living in Wales, in Llanfyllin, in 2004.

BUT if that was him - this may be bad news.

I found a load of Amstrad games he did the artwork for in the 80s and 90s...

Wow gregory, thank you for the super sleuthing! I never knew he did games. Doesn't say much on if he was part of any order though obviously he had an interest in magick.

Sad if that suicide was him, though. I'd rather hoped he was still around and that he would pop in here. I rather fancied meeting him someday, at least on the web.

Le Fanu, to answer your question, upon reflection I realized that when I use this deck I'm not reading the visuals, it is more just basing the answer on the meaning of the symbolism. Which I guess is what makes it more cut and dried for me.

Right now I'm in a phase where I have trouble getting excited about new Tarot decks. Whenever I browse decks, I just don't feel a thing. I'm content using my Thoth and RWS Commemorative because they still feel as enchanting as when I first started using them.

Hermetic Tarot is one of the few decks I'd like to get, though. The deck just screams "occult!" in a way that I find really fascinating. I think that's the reason some people might find this deck a bit scary. It's a very unique deck.

I have the Hermetic (both printings, prefer the earlier printing for cardstock and overall appearance. Yellow box, borders on card, copyright 1979 - old printing; white box, no borders on cards, copyright 1979, 2006 - new printing. Cards in old printing are 4-1/4 inches long, new printing 4-3/4 inches long).

I use it mainly, often together with Tarot of the Holy Light, as a comparison deck. I'll draw a card from my goto deck (The Alchemical), then pull the same card from the Hermetic and Tarot of the Holy Light for comparison.

Le Fanu said:

It's one of those decks so replete with symbolism that I consider it even more difficult than the Thoth (which I'd rather use). I find the deck impenetrable. I wonder who the people were that were clamouring and begging for it to be reprinted in 2004 because I honestly can't understand it being an accessible and must-read deck in the tarot community.

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It isn't actually that different from the Thoth. The GD structure is the same, except for Strength/Justice and Star/Emperor. The symbolism used is very similar Golden Dawn imagery. The Thoth is a GD deck, just like the Hermetlc, only with the addition of Thelema. However, both decks follow 777 in the same way. The Hermetic, though, follows Book T much more, as Harris made many changes in the Thoth. The Aces, for example, she made completely different. Dowson, on the other hand, added the angelic names to the Minors. He didn't make them up, though, they're still 777.

But the Thoth... well, is the friggin Thoth! Nothing can really compare and it dwarfs even the Hermetic in scope and sheer oomph. I myself never gave the Hermetic a chance because I bought it for study purposes anyway, secondary to the Thoth. I needed a "pure" Golden Dawn deck for comparison, and one that I liked the look of since most are either ugly or bring forth developments and other considerations.

What I like about the Hermetic is that it is brutally honest in terms of what it is. Most GD decks try to embellish upon the original ideas. For example, the Golden Dawn Temple Tarot has Nick Farrell's order's ideas in it, so it isn't quite original GD. The Hermetic could have been made in 1900, so good a snapshot it is of the original GD ideas, yet embellished artistically.

As great as it is, though, it just isn't the Thoth.